[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by dhruvritzed

Hi
No recent post of the mods you've done to your GT
Became a fan of the CRIO and since i have a GT myself, would love to read more about yours, BTW i live in delhi but study in Mumbai'
Where do you reside?

Hi there! I shuttle between Navi Mumbai and South Mumbai every day.
The Polo or the Crio have never been quiet since I started the quest of modifying the cars to my liking. I doubt that process will ever end!
Just got a major upgrade done today on the Polo.

A little recap of the last few months with the Polo, before I break the suspense.
I have installed the PedalTune in the last 2 months and have found this thing to be INDISPENSABLE. The throttle response and the performance on tap in 'D' mode just make this car insanely fun to drive without the erratic, fuel sapping and jerky 'S' mode. In its defence, in the 'S' mode, the car still has a much higher responsiveness as compared to 'D' but then, in daily driving, a quick upshift is always more comfortable in traffic and less favourable conditions. All these days, the PedalTune has made my life very easy and the nimble response from a small dab on the throttle, almost masking the entire LAG that exists in D mode is a total revelation. I whole-heartedly recommend the PedalTune to everyone who owns a Turbo car.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-response.html

She has done 22k km in her tenure of 1 year and 3 months, but I still don't pass of an opportunity to have fun with her and go for a leisurely drive with her.
The car is absolute bliss and I love her to bits!

NOW, to greener pastures. Yes, I have maxed out my audio upgrades and the cosmetic and VAG upgrades and I have now turned my attention to the drivetrain. The very first mod on those lines is the EXHAUST.

I didn't really tinker with the exhaust system of the Polo since I already had a very loud exhaust in the Crio all these months. HAD.

H.A.D!

Until last week, I had renounced those LOUD pleasures and was running the Honda with a stock exhaust, save for a Borla Spitfire endcan. The endcan itself sounds sweet, but when you delete the resonator, the endcan makes a din that's UNBEARABLE. Hence, I went and got the Crio 'silenced.'

Suddenly, a question came to mind. WHAT if the Polo was to have a slightly louder exhaust? My Polo GT TSI of India Club had a lot of cars which gave me a bevy of options to choose from, namely.
1. Decat, Non-resonated (namely, full mental mode)- MAX Bhp
2. High Flow sports cat, Non-resonated (next to fully mental, only without the check-engine light and a lesser blow to mother nature)- almost MAX Bhp
3. Catback, non resonated with custom end-can (the one I wished to get)- A few BHP more than stock
4. Catback, resonated (stock)


I looked hard at all the options. I had a decat, non-resonated Honda Brio, which grew up to become a Crio, but it never outgrew it's check-engine light. Then I thought, VWs should be kept away from a Check-Engine light for as long as possible, as they are anyway reputed for having a penchant for the Amber indicator on the cluster.
I also thought of the nuisance factor. My Honda was loud but never sounded sweet, until I installed the Borla. Then after, the car sounded sweet but was a bit too loud. Boom in the cabin is irritating and I had had enough of it.

I decided to go for the 3rd option, non resonated with custom End can.

The end can selection process was complicated as many people in my GT TSI club had the Borla, Remus or Magnasound systems. I was keen on doing something new, and that is when I came across the BBK VARITUNE.
A little background about BBK:
BBK is a very old American company that takes pride in making exhaust systems for American (goes without saying) muscle cars and specializes in cars like the Mustang, Dodge Charger, Chevy Camaro etc.
This lineage drew me to the company. That, and the damn YouTube videos posted about the VARITUNE and the characteristic sound signature of almost all BBK videos had a very appealing effect on me.
The Varitune is a unique muffler that comes with a 'VALVE' that actually shuts and opens, in order to reduce or increase sound, respectively.
It sounded very good in theory and I wished to try it in my car the moment I came across it, as the luxury of tuning the final exhaust sound lies with the owner and not the installer, who more often than not, doesn't really understand what the owner wants.
The Varitune allowed one to adjust the volume of the sound output, and hence, control even the other things that come with it, like BOOM, Fart, Gurgle, Burp etc that are heard in Turbo DSG cars (check YouTube for more such terms)
I decided to order it from the USA and it landed at my doorstep within a week.

Some photos on the day it was delivered. I own a Borla Endcan too, and I expected a similar polished SS finish, but I was highly disappointed in how the BBK looked, despite being made of 304 SS.
I ignored it, thinking that, "The proof of the endcan lies in how it sounds, and not it looks."
Anyway, went to my friend BAR exhaust and asked him to install. The resonator delete and endcan install took 4 hours, and I was asked to start the car on 2 occasions. One was when only the muffler was attached, and once, when the resonator was removed.
The sound with the muffler alone with the VALVE fully open, but with the resonator in place was negligibly better than stock and I was dying to hear the sound after deleting the resonator.
The moment of truth arrived, and I started her up.
There was a very familiar burble (akin to the Mustang videos I watched on YouTube on the BBK channel) and the car let off a very yummy growl on pushing the throttle pedal. There was a yummy bark and angry rumble on letting the throttle go and this is audible in the video too (yes, I made my own YouTube video)
With the car warmed up, I left Afzal's place and drove her for 200 meters. I IMMEDIATELY took a U-turn and returned to Afzals, because I felt the sound in the cabin was a bit too loud. Afzal's person loosened the nut and reduced the sound to a bare minimum at idle, and closed the valve completely. I drove off, hoping for a difference, and I was surprised. The car had a muted growl on idle and even though it was audible, it didn't feel intrusive. Put her into manual mode and pushed the Pedal down in the 1st gear. What happened next, took me unawares. The car felt WAY more sprightly and light on it's feet, but the midrange SHOVE took me for a total surprise. Remember, performance-related exhausts are not for making sound alone, but they are to help the engine breath optimally. And my car felt like she was on steroids! The characteristic 'FART' on changing gears was audible in each gear and the mixture of sound and that shove made things very addictive.
I have driven 20 km since the exhaust system modification and I dare-say I am super happy with it! Now, for the wife-test and the family-test to see if the exhaust drones while cruising. I will post more reports later. As of now, enjoy the photos and a video I took.
I love your feedback and your comments make me improve my car to unheard of levels. Looking forward to hearing from you guys after reading this LONG post!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4PJoD5D-qI

[Tanveer_2558]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Some photos on the day it was delivered. I own a Borla Endcan too, and I expected a similar polished SS finish, but I was highly disappointed in how the BBK looked, despite being made of 304 SS.
I ignored it, thinking that, "The proof of the endcan lies in how it sounds, and not it looks."

Amazing one frank! I love to see people venturing out with new brands, I am one of those too who like to be a little "Different", Surely love the, "Fart" Of your car, Its sounding great! Would want to hear it in person though

After reading this post of yours, I am too tempted to get one for my TDI Jetta, Any recommendations?

[frankmehta]

Hi Tanveer. I am available to meet this week as it's diwali.
You can come and drop in any time..

Ok, guys. I come with another set of big news.
I received a package in my mail today. It was not expected so soon. I expected it here after diwali and not ONE day after making my first modification to the drivetrain. This will be my second major modification to the drivetrain in consecutive days. There are 3 mods planned, and the third one is still in production. (hint: it's something that is not widely practised in India as of now)

Back to the package....

It looked like this:





And this is what it contained:






This is what it connects to:













This is how it looks DURING installation:








...and this is how it looks in the engine bay AFTER installation.
One photo for each of the (3) sensors that the box addresses:
1. MAP Sensor (Manifold Absolute Pressure)
2. Turbo Boost Sensor
3. Fuel Rail Sensor










That is the FIRST DOCUMENTED multi(namely, 4) channel TORNADO TUNING BOX install in India (technically, this is the 2nd install but that one isn't documented yet) in pictures and a few words.
This tuning box is unique in many aspects, and separates itself from other tuning boxes, purely because this is a multi-channel box, and just doesn't 'fool' the ECU into pumping more fuel blindly. It actually manipulates 4 factors in the running of the engine:
1. Manifold pressure
2. Fuel Pressure
3. Boost Pressure
4. Turbo Solenoid Valve (more on this later..)

[Dr.Naren]

Oh man!! Lot of mods in 2016 on both cars . Multi channel tuning box looks interesting. Multi channel box plus Pedal tune box should be perfect combo along with that exhaust. Why did you not go for remap? Warranty issues?

Waiting for your review on tuning box!!!

[dhruvritzed]

Hi Frank
Great to hear about the GT, loved the concept. I'd like to know the time you spend on your laptop daily and how are the patients doing??
What exactly are the BHP gains with both the mods and how was your service experience?
Did you time your GT to 100 to measure the gains and somewhere i just read about a pre worshipped laura tsi idea, true and on the cards?

[rageshgr]

Oh Frank! You are becoming the GT TSI mod guru. How is the tuning box? How does it affect performance? Do you have more details?

[Vandit]

As always, absolute pleasure to follow your ownership threads.

I've just put money down on a GT myself & the salesman even mentioned you & your owners club in his sales pitch in the initial meeting.. rofl.. at that point in time i did not reveal i was a member of Team BHP or that i knew exactly who he was referring to when he said he had a dentist who was an enthusiast who loved the GT so much, he modded the hell out of it and formed a club!

I'll be keenly following these udpates & perhaps hope to join your club some day between my frequent trips in & out of the country! will post pics when i pick her up in Jan!

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by Vandit

As always, absolute pleasure to follow your ownership threads.

I've just put money down on a GT myself & the salesman even mentioned you & your owners club in his sales pitch in the initial meeting.. rofl.. at that point in time i did not reveal i was a member of Team BHP or that i knew exactly who he was referring to when he said he had a dentist who was an enthusiast who loved the GT so much, he modded the hell out of it and formed a club!

I'll be keenly following these udpates & perhaps hope to join your club some day between my frequent trips in & out of the country! will post pics when i pick her up in Jan!

Wow. I don't know how I totally missed this post.

Thanks for the kind words.
Guys, I am travelling. But something new has been done to the car. (hint: something to do with the ecu) It's again, something that has not been done on any car in India as yet. Couldn't wait to share this with you guys hence making this half informative post but what the heck!
The picture below shows you a list of the Changes made. (65 to be precise)
I can't put my experience in words till I actually sit and document all the things I've perceived till date. But trust me. This is HUGE.

More after i come back from out station.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

But something new has been done to the car. (hint: something to do with the ecu) It's again, something that has not been done on any car in India as yet. Couldn't wait to share this with you guys hence making this half informative post but what the heck!
The picture below shows you a list of the Changes made. (65 to be precise)
I can't put my experience in words till I actually sit and document all the things I've perceived till date. But trust me. This is HUGE.

More after i come back from out station.

From the picture, this looks like ECM Titanium software interface for editing maps . So it should be a remap, but first in India is confusing me now haha. Is it ECU remap along with DSG tuning?

[dhruvritzed]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Ok, guys. I come with another set of big news.
I received a package in my mail today. It was not expected so soon. I expected it here after diwali and not ONE day after making my first modification to the drivetrain. This will be my second major modification to the drivetrain in consecutive days. There are 3 mods planned, and the third one is still in production. (hint: it's something that is not widely practised in India as of now)

Absolutely blown away by the mods frank and the amount of research that has gone into it, would love if you could attach a list of the amounts these mods cost, just for reference, would be just that bit easier to bargain and also the small mods would not go amiss for someone looking for little pleasures

Mod Note: Please avoid quoting the entire post when responding.

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by dhruvritzed

Absolutely blown away by the mods frank and the amount of research that has gone into it, would love if you could attach a list of the amounts these mods cost, just for reference, would be just that bit easier to bargain and also the small mods would not go amiss for someone looking for little pleasures

Mod Note: Please avoid quoting the entire post when responding.

I can't really share costs here but here is the list of mods

• Door Creak Mod- Deepak Himan
• License Plates- 3 sets
• GTI Steering Wheel- Deepak Himan
• Android Head Units- 3 of them
• Auto Dimming Mirrors- 2 of them, 1 Chinese and then the other OE Jetta, Passat Type
• Dash Camera- 2 of them: 1 Chinese, then one Mini 0906 NanoQ
• Auto headlight Kit: 2 switches: 1 old Vento type, and then the current Euro type
• Interior light: OE Jetta Type
• Anti Glare mirrors: OE VW Blue Tint
• VCDS Cable
• Armrest: OE GTI Armrest
• Headlights Upgrade: 2 sets, 1 Failed Morimoto FXR 3.0 Retrofit, after which I did an Eagle Eyes headlights upgrade with Morimoto H7 Bulbs Low Beam and Osram Nightbreaker Ultimate in high beam
• Fog Lights upgrade (impending- Ordered)
• Processor, Speakers etc (Lots of audio equipment: Please check http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...ght=frankmehta)
• Remap- TTS Auto
• PedalTune- TTS Auto
• Beru Spark Plugs
• Intake BMC CD Dia
• Brembo Brakes- Brembo Pads first, then Brembo Rotors too
• TPMS- Steelmate TP-05
• Horn Upgrade
• Borla Spitfire End Can (non-resonated)
• GTI Grille
• Cruise Control- Kit with me, but not installed
• GTI Cluster- Kit with me, but not installed
• R***c** D***p**e (THIS IS EXCITING, and coming up!)

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Remap- TTS Auto

Waiting for the detailed review

R***c** D***p**e (THIS IS EXCITING, and coming up!)

Downpipe??

[F150]

please share the cost of below

Brembo Brakes- Brembo Pads first, then Brembo Rotors too

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Waiting for the detailed review


Downpipe??

Not just a regular Downpipe. This is going to be a first. (actually a second)
A custom made racecat which is a bolt on and fits without cutting any pipes.
300 cel cat. Wait for a few days for more info.

Originally Posted by F150

please share the cost of below

6000 for the rotors (pair) and 4000 for the pads (4)

[Vandit]

Frank, if you don't mind, where would you suggest to source aftermarket Golf style HID projector HL's with the sequential turn indicators from in south Bombay? And by any chance would you know how much they'd cost?

I'm looking for a plug play setup to avoid voiding any warranty.