My last 16 months of ownership.... - R32OC

Paulie · 15th July 2009, 12:01 PM

In 2008 I had a 1.8T..I bought it cheap a few yrs before when I was looking to get a GT TDi.

This was the first VW I had owned...(I was in my mid 30's).I had always had Fords...but fancied a change...

I changed jobs and decided I wanted a R32 so I started looking and found one local to me on the online autotrader,I phoned up and the lad was amazed as he had only put it on 20mins before I called so I went and had a look at it.It was totally standard except for a Milltek resonated exhaust and had 33000 miles on it.

I gave him a deposit and picked it up the following Wednesday....

Now I said it was not going to modify it ...but as you will see I have done a couple of things to it...

First thing was new speakers all round...these are Focals but cannot remember which ones...lol...and they were fitted at Chorley Car Audio (he is a sponsor on the R32OC)...Next was a new head unit...it's a Alpine IVA - W505R this was also fitted at CCA

I met up with Ray (aRd) who is a top fella...you could not meet a nicer person to get lit needles...miles to empty and anti hijack locks done.

Now from speaking to a few members on the R32OC I started thinking of a few more mods...bloody owners clubs....lol....so I got a ECS Stage 1 rear disc conversion kit and fitted that..I used Ferrodo DS2500 pads..

Next was a remap so I fitted a Carbonio CAI and a set of Milltek sports cats and went to JBS to get a stage 2 map...On leaving JBS car was not running right but just thought is was ECU settling it's self so drove home...anyway it never ran right so took it back to JBS who changed MAF and they also said it could be a problem with new cats, so I took car to milltek who checked it over and there was nothing wrong with them...so back to JBS and they got car running better...it was now just like it was before it had been mapped? car just felt same to drive as it did before it ever went there.So I won't be using them ever again!!!

The next thing was the wheels...I liked the OEM ones but wanted a different colour...so off to Romax in Stockton to get them powder coated.I decided on Anthracite...

Next on the car I was not going to modify was the front brakes (by this time I knew I was going to be putting a Turbo on it) So I bought the ECS Stage 5 front brake kit and fitted these with Mintex Extreme pads oh and got a set of R logo center caps...

.

To get the wheels to fit I needed 10mm spacers so these were fitted along with 15mm spacers on the rear.

Now I wanted some nice pictures so I went and bought a new camera..an Olympus E-410...with not a clue how to use it...but I went for a photoshoot anyway...lol

I had fitted Hella Colour Magic rear lights as well these can be seen in these pictures...

With getting it ready for it's Turbo the next thing was the suspension,a friend of mine has a Turbo'd R32 as well so I went for a drive out in his and I liked the set up he had so I purchased the same ones which are Eibach Pro Street S (sorry no pictures) These I like as they are not much different to the OEM feel but they are much better towards the handling He also had Nuespeed ABR's so I got these as well....25mm front and 22mm rear.

I got offered a set of Compomotive wheels..now like I said before I like the OEM ones but I thought I would get them and see if I likes them on the car...at first I wasn't sure but after a while they really grew on me...these were also sent to Romax for powder coating to Anthracite...They also look well with the brakes I think..

So now it was ready for it's Turbo...I knew all along which set up I wanted...It was the HGP/HPA FT460 kit...Now this is expensive...but it has been fitted on numerours cars around the world and it was designed by a chap who used to work for VW so this is what the R would have been like if it had come from the factory with it fitted....It also looks really sexy...I didn't want it looking OEM as some tuners are doing...I was spending a lot of cash so I wanted to be able to see were my money had gone as well as feel it...lol....

Now as luck would have it a FT400 kit came up for sale...this uses the same turbo as the FT460 but has a single intercooler and a few other parts which are different so I bought the FT400 and bought all the other bits required to convert it to the FT460 kit....This was all done through Jon Watts from VagTech who is the UK supplier of these kits and is a top bloke...really knows his stuff.He worked with HPA to develop the kit from LHD to RHD using his own car and not customers cars like others do.

His car from 2005 when he did the first one http://www.vagtech.co.uk/images/stor...agtech_r32.pdf

So when all the parts were there including a new clutch and a sports haldex I took my car to VagTech so they could work their magic and boy did they....the car is a dream to drive..so much better than a stock one....the power delivery is so smooth...now some people want to feel a kick from the turbo...where I didn't and from driving a car with this kit on before I got mine I knew it was what I wanted....to me it feels like a really really fast 1.8T.
The one problem VAGTech had with the install was when they come to flash the new software on to the ECU...It seemed to be locked and everything they tried they could not get the software on to it....they had never come across this before so could not say why it had happened....so the ECU was sent to Germany for them to sort out which was done within a week.

The reg number I found on the DVLA web site and it was a bargain.

So this brings me up to date...I still have a few things left to do....one is the longer gear set so 1st and 2nd are worth having ...lol

I have now done 3000 miles in the car since it had it's conversion and it has been trouble free...no warning lights...no going back for a re map......loving every minute of it!!!

Here are a few pictures of the car now...I don't know if I have missed anything out...if I have I'll update this...but this has covered the last 16 months and I had not planned on doing it...so forgive me.

I hope you have enjoyed the read as much as I have writing it but not remembering how much it has all cost me to date...lol

This is my piggy bank...will have to fatten it back up....lol

DWolfUK · 15th July 2009, 12:09 PM

LMFAO! @ your piggy bank - no sunday roast for you hehe!

nice read matey. did you never find out the issue with the ECU then?

Socco · 15th July 2009, 12:11 PM

Wicked thread and mint car

Paulie · 15th July 2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWolfUK

LMFAO! @ your piggy bank - no sunday roast for you hehe!

nice read matey. did you never find out the issue with the ECU then?

Nope..I personally have my suspicions but nothing I can prove...there wasn't many computers plugged into my car..that's all I can say...I was just pleased the Germans could fix it as I was pricing a new ECU and they are not cheap.

Rupo · 15th July 2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

did you never find out the issue with the ECU then?

reckon I know what was wrong with it.

Mint car there matey, Iv seen it at Vagtech before and it looks hard as nails, really good presence about it.

wrk_in_progress · 15th July 2009, 01:21 PM

Nice write up Paul

Saw it at the RR day and it looks fantastic

Rich R32 · 15th July 2009, 01:43 PM

Nice, now I can just sit back and watch you update..lol I've got other things to do like cleaning!

Ps. seriously Paul, good + honest read

The Womble · 15th July 2009, 03:33 PM

Great read Paul... glad everything with the ECU was all sorted out, Make sure you put a few more mods on so we can read more

pomme · 15th July 2009, 05:46 PM

Great read Paulie, some very interesting information there and does make you think about customer service alot.

curley · 15th July 2009, 05:58 PM

Lovely car matey and a great read.

George · 15th July 2009, 09:05 PM

Great write up Paul. Car sounds amazing, like the idea of a drive in drive out hassle free conversion.

Need some more videos of the car :P

George · 15th July 2009, 09:09 PM

Oh, meant to say, only thing I would change is the rear lights, I dont know what they are called but I prefer the ones that are half red, half smoked LED style.

Meeerrrk · 15th July 2009, 09:51 PM

quality car, really love it. The plate is pretty cool too. Great quick, snappy write up. All in all youve done well! LOL!

ps the piggy bank is classic

Bob · 15th July 2009, 11:55 PM

Good read m8ty. I had the same thing go wrong when i had c.code 2 put on the R, the maf went pear shaped through mapping i think, but they said it would sort its self out , a week later no good so had to drive back and get it sorted never again. Nice 1 paulie

PhilR32 · 16th July 2009, 08:01 AM

Awesome paulie!

some cash there matey!!

looks wkd! that turbo looks amazing! i want

R32TYG · 16th July 2009, 08:06 AM

Nice diary there Paulie, loving the looks of the car now, trully awesome beast mate well done.

Regards

celica · 17th July 2009, 12:30 AM

that is awesome

Paulie · 17th July 2009, 12:34 AM

Thank you for all you nice comments

DougalR · 19th July 2009, 11:21 AM

Awesome thread fella! wat the next plans then? D

Macdaddy · 19th July 2009, 12:00 PM

"In 2008 I had a 1.8T..I bought it cheap a few yrs before when I was looking to get a GT TDi.

This was the first VW I had owned...(I was in my mid 30's).I had always had Fords...but fancied a change..."

Come off it Paul, you were mid thirties 18months ago !!!

lmao

Nice diary/blog thread tho !

DM_DubGTi · 19th July 2009, 12:06 PM

Its good to read up on the backgrounds of members R's, i cant believe where you are now though considering you werent even going to mod it! :haha:

Paulie · 19th July 2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macdaddy

"In 2008 I had a 1.8T..I bought it cheap a few yrs before when I was looking to get a GT TDi.

This was the first VW I had owned...(I was in my mid 30's).I had always had Fords...but fancied a change..."

Come off it Paul, you were mid thirties 18months ago !!!

lmao

Nice diary/blog thread tho !

No Steve...I was in mid 30's when I got the 1.8T and I had that a few yrs...I am well past that now.....lol

vealige · 19th July 2009, 02:46 PM

Good read mate she looks lovely on those new rims as well. You must be over the moon the way she must perform now with the turbo!

Ar's R32 · 19th July 2009, 08:18 PM

Cars looking really nice mate,glad your enjoying the turbo!

Keep us updated

Toffs · 20th July 2009, 10:15 PM

Great read P - nice work, and beautiful car