Author Archives: Scott
Stuck in the Mud; Saved by the “More Power Puller”
Have you ever wanted to take to the mud with your summer performance tires and see what your Mk7 can do? Yeah, neither have I. But it still happened. I’ve made a few references to my yard projects in earlier … Continue reading
Yakima Showcase 15 Wrap-Up (Pun Intended, Leaks Resolved)
If you’ve read my Long-Term Review of the Showcase 15, then you know that I was extremely disappointed to discover that many of its rivets leak during even light rainfall, causing the bottom of the box to pool with water. … Continue reading
Getting Stoned With My GTI!
I’ve been working on a drainage project behind my house. My back yard slopes toward my house, which means that rainwater from the two homes uphill from me collects against my back door and eventually culminates into a river through the garage. … Continue reading
Two Years Old Plus Turbo Weather!
Time flies when I’m having fun! Veteran’s Day marked the second anniversary of my GTI purchase. It also happens to fall at the onset of “Turbo Weather.” Temperatures are in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, so my intake temperatures are … Continue reading
Overheating Equipment in the Trunk?
My last few entries have been about changes to my stereo and ham radio projects. I’ll finish the series by answering a frequently asked question: “Doesn’t your equipment get hot or risk overheating under the trunk floor?” I considered that … Continue reading
Ham Radio Display Relocation
NOTE: I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. Click here to see more! When I first bought my car, I chose to mount my Icom ID-5100A display down by the gearshift because I had become accustomed to having … Continue reading
D-Dock Smartphone Dock and Android Auto
I’ve used smartphones in my cars for over 10 years. I don’t text and drive, but I like being aware of when I receive a message and will take a look at short messages. I WON’T read a message that’s … Continue reading
Long Term Review: Helix Sound Upgrade
Believe it or not, I’m no audio systems expert, despite what this photo may compel you to believe. I just know more about stereo upgrades than the average driver; plus, I know how to get what I want in an … Continue reading
60,000 Miles; Plus Musings About Future Volkswagens…
My drivetrain warranty is officially over now that I’ve reached 60,000 miles. Amusingly, I declare that as though my power upgrades hadn’t killed the warranty already. HAHA! The car’s been running great. My list of mods continues to grow slowly. … Continue reading
Eight Inch MIB2 Display
I’ve been very pleased with the MIB2 infotainment system in my GTI. The display size is adequate, sound quality is good, and the system introduced me to AndroidAuto. If you’ve explored my site, then you know that I’ve upgraded my system … Continue reading
OEM Pop-In Sunshades (Rear)
I tinted my glass a few months ago, but I was still intrigued by Volkswagen’s pop-in shades, P/N: 5G0-064-365. The shades were recently on sale at Deutsche Auto Parts (DAP), so I made an impulse purchase. The kit comes with … Continue reading
More Nogaros, Now in Gunmetal Gray…
I recently found myself wondering if the 18×7.5-inch Nogaro could become rare in the United States. They seem to be common in the U.K. However, they were available only on the 2017 GTI Sport in the U.S. See this post … Continue reading
OBDEleven Scan Tool Holder
I have an OBDEleven scan tool. I learned the hard way that leaving the scan tool plugged in full-time isn’t a great idea. Mine has lived in the glovebox for the past 18 months. There’s nothing terribly wrong with that. … Continue reading
Bicycling Event Support
I had planned to enter my car in Sunday’s BugOut 81 show in Dinwiddie, VA. However, ongoing home projects and a long day on the road Saturday precluded me from making it a priority. What was I doing on the … Continue reading
Hüper Optik Ceramic Window Film
I enjoyed a moderate tint on my Mk3 Jetta TDI for over 16 years. There were times when the tint was old, faded, or even bubbled at a point or two. I had opted for inexpensive dyed film for both … Continue reading
50,000 Miles!
I’m still blasting-up the miles! I passed the 50,000-mile mark right when the car turned 17 months. I once predicted I’d reach 175,000 miles by the five-year mark. That was when I had a 50-mile each way daily commute. But … Continue reading
Door Creaking (Resolved)
I noted some creaking in my door or B-pillar during my 30,000-mile entry. I had read reports of a weld that might have failed in a number of Mk7s. I was hopeful that was not my case. I noticed the … Continue reading
Subwoofer Power Upgrade – Rockford Fosgate T1S1
My subwoofer journey has been a series of incremental improvements. My first setup accidentally included a subwoofer with dual 2-ohm voice coils instead of dual 4-ohm voice coils. The difference meant that my 300-watt amplifier could only output about 200 … Continue reading
Nogaro Wheels: Will They Be “Rare” in the Near Future?
The 2017 GTI Sport came with 18-inch Nogaro wheels. I’m not sure why VW chose to equip this trim differently from the other GTIs, but the fact remains that these wheels were sold on a relatively small number of GTIs … Continue reading
40,000 Miles!
Happy New Year! My GTI continues to accumulate miles at a quick pace. At my current rate of driving, the car should reach 175,000 miles by the time it’s five years old. It’s scary to consider the car’s value at … Continue reading
USP Motorsports Steel Oil Pan Conversion
Automakers continue to find ways to save weight for better fuel economy and performance. Some choose to eliminate the spare tire. Others, including VW/Audi, choose to use plastic oil pans on some of their engines. The risk of damage seems … Continue reading
Long-Term Review: Yakima Showcase 15
I had some opinions about my Showcase 15 right away, but decided to wait until after its first real trip before writing a long-term review. I used the box on a Thanksgiving voyage from southeast Virginia to St Louis, Missouri, … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Road Trip to St Louis
It’s been a few years since the last time my family of three piled into a car for a road trip. As much as I appreciate the higher fuel economy and spaciousness of my wife’s Mk6 Jetta TDI, I’m simply … Continue reading
One Year Old!
As I was writing about my clutch upgrade, I realized that the car was almost one year old. I put my name on this car on Veteran’s Day 2016 and drove it home the following day. So it became one … Continue reading
Smaller Rear Headrests
Many have scorned the large rear headrests in modern cars. Sure, they’re there for improved neck protection for rear seat occupants in the event of a rear-end collision (their function is as a “head restraint” rather than “head rest”). But … Continue reading
Ultra Tow Trailer Hubs
This isn’t exactly a “GTI entry.” However, my “baby trailer” spends enough time behind my GTI that it’s almost a part of the car. Since the trailer is two years old and has a fair chance of joining us on … Continue reading
Spare Tire Access Improvement
As I routinely accessed the spare tire area to make small improvements to my electronics package, I learned that the spare tire could not be removed unless I emptied the entire trunk, to include removing the floor panel, due to … Continue reading
My Tires LOVE Nails and Screws!
Believe it or not, I didn’t expect to be the blogger who’d write about his GTI every week. But purchases and events continue to give me something to say. 😉 This time, it’s tire repairs. Back when I built a … Continue reading
Findway F518 Style 3D Floor Liner
I liked the WeatherTech floor liners I had in my Mk6 Jetta. So getting a set for my GTI last year was a no-brainer. My only gripes about them was their unwillingness to come clean and the lack of traction … Continue reading
Full Disclosure
[Updated on 11/1/2024] I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my VW’s over the years. My website serves as a way to say “read this” so that I don’t have answer the same questions every day. This includes in … Continue reading
30,000 Miles!
The past 10,000 miles have flown by quickly, taking only three months! It’s hard to believe that I’m at this milestone before the car is even a year old. That should put me around the 35,000-mile mark by the car’s … Continue reading
Aerodynamics, Noise, and Fuel Economy (Oh My!)
Adding a roof rack, cargo box, and other attachments has an effect on aerodynamics, noise and fuel economy (oh my!). I’m an analytical type who wants to know “how much noise” and “how much fuel economy” each option affects. So, … Continue reading
Rhino Rack Fairing
My Rhino Rack Vortex 2500 RS is a very quiet rack. Still, I had to know if it could be even quieter with a fairing, particularly with my ShowCase cargo box mounted. My only concern was whether the fairing’s mounting … Continue reading
BugOut 80
It had been ten years since the last time I attended a Volkswagen car show. The TDIFests in 2009 and 2011 are noteworthy exceptions, but they cater only to the TDI crowd. “BugOut” is for all Volkswagens and has a … Continue reading
Rhino Rack Vortex 2500 RS
Updated 6/2/2026: Edited to reflect that I’ve switched to full-time use and added quite a load to my RhinoRack! I used a Yakima roof rack on my then-new 1988 Nissan Sentra for about 10 years. My 1992 VW Golf saw … Continue reading
Yakima ShowCase 15
I’ve been on many road trips over the years. I’ve come to dislike having baggage or cargo in the passenger compartment. With my Jettas, anything that didn’t fit in the trunk usually found its way into a 10 cubic-foot cargo … Continue reading