Finally!!! The PandaGTI build

After having my PandaGTI for about a year, I though I'd finally get around to starting a build thread for it

I got my GTI at the end of April of 2010 to replace my 2001 BMW 325ci as my daily commuter and weekend track car.



And to be a stable mate to my PandaFJ



And here it was the first week I got it from the dealership... Already getting cermaic tinted + clear bra'd done by my friend Scott in Alhambra. At this point I told myself I'll just do the software, lower it, and be done and save up for a Porsche!!!



Later that week I got APR stage 1 software from 4 seasons tuning in Anaheim and the week after ordered and installed Dunlop Direzza Starspecs all around, H&R Street Performance Coilovers, Hawk HP Plus pads with Neuspeed SS lines and Motul 600 brake fluid, and the S3 intercooler with S3 intercooler pipes and turbo outlet pipe from AWE... All done at Supreme Power Parts

Pics of how the car looked at the time... Haven't even had the car for a month at this point!!!



And soon after it's very first track day at Streets of Willow



The car at the time was pretty quick, but all the Evo's, STI's, and S2000's would pull away from me on the turns... And I just hated the understeer... So back to Supreme Powerparts the following week and ordered up a 24mm rear H&R sway bar.

Just taking the car around some of the local canyon roads and freeway onramps/ off ramps... The car's handling was completely transformed at the time. Cornered flatter, easier to throttle steer, car would rotate and get the power down as if it had awd... It was very fun

Also met Ben from P2 Spec who hooked up the car with all the LED interior/ exterior lights and HID yellow fog lights... Really changed the look of the interior and exterior, and the yellow fogs are a must have in rainy/ foggy weather









Then Ben from P2Spec went and blacked out my roof before we went out to Buttonwillow Raceway



The way the car was setup just about perfect... Very easy to place in the turns, very neutral, and was able to keep up with cars with more power and even pull away. At Buttonwillow the car was just as fast as the porsche's, s2000's, and awd STI and Evo's through the turns... But I wanted to beat them on the straights

So I started looking at power upgrades, after looking at all the kits at the time, I ended up going with the AWE/ GIAC kit with the AWE down pipe. Had everything installed locally and here are the results.



You can see the dyno with APR stage 1 and with the AWE Ko4 / GIAC street tune... Wasn't too happy with the dyno that day.

But seat of the pants... The car was much faster until you get the revs up and power would seem to taper off towards redline.

Luckily for me I live near GIAC
So they took the car in, fixed my boost leak issues, and I added a Snow Performance water/ meth kit. On GIAC's dyno the car was holding boost, but now at higher revs the car would misfire and was still down 20whp from what is expected... I interestingly this was diagnosed to the last thing my car had that was still APR... The carbonio intake.

So a quick call out to AWE and they sent in their CCB intake and I got it dynoed again at Evosport




Much happier with the dyno, the car just pulls all the way to redline, and w/m plus 100 octane is just a monster with this car. On this dyno I have both the 91octane high output file and 100 octane with w/m... This is all on crappy 91 octane socal gas.

Fast forward 6 months and this is how the car sits now with it's Arkym CF hood held down with Aerocatch pins


And here it is on the racetrack with Carbotech xp10/9 brakes which replaced the Hawk HP plus... Which makes your eyes pop out of their sockets when you stop


I'll be updating this with more track vids/ pics from Fastivus/ and video of me chasing down the R20 and leaving it in my dust

7/15/11 update:

Just installed my VF Engineering intake that I won at Fastivus 2011. Picked it up several weeks ago from VF Engineering since they are the next city over (nice being close to major tuners in socal). They where very nice, gave me a tour of the facility, and tried to see if their other intake (a Ko4 specific intake for the FSI) would work, but the PCV fitting was wrong, MAF position was too far, and the diameter was bigger than the TSI intake... So I left with the MK6 intake

I also found out that they finally have a matching dog bone mount that compliments the transmission and engine mounts tht I already have from them... Which I'll be ordering soon

Any how except for issues with me being mechanically inept causing me to spend hours trying to get the PCV hose clamped in... Install was very very easy. I liked how it came with a more secure PCV hose rather than reusing the OEM one, one piece design, easier to maintain the filter since it's open, heat shield actually fits in very nicely, nothing is loose, and the breather filter has a nice machined quick release fitting... So with ease if install it should all be easy to just place the OEM one back in to get smogged... I plan to just stick a Neuspeed sticker on the heat shield and tell the inspector that it is Neuspeed which has a carb number... But that's years down the road.

More importantly it frees up a ton room for the Snow water/meth ecu box... Right now it is ziptied more securely next to the filter heat shield onto the hose for the smog pump/ breather hose.

Pics of the AWE setup:


Unboxing the VF intake:


Comparison of the VF PCV hose vs the OEM hose:

OEM
Vs


And installed



So far driving there are no CEL's, no loose of boost, seat of the pants power wise seems the same as the AWE setup which is expected cause the only difference is the heat shield... All else is the same, diameter, MAF placement, even filter size.

You really know you have an intake now cause the turbo spooling and DV sound is more noticeable.... Like a wooooooosh as boost kicks in then psssh as you let off the throttle. Some people may not like it, but someone with petrol for blood like me kinda likes it cause it's more of that mechanical turbo sounding stuff

So I'll try it out for the next several weeks to be sure there are no issues, if all is good I'll keep this and sell the AWE or put the AWE in the wife's CC which is all set to take advantage of it since it has GIAC software too


Future mods in the next several weeks hopefully will be a front sway bar, painted bumper side markers, front spoiler, and R taillights... Maybe even sell off the hood for a flusher look

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Nice ride.

lookin' good....

Looking good. Totally had me craning my neck when I accidentally ran into you that second time at your place. :thumbup:

Straight up baller

PandaGTI said:

After having my PandaGTI for about a year, I though I'd finally get around to starting a build thread for it

I got my GTI at the end of April of 2010 to replace my 2001 BMW 325ci as my daily commuter and weekend track car.

Click to expand...

Wow...that's quite the ummm...daily commuter!?! LOL

I'd hate to see what you'd do if you ever decided to get serious about it...

sweet car though :thumbsup:

PandaGTI said:

I interestingly this was diagnosed to the last thing my car had that was still APR... The carbonio intake.

Click to expand...

Interesting.. so the Carbonio was causing issues for you? Can you elaborate more on this?

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glad you finally posted a build thread.
can't wait to see your car at BIGSocalEuro, i just hope that my new clutch is installed by then. maybe we can switch cars for a quick drive, because I'd really like to see how another k04 GTI with the GIAC software feels...
remember, i've already tried APR, and am much more pleased with Unitronic.

i want that hood

vilesyntax said:

Interesting.. so the Carbonio was causing issues for you? Can you elaborate more on this?

Click to expand...

Yes, please do!

The hood is interesting, kinda like it. Ill see you in SD. Hopefully you can give me a ride along!