Not another Race Blue RS

[Towelie]

Evening all, i've been meaning to put a little blog together for a while... just getting round to it now.

 

Picked up my 2016 vRS TDi up back in December after a change of job with an 80mile round trip commute each day left my little mk7 Fiesta ST drinking my salary in fuel. It was a great little car, absolute riot on twisty B-Roads, i'd got it up to stage 2 with Collins Performance, but sadly the long motorway commute just ruined the experience with it. This isn't my first 184 motor having had a mk7 GTD stage 1 with Revo three years ago which sadly lost its life to some idiot oncoming driver up north of Ullapool, Scotland, shame really as that was one great all rounder.

 

I'd always had a soft spot for the mk3 pre-face lift plus the practicality makes a huge difference both on commute, for chucking the mountain bike in the back and getting up to the trails . First thing it definitely needed was the tyres sorting out, it had one PS4S on the front and then three completely different tyres on the other three corners. Previous owner clearly skimping out on traction before chopping it in to dealership... This made it feel disgusting on greasy roundabouts in December. So it was booked in straight away to have three other Michelin Pilotsport 4S's fitted. This is the second car I have had these tyres on and I can't stress enough how good they are! 

 

So like most of us who modify our cars the bug didn't take too long before I started making the change personally think makes the car that little bit better than standard.

 

Work done so far:

1. Tuning Box - Currently DTUK tuning box fitted although i'm not entirely satisfied with the delivery on any of the settings.
2. Lowered with H&R 40mm springs
3. 15/20mm H&R Spacers front to back

 

On Collection:

 

Lowered and spaced:

 

Future Plans:

Next steps I would like just improve on visual appearance and the handling:

1. Looking at rear diffuser maybe the Reiger one as it is a little more subtle that the Maxton ones I've seen
2. Maxton skirts I think really set the side profile off so these could also be on the card
3. Maxton front splitter also being looked into, bit on the fence on this one still
4. Rear anti-roll bar - although I am unsure what is the go to here, any advice would be great!
5. Braided brake lines and possibly some higher performance discs and pads

It may also end up at Revo...

 

 

[Towelie]

Currently due to Rona causing lockdown mayhem the car has barely moved, this did give an opportunity to correct the paint:

 

Set about with usual wash routine moving on to a two stage polish and application of Auto Finesse's Ceramic coat: Here is some spam showing the work done:

 

Polish used:

1. Menzerna medium compound with yellow medium pad
2. Menzerna fine compound with green soft pad
3. Poorboys blackhole using black waffle pad

 

Final part was to add the Auto Finesse Ceramic coatings to the wheels and bodywork, I'm quite happy with how it turned out in the end although machine polishing is terrifying at first! Most of the light swirls were removed and the finish was much improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mdk1]

Looks very nice.

[CookieMonster87]

Lovely car!

 

I also went from a Mk7 Fiesta ST to a Octavia vRS TDI when the little’un and dog came long (a Mk2) which I had it for 3 years. Recently upgraded to a Mk3 TDI with DSG in Race Blue as I fancied an auto and a bit more refinement over Mk2 due to longer commutes. Great value for money and good looking cars in my opinion.

 

I do miss driving the Fiesta though. Great little cars to mod and, like you said, a blast on the B roads. Test drove a Mk8 when they first came out to see if we could live with a 5 door but wasn’t keen on the looks and again it was just too small.
 

I also went stage 2 with Collins Performance. Wasn’t a huge fan of the Mongoose exhaust though, I thought a 3in system was too big for the car as it often vibrated off the heat shield. Droned a bit too (granted I went for the louder one - I should have really taken other owners cars out to compare systems first) and I wasn’t overly impressed with the quality against say the Mountune or Miltek system when looking up close. Couldn’t fault CP’s knowledge and customer service though.

[Towelie]

14 hours ago, CookieMonster87 said:

Lovely car!

 

I also went from a Mk7 Fiesta ST to a Octavia vRS TDI when the little’un and dog came long (a Mk2) which I had it for 3 years. Recently upgraded to a Mk3 TDI with DSG in Race Blue as I fancied an auto and a bit more refinement over Mk2 due to longer commutes. Great value for money and good looking cars in my opinion.

 

I do miss driving the Fiesta though. Great little cars to mod and, like you said, a blast on the B roads. Test drove a Mk8 when they first came out to see if we could live with a 5 door but wasn’t keen on the looks and again it was just too small.
 

I also went stage 2 with Collins Performance. Wasn’t a huge fan of the Mongoose exhaust though, I thought a 3in system was too big for the car as it often vibrated off the heat shield. Droned a bit too (granted I went for the louder one - I should have really taken other owners cars out to compare systems first) and I wasn’t overly impressed with the quality against say the Mountune or Miltek system when looking up close. Couldn’t fault CP’s knowledge and customer service though.

 

Cheers 👍

 

The mk2's were really nice, the mk3 is huge compared to the fiesta isn't it. Yeah we have a mk8 - ST-line as our second car, it's nice enough to be in, materials are a good step up from the mk7 but I feel like i'm sat in a big bubble as its very high up for a small hatchback - grips like a little go-kart still... shame the mrs skipped on spec'ing it with a bit more power. 

 

Yeh CP were great, I had bother with installing the software - used a very old laptop, they happily stayed back after hours and solved the installation remotely. I had a miltek race fitted and it droned at motorway cruising. There's this one ST that drives past my house everyday, popping and chattering away as it downshifts - not helping me move on and accept life with the oil burner and lack of exhaust noise 😅

[Towelie]

Fitted Reiger rear diffuser, cut and tacked on the exhaust extension required, bit tricky getting the OEM plastic off (I should invest in some trim removal tools).

 

 

 

[CookieMonster87]

On 06/05/2020 at 12:02, Towelie said:

There's this one ST that drives past my house everyday, popping and chattering away as it downshifts - not helping me move on and accept life with the oil burner and lack of exhaust noise 

Glad it’s not just me then!
 

I actually think the ST-Line looks better than the ST and I agree on the interior. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be able to go back to anything that small since owning an Octavia. I’ll probably end up with a Mk4 when my PCP runs out.

Yours is coming along nicely. Pretty much done everything I’m wanting to do with mine although work on the house is taking a priority at the minute. It will be getting a ceramic coating soon though.

 

The 19’s weren’t a deal breaker for me when looking at the vRS as I’d previously owned an Astra VXR with 19’s and you felt every bump in the road. That plus the extra £ per corner when replacing and Norfolk roads aren’t very forgiving!

Having said that I love the look of them and am kind of regretting not holding out and finding one with. I think the 18’s look a bit small in the arches. Hopefully some springs will solve that.

 

Any more plans for yours?

Edited 23 May, 2020 by CookieMonster87

[Towelie]

Yeah I agree, maybe go to a golf size again, but the octy is a good all rounder, can get the mountain bike in the back without any worries. The mk4 is tidy, wish they hadn't got rid of the spoiler for the vr though.

 

Cheers! Yeah thats the balancing act isn't it haha! The autofinesse ceramic coating I used was pretty good, bit of a pain and extra work to put on the car, but its provided good results and beading is quite good. You got many plans?

 

The 18's look spot on once the arch gaps gone. 

 

I'm sitting on the fence regarding reiger splitter and maxton side skirts at the moment.

Quite like the honeycomb grills from superskoda as well but its meant to be a bit of a chew on to fit?

Also thinking on painting the lower grill and fog plastics gloss black to match the rest of the black parts on the car.

 

In two minds about the DTUK box, it's been underwhelming at times and I'm not sure if it's working, coming back across north York moors yesterday, put foot down in fourth from 2700rpm... flat for what felt like seconds then kick in with power. It does this now and again instead of a smooth power curve so I might take that off and save for Revo map...

Edited 24 May, 2020 by Towelie

[Towelie]

Rieger V2 front splitter fitted, nice and easy installation. I think it sets the front of the Octavia off nicely, a little bit more aggressive look but not too much in your face.

 

 

 

Next up Maxton side skirts.

[Markmcc21]

Hows the ride on the 40mm drop mate? Iv got the stock 18s on and will probs not change to 19s as I want a comfy ride but want the lowered look. Them H+R springs good? Its either them or the Eibach pro springs 20f/10r which ill pick from. Cheers 

[Towelie]

2 hours ago, Markmcc21 said:

Hows the ride on the 40mm drop mate? Iv got the stock 18s on and will probs not change to 19s as I want a comfy ride but want the lowered look. Them H+R springs good? Its either them or the Eibach pro springs 20f/10r which ill pick from. Cheers 

 

Rides well mate considering the 19's so should be a little better if you keep the 18's on 👍. I don't find it too firm, still retained that comfort, i do 80mile a day on it commuting prior to the lockdown and not felt fatigued by it yet. In comparison my ST on the same commute lowered had me absolutely knackered. I don't think you'll go wrong with either brands of springs mate, guess it ends up depending on how much drop you want, the drop with the H&R's does help the wheel fill the arch a bit more though. 

Edited 26 July, 2020 by Towelie
Typo

[Markmcc21]

48 minutes ago, Towelie said:

 

Rides well mate considering the 19's so should be a little better if you keep the 18's on 👍. I don't find it too firm, still retained that comfort, i do 80mile a day on it commuting prior to the lockdown and not felt fatigued by it yet. In comparison my ST on the same commute lowered had me absolutely knackered. I don't think you'll go wrong with either brands of springs mate, guess it ends up depending on how much drop you want, the drop with the H&R's does help the wheel fill the arch a bit more though. 

How much did the car actually drop with the H+R mate? Iv read its about 25 front and rear? If you don't know then would it be possible you could maybe measure the top of the wheel arch front and rear to the ground for me if u could? Just so I can work out the drop on my car and see if that's the way to go. I really don't want a slammed look but im on the 18s and u have the 19s. Ur car looks spot on just not sure how itl look with the 18. Also might add ill be towing a trailer with 2 motobikes on the back. That might lower the rear even more! Maybe the Eibach pros might be the safer bet? 

[Towelie]

7 hours ago, Markmcc21 said:

How much did the car actually drop with the H+R mate? Iv read its about 25 front and rear? If you don't know then would it be possible you could maybe measure the top of the wheel arch front and rear to the ground for me if u could? Just so I can work out the drop on my car and see if that's the way to go. I really don't want a slammed look but im on the 18s and u have the 19s. Ur car looks spot on just not sure how itl look with the 18. Also might add ill be towing a trailer with 2 motobikes on the back. That might lower the rear even more! Maybe the Eibach pros might be the safer bet? 

 

It is roughly 25mm drop on a VRS due to them already being 15mm lower at stock. No bother, my drives not the smoothest (thank Persimmon homes for that haha!) Fronts are approx 645mm, rears are at 650mm (measured highest point of arch to the ground), cheers, I think it'll look good on 18's.

 

Yeah understandable, I've had mine brimmed and its been fine on the back end. No scrub. No catching speed bumps either. Most of that weight with the bikes will be on the trailer won't it? 

[Towelie]

Update on the car, no photos though.

 

Over the course of the summer last year I fitted Maxton Side Skirts. Think the overall aesthetics really set off by the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser combination. 

Bit of LED interior lighting was completed as well which smartens the cabin up nicely 

 

So first update for 2021, fitted a Whiteline Rear Anti Roll Bar today, turn in is feeling neater / tighter and that rear end isn't wallowing about. Shame the weather isn't really up to testing the improvement in handling but once its dried out I'll do another review. But so far so good, very impressed with how the car feels with the stiffer rear bar.

 

Next, is likely to be poly bushes and uprated dogbone mount, also thinking about wheels... but we'll see. With working from home for a year now the cars barely getting used, wishing I could swap the engine for a 245. 

[Towelie]

I'll just leave this here...

 

 

 

[Towelie]

Update on the Anti-Roll Bar: It's definitely made a big difference to the handling characteristics of the car. Now that roads have dried off a bit - had a chance to test it out. Car feels so much flatter through the bends and that whollowing feeling (if it could be described as that) is reduced massively. Well worth the money and reasonably cost effective.

 

Car had a good clean and detail a couple of weekends ago with some Dodo Juice Orange Crush applied, gave the paint quite a bit of pop! Here some shots of the motor with its skirts, diffuser and new wheels on show. 

 

At the moment not sure what else to really do to it, would love to put black and blue badges and the red and black VRS badges on from Superskoda, but cant justify the price (40Euros for a badge is a bit excessive like) 

 

Currently weighing up on whether or not to ditch the OEM shocks and H&R springs for BC Racing Coilovers to get the heights exactly how I really would like it to be. H&R Springs are fantastic but don't give the drop I would really like - which is only a little lower that what it is currently. Still on the fence to take the plunge back into the coilover world 

 

 

 

 

[Towelie]

Update today...

 

I took the car to BTG Performance in Newcastle to get its alignment done and more interestingly to complete a rolling road session to check how it was truly performing with a DTUK tuning box fitted. I had always fitted the box as a sort of stop gap when I first picked up the car and I have never been satisfied with how it has performed. There's always felt like a flat spot or a dip mid-RPM and its constantly done my head in.

 

The car ran four runs on the dyno with tuning box and the results came back as expected - it was nowhere near the acclaimed figures, putting down 209bhp and 490NM; the torque figure to be fair is close to quoted peak DTUK quote. So tuning box is out! and... Revo stage 1 installed. I'm surprised with how well the car actually took to the tune 231bhp / 516Nm on the dyno. Here's an overlay comparing the power curve of both the tuning box and Revo.

 

(Just to point out I never expected the tuning box to peak at the figure quoted online, however its putting out less that their multimap power box (225ps) let alone their ultimate (240ps)...)

 

 

 

I haven't driven the car much so my review of the new tune will be brief. It is night and day ! Pick up is much quicker and from third gear the car pulls and pulls strong and consistent, the main thing is that where the tuning box would feel like it's run out of steam the car now just keeps going much further into towards the top end. 

 

Just a final one to say how good BTG were, their service was spot on! 

Edited 12 March, 2021 by Towelie

[Towelie]

https://flic.kr/p/2kKjUj5

Edited 12 March, 2021 by Towelie

[Towelie]

Update… a sad day and a happy day. My car has been p/x’d last weekend for a mk7.5 GTi PP, 14k on the clocks, 3door manual in metallic grey.
 

Loved every bit of the VRS ownership, it’s been a cracking work horse and so far I would put down to one of the best cars I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning so it was a hard decision to sell in the end. I’ll probably miss the space it offers and the mild economy but looking forward to getting back into a GTi tomorrow. 

So having said that I’ve taken a few things off the car which are available for sale, PM for details:

 

- Reiger Rear Diffuser, Gloss Black in great condition (like new) 

 

- Reiger Front Splitter, Gloss Black in great condition (like new) 

 

- Stock OEM rear Anti-Roll Bar

 

- Front lower Grill

 

These will all be up on gumtree / Facebook marketplace as well. But do let me know if you’re interested in any of the above items from my car.  

 

One last thing… Cheers to all who helped with advice along the way. I’ll be around on here now and again but for now all the best everyone, stay safe and take care 👍

 

[Towelie]

Well I didn’t stay away too long! Traded my GTi pp mk7.5 in at the weekend as need a bigger car again. New motor shall be unveiled soon… mk4 VRS 2.0 TSi hatch. 

 

Tis not Blue… but Hyper Green, a silly colour 😂

 

Still got my motec wheels so they’ll be going straight on along with my R600 intake from the golf. 

 

ST XA coilovers are on the way along with some Maxton part as well. 
 

Photos shall be added soon. 
 

 

[Towelie]

Picked it up yesterday, now the slow process of bedding it in begins 😬

[Towelie]

Changes made:

 

ST XA Coilovers fitted, lowered to remove that arch gap but not slammed to a stupid height. 
 

Ride comfort has remained superb which I’m really pleased about.
 

Only other changes are my Motec wheels which I think has really improved the look over a standard car and a front badge change courtesy of SuperSkoda. 

[Blueallblueno9]

https://imgur.com/gallery/CxCXl10

 

New wheels.. 

[Towelie]

12 hours ago, Blueallblueno9 said:

https://imgur.com/gallery/CxCXl10

 

New wheels.. 

 

very nice! 

[Dooge]

Love the look of the MK3, black on Racing blue works so well I think. 

 

The MK4 looks great! A few subtle changes makes it look really mean and a rare sight compared to all the Mercs/Audi's/BMW's, especially with a bit of colour.

 

With the bike I opted for an estate. It is a big car but handles well and takes several bikes and kit easily. I have Racingline 20mm springs to fit as it does look very jacked up.