Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

[calgarydub]

Hello. I've been comming to these forums for sometime now (can't remember old username) and was wondering what it takes to become an actual *member*?

Where can I get a eurodrivers sticker for my GTI?

I am interested in taking my driving skills to the next level. I am very interested in learning advanced driving skills, not only for street use, but for track also. I'm just about 19, have been driving for a couple years. Both cars have been GTI's. No accidents (I just read that kid with the M5 post and shook my head) I also feel like some of you may feel my question is somehow due to, or related to that story, but it isn't (My dad only has a 535i anways).

I hope in the next year or so I can have my GTI to a point where I can take it to shows, do some actual track and maybe try drag race. I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research into bigger turbos, specifically the APR Stage 3+ I know it's a lot of power but I absolutley have a passion for vdubya's and would love to be able to safely harness the power of a bigger turbo (maybe start off smaller and build my way up?). No I do not street race (sure the occasional rip, who doesn't?) and I feel like I am a pretty good (defensive) driver, but I would love to aquire a higher skill level. I know there is a wealth of information on here and a lovely community with honest, friendly people. Can anyone help me with where to start?

Oh one more question because although I think I know, there may be something I am missing.
For someone to upgrade their turbo what extra's are needed/recommended? ie Brakes, Suspension, intercooler, internal engine parts etc etc.

Feel free to move this thread wherever it would fit best. Sorry for the life story/long read, but I feel it is necessary for what I am asking - as well as giving some information about who I am.


Thank you so much in advance.

Paul.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Hey Paul if you want a membership and stickers the best way is to get in touch with me or come out to the next meet.

[Kor]

Re: Couple Questions about turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Hi Paul,

To become a local member and get a sticker, you can come out to one of our monthly (sometimes bi-weekly) meets. We do have yearly dues but its cheap. Blair aka Canadian Turbo can hook you up with a membership and card. Paid members also get discounts at a few shops and vendors in town.

As for driving skills, there are usually auto-x lessons in the spring, I believe you have to pay for them but well worthwhile. I want to take them this year too. All you need is a helmet and a car.

APR Stage 3 is a pretty good product and probably a lot of fun.

Other things you'll need with something like that... clutch and exhaust for sure. Probably want to think about things like intercooler, suspension, engine mounts, boost control, etc etc... it gets expensive.

[calgarydub]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Hey guys thanks for the replies.
I will see if I can make it out to one of the meets it is sometimes hard to find time between uofc, my job and girlfriend.

I wouldn't mind paying for the auto-cross lessons at all. I already have a helmet as I use to ride a dirt bike but not sure if they allow them to be used for this?

I imagine the turbo would be expensive, and so far I've only done exterior/interior mods and suspension, so I guess I will start counting my pennies.

[Khyron]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!



Helmet needs to be snell 2000 or better - you can buy new open face ones for under 80 bucks.

There is winter autoX - I did one last week and will probably be doing one this weekend as well.

http://cscc.speedracer.ca/forums/ind...oard,34.0.html

Summer autox should be on Friday nights along with the drags. It's cheap, but remember no insurance and stuff can break when you're hard on it.

[calgarydub]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Sounds like a lot of fun!

Where can you get the helmets from, all that comes to mind is blackfoot motor sports??
Do you need to have lessons or take a course before you can participate, or is it like most things which you learn as you do more of it?

Looks like a lot of fun I'll dig around on that link.

[Kor]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Blackfoot Motorsports is a pretty good place for helmets yeah.

[bart]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

winter auto-x: soooooooo bad for your car. ouch

[Khyron]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

winter auto-x: soooooooo bad for your car. ouch

Shrug - seemed no harder than driving to a ski hill on a winter day. And certainly less tire wear/brake wear than summer. Oh yah I got the helmet a blackfoot, although Bow Cycle and Pro Am would have the same I would expect.

[PrezeS_PL]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

And certainly less tire wear

Last set on the golf lasted only six events, I think I may had a set of gravels for one event too.
For this season I got six brand new tires, but could not come to first 3 events.

The weather at the last event was brutal and and we only got to do 3 runs.

[Khyron]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

The weather at the last event was brutal and and we only got to do 3 runs.

Yah that was my first one - I even stood outside with a stopwatch for the whole rwd/awd section. This one can't be harsher. :P

[RONDAL]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

few things to address here so i'm going to break it down.

A) Driver Skill

The best way to become a better driver is to sign up for some autocross and some autocross type driving school. WHile many make fun of people who do this and say its too slow and just around cones, these people are sadly misinformed. Unlike high speed courses where speed can hide imperfections in driving, autocross is done at a low speed with tight corners set up in such a way to exploit any weaknesses you may have. You get the first corner wrong you usually end up getting the next 3 wrong, and look VERY slow. It is also a great way to learn car control, and what your car can do, where its limits are, and what it acts like at the limit. You would be surprised with some cars how high the limits are, compared to where you thought they were, and the tendancies they show at the limit. A great example is my friends MR2. Great car, handles like a dream...but you get that thing at the limit and it will bite your head off. You end up facing backwards due to lift oversteer very quickly. Far better to learn that at the track where all you hit is a cone, rather than the street where you risk killing others.
There is secret street on friday nights and a number of good driving schools offered that can help you, as well as people on this board who instruct. best $$$ you can spend...ahead of ANY MOD you put on your car.

B) Upgrading power.
I don't know what you are running right now, I am assuming just a stock GTI 1.8T. While it might be more economical to simply to do it all once and go balls deep I might caution against it. There are the costs associated with doing it, and whatever you think they may be....double it. NO JOKE either. There is far more to be done, but i will address that next. If and when you want to go down that road do lots of research...it's not as simple as it sounds.

C. Other mods

Before you even THINK about putting a big turbo in your car you should make sure everything else is brought up to par. Doing this first will not only give you a better car while you await the heavy engine mods, it ensures you dont skimp on them. Full suspension, including proper springs and shocks, sway bars and stress bars should be put in. People can ***** about how they are unneccesary, but if you ever want to actually use the power you want to make from a modified engine they are WELL worth the investment. A proper handling car will drive circles around a high horsepower car.
Get some good tires and brakes. Upgrading brakes is a must on big HP cars...you go fast...you need to stop FASTER. Stock brakes simply cant handle the heat generated and dont have the clamping forces needed.
You will want to upgrade your tranny and put in a LSD if you are going over 300hp, which the APR stage 3+ will do. You will otherwise be leaving bits and pieces of your tranny all over the road and creating a car that in not driveable due to torque steer and one tire fire. You will also want an upgraded clutch to handle the power, but this should be done when you add the power as driving with too much clutch is just a nightmare in traffic.

If you have a stock car..with no engine mods or suspension and tranny work I would easily say you are looking at close to $7,000 worth of parts alone when all is said and done to properly run an APR stage 3+ kit. If you decide to skimp on areas not only will your car be breaking more often, it also will drive like **** compared to what it can.

Do it right the first time...take your time...do your research, and DONT CHEAP OUT.

[calgarydub]

Re: Couple Questions abot turbos, membership, and driving skills!

Thank you RONDAL for taking time to type all that out!

Would it be a bad idea to buy a used turbo kit? I have absolutely no problem buying new, but I was just curious as I have seen some for sale. Again I am not in any rush for this thing, but everyone has to start somewhere.



As for wheels, does size,weight,quality matter when you have a big turbo, or just the type of tires you have?

Most of my mods have been exterior, I will only list those with may have an effect on performance:

Koni Coilovers
Forge 007 DV (it was a good deal)
Short ram intake because it looks cool (whoooooosh)

Here is what I have in mind to prepare for Stage3+ (feel free to comment on my choices):
APR chip
APR TIP
APR 3" Turbo Back Exhaust
Neuspeed 28mm Rear Sway Bar
Front sway bar??

Here is what I need advice on:
Brakes (Brembo, Stoptech?)
Intercooler (APR perhaps?)
LSD (Peloquin?)
Clutch (?)


Thanks for looking over this!