Mk V Gti Performance Upgrades, Limited Budget

[Gurrier]

So in afew weeks i will be buying my 1st GTI 

I am after some understated performance/mpg upgrades and i was wondering what people would recommend.

Am thinking of something like.

-Possible upgrade to a KO4 turbo unit with S3 injectors (Might be outside my budget though)
- Milltek exhaust system (Possibly with a downpipe)
- Upgraded Intake to let the engine breathe a little better than stock (What manufacturer would you recommend)
-Stage 1 ECU Remap once i get used to the car

Remap and exhaust i will probably do regardless after afew months of ownership and the Intake but the turbo although it would make the most of the remap might prove too expensive to justify.

Thoughts ? 

[barrym381]

do the intake then a decent map an see how you enjoy that 

[Philip James]

I think the KO4 would be pretty or very expensive? It's your choice, but I'd start with a remap. Although if you put the remap money towards the KO4 it brings the price down, so maybe it's quite sensible. I presume sticking the KO4 in would bring the car up to 230bhp so in effect a remap..? I'm very probably wrong on that point though!

Have you shaken hands on a car yet? Pics! (Says me who still has to get pics of mine up!)

Short shift kit is maybe the ultimate understated mod (cheap too).

[Johnhol]

So in afew weeks i will be buying my 1st GTI 

I am after some understated performance/mpg upgrades and i was wondering what people would recommend.

Am thinking of something like.

-Possible upgrade to a KO4 turbo unit with S3 injectors (Might be outside my budget though)
- Milltek exhaust system (Possibly with a downpipe)
- Upgraded Intake to let the engine breathe a little better than stock (What manufacturer would you recommend)
-Stage 1 ECU Remap once i get used to the car

Remap and exhaust i will probably do regardless after afew months of ownership and the Intake but the turbo although it would make the most of the remap might prove too expensive to justify.

Thoughts ? 

We have a group buy on a Turbo Back Exhaust with Downpipe (Sports Cat) on the Group Buys area. Pop and over take a look, might save some pennies towards other mods.

[Hurdy]

You'd be better buying a K04'd car from the start, rather than buying a normal GTI and sticking the K04 on it. The K04 engine is much stronger than the normal GTI engine.

You'll also need a lot of supporting hardware to get the best from doing a K04 conversion.

If you are locked into the GTI then Just do the intake, turbo-back exhaust and remap and see what you think of the extra power.

[Gurrier]

Havent decided on a car yet am looking at a manual ED30 atm and a couple of DSG stock gti's.

Will probably settle with a nice intake kit some upgraded spark plugs a miltek system with a downpipe and a stage 1 remap to just enhance the car overall.

Thanks for the replies guys.

[PenguinGTI]

Have to agree with Hurdy. If you're going to be inclined towards a K04 Turbo then you'd be better getting a suitably manufactured car. That leaves you with things like the Edition 30 and Leon Cupra (Mk2) as options. Obviously if you're after a GTI then that leaves the Edition 30 (and Pirelli).

The first thing I'd go for is a remap. I had grand plans of modifying my own car but when I bought it and stuck a remap on it... well I've been happy enough with it ever since.

The remap (stage 1) will make the most of all the hardware that is fitted onto your car as standard.

After this you're looking at increasing the air flow through the engine (air intake, down pipe and derestricted exhaust). With some maps, you'll need a tweak to re-maximise the engine mapping but some maps are adaptable. This is stage 2. At this stage some people also upgrade the Intercooler. It's definitely recommended at this stage for consistent power delivery.

After you've gone for this you can consider if you're still desperate to upgrade the turbo.

Bear in mind that a Mk5 GTI with stage 2 can achieve approximately 260-270 hp*.

A standard Edition 30/ Pirelli with just a remap can achieve approximately 280 hp*.

*These figures can vary depending on who's components, software and dynos you use but the figures I've presented are good realistic benchmarks.

[Gurrier]

Apart from the miltek system with downpipe stage 1 remap and a good intake system i have heard the likes of a twintercooler and upgrades fuel pump and s3 injectors are quite nice, is probably as far as i will go as a ko4 turbo swap in just won't be financially viable really unless i get really lucky and an Irish ED30 with dsg appears on the market which just isn't going to happen.

[Egbutt Wash]

map + decent tyres