Autocross with NNJR SCCA

It's now been 7 months since my last autocross and I've become hilariously out of sync with what I need to bring to events. I remembered to bring my helmet but forgot my magnetic numbers so I had to go full rookie mode with tape number and class letters like the good old days.

NNJR SCCA - 4-16-2023
Photo by: Autox4u

Weather was quite pleasant in the high 60s / low 70s with unusually low winds at the Meadowlands. We got to run Lot E which is a treat nowadays. The club was thankfully able to secure this lot to let people do some testing and prepare for the upcoming NJ SCCA ProSolo. While this doesn't have the most grip level of all the lots typically available to us, the bigger space means the potential for faster and more interesting courses and Simmons, the course designer, delivered.

In grid

The course was flowing, fast, and fun. All the Fs I really care most about. Since no one else was in XSA I didn't really have any competition so my goal was just to keep improving with each run, finding more time, fixing mistakes, etc. 

Sweet tape job bro
Photo by: Autox4u

Let's gooooo
Photo by: Autox4u

I ran 28psi all around but I think the car responded better when the pressures went up a bit. Looking at my old notes, I ran 29psi at Watkins Glen so maybe I need to stick with 29 or 30psi even though these RE-71RS have stiff sidewalls. It just felt a bit more planted when I let it go up to 30psi and the rear was sliding a bit more at 28. I got my time down to a 54.321 which was a fun time to end up with. Hopefully I can get some more events in before we get started with the garage project.

NNJR SCCA Autocross - 4-16-2023

Shifter Alignment

I had noted in my for GTI sale post that the shifter was slightly out of alignment since depending on temperature, and especially when it's cold out, first and reverse don't smoothly go in. It's an easy fix but I've been procrastinating largely because I've been working on my other cars but I felt this was easy enough for me to do now to help out the next owner. First thing was to remove the shift boot cover and pin the shifter into its natural position by lining up the little arm coming from the shifter with the hole on the shifter base. You're supposed to use a 5mm pin but a 4.5mm allen wrench is just fine.

Pinning shifter into its natural position

Next I removed the airbox to get to the shift cable ends. Once there, you need to retract the springs retaining the shift cable and twist it counterwise to lock it into place. This releases the little arms that clamp onto the shifter cable itself. 

Shifter cable springs retracted

Then simply make sure the car is in neutral and push the counter weight down so that the pin to hold the transmission into its natural position is set. When that's done, you can then turn the springs on the cable ends clockwise so they go back into their extended position and clamp back down onto the shifter cable ends.

Everything aligned and back to normal

Once all this is done, undo the pin on the transmission side and remove the "pin" on the shifter so that it can move freely again. Check that all gears engage firmly. Based on how it feels now the shifter was definitely very slighly closer to the 5th and 6th gear which is probably why reverse and 1st sometimes didn't line up nicely. Put the airbox back on and took her for a test drive to make sure all the gears engaged as expected while driving and there is now a nice solid feel for all gear engagements. This was pretty easy to do and I probably should've done it myself some time ago so I could enjoy it the way it is now but at least she's sorted.

My GTI is For Sale :(

For Sale: 2016 Tornado Red VW GTi 6MT with PP, DCC and Lighting Package

Mileage: 79,906

Price: $20,950 (some room for negotiation) with everything included in this listing. Will not part out, not looking for trade.

VIN: 3VW547AU4GM064728

Contact Info: IG @ steguismotorsports or steguismotorsports at gmail

All Photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAz9U4

It is with great sadness that I write up this for sale post of my beloved GTI. I’ve always loved Golfs in general and been wanting one forever so when I sold my Touareg TDI 4 years ago, I knew that the only downsized replacement would be a GTI. There’s nothing particularly special about them but I just love how under the radar they are. They are the perfect base for a sleeper build and are extremely practical. I found it on a VW forum in PA in September of 2019 with just a hair over 50K miles, single adult owner who used it to commute to and from work and was selling it as he just had a 2nd child and had to now get something boring like a Tiguan. He did some light mods and a stage 1 tune just to give it some more pep. His mods were decent, good bang for buck, choices but when I took ownership I was determined to do a really nice OEM+ build with quality parts only so most of what he did had to go. I’m selling this car because it’s become redundant now that I also have a 2019 Mini Cooper S. The Mini is definitely no real GTi replacement but being an auto and still fun, it’s something both my wife (who can’t drive stick) and I can enjoy together and getting her to enjoy driving interesting cars is one of my main life agendas right now. It now has 79,906 miles. It might go up a tiny bit in mileage since I drive it once in a while to get the fluids going and frankly because I still love it. The price is somewhat negotiable but I have no actual need to sell this car and so don’t expect me to sell it for cheap so don’t bother low balling me. With the announcement by VW that they will stop producing ICE Golfs after the MK8, these GTIs especially in manual are going to be increasingly sought after. I already know I’m going to regret selling it but if it doesn't get sold I won't exactly be sad.

Car Details:

2016 Tornado Red Golf GTi 6MT with Performance Pack (LSD + Golf R brakes), Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC - Electronic shocks, currently deleted by KW coilover kit) and Lighting Package

- MK7 GTI

Engine/Drivetrain/Power Mods:

• IS38 Revision F Turbo (Golf R / RS3 Turbo)

• APR Stage 3 High Torque Tune (APR says this is around 350hp/350tq with 93. I don't know if it's that but it's definitely over 300).

• Wagner Intercooler

• AWE downpipe with HJS 200-cell Cat

• Racingline R600 Intake

• Akrapovic Titanium Slip-on axle back exhaust with Dry Carbon tips

• RS7 Plugs

• 034 Motorsports Dog bone insert 

• APR spherical pendulum mount 

• Billet Rear Main Seal

• Fluidampr Harmonic Balancer

• South Bend Stage 2 Endurance Clutch and Flywheel

• 034 motorsports density line engine and transmission mounts

• New H5 Duralast Platinum AGM battery (9/9/2022)

Wheels/Tires:

• Summer:

• Nuespeed RSE11R 18x8.5 +45

• Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 245/40R18

• VW Clubsport center caps

• Titanium Wheel Bolts

• Winter

• OZ Racing 17x8 +35 Superleggera

• 225/45/17 Pirelli Sottozero 3

• Longer OEM steel wheel bolts

Suspension:

• KW Street Comfort Suspension

• DCC disabled (DCC is pointless anyway you can’t even feel the change from regular to sport, it’s such joke and the KW suspension is so much better in every way)

• Eibach 25 mm rear sway bar

• Superpro Adjustable Endlinks

Appearance/Electronics:

• Akrapovic dry carbon diffuser

• Aerofabb spoiler extension

• Rokblokz Rally Mud Flaps

• Golf Alltrack skid plate with brackets and fasteners for undertray protection

• Euro rear headrests (for greater visibility)

• Raceseng Spherology Custom in Translucent Red

• Hardwired dashcam

• P3 V3 OBD2 vent gauge

• Weathertech floor mats (front and rear)

• U.S. Mills front license plate tow hook mount

• Front fenders rolled

The good:

It’s owned by me. If you know me then you know my cars are all mechanically in great condition. I don’t let things break. Anytime any part becomes questionable they get replaced asap, with better parts. I do not sort by price and pick the cheapest thing. I never want to break down so I’m always about making sure any weakness in the vehicle is addressed as best as possible. This car was built to be a perfect sleeper all around daily. It’s actually the fastest (straight line) vehicle that I own. It’s heavily modified but with top tier parts to balance my desire for performance and daily drivability. Ironically, I have an unhealthy obsession with small cars so this GTi is also the car I have that has the most space and it’s absolutely mindblowing the kinds of things that can fit in this thing when the rear seats are folded.

Sale will include many of the stock parts that were replaced under my ownership unless the stock part was already unusable (i.e. the original shocks that were leaking) as well as some additional parts. These parts include:

• OEM driver side vent (currently has a vent with a P3 guage installed)

• Yakima Whispbar roof bars

• Stock muffler

• OEM engine and transmission mounts

• OEM intercooler

• IS20 (original) turbo

• Eibach springs and original endlinks

• Original intake

• Original rear head rests

• Original unused floor mats

• OZ Racing 17x8 +35 Superleggera wrapped in 225/45/17 Pirelli Sottozero 3 for winter and appropriate length wheel bolts

The bad:

The body isn’t perfect. I specifically didn’t want a car that was mint on the outside since I live in NYC and I didn’t want to constantly worry if I had to let a valet park it in our parking garage. As a result it’s got some chips on the front and rear bumper that’s not abnormal for a car of this mileage. It also got a shopping cart ding on the passenger side rear door that I had fixed via dent removal. Since it was on a crease I’d say he was able to get it back to 98%. Not visible unless you’re specifically trying to look for it. Not surprisingly, a valet did eventually park too close to a curb and caused a rash on one of the Neuspeed wheels a few years ago but it’s been totally fine.

The switch to the South Bend Stage 2 endurance clutch was done in order to hold the torque of the engine. According to APR it should be putting out around 350hp/350tq on pump 93 with the current tune and turbo and the performance clutch with TT-RS pressure plate that the previous owner installed simply couldn’t hold the power. This new clutch is amazing. It’s easy to operate and definitely holds power. The only downside is that it goes to a single mass flywheel so there is a “rattle” at idle depending on temperature. It makes no sound whatsoever when you clutch in or are driving. It’s only at idle with the car in neutral. It’s just the nature of this setup. It sometimes bothers me if I’m stuck idling in traffic a lot but it is so perfect in every other scenario it’s worth that little rattle.

When cold (especially winter time), 1st and reverse are not as smooth getting into. My research indicates this is normal for this car. I’ve read that realigning the shifter cable can improve this quite a bit and is pretty easy to do but I just never had the time to do it (plenty of videos on this topic i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TIJVDXyufE). Might be convinced to take care of this for you before sale if sold for close to asking price. [UPDATE: Shifter cables realigned on 4/15/2023 so this should no longer be an issue]

Lastly the car is lowered and the 245/40R18 tires fill the wheel well quite nicely. The front fenders are rolled but if you hit a big enough dip there is a slight rub on the tire. It has never caused any problems and the rub is slight but it is there. You can either raise the car, go to a 235 width tire, maybe a 245/35R18 instead, or add more negative camber.

Blog Post Details (including pictures for each modification): https://steguismotorsports.blogspot.com/search/label/chili

Detailed history

9-9-2022

• Mileage: 76,761

• New H5 Duralast Platinum AGM battery (Date code 6/22)

8-29-2022

• One of OZ Superleggera wheels repaired by NJ Bent wheel. Hit a pothole at the end of winter 2022 that made a little bend in the wheel (no leaks). Color of wheel slightly darker than other 3 wheels now.

8-12-2022

• Mileage: 76,440

• New Mann oil filter and drain plug

• 6 quarts Liqui Moly 5W-40 Molygen

10-24-2021

• Mileage: 72,340 

• 4 new RS7 (06K905601M) spark plugs

10-15-2021

• Fluidampr Harmonic Balancer

8-17-2021

• Mileage: 70,825

• 4 new APR ignition coils

• New Mann oil filter and drain plug

• 6 quarts Liqui Moly 5W-40 Molygen

1-31-2021

• Mileage: 64,688

• 4 new RS7 (06K905601M) spark plugs

• New Mann oil filter and drain plug

• 6 quarts Liqui Moly 5W-40 Molygen

10-11-2020

• Mileage: 61,818

• New Bosch front wiper blades

• New Bosch rear wiper blade

• New air cabin filter

9-22-2020

• Raised ride height

• alignment

8-26-2020

• Mileage: 60,295

• New KW Street Comfort Suspension

• New Suspension bolts and nuts

• DCC disabled (DCC is pointless anyway you can’t even feel the change from regular to sport, it’s such joke and the KW suspension is so much better in every way)

8-1-2020

• Mileage: 59,521

• New Mann oil filter

• 6 quarts Liqui Moly 5W-40 Molygen

5-20-2020

• Mileage: 56,219

• New South Bend Stage 2 Endurance Clutch and Flywheel

• New OEM condenser and refrigerant refill (original condenser was punctured during the installation of the Wagner intercooler in 2019)

3-18-2020

• Nuespeed RSE11R 18x8.5 +45

• Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 245/40R18

• VW Clubsport center caps

3-2-2020

• Removed Maxton lip. Kept scraping on things so had to go. 

2-15-2020

• Mileage: 54,426

• Removed 034 Motorsports Dynamic+ Camber Mounts (annoyed by random squeaks)

• New OEM Strut Mount

• New OEM Strut bearing

• Alignment

• New Mann oil filter

• 6 quarters Liqui Moly 5W-40 Molygen

12-17-2019

• Rokblokz Rally Mud Flaps

12-14-2019

• Mileage: 52,294

• Akrapovic dry carbon rear diffuser

• Transmission Fluid Change

• Differential Fluid Change

• P3 V3 OBD2 vent gauge

12-6-2019

• New IS38 Revision F Turbo (Golf R turbo)

• AWE Downpipe with HJS 200-cell Cat

• Wagner Intercooler

• 034 motorsports density line engine and transmission mounts

• APR IS38 Stage 3 High Torque Tune

11-23-2019

• Aerofabb spoiler extension

11-16-2019

• Maxton V2 Lip

• deAutoLED brake/tail/turn LED set

11-9-2019

• Racingline R600 Intake

11-5-2019

• APR Stage 2 High Torque Tune

• New OEM water pump/thermostat assembly

• Intake valve cleaning (walnut blasting)

• New battery (Bosch)

• Superpro Adjustable Endlinks

• Golf Alltrack skid plate with brackets and fasteners for undertray protection

10-27-2019

• Mileage: 51,263

• 034 Motorsports Dynamic+ camber mounts

• Eibach ProKit

• New strut mount bearings

• New rear spring pads

• S7 (Beru 06K905601M) spark plugs

• RS3 (06H905110G-RED) Coil Packs

10-26-2019

• Weathertech floor mats

10-20-2019

• Akrapovic Titanium Slip-on axle back exhaust

• Akrapovic Dry carbon tips

• OZ Racing 17x8 +35 Superleggera

• 225/45/17 Pirelli Sottozero 3

10-5-2019

• Mileage: 50,785

• New Zimmerman Rear Rotors

• EBS Green Brake Pads

• New TTY M14 bolts and set screw

• Side tints removed (for NYS inspection compliance)

10-3-2019

• Euro Rear Headrests for better visibility

• U.S. Mills front license plate tow hook mount

9-28-2019 

• Proclip phone mount with Baseus magnetic base

• Raceseng Spherology Custom in Translucent Red

• Dash cam hardwired

• ECS Tuning titanium conical wheel bolt 

9-21-2019 - Purchased (approx 50K miles)

Power/Engine:

• APR Stage 1 - 93 octane low torque profile 

• CTS downpipe with high flow catalytic converter 

• CTS turbo inlet 

• CTS turbo muffler delete 

• Forge turbo blanket 

• 034 Motorsports Dog bone insert 

• APR spherical pendulum mount 

• ECS silicone air intake duct 

• Dv+ diverter valve 

• Audi RS 3 ignition coils 

• Billet rear main seal

Transmission/Suspension:

• ECS adjustable short shift kit 

• ECS Bleeder Block 

• Eibach 25 mm rear sway bar 

• Super pro polyurethane rear endlinks 

• Sachs ZF performance clutch kit (stiffer pedal feel over stock,​ pressure plate from an Audi TT-RS)  

Cosmetic/Other

• Mud flaps 

• Whispbar roof rack 

• Alzor 349 wheels with BBS center caps - Firestone Indy Firehawk 500 tires 

• Stock rims with​ Falken snow tires

• 15% full wrap window tint Gloss black mirror