New '13 JSW in UT! Intro and trivia question.

Picked it up Thursday @ StrongVW. Easy transaction, no drama, in and out in 1hr including all the paper signing. Very excited to be out of my 2 door Golf and having a new project to work on, specially for the gigantic trunk and the 4 doors. I found out a kid was on the way 1 week after I got my golf, that golf was the first 2 door car of my life! I guess such is life, right?



IMG_0812 by luis_tux, on Flickr


IMG_0813 by luis_tux, on Flickr


IMG_0818 by luis_tux, on Flickr

The interior looked a lot better when i got it thursday night. They forgot to remove a blue tape that was protecting the inside lights and it gave the inside a much more refined look. I think the first cheap mod will be LED lighting.

I am concerned about the 3 front speakers and the whole air bag sensor people seemed to talk about when these first came out. Apparently adding aftermarket speakers to the doors coul interfere with the airbag system. I'll just ignore that and put a decent set of component speakers and a sub box.

Now for the question: Another thing I noticed was 2 screws missing on the inside wheel well for the front passenger side wheel. The well cover is in place but not held by anything on the corner. I only noticed because I was checking out the location of the mud flaps ill be installing soon. Anyone has any IDE why those would be missing?

BrShootr said:

2 screws missing on the inside wheel well for the front passenger side wheel.

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Forward of the front wheel? If so, they probably had to replace a non-functioning side marker light and did a shoddy job after replacement. Shocker.

Nice color JSW - in and out. No fog lights on those in TDI form?

congrats...Strongvw is good people...their service dept has been top notch for me when getting any warranty work done..and when my HPFP failed they made the whole ordeal very easy to deal with and provided a new TDI as a loaner.

I just checked my 2013 (also white) and the two screws you mention are there in all 4 fender liners.

Maybe you'll get lucky and the mud flaps will come with longer screws to replace the ones that are supposed to be there (?) If not, your dealer should be able to get replacements for you.

Thanks for all the replies. I got the car from Matt Hansen, really laid back and nice sales guy. His band Honey Pine played at Pat's BBQ last night, turns out they're fun too!
The mud flaps don't come with the screws, I know this from installing the same mud flaps on my Golf I traded in. It's the 2 screws on the back of the wheel well btw.
t_b, JSW's don't have fogs in any trim in NA. I will be fixing that soon.

Congrats... nice they didn't drill your front bumper for a plate.

Congrats, don't worry about a front plate, I have never been pulled over in Southern Utah for not having mine on...*knocks on wood*.

I actually passed up a deal on a '12 just because the front plate had been drilled. Mine will stay as is until I sell it to someone. A front plate is already ugly, on a white car it's worse.

Update on the purchase. Tint getting installed tomorrow, I won't do clear bra yet. The car is covered in scratches!! Some are fairly deep, I tried to clean it up with a mild abrasive Saturday to no avail. It looks like someone asked their 4 year old to wash the car using the rough side of a sponge.

Now it's 2 things wrong with this car: screws missing in wheel well and paint in horrible condition.

If I had done it again when I got mine in 10' I would have gotten a professional detail and wrap done of the front. I have so many rock chips from the last two winters.

Jeffbucc said:

If I had done it again when I got mine in 10' I would have gotten a professional detail and wrap done of the front. I have so many rock chips from the last two winters.

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Yeah, I did that on my Golf. We'll see, money is short now. I can always install the bra in the Spring after working out the scratches. In the white paint any imperfection is so hard to see though.

How is that sway bar working out for you? Do you still have the 16" rims? Handling is the next thing in my priority list.

congrats on the 6-speed!

BrShootr said:

Yeah, I did that on my Golf. We'll see, money is short now. I can always install the bra in the Spring after working out the scratches. In the white paint any imperfection is so hard to see though.
How is that sway bar working out for you? Do you still have the 16" rims? Handling is the next thing in my priority list.

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Swaybar IMO is a must do mod. Completely changed the handling from boat like to perfect(at least until I do the suspension next year). I have mine on full stiffness and it makes the car perfectly level around turns and makes highway driving less meandering.

Still on 16" wheels but I just put a little more pressure in my tires and it really isn't a big deal unless you are really going in hot. Wheels and suspension are next years"mods" The exhaust was a lot so I decided I should probably be frugal for a bit. Don't care too much about appearance mods, mostly how my car handles and the power it puts down.

Looks like a great Family Hauler!

Jeffbucc said:

Swaybar IMO is a must do mod. Completely changed the handling from boat like to perfect(at least until I do the suspension next year). I have mine on full stiffness and it makes the car perfectly level around turns and makes highway driving less meandering.
Still on 16" wheels but I just put a little more pressure in my tires and it really isn't a big deal unless you are really going in hot. Wheels and suspension are next years"mods" The exhaust was a lot so I decided I should probably be frugal for a bit. Don't care too much about appearance mods, mostly how my car handles and the power it puts down.

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Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks! I may swap the rims for some old GTI rims if the price is right, I like the sharp turn in of the 17" without sacrificing comfort and noise levels much. Anyway, this gives me an idea of where to spend my money on when it comes to handling.

BrShootr said:

t_b, JSW's don't have fogs in any trim in NA. I will be fixing that soon.

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Fogs come on Canadian Highline trim level.

Rob_MacCara said:

Fogs come on Canadian Highline trim level.

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You're right. I remember that now. I considered buying one from Canada so I'd have the highline ECU.

I think the importation tax would be high enough that you could buy the CECM($550) and fogs package($240) and still come out on top.

You should upgrade to the RNS510 Nav and forget the go fast stuff. In real life you'll find the stuff that helps you get where you are going rather than stuff that makes you look "cool" is more important.

Jeffreyspahn said:

You should upgrade to the RNS510 Nav and forget the go fast stuff. In real life you'll find the stuff that helps you get where you are going rather than stuff that makes you look "cool" is more important.

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I have an rns510 in mine and it isn't all that. My iPhone with the Navigon App does a better job and is easier to use.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

Jeffreyspahn said:

You should upgrade to the RNS510 Nav and forget the go fast stuff. In real life you'll find the stuff that helps you get where you are going rather than stuff that makes you look "cool" is more important.

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I'd much rather use my phones navigation rather than spend 1k+ on a navigation system that really isn't that good. Upgrade for sure from the factory equipped model, but still not worth the cost.

The go fast bits aren't too look cool, they are for personal enjoyment. Too each their own, everyone has their own objectives for their cars. I rather enjoy my 70+ ft/tq and 4-5 mpg increase. The car handles better due to a swaybar, it drives better due to the tune, it eliminated a lot of potential issues down the line with the exhaust system being gone, and is generally a completely different car for the better.
Yet again, to each their own!

Jeffreyspahn said:

You should upgrade to the RNS510 Nav and forget the go fast stuff. In real life you'll find the stuff that helps you get where you are going rather than stuff that makes you look "cool" is more important.

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If I thought built in navigation was that important I'd get an aftermarket unit with better mapping and integration with my phone like the Pioneer Avic 920 unit used to have than to spend extra cash for a unit that looks cool and doesn't work as well. So, who's the one spending money in the bits that look good now?

I use the fogs, actually. A lot. Specially in the snow and with the corner light function enabled (hence not a simple set of fogs). I don't think investing in safety is a "look cool" upgrade. Besides, if I simply wanted to get where I'm going, I'd have gotten a Mazda. Lol

I do see your point that spending money on looks is a waste. Performance is where it's at. In my mind, performance means improved feel and comfort. Secondly will be speed. Right now, the car seems a bit too wobbly for me, so I'll get a set of sway bars and keep the 16" rims to keep the cabin quiet and the ride comfortable.

Well, went to install the splashguards onto the car this morning and I found out more about the issue surrounding the missing screws. I am now sure the car was wrecked and fixed prior to delivery to either the dealer or at least prior to my delivery.

As I went to pull the wheel well plastic liner away from the body of the car, I noticed spray paint on the inside of the plastic piece. You can see a line where the masking tape to protect it went to and then 2 spray paint marks. Also, the texture of the car's paint next to that corner feels rough (the top, left corner of the first picture).


IMG_0140 by luis_tux, on Flickr

IMG_0142 by luis_tux, on Flickr

This is what it looked like when I took delivery of the car:

IMG_0144 by luis_tux, on Flickr

Here's from under the car, looking forward:

IMG_0146 by luis_tux, on Flickr

I also noticed this dent on the frame:

IMG_0148 by luis_tux, on Flickr

Looking up, into the quarter panel you can see that the beige looking paint is actually rough, scratched paint. It feels like someone went at it with rough sandpaper.

IMG_0154 by luis_tux, on Flickr

I am probably going to contact VWoA and see what can be done about this. I'd not mind keeping the car, but I don't think I should've paid full price as a brand new car.

Might just be overspray? I would still look into it though.

I'm not 100% sure but I think that the dent in the frame is a factory indent to help you line up the jack with the reinforced pinch weld.

KITEWAGON said:

I'm not 100% sure but I think that the dent in the frame is a factory indent to help you line up the jack with the reinforced pinch weld.

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Nope. That dent is not present on the other side. I does look factory made though. I am actually not too concerned about it.


The small patch of rough paint that matches the overspray onto the plastic piece is what bothers me. Specially since the cars are painted before the plastic is attached to it.

BrShootr said:

Nope. That dent is not present on the other side. I does look factory made though. I am actually not too concerned about it.


The small patch of rough paint that matches the overspray onto the plastic piece is what bothers me. Specially since the cars are painted before the plastic is attached to it.

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The indentations in the rocker panels have been discussed repeatedly ... they are markers for the jacking points, and are present at all four corners (if there's not an indent at one of your jacking points, that's an anomaly).

The overspray is odd to say the least; certainly looks to my untrained eye like a quick touch-up.

OilBurningBrit said:

The indentations in the rocker panels have been discussed repeatedly ... they are markers for the jacking points, and are present at all four corners (if there's not an indent at one of your jacking points, that's an anomaly).

The overspray is odd to say the least; certainly looks to my untrained eye like a quick touch-up.

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Not the same thing. It's not in any way an even indentation. It has jagged edges and its at an angle. Having said that, I'm not concerned, it looks like it has the same rough surface finish as the rest of the underbody.

I contacted VW, waiting on a reply.

I have those dents too, 2 on each side. I was concerned too but believe that thay are the jack points. I think this is un necessary but it's a VW