Stealth's New Mk6

BleachedBora

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Oct 16, 2003
Location
Gresham, Oregon
TDI
'81 DMC-12, '15 GL350 CDI 275 hp/448 tq - '81 Caddy CJAA, '05 E320 CDI 250hp/450 tq, '23 ID4 AWD Pro S Plus
Looks great Scott! Just picked up a 2010 Jetta Cup myself :).
-BB
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Still quietly loving this car! I'm at 28,000 miles and just purchased/setup a new trailer:



Taken while practicing my "stunt parking" someplace quiet...


I plan to upgrade the wheels to alloys with ST145R12 radials, hopefully for a more compliant ride and less bouncing... plus, they'll look better, too! :p More trailer photos at http://www.stealthtdi.com/Albums/NewStealthTrailer/.

I switched my phone mount to wireless charging and soon will have new Garmin with a powered mount (no more plugging/unplugging the power cord). I'll take photos when I have the new Garmin. I want to tune the car, but my money is going elsewhere for a while (like the Garmin, bicycling, and trailer/upgrades).

Later,

Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Got a relatively small mod done today:



AC power outlet with two 2.1A USB ports. The glue is still curing and it's not quite as perfect as I'd like. But, overall, I'd say it's good. I still need to buy the power source. It will be a 400W pure sine wave inverter that I'll mount under the passenger seat. I need to see if there are any unused grommets in the firewall that I can use for an easy connection directly to the battery. I hope to have this operational before my roadtrip to Texas in August. :)
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Hello,

My Galaxy S5 suffered a USB port failure, probably from the constant plugging/unplugging as I got into/out of the car. I decided to give wireless charging a try. It works great, but the Tetrax mount isn't quite up to supporting the additional weight of the charger and the phone without needing constant realignment.

I used the wireless charger's vent clip while I came up with a better solution. In the end, I decided on a mount by ProClip. I forgot to take a "before photo." Here's the manufacturer's stock photo of what the ProClip looks like after mounting to the air vent:



I slid my mount as far left as it would go, almost centering it over the open/close control for the vent. Then I did some shaving of the wireless cradle to make it flat in back so I could glue it to the ProClip. I haven't taken a lot of photographs. But here's the difference between how the cradle stands-off from the vent with the "vent clip" and the ProClip systems:



So far, I'm very pleased with it. The ProClip is VERY sturdy, much better than Tetrax. I keep the included "gap openers" in the car in case I find myself somewhere that compels me to remove everything. Otherwise, the mount/cradle stay in place full-time.

I'll try to get new photos of everything this weekend. :)

Take Care,

Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
New photos of my latest electronics setup:

Passenger's view...


Driver's view...


Everything out...


Everything stowed...


My new Garmin has a powered, magnetic mount that eliminates plugging/unplugging; mounting/stowing is a snap! :)


Scott
 

agxster

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Location
UK
TDI
Jetta 1.9 TDi DSG (Mk.V) 2008 - RIP
Looks good. I've been using Brodit/Proclip mounts for years and can definitely agree that they are very good.
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Now that I've had the ProClip in the car for about 10 days, I can report that I really like the solid feel. The Tetrax was small and easily removed. But the phone would shift around or jiggle when I touched the screen. I also found myself regularly making small adjustments to the tilt of the phone to straighten it... or make it hang right (perfectionism). The position of the phone never shifts with the ProClip. :)
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Scott, I'm curious how the clear bra is holding up after a year? Was it worth it? What sections did you get covered, and how much did they charge? Did you decide to do it on your reflex silver car? Thx.
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
The bra is holding up great. I found a super-minor flaw while washing the car today... not even a millimeter and it doesn't penetrate the film. I thought it might've been a bug. Odds are it's from a rock that easily would have resulted in a paint chip if the hood was unprotected.

I had both cars treated within days of purchase. Both have the hood, front bumper, lower fascia, mirrors and top face of the rear bumper treated. My wife wanted the door jambs in hers done. So, of course, they are. ;) The installer said door jambs are usually unnecessary. So I skipped them on my car. Ironically, I have a small scratch in my driver's jamb, probably from resting my foot there when working on electronics.

I don't recall what I paid for each car. Don't be shocked by ~$750. It really depends on where you are and local labor rates. Regardless, I'd do it again on any other new car... even my old Mk3 if/when I get it repainted.
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Hello,

I decided to replace my original Curt hitch with the version that's made for the 2015. This is essentially a copy+paste of what I shared at VWVortex. I took the car on its first run of The Tail of the Dragon, where professional photographers shoot nearly every car that passes by and sell the photos online. I wanted the better-looking hitch on the car so I wouldn't cringe every time I saw my TOTD photo. :rolleyes:

I think I can see why Curt is slow to spec this hitch for the 2011-2014 Jettas. The center tab of the bumper skin requires some trimming. Without the trimming, the bumper looks like this:




I was running out of daylight when I installed the main portion of the hitch. Notice in the top photo that the leading edge of the bumper has two ridges? This will make sense in a sec. Since the center tab is not used, the screw cannot be reinstalled, and I have no plan to ever remove this hitch, I went ahead and cut-off the tab... :eek:



I suspect Curt is not eager to instruct their customers take hacksaws to their bumpers. I say DO IT. It's not like it's going to rust. Once the tab was gone, I positioned the tab's mount so that it sat in between the two leading edges of the bumper that I mentioned above...



The bumper is now straight...



Bonus image: This was supposed to be a shot of the mounting bolts. Instead, I'll call it "Holy Crap! I can't believe how clean the exhaust is after 30,000 miles!"



I painted my bolts to help them blend-in. Then I got a daylight photo:



As you can see, the new hitch is a total eye sore... LOL!



Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Some photos from our current vacation to Texas:

An abandoned fuel station...


Tail of the Dragon...


My tail on the Tail (that new hitch is such an eye sore)...


Cherohala Skyway...




Volkswagen factory (no tours)...


San Jacinto Monument (near Houston)...




USS TEXAS...




I'm not sure what's next. I'll share more as they come.

Scott
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Where is everybody? That's the emptiest parking lot I've seen in a while. I have found the A/C in my daughter's MKVI is amazing. Is it that good in the TDI? What are you seeing for FE on this trip?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Peter,

I did some creative cropping or chose good angles to make my car appear to be alone in those parking lots. I also photoshopped some tourists out of the battleship photo. :p In the case of the VW factory, the lots were quite bare. It was a Saturday; plus, the factory is currently not giving tours. The employee lots were only 10% used and the visitor lots were practically empty. I took the above photo in the visitor spots that were further from the building. No cars anywhere to foul my photo. :)

The AC is VERY good. Even on the hottest of days (99 degrees so far), I don't usually point the vent right at me unless I have a little heat added. My daughter uses her comforter since I like it so cool in the car. My windows are not tinted. Having tint would probably make it even better.

For FE, my best so far is 46 mpg on the first tank. That tank included two runs on the Tail of the Dragon as well as a pass through the Cherohala Skyway. The second tank included the visit to the VW plant (idling) and the third tank included a lengthy traffic jam (three-car crash including a semi) and Texas speeds of 75 mph. Both of those tanks returned 45 mpg. It's all on my Fuelly page. We'll see if I can reach or exceed 47 mpg on the return trip since I don't plan to make any detours or tourist stops. :)

Scott
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI
Congrats on getting both TDIs:)

I really like the Reflex Silver ;)

With the things you've done to your MKVI it really makes me like them that much more :D

Keep it up and I think you should at least get a Stage 1+ or 2 tune :cool:
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Thanks! Stage 2 is the plan. I'm told Stage 1+ is a waste of time/money since most quickly upgrade to Stage 2. I plan to keep the DPF... at least for a while. I'm watching Malone's new Stage 4(?) kit. For now, my money is simply going to other places. This car has 33,000 miles on it with no tune yet. I don't plan to wait for 100k like I did with the Mk3.
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI
Thanks! Stage 2 is the plan. I'm told Stage 1+ is a waste of time/money since most quickly upgrade to Stage 2. I plan to keep the DPF... at least for a while. I'm watching Malone's new Stage 4(?) kit. For now, my money is simply going to other places. This car has 33,000 miles on it with no tune yet. I don't plan to wait for 100k like I did with the Mk3.
Great plan on going straight to the stage 2 and I can't wait to see what these CR engines can make with the Turbo kit and supporting mods will produce power wise.:D
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Mostly local travel over the past week. Here are a few photos:

I managed to get the car's first sunset photo tonight...


Near the Falkenstein Castle (background)...


Taken by my daughter...


I'll do my fifth refuel on Thursday and then begin the trip back to VA. I have no idea what kind of photo opportunities may arise. But I'll share them if anything good turns out.

Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
We visited the Dr Pepper museum in Waco (we both like DP)...





I also had my daughter reshoot the "driver's view" I shared earlier. The copy above was overwritten when I updated my photo album. Here's the result...



I'm not sure what kind of photos we'll get on the last leg of our trip. We're in sort of a "blast home" mood. So there is no plan to stop for a tour of any sort. But we may wind up running into something cool. We'll see.

Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Hello,

My heaviest load yet. It's not because the load is that heavy, but because this 5x10 trailer is made of galvanized steel and weighs nearly 1000 lbs empty. :eek:

I started my morning by dropping my baby trailer at a shop to have the fenders cut off in preparation for larger wheels/tires/fenders while I was at work. Around lunchtime, a coworker needed to move something big, but didn't know how to best get the job done and considered renting a large truck. I had her rent this 5x10 trailer from our hobby shop on base and then volunteered my VW mule as the prime mover. I still wanted to retrieve the baby trailer without any overlapping trips in Friday afternoon traffic. No sweat! Nesting dolls w/trailers!

The trailer is not level because I wasn't prepared to tow it. I had only the flat drawbar in the car:


This is about 1350 lbs total. Here's a closer look at the nesting:


I had to visit Advance Auto to get a 2-inch ball before coupling. Then I drove home to drop off the baby trailer and to install a drawbar with sufficient rise for this taller trailer. I drove about an hour to load a long bed for a 1986 Toyota pickup truck. Apparently, they're very difficult to find and my friend had been searching for a while. So she had to jump since others were in queue to buy it from under her. I got home at 9:15 that night.

I drove another hour to the delivery point this morning:


I'm sure there were some odd thoughts from drivers as they passed me, unable to determine what was pulling the load until they passed. HAHA!

The delivery went well and the trailer was turned in before noon. My only disappointment was that I only got 26 mpg while towing this thing. It must've been because the ramp is like a big parachute. It certainly wasn't because I was speeding. I think the wheels needed balancing because there was a good vibration between 50-60 mph. As a result, I took mostly side roads where I could drive at less than 60 mph.

It's good to know I can rent a larger trailer for $30/day. But the mileage hit makes me that much more pleased that I downsized my own trailer for my regular towing needs. :cool:

Scott
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
I finally got my larger wheels/tires, fenders and bicycle rack set up. I took it for a drive to see how well the bikes rode back there:





I think it went well. I didn't drive over any really terrible stuff. But the trailer was controlled on what I did drive on, including a few speed bumps at speeds that normally sent the trailer flying through the air with the stiffer springs and 90-psi tires.

Realistically, I'll probably never carry this many bikes at once...


But it's good to know I can. The setup is perfect for a foursome of cyclists, with our luggage beneath the bikes, on a weekend getaway. :) Next weekend, I'll carry far fewer bikes, but I'll have about 700 lbs of water and ice to provide a silky-smooth ride. :)

Later,

Scott
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Scott, what bike trays are you using? It looks like a mix from outer to inner?
Trailer looks great! Would a small motorcycle fit in it?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
HSKRDU,

I do have a mix. The bars and center carriers are by Yakima. The carriers are Yakima Steelheads, a discontinued model that's relatively cheap. The outboard carriers are ATOC Biketoppers, model BT-76. I bought one years ago when my daughter and I were riding a tandem. I really didn't need a second BT-76. But I wanted the symmetry and the ability to stagger the bikes so I could either squeeze more bikes on the 54" load bar or leave the center area open. I lucked out and found a used BT-76 on eBay for $80. :)

Here's a better look at how the bikes are staggered:


I'm supporting a cycling event this weekend. I don't want to have to say, "Sorry, I cannot transport your tandem (or recumbent, or touring bike with pannier racks, or fatbike, or tricycle, etc)." It's nice to be able to carry just about any bike I want. :cool:

I don't think this trailer is ideal for a small motorcycle unless it's REALLY small. The floor is only 58" long with the gate in place. A 4x6 with rear-biased axle may be a better option.

Scott
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Good info! Thanks. Do you prefer/recommend fork mount carriers over leaving the front wheel on? I'm trying to choose some for the next season, and was looking at the RockyMounts Pitchfork vs types that allow the front wheel on.

I had a dark Mk III TDI pass me near Quantico over the weekend, it had lots of antennae. Just for a moment I thought it might be yours, but then I remembered you were likely only in the MkVI.

Thx,
-Steve
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Steve,

I sort of like the fork mounts. Perhaps I'm a traditionalist. The mounts are usually less expensive, too. Some of my bikes have non-round downtubes. So the racks that clamp the frame are sometimes not ideal. The racks that attach to the front tire are not good on all of my bikes because at least one bike has fenders. I'm sure I could find a combo of mounts that'll allow me to keep my wheels on each of my bikes (except the tandem). But I guess I don't wanna! :p

I tend to think my current setup gives me the widest flexibility in carrying my bikes as well as any friends who might come along. :)

BTW, not my Mk3. It's been sitting in the yard with tears for a while. :( I will move it to the driveway soon to start on the strut towers.

Scott
 

vwUMO

TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Maine
TDI
2003 JSW TDI 5MT ,2012 Jetta TDI 6MT, 2013 jetta TDI 6MT
Good to see your new chariot! I adopted some of your steathy radio techniques in my mkVI. Lots of good options for mounting radio gear!
 

agxster

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Location
UK
TDI
Jetta 1.9 TDi DSG (Mk.V) 2008 - RIP
Like the updates on the mods so far, thanks for sharing. I found the huge amount of tech you put in the old Jetta impressive, especially the radios. Do you miss not having a ham radio in the new car?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Agxster,

Unfortunately(?), I really don't miss the radios. I was using them less and less now that I have a more local commute. I don't usually care to talk any more. It was always the same ol' stuff... and usually short, shallow "conversations." HF was the worst... just long enough to log a "QSO" for the other guy.

There was a time when I felt ham radio was better (socially) than a cell phone. Smartphones have changed everything for me. So no more ham... maybe in an emergency... MAYBE. Plus, the car looks cleaner without the antenna farm. :)

Scott
 
Last edited:

vwUMO

TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Maine
TDI
2003 JSW TDI 5MT ,2012 Jetta TDI 6MT, 2013 jetta TDI 6MT
It was always the same ol' stuff... and usually short, shallow "conversations." HF was the worst... just long enough to log a "QSO" for the other guy.

There was a time when I felt ham radio was better (socially) than a cell phone. Smartphones have changed everything for me. So no more ham... maybe in an emergency... MAYBE. Plus, the car looks cleaner with the antenna farm. :)

Scott
Agree 1000% I just have it for emergencies and off the path communications at this point. The brevity kinda killed it. "You're 5-9 73" blah.
 
Top