I don’t necessarily consider accessories to be the same as modifications. This is where I’ve collected the “nice-to-haves” in a place that’s separate from the “mods.” Here is a summary:
Convenience Mods – Modern VWs and Audis come from the factory with many conveniences which make them a little better. However, most owners never know about the features that are not activated at the factory that can be activated at home. I’ve enabled features such as remote window opening/closing and disabled some annoyances such as the seatbelt chime. Those are just two of the many things that I’ve done. Read more here.
3M Clear Bra – Rock chips: Everyone hates them! Touch-up paint never really looks quite right and the damaged area is subject to rust if you don’t fix it quickly. A clear bra is a great solution! A 3M clear bra is expensive, but I knew it was worth it after the first time I saw a rock fly over the center median and strike my hood without damaging it. A close inspection of the bra reveals several tiny gouges in the material, but none of the damage goes through to the paint. PRICELESS! Read more here.
Rear Seat Delete – My rear seat delete is perhaps the most significant “accessory” on this list. I didn’t think to feature it at first because I didn’t buy it at a store. Regardless, its presence and functionality is impossible to overlook. My version features two cubic feet of storage beneath its lift-up doors and forced ventilation to help keep my communications equipment cooler during periods of heavy operation. Read more here.
Splash Guards – I’m a fan of splash guards, aka “mud flaps,” on my cars. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss them until I left them off my Mk6. Sure enough, I found myself needing to clean tar and grime off the rocker panels and rear bumper skin on a regular basis. As a result, I knew I wanted splash guards on my GTI. My paint stays nice and clean in those areas, thanks to the extra protection.
Window Tint and Shade – I decided to tint my windows with a ceramic tint for excellent heat rejection. Later, I decided to add some VW accessory pop-in sun shades. The combination of the two makes the rear glass fairly dark and practically impossible to see through from the outside. It’s great for privacy if I’m carrying precious cargo in the back. I grouped the two items together here, but have separate pages for them. See this entry to read more about the window tint; see this entry to read about the pop-in sun shades.
Next, learn about the different cargo-carrying methods I use with my GTI.