Let the Tinkering get Abominable.

[Mysticality]

I do wonder how my DSG will hold up to that sort of torque curve though!

Better you, than me.
Definitely interested; goes well with the manual but as I've been driving the work DSG's recently I'm beginning to get that twinge... haha

[Greg Roles]

Talk about the Ford GT snorkle being a great fit, I thought it would work, but it went better than expected. I had to cut a closing wedge in the snorkle, and glue the rubber back together and internally sand, so not a simple DIY, but I'm very happy with the result. Drops the intake hiss a lot too from the cabin as opposed to being open in the engine bay. Has a very nice intake burble now.

[gldgti]

cool! fordparts

[Greg Roles]

Couldn't justify the bucks for a Octy VRS steering wheel when I want a new intercooler more, so I spent a lot of time researching and found a suitably close Golf 6 Steering wheel cover from redlinegoods.com. About $150 and a good four hours of careful stitching later, and I'm stoked with the result. I bought a plain black perforated cover with black thread, but there were a ton of options.

Not an easy DIY, but if you are patient not as hard as it seems. The side spokes are not properly covered as the Golf wheel is obviously different, but from a driving perspective you have to look hard to notice, and the back where the DSG paddles go feels fine even though it is only about half covered. The cover does not meet up around the wheel, but I have to say it was a gamble that worked out in my humble opinion.

[Lucas_R]

Good work on both the intake and the steering wheel Greg. It looks like your factory steering wheel was already leather bound, so did you purely want to beef it up a bit by making it thicker, or did you want the perforated look?

Intake ended up fitting really well - nothing like a good DIY custom/one-off job hey.

[Greg Roles]

Fatter and perforated mate, the stock Yeti wheel is a bit, well, petite.

[tinto]

Loving the intake & wheel work Greg.
It's OEM, just not the OEM you'd expect.
Does the intake face forward like that on the Ford?

Given what an upholsterer would charge, you've clearly got the patience of a saint to stitch like that.
Was it a take-the-wheel-off scenario or do you now have a slipped disc from sitting in the driver's seat like gollum clutching and stroking the precious?

[Greg Roles]

Hey ol' mate, it points downwards into the front passenger bumper in the Ford, I just wanted a cheap, enclosed, pod style filter with a suitable snorkle. If it flows OK for a 5.4, I reckon it'll do, and I'm happy with the induction sound now, there, but not too intrusive.

Yeah the wheel took me five episodes of Band of Brothers, so a while, but driving around today, well I'm stoked with it. I took it off, the only way to do it really.

Onto the poor DSG next, it's going to be working harder soon, time to give it some love. Please note bogan B&M cooler, hard to shake my past.

[Greg Roles]

OK I put the DSG cooler in today, it's pretty simple really, but for anyone doing it in future, realise the cooler is full of both coolant - which you can allow for - but so too some DSG oil - which I didn't - and it made a mess. It's not a lot, but enough to make a mess. I added extra DSG fluid to fill the cooler and lines, and will have to recheck the DSG oil level next few days.

I added an optional thermostat, simply because "why not".

I have not bothered to do any before and after temps, this is simply getting ready for more power, and doing those things that make sense to me. Onto the Water Meth next....

[Greg Roles]

Water Meth is almost complete, but while I was in the centre console hooking up a DIY switch and tank level LED for it, I decided the Columbus has to go, I'm over how slow it is. Back to life are the old gauges from my GT TDI....and I've my eye on a nice Alpine head unit. I did try to avoid doing another bloody stereo, but I caved in....