« Reply #233 on: 13 November 2013, 16:45 »
^^^^ That looks awesome Blades!
Finally today at 297 miles my GTI got its first wash and is now white again instead of brownish.
I won't take photos as it will look crap next to all those shots of cars that have been detailed!!
Mine just had a quick wash as it's the first spare hour I've had for weeks and weeks.
Things I noted during the first wash:
It's cold out.
It's my first white GTI for 20 years and I've now realised after two grey and one silver car that I cannot take any short cuts or washing 'holidays' with this colour!! It doesn't forgive!!
There is a certain amount of industrial fallout on it so it will need some iron-x which will probably wait til next spring now when I will really get to work on it. Pointless doing much at this time of year (yes I'm lazy and don't like the cold!!)
The rear calipers aren't finished very well.
When I first clapped eyes on the Austins I really thought I'd form a loving relationship with them as they looked to be a nice easy to clean design after years of intricate alloys like BBSs.
WRONG! Dave (HA54SYM) mentioned a while ago that they were a pig to clean due to the lip that doesn't actually become apparent until you clean them. Boy was he right. It took me as long to clean the wheels as it did the rest of the filthy car. Grrrrr.
My mind is now made up and the BBSs will be going on the mk7 as soon as I can be arsed to clean them up properly and get a tyre fitted to one of them.
The actual design style of the Austins has grown on me and I like the look of them in the flesh more than photos.
Today I lifted the bonnet for the first time. Just to have a nose. I did think about putting the OSRAM cornering bulbs in but it was cold so I just shut the bonnet again. Another day eh….
And I did think about doing a VCDS scan just for the hell of it as to me the sound actuator in the mk7 doesn't sound anywhere near as sweet as the mk6 and more like a 3 cylinder Polo so I wondered if I have a misfire? I'm guessing not as the car goes well enough within reason and there are no warning lights on. But it was cold so I didn't bother…
So, now I have got up close and personal with the GTI for the first time I have the following thoughts - I should have got a five door.
I should have got grey.
I can see a lot of cost cutting but that's balanced by a much better spec as standard so I'll not moan about that.
I'm not suddenly regretting waiting for an R. The alloys look nicer on the R but that's about it. The small turbo'd GTI suits my needs far better.
If someone was to walk up to me and offer me a small profit on the GTI as they couldn't be bothered to wait for a new build I'd take the money but I don't think I'd go out and order and R at a discount.
I'd just order another GTI or more likely a GTD.
There's just something that feels right about the mk7 GTI.
Apart from the sluggish engine response...
Logged
‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten
