Last time I saw Matt @ the Stealth rr day in 07 (i think?!) his almost standard ABF made over 170bhp! I wouldn't say no to a 1.8T IF it was not caged in the prison that is a mk4! Whack that baby into an earlier spec golf and you've got some good fun! My main displeasure with the mk4 is probably not the fact that its a bit of a boat, but that it represented a bit of a stand-still in GTI history and the cult status of the GTI died a little because VW were suddenly producing cars that were MUCH slower then the hot hatches been produced by their rivals. Granted the anni had 180bhp - but the original 1.8T didn't - WHY NOT?! What were VW thinking when they first made the mk4 GTI? It should have been tuned up to 195bhp minimum.
I have no idea... why even bother with a 1.8 if your only going to ring 125bhp out of it. 1.8t in on older gold -- perfect. not quite the perfect sound of the VR but you can make up for that with induction noise, blistering pace and the whoosh of a dV
Evo sum up the 1.8 T in a nutshell "Possibly the most passionless internal combustion engine ever made. I'm sure the torque curve is fat and flat but, Jeez, is it boring. Zanussi make better sounding motors." I'd take my cammed ABF anyday of the week. Sure, it not the best looking or fastest car in the world... has dodgy electrics and is not held in much esteem by the vw world... but its got great character, mechanically bullitproof and is rare compared to the billion or so other mk4 so called GTi's which clog the roads... the ones which seem to have 200+hp drive like diesels so there is no problem getting past them and grip aside...they handle with as much enthusiasm as john prescot at a weightwatchers meeting. driven a lot of cars recently but always find myself longing to return to the mk3. sure the standard suspension was set for the autobahn but sort this out and it takes the best of the mk2 and gives it a bit more sophistification without losing the fun. Anyone who has lived with one day to day will agree EDIT: and the vr6 was never going to be an out-and out powerhouse.... with such a narrow angle arrangement and subsequent different length intake paths you can't really compare it to similarly displaced bmw engines. Its got great character and is held with high regard but im not sure this makes up for the excessive fuel bills and extra weight upfront.
My ideal world (and I never thought I'd say this) would be mk3 daily hack and a mk1 or mk2 in the garage for nice sunny summer days.
Not getting how a 200+bhp 1.8t would drive like a Diesel but each to their own ay. Though i'm pretty sure that noone here would be complaining if their 100 and something bhp lump was replaced with a 280bhp bam code engine?? at the end of the day all the passion and good looks of an engine mean nothing once the bonnet is down... ironically what does matter is the "passionless" "fat flat torque curve" of the guy infront in his mk1/2/3 1.8t with his arm out the window with 1 finger up shouting back "eat my dust" whilst he/she plants it and rides on off into the sunset. or some equally cowboy fitting happy ending. If you just want a car to look good and arent' bothered about blistering performance then fine... not everyone is looking for the same thing from their motors??
^^ because of the power delivery, every 1.8T I have driven has felt really gutsy at 2k rpm, but it never builds anywhere - the revs go up, you go a bit faster then it runs out of energy and you have to shift. Exactly like driving a diesel. The reason its used so often if because it is in so many different vehicles - you think how many cars it has been sold in. Which means loads of tuning bits, cheap second hand replacement parts and its reliable. I went from a mk2 to a mk3 and at the time my best friend had a mk4. There are some interesting comments in this thread and good to hear different peops opinions The one thing the mk4 does have going for it - esp in anni or r32 form is looks..... saw a 3dr silver anni yesterday with bbs ch's and it was stunning
mr db, the rollers at stealth are fantastically optimistic. since then my golf's had more tweaks and been to other rolling roads and always made over 170 as for diesels being boring.... im selling a 320-330bhp audi s4 and keeping the golf. if you love big fast diesels so much, buy my audi. the 20vt really is not that fantastic on the subject of how fantastic they are. tell it to the guy on audi sport whose engine lunched itself the other day for no obvious reason so far http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?88861-More-S3-Drama/page3 put a proper turbo on one of those glorified diesels and then youre talking, but until then id take the ABF every time. mine ought to be going past 217k tomorrow... hope my rods dont bend..
i have to say the turbo's do run out of blow a bit soon... just a bit too small. K04 is much better but to get the most out of a 1.8t you need somethign like a GT2871 or something? As for those rods... they dont bend for no reason and of that i'm positive. too much boost, oil problem hydraulicing etc but never no reason. EDIT: and the R32's etc do look cracking
Although you've referenced the VR6 as 174bhp the fact is over the years VR6s have always made between 180 - 190 on the rollers. I've seen many ABF vs VR6 debates and people that have owned both always say the VR6 is a definite step up. Sound is amazing though, nothing better than hanging it of an island and booting it. Biggest grin on face I've had from a car. Anyway mine: Current setup is apex sport suspension, obligatory filter and exhaust upgrades, stage 1 head with schrick cams. Future plans could be a change of wheels and i desperately need to give her a service. Getting a bit bored of the standard steering wheel, my mum has the same wheel in her skoda felicia....
This is my old girl. A little rough round the edges, but she keeps going and I love her. Plans for this year is to fix ABS, and sort some body work. Also gonna give the engine a good seeing to in the form of a freshen up rebuild (possibly do a thread on it?). I have had her for 5 years now and was thinking of getting rid, but I just can't think of anything that is this good for the same money. So she stays. Mods include: Bilstien/H&R shocks and springs Polybushed front wishbones Custom alignment Blitzchip Modded airbox Magnex full system EBC Yellow Stuff pads on OE discs
so similar to mine al. i even have "custom" alignment ever since i changed the ball joints last summer and bolted it back together in a hurry in the dark as for abf vs vr6... how many cans of worms can you get in a thread?
Matt - I know Stealth's rollers are extremely kind! I ran mine for a tune up one week at 167bhp and drove it 50 miles home put on the drive, drove back the next week 50 miles for the club rr day and it had lost 7bhp! All besides the point - your engine rocks. What else you done to it in the 2 years since I saw you last?
well heres mine as she is at the mo . plans are get rid of the chav back box fit my coilovers and leather.... [/IMG]
