The Mega Mk7 Golf GTI/GTD/R thread

vintagevrs · 05-09-2017 11:04AM

Drive it like you stole it out of the dealer car park. Enjoy it when it arrives, and don't fret about how clean it is!

st332 · 05-09-2017 12:27PM

Ron Burgundy II wrote: »

Well ware with the new car once it arrives.

In regards to the detail, I would recommend claying the car, iron and tar removers only do so much. Following up this work with claying will remove all contaminants bonded to the car and you'll be surprised by how much the car has picked up during the course of its travels from factory to dealer forecourt.

I would recommend that you request the dealer not touch the car, not even a quick wash. You may have done this already but no harm in reminding them.

I would highly recommend that you put a good coating on your wheels. Will save so much hassle down the line trying to get them clean (tar and brake dust baked on the wheels are a c*nt to remove).

I did get a clay bar and lube (dodo juice supernatural clay and born slippy clay lube) but it's the one thing I'd be iffy about trying myself, ditto any polishing required afterwards.
If I have time, I'll take the wheels off and put a few coats of wax on them.

Have told the dealer it's not to be cleaned.

Ron Burgundy II · 05-09-2017 02:30PM

st332 wrote: »

I did get a clay bar and lube (dodo juice supernatural clay and born slippy clay lube) but it's the one thing I'd be iffy about trying myself, ditto any polishing required afterwards.
If I have time, I'll take the wheels off and put a few coats of wax on them.

Have told the dealer it's not to be cleaned.

Claying is fine - tip do not let the clay make contact with body work without lube (causes marring) and work the clay on the paint work in a figure of eight movements. This movement ensures the clay bar doesn't stop on the paint. Oh one more, let the clay bar soak in some hot water to soften it up.

Once the dealer hasn't washed the car I would think there is no need to polish.

monty76 · 05-09-2017 02:41PM

Saw this in Tesco this morning..... couldn't go wrong for a tenner!

monty76 · 05-09-2017 02:48PM

Here it is!

st332 · 05-09-2017 05:07PM

monty76 wrote: »

Here it is!

http://www.shop4volkswagen.co.uk/product/GTI_Rubber_duck_5G1087577

dar83 · 06-09-2017 10:57AM

I've seen that t-shirt posted around a few times recently. It may just be the pictures, but it looks like the fit would be awful on it. It looks like the shape of a t-shirt you'd draw when you were 4 with crayons. :P

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 10:59AM

A heads up to be a bit extra vigilant re security lads. As ye know, my mirror caps were nicked a few weeks ago and in the last 2 days I've seen 2 or 3 other reports of mirrors/wheels and general vandalism carried out on these cars...

monty76 · 06-09-2017 11:07AM

dar83 wrote: »

I've seen that t-shirt posted around a few times recently. It may just be the pictures, but it looks like the fit would be awful on it. It looks like the shape of a t-shirt you'd draw when you were 4 with crayons. :P

The fit is fine, on me at least!!
Well worth the investment ðŸ˜‰

dar83 · 06-09-2017 01:18PM

Glad to hear it!

Hebegeebee · 06-09-2017 07:22PM

JoeA3 wrote: »

A heads up to be a bit extra vigilant re security lads. As ye know, my mirror caps were nicked a few weeks ago and in the last 2 days I've seen 2 or 3 other reports of mirrors/wheels and general vandalism carried out on these cars...

You say wheels Joe. Does the GTD/GTi/R come with wheel security locking bolts?

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 07:27PM

Hebegeebee wrote: »

You say wheels Joe. Does the GTD/GTi/R come with wheel security locking bolts?

It does. What these scum are doing is smashing the rear tailgate glass, getting into the boot and helping themselves to your locking nut (which is stored along with the jack)!

Most Golfs don't have an alarm - only the R has it as standard and these sh1ts know it.

I guess you could store/hide the unlocking nut elsewhere in the cabin but they'll have your car smashed up looking for it anyway

I know personally of one guy who had his wheels and the rear LED taillights taken in this manner (off his GTI) on his driveway.

dar83 · 06-09-2017 08:13PM

That's why a Clifford/Viper is essential these days anyway, along with moving the locking key, as you point out.

How VW thought it was smart to not put an alarm as standard on even the base GTI is beyond me. Very poor foresight there.

Toyotafanboi · 06-09-2017 08:40PM

In fairness an alarm does **** all to prevent damage, much like CCTV. They won't know you have an alarm until the glass is already smashed and by then they're already half way through what they were doing.

We've seen 2x Golfs reasonably recently done that way, 1 for Pretorias on an R Line the other for Durbans on a Highline. Smash the rear glass, rip the shelf out and take the lock nut. Nasty enough and then there's usually some panel damage, damage to brake hoses and disc backing plates too and on one of them the washer bottle was broken too as the cars weren't even on bricks, they were left flat on the floor.

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 08:47PM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

We've seen 2x Golfs reasonably recently done that way, 1 for Pretorias on an R Line the other for Durbans on a Highline. Smash the rear glass, rip the shelf out and take the lock nut. Nasty enough and then there's usually some panel damage, damage to brake hoses and disc backing plates too and on one of them the washer bottle was broken too as the cars weren't even on bricks, they were left flat on the floor.

Absolute sickening scum :mad::mad:
You're looking at 6-7k minimum worth of damage in a case like that. 4 (very expensive) alloys, 4 tyres, windscreen and all the ancillary surrounding damage you mention there too. Jesus Christ.:mad:

Despite the fact I think they're pond life, they're wise enough... I reckon they know the various strengths/weak-points of certain cars (that an R has an alarm whereas a GTI typically doesn't for example)

Hebegeebee · 06-09-2017 08:49PM

I'm sure the lack of deadlocks doesn't help matters either.
I saw a photo the other day of a guy's VW transporter that had its front lights robbed in the UK

Toyotafanboi · 06-09-2017 08:53PM

Yeah, the Pretorias job was around €6250 iirc and that was going with a cheaper tyre than the OEM Contis, the Durbans were a cheaper wheel but by the time the chassis issues were sorted it worked out to be a similar figure.

I'd say you'd be surprised what they know in terms of vehicle security but I think the thing about it is that if they have your car spotted, they are going to try it and not much you can do, bar sleeping in it will prevent it. Like your mirror caps (unfortunately), does the R alarm have anti tilt or could they have had your wheels just as easily? You don't even need the lock nut key really, just a 19mm and a lump hammer.

monty76 · 06-09-2017 08:57PM

On an altogether lighter note... I've had my GTI PP almost 18 months now and have to say I'm delighted with it. It has everything I need powerwise, it handles brilliantly (especially on the back roads) and I still find myself looking for excuses to go for a spin!! 28K on it and so far I haven't had any issues. I've got it serviced at 10K intervals and intend to keep to that. I'm averaging almost 35 mpg, I've put Goodyear F1 assymetric 3's on it, changed the plates, kept it clean (one major detailing job which will be repeated soon) and that's about it. Austins still perfect too.
From the options I picked, if I had my time over, I'd still opt for DCC (definitely), the alcantara seats, tech pack, probably the sunroof, the alarm and 3 doors!
All in all a brilliant package!

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 08:57PM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Yeah, the Pretorias job was around €6250 iirc and that was going with a cheaper tyre than the OEM Contis, the Durbans were a cheaper wheel but by the time the chassis issues were sorted it worked out to be a similar figure.

I'd say you'd be surprised what they know in terms of vehicle security but I think the thing about it is that if they have your car spotted, they are going to try it and not much you can do, bar sleeping in it will prevent it. Like your mirror caps (unfortunately), does the R alarm have anti tilt or could they have had your wheels just as easily? You don't even need the lock nut key really, just a 19mm and a lump hammer.

Yeah the alarm does have anti-tilt, to the best of my knowledge. But as you say, if they want the wheels, they'll get them... There's nothing much you can do.

Dropping the car down on the ground after taking the wheels is just utter low of the low. As if it wasn't bad enough to take the wheels, but then to drop the damn car on the ground like that. Christ Almighty I think I'd crack up.

dar83 · 06-09-2017 09:01PM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

In fairness an alarm does **** all to prevent damage, much like CCTV. They won't know you have an alarm until the glass is already smashed and by then they're already half way through what they were doing

Well I know I'd rather come out to a smashed window than come out to a smashed window and a car on bricks, or otherwise. If it's any alarm worth it's salt then they won't have done anything to the car yet other than smash the window without it going off. I think it's definitely worth having and they definitely won't be halfway through what they're doing by then!

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 09:03PM

dar83 wrote: »

Well I know I'd rather come out to a smashed window than come out to a smashed window and a car on bricks, or otherwise. If it's any alarm worth it's salt then they won't have done anything to the car yet other than smash the window without it going off. I think it's definitely worth having and they definitely won't be halfway through what they're doing by then!

I wonder how they took the R's pretorias though... the alarm would surely have gone off when they smashed the window to get into the boot.

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 09:04PM

monty76 wrote: »

On an altogether lighter note... I've had my GTI PP almost 18 months now and have to say I'm delighted with it. It has everything I need powerwise, it handles brilliantly (especially on the back roads) and I still find myself looking for excuses to go for a spin!! 28K on it and so far I haven't had any issues. I've got it serviced at 10K intervals and intend to keep to that. I'm averaging almost 35 mpg, I've put Goodyear F1 assymetric 3's on it, changed the plates, kept it clean (one major detailing job which will be repeated soon) and that's about it. Austins still perfect too.
From the options I picked, if I had my time over, I'd still opt for DCC (definitely), the alcantara seats, tech pack, probably the sunroof, the alarm and 3 doors!
All in all a brilliant package!

Very nice. Don't see many in silver!

Toyotafanboi · 06-09-2017 09:09PM

JoeA3 wrote: »

I wonder how they took the R's pretorias though... the alarm would surely have gone off when they smashed the window to get into the boot.

In the case of my example at least, they were on a 1.4 R-Line that the owner had actually made quite a nice job of speccing, so it wouldn't have been alarmed.

bazz26 · 06-09-2017 09:55PM

The main reason it has always put me off buying a GTi is the scum who would just steal what they like off it on your driveway. My front driveway is open plan and a GTi would just be the same to scum as a piece of shiny metal is to a magpie. I had a CC in the past that had bits of the front bumper panel removed for a the sake of taking a €45 foglight bracket. Just not worth the potential sleepless nights with a GTi for me. Interesting enough I'm on my 3rd BMW and they don't seem one bit interested in taking bits off them.

JoeA3 · 06-09-2017 09:56PM

bazz26 wrote: »

The main reason it has always put me off buying a GTi is the scum who would just steal what they like off it on your driveway. My front driveway is open plan and a GTi would just be the same to scum as a piece of shiny metal is to a magpie. I had a CC in the past that had bits of the front bumper panel removed for a the sake of taking a €45 foglight bracket. Just not worth the potential sleepless nights with a GTi for me. Interesting enough I'm on my 3rd BMW and they don't seem one bit interested in taking bits off them.

Yeah unfortunately VAG cars are very popular with the caravan club community

Robbing bits of other cars is cheaper than going to Halfords for shiny stuff.

st332 · 06-09-2017 10:24PM

Happy I specced the GTI with alarm and deadbolts.
I heard a tale that thieves attach trackers to nice cars if left at the airport and then nick them a few days later when they find where you live. Possibly a tall tale though.

Hopefully nobody will want my lovely Milton Keynes alloys!

GustavoFring · 06-09-2017 10:26PM

They'll take anything off anything that fits on other VAG cars too. The VRS had the dust covers taken off the wheel nuts regularly for a few weeks (and the cars kept well out of sight). They cost shag all from the dealers.

A up the road had his wheels taken off his. Made a right job of his sills in the process. A local tarmacadam technician did have a lovely set of wheels on his caddy though shortly afterwards.

DaveyDave · 06-09-2017 11:11PM

I've only ever lived in suburbs of Dublin and usually have a window open while sleeping so I'd hear anyone outside near someone's car. I was woken up at 6am one morning by two scrotes on bikes cycling along the estate trying to open peoples car doors. If I wasn't bollock naked I would have given them a reason to not come back. They weren't bloody quiet about it either one of them was shouting to the other...

Having said that I live in an apartment now and the bedroom is at the rear. I'd hear something happening at the houses behind me but not at the front where it's on street parking and the entrance to the housing estate, also used for people to walk through to the bus stop.

It makes me nervous about the 172 Highline when it arrives...

kooga · 07-09-2017 08:29AM

Even in the uk the alarm is standard from the SE spec up and is an option on the base S model at £235.

VW a bit miserable here not speccing it certainly on the GTI/GTD.

when I bought my mark V new back in 2008 I ticked the alarm option, back then there were two alarm types a basic one or the alarm from the R included anti towing I think.

Well worth it and if I was going new on any Golf from highline up I would do the same again.

JoeA3 · 07-09-2017 08:47AM

kooga wrote: »

Even in the uk the alarm is standard from the SE spec up and is an option on the base S model at £235.

VW a bit miserable here not speccing it certainly on the GTI/GTD.

when I bought my mark V new back in 2008 I ticked the alarm option, back then there were two alarm types a basic one or the alarm from the R included anti towing I think.

Well worth it and if I was going new on any Golf from highline up I would do the same again.

I believe it's standard in the UK for insurance reasons among others. Insurance companies insist on it or at least consider it a big factor when applying an insurance rating on a car. Whereas here I don't think it makes much if any difference.

It's the marketing / product guys in VW Ireland that decide on the specs for this market. It's not like they are being particularly tight when spec'ing it out. E.g. they put 19's on the R here whereas its still those 18" Cadiz in the UK. I think they put spec on the car that gives it most "showroom appeal" as possible within a set budget. Big wheels and other shiny add ons have showroom appeal. Stuff like alarms, dynamic chassis, etc are not so visible unless you're really in the know and many buyers wouldn't care much for them.

The Mega Mk7 Golf GTI/GTD/R thread

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