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I dedicate this website to Jacques Dirk McKenzie (04/01/1970 � 06/06/2005) We miss you! May you rest in peace.
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)-: SOLD :-(
Engine:
* K04-001 Turbo
* Samco TIP
* Forge 007 DV
* 63mm De-cat S/Steel TB Free-flow
* FRC Phase II Custom Tune
* K&N drop-in
* PowerGasket
Suspension:
* 17" BBS Sevillas
* PowerBrake Pro Street Discs
* Ferrodo DS2500 Pads
Exterior:
* Hella Magicolour Rears
* Tinted Windows
* Black B-pilars
* Custom Badging
Interior:
* Audi TT Racing Pedals
ICE:
* Alpine CDA-9853
* Calibra 700w Subwoofer Amp
* Pioneer 10" DVC Subwoofer
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I bought my 2002 Golf 4 GTI between Christmas and New Year 2003. She had 60 000 km on the clock and was in very good condition. I only recently returned after three years in the UK and it was one of my goals to save money and return to SA to buy me one. I was, am and will be a keen VW fan for life.
December 2003:
I was more than happy with the performance, looks and handling as my previous two cars (before I went to the UK) was 1600 Citi Golfs. And after her I did not have a car for three years. It was like getting released from prison by having such nice new wheels!
I spent 2004 in Cape Town. I started to get used to the car's looks and wanted more. I felt "out" every time I went to drags and car events, so one day I decided to try on some 18" wheels to see what she would look like. I was not interested in 17" as I wanted to go one step further. I tried on some TSW wheels (Volcano, I think).
November 2004:
She looked a lot better, but I was not 100% happy. Also, TSW seem to be one of the more popular wheels in SA, so I knew a lot of people would be putting them on their car.
I kept the car standard for a few more months and I moved to Johannesburg in the meantime. A good friend of mine gave me a call one day and said he's got a very sweet set of 18" coming into his shop. He sent me a picture and I liked it a lot. I went down to Bloemfontein to have the wheels fitted to see what they looked like. They looked so nice that I decided to keep them! They were 18" Zax Classix in hyper silver. Very sweet...
June 2005:
He gave me a good deal on the set of wheels as well as a set of Dunlop D9000 in 225/40/18 to compliment them. I was a bit skeptical about the ride, but I must say that it only improved. The steering was a lot more direct and there was also an improvement on the feedback. As for ride hardness and quality, no different at all. I was well impressed. I did not know if it would be necessary to drop the car (25mm or so), but at the moment I left it as is, as I think it is okay...
I decided that the next move would be a performance upgrade. I bought a lot of Performance VW and The Golf magazines when I was in the UK. I read about REVO and what it does. As my car was still under VW Warrantee I was convinced it was the way to go. My car was the 110kW non-drive-by-wire model, so I did not have the luxury of a larger turbo and drive-by-cable (as in the 132kW versions). Nevertheless the gains quoted sounded attractive enough. I contacted the local REVO guru in Johannesburg (William at www.roadsport.co.za) and he suggested I changed my exhaust to a 63mm turbo-back de-cat system first. It was not a must, but it was going to compliment the REVO mapping. For this I went to a well known shop in Johannesburg. I decided to do a �before� and �after� dyno of the de-cat exhaust and the REVO.
After the �before� dyno run my car showed 129.5kW and 252Nm at the flywheel. I was like WTF? I knew the car made 110kW and 200Nm in standard form, so the numbers looked a bit fishy to me. After talking to a few guys I was told it is because it was done on an inertia dyno. I paid for two runs and decided to do the �after� run anyway. The numbers were even worse! It showed my car made 183.7kW and 403Nm, I wish�
July 2005:
I was a bit disappointed as I did not really know what the upgrade has done. I think she is maybe doing about 135kW and 270Nm at the flywheel.
Although the numbers were worthless, I was very happy with the result. She felt like a different beast altogether. The REVO map was very smooth and the power delivery was addictive. The 18� Dunlop�s fights for grip when I floor her in first, a very good feeling! The sound from the 63mm de-cat was nice too. It took me some time to get used to the sound, as the standard exhaust was almost silent. As for fuel economy; highway driving is the same, but she can be thirsty in city driving, but I suspect it is only due to my heavy foot!
The new found power in my baby only made my thirst for more worse! After researching turbo upgrades for her for a long time, I decided to purchase a K04-001. The first thing one must decide when planning an upgrade is how much power you would like to make and what your budget is. These two factors are usually directly proportional. Although there are quite a few turbo upgrades available for the transverse 1.8T, the K04-001 was the one I found the most suitable for my goals.
September 2005:
My goal is 180kW and 400Nm at the flywheel running stock fueling at 4Bar. I decided to go K04-001 as it requires the least amount of additional work and upgrades. The fitting dimensions are exactly the same as my current K03. The biggest difference being the slightly larger compressor and turbine. This allows for more air to be flowed and the K04-001 can also hold the proposed 1.1Bar boost for longer. Although the Audi S3 and TT K04 can make more power (�200kW at the flywheel), I felt it too much of a mission to install as one heed to change exhaust manifold, injectors, MAF, ECU map, boost piping and oil and water lines, to name a few. For all this effort it is probably better to go the Garrett route�
As for the K04-001, it is basically a bolt-on. All I need to do is:
* going from 3Bar fuel pressure to 4Bar,
* change my MAF to a VR6 MAF,
* install a SAMCO silicon Turbo Intake Pipe,
* customize the ECU map
The turbo is not yet installed, but should be soon.
I am also planning to alter my driver�s side fender liner to allow more air to flow over my intercooler, I will post some pictures once it is done.
