# '12 Beetle Turbo build



## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

So I guess I might as well start one of these threads.

2012 Reflex Silver
2.0T 6 speed manual
Base Trubo model with gauge pod

"Jefy" (read my plate and you'll figure out why he's named that) was purchased as a leftover late Feb.2013. I had previously bought a CPO White base turbo bug 2 weeks prior, but it was totaled 4 days/600 miles after I picked it up on my way to vacation in Florida. That thread and pics are here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5972957-My-into-for-2-Beetle-s









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It stayed stock for all of 6 months. I purchased a new complete air ride setup from a fellow member overseas weeks prior to H2Oi 2013.
Airlift Performance series front setup with Airlift double bellow rear bags and koni yellow adjustable rear shocks.
I did the install myself. Took about 5 days total working on it in the evenings. Hardest part was most getting up the nerve to tear apart my brand new car. lol. Everything else was actually just time consuming and most time was spent making sure things were done correctly as I didn't want anything breaking, leaking, rubbing, scraping, popping, etc. I did not cut any holes in the car to run the air lines from the trunk to the bags. If you open the hatch and look below the latch there is a grate with a rubber flap that goes right into the bumper. I ran all my lines thru there and then under the car. Removed the big black pans under the car and attached my air lines via zip ties to lines already run there and then reattached the panels. They cover a lot of the underside so I wasn't too worried about the lines being scraped or cut by debris under the car.

Did a test fit of a wheels from my friend's MKV GTI:








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yes they are tiny tires and at this point I do not have a frame notch so it will not sit aired out level because of the frame resting on the passenger side axle. I do have my rear bumpstops still in with those pictures. I ended up cutting them in half to lower the rear some more without sacrificing the ride quality a lot.

I finished everything up about a week prior to leaving for H2Oi and lucky me no leaks! Also had my windows tinted 35% all around. Gloss black vinyl roof and rear valance.

once back from H2Oi I stopped at a friend's client's house and took these quick pics on my Iphone4:

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Before leaving for H2Oi I had my tank powdercoated red and a pic of my trunk setup:

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I then decided it was time to get wheels of my own. Came across a set of OEM 20x9 Bentley Flying Spurs that were already a red/maroon color but needed refinished. The weather was nice for a few days and I just couldn't resist trying them on:


That's where it's at for now! I am getting my frame notched tomorrow so I'll finally be able to air out fully and sit "level". Wheels are going to be refinished in the next few months and I may jump on the SPM group buy...


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## JPeezy (Mar 30, 2007)

:heart: it


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Beautiful

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## MrFerriz (Jan 30, 2014)

Really admire ur car Bro. Really nice! 

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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

:beer: thanks guys! It's pretty "simple" mods = suspension, wheels and vinyl haha. But it certainly makes a big difference compared to stock.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

The difference a frame notch can make up front!


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## JPeezy (Mar 30, 2007)

Looks sick man


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

sp33dy said:


> Looks sick man


:beer: Thanks! 
That was the only day I aired out. haha. We got about 6-8" of snow that night and more coming tonight with some bad icing too. So I leave it up. 

Going to be putting some tire shine on the window tops to hopefully help prevent them from freezing shut like they did this morning.


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## MrFerriz (Jan 30, 2014)

vdubjettaman said:


> The difference a frame notch can make up front!


Just curious.. Why some of the bug front bumper come with orange reflector? 

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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

MrFerriz said:


> Just curious.. Why some of the bug front bumper come with orange reflector?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


US cars require the amber reflector by law. EU or other parts of the world do not.


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## Bunnspeed (Apr 2, 2013)

Really nice car, mang.

I like the spaced out stock wheels the best out of the wheels you've run so far. I'm not into red wheels, which is the main reason I think it looks best in OEM+ mode. The Bentley wheels really suit the lines of the car though...I'd love to see how they look in their original color. 

Definitely looking forward to ongoing updates. :thumbup:

P.S. Any chance you could post a few more front 3/4 view and rear 3/4 view pics at your current drop with the stockers? I *really* love how your car sits.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Thanks. The Bentley's will be refinished and I'm not saying what they'll be yet (partly cause I haven't made up my mind). I tried on my set of OEM A8 Flat fives that are silver and it was just too much silver on my car. Other color Bugs it might be better, but Silver on Silver just wasn't doing it for me.


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## MrFerriz (Jan 30, 2014)

vdubjettaman said:


> US cars require the amber reflector by law. EU or other parts of the world do not.


Thanks for the info! 

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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

MrFerriz said:


> Thanks for the info!
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


:beer:

package arrived this morning!









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SPM catback exhaust


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

It's on! Sound is just what I wanted. Nothing obnoxious and looks good too! I did have some issues trying to get all the flanges aligned with the v-band clamps and still not sure I have everything properly aligned. But I was done messing with it and thus far I don't have any issues.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Booty pic!


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## BenandAmanda (Dec 4, 2013)

:thumbup::thumbup:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Milestone! 7,000 of those miles are on air ride! Woo!


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## SAHRMB (Nov 21, 2013)

vdubjettaman said:


> It's on! Sound is just what I wanted. Nothing obnoxious and looks good too! I did have some issues trying to get all the flanges aligned with the v-band clamps and still not sure I have everything properly aligned. But I was done messing with it and thus far I don't have any issues.


Maybe I missed it in an earlier post, but what exaust did you throw on there?
I've been debating between SPM and Eurojet


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

SAHRMB said:


> Maybe I missed it in an earlier post, but what exaust did you throw on there?
> I've been debating between SPM and Eurojet


SPM catback


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

SPM owns the beetle exhaust market for sure!!! Lol

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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

At some point I will upgrade with the turboback components, but that won't happen until I decide to modify the engine for more power. And that probably won't happen until after my warranty expires. So I have a little time yet.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Put my new wheels on last night!

OEM Bentley 20x9 et41
235/30/20 Hancook Ventus V12
10mm spacer up front (I think), no spacer out back
color is called Crazy Red from Prismatic Powders









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Jason Diem @ 4EverKustoms did all the work on these. click link in my signature
I sent him poorly powdered slightly curbed wheels with bald tires and he turned them around to look like this! Stripped them down, polished them up, taped them off, powder coated, clear coated, purchased tires, mounted, balanced and finish polished.


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## SAHRMB (Nov 21, 2013)

The color is definitely hot, but I think my favorite part about the way you refinished them was leaving those chrome strips! I probably would have been too afraid to try something like that but it turned out amazing.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Thanks. The color was the hardest part for me to decide. It took many samples before I finally committed to one and even when I said yes, I was still hesitant about it. But so far I'm really liking the way it looks. 
I had seen an A3 in Europe that had different Bentley wheels done similar but with a regular plain medium red and loved it. After I bought the wheels and decided to have them done like you see, I found another Beetle in Europe with the same wheels refinished exactly how I wanted but black instead of red. 
My re-finisher didn't enjoy all the prep work he had to do for the 2 tone effect, but in the end loves it. Oh and it's polished not chrome.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Another crappy instagram pic at a local show called June Bug: taken from my iPhone4 haha.(they always look better on that tiny phone than my huge computer monitor)


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Those wheels look awesome!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

drtechy said:


> Those wheels look awesome!


thanks Tech


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

2 more pics I found from the show. credit Prowagen Per4mance for the pics:









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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Spot the mod?


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

K04 Turbo Kit  ? 

Hey, is your Roof Black? If so did you have it painted or is that a vinyl wrap? If so how much does something like that cost? I may want to do that to my Red Beetle.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Tint?

Edit: Painted to match side markers


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

drtechy said:


> Tint?
> 
> Edit: Painted to match side markers


No, it's the color matched side markers. Found it out on another thread. (What did you do to your beetle today).


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

IndyTTom said:


> K04 Turbo Kit  ?
> 
> Hey, is your Roof Black? If so did you have it painted or is that a vinyl wrap? If so how much does something like that cost? I may want to do that to my Red Beetle.


Ha! I wish! I'm waiting till my warranty runs out before I even chip it!
My roof is vinyl wrapped gloss black. From what I searched the cost varies. I happen to know someone with a vinyl shop and he cut me a deal. I paid somewhere around $200 I think? It's been a while and I don't remember exactly. It's not that easy a roof to wrap since it's curvy in all directions. I think I may want to get it painted gloss black now tho.



drtechy said:


> Tint?
> 
> Edit: Painted to match side markers


Nope- had the tint done back in September of last year. But yes, it's the color matched side markers.



IndyTTom said:


> No, it's the color matched side markers. Found it out on another thread. (What did you do to your beetle today).


:beer: I'm not very good at keeping "secrets" when it comes to modifying my car. I'm just excited so I want to share with people. haha.


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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

vdubjettaman said:


> Ha! I wish! I'm waiting till my warranty runs out before I even chip it!
> My roof is vinyl wrapped gloss black. From what I searched the cost varies. I happen to know someone with a vinyl shop and he cut me a deal. I paid somewhere around $200 I think? It's been a while and I don't remember exactly. It's not that easy a roof to wrap since it's curvy in all directions. I think I may want to get it painted gloss black now tho.



I love the way your car looks. Those wheels with the polished center accents are Killer. :thumbup: How is that vinyl roof holding up? Can you wash it and wax it? Never had a anything vinyl like that. But it looks cool.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

IndyTTom said:


> I love the way your car looks. Those wheels with the polished center accents are Killer. :thumbup: How is that vinyl roof holding up? Can you wash it and wax it? Never had a anything vinyl like that. But it looks cool.


Thanks. :beer:

It's doing well. It went through hell and back this winter. It has gotten a few scratches in it from snow brush removal and I do have a nasty stone chip at the front windshield edge. It went right through the vinyl and paint!  You can wash it like regular, but some detailers/waxes may not have the best results as others. I'm using a Turtle Wax product on it and it seems to do ok. Like I said above, I may end up just having it painted gloss black once the vinyl starts looking worse. Good thing about it tho my paint underneath should be left unharmed (except for said nasty stone chip)


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Had an awesome day at Cult Classic yesterday and my buddy took these pics of JeFY at the booth that powdercoated, polished, mounted and balanced my wheels and powdered my air tank.

Photo credit to user GTIzlatko:









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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)




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## IndyTTom (Oct 23, 2007)

Awesome pictures! However, I think those wheels will look a lot better on my car


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

IndyTTom said:


> Awesome pictures! However, I think those wheels will look a lot better on my car


haha! well i don't think they're going anywhere anytime soon! I spent too much and it took longer than anticipated that these suckers are staying with me for a long time. 

Although last night on my way home from a client meeting I was on a road I've traveled numerous times before, just not recently. Well they decided to repave a portion that desperately needed it from this past harsh winter. All well and good when they have signs that say no pavement markings... So i'm thinking ok, new pavement, that's fine. It should be done. I don't see any other signs that say road construction ahead. It should be all good. HOWEVER, they didn't have any signs that say bump, or pavement missing!! On top of all this, it is down-pouring from these fast moving thunderstorms that develop when the humidity is above 70%. OH ****! BAM BAM! The road transitions from old pavement to new very abruptly and not smoothly while cresting a hill. While coming towards the crest I see 2 road cones on either side of the road... I almost locked it up in the rain and this isn't a portion of road you want to do that considering it drops off to the right of you, and you're going downhill. Not a good feeling. Going down the curvy hill you get to the bottom and it transitions again. This time I was aware there might be a bad one. Continuing down the road a bit you see the cones again, and the top couple layers of road is missing again! And then again! and then again! The only signs posted are No Pavement Markings and there are 2 road cones at either side of the chunk of road missing.

Pics:






This is the one at the bottom of the hill:




So I get home and call the township office. 

Receptionist: Hello, Borough office, how can I help you?
Me: Hi, who do I talk to about the road construction on ______ Road?
Receptionist: (she chuckles) that would be our Borough Manger, let me see if he's available, please hold.
Me: Ok thank you.
Receptionist: Sir, he's with someone at the moment, would you like to leave him a voice mail?
Me: Yes please.
Borough Manager's answering machine: blah blah, leave your name, number, date and time of call, blah blah...
Me: Hello, I just drove home in the rain storm we had about 10 minutes ago on ____ Road. I saw the No Pavement Marking sign posted, but there are no other signs that indicate the pavement missing! I hit that doing 35mph in the rain and now my car is shaking and vibrating. Something needs to be done about it. Thank you.

Apparently she chuckled because he may be dealing with a lot of phone calls about road construction as the entire downtown main street is ripped up for new sidewalk corners on EVERY street, water and sewer line repairs/maintenance, and general road repairs. It has the entire town road blocked, detoured and a mine field. Those portions of town I stay away from. However I did not know they were doing any road construction/repairs on this road that is just outside of town.

Sorry for the long rant. I'm waiting to hear back from the Borough Manager...


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Another great pic on my way home from Cult Classic 9:









I've never seen how JeFY looks in motion as I'm the one always driving. Looks better than I thought!


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

vdubjettaman said:


> Another great pic on my way home from Cult Classic 9:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awesome shot!! Looks amazingballs

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## BenandAmanda (Dec 4, 2013)

oh yeah!!!:thumbup::thumbup:


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## SAHRMB (Nov 21, 2013)

vdubjettaman said:


>


Do you know how you got that dent on the bottom part under the door (don't know what to call it)? I have almost identical dents in the same spot on both the driver and passenger sides of mine :what:
I didn't realize it until after I had the car for a while when I was hand washing it.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

drtechy said:


> Awesome shot!! Looks amazingballs
> 
> posted using tapatalk


I must admit it does look pretty good. My friend isn't super happy with the shot, but he's never really taken rolling pics before. And this was a challenge as the road was rough and traffic was heavy. It's easier when you are staging it in a parking lot or something and can roll slowly. These were probably 50mph with heavy traffic?


BenandAmanda said:


> oh yeah!!!:thumbup::thumbup:


:beer:


SAHRMB said:


> Do you know how you got that dent on the bottom part under the door (don't know what to call it)? I have almost identical dents in the same spot on both the driver and passenger sides of mine :what:
> I didn't realize it until after I had the car for a while when I was hand washing it.


Yes I'm aware of the ding in the rocker panel. I'm at fault for it as the jack slipped once and that was the result.


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## [email protected] (Apr 24, 2014)

Looking awesome man!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> Looking awesome man!


Thanks Adam :beer:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

*UPDATE ON THE REAR!*
I took out the bumpstops completely to see if that was truly holding my up. And it was! When aired out it tucked those 20's like a champ! It was actually too low for me personally. Since the fronts don't tuck up under the fenders I don't want my rears to tuck. I like the rim of the wheel to sit just touching the top of the fender arch. I still want to keep my dust shield, and I had already cut everything below it off. SO I went back to my removed bumpstop and ultimately cut about another 1" from the top (after making a couple cuts prior and reinstalling to check, etc.). The other side was off, cut and back on in 15 minutes! Success! The rears sit just where I want them now and I couldn't be happier!

Picture on the top is with the bumpstop on the passenger rear. Picture on the bottom of with NO bumpstop on the driver rear.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

my friend took these with is phone at Waterfest this past weekend in the SPM Booth


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Official Wateferst20 coverage pics from vortex:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

So I try to learn and work on my car myself, it's not that easy when you don't consider yourself very mechanically inclined as others around here. I have successfully installed air ride and a cat back exhaust without really breaking anything in the process. I now have the remaining pieces to be a full turbo back exhaust from SPM. I don't have a lift and the car is up on jack stands and as I was trying to remove the stock down pipe from the turbo one of the bolts snapped off. Of course it's the one on the top side under the exhaust manifold that is a royal pain to get to. Apparently this is more common than I would've thought. Anyway, I have "easier" access to the remaining 3 bolts and have them loosened but still very tight. I've sprayed some pb-blaster on them in hopes that it will help. Oh, and I don't have an air ratchet... would make this process a whole lot faster. My main concern now is what really I should be doing to solve this issue. If I get the stock down pipe off I should have access to the snapped bolt to try and remove it and replace with a new one. ECS Tuning has a replacement kit for $22 (4 bolts, nuts and a new flange).

I called a local shop to see if they could help but won't be able to get me in until the 12th. Without being able to see how the bolt is snapped and if they'll have access to remove it easily it may require my turbo to come off. Now that just sounds like A LOT of work for 1 stinkin bolt but it makes sense if the part is removed from the car it's easier to work on. What I'm concerned about is in the mean time what to do!? Re-tighten my stock piping and drive around with 3 nuts holding it on? Or continue on down this rabbit hole of removing the stock dp and mid pipe and try to remedy it myself?


This is the bolt that snapped:


This is where it snapped off at:


And this is the new downpipe in the same orientation it would be installed. The top left hole is where the snapped bolt would be


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## JPeezy (Mar 30, 2007)

those are the studs off the turbo nate. they can be drilled out when one breaks but it is a major PITA.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

sp33dy said:


> those are the studs off the turbo nate. they can be drilled out when one breaks but it is a major PITA.


yup... haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. Part of me wants to just say f*ck it and let a shop do it but every one I've talked to is 2 weeks out. Other part of me says, well I've already damaged it this far, might as well see what else I can do!


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## JPeezy (Mar 30, 2007)

i would do the following: 

-if you have time during the weekend reserve one day for the car to be parked ie: sat or sunday
- the day before the selected day start spraying the bolts with liquid wrench or wd40 (only with the engine cold)
- keep spraying it maybe 3-4 times
- on the day off start the car for about 30 seconds and shut it off immediately
- try taking the rest of the nuts out
- if they all come out, then you will have only one to have to drill out and you will need to go to the dealer to get a new exhaust stud and put it in place. 


it really shouldnt be too hard to do but it can be time consuming. If you need help or get stuck you have my number give me a holler. :thumbup:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

sp33dy said:


> i would do the following:
> 
> -if you have time during the weekend reserve one day for the car to be parked ie: sat or sunday
> - the day before the selected day start spraying the bolts with liquid wrench or wd40 (only with the engine cold)
> ...


The car is already usurping the garage. haha... someone is being very patient about that. I talked to my friend who works for a garage about 40 minutes from me and they said they can fit me in Wednesday. I don't think I'd have so much an issue with continuing to take the stock dp off but I don't have the correct tools to remove the broken stud and put a new one in. So I think I'm just going to put what I have taken off already back on and tighten everything up and just wait till Wednesday and give the garage back to it's queen. lol. 
It's a shame since that car is being leased and mine isn't. That car is stock and mine isn't. But technically not my house and so I sorta just deal with it.


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## lmgarza85 (Mar 27, 2014)

I broke the same one off while I was installing my TBE, and that was the first one I tried to loosen. I continued to take everything else off and ordered the kit from ECS. I used a pair of vice-grips to get the broken stud off with allot of seafoam deep creep and and drove it with just the 3 bolts holding everything in place and no problems. When I got the kit from ECS I replaced everything and did not have any issues. I also found it easier to do all the work from underneath the car, but I'm a small guy so that might not work for everyone.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

lmgarza85 said:


> I broke the same one off while I was installing my TBE, and that was the first one I tried to loosen. I continued to take everything else off and ordered the kit from ECS. I used a pair of vice-grips to get the broken stud off with allot of seafoam deep creep and and drove it with just the 3 bolts holding everything in place and no problems. When I got the kit from ECS I replaced everything and did not have any issues. I also found it easier to do all the work from underneath the car, but I'm a small guy so that might not work for everyone.


Well I'm glad I'm not the only Beetle owner who's suffered this pain. I'm by no means a big guy, but at 6'-0" 150lbs with a 6'-2" wingspan I have long arms and it's not that easy when the car is only on jack stands. 

I'm going to just suck it up and pay the shop to fix my issue. It's money I didn't want to spend since I had other plans for it, but oh well.. I'd rather have peace of mind knowing it's corrected by a shop I trust than me constantly wondering if it's going to cause an issue later. So much for doing the other mods before H2O...


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Got the car back! All was well in the world for my return trip from the shop home. About 40 minutes of happy driving. Good sound and feels like more oomph in the top end. Get to dinner before actually going home. Come back out to leave and start pulling out onto the main road and notice something sounds funny. Pulled into a house development and as I'm driving thru I hear it again at much lower speeds. Come to a stop and it doesn't do it. Coast a bit and stop again and I hear it. I'm not far from home so I just say f*ck it and drive home. Get home and pull into the garage and now it's just obnoxious! I get out and walk towards the back of the car and about in line with the rear wheels it's especially loud. I air up all the way and look underneath. Nothing is hanging down but they did readjust all the v-band clamps on the SPM exhaust. I grab a towel and try to moving the exhaust side to side and sure enough the noise goes away! So my current assumption is that the v-band clamp that is located at the rear control arms/subframe area is hitting. I haven't had time nor patience to deal with it. Went to VAG Fair and had an awesome time! The rattling is getting worse and VERY annoying. So without getting back under the car and trying to readjust all the entire exhaust as it doesn't look like there is any wiggle room in the mounts to keep it away from the metal parts (clearly there is wiggle room in the mounts as the exhaust rattles) I'm going to try some heat wrap around the piping at the rear control arm area. Hopefully that will solve the metal on metal vibration/clanking nuisance. 

Pic from VAG Fair:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)




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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

One from a shoot my friend took. Hoping to have a few more later.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

crossed 25,000 miles earlier this weekend!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I also got a Euro switch from Amazon.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

was test fitting spacers in the rear this weekend when I switched over to my summer setup.
20x9 235/30 Hancook Ventus V12 from left to right: et41, et38, et36


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I never tire of hearing this sound...


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Nothing changed as far as mods go, but I did get a new clutch! At 29,660 miles my stock one decided it didn't like a spring on the pressure plate and popped it off resulting in me not able to get the car in gear while running. So after 4 days at the dealer I got my clutch replaced under warranty and my last complementary service at 30k. Thank god I had air ride. He was able to pull it up and not scrape a thing!









Now I'm trying to get the rear O2 sensor to stay off long enough for the codes to check out okay and NOT throw a CEL. Having issues keeping it off for any longer than a few miles of driving. Same code every time P013A. I currently have the 3" SPM street downpipe which has a cat and 2 O2 sensor locations - then the 3" street midpipe with resonator to the 3" Street catback exhaust with mufflers. I know the cat is close to a 200 cell versus the OEM +/-400 cell which would throw a CEL due to not running as efficient as stock. However when I had the downpipe installed I also had a 90* angle spacer put on the rear O2 sensor to back it away from the cat in hopes it would read the exhaust better and keep the CEL from coming on.  It worked for a while and would stay off for a few days (at max maybe 3 or 4) then come back on for a week or so, then back off.
Pic of the angle spacer prior as it was installed at time of downpipe/midpipe installation: 


Well recently it just doesn't go off. So I installed a spark plug fouler in front of the 90* spacer and screwed directly into the cat in hopes that it would help. No dice.


Pretty black...


Installed and flipped the sensor to face the opposite direction from original install:


I have yet to play around with different spacer configurations to see if I can keep it off long enough for inspection/emissions tests. If that doesn't work, I may have to get a new O2 sensor to test if the one I have currently is bad. If that doesn't work, I guess I can get it chipped and have the rear O2 sensor coded out OR go through the hassle of putting the stock downpipe back on.


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## DirtyDubbs (Mar 7, 2009)

in your third picture up, which direction is the front of the car? right or left?


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

AGLI2NV said:


> in your third picture up, which direction is the front of the car? right or left?


I am assuming you mean this picture?









The front of the car is to the left.


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## DirtyDubbs (Mar 7, 2009)

vdubjettaman said:


> I am assuming you mean this picture?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where is the rear O2 sensor? the one AFTER the Catalytic converter?


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Ok... so I was able to resolve the 02 Spacer issue and the CEL has been clear for a week and 600+ miles of normal driving! WOOT! I needed a shorter spacer than was originally installed and boom! Free and Clear! Passed inspection/Emissions with flying colors. lol.

Unfortunately tho, this past weekend I come back from an AWESOME trip to West Virginia white water rafting down the New River Gorge to this:









Yay for me! Hit and run! No note, no video, no witnesses. The insurance appraiser was just here and will be sending me the estimate. Anybody willing to guesstimate?
To top it all off I ALSO have a nail in my rear passenger tire! It lost 30psi between 8:00am-5:30pm yesterday. Completely flat in the morning. Fail.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Went to VAG Fair this past weekend. Didn't stay all day but did end up meeting WhiteClassic and checked out his bug. Also vortex snapped a pic... dents and all!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Got an update on JeFY this morning. He went into the body shop Monday morning for repairs and some extra lovin. They have all the dents pulled and/or repaired. Everything except the hood is all re-primed and ready for some paint! Woot!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Well after a month it's all back together and the extras are done! I had all the vinyl removed from the roof, hatch and rear valance. It was all painted gloss black to match the existing black accents. They removed 3 dents from the car. Repainted the front bumper and hood and it looks damn near perfect now! I crossed 32,000 miles on the way back from H2OI this year. Almost out of warranty!
RMiller Auto did an amazing job and were very easy to work with.

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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I'm in winter mode now but I just found this picture when i wasn't.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I think the Bentley's are popular...


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)




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## Illegalhunter (Dec 15, 2015)

Those wheels are awesome


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Still looking great, weren't you thinking about changing the color on the wheels?


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

drtechy said:


> Still looking great, weren't you thinking about changing the color on the wheels?


I still may. This is an older pic I found and felt like posting. haha.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Some recent pics I found. - not recently taken.


and me!


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

I don't know if I've every posted a pic of my trunk setup.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

As I parked at work today:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Yay... Feeling very frustrated and annoyed with my car right now. 
I pull up to the gas pump, turn off the car, pull the key out and go to close the flip-key and there's resistance. I look at it and the switchblade part actually broke out of the mount.


Ok I'll use my spare key which has only been used when car goes for service.
*YOUTUBE VIDEO OF WHAT'S HAPPENING* 





It's been happening sporadically for some time now. But now every day.
The keyless works, but the door doesn't acutally release allowing for me to open it from the outside. I've also noticed on several occasions the auto-lock feature doesn't function properly when you start driving. It'll click like it does, but the lock button doesn't illuminate, then it'll click several more times like it is trying. Eventually it will stop or I'll push the lock/unlock button and it seems to remember what I tell it.


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Car was down at H2Oi this year. Found these pics from the strip:



Also went to the dealer for inspection, emissions and the reprogramming of the key/alarm. Faulty door latch was replaced under my extended warranty! WOO! SO I got the car back healthy and no problems! When I left the dealer went to the on ramp and my CEL comes on! HA! At least I know it's only for my exhaust.


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## JPeezy (Mar 30, 2007)

vdubjettaman said:


> Car was down at H2Oi this year. Found these pics from the strip:
> 
> 
> 
> Also went to the dealer for inspection, emissions and the reprogramming of the key/alarm. Faulty door latch was replaced under my extended warranty! WOO! SO I got the car back healthy and no problems! When I left the dealer went to the on ramp and my CEL comes on! HA! At least I know it's only for my exhaust.


I tried saying hello to you leaving ocmd i was in the blue tiguan honking at you 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

JPeezy said:


> I tried saying hello to you leaving ocmd i was in the blue tiguan honking at you
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So that's who it was! :wave:


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## vdubjettaman (Mar 31, 2004)

Forgot about these taken at H2OI


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