RichB
06-08-2006, 11:35 PM
Hi, I'm Rich and this is my 2003 Silverstone Grey GTI. I purchased the car new in June 2003. Yes, its my baby... it has taken me
some years of hard work to get to the position to afford a second car and in doing so I went back to my roots, the Volkswagen
GTI. I had purchased a new MK2 GTI in 1985 when I graduated college and landed a good job. I really loved the car, but I only
had it two years (sold it to get some extra funds to by my home). Since (as the locals well know) winters here in the Syracuse
New York area can be pretty harsh on cars (about 130 inches of snow average per season - lots of salt and sand on the roads),
my GTI is garaged and not driven during the winter. It's a 1.8T 5speed with leather interior, moon-roof, and 17" OE wheels (which
I used for long road trips and winter storage). For me, the 1.8T was the only engine choice because it brings me back to my first
GTI and the engineer in me loves the combination of power and efficiency that a turbo'd four cylinder engine offers.
Performance (handling more so than straight line acceleration) is important to me, so my preference is for a very OEM look with
subtle cosmetic enhancements that compliment the exterior and interior of the car while seriously upgrading the suspension to
make the car handle/drive/ride like a mix between a true sports car and a great grand tourer. I do like my car to look nice though
and I really like the 2002 GTI 337 (and especially its European 25th Anniversary Edition brother and various options/features
found in European spec GTIs), so I have incorporated some of those things I like from that car into my GTI. In fact, at a small car
show last year the judges form the MKIV OEM+ car class (very nice folk - but they were more familiar with MK3s than MK4s)
thought my GTI was a 337! We all had some good fun with this after the show with friends referring to my car as a 337+ (a mix
of OEM+ and 337 I guess), hence the reference to my car as the "338 Special Edition" (i.e. 337+1). :icon_bigsmile:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiFQV_3.JPG
Exterior and Exterior mods
Spring of 2005 saw the addition of the VW Votex (20AE/337) body kit to the car as well as a nice new set of BBS RC wheels I picked up last fall
from a fellow Veedubber that took them off his new 04 GLi in order to put a set of 19's on! The 20AE front lip (lower valance) got pretty chipped
up last year from a couple of long road trips so I took the bumper off this spring and it re-painted and then clearbra'd it to protect it (something I
should have done last year!) I've learned mys lesson though... the 3M Xpel Clearbra product works really well at protecting the front of the car
from stone chips and bigs... I very highly recommend it! This winter I also picked up a set of OEM HIDs w/leveling switch... I need to get some new
pics of the car with these installed. They work really well! Exterior mods include:
- Expel 3m Clearbra on the bumper, lower front valance, lower hood, grill, and mirrors
- VW Europe "aero" wipers & blades front and rear VW Polo aero style wiper
- 35% window tint
- VW European blue tint side view mirrors
- Grill craft black lower grill kit
- Hummer H2 stubby antenna
- Clear corners
- FK wheel spacers: 15mm rear - 8mm front
- BBS RC 18" Wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD Tires (spring/summer/fall)
- OEM VW HIDs (manual leveling)
- VW Votex Body kit (i.e 20 Anniversary Edition GTI front valance, side-skirts, and rear spoiler)
- Painted OEM 4-motion rear valance (in order to retain the use of my 2.5" turbo back exhaust system and match Votex body kit)
In this pic from the 2006 opening day at Watkins Glenn racetrack you can see the OEM HIDs on the car and ready to light the way!
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/WGopday06/WG_OD.JPG
Here is the painted rear valence just after installation. Going this route instead of the Votex 20AE/337 rear valance allowed me to retain the use of
my 2.5" turbo-back exhaust system! :D
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/RearLowView.JPG
Here is a close up look at the rear spoiler and the Hummer stubby antenna - A great $12 mod!
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiSplr.JPG
Here is a nice shot that shows the VW Polo aero style wiper on the rear hatch:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiHatch.JPG
This pic nicely shows the tinted euro side mirror glass and how the spacers bump out the BBS RC wheels for that nice flush look:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiLwrSde.JPG
Interior and Interior mods
I really like the stock leather interior of my GTi, so all I have tried to do is enhance it a bit with some small touches here and there. Some of those
like the R series steering wheel are also great from a functional standpoint! This spring I have been busy installing some new interior mods...
lighted Jetta Dash Vents, Euroswtich, dimmer switch with leveling control for the HIDs, and a European OEM VW Delta 6 double din head unit
(which has some very neat text display and traffic program capabilities).
Interior mods include:
- Passat W8 overhead lighted moon-roof console
- Reiger Lighted shift knob with leather boot and chrome trim ring
- R line (R32) steering wheel
- VW GTi Monster Mats
- Lighted VW Jetta dash vents (fold flush when close)
- European VW dimmer switch with HID leveling control
- Euroswitch headlight switch w/DRL disabled
- OEM VW European Delta 6 Double DIN head unit
- AWE Tuning (Omori) boost gauge mounted in 42 draft designs steering column pod
Some interior pics:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Interior.JPG
Reiger lighted shift knob with boot:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Reigersml.JPG
Nighttime shot of lighted shift knob, center lighted Jetta dash vents and Delta 6 head unit:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Delta6_3.JPG
some years of hard work to get to the position to afford a second car and in doing so I went back to my roots, the Volkswagen
GTI. I had purchased a new MK2 GTI in 1985 when I graduated college and landed a good job. I really loved the car, but I only
had it two years (sold it to get some extra funds to by my home). Since (as the locals well know) winters here in the Syracuse
New York area can be pretty harsh on cars (about 130 inches of snow average per season - lots of salt and sand on the roads),
my GTI is garaged and not driven during the winter. It's a 1.8T 5speed with leather interior, moon-roof, and 17" OE wheels (which
I used for long road trips and winter storage). For me, the 1.8T was the only engine choice because it brings me back to my first
GTI and the engineer in me loves the combination of power and efficiency that a turbo'd four cylinder engine offers.
Performance (handling more so than straight line acceleration) is important to me, so my preference is for a very OEM look with
subtle cosmetic enhancements that compliment the exterior and interior of the car while seriously upgrading the suspension to
make the car handle/drive/ride like a mix between a true sports car and a great grand tourer. I do like my car to look nice though
and I really like the 2002 GTI 337 (and especially its European 25th Anniversary Edition brother and various options/features
found in European spec GTIs), so I have incorporated some of those things I like from that car into my GTI. In fact, at a small car
show last year the judges form the MKIV OEM+ car class (very nice folk - but they were more familiar with MK3s than MK4s)
thought my GTI was a 337! We all had some good fun with this after the show with friends referring to my car as a 337+ (a mix
of OEM+ and 337 I guess), hence the reference to my car as the "338 Special Edition" (i.e. 337+1). :icon_bigsmile:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiFQV_3.JPG
Exterior and Exterior mods
Spring of 2005 saw the addition of the VW Votex (20AE/337) body kit to the car as well as a nice new set of BBS RC wheels I picked up last fall
from a fellow Veedubber that took them off his new 04 GLi in order to put a set of 19's on! The 20AE front lip (lower valance) got pretty chipped
up last year from a couple of long road trips so I took the bumper off this spring and it re-painted and then clearbra'd it to protect it (something I
should have done last year!) I've learned mys lesson though... the 3M Xpel Clearbra product works really well at protecting the front of the car
from stone chips and bigs... I very highly recommend it! This winter I also picked up a set of OEM HIDs w/leveling switch... I need to get some new
pics of the car with these installed. They work really well! Exterior mods include:
- Expel 3m Clearbra on the bumper, lower front valance, lower hood, grill, and mirrors
- VW Europe "aero" wipers & blades front and rear VW Polo aero style wiper
- 35% window tint
- VW European blue tint side view mirrors
- Grill craft black lower grill kit
- Hummer H2 stubby antenna
- Clear corners
- FK wheel spacers: 15mm rear - 8mm front
- BBS RC 18" Wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD Tires (spring/summer/fall)
- OEM VW HIDs (manual leveling)
- VW Votex Body kit (i.e 20 Anniversary Edition GTI front valance, side-skirts, and rear spoiler)
- Painted OEM 4-motion rear valance (in order to retain the use of my 2.5" turbo back exhaust system and match Votex body kit)
In this pic from the 2006 opening day at Watkins Glenn racetrack you can see the OEM HIDs on the car and ready to light the way!
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/WGopday06/WG_OD.JPG
Here is the painted rear valence just after installation. Going this route instead of the Votex 20AE/337 rear valance allowed me to retain the use of
my 2.5" turbo-back exhaust system! :D
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/RearLowView.JPG
Here is a close up look at the rear spoiler and the Hummer stubby antenna - A great $12 mod!
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiSplr.JPG
Here is a nice shot that shows the VW Polo aero style wiper on the rear hatch:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiHatch.JPG
This pic nicely shows the tinted euro side mirror glass and how the spacers bump out the BBS RC wheels for that nice flush look:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/StusBBQJuly%2005/GTiLwrSde.JPG
Interior and Interior mods
I really like the stock leather interior of my GTi, so all I have tried to do is enhance it a bit with some small touches here and there. Some of those
like the R series steering wheel are also great from a functional standpoint! This spring I have been busy installing some new interior mods...
lighted Jetta Dash Vents, Euroswtich, dimmer switch with leveling control for the HIDs, and a European OEM VW Delta 6 double din head unit
(which has some very neat text display and traffic program capabilities).
Interior mods include:
- Passat W8 overhead lighted moon-roof console
- Reiger Lighted shift knob with leather boot and chrome trim ring
- R line (R32) steering wheel
- VW GTi Monster Mats
- Lighted VW Jetta dash vents (fold flush when close)
- European VW dimmer switch with HID leveling control
- Euroswitch headlight switch w/DRL disabled
- OEM VW European Delta 6 Double DIN head unit
- AWE Tuning (Omori) boost gauge mounted in 42 draft designs steering column pod
Some interior pics:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Interior.JPG
Reiger lighted shift knob with boot:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Reigersml.JPG
Nighttime shot of lighted shift knob, center lighted Jetta dash vents and Delta 6 head unit:
http://www.sigsound.com/vw_images/Delta6_3.JPG