Ok I want to start modifying my 1.8t sport but what should I do first, I have never played with a turbo car before only nasp.
Mods?
- Thread starter A3 liam
- Start date
Sorry, that was a rubbish answer *slap*
I started with a bog standard A3 1.8T and with a lot of bullying from certain people (Prawn and Jardo) it's now got a few decent enough mods that haven't cost the earth but have improved the car no end.
First off I upgraded the front brakes from 288-312mm. It's dead easy, just buy S3 discs & pads, source S3 carriers and use the A3 callipers. Cost £200ish. Then it was lowered on cheapy eBay coilies (think my other half started a stickies how-to on here somewhere) cost £200 again. Then 17 inch S4 alloy replicas - most people on here go for 18s but mine were such a bargain it made sense. The money you spend on alloys and tyres is really up to you, but you can pick up TT/S3/Rs6/Rs4 reps easy enough and pretty cheap too. Then it was decat time, then silicone turbo-intake pipe, big jetex cone filter, PCV delete and catch tank, poly dog mount and then a remap from RTEch that has made it 220bhp
Not saying my A3 is some awesome VAG monster or anything, just those were the mods I was recommended by some chaps in the know and it has been worth every penny. Enjoy!xxx
I started with a bog standard A3 1.8T and with a lot of bullying from certain people (Prawn and Jardo) it's now got a few decent enough mods that haven't cost the earth but have improved the car no end.
First off I upgraded the front brakes from 288-312mm. It's dead easy, just buy S3 discs & pads, source S3 carriers and use the A3 callipers. Cost £200ish. Then it was lowered on cheapy eBay coilies (think my other half started a stickies how-to on here somewhere) cost £200 again. Then 17 inch S4 alloy replicas - most people on here go for 18s but mine were such a bargain it made sense. The money you spend on alloys and tyres is really up to you, but you can pick up TT/S3/Rs6/Rs4 reps easy enough and pretty cheap too. Then it was decat time, then silicone turbo-intake pipe, big jetex cone filter, PCV delete and catch tank, poly dog mount and then a remap from RTEch that has made it 220bhp
Not saying my A3 is some awesome VAG monster or anything, just those were the mods I was recommended by some chaps in the know and it has been worth every penny. Enjoy!xxx
Brakes is something I have been looking into just a pain trying to source carriers, is a cone filter more beneficial than a panel filter? And sorry to sound dumb but pcv?
SiGainey
Registered User
There are tens of models that the 312mm caliper carriers can be sourced from - there's a thread on uk-mkivs which lists teh models - easily picked up for 50 quid, no bother!
There's a thread lower down that explains all about the PCV system. I'm not exactly great at explaining it, but it's essentially simplifying the oil system to minimise the potential for leaks etc and stops the stupid EU emissions regulation pipes throwing dirty oil back into your engine. It won't change performance but it makes your engine bay much neater.
The carriers are generally rare on their own, you can buy them along with callipers quite easily off eBay or from a breakers, but I needed it sorted before MOT so I just ordered the carriers alone, new from eBay for about £120. I still had 16s on at the time so was worried about fitting the bigger discs but they just about fit!
The carriers are generally rare on their own, you can buy them along with callipers quite easily off eBay or from a breakers, but I needed it sorted before MOT so I just ordered the carriers alone, new from eBay for about £120. I still had 16s on at the time so was worried about fitting the bigger discs but they just about fit!
Oh and the cone filter... To be honest I had some silly eBay induction kit on first which gave a good noise but broke so have put a jetex cone. The chap at RTech said it was just as good to put a decent panel filter in the airbox but by that time I'd chucked mine :-(
I would say if you can put the work into smoothing the standard box then a panel filter and a smoothed box is the best for performance until you get up to 220+bhp. However the sound of a cone is great, coupled with a forge 007P recirc and a stage 1 remap you should see 200 to 205 BHP from a stage one assuming you don't have any boost leaks. For remaps and advice I would only ever recommend Bill at Badger 5 but for the remap itself I would recommend an R-Tech map.
Phone up Bill at Badger 5, he sells a cone filter that are about £55 posted and will go straight on the end of the MAF.
Lou you're other half sounds like a right dude...wish mine was that awesome...
I think i will be ordering a panel filter and having a go at smoothing the box, I have always used green filters but is there any difference between green, k&n, piper cross?
As in, "your mum" and "you're not funny"?
And yes, a green cotton or a K&N will be fine for it. There are some great guides on smoothing the air box if you have a google
If you do nothing else get it remapped. I had my old 1998 1.8T A3 remapped with a generic jabbasport map which transformed the car, much smoother and quicker. I never saw the point in spending anymore more money on modding it any further and saved up for my S3 which I do plan on modding more heavily.
