Good news - The motor passed the MOT with flying colours! She is back on the road again but that is where the good news ends...
Having driven a few hundred miles I can safely say the new map in the car isn't right. Power is slow to pick up and there are a few dead spots especially one around 3k rpm that is doing my head in. Depends how you hit it but it feels like she loses all boost and then it builds slowly again once it gets past 3.2k. It is much quicker when on boost now but the car definitely didn't drive like that before.
I spoke to the guy who mapped the motor and he told me to bring it back in. However I got chatting to a few guys who also had their motors tuned at this place and they say he is a cowboy and best avoided. This is the same guy who came highly recommended to me during summer so I dunno
However by an absolute stroke of luck, I got talking to a legitimately very knowledgeable chap who is also a tuner and the owner of a couple of tuned 35's. We had a great conversation about what I wanted to achieve with the build and we came up with a plan that I am very excited for...
The plan is 300bhp or as close to it as I can get. To get there I have ordered and am waiting delivery on a new Front Mount Intercooler, DPF Delete and EGR Delete from Darkside. Once fitted the motor is going to him to be tuned properly this time. He did say realistically 300bhp would be a push on the standard turbo and fuel pump but with the above modifications and a proper rolling road tune, we should get 290 something. However ultimately reliability is more important to me than a few extra horses but we will see what happens on the day.
Can I also say what an amazing piece of kit xHP FlashTool is. It has transformed the car, no more waiting for what felt like an eternity for the car to change gear. D mode feels like it has been improved, S mode feels just brutal now as the car bangs through the gear changes. I tend to drive the car in manual most of the time and the gear changes are now instant. To anyone reading this who might be on the fence, I cannot recommend this modification any more highly.
Other than that, I have ordered 15mm spacers, the F style gear knob conversion kit and a new exhaust. The exhaust will be custom made but I haven't fully decided what I want yet. Am considering just a straight pipe with no boxes as I don't think these motors are all that loud anyway. Still need to read and research this some more before I make my final decision. I am also hoping to get the car dechromed in the next couple of weeks but overall will be keeping external mods to a minimum for that sleeper effect lol.
That pretty much brings things to to date. I will get some pictures up as and when parts arrive and I get them fitted to the motor
Thanks for dropping in!
Darth Niloc