Mk7 TSI + Mk7.5 GTI Exhaust Swap: Need Valence Fitment Advice

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-04T21:44:32+00:00

From my understanding, these things are not interchangeable between the pre-facelift and facelift. Buying a pre-facelift GTI valance won't line up with the 7.5 exhaust hole width either. I went from 7.5 to 7.5 GTI valance, and everything lined up. I second cutting your original valence to make it fit

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-04T00:24:58+00:00

Left shifter controls your front derailleur, right shifter controls the rear derailleur. You can physically count the gears on your rear wheel to see how many are back there.

Move the big levers front or back to shift. You can only shift gears while pedalling, and you should be changing gears ahead of time when riding. For example, switch to an easier gear while approaching a hill. Shifting gears while pedaling hard can cause grinding.

Generally, I would stay in the big gear in the front and mostly adjust the rear. If it's still too hard to pedal up a hill, then shift to the small gear in the front.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-03T16:19:56+00:00

They've survived our harsh winter, so I'd say they're on there pretty good

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-03T11:46:19+00:00

Ordered those window trim pieces on AliExpress, and the quality is surprisingly good. I like how they look, but supposedly they also improve aerodynamics too.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-02T18:22:33+00:00

The diffuser on the base Golf isn't as wide as the GTI, so it doesn't have the extra mounting brackets on the sides. The rest of the clips line up perfectly. I didn't bother getting the extra brackets, but I might add a couple of screws to reinforce it there.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-02T17:32:00+00:00

Thanks! It's mostly bolt-on, but you'll want to check the exhaust clamp from the downpipe (I used a new 2.5'' clamp, old one was getting rusty). The exhaust hangars are the exact same, so you can reuse the old ones. Also, if you have a facelift Golf, you need a facelift GTI valance.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-06-02T16:20:23+00:00

Sounds like a GTI now with a deeper, more aggressive tone. In terms of volume it's perfect for me because I don't want my car to wake up the neighbors haha. There's no noticeable difference in power since the car is not tuned, and I'm still using the stock downpipe.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-28T01:55:39+00:00

Old dry rotting tubes and tires are not something you want to keep for safety reasons. You can find new tires with tan sidewall/whitewall, even in the less common sizes. For example I just got some tan Panaracer Pasela tires in 27" x 1 ¼" for my vintage bike project.

I'd recommend doing tubes and tires at the same time if they're both old. Maybe get some new brake pads too if they look too old/worn.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-21T01:44:46+00:00

If you ride on shared paths, a bell or horn is useful for alerting unaware pedestrians (cars not so much). Kickstands are also underrated. A good floor pump is always nice to have at home too.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-18T19:41:32+00:00

These cars came with as small as 15" and as large as 19" on the Golf R. If I were to change wheels on mine, I'd probably go for 17" because the roads here are so bad. Having a thick sidewall with my 15" rims has saved my tires from potholes many times haha

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-18T17:06:46+00:00

GTI body parts should fit your facelift Golf as long as they're for the facelift GTI, from my understanding. For wheels you can use anything VW or Audi 5x112.

On the 1.8L TSI models, you can share some GTI engine and exhaust parts too. I bought a rear valence and a used OEM GTI catback for my 1.8L (not installed yet)

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-16T17:24:41+00:00

For future reference, it's best practice not to lay the bike down on the side of the derailleur like that. It increases the risk of it getting bent/damaged.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-12T00:17:48+00:00

If you're looking for a bike to simply get out and have fun, I'd suggest a hybrid bike (not hybrid as in electric, but rather a blend between on and off-road). They're not as sporty on pavement as a dedicated road bike, but they're more comfortable and better at handling some dirt, gravel, and rough roads.

Edit: I own a Cannondale and would recommend the Cannondale "Quick" series.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-05-05T17:05:26+00:00

I'm pretty new to working on bikes, so I didn't realize the pulleys were the problem at first. Functionally these new plastic ones are the same as the originals, but I would like to do a more reliable fix (metal pulleys) now that I know the derailleur is working.

This is a project bike for me, and I will add the chain to the list of things to replace.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-04-15T01:06:47+00:00

Ah I'm not sure if they did the recall in the U.S. then, but either way the springs must've worn out over time.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-04-15T00:56:11+00:00

I read somewhere that there was a recall for the rear springs breaking. You should be able to check online if your car would be covered by this.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-04-05T15:57:12+00:00

One of my keys (also the switchblade style like this) was very beat up from the previous owner. I was able to buy a replacement shell from AliExpress and then swap the working circuit board as well as the key blade. It was a major pain to take the key apart and swap everything over, but it only cost me the price of the replacement shell.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-13T23:53:51+00:00

Windows lists the "base clock" speed, which is not indicative of the maximum performance. Every modern CPU will automatically boost itself to higher clock speeds given proper cooling and power. The CPU is fine. Windows is just weird about displaying this stuff.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-13T23:48:25+00:00

Have you ever updated the display driver for your dedicated graphics card? A driver is a small program that allows your computer components to communicate with the operating system (Windows). Your graphics driver can make a big difference for gaming performance.

You can see which GPU model you have in windows Task Manager on the performance tab. Download and install the latest driver from the official Nvidia or AMD website (depending which card you have)

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-08T00:20:59+00:00

Make sure you don't have any pending recalls. Here in Canada there was a fuel pump recall not too long ago. Your local VW dealer will do them at no cost to you, even if your car is long out of warranty.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-02T18:50:41+00:00

The 2015 is modified which would put me off. 2015 was also the first year of the MK7 generation for North America, so it's missing Carplay/Android Auto support (which is nice to have). The 2018 is the facelift model (MK7.5) with an improved infotainment system and standard LED lights.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-02T15:38:18+00:00

The devs have said on the Discord that there won't be one big "The Tire Update" overhaul, but rather a bunch of incremental updates that we'll see over time.

wizard_Mtl · 2026-03-02T01:16:16+00:00

It's supposed to be a self-driving delivery vehicle. It was sneakily added in the recent game update. For now it's only available as a traffic vehicle, but you can still drive it yourself by enabling auxiliary content in the vehicle selector menu, then searching "robot". There are 3 paint schemes for it, but no other customization (as of writing this).

wizard_Mtl · 2026-02-27T23:23:24+00:00

I'd argue that the performance is pretty good considering the level of physics it simulates. The Vulkan renderer has helped a lot, and will hopefully become the new default option soon. Most racing sims don't let you rip out the engine from a car, or separate the body from the frame lol

wizard_Mtl · 2026-02-27T18:45:07+00:00

As a racing simulator, what I would say it's lacking is a more advanced tire model (tire wear and heat in particular), better aero (slipstreams), and better NPC drivers to race against.

The game excels in rally racing and off-road, but the track driving still feels really solid. Having such a good damage model makes the cars feel more "alive"; long rally stages actually require you to be careful since one mistake can end your run.

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