Single parent has mid-life crisis @ 34; buys dream hatch; gets back into racing after 8-yr hiatus; chases BMW M-cars

[manu97]

I concur and you can go with the Cobb flex fuel tune so you don't have to worry about ethanol levels






















/s

OMG ARE THEY RELEASING IT SOON?

 

[GoatAutomotive]

@DerHase

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Vortex is a highway hero turbo IMO. Coming off an IS20, getting into a Vortex car means you have lag. IS20 is much more foot in, half a pause, go, whereas the Vortex is more so foot in, wait a sec, holyshitwe'regoing.

All down to your usage of the car. Not sure it's the best for tracking, the IS38 may be a better option overall for that.

Remind me, which turbo are you running currently? Have you driven a vortex properly tuned yet?

 

[manu97]

Remind me, which turbo are you running currently? Have you driven a vortex properly tuned yet?

View attachment 284516

Vortex XL is what I have right now - it’s on a 93 Oct. tune which definitely doesn’t help lag, but even on the E85 tune, you’re not seeing actual power until 33-3400.

 

[khail19]

@GoatAutomotive I was skimming your thread so I might have missed it. Which rear spoiler do you have in this picture? You car looks really good!

 

[jay745]

You could always get a bigger turbo and detune it because it's a track car. You'll retain the reliability and it'll run way cooler than a is38 which is great for a track car.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Vortex XL is what I have right now - it’s on a 93 Oct. tune which definitely doesn’t help lag, but even on the E85 tune, you’re not seeing actual power until 33-3400.

That’s a big boy turbo.

If you have links to your build thread (or engine thread) where you review the Vortex XL and discuss your fueling setup, please share it here and I’ll happily read it.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

@GoatAutomotive I was skimming your thread so I might have missed it. Which rear spoiler do you have in this picture? You car looks really good!

View attachment 284649

Thank you, friend!

It’s the ECS spoiler lip extension. It comes painted gloss black and looks sooo yummy on my little white escape hatch!

It was on sale for like $130 when I bought it, possibly less. I’m a broke @$$ parent so I love a nice car part for a low investment.

Install just requires VERY steady surgeon hands since it has enough 3M double sided tape to withstand a tornado storm… 🌪

Lemme know if this helps.

 

[khail19]

Thank you, friend!

It’s the ECS spoiler lip extension. It comes painted gloss black and looks sooo yummy on my little white escape hatch!

It was on sale for like $130 when I bought it, possibly less. I’m a broke @$$ parent so I love a nice car part for a low investment.

Install just requires VERY steady surgeon hands since it has enough 3M double sided tape to withstand a tornado storm… 🌪

Lemme know if this helps.

Thank you, very helpful. It's on sale right now for $115, and I'm a broke @$$ parent as well! The only thing holding me back is some of the reviews that say the ends don't stay down properly, how long have you had it and have you had any issues like that? Your pictures look like it fits really well.

 

[manu97]

That’s a big boy turbo.

If you have links to your build thread (or engine thread) where you review the Vortex XL and discuss your fueling setup, please share it here and I’ll happily read it.

Lol. Bought it from a forum member, I’ll link his build thread as it’s unchanged for now.


https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...otorsports-golf-r.357665/page-13#post-7939104

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Thank you, very helpful. It's on sale right now for $115, and I'm a broke @$$ parent as well! The only thing holding me back is some of the reviews that say the ends don't stay down properly, how long have you had it and have you had any issues like that? Your pictures look like it fits really well.

My passenger side did not stay down, but it flexes enough that you can actually reach up underneath there and apply more double-sided tape to fix it. Takes five minutes. No issues after that.

 

[khail19]

My passenger side did not stay down, but it flexes enough that you can actually reach up underneath there and apply more double-sided tape to fix it. Takes five minutes. No issues after that.

Great, thanks for the feedback. For the price, I think it's still worth it if I have to add a bit more 3M tape.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

So it’s been several months, and I’ve fallen off the wagon on maintaining this page.

I actually went back through in September and updated the build page for my GTO. (not a typo)

You can read about it here if you like to learn about fast cars and time consuming builds:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-...ace-goat-nears-completion-details-inside.html

I took my beautiful other half to visit Porkchop where he sleeps across town in a private garage, beneath a custom car cover in a quiet coma.

Hopefully I can come up with the money to rebuild his motor someday…

But you didn’t come here to learn about my V-8 race car. No…you want my bright white jet pack that screams like a blender into a megaphone. I’ll feed you.

So I ran into the same issue that’s affected nearly every whiteline steel control arm purchaser:

…the polyurethane bushings in the rear location failed in less than 3000 miles. I did not know it was happening, and it tried to kill me on a track day back in June.

It was only the left control arm that was affected, which makes sense, because the track I run is in the clockwise direction, and it puts a shit ton of strain on the left front suspension components.

Consequently I had my first ever off - track event in a relatively easy corner on my very second lap, 2nd session of the day. It was both surprising and humiliating.

When I discovered the failed control arm bushing a week later, it made me feel a lot better about my driving:

They sent me down a long, long journey over lower control arm options.

I will link the discussion/tech article here once it is complete.

I ended up ordering and expediting some RS3 control arm bushings, thinking “this will be the way”. And they ended up being completely incorrect fitment for the factory Mk7 control arms.

I verified this across multiple control arms for this car with a micrometer.

Returned the RS3 bushings, ordered up the BFI version, which is verified to fit correctly, and is completely solid rubber with zero voids, basically an Audi TTRS bushing with a higher price tag.

Big thanks to our boy Tony (@DerHase) for responding to my late messages one Saturday night/Sunday about measuring his BFI bushings.

Anyway, it’s very difficult for me to tear into the suspension on this car without doing more than one upgrade.

Should be interesting to see what bad decisions I make with November just around the corner.

November is when I famously make expensive, irresponsible purchases every year, after being frugal for the entire 10 months preceding it.

Enjoy some yummy photos of my control arm fiasco.

This horses**t experience cost me a very important car event with my car club on 9/24: one which my young son was looking forward to attending the weekend of his birthday.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Just some happy little trees from the June track night event, with The faultless support of my wrenching assistant, and our hetero love children.

That’s Ryan, Athena (Shepsky), and little Eli in the photos.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

June track night covered in detail.

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...rack-night-harris-hill-raceway-6-7-23.425902/

Don’t remember if I shared this here already; don’t care enough to look back through seven pages to find out.

Those of you who are still following along with me and reading, thank you. I can’t see your faces, but I appreciate you more than you know.