I have a 1998 registered Mk3 8V GTi. I've already put in a K&N panel filter and cat back SuperSprint exhaust, but I want more from the car - I'm fed up of being seen off by rep cars I've been reading on other threads about big valve heads, but would these work on a CAT car - the last thing I want to do is to wreck the emmissions for MOT (and they do random emmission testing around her from time to time), and I don't want a lumpy idle or a car that's gutless until it hits high revs. The main thing is that the car doesn't really rev that freely. Any ideas (other than PX'ing for something quicker!)?
Got one of these myself and I've looked into making a bit quicker, and to be honest it's not really worth the effort. You can add a filter and an exhaust (maybe with a CAT bypass, but they may not help you if you're spot checked on the side of the road, or a race CAT but they are expensive). You can fit a Mk2 GTi 8v head straight onto the 2E block and apparently it flows better, but you could also have it ported while it's off. Add in a cam, doesn't have to be too lairy so the idle is still OK and perhaps a chip and you should be able to see about, hmmmm, 140 bhp? So as you can see it's really not worth messing with. Might as well flog it and get a Valver or a VR. Or do an engine conversion if the car has had a lot of cash spent on non transferable mods. Or, you could look at 16v turboing it. a 2E lump and a Mk2 16v KR head make for a good compression ratio for a turbo. Few guys on here are doing it, have a quick search. Cheers
very pesimistic attitude..... How much do you want to spend? exhaust and filter are always a good start. You could get a lumpier cam, but TBH if you run a lumpy cam with standard unported head you are wasting much of the benefit. you will see some. you could get a PB head from a scrappy for 20-50, Skim+rough P&P 150-200, cam 100-150 neuman/schrick/piper 276's appear to go well without being too lumpy, vernier 50, do that over a few months and then get the timing sorted and you will see a big difference. Get a lightened flywheel (or if you can stand the time off the road get yours lightened) gives you a quicker revving engine. lots of people spent money squeezing hp out of 8v 2l with BVH and ITB's but that is serious wedge.
i only race (old) fiestas in my 8v so at least i am garenteed to cream them. haha. let the mondaos go for another day! i need something with a turbo- need. more. power. cheapo leons 20vt go for 4k!?
Thanks for the advice. Is there anybody out there who has actually tried any of these mods on a Mk3 8V (without removing the CAT)? What did you think - was it worth doing? As for budget, well it's a tricky one given that the car is now 8 years old and not worth a great deal of money it probably doesn't make sense to throw lots of money at it. If I knew the end result was what I wanted then I might be inclined to spend more, but I don't really want to go and spend the best part of a grand on a flowed head, cam and chip only to find no real difference if you know what I mean. Common sense probably dictates sell it and buy somethng faster with the money I was going to spend tuning it, but I've had the car a while and know it's basically fit with no nasty suprises waiting (I hope!!!!!!!!!). I've already changed the brakes and suspension (Pagid grooved discs all round, bilstein dampers and eibach ARBs) and the car has aircon I have to disagree about the 2.0 8V being a poor engine though. While I've had my car I had access to a Renault Laguna RT Sport and a Honda Accord as company cars. Both were 2.0 16V and both were faster and revvier than my Golf, as you would expect. Neither car was as torquey as my Golf though, and if you did use the performance both were much heavier on the fuel, especially the Honda. Always makes me laugh how Honda put in these VTEC engines into cars that the blue rinse brigade will never take over 3000 revs though
Having come from a modded 300bhp Impreza, i'm quite happy to pootle along in my 8V while everyone speeds past me!
mk3 8v are **** end of story an iv got 1 lol na only messin they are nice an smooth but just slow and heavy mine sometimes feels really quick an sometimes a bit slow but i just think thats just whether you catch the gear change in the right rev range as with modding it like every one on here will tell you not worth throwing money at it unless you was gonna do the work yourself lol ie p&p or engine conversion ur self id jus save up an get something quicker
Cant You Get The Flywheel Lightened And Ballanced? Wont Increase Power But Will Rev Easier, Dont Know How Much It Will Cost Tho.
I feel your pain, had a MK3 8v for 3 years nearly. There's not much point spending the $$$ on the engine to be honest. For every engine mod you're planning to make - put it in a pot for mods for your next car and get something quicker (if thats what you want, a faster car). Just think about bhp per gained. If you are replacing a duff exhaust for a stainless one then fair enough, or spending cash for an induction roar, but don't expect to transform the car into something even remotely quick without strapping a turbo onto it, or spending in excess of 1000 on mods. Hardly worth it on a car worth 1k-2k tops. Do what most of us have done, enjoy the low insurance premiums, and save up for something quick!
Yeah, I know. But the engines only real good point it the torque. It doesn't really rev that well and TBH, mine only cost 250, so I could easily see that money spent again just to see a "few" more BHP. Not really worth it. If the engine did expire or stuff broke and needed replacing, I probably would look at upgrade parts (if they were cheap) or even 16vT'ing it, just for a laugh. I must admit, even in standard form, it's not a bad car, just needs about 200 BHP to make it worthy of the GTi badge VW saw fit to stick to it.
