Beginners Guide to the Best Performance Mods

Iggu

Iggu

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I've been reading every modification thread in the last week or so - and have concluded nothing except: I want the lot !

I've never seriously modded a car before (K&Ned my old Corrado but that's about it) and am running my S3 as totally standard apart from the Bluefin remap. If performance on road and track is my aim rather than aesthetic appearance what mods would come highest up your list ? What's going to give me the biggest grin factor ? And in what order should I do things - assuming I'd be doing things in, say, £300 to £500 "chunks" ? Should I go for CAI intake before a Milltek or after ? Forge DV before CAI or after ? HPP Haldex before coilovers etc. etc.

Any tips very gratefully received.
 
Crikey - you've caught the bug!
This forum has opened my eyes too and similr to you prior to this I had a K&N on my old Golf GTi MK2, and a superchip on my S3.

On the new car I've done/doing the following:
Carbonio intake - Fitted
BMC panel air filter - Fitted
H&R 10mm Spacers at each wheel - Fitted
H&R Springs - 2 weeks (hopefully)
H&R Anti Roll Bars - 2 weeks
GIAC Map - August

I think I'm going to stop there though!!!
 
Not specific to the s3, and probably not quite what you had in mind, but generally speaking, some sticky tyres will make the biggest difference to performance round a track, then suspension/brakes, engine stuff last.

obviously driver training comes before all of this.

BUt if you just want to win the traffic light GP, then remap, then full exhaust , then air intake should see you with a quick straightline machine.

If I was modding my car (which I'm not , yet), I think you get the most bang for your buck from just a remap, and maybe a HPP controller. I think you get significantly diminishing returns on mods after that.
 
I'm gettin an S3 very soon, after comin from a golf GTi ED30, which came to an unfortunate death. As you probably know the ED30 and S3 share pretty much the same engine, apart from the intercooler and a few internal bits.
I did mod the ED30 quite extensively in fact I'd got it just how I wanted it before it all went t1ts up.
At first I had the APR stg 1 remap which made a massive difference, with a carbonio intake it made 305bhp/310ft/lbs, at the same time I had eibach coilovers and anti-roll bars which made a huge difference to the handling.
As always you always want more, so I went for the APR fuel pump and the map to suite which again was fantastic the midrange torque was brilliant, next came the milltek turbo back exhaust which just brought everything together, and it turns out the fuel pump map was designed to use a large bore downpipe.
The car was flyin and made 316bhp and 348ft/lbs on a rolling road day on the saturday and I wrote it off on the monday night.
All thats behind me now and the next adventure starts, but of course most of the engine mods also apply to the S3. The main reason for goin for the S3 is traction really was becoming an issue with the ED30.
A remap will be first, I do think the fuel pump is an effective mod for midrange boost and a TBE is a deffo.
So here we come, just gotta find the right car:search:
 
As you like tracking it mate , i'd get some springs or coilovers first, springs about £250-300 inc fitting , coilovers £1000-1500 for fitting and set up.

Maybe some ARB's £300 and Gen II HPP Haldex controller £550-800 depending on switch location.

Evroms or Dilbas CAF £300

Miltek turbo back exhaust £900

Then your done as is.....or get the uprated fuel pump or pump internals £250-700 and get GIAC/Revo/APR to re-remap it £500-700 inc switch.

p
 
JustCharlie said:
I'm gettin an S3 very soon, after comin from a golf GTi ED30, which came to an unfortunate death. As you probably know the ED30 and S3 share pretty much the same engine, apart from the intercooler and a few internal bits.
I did mod the ED30 quite extensively in fact I'd got it just how I wanted it before it all went t1ts up.
At first I had the APR stg 1 remap which made a massive difference, with a carbonio intake it made 305bhp/310ft/lbs, at the same time I had eibach coilovers and anti-roll bars which made a huge difference to the handling.
As always you always want more, so I went for the APR fuel pump and the map to suite which again was fantastic the midrange torque was brilliant, next came the milltek turbo back exhaust which just brought everything together, and it turns out the fuel pump map was designed to use a large bore downpipe.
The car was flyin and made 316bhp and 348ft/lbs on a rolling road day on the saturday and I wrote it off on the monday night.
All thats behind me now and the next adventure starts, but of course most of the engine mods also apply to the S3. The main reason for goin for the S3 is traction really was becoming an issue with the ED30.
A remap will be first, I do think the fuel pump is an effective mod for midrange boost and a TBE is a deffo.
So here we come, just gotta find the right car:search:
Click to expand...
Gaz, Gaz, is that you Gaz? :laugh:

What colour you going for mate?
 
The forums will definetly help empty the wallet.

My preference would always be - remap, Exhaust, intake then if still interested a big brake upgrade, I love big brakes !!:)

The map exhaust and intake will all fit your £300-500 budget if done in stages with the brake kit being the only mod to cost in excess of this but worth every penny especially as you enjoy track days.
 
This is all that I had done to my MK5 GTI before it met its untimely death:bye:

http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/mygolf.php?do=garage&id=535

The order in which I have carried my performance mods out on the S3 is as follows:

1. REVO stage1 remap
2. Oettinger Intake
3. H&R coil springs
4. Removed Oettinger intake and fitted Forge CAI
5. Forge DV
6. Autotech Fuel pump upgrade
7. Milltek sport decat exhaust
8. REVO stage2 remap
9. Koni Sport shocks
 
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