Description
I am the second owner and bought the car in June 2020 . It had 53000 miles on the clock, and completely standard. However, it had suffered a head gasket failure at 42000 so the owner opted for a brand new bare engine from VW( documented in its full service history ) . During my ownership I have upgraded and modified it to the position you can see in the photographs and can read in detail below. It is fully Road legal, MOT until next May and I use it for around 5000 Road miles each year. However, it is also track focused and I have done track days with it at 4 circuits.
Engine and gearbox. Almost standard except for the induction kit and a full stainless exhaust system including manifolds, flexi downpipes, 200cel sports cats, centre box and rear silencer ( oh and new pre cat O2 sensors ) The DSg has a stage one map installed which ups the Rev limit before gear change, which is brilliant on the track but pointless on the road . It was mapped ( at Stealth) in March this year and made 275 hp ( 250 hp is stock ) Dyno printout in the files along with reams of other invoices and documents that go with all the changes
CHASSIS. Both front and rear subframes have been replaced with tubular steel subframes made by Verkline. At the front, the lower arms are alloy Superpro ones with Superpro 26mm anti-roll bar with AST drop links . The hubs are alloy TT ones with new bearings, new drive shafts and ABS sensors. The rack is a gen 3 rack from an Audi TTRS complete with new TT arms and track rod ends ( track is wider on the TT so once the hubs are changed, the TT rack is needed to do the job properly . At the rear, the Verkline subframe is complemented with Verkline trailing arms, camber arms and track control arms, all rose jointed and linked to alloy Audi TT hubs with new bearings and drive shafts . The rear lower wishbones are bespoke rose jointed straight arms as, with full coilovers , the spring pan was no longer needed .
SUSPENSION. Full coilovers all round made by MOTON. They are two way adjustable with seperate compression and rebound adjustment , the former facilitated via remote oil pressurised canister as seen in the photographs and the latter via similar adjusters on the body of the coilover ( at the top accessible via the strut top at the front and near the bottom of the coilover tube at the rear . This suspension is very expensive but absolutely brilliant both for the road and the track , and is not harsh or crashy . But then at £4500 for the coilovers, one would hope for a few benefits .
BRAKES. Upgrade on the master cylinder to 25. 4mm bore ( up from 23. 8 ) . Master cylinder is Audi TTRS ( but if you have read this far, you probably guessed that one ) Front brakes are 360x32 2 piece rotors with Compbrake 6 piston callipers . At the rear , the rotors are similar 2 piece items but 330x28mm with Compbrake 4 piston callipers and internal electric handbrake . Braided lines naturally and, though I say it myself, absolutely brilliant. I use PFC11 pads on track and then put in PFC07 for the road, and have just fitted a brand new set of the latter at both front and rear .
INTERIOR. I hope that the pictures do most of the talking. JP Cages bolt in half cage, Cobra Imola pro seats with TRS 4 point harnesses . The rest of the interior is more or less as God and VW intended , except for the Momo steering wheel and the APEX paddle shifters .
WHEELS and TYRES . Yes, it has some . The wheels are Enkei Ragin 18x8. 5 flow formed shod with Yokohama AD08RS tyres in really good condition
In my ownership the Haldex and the DSG have had two oil changes ( the engine more like 6 ) and I did strip and rebuild the diff , but only to replace its oil seals . Oh, underneath it has a full steel undertray and a steel tunnel brace and all the suspension , subframes , undertrays etc are powder coated .
I think that includes most of the upgrades, all of which I have installed and , where needed , modified or made new ( rear lower wishbones, hand brake controller , electrics for the paddle shifters etc .
BODYWORK Readers may have noticed the slight variance from the original Mk5 Golf. The front wings, bonnet , front bumper and rear arches are all made by ABS motorsport in Lincolnshire . All but the bonnet have been professionally painted in the Pearl Black to match the rest of the shell, the bonnet has a carbon fibre wrap. The whole lot might have saved a bit of weight but it’s mostly about getting plenty of wheel to arch clearance with the TT wider track and 8. 5” wheels . I am only using 225- 40 tyres but there is room for 245 if needed .
I have included some photographs but have loads more, mostly of the various iterations of build I went through to get the car where it is now . If you would really like a black 3 door Golf R32 in brilliant condition and completely standard, my car will be an abject and utter disappointment . If, however, a Mk5 R32 properly re engineered to be completely Road friendly and yet , if you wish, tremendous fun on a track with inspiring and confidence giving levels of grip , turn in and balance , then this compromised R32 might be for you. If I added up all that I have spent on the car , and not include the £10, 000 I paid for it in 2020 , the sale price would be around £21, 000. But cars don’t work like that . Cars are very seldom worth the sum of their parts . Hence the advertised sale price of £9995I hope you like it, perhaps even enough to consider buying it. And if you have a Lotus Elise that you want to sell and would consider my Golf in part exchange for it, let me know .
