mk6 Musings

[Exonian]

Now I'd love to be one of those people that is organised, who has a grand plan of their day/life and gets on with it in a focussed way dodging the slings and arrows that life throws at them. But I'm not, I just like to see what each day brings.
That's my way of saying I'm going to put in a load of random thoughts rather than start half a dozen different threads...

Those of you that remember me will know that my GTI used to live a nicely pampered life, those close to me and the car know it was referred to as the Grey Goddess as it was cleaned and polished more than it was driven, pampered and only driven carefully on special occasions.
It is my second mk6, my umteenth GTI and like many others on here I'm a dyed in the wool VW person with that slightly elitist attitude to other cars that VW owners seem to have. We are a weird breed.

Now, life does throw in a curve ball occasionally and one hit me four weeks ago when my father had a massive brain haemorrhage (sp?) and was rushed into intensive care 50 odd miles away from me and that's where he has stayed since and is likely to for the next few months at the very minimum as he's not really been responsive and has suffered several setbacks. Then in the best case scenario he will need specialist care for probably around 12 months or more which will probably be about 150 miles from me so he can be nearer the bulk of the family so he has proper support. At the moment he lives in West Cornwall (where he originally came from) but is far too remote for the family to look after him, so he's going to be dragged up to the Midlands so he can get full support.
What has this got to do with a GTI forum you're wondering? There is a point to all this.

Firstly my car, October half term week I was in Cornwall visiting my father and staying in a caravan on one of those cheap newspaper deals. It was like hurricane season down there that week and one of those occasions where you really appreciate the creature comforts and safety of the Golf.
My old smoker Ibiza GTI decided to have clutch failure around about the same time so the Golf became my daily driver with plans to sort the Ibiza's clutch and garage up the Golf for the winter apart from occasional dry weather use once all of the sand blasted onto the paint by the gales had been washed off on my return from Kernow.

A week later, the Golf cleaned and ready to go into hibernation and the Ibiza still not fixed my dad was taken suddenly ill. No time to fix the Ibiza then, so the Golf was pressed into daily use going from doing about 2000 miles a year to 700 miles a WEEK!!
The car has really etched itself into my heart now, the weather has been sh!te, really really bad and the GTI hasn't missed a beat covering the 100 plus miles commute most days to the hospital, then back to work a night shift and repeated the same several times a week.
It normally sits there gleaming and now it is filthy, not been cleaned for three weeks, been driven in every sort of weather going at decent speed aside from snow which thankfully hasn't hit the South West yet.
And that's the way it is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, the Golf really is a faultless mile muncher on freezing cold winter evenings, the xenons are coming into their own, amazing difference to the candles in the Ibiza.

So, here's the thoughts on the car for the future. I could really do with DAB radio doing that sort of mileage, has anyone retrofitted an RNS 315 to their Golf? I don't really make best use of the RNS 510 as I don't have anything on the hard drive so would value the bluetooth and DAB on the 315 more than the hard drive (I currently store music on my elderly 3GS or use CDs). And does the 315 have the capability to run a speed camera database?

And then there are thoughts that I should be looking at replacing my previously cherished GTI with a workhorse Diesel. The car is currently swallowing £70 of superunleaded every three trips to the hospital so it's killing me a bit as I don't have a company car allowance and pay my own fuel and I'm only a lowly paid office clerk at the end of the day.

So, thoughts are currently going towards a second hand Scirocco 170 DSG. No point in swapping the GTI for a GTD and paying out money to do it, if I'm going to change it's going to be a change to something VW but a bit different and I've always had a Scirocco itch I want to scratch.
I discussed at length with Wigit and Turbo Trev on SteveP's forum a few years ago when they had Sciroccos and I was considering either a mK6 GTI or Scirocco and they both talked me into the mk6 in 2009 and both have moved to mk6s themselves now (Hi guys!!). But the spec of the Scirocco R line is appealing to me right now, 19" alloys, RNS 315 and Diesel economy and I still like the Scirocco looks (from most angles). The trouble is the R line is quite pricey and if I'm going to change it will have to be for minimum cost as I need to save the pennies for fuel.

So, bombard me with your thoughts on DAB retrofits (I use a Pure Highway in the Ibiza and it's good but want an OEM fit for the Golf), Sciroccos, RNS 315s and other options I should consider...

on that note, I've gotta shoot off, I'm still about, but don't get time to post up much though I do read the forum each day so am keeping up with everyone!! 

[mkviken]

i can totally see where your coming from there - if i used mine more i would probably enjoy it more.

i treat mine as you do (or did) yours - basically the car lives in the garage and comes out in fair weather but if i am forced to use it and its dirty for a few days (and im not stressed about getting it dirty again) i enjoy the car a lot more.

problem with me is i keep it so damn clean i dont like to use it!


as for DAB, i have the RNS510 with DAB and its very good.

i was going to get the RNS510 on the group buy last year but the DAB is worth more to me than the sat nav really

these come up on ebay a lot but do you need sat nav and DAB? you could sell the sat nab, buy a RCD510 and be quids in really.




hope your dad recovers as much as possible.

[Exonian]

Thanks Ken 

Yes, I do use the nav quite a bit actually. The car used to be mostly used for weekends away and the nav comes into its own frequently. Not least the speed cam locations!! Not that I speed but one can never be too careful...

That was exactly how my car was used, every time it came out of the garage apart from the odd week in summer when it didn't get dirty it was cleaned again afterwards. And like you the main reason for not using it was because I didn't want to get it dirty which sounds awfully sad but my time is valuable to me as i work long hours and I paid for the car out of my own money so like to look after it as it wasn't cheap!!

The GTI really does change your opinion of it when you use it more. I used to prefer to jump in the old sh!tter Ibiza as it has uprated suspension and brakes and is very direct to drive (no turbo so no lag, big windows so you can see all round, feel every bump in the road, no body roll or nose dive and nice light and small so drives like a proper GTI) but once you get used to using the Golf every day you appreciate the balances VW made with the standard car and the little upgrades i made that have enhanced it. It really is a stunningly good mile muncher on A roads and the mk7 will only really better it in 10/10ths driving I reckon.

[wigit]

for me was an itch i scratched but wish I hadn't you'll be back in a Golf

i'll never to this day get over the comedy arch gap

[p3asa]

Sorry to read about your dad. Sometimes its events like these that make us take stock of our lives and wonder why we do certain things like not driving the car in the rain or cleaning it more than we use it  The old adage of we only live once is so true and sometimes we get so wrapped up in things that don't really matter.

I never used to park anywhere near car parks never mind in them but when I found out my dad had lung / brain cancer, car parks went right out the window as I found I was taking him for appointment after appointment in hospital car parks!! It soon sorted out my priorities in life!!

If you are serious about changing cars, make sure the Scirocco is not too low that your dad can't get in and out of it comfortably as no doubt you will be ferrying him about when he gets back on his feet. 

Connects2 do adaptors as do Alpine that turn your head unit into DAB like OEM as do some other companies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmamzzGCbZ4

I hope your dad gets back on the mend soon.

[wigit]

If you are serious about changing cars, make sure the Scirocco is not too low that your dad can't get in and out of it comfortably as no doubt you will be ferrying him about when he gets back on his feet. 

valid point as i had issues with my folks and the scirocco so always used the mk5, sat in one for the first time in ages at Revo and clouted my head getting in

[dubber36]

Sorry to hear about your Dad. As you say it puts things into perspective.

My two Golfs lead a pretty pampered life too. They are both tucked up for winter, and we are managing to share my 8 year old Passat for all travelling duties. The thing is tho', deep down I know it makes no sense at all to keep my GT TDI tucked away from salt, spray and crap. I paid what I consider to be quite a lot of money for it, and who's going to benefit most from it? The next owner.

Common sense would say keep your Golf, add some extras to it and enjoy it. Even tho' you are racking the miles up, you won't be doing it any harm. Yes it will get dirty, but underneath the dirt is still a gleaming GTI.

[Ess_Three]

Sorry to hear about your dad 

Keep your car. Flog the RNS if you don't use it, and fit a DAB unit. Enjoy the familiarity of the car at this time...it's one less variable to have to give time and thought to.
Do the journeys, get things back on an even keel...and look again when your circumstances are different.

Who cares if you rack the miles up?
You'll get little more for it with uber low miles, over one with average miles.
Who cares if it uses a little more fuel than a TDI...an additional £100-200 a month for a few months won't add up to the depreciation you'll suffer from changing - assuming you can pay the fuel bill.
Who cares if it gets filthy and a bit scuffed?
You can polish it up later on.
Stick normal unleaded in it...save yourself a few quid. The engine was made for it.

Just use it to get you there in comfortable, familiar surroundings...you really don't need distractions at this time.

All the best matey 

[Exonian]

Thanks very much for all of the support, kind words and invaluable input 

I'll quickly whizz through:

Thanks for the advice of avoiding the Scirocco Andy!!

p3ssa, yes, the Connects2 is what I've been keeping an eye on, the link you posted was the same one as I put up a little while ago when myself and smoggy were looking into doing a DAB retrofit. They seem to be about £150 which is okay but it doesn't mention whether they are RNS compatible only RCD. Will need to look into that when I have a bit more time.

dubber36, the new owners of most of my cars would have benefitted from my OCD!!

Glen, good points again, part of me right now would welcome some distraction actually!! Having worked the fuel economy out with a mate's Golf GTD he's getting about 52mpg and I'm running at 31 on super unleaded. So about £6 a trip give or take plus lower insurance and tax etc. so a bit but not the be all and end all.

The RNS is staying whatever, there are new versions now with DAB built in so I may look into that when a forum member has some in stock then I'll flog my old RNS 510 B depending on cost to change vs. just a DAB module add on.


Oh, quick last point, just been down the road to throw another £70 in the tank and as I reversed back into my garage I had to put the steering on full lock due to the amount of cars parked in the street as I navigated back and noticed a godawful rattling coming from the steering on full right lock. So much for VW reliability on a 12,000 mile car!! That can wait for a while before it gets checked out as it's bloody freezing out there and dark and wet and... you get the picture...

[Snoopy]

Sorry to hear about your dad.
I know what you meen about the mk6. Mines only just been parked up again but that's due to  due to floods and now ice and snow. It was actually parket up between april and September unused! Sadly its still dirty parker up.But I got to a point about a month ago were I said sod it its getting used daily.
I too keep thinking of changing mine but think I will divide my useage between two cars.
Mk6 daily late march to November then a TDI maybe 4wd for shopping and a daily from December and march.
It's your.decision if you want to change.but you may regret it.
Work it.out from a money point of view.
Cost to change v fuel
You may find it cheaper to keep what you have or may not.