While exploring ideas, I stumbled across the thought of having custom color seatbelt webbing in my car - something you don't see often in the mass car segment.

BHPian siddharthkalra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I bought a blue Jeep Compass last year. This is my first self earned car, and in the past I've never been very open to getting custom aftermarket work done (my previous car was given to me by my father).

But overtime, my perspective has evolved and I feel I'm more open to doing minor custom tweaks to my car's interiors. While exploring ideas, I stumbled across the thought of having custom color seatbelt webbing in my car - something you dont see often in the mass car segment. I have been looking for resources and articles about doing this - but nothing seems credible.

I haven't been able to find credible people to do it (people who have actually done this before); and also there is a dearth of custom colored seatbelts in Delhi/India. While I have managed to find some options of buying the webbing overseas, I also have safety concerns.

I'll sum up my questions below:

1. Are there legitimate people out there who can install custom seatbelt webbing?

2. Should I be worried about any compromise on safety and/or does this bother insurance companies?

I'm looking for some guidance. Would be grateful for the help.

Here's what BHPian ex-innova-guy had to say on the matter:

While customising your car gives you joy and a sense of uniqueness, I would strongly suggest against Seat Belt Webbing.

While in today's generation there are Airbags, the chances of it deploying varies on the situation and this is where Seat Belts save you. Seat and Seat Belts are one of the most essential part of your car and it can do wonders in case of accidents. The seats are bolstered tightly to the chassis and this is why in cases of accidents too you will see minimal damage to the seat. I have been saved by seat belt once. Additionally, you would not know the quality of the new belt if it is similar to the OEM one or not.

AFAIK there should not be a problem wrt the Insurance company but surely a compromise on safety.

There are many other ways in which you can customise your car and I hope you make the most out of it.

Here's what BHPian fueledbyfury had to say on the matter:

Absolutely agreed to this. The seat belt webbing gets tightened by the retractor upon impact during an accident. So the materials in the seat belt have a majour role protecting the passenger. Seat belt webbing is made from polyester, nylon and it must have the strength to support more than 28 kNw or 6,000 lbs. If getting a custom seat belt webbing make sure to to meet the OEM quality and other safety standards.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It has a number of small but tasteful mods that have been done to it over the past year and a half.

BHPian CannedShroud recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey guys, I'm kinda on the fence here. I own a Tata Altroz iTurbo (which I understand is far from being the best base for a build). And it has a number of small but tasteful mods that have been done to her over the past year and a half (performance and otherwise). So here's the full list, I'm not sure how to proceed from here. I'm looking for more power, but creature-comfort mods are welcome as well.

Base: Tata Altroz iTurbo XZ+

• BMC Conical Air Intake
• Aftermarket 'HKS' Muffler (99% not HKS)
• NGK Iridium Spark Plugs
• Bosch Brake Pads
• Continental UC6 205/55/r16 rubber (maybe not so much of a mod but it's definitely worth it)
• Aftermarket rims (16-inch 7J)
• Stage 1+ remap from WolfMoto
• 95 RON Fuel Calibration from WolfMoto
• Honda City Auto Dimming IRVM
• All white lights (HID + LED + LED)
• LED turn Indicators

Apart from these, I do maintain the car well.

• Doing regular service every 10k rather than 15 as per Tata
• Using better quality fluids
• Opting for OEM replacement parts (better than complete OEM)

How can I proceed from here?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I think you've done enough. I believe in customizing cars, but not "over-modifying" them.

• The Altroz is not a hot hatch like the Polo GTs. Rather, you should derive pleasure from its styling, highway manners, mature suspension, great cabin etc.
• Go road-tripping. The memories you create with a car are more important than anything else. The money you'd saved up for mods, spend it on road-tripping with your friends/girlfriend/family.
• Follow the best practices here. Needs a little time & money.
• At most, a sound system upgrade because you've really done up your car well (share more pics). Although, the stock ICE is pretty good by OEM audio standards.

Here's what BHPian Asish_VK had to say on the matter:

Your car looks to have most of the things done already and looks great. I don't have many suggestions here, but if you don't mind can you share the performance gains by the mods carried out?

(With the remap, fuel mapping & air intake etc) ?

BHPian CannedShroud replied to BHPian Asish_VK:

Sure, the short answer is the same as what my tuner gave me - 16-18% gains on peak figures from the stage 1+ remap. So that comes to like 125 bhp and 165Nm torque.

The long answer is... There are gains but not so much in the peak bhp or torque department. More in the torque curve. You can feel the turbo spool sooner. The torque in the low end (which was already quite good) has gone up tremendously. The tune I opted for might not be for "comfort" oriented drivers because if you are not gentle with the pedal - you can feel the boost building up. Even under 2k, you can feel the engine trying to tug its way through! And much like a diesel, you can feel the sharp push of torque from 2.5k right up to 4.5k rpm (I think this is where it makes its peak numbers). That, and the last final (jerky yet fun) nudge in performance after 4.8k rpm still remains!!

About the fuel calibration - it comes at a cost. I cannot run normal-rated fuel ( I only have to run 95+ rated fuels ). But I'd say it's worth it. These small turbo engines are notorious for engine knock and to manage this they have extremely harsh punishments on ignition timing to help avoid knock.

So having the 95 RON calibration, I can stay a few degrees of timing in advance (because of the VVT). This renders in less "oh what? Where's the power?" Moments and also greatened fuel economy figures!

They also offer a hybrid fuel map- where you can run normal fuel under 2k rpm and then 95/97/100 octane calibration past 2k.

This is good enough to cruise around AR 80 when tugging through traffic when there are no higher-grade fuel pumps nearby. But yolo, I have never been in a situation where I couldn't find a pump. And even if I did - I have a few bottles of ProOctane octane booster in my trunk to aid in those situations.

The air filter is trouble honestly. It doesn't filter dust particles as well as the stock paper filter. And the placement of it (the way I have it is wrong) pulls it hot air (almost all the time). But the crazy induction sounds you get from it gives me butterflies!

The whoosh as boost is building up and the sharp pfffft when the BOV releases the air pressure is just heart-soothing in a way!

But the dust in the intake manifold because of this and the fact that it's oiled, causes some issues. I tend to find some oily coating on my MAP sensor which needs to be cleaned or the car doesn't run properly sometimes. (Might also have to do something with the initial issues I had with her.. there are a few iTurbos that have some underlying powertrain trouble that Tata isn't able to solve).

If you have any further questions, I'm happy to help! I understand how tough it is to find and support a car that sadly has absolutely no presence in the aftermarket scene..

Hope this helps

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

One caveat is that the company went with a non-foam tape. Which results in an ugly-looking gap for the unadhered part.

BHPian DDISClatters recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently bought home a Royal Enfield Classic 350. While an ownership thread is in the works, this thread focuses on the DIY performed to change the boring black thigh pads that come from the factory.

While scrolling Instagram casually, I stumbled upon this offering from a brand called Trip Machine Company. These guys specialize in leather accessories for bikes and have some great offerings to give your bike that retro touch.

Buying experience

For some reason, the company has photos of this thigh pad on every bike except the RE classic. I suspect this is due to the shape of the tank of RE Classic.

Having no picture to reference made me a bit skeptical about buying the product. It comes in 2 sizes and was unsure which one would fit better on my bike. Luckily, the company has a store/café right next to Throttle Shrottle on Gurgaon Faridabad Road road (Delhi-based folks would know).

The store has all the products on display and is quite aesthetic. They have custom RE's on display too and is an overall delightful place for a motorhead. I would also recommend trying their 900CC Iced Latte. The staff was cooperative enough and thus, got the opportunity to place both sizes against my bike and compare:

While the larger tank pad fills the space nicely, it would have posed problems with sticking as the tank curves quite a bit in that area. The small size fits the bill well and hence I picked it. This cost me Rs. 1699/-

Close-up of the product below. Comes packed in a slim box with a Thank You note and sticker:

Installation

This can be divided into three sub-sections:

• Removing the old pads
• Cleaning up
• Installing new pads

Removing the old pads

This is the most crucial step of this DIY. This is similar to prepping the body prior to a paint job. Mess this step up and the time and efforts multiply.

1) First things first, give the tank a good rinse with water and make sure you're working with a clean, dust-free area.

2) Heat up the tank pads. I used a hairdryer and it worked reasonably well. Don't worry about heating the paint too much. Just go around in circular motions for a max of 5 minutes and you're ready for the next step.

3) Start prying the pad from the top left/right corner(depending on the side) and work your way back. Once you pry the pad about the width of an index finger, turn on the hairdryer and point it into the void created by the peeled-up pad. This would help heat the glue of section your peeling and make the process super easy. Just go on pulling the pad slow and easy.

Once the above steps are successfully completed, the area should look like this;

However, if you see this after removing the pad, tell your family you'll see them directly at dinnertime:

Having such an outcome can be a result of:

• Gum bonding too well over time depending on the bike's age.
• One rushing through the heating process. Make sure to heat up the whole pad and not just the edges. The residue you see above is from the mid section of the pad.
• Pulling the pad too fast.

This brings me to the next step in this DIY.

Cleaning up

Disclaimer: This step will take your finger strength up to the next level. Practice with your own caution. Results may include driving your partner crazy. This of course due to gaining the ability to type on TBHP endlessly and hence spending all the time here.

Note for the moderator - Thank you for reviewing my post. Apologies if the above statement violates any policy. Just a light-hearted joke. I am aware we have people from all age groups visiting the platform and request you kindly moderate it as you deem necessary.

What works?

I spent nearly 1.5 hours cleaning out the residue. I vest my trust in three products when it comes to removing residue or stains from paintwork; WD40, Diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (70-80% IPA content) and finally heat.

Using IPA is the last resort as it has the highest chance of damaging the clear coat among the three. WD40 and heat are your bestfriends. Use them in tandem while rubbing on the residue with a microfiber cloth and you should be able to get rid of the residue.

Please leave WD40 on the stain for 5 minutes for it loosed the gum. In my case, I had to eventually take help from IPA which is unfortunate.

I'll take on my point earlier about not worrying about using too much heat now. If you don't end up with a clean tank after removing the pads, you'd have to use chemicals like IPA and WD40 along with endless buffing with a microfiber. This can and will leave you with swirl marks in that area and the two chemicals can even eat into the Clear Coat.

Thus, I recommend taking liberty with heat as this way, your risk of damaging the paint minimizes quite a bit.

Once all the residue is off, make sure to clean up the tank thoroughly. WD40 would not let the new tank pads stick properly.

Installing the new pads

This step is pretty straightforward. The pads come with strong 3M double-sided tape pre-applied.

Thank you for reading through. Here are the final results:

One caveat is that the company went with a non-foam tape. Which results in an ugly-looking gap for the unadhered part. This being a universal product, a foam-based tape would have suited it better.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My experience with the Hero Xpulse 200 4V Pro has led me to start looking for footpeg extenders and controls for my 650cc Royal Enfield.

BHPian 2StrokeJunkie recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

An update on the Interceptor

The Xpulse Pro has taken over daily commuting duties from the 650.

After contemplating them for the last 3 years, I have finally added the stainless steel slip-ons from Powerage.

Just as expected, they made the bike fun to ride again, adding character and a sweet exhaust note. Even feels faster, maybe that's just in my head. This exhaust sounds stock at idle and starts to open up around 3k rpm. I do not intend to take off the baffles to know how they sound. Fit and finish seem great, could have saved some bucks with the mild steel but I dig the look of brushed stainless steel. Damage to the wallet 17k. In the future, I will probably get the big bore headers from Powerage in the same stainless steel finish. Hopefully, turn it into a bore as well.

I also picked up an air filter from Schrol but I have not installed it yet because I am worried about leaning out the fueling, if I install it now. Damage to the wallet 2.8k

I've noticed the oil level has dropped to the lowest mark on the oil window so I topped it up with about 300-400 ml of Motul 7100, it is now at the mid-level mark. I've also ordered 4.5 litres for my next change with some extra for top-ups. Damage to the wallet 4.5k

So far, I've done around 5k on this oil which was last changed in August 2022. I think I can run it for another 1500-odd km.

Should I be looking at the Fuel X Pro?

Before I get into mods, I must tell you that the ABS light which used to flicker at idle now does not come on. Sometimes the battery light comes on while riding the motorcycle but when I put off the headlight or give it some revs, the battery warning light goes away. Some electrical gremlins I need to sort out. Maybe the rectifier or battery needs to be replaced or maybe the relays. Don't know yet.

Coming to the mods, my experience with the Xpulse Pro has led me to start looking at footpeg extenders and controls for the Interceptor. The stock footpegs now seem a little rear-set to me with a tighter angle on my knees to ankles making me sit in an angle that I feel is not completely upright, transferring shocks to my spine over bad roads, though I've never faced the issue of the stock footpegs banging into my shins like almost everyone complains about. Way2Speed makes footpeg and control extenders but I will not be able to straddle with them. Any suggestions?

I am also looking for suspension upgrades from Way2Speed for the front and rear - anyone who has them, please post your feedback. Should I only go for the front or does it make sense to do both front and rear?

Oh yes, and my tires also probably need to be replaced, I have done around 15k km on the stock Pirellis. I am looking for tubeless tire options. Please suggest tubeless tires that offer good grip, durability and are also good with soft-roading for the occasional ride off the tarmac. The Way2Speed tubeless kit installed a year ago is holding strong.

So in the list of things, the first fix needs to be to sort out the electricals.

Second the tyres and then the footpegs extenders and suspension.

I'm keeping the air filter and fueling for the last. What do you think?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I settled for a European Lift Kit which offered all options of Soft, Medium and Stiffer suspensions depending on individual requirements and accessories to be added.

BHPian Lavs recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got my Jimny two months ago and 3000 km clocked. One satisfying drive to Sach Pass and going through a Cloud Burst in Palampur - all done with ease.

Coming to changes and modification - I have done plenty to make the car suit my requirements and a few just for my liking  .

I will try to go on with less text and more picture that will talk for themselves.

Jimny at Sach pass

Lift Kit and Tyres

Lift Kit is not required if you stick to tyre size upto 215/75R15. The next size 235/75R15 would require some lift in extreme articulation of axles. I upgraded the tyres to Ceat Crossdrive AT 215/75R15 for the time being, and am extremely happy, very silent tyres on the highway – they perform very well under all extreme conditions.

As Indian law does not allow metal bumpers or bull bars (snorkel at front), so lift kits do not have to compensate for overhanging heavy weights. So I wanted a lift kit which was on softer side, gave a cushioned ride and helped in extreme articulation.

The very stiff and overpriced well known suspensions were ruled out by me. I settled for a European Lift Kit which offered all options of Soft, Medium and Stiffer suspensions depending on individual requirements and accessories to be added. And they offered PU bushes on Shockers and Castor & Pinion Angle Correction Bushes. This made in EU kit included all parts required for the upgrade. And I was informed that they have an Indian partner who has kits in stock in India – WOW.

Procured a medium front and soft rear lift kit and got it installed from my neighborhood garage.

The drive is still very comfortable – does not feel like a lift kit is installed while driving. Extremely happy and satisfied with the kit installed.

The tyre I used:

Parts of the kit:

Front Spring, Shocker and longer brake line installed:

The longer orange Vaccum Lines:

The rear Setup:

Snorkel

The Lift Kit Indian seller offered me a Snorkel (and lot of other parts in a bundled deal) which is beautiful and does not require the Jimny body to be cut for Installation. And I was also offered a beautifully designed Splash / Rain Cover for the Snorkel which I understand no one has around the world. Installed and happy.

Snorkel Installed:

Accessories, Storage Spaces and Utility Hooks

Mud Flaps, Side Body Garnish, Rain Guards/Wind Deflectors and Mat for the Boot were installed from Suzuki during purchase of the vehicle. Suzuki Foot Mats were very small and did not provide much protection to side carpets, so installed after market 7D mats (All black) for all round protection.

But 7D mats were too thick and front seat movement caused rear mats to crumble. In any case I was not getting any thigh support because of my tall height, so I increased the height of the front two seats. The seats are much more comfortable now with better thigh support and free seat movement without crumbling rear mats. And a wonderful view ahead. Now I can see through the Fortuner or a Scorpio going in front of me.

The rear glass defogger wires needed a cover and was installed from 4XFORZA. And small pockets for door handles to keep the phone and coins. And a center storage near 4WD lever. And a central Arm Rest with Storage without drilling any holes.

Two hooks on the dash handle for hanging stuff – this was really helpful for hanging a bag with water bottles on the Sach Pass trip and occasional hanging of purse, Food bag or Sun glasses.

Six utility hooks were installed on the spots provided by Suzuki in the boot. These were useful to attach Bungees, Boot Net and hanging loose goods. A necessity to keep your goods form falling on opening the boot door after a crazy off roading trip.

The Raised Seat (40mm - 4 Bushes) and Installed a paddle rubber on footrest:

The front swivel hooks installed:

Central Storage Tray:

Continue reading BHPian Lav's report on modifications done to his Jimny for more insights and information.

My family has a very strong liking for the Toyota Innova. Our cars at home (Mercedes E-Class, Skoda Superb, etc.) do not come close to the comfort, especially for the older folks.

BHPian L8ButV8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As an avid Team-BHP reader for many years, I am looking for guidance on an unusual mod: How feasible is it to add softer dampers/springs to a Skoda/Audi sedan?

My family has a very strong liking for the Toyota Innova. Every time we get an Innova taxi it provides excellent comfort in the middle row. Our cars at home (V213 E class, Skoda Superb etc) do not come close to the comfort, especially for the older folks. However, they do find Japanese sedans (our ex-Teana, old Corolla) more comfortable. My read is that they do not like the lower seating position, harder suspensions and taut leather seats of the Germans.

We're looking to replace the Skoda Superb and are confused. While we want the comfort of an Innova (middle-row bucket seats), it misses out on the silent, smooth driving dynamics of upper-market vehicles. I am trying to understand two things:

• Are there any vehicles that provide Innova-like comfort that we should consider on a budget of up to 1 Cr? I understand that comfort is very subjective, but would appreciate members' views.
• Is it feasible to modify the suspension of an Audi A6, Q5, Q7 or Skoda Superb to provide a softer ride?

I am open to buying a new or used (if the car is discontinued), and spending on any modifications needed (e.g putting in Innova seats etc). We have a strong preference to not buy more than one vehicle, due to the maintenance headaches associated with adding more cars.

Thanks in advance.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Unlike mainstream Marutis & Tatas, for German cars sold globally, you will see a lot of aftermarket suspension options available. Check & research on international websites too. Although, be warned that 90% of them will be to improve handling, not ride comfort. I spent a lakh on the AVO suspension to reduce my Thar's bumpiness and am happy with it.

This is why buying a premium car with adaptive dampers makes a whole lot of sense in India (from the Kodiaq and up, many luxury cars offer adjustable suspensions). You can make them soft on bad roads, and firm when you're out on a sporty drive.

The most simple fixes are in this post. Downsize to a lower variant's wheel size as long as there is enough clearance for the brakes.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say about the matter:

Your comparison of E Class and Innova reminds me of a recent discussion on S Class vs Vellfire. If you go over a large dip in the road surface at good highway speed, the suspension on the German cars doesn't bottom out. There are many such characteristics that come to the fore when the speeds are on the higher side and the car is being driven enthusiastically. If these aspects are relevant to you, you would buy an S Class/7 Series, etc. For a sedate and risk-averse driver (like a good chauffeur), Vellfire would make a much better choice. European cars also tend to be very safe in real-world accident situations - which are far more severe and bizarre than NCAP tests which are conducted at much lower speeds than the speeds involved in real-world accidents.

Unfortunately in India, there is a huge prestige thing associated with the European brands so even a chauffeur-driven customer prefers a European car even though they are inferior to the Japanese cars when it comes to passenger comfort, especially the rear seats.

What I am trying to get at is that European and Asian manufacturers work with different objectives and that reflects in the overall user experience. You can't have it all (within a budget) - so it's not a case of ignorance but a conscious design and marketing decision.

The cheapest modification you can do to improve comfort is to downsize the alloy wheels, go for nice comfort-oriented high-quality tires like Michelin Primacy and work with 2-2 PSI lower than recommended tire pressure. Buy a used car from a higher segment - it will offer better comfort.

Adaptive suspension, IMHO, only makes sense if the default suspension is tuned to be very sporty like in BMWs. Mercedes default suspension is typically comfort-oriented so one doesn't really benefit from an adaptive suspension as far as comfort is concerned. Can be helpful if they want to switch to a sporty suspension mode.

The story of seat comfort is also similar. European models come with hard-wearing seats and cushion which lasts for many years. Japanese seats while more comfortable, wear out very quickly, especially when the passengers are on the heavier side. European brands also don't like to give good rear seats in their entry-level models and reserve them for their higher-end models only.

I would have suggested a pre-owned S Class but then people argue that Vellfire is better, so the debate never ends.

Looks like I've rambled a lot :-) If you don't want the high-speed driving benefits of European cars - you will be better served by Japanese cars. European cars - like seat belts - a little uncomfortable but offer more protection.

Here's what BHPian PrideRed had to say about the matter:

You may look at a Lexus that fits your budget and from what I see, a crossover should keep you happy. The suspension of NX or ES is on the softer side when compared to say a 5 series or a Q5.

Here's what BHPian inwester had to say about the matter:

Why not just get the new Innova Hycross?

It's very silent compared to the old one, hybrid petrol vs. diesel, more powerful and fuel-efficient, monocoque instead of body-on-frame resulting in better driving dynamics and easy ingress/egress, has acoustic glass for noise reduction and those comfy seats!

I got one recently.

Give it a try.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My 10 day review of the map is that it feels fun to drive. The car feels much responsive than before while accelerating, overtaking when required is easier.

BHPian Ghost13110 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I wrote this the day it happened but until today I was unable to post this on the forum.

From the time my car was around 3 years old, I had been wanting to remap my car but I waited till the extended warranty expired (5 years ).

Today ( 13/8/23 ) I have finally got my car remapped and I can’t help but share my experience.

After doing extensive research and after making calls to a few tuners, I finally decided to go with a Tune-O-Tronics map. I wanted a map which had local support as well as after sales service support so that was one of my primary reasons. Another reason would be that my friends were after my life to get my car remapped.

I spoke to Vivek and understood the basic procedure of the map where I probably asked him at least 30 questions or more of possible scenarios where things could go wrong and I must say that he did answer all my questions in complete detail which helped cement my decision of going forth with TOT.

I was also told that there was an offer going on till the end of the month so it also made sense to seize that opportunity. Another thing which cemented my decision was the fact that he mentioned that he would make sure that the car wasn’t pushed to a point where it would become unreliable as that was not part of what they do.

The remap was flashed onto my car by Rishav Chawdhury who’s the dealer of TOT in Kolkata. I spoke to him 2 days prior to confirm what I exactly wanted from the map as well as the time and day it would be flashed. To specify, I told him that I wanted a higher low and mid range with relatively less smoke without compromising the reliability and integrity of my car. We decided on a Stage 1+ aggressive map. On the day of the flash, I found out that the map would be an OBD flash.

We tried a total of 3 maps till we came to the best custom map.

• The first map was supposed to have been a stage 1+ aggressive map but for some reason, it slowed down the ignition speed, made the rev buildup slower and made the engine splutter.
• The second map was flashed 30 mins after the first. This map had an excellent mid range but lacked the initial pickup I was looking for. There was also a drop off after 100km/h and overall felt only marginally better than stock.

We test drove this map for about 20km and while we did, I was constantly giving Rishav feedback which he was relaying to Sid.

After the 20km run we decided to let the car rest for a few minutes and let the brakes cool down slightly before we tried again as I was driving it hard to test out the map. We decided to have a cup of tea while we waited and in this time Rishav informed me that another map was available.

The third map was flashed in a dhaba while my friend and I were sipping tea because it just made sense to do so. This map was exactly what I was looking for. It had an excellent low and mid range and really gave me the feeling that my car was mapped which the previous two maps did not give me. We did another 20km run to test out the car and one could definitely feel an extremely noticeable difference.

When I asked Rishav about the information of the third map I was told that it’s a “Stage-1+ TOT Street Aggressive Map, Strong Low End & Mid Range with Exhaust Gas Recirculation off by software, to let the engine breathe better and provide better low end throttle response.”, having a “peak torque of 320Nm between 2000-4000 RPM” and a “peak BHP of 160Hp at 4000 RPM”

• Stock figures : 128 Bhp @ 260 Nm
• Tuned figures : 160 Bhp @ 320 Nm

I will update this post after another 2-3 weeks of testing the map with any observations.

The list of modifications on my car though are :

• DBA T2 Slotted rotors
• EBC Yellowstuff pads
• SS Braided Brake lines from Race Concepts (since they are car specific)
• BMC Panel Filter/ Stock Replacement
• Vredestin Ultrac Vorti 205/55/R16 ( not technically a mod but I wanted to add it )
• Bright red calipers for added performance (joking)

P.S if anyone needs the part numbers for the rotors and pads, feel free to ask

Update: I changed my engine oil to Castrol Edge 5W-30 2 days ago and the car feels smoother than before. I was running Castrol Edge 5W-40 before.

My 10 day review of the map is that it feels fun to drive. The car feels much responsive than before while accelerating, overtaking when required is easier. Mileage seems better ( the exact figures I’ll post after I fill tank and calculate )

My tyres (Vredestein ultrac vorti 205/55/R16) do wheelspin at times when I’m aggressively accelerating but it’s nothing that cannot be controlled.

I have had a very slight vibration issue while idle. I will look into it and find out whether it’s a mount that’s causing it or the map.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I wanted to get it for my Royal Enfield ever since I bought the motorcycle. The installation took only 10 minutes.

BHPian adwaith recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Lakshmi turned 3 this past week and since I've started working I have been able to ride as much as I used to. I take her to the office and back, so she runs daily but long rides have become a rarity.

I've always wanted to mod her but between my laziness and the affordability of parts I've kept putting it away. I started with the CR7EIX spark plugs but I ended up never installing them and I'm waiting to buy racing cables for it to make sense and I haven't got around to it thus far.

I've been wanting to get the DNA Air Filter since I bought the bike, but I finally got around to it now. My Uncle was bringing back my grandparents from the UK and he carried it for me. It cost about 60 pounds including shipping.

The installation took all of 10 minutes. Needed an Allen wrench and a Phillips head screwdriver.

I haven't been able to ride it around as yet but I can say for sure that there is no discernible difference in the exhaust note.

• OE filter exhaust note
• DNA filter exhaust note

Here are some pictures that I took during the installation.

The air filter and its packaging.

What the inside of the air filter looks like. There's something shiny inside and I'm not sure what it is.

Pictures of the filter cover and the OE filter.

I've not really wanted to get the stage 2 kit but I guess never say never.

Thanks!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

3 years & 60,000 km of pure bliss & adrenaline.

BHPian dieselhead01 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The story began way before it was supposed to. Back when I was just a boy growing up, the Mk1 (mark 1) Octavia had already caught my attention. Whenever one had appeared on the road, I remember staring at the car, and not being able to take my eyes off it, it was the definition of beauty to me. I slowly started obsessing over the car, and started to gain an honest and a strong liking towards the car. I had always wished I’d owned one when one passed by our house back then. It was understated and extremely elegant, one of those designs I’d always loved. And finally, after 15 year-long years, I managed to call one my own, this beauty (or the beast), down here.

Three years ago, about the time in January 2020, we were planning to pick a car for me, and it was ‘my’ first car, so had to be absolutely special and I had to be absolutely sure of what I wanted. I was more inclined to diesels back then, our 530d had spoiled me a lot.

The criteria I was looking at were:

1. Elegant yet understated looking, good road presence.
2. Powerful and fun engine yet efficient.
3. Spacious and practical
4. Mod friendly
5. More inclined to diesel than petrol.

We shortlisted a few options:

• Mercedes CLA 200D: I had test driven a friend’s car once. The car looked magnificent from the outside, really loved the design, it was unique and one could call it a head-turner. Was definitely impressed by the exterior. The interiors were rather dated and were cramped up. The rear seat was barely ‘decently’ spacious and I found a hard time adapting to that. I wasn’t left ‘mind-blown’ after the drive either. I was expecting a more exciting diesel but I suppose did not have fun driving it.
• Honda Civic ZX Diesel: Again, the car looked good, but wasn’t exciting at all to drive. I found the car to be laggy and barely gave you the ‘punch’ you needed. That alone made me move away from this choice.
• Audi A3 TDI (used): I loved the way the car drove, we had driven one in a used car dealership and came out extremely impressed. The car wasn’t exactly large like a D-segment sedan, but was superb to drive, the engine impressed me a lot and this is exactly when I realised what the 2.0 TDI is capable of. Only boasts 143hp on paper but was far superior to 160hp diesel like Cruze on paper. The engine was free-revving and torquey and was fun to drive. But one thing that stopped us from considering was practicality and space, and hence sadly had to move away from this car.

Since I had always been an avid reader of the articles on team bhp, the 1.8 TSI received a lot of positive reviews and acclaim from the enthusiasts, stating it was the best engine in the segment for the ‘enthusiast in you’. I wasn’t really into petrol but still had gone to the Skoda dealership back in our city and test-drove both Skoda Octavia MK3.5 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI. The MK3.5 just looked stunning with those dual headlamps, I loved it far more than the other options by just looking at it.

• Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI: The car was indeed a hoot to drive, picked up speeds like it was nothing, the engine was rather extremely free-revving, sweet and beautiful to hear whenever my foot went down, and doesn’t take time to show you what it’s truly capable of. Loved the overall refinement of the engine, DQ200 (7-speed DSG) was doing its duties absolutely well too, it was lighting quick. The Multilink suspension was just a class above. But the torque was barely felt, I wasn’t pushed back like I was in the A3, and that alone made me question.
• Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI: After hearing about several ’DQ200 stories’ I was a little hesitant to lean towards the petrol, which I initially didn’t want to as well. So having considered all that, I drove the 2.0 TDI. This was the moment I realised that this was the car that I was meant to drive. The engine was effortless, I loved the torque and drama offered by the engine, pulled like a train, and all the 320 newton-metres came into life and that’s what really excites me. DQ250 was also super fast enough to get the job done, and rather considered to be a safer bet amongst the two. The car despite being a 143hp diesel pulled all the way to triple-digit speeds like it was a piece of cake. And I also read 2.0 TDI with a remap could be an entirely different breed as well, along with being extremely efficient. The Torsion beam suspension was inferior to that of the Multilink, but to me wasn’t a deal breaker as I was satisfied with the former itself.

Now Octavia had ticked all the boxes for me. Was it understated and elegant? Yes, in every possible way. Was it powerful and fun to drive? Absolutely, without a question. Was it practical and spacious? 590 litres of the boot and ample amount of rear seat space and comfort, what more could one ask for?

So my heart was set towards the diesel and hence we booked the Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI L&K DSG. And exactly on February 28th, the car had got delivered, and I would count it as the most special moment in my life. And from that day on till today, the car has only made me fall in love with it more. Here are some pics of the beauty.

LIKES:

• Beautiful, elegant and understated yet unique design, which is an eye-catcher and an eye candy.

• Powerful and fast 2.0 TDI engine, which is mod friendly and very efficient. 6.8s to the ton with a remap+exhaust (0-100 in 6.5s (1ft rollout)):

• And down are the efficiency figures of the car post remap on the highways. The remap is from Wolf Moto Performance, Kochi.

• Excellent, durable and lightning-fast DQ250 6-speed gearbox.
• Extremely practical, spacious, boot space at 590 litres and a decent amount of leg room and space in the rear seat.
• Superb steering response and sharpness from the steering wheel.
• Extremely informative yet futuristic virtual cockpit.
• Superb infotainment system along with Canton 10-speaker system, which is crisp and to the point.

DISLIKES:

• Although I do have not many complaints against the suspension setup of this car, I wish Skoda hadn’t done cost-cutting in this regard and might as well would’ve given the diesel Octavia also the Multilink independent suspension. The Jetta we own comes with the latter suspension, and yes as slowly time passed by I could say there’s a noticeable difference between the two. Although I’m impressed with the straight-line stability of the torsion beam at high speeds.
• Just like how the Superb and Octavia got the same 1.8 TSI engine, I wished Octavia and Superb diesel came with the same engine (177 hp, 350 nm). Well, that’s just me being greedy, even in stock I loved the power on offer, and especially now after the remap, the car is absolutely a beast on the road, and provides insane acceleration and performance on offer, which I could say is unmatched in the class. The car at Dyno produced 206hp and 502nm on crank a few months back, now I’m running on an updated map.
• Engine refinement isn’t great, to be honest. The diesel clatter could be heard inside the cabin, I wouldn’t say it’s hard to live with but definitely is not impressive like the Jetta or the Octavia 1.8 TSI. But now I’m running on a diesel performance exhaust and that sounds beautiful to me.

It’s been more than 3 years of ownership and gladly this car hasn’t given us any sort of problems as of now, touchwood. 60,000 km were of pure bliss and adrenaline.

I’m planning to run a bigger turbo in a few months to see what this engine truly has to offer. Must say it’s an engine with high potential and is capable of much more insane performance. I will update this thread again when I’m up for a stage 3 upgrade on my car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I still haven’t gotten to use the entire potential of it as it's still in its break-in period.

BHPian highcommand-GT recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Yes, I know it probably seems like a very odd switch. From a sweet turbo petrol with a lightning-quick DSG to a dirty diesel. Most people I have known and seen have mostly switched from their GT TSI's to Laura 1.8 TSI's. But I went a different route clearly.

Let's get started from the beginning, shall we?

The itch to move on from my Candy White 2017 Polo 1.2 GT TSI began somewhere around mid-2022. Up until that point, the car was mostly stock and didn't have anything done to it. I started looking at my options on OLX and stumbled upon a few 1.8 TSI's that were marked up exorbitantly. The recent jump in the used market for Laura TSI's was definitely not helping my case.

The next option I looked for was a good used Jetta. But finding Jetta's that were low run was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Every car I came across was run above 100k kilometres (Speaks to what a workhorse the 2.0 TDI can be if treated well).

After a couple of weeks of searching, another thought popped into my head. People were building 1.2 TSI's left and right. I could take a run at it maybe? That was it. I decided to build the car without messing up its reliability and comfort.

After sweeping through almost all the GT TSI threads on here, I decided upon the following mods:

1. A stage 1 remap
2. A performance air filter
3. A downpipe
4. Custom exhaust system (Catback)
5. Euro Spec air intake channel
6. Intake plumbing from the Fabia VRS
7. OEM Steering with Paddle shifters
8. Paddle Shifter extenders
9. Better brakes

Yes, a BBK (Big brake kit) seems obvious, but couldn't afford it at the moment so I started searching for cheaper alternatives and keep it for another day. And I was not a very aggressive driver either, I only gave it the beans during safe overtakes and from stop lights (when it's completely safe to do so). And I almost always let off when I near the speed limit. I loved the acceleration that the GT TSI offered during those situations but the pull wasn't consistent towards the higher end of the rev-band given the SOHC engine.

I am not going in-depth into the build as this platform is already filled with a lot of GT TSI build threads and this thread is about my 1.5 TDI. What I ended up with on the TSI, was a Stage 2 tune from Etuners Greece with crackles/subtle pops, and all the other mods I mentioned in the list above. The car became a joy to drive. The exhaust sounded amazing and the acceleration was so seamless and enjoyable when mated to the DSG. I could not afford a TCU tune at the time but I somehow felt like the shifts and drivability of the gearbox had improved as well with just the ECU map (Maybe just in my head).

So why did I let go of it?

The DQ200 gearbox

Yes the gearbox from the GT TSI is infamous for its failures. But in the 75,000-odd kilometres, I drove the car, it never gave me any trouble. But all the horror stories about the DQ200 tend to always stay in the back of your head every single day. Every time I drove the car or pushed it, there was always some anxiety in my head that the gearbox could fail at any given moment. Nothing happened thankfully, but what use was your daily driver if you didn't have peace of mind while being in it?

The glass wall

The 1.2 TSI through a beautiful engine always had its limitations, after all the mods I had done, the only things remaining were TCU tune and suspension mods. It felt like I would maybe hit a glass wall on my build journey. Because going stage 3 on the engine would not yield a lot of effect I realised.

The itch for something new

Yup, who doesn't like a new project?

What pushed me over the edge to sell the car, was when one fine day I got the chance to experience my local tuners Stage 2 Jetta 2.0 TDI MT. I had gotten pretty close to him at this point after having tuned a couple of my friend's cars through him and my GT TSI. The Jetta had me lost for words. The way it pushed me into the back of my seat. The relentless pull. The monstrous torque. The way it shot off the line like a rocket launching. God. It was eye-opening. This experience was followed by the words "You could get a similar output and feeling from a Polo 1.5 TDI with a stage 2 setup". I realised TSI's could never give me that feeling unless I go stage 3 on a 1.8 or 2.0 TSI. That push was something I could never attain on my 1.2 TSI.

I started craving it. It haunted my dreams. And finally, after careful consideration and discussion with my tuner, I decided, why not try a different taste of the Polo? A 1.5 TDI. Preferably a GT TDI, but a 1.5 TDI would suffice too.

Found a solid 1.5 TDI on OLX run only 45k kilometres within my budget, and within a few weeks the 1.2 TSI was sold! It was hard to let go of her after years of bonding but I was excited for what was to come. Before I start with the 1.5 TDI, here are a few parting pictures of my beloved GT TSI.

Within a week of selling the TSI, I had gotten my hands on the TDI. A Reflex Silver Polo 1.5 TDI Highline. I always had a thing for silver Polo and it was in perfect condition mechanically though it needed some love on the paintwork. I built a good relationship with the previous owner as well.

Before I even got my hands on the car, I had already ordered a pre-fabricated downpipe through my tuner and had planned out the project pretty well.

So what was in the cards for my "GTD" build?

• A stage 2 tune
• Downpipe
• Performance Air filter
• Euro Spec air intake and channel
• Turbo Muffler Delete
• OEM type 3 tail lights (GTI-like)
• GTI Spoiler
• Lowering Springs
• Bilstein B6/B8
• Good rubber
• 16-inch wheels
• BBK

I wanted to get better rubber on it before I do the tune as the exorbitant amount of torque going to the front wheels post the remap would need sticky rubber for sure. But putting new tyres on the rather plain jane looking 15-inch stock wheels was not even something I was considering. I needed to source good wheels first. And what I really wanted were either the OEM 16-inch GTI wheels or the OEM 16-inch wheels from the MK1 Octavia VRS. Both were very hard to come by. And I was unfortunately put under a time constraint on the tune front as my tuner was going off for a vacation to Dubai within that week and would not be returning until the next month. So had to prioritise the tune first for then.

The downpipe had already arrived and one fine day morning I took the car to my friendly neighbourhood FNG and from there to a local exhaust place to get the downpipe fitted. The stop at the FNG was to pick up a mechanic from there as putting the downpipe on the 1.5 TDI meant the axle had to come out.

They started out in the morning but stumbled upon a hiccup very soon. The downpipe I received had a 3-inch diameter at its exhaust end. Presumably with the assumption that I would be going for a full system exhaust. But I wasn't planning to. So they had to figure out a way to weld it to my stock exhaust pipe. They had to fabricate a hinge and cone to progressively convert the 3-inch pipe to the 2-inch stock pipe (Forgive me if I am using the wrong terms but that was my understanding of what was happening).

That took the whole day. By around 8 PM at night we went back to the exhaust place with the mechanic again to fix the axle again and get the car out. We drove back to the FNG and in went the air filter and air intake while my tuner scanned the stock map and sent it to the master tuner. I should mention by the way that my tuner had switched from Etuners to Venom Performance by that point with the infamous Sreeram Kasaraneni as the master tuner.

All 3 of us were working on the car at the same time. The mechanic with the air filter and intake, My tuner in the process of the remap and I myself was trying to fit an RCD340 that I had sourced along with an auto headlight switch too.

This RCD340 wasn't the same as the one from the Indian version of the Polo. It was made in Poland and it lacked a 3.5 mm jack. In place of the mic that the Indian version possessed on the left side, this one had a "scan" button for the radio. The mic had been moved to where the aux jack was. I was told this would be of superior quality when compared to the ones produced in China that were present in the Indian spec Polos. And so far I am completely content with its performance.

By around 10 PM, the new map was ready to be flashed and we went ahead with it.

And oh boy did the car transform. If somebody told me I was sitting in a car with a stage 3 setup, I would have blindly believed them. The push back into the seat. The wheelspin. The drama. The acceleration. It was utter craziness. The need for slicker tyres was made very evident by the wheels relentlessly spinning until 3rd gear. The 0-100 figures even on the stock JK Tyres were 9 seconds flat. And those were sure to be cut down by a lot when I have better rubber. The map by Venom Performance was out of this world.

The logs show the magic from the folks at Venom Performance India.

I was feeling a little bit of remorse for selling the TSI but it was all thrown out the window while we were taking logs and doing draggy runs for the map. After we wrapped up everything, I went home with a huge grin on my face.

Three weeks passed with that setup, and the need for better tyres and better brakes was made more and more evident every single day that I drove the car. And the search for the wheels was still going on. Thankfully my tuner found a neat example of the 16-inch MK1 Octy VRS wheels which were incidentally produced by Borbet. I was sure it was a safe bet as they were OEM wheels and I was in love with them from the pictures I shared. It was recently given a fresh coat of gunmetal silver and boy oh boy was it shiny.

There was no looking back. Got the wheels delivered within 2 days and kept it on a carpet in my bedroom to give it adequate cushioning from the floor.

I got caught up in work and had to wait until the weekend to get them in the car. Approached a local tyre shop I was previously in contact with and settled on 205/50 R16 Yoko Earth 1’s as PS4s in 16’s were non-existent at that point :(.

The tyre shop bought back the stock wheels and tyres from me for a decent-ish price and reduced it from the cost of the tyres. Win-win. Also got the brake callipers painted to blue as an experiment to see if they’d look good. I didn’t wanna go the generic red or yellow route and thought maybe blue would look cooler along with the gunmetal shade wheels and silver car.

And it did. It was love at first sight. The car was getting cleaner and cleaner with every mod that went on it. Attaching some pictures below for you guys to enjoy as well.

The only previous experience I had with a lowered 1.5 TDI was when I went to look at a used one before settling on my current car. It was a white car with Cobra lowering springs installed. I did not like its stance nor did I like the ride. It was very bouncy and flat-out uncomfortable. The car looked like a hunchback. Too low at the front and too high at the back (I suspect a lower load capacity rated springs meant for the TSI were put on this car). So after that, I was kinda sceptical about lowering my own car.

But one fine day I happened to meet up with a fellow friend of mine who owns a Wolf-tuned stage 2 1.0 TSI Polo AT that’s running on Eibach lowering springs. I sat in his car for a bit and even drove it around and found the ride to be completely acceptable. Yes, it was not as comfortable as the stock suspension but it was not even close to how bouncy it was in the other car I checked out. I am not sure whether it was owed to the Cobra springs or whether he put the springs meant for a GT TSI with a lower load capacity on his 1.5 TDI which made it so uncomfortable.

A small drag race with the Stage 2 1.0 TSI Automatic. (Don't worry we did it on a private stretch of road that had been closed off due to some construction going on in that area, and as it was a Sunday the construction works had also been halted. So the area was completely deserted). Look at the GTD fly. Both cars had two passengers. Running on the exact same specification and brand tyres.

After realising Eibach is a safe bet, the search began again. I was on the lookout for Eibach springs and about one week later my friend/tuner again calls me up and says, he’s found a pair of used springs, they were not exactly Eibach but were OEM VW Springs imported from Europe.

As per the VW Accessories Brochure in Germany, there was a VW OEM Lowering Spring Kit available for the Polo 6R. This offered a 30mm drop on all four corners and for a fairly decent price. These were available in 3 different weights, 830kg (6R0071677A), 860kg (6R0071677) and 960kg (6R0071677B). They were dark blue in colour and were manufactured by Eibach in collaboration with VW. The springs he found were the highest load-rated ones. Best of both worlds much?

The car looked so damn good. The drop was perfection. The added handling benefits were great as well. Definitely worth the money spent. It was not very bouncy, it handled like a charm and wasn’t uncomfortable at all. The car was absolutely turning into an OEM+ build xD.

I wasn’t done with the build but my bank account sure was at this point. The build was pretty silent for a couple of months until my beloved S/O got me a pair of EBC yellow stuff brake pads for our anniversary. It was a much-needed, upgrade considering all of the other upgrades I had done to the car. Yes, I know a big brake kit would have made more sense but all in good time.

The Yellow stuff pads were doing an amazing job at stopping the car. I still haven’t gotten to use the entire potential of it as it's still in its break-in period. So taking it easy for now.

That was the last thing added to the build list. It has been a fulfilling journey so far and I am beyond excited for what is in store.

So what’s left in the build?

• Big brake kit
• Turbo muffler delete (coming very very soon)
• Bilstein B6 or B8
• Anti-roll bars
• GTI like tartan seat covers

And in the far-out future, maybe a 2.0 TDI or 2.0 TSI swap along with a DQ250 gearbox? A man can dream

Before I end my post, I wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to my dear friend Mr Jyothirgosh from Venom Performance Kerala. He has been the literal backbone of this entire build having sourced 99% of everything for me. I can't thank him enough for being there for me throughout this entire journey. And of course, I have to thank Sreeram from Venom Performance India for the absolute magic he has done with the remap. From a puny 90 bhp eco box to a literal monster that punches way about its weight.

So that’s it guys, a bit of a long one I know but thanks for taking the time to go through my journey. I’ll part ways for now with a few pictures of my “GTD” build. Be sure to be on the lookout for more.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.