Month: July
Theme: Best Aftermarket
Winner: MRK IV
Car: 98 Golf 1.8T
Votes: 30

What MRK IV Had To Say

I'd like to thank the people that voted for me - it's nice to see a lot of people out there that have stayed around, regardless of what they now drive - most single make forums churn members very quickly.

I'd like to think my car is unique and a representation of no more than what I wanted to achieve. I hope to share it with you soon.

Specification

The car started life as the 6th GTI 1.8T in the UK and I had it from new in September 1998. It was my Company car and only available as a 5-door at the time. Fully specced, the RRP was £21K then - it dropped considerably 2 years later!  The car won The Golf's "Golf of the year award" with over 40% of the total votes and is very well known on the VW Vortex forum as well.

Engine:

Audi TT225 APX engine
IHI VF34 roller bearing hybrid turbocharger, oil and water cooled with a 68mm compressor wheel running up to 2.0bar (28psi) of boost with an auxiliary after-run water pump
Custom cast Nickel-alloy exhaust manifold
Custom Front Mount intercooler with Autospeed intelligent auto-mister spraying a 50/50 Water/methanol mix gas-flowed and ported cylinder head
Cryo-treated Pistons
ARP connecting rods with ARP stubs and bolts
Uprated RS4 fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator and larger injectors.
Twin-Tube Dynamic Airbox
Custom Milltek 3" exhaust running a 100-cell sports cat and transverse rear box Mocal Oil-cooler.
Polished Inlet manifold and Turbo pipe.
VAG ECU re-mapped by AmD.

Transmission

Audi TT 225 6-speed box with normal H pattern.
Group N semi synthetic paddle clutch plate and MTM release bearing, lightened single-mass flywheel.
Standard Diff, running Racelogic adjustable traction & launch control.
Audi TT 225 Steering rack and equal length drive shafts.

Brakes

332mm cast-holed and vented front discs running Porsche 993 Turbo-II 4-pot callipers
256 mm grooved Audi TT rears with Audi mono-piston calliper.
Goodridge hoses throughout.
ABS

Suspension

Fully adjustable Koni Coilovers with Koni lowering springs.
Adjustable front and rear Eibach anti roll bars
Audi S3 front strut brace and Alpha-1 carbon rear strut brace.
APC 8.0J x 18 9-spoke alloys with patented stainless-steel face, running 225/40/18 Goodyear F-1 Tyres.

Bodywork:

Customised Konigseder Wide-Arch body-kit:
Blended arches, standard rear bumper, standard front bumper with IC cut-out with customised lower Konigseder valance, rear hatch blend,
Colour-coded Bora rear VW badge with locking key and latch
U.S spec GTI rear lights
Anodised and painted TT filler cap
R32 mirrors
rear handles removed
Audi S3 front door handles
Side indicators removed and re-positioned on front bumper.
VW OEM HID headlights retro-fitted
MY2003 front wipers
Skoda Fabia rear wiper
Pentagon ‘Super Glass’ security tint.

Interior:

Complete custom leather interior by Carisma, incorporating seats, door cards, pillars, parcel shelf and roof lining, in black, silver-grey and carbon effect leather. Roof lining re-shaped to incorporate drop-down 7” monitor (and Connolised to cosmetically match)
A-pillars re-shaped to house Tweeters.
Additional shoulder and thigh support added to heated Front seats
Massage motors incorporated into seats.
VW ‘Black/Gold Optic’ trim panels replaced original dark wood,
Bora illuminated air vents
TT gear knob and pedals.
One-off All-Digital Instrument Binnacle built by Dakota Digital
Smartire remote tyre pressure and temperature display
DVD Player incorporated into rear seat.
Kenwood Media System incorporating DVD, and TV
Soundstream Continuum hand-assembled Amplifier
Focal component Speakers
Prototype Micro PC running Racelogic software, VAG-COM diagnostics and with Internet connection

Future plans:
Well after all the hassle and time it's spent off the road (the reasons absolutely exasperate me) all I want to do is drive it!

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