Author Topic: Please help me spend my money wisely!  (Read 5626 times)

Offline JonLeeper

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Please help me spend my money wisely!
« on: 13 October 2009, 15:12 »
I have tried searching but there does not appear to be any threads on this sort of subject.  So if you haven’t read my thread elsewhere a little recap.

I am currently building a budget Mk2 GTi 8v track slag.  She will have to ferry me, and probably a mate, to and from any track and still be very fun all round it.  Currently the interior is stripped, well very nearly, and some awful buckets have been very badly fitted.  I will be replacing the seats with the originals, as a quick and cheap fix, but I suspect that I will eventually replace them.  I have just removed the complete front suspension from a Mk3 Passat and will be cleaning it up and fitting it for the 32mm increased track and the 256mm brakes.  I have bought a new oil pump, fuel filter, oil, coolant and flush so that a full service can be carried out.  I have checked and the plugs and leads are new, 7mm silicone in the latter case.

My question is because I have limited funds (about £500 this month and then possibly another £200 next) what is the best investment order to improve the car?

Some research has given me this:

Induction kit - £140
Panel filter - £28.00
Front engine mount - £120.00
Rear engine mount - £110.00
Gearbox mount - £65.00
Silicone hose kit - £100.00
Oil Pan windage tray - £82.50
Baffled sump - £251.90
Braded brake lines (set) - £97.90
Tarox front discs - £133.20
Tarox front pads - £56.70
AP Coilovers - £318.00
Weitec coilovers - £339.47
Powerflex bushes (front set) - £100.00

Not sure if all these are the cheapest possible but should be indicative costs.  So where do I start and what order should I look to improve the car?  Are the AP coilovers better than the Weitec or visa versa?  Are Tarox the way to go for front discs and pads?  Does an induction kit offer real performance increases over a free flowing panel filter? 

Any assistance gratefully received,

Jon
« Last Edit: 13 October 2009, 15:16 by JonLeeper »

Offline Horney

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #1 on: 13 October 2009, 15:22 »
Induction kit - £140 - Waste of money, new paper filter and drilled airbox is just as good if not better.
Panel filter - £28.00 - as above
Front engine mount - £120.00
Rear engine mount - £110.00
Gearbox mount - £65.00
Silicone hose kit - £100.00
Oil Pan windage tray - £82.50 - Worth doing if the sump is off
Baffled sump - £251.90 -  A bit overkill on an 8v
Braded brake lines (set) - £97.90 - Worth every penny
Tarox front discs - £133.20 - I run grooved "Brembo Max" discs and they seem fine and much cheaper.
Tarox front pads - £56.70 - No experience but I have similar priced Mintex 1155's which I have found superb in combination with the above discs
AP Coilovers - £318.00 - The bonus of coilovers is adjustable height, not really required on a atrack car. Your money would be better spent on a good set of fixed height (-40mm is best) Shocks and springs (Koni adjustables and eibacjh springs for example).
Weitec coilovers - £339.47 - As above
Powerflex bushes (front set) - £100.00 - Well worth it, DH also recomends TT rear bushes but I have no real world experience of these.


Offline Chris-White

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #2 on: 13 October 2009, 18:08 »
Front engine mount - £120.00
Rear engine mount - £110.00
Gearbox mount - £65.00

holy moly, theyre expensive engine mounts, vibra tech i take it?

£40 solid front mount, oem/gsf 1.3 rear mount and oem/gsf g60 gearbox mount

those g60 and 1.3 mounts may be the other way round, i cant quite remember.
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Offline Paul86S2

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #3 on: 13 October 2009, 19:14 »
Hi

Induction kit - waste of money, drilled and smoothed airbox and new paper filter is the way to go. Change the filter (cheap) regularly and you won't need to invest in the performance panel filter either. Search for airbox mods to see whats needed.
Engine mounts - change the front to a solid one which can be bought for about £40 to £50 and then see if the others need doing, as previously said the others you can get away with some standard ones off of differant Golf variants.
Silicon hose kit - depends on what condition your old ones are in. If unsure change them but you should be able to get away with standard ones, go for silicon if the price isn't too much differant.
Windage tray - about £35 from GSF, but probably overkill, do it if your having the sump off.
Baffled sump - probably overkill, depends on the tracks you are going to be running on.
Braided brake lines - yes definately worth it, should be able to get them for about £60
Discs and Pads - good quality OEM discs and uprated pads should do the trick. I use Mintex 1155's.
Coilovers - you pay your money you take your choice.
Powerflex bushes - yes seem to be better than standard.

Sort the servicing out for reliability, sort the braking out for safety, new pads, discs and lines, don't forget to change the fluid for something better, I use ATE super racing blue about £13 from ECP. Then sort the handling out, suspension, uprated anti roll bars work well and can be had secondhand for the Golf2. Get a full alignment done with some extra negative camber and slight toe out will help the turn in. Welding up the lower wishbones has been said by DH to work well with uprated bushes.
Use the saved money to go on more trackdays.
Have fun

Paul




Offline loki86

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #4 on: 28 October 2009, 22:12 »
in order

you could do a paper filter but it ends up costing you a lot to replace them over and over and over
i would look at a washable filter they may be a little more expensive in the beginning but less as you clean them for cheaper than replacing the old paper ones not that much more hp off the top but cheaper in the long end
 
Front engine mount - £120.00
Rear engine mount - £110.00
Gearbox mount - £65.00
Silicone hose kit - £100.00
Braded brake lines (set) - £97.90
AP Coilovers - £318.00
Weitec coilovers - £339.47
Powerflex bushes (front set) - £100.00
Tarox front discs - £133.20
Tarox front pads - £56.70
Oil Pan windage tray - £82.50
Baffled sump - £251.90


this would be my best laid plan of attack :grin:
« Last Edit: 28 October 2009, 22:15 by loki86 »

Offline WYATT

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #5 on: 30 October 2009, 13:34 »
The solid mounts you could get the front weled one welded up in seconds , the othere well you could get the g60/1.3 route , the silcone hose's whats the point ? just think that VW gave them hose's to that engine and even the R32 and the 1.8t have the rubber ones dont see any point in them , its only collant hose's looks more for show as they are colourful ,

Joe

Offline loki86

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #6 on: 30 October 2009, 14:58 »
no the hoses are more reinforced, and the because he wants them. :wink:

original
http://www.mtiglobalinc.com/companies/na_silicones/specialty_silicones/silicone-hose_clip_image006.jpg

silicone
http://www.streettuned.com.au/images/uploads/Sillicon_Hoses.jpg  :smug:

there is a difference, and they didnt make them for nothing 

Offline WYATT

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #7 on: 30 October 2009, 18:03 »
Why do they need to be reinforced ? the water is only going to be one temp running through them rather than waste money on what it runs through why not focus on keeping it cool and spend money on that like a much bigger Rad , 

Joe

Offline Diamond Hell

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #8 on: 30 October 2009, 22:08 »
why not focus on keeping it cool and spend money on that like a much bigger Rad , 

No, just replace the radiator with a new one, which will be within the OEM specifications, which should be just fine for track use.
Just because you're offended doesn't make you right.

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Offline danny_p

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Re: Please help me spend my money wisely!
« Reply #9 on: 31 October 2009, 02:39 »
8v gti rad can keep a 2ltr 16v at managable  temps when been thraped to hell and back.

g60/1300 mount setup.

decent shocks

braded lines

g60 brakes with decent disks and pads & 5.1 fluid

baffeld sump, windage tray

suspention bush upgrade weld wishbones

decent tyers 

adjuatable top mounts

all the VW's have gone bar 1.