Phoenix42
Veteran Member
Well it's not new, and it is not even new to me as it been mine (and the banks) since March '03, but the car I'm driving today is very different to the car I bought.
In the past month I've made a number of changes to my car that make it a very different beast.
At the TDI Fest in Boston this year I won the auction for a RocketChip of my choice - at this point I'd like to that Poet for the beer, PeterV for the elbowing and everyone else who was there for not bidding on it
However due to my car then been up on bricks due to a busted bolt it was not until the eve of this years Dyno Day (thanks MCA for organising that event - it was a blast) did I get to hook up with Jeff and have him purge the demons from my car.
Jeff install the RocketChip ALH90 Stage 2 chip - it should be noted that I also changed the pollen filter at the same time, so some of the preformance gains could be from that
Jeff suggested this chip as I currently don't have any plans for injectors/nozzels or any other power upgrades - I'll need a V1 first
According to the website this chip alone is good for 30HP & 40lbs/ft - I've not dyno'd it, but I can tell you that there is a hell of alot more power available for over taking.
My commute is all highway generally at 75-80mph, and now if I want to pass some one it is way to easy to get the car up to 90-95mph and beyond. Lots of fun. And even with frequent use of this extra power I've not noticed a significant drop in MPG - sorry I don't track it.
But the story does not end there, at the Fest I also pick up a pair of used (30k) Bilstein HD rears for little more then a song.
At the Dyno day Danix delivered matching new fronts along with new mounts & bearings - might as well replace these $30 parts while you have the whole thing apart as it's a pisser to have to do all that work again some time in the future to replace a $5 bearing.
But the spending spree did not stop there, Coolwht was clearing out his basement and put his old springs up for sale at the rock bottom price the cost of shipping. And while they had 55k miles on them, they were alot newer them mine and also a bit stiffer - thanks to GeWilli and his decoder ring.
Also thanks to MOGolf for posting the part numbers for the various nuts & bolts needed.
Of course I now had a trunk full of parts, and while I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack I'm not the dullest either and I know what is with in my abilities - so off to Maine before sunrise I went, final destination Wit's End to the home of TDI Herm. For thoes of you are living under a rock Herm is one of New England's secrets. A trip to Herm's is always a fun filled day, not only do you get you car fixed, you get an education and a tasty lunch - name me one dealership that will offer you that!
when we did pull the old struts & shocks out, which had 95k on them, we compressed them to see how much life was left in them - the fronts just sat there and did nothing. They we're long dead I had been riding on springs
I was aware that they were worn, but I did realise to what degree.
So new suspension & new firmware make for a very different car. I look forward to many more miles in this car and many more GTGs.
Thanks Fred.
PS Also special thanks to PeterV for all the help and advice he has given me over the past two years, just never drive his car
In the past month I've made a number of changes to my car that make it a very different beast.
At the TDI Fest in Boston this year I won the auction for a RocketChip of my choice - at this point I'd like to that Poet for the beer, PeterV for the elbowing and everyone else who was there for not bidding on it
However due to my car then been up on bricks due to a busted bolt it was not until the eve of this years Dyno Day (thanks MCA for organising that event - it was a blast) did I get to hook up with Jeff and have him purge the demons from my car.
Jeff install the RocketChip ALH90 Stage 2 chip - it should be noted that I also changed the pollen filter at the same time, so some of the preformance gains could be from that
Jeff suggested this chip as I currently don't have any plans for injectors/nozzels or any other power upgrades - I'll need a V1 first
According to the website this chip alone is good for 30HP & 40lbs/ft - I've not dyno'd it, but I can tell you that there is a hell of alot more power available for over taking.
My commute is all highway generally at 75-80mph, and now if I want to pass some one it is way to easy to get the car up to 90-95mph and beyond. Lots of fun. And even with frequent use of this extra power I've not noticed a significant drop in MPG - sorry I don't track it.
But the story does not end there, at the Fest I also pick up a pair of used (30k) Bilstein HD rears for little more then a song.
At the Dyno day Danix delivered matching new fronts along with new mounts & bearings - might as well replace these $30 parts while you have the whole thing apart as it's a pisser to have to do all that work again some time in the future to replace a $5 bearing.
But the spending spree did not stop there, Coolwht was clearing out his basement and put his old springs up for sale at the rock bottom price the cost of shipping. And while they had 55k miles on them, they were alot newer them mine and also a bit stiffer - thanks to GeWilli and his decoder ring.
Also thanks to MOGolf for posting the part numbers for the various nuts & bolts needed.
Of course I now had a trunk full of parts, and while I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack I'm not the dullest either and I know what is with in my abilities - so off to Maine before sunrise I went, final destination Wit's End to the home of TDI Herm. For thoes of you are living under a rock Herm is one of New England's secrets. A trip to Herm's is always a fun filled day, not only do you get you car fixed, you get an education and a tasty lunch - name me one dealership that will offer you that!
when we did pull the old struts & shocks out, which had 95k on them, we compressed them to see how much life was left in them - the fronts just sat there and did nothing. They we're long dead I had been riding on springs
So new suspension & new firmware make for a very different car. I look forward to many more miles in this car and many more GTGs.
Thanks Fred.
PS Also special thanks to PeterV for all the help and advice he has given me over the past two years, just never drive his car
