So i'm picking up an 05 50k Fabia VRS on Tuesday. It's completely standard and unmodified except for tints in the back. What do you recommend i do first and how do you suggest i best go about it?

Lowered? Remap?

Help!

Depends what you feel it needs more. Some say it needs decent brakes and suspension before coping with remap power, others say not. There's no right or wrong answer, I personally went with the "buy whatever comes up cheap" school of modding. So I done brakes, coilovers, then map & exhaust.

Here's a little post I done a while ago to give you something to read : http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/183327-common-mods-for-the-fabia-vrs/

Matt

RARB made the biggest difference to my standard car and is a cheap mod to start with.(not sure of cost, maybe £80-130)

Also i think the cupra front splitter is another good one to start with(cost around £50-60)

i think they are two of the most popular mods.... and not a bad place o start.

but in terms of suspension, brakes, engine... they can be done in any order.

my only input in that department(i don't own a vRS only a 1.4mpi) is i feel the standard brakes are good enough for all but the harshest of drivers and track use. if you tend not to thrash your car within an inch of it's life you will probably find you won't experience much brake fade on the standard setup.

Personally I'd wait until you get bored of the car a little before you go for a remap otherwise you wont really feel the benefit as much. Like already said there's plenty of cheaper mods to do, but I'd go with the rarb first.

Change the brakes first, their the worst bit about the vrs.

I find my brakes ok altho the back Can feel very squirmy on hard braking so possible upgrade the rears to 256mm and just throw some good pads on the front

Personally I'd wait until you get bored of the car a little before you go for a remap otherwise you wont really feel the benefit as much. Like already said there's plenty of cheaper mods to do, but I'd go with the rarb first.

+1

paint the chrome grill

Personally I'd wait until you get bored of the car a little before you go for a remap otherwise you wont really feel the benefit as much. Like already said there's plenty of cheaper mods to do, but I'd go with the rarb first.

+2

Seriously, leave it alone & get used to it before you start modding things. It's a hell of a car as standard! Had mine for 3 yrs before I made my first significant mod (RARB).

If you must, ABSOLUTELY do brakes & suspension mods before any power increase.

Seriously, leave it alone & get used to it before you start modding things. It's a hell of a car as standard! Had mine for 3 yrs before I made my first significant mod (RARB).

If you must, ABSOLUTELY do brakes & suspension mods before any power increase.

How can you say that? He could be coming from something stupidly fast, he hasn't said it's his first car or anything. As for the brakes, I updated mins, but my mate found them perfectly fine so mapped it first. Like I said in my first reply, it's personal preference. The standard brakes arnt awful by any means, and stop the car well enough. Same with the suspension, yes it's a bit wallowy but if your not planning on doing to much hard driving it might well be ok.

Matt

How can you say that? He could be coming from something stupidly fast, he hasn't said it's his first car or anything. As for the brakes, I updated mins, but my mate found them perfectly fine so mapped it first. Like I said in my first reply, it's personal preference. The standard brakes arnt awful by any means, and stop the car well enough. Same with the suspension, yes it's a bit wallowy but if your not planning on doing to much hard driving it might well be ok.

Matt

I see your point, but I'm a firm believer in 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Jumping straight in and modding it for the sake of modding it seems stupid to me (personal opinion). Get used to the car, understand how it feels, reacts & performs. Then consider what you want to change and why - an informed decision.

If you buy a car with the mindset of 'I'm gonna remap this on day one' then perhaps it is not the car for you - consider buying something quicker to start with. Yes, suspension is wallowy, yes, you do (sometimes) get brake fade. If you make it more powerful, these issues will only be exaggerated (as you'll be going faster). Just drive it & enjoy it as is for now.

Sorry if I sound like I'm ranting - don't let me put you off! :S

In actual fact, by far the best thing you can do for it when you pick it up is give it a service - all fluids and filters.

+1 the above.

I'm a believer of 'Hardware before Software', but its all what the OP wants from the car. I found the brakes ok. If you drive it like a tool then it will stop like one too. A decent set of pads will stop you fine.

How can you say that? He could be coming from something stupidly fast, he hasn't said it's his first car or anything.

It does say Toyoto Aygo under his picture...

A belated welcome to this forum, Mooty. I'd suggest the first thing to invest in might be an advanced driving course!

Edited 15 August, 201114 yr by DRJ

but in terms of suspension, brakes, engine... they can be done in any order.

Not totally true here.. Remap AFTER all other engine/intake/exhaust mods done

I'd say rarb first of all, followed by brakes, suspension and

then exhaust and remap. Not at all how I did it but if I could

go back in time with the benefit of hindsight that's how I'd do it.

My car was mapped when I bought it but nothing else had been done.

I found it a little unwieldy pushing on before I got the money together

to do the other things. It feels quite sorted now but before the handling

and stopping mods it was a bit of a shopping trolley.

Whatever else you do, Map it last IMO.

I would have thought a decent set of tyres is the first step. They are the only thing sticking you to the road. When I brought mine it came with cheap Sunny tyres! They were like rocks

It does say Toyoto Aygo under his picture...

A belated welcome to this forum, Mooty. I'd suggest the first thing to invest in might be an advanced driving course!

Heh, not very up to date

I've been in the Fabia 1.9 TDI for a couple of years now. Wife's getting that, i'm getting the VRS.

Thanks for the suggestions folks, food for thought.