Has my Gti been lowered?

[wallythewelder]

I'm new here, so forgive me if this has already been covered. Picked up my 2018 Gti mk7.5 performance from the main dealer recently. Hardly any miles and what wonderful machine. I think it looks lower than others I've seen, even next door's R looks higher, so I got the tape measure out. 335mm from centre of wheel to the arch, front and rear. 635mm from the road to the arch, front and rear. Not a problem but the dealer didn't mention it at all. Any comments welcome, thanks.

[rwleigh]

I'm new here, so forgive me if this has already been covered. Picked up my 2018 Gti mk7.5 performance from the main dealer recently. Hardly any miles and what wonderful machine. I think it looks lower than others I've seen, even next door's R looks higher, so I got the tape measure out. 335mm from centre of wheel to the arch, front and rear. 635mm from the road to the arch, front and rear. Not a problem but the dealer didn't mention it at all. Any comments welcome, thanks.

Just popped out and measured my front arch to ground and it's 655mm so I suspect you may be right.

I believe a CS is a little lower as standard than a PP model? Could be wrong though.

[wallythewelder]

Thanks rw. 👍

[DCmk3]

Can you see what colour the springs are? If they are not black

[wallythewelder]

I'll have a look if I can, she's tucked away in the garage atm. Might have to wait till Monday. 👍

[joe6]

I'll have a look if I can, she's tucked away in the garage atm. Might have to wait till Monday. 👍

Glad you are enjoying the car. Springs should be colour coded so that would also be evidence.

[wallythewelder]

Thanks, I'll get under there ASAP. I've done a bit of research and it seems that 335mm height should be 365-370mm as standard. So I think the answer is yes, by about 30-35mm. 😜

[oryx3dr]

Thanks, I'll get under there ASAP. I've done a bit of research and it seems that 335mm height should be 365-370mm as standard. So I think the answer is yes, by about 30-35mm. 😜

You should be able to tell visually just by doing the finger test between the tyre and the wheel arch. If you can't get more than 2 fingers in there then it's likely been lowered.

[wallythewelder]

Thanks! I can't even get one pinky in there. I just got a steel rule and laid it flat along the top of the tyre and the gap is about 1mm.

[SRGTD]

Thanks! I can't even get one pinky in there. I just got a steel rule and laid it flat along the top of the tyre and the gap is about 1mm.

@wallytgewelder; as you bought your car from a main dealer (presumably a VW main dealer), then would it be correct to assume the dealer was selling it under VW’s Approved Used scheme? If so, it would’ve needed to have passed VW’s 142 point check before it qualified as VW Approved Used vehicle.

I’ve had a quick look on the Web for a copy of VW’s Approved Used 142 point checklist that the dealer would use to certify a vehicle as VW’s Approved Used but I couldn’t find one. What I did find was a checklist for the Das Welt Auto used car scheme, which was the forerunner of the Approved Used scheme, and one of the items on that checklist (‘General’ section, first page) was ‘Is the vehicle free from after-market modifications?’ Any ‘No’ answers rendered the vehicle ineligible to be sold under the Das Welt Auto scheme. Link to the checklist below;

https://studylib.net/doc/18424217/multi-point-checklist

Assuming the Approved Used checklist includes a similar check for after-market modifications, then it would seem the checks carried out by the dealer you bought the car from aren’t very thorough. What else might have been skimped on when your car was prepared for sale? It raises the following points;

• would VW honour any suspension related warranty claims; you bought the car in good faith on the basis of it being standard factory spec, but it’s had after-market modifications that you weren’t made aware of by the dealer.
• as the dealer didn’t make you aware of the suspension mods, then you haven’t been able to declare them to your insurer, and not declaring mods could potentially invalidate your insurance.

It would be interesting to see a copy of the 142 point checklist document that was completed for your car…………