Author Topic: Clubsport S - Modifications  (Read 1000 times)

Offline AGB

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Clubsport S - Modifications
« on: 21 October 2021, 13:24 »
Hi Everyone

Appreciate that this is a niche question but wondering if any owners have undertaken further modifications to improve their CSS or knows of any interesting builds which have been featured in magazines or online?

I've made a few mandatory changes like adding in Apple CarPlay but I'm looking at more substantial upgrades like Racing Line ceramics to reduce unsprung weight and generally improving component quality or finishes. I saw a thread a while back on PH where an owner had stripped out a number of components and powder coated + refinished them and this set me thinking. I think I'll probably replace the standard clutch with a Sachs competition clutch at some point but wanted to create a build roadmap and figure out costs/timings.

I think a South African owner who has the APR franchise in ZA went to town on modifying his with a carbon bonnet, change of suspension and a host of other changes. Not all to my taste but an interesting read and more a show car for his business I felt. I think it might have been Performance VW.

I'm looking purely to derive some performance improvements, preserve the car in the long term and try and keep the car to OEM aesthetic as possible.

If anyone has seen any interesting builds or enhancements, I'd be grateful for suggestions or comments.

Thanks!
MK7 Clubsport S, 981 Cayman GT4, MK7.5 GTI TCR

Offline willni

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #1 on: 21 October 2021, 13:43 »
@Craig on here had one of the nicest builds of a Clubsport S I've seen, more retaining the originality of the car.

His full build is on Detialingworld:
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=418567
Mk7.5 GTI - Performance Pack, DSG, Sunroof, Dynaudio, Pro Nav, Vienna Leather, Climate Windscreen & last of the 3 doors....Many Sets of Alloys...

Prev - Mk7.5 White Silver, Vienna Leather, Sunroof, Helix Sub, Many Wheels

Follow my 7.5 build on the forum https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=287596.msg2638666#new or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willy_gti7.5pp/

Offline AGB

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #2 on: 21 October 2021, 18:53 »
@Craig on here had one of the nicest builds of a Clubsport S I've seen, more retaining the originality of the car.

His full build is on Detialingworld:
https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=418567

Cheers for the reference, I did wonder what happened to the rest of the build. I only tend to go on DW from time to time but I got lost there with a coffee for over an hour!  :grin:
MK7 Clubsport S, 981 Cayman GT4, MK7.5 GTI TCR

Offline willni

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #3 on: 21 October 2021, 20:50 »
Cheers for the reference, I did wonder what happened to the rest of the build. I only tend to go on DW from time to time but I got lost there with a coffee for over an hour!  :grin:

I'm the same it's not as good as it used to be, but Craig's Clubsport is actually what made me want a mk7 GTI
Mk7.5 GTI - Performance Pack, DSG, Sunroof, Dynaudio, Pro Nav, Vienna Leather, Climate Windscreen & last of the 3 doors....Many Sets of Alloys...

Prev - Mk7.5 White Silver, Vienna Leather, Sunroof, Helix Sub, Many Wheels

Follow my 7.5 build on the forum https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=287596.msg2638666#new or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willy_gti7.5pp/

Offline AGB

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #4 on: 22 October 2021, 11:11 »
Cheers for the reference, I did wonder what happened to the rest of the build. I only tend to go on DW from time to time but I got lost there with a coffee for over an hour!  :grin:

I'm the same it's not as good as it used to be, but Craig's Clubsport is actually what made me want a mk7 GTI

Yeah, I have a soft spot for the 7 as well. I'm effectively looking to do what I did with my GT4 in taking that to Manthey Racing spec - the equivalent in VW where it looks OE.

There is a lot of choice out there but what I really liked about Craig's build was the preservation aspect and the quality of finish. I suspect my wife would be a lot less forgiving of me taking bumper assemblies into the shower though!  :grin:
MK7 Clubsport S, 981 Cayman GT4, MK7.5 GTI TCR

Offline willni

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #5 on: 22 October 2021, 12:10 »
Cheers for the reference, I did wonder what happened to the rest of the build. I only tend to go on DW from time to time but I got lost there with a coffee for over an hour!  :grin:

I'm the same it's not as good as it used to be, but Craig's Clubsport is actually what made me want a mk7 GTI

Yeah, I have a soft spot for the 7 as well. I'm effectively looking to do what I did with my GT4 in taking that to Manthey Racing spec - the equivalent in VW where it looks OE.

There is a lot of choice out there but what I really liked about Craig's build was the preservation aspect and the quality of finish. I suspect my wife would be a lot less forgiving of me taking bumper assemblies into the shower though!  :grin:

I think the best way to make the Clubsport S stand out is just to leave it alone, IMO it is one the few perfectly designed cars around at the minute, with the exception of adding the mk7.5 facelift taillights.

 :grin: :grin: Might be easier to say there's a woman in the shower than to explain the bumper
Mk7.5 GTI - Performance Pack, DSG, Sunroof, Dynaudio, Pro Nav, Vienna Leather, Climate Windscreen & last of the 3 doors....Many Sets of Alloys...

Prev - Mk7.5 White Silver, Vienna Leather, Sunroof, Helix Sub, Many Wheels

Follow my 7.5 build on the forum https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=287596.msg2638666#new or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willy_gti7.5pp/

Offline AGB

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Re: Clubsport S - Modifications
« Reply #6 on: 24 October 2021, 22:52 »
Cheers for the reference, I did wonder what happened to the rest of the build. I only tend to go on DW from time to time but I got lost there with a coffee for over an hour!  :grin:

I'm the same it's not as good as it used to be, but Craig's Clubsport is actually what made me want a mk7 GTI

Yeah, I have a soft spot for the 7 as well. I'm effectively looking to do what I did with my GT4 in taking that to Manthey Racing spec - the equivalent in VW where it looks OE.

There is a lot of choice out there but what I really liked about Craig's build was the preservation aspect and the quality of finish. I suspect my wife would be a lot less forgiving of me taking bumper assemblies into the shower though!  :grin:

I think the best way to make the Clubsport S stand out is just to leave it alone, IMO it is one the few perfectly designed cars around at the minute, with the exception of adding the mk7.5 facelift taillights.

 :grin: :grin: Might be easier to say there's a woman in the shower than to explain the bumper

I'm not interested in making the car stand out, far from it. Part of its appeal is the fact that most people think 'it's just a Golf'.

I've had a bit of a debate about the tail lights - I much prefer the aesthetic of the 7.5 but this whole exercise is about improving performance without compromising the authenticity of the car. It's what I didn't like about the South African car, the bonnet was distinctly Max Power. VW were working to a production cost so putting lithium batteries in or ceramics might have been what the engineers would have done left unchecked but would not have sold. Same goes for the level of finishing on components.

Not made up my mind on what I'm going to do but I think shower time with bumpers isn't on the to do list just yet.  :laugh: :grin:
MK7 Clubsport S, 981 Cayman GT4, MK7.5 GTI TCR