AdamKralic

Hello,

I have never modded a car before but this is the first car that I’ve owned that was really worth modding. This car has the 2.0 Turbo awd Quattro base.

so while I love the car (especially the handling) I’m curious about mods. What mods would you say would be most reliable and bang for the buck so to speak?
ECU/TCU stage 1 map? Clutch/flywheel? Lightweight forged wheels? Cold air intake? Intercooler? Cat back?

goals would be keep the car daily driver-able, keep it reliable, get significant gains of Atleast 20%, and emissions passable. Warranty is a consideration too...so I’m not in a hurry per se...want to be over prepared/informed.

thanks for any and all words of wisdom.

1stGOAT

The easy best upgrade for the money is just going stage 1, with something like Unitronic tune for 650.00 77hp/88ftlb gain which is the kind of gain you can really feel and no change to emissions status. Just drive and enjoy. If 93 octane is available near you, you could go 1+ and get a 90hp / 89ftlb gain (700.00). Both are huge gains for the money.

Stage 2 Uni requires 93 octane fuel and the install of a 3in downpipe and you get gains of 117hp / 112ftlb (750.00). Downpipe for this car 500-1000 plus install.So you will likely be into it for 1700-2000 for this level.

Stage 2 puts you into possible emissions issues because the downpipe contains the OEM catalytic convertors. Removing those when you put an aftermarket downpipe on can cause you to fail an ODBII emissions test. Haven given you the warning, it is possible for you to still pass emissions with some additional work but at this level it isn't quite install and forget about it like stage 1 or 1+.

AdamKralic

First off thank you for responding,

I was leaning stage 1...and giving it a bit of support. Mine has 19” wheels... I want to go 18” and get lighter forged wheels. Maybe add a cold air intake.

Now on stage 1...ECU and tcu?

is it too much torque for oem clutch? I won’t be doing a lot of hard launches...maybe once or twice to experience it...but mostly I like mid range and hi range power.

id0lized

[QUOTE=AdamKralic;25499845]First off thank you for responding,
I was leaning stage 1...and giving it a bit of support. Mine has 19” wheels... I want to go 18” and get lighter forged wheels. Maybe add a cold air intake.
Now on stage 1...ECU and tcu?
ECU Stage 1 or Stage 1+

TCU tune isn't needed until you go Stage 2, but if you decide to get it now then you'll get more aggressive shifts especially in sports mode (shifting at optimal higher RPM levels compared to stock).
This will also help improve track times (0-60, 1/4, 1/2, etc).
Downside is that it increases the clamping force of the transmission; thus, can cause more wear and tear on the transmission (potentially reducing the longevity / long-term reliability).

1stGOAT

[QUOTE=id0lized;25506724]Just a note - almost none of the off-shelf TCU tunes increase actual clamping force. In building my track car I called and spoke with every vendor and all indicated they did not touch clamping force. I had to have a custom tune done for my 480whp 2.0T DSG setup in order to get that. The only company that had an offering off the shelf was TVS (which was not readily available in US)

At stage 1 or 2 the DSG works just fine. Usually when you "need" a TCU tune to maintain stock behavior is stage 2 level. At that level it still operates almost normal but it may have a tendency to hunt between gears under light throttle cruising. One can only assume that since you are interested in putting down more power, you want to enjoy it. A TCU tune makes driving the car in a spirited manner a lot more fun by causing it to hold gears when driving in manual mode. I strongly recommend a standard TCU tune from any of the majors for anyone stock or modified that likes to drive the car in a spirited manner, makes if much more fun.

Kirill Turbo

Hi, maybe the soul is asking for stage 3 ? )

Atlas Del Mar

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

AdamKralic

Just a FYI: I just pulled the trigger on a stage 1 mod package.

Getting work done through a local tuner shop. (Kelly-Moss Road and Race) they have a awd Dyno and 30 years racing/tuning experience so I feel
pretty about them doing the work.

I am getting: cold air, upgraded intercooler, new spark plugs, upgraded ignition coils, slotted brake rotors, street race pads, apr ecu and tcu stage 1.

Goal is 300 hp at the wheel and 300 tq at the wheel.

now the wait for parts begins…

1stGOAT

Sounds great.... how did it turn out?

AdamKralic

20th is when my last part will hopefully arrive. I will definitely post when I pick ‘er up.