V2 Jakkerus’ V2 Goblin (#10) - 2017 GTI 6-Speed

[Jakkerus]

Hey everyone!

Figured it was finally time to stop lurking and actually start a build thread.

I’ve been hanging around these forums for probably five years now, following along with everyone’s builds and learning as much as I could. As soon as the V2 GTI Goblin was announced, I put my deposit down, and it’s hard to believe I’m finally at the point where this thing is getting started.

A little about me: by day I’m an IT manager, so I’m probably guilty of overthinking projects and documenting everything. Outside of work I’ve always enjoyed turning wrenches. I’ve done plenty of maintenance, suspension work, aftermarket stereo installs, and other bolt-on projects over the years. I even pulled an engine once on another project before life got in the way and derailed it. This will definitely be my first complete vehicle build though, so I’m equal parts excited and intimidated.

The goal is pretty simple: build an incredibly fun weekend toy. My daily driver is a Tesla Model Y, so I’m already used to a car that’s quick in a straight line. What I’m really after with the Goblin is something that feels more engaging and makes me grin every time I get behind the wheel. Once it’s built and I’ve had some time to enjoy it, I’m sure I’ll end up adding a few performance upgrades, but first things first—I just want to build a solid, reliable Goblin.

For the donor, I ended up with a black 2017 manual GTI with right around 75,000 miles. It was involved in a front-end collision, but the drivetrain appears to have come through it just fine. It fired right up, drove itself off the trailer, and into my driveway, which was a pretty encouraging start.

One of the really exciting parts is that I’ll be sending my donor to Adam since the manual version of the V2 is still being finalized. It’s pretty awesome to know my car will help validate the manual GTI version of the kit before I get started on the build.

I’ll try to keep this thread updated as the project moves along—the good, the bad, and probably a few moments where I realize I should have listened to someone on here.

Even though I’ve spent years working on my own vehicles, I know this is a completely different level of project. If anyone notices me heading down the wrong path, knows of parts that are worth replacing while everything is apart, has best practices, or just wants to save me from making a rookie mistake, please don’t hesitate to jump in. One of the things that’s impressed me over the years is how helpful this community has been, and I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.

Thanks for having me. Looking forward to finally being able to contribute instead of just reading everyone else’s threads.

Here’s the donor the day it made it home. Hopefully the next pictures will involve a lot fewer body panels and a lot more progress!

 

[David]

Hey everyone!

Figured it was finally time to stop lurking and actually start a build thread.

I’ve been hanging around these forums for probably five years now, following along with everyone’s builds and learning as much as I could. As soon as the V2 GTI Goblin was announced, I put my deposit down, and it’s hard to believe I’m finally at the point where this thing is getting started.

A little about me: by day I’m an IT manager, so I’m probably guilty of overthinking projects and documenting everything. Outside of work I’ve always enjoyed turning wrenches. I’ve done plenty of maintenance, suspension work, aftermarket stereo installs, and other bolt-on projects over the years. I even pulled an engine once on another project before life got in the way and derailed it. This will definitely be my first complete vehicle build though, so I’m equal parts excited and intimidated.

The goal is pretty simple: build an incredibly fun weekend toy. My daily driver is a Tesla Model Y, so I’m already used to a car that’s quick in a straight line. What I’m really after with the Goblin is something that feels more engaging and makes me grin every time I get behind the wheel. Once it’s built and I’ve had some time to enjoy it, I’m sure I’ll end up adding a few performance upgrades, but first things first—I just want to build a solid, reliable Goblin.

For the donor, I ended up with a black 2017 manual GTI with right around 75,000 miles. It was involved in a front-end collision, but the drivetrain appears to have come through it just fine. It fired right up, drove itself off the trailer, and into my driveway, which was a pretty encouraging start.

One of the really exciting parts is that I’ll be sending my donor to Adam since the manual version of the V2 is still being finalized. It’s pretty awesome to know my car will help validate the manual GTI version of the kit before I get started on the build.

I’ll try to keep this thread updated as the project moves along—the good, the bad, and probably a few moments where I realize I should have listened to someone on here.

Even though I’ve spent years working on my own vehicles, I know this is a completely different level of project. If anyone notices me heading down the wrong path, knows of parts that are worth replacing while everything is apart, has best practices, or just wants to save me from making a rookie mistake, please don’t hesitate to jump in. One of the things that’s impressed me over the years is how helpful this community has been, and I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.

Thanks for having me. Looking forward to finally being able to contribute instead of just reading everyone else’s threads.

Here’s the donor the day it made it home. Hopefully the next pictures will involve a lot fewer body panels and a lot more progress!

Sounds like your on yhe right path. I cant wait to bluid the V2 once more hit the road. My suggestion get your donor running prefect. Snice from the pictures the accident doesn't look bad. I would take all the front body panels off and see if you can get it street drivable. To get it a good test drive.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Welcome to the forum! Great that you're working with Lonny and Adam to get the manual transmission configuration setup. It helps they don't have to outlay more funds to get this developed - which helps everyone since that can keep costs lower.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The V2 is just starting up for builds and the drivetrain questions might be thin on information, but the overall community for the rest of the build is here to help.

 

[Jakkerus]

Thanks guys!

I heavily considered trying to drive it to Adam instead of trailering it. However, I was worried that with the radiator cracked from the front impact coupled with the wonderful Texas summer, the engine would overheat and cause damage.

So in erring on the side of caution, I probably won't do too much testing of its running state prior to the tear down. I plan on taking it to the Red Oak shop next week.

Happy Fourth Everyone!

 

[Jakkerus]

Small update!

I dropped the GTI off with Adam yesterday and spent some time hanging around the shop. It was great finally getting to see everything in person after following the project online for so many years, and Adam was kind enough to answer what was probably way too many of my questions.

The highlight, though, was getting to see my frame sitting up on the jig. After staring at pictures of everyone else’s builds for years, it finally started to sink in that this is actually happening.

Now comes the hard part… waiting.

At least I can spend that time planning instead of second-guessing whether I should have bought one in the first place.

I’ve been trying to put that time to good use by researching all the “while you’re in there” items that seem to snowball into doubling your budget if you’re not careful. My goal is still to get the car built, reliable, and on the road before chasing more performance, but I’d also rather not wish I’d replaced something while the drivetrain was already out.

For those of you who have already been through a build, what do you consider worthwhile preventative maintenance while everything is apart? I’m familiar with the common GTI items like the water pump, thermostat housing, clutch, rear main seal, PCV, carbon cleaning, etc., but I’m curious what you felt was worth doing and what you felt wasn’t.

I’ve also been going down the wheel and tire rabbit hole. I’d love to hear what setups everyone is running and, more importantly, whether you’d choose the same combination again if you were starting over. There seems to be a lot of different opinions on wheel size, tire width, staggered vs. square, and tire choice depending on how the car is used.

One thing I’m especially curious about is the factory Performance Pack limited-slip differential. My donor has it, and I’m interested to see how well it translates into the Goblin. Since it’s electronically managed in the GTI, I’m not sure how much of that functionality can be retained. I’d love to keep it if it works well rather than converting to a mechanical LSD—but maybe the mechanical route ends up being the better solution? Curious if anyone has any insights.

Another thing I’d love to keep, if it’s practical, is the factory push-button start. It’s definitely not a requirement, but it would be a neat feature to retain if it can be done without adding unnecessary complexity or creating battery drain issues.

I’m sure I’ll keep coming up with more questions while I’m waiting, but I figured I’d throw these out there and see what advice everyone has. Looking forward to hearing what has worked well for you guys—and maybe just as importantly, what you’d do differently if you were starting another build.

 

[Gtstorey]

For those of you who have already been through a build,

I’d love to hear what setups everyone is running and, more importantly, whether you’d choose the same combination again if you were starting over.

I'm not sure that anyone has completed a v2 yet and if they have it will be a very small sample size.

 

[Rttoys]

I can only speak on a V1 build.

I tell people to don’t to much, as far as mods go. You don’t want a good running vehicle, now won’t start or run right after the swap to the goblin. You’ll be chasing down swap issues and mod issues. Best to get it in the goblin, confirm up and running, then start to modify. Another reason not to add too much power all at once at the beginning is so you ramp yourself up with the familiarity of the car. With so little weight, they can be a handful. Get use to base power, then see how far you want to go.

The hard part about the build is having to change directions here and there. Have a vision and a goal, but don’t be afraid to deviate from it a little if need be.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

If I'm not mistaken from the information available, the GTI 'limited slip' works with the individual tire speed sensors and the ABS pump to apply proportioned braking to the drive wheel that is slipping to force more torque to the opposite wheel. Someone more savvy with the MK6/7 VW traction control system may have a better explanation? IMO, the mechanical LSD will have more consistent function and reliability.

 

[Jakkerus]

Thanks everyone! This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for.

@Gtstorey - That’s a good point. In talking to Adam, they’re planning to reuse the same hubs from the V1, so I was really asking about wheel and tire setups from Goblins in general rather than just completed V2s.

Same thing with the maintenance items. I know there are quite a few of us sitting around waiting on frames with our donors for v2 already stripped down, so I figured there was probably already a lot of collective experience on what people were glad they replaced—or wished they had.

@Rttoys - I really like that philosophy, and honestly that’s been my plan from the beginning. Get it built, get it running well, and enjoy it before I start changing too much.

Right now, I’m mostly trying to figure out the preventative maintenance side of things since I’m not nearly as familiar with the GTI platform as I am some of the other vehicles I’ve worked on. If there are things that are significantly easier to do while the drivetrain is out, I’d rather learn about them now than after everything is back together.

I also appreciate the comment about being willing to change directions. I have a vision for where I’d like it to end up, but I’m trying to stay flexible and learn from people who’ve already been through it.

@Desert Sasqwatch - That’s actually something I brought up with Adam. His take was that we’ll just have to see what modules end up getting carried over and how everything works together, especially with the hub changes. He also mentioned that there are probably people on the forum with a deeper understanding of the electrical side of the VW systems than he has, so he thought it was definitely worth asking.

It’ll be interesting to see how it all ends up working.

Thanks again everyone. Keep the advice coming! I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I ask a bunch of questions before I start turning wrenches...

 

[MeltedSolid]

I bought one of these as the only maintenance I'm doing on the engine while it's out: https://byiabed.com/EA888-Master-Gasket-kit_p_61.html
I'm going to do everything but the headgasket. It took a few months to arrive, so probably best to order from elsewhere, but there are a few places that sell a master gasket kit, or you could get everything individually.

It'll also be worthwhile to at least check if your water pump is leaking, and take the intake manifold off to see the condition of your intake valves if they need cleaning (mine are both good so I'm not bothering). Both of those are already hard while the engine is in a golf and they are facing you, in a goblin I imagine they'll be impossible without removing the engine. Everything else should be relatively easy to address if needed with the engine in the car.

I'm also a bit curious about the Performance Pack VAQ LSD. I don't have a PP donor so I won't be using it, but I know that people who have it in their GTIs like it. Desert Sasquach is thinking of XDS, which is all the non-PP GTIs get, and it's not very good, the VAQ is an actual clutch type e-locker. I wonder if wheel speed sensors alone would be enough to get the VAQ to work or if it needs more. You can also double up and use a mehcanical LSD with the VAQ at the same time, which I know a few have done with good results.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

I’m sure I’ll keep coming up with more questions while I’m waiting, but I figured I’d throw these out there and see what advice everyone has. Looking forward to hearing what has worked well for you guys—and maybe just as importantly, what you’d do differently if you were starting another build.

The 'doing things differently' is definitely a personal choice with most all builders - and generally depends upon what you're using your Goblin for, street, auto-x, track, both/all. Most will follow @Rttoys explanation and get it built, running, and driveable before venturing into doing mods and changes. Which is sound advice when you find more enjoyment driving, rather than building or have little experience with cars. But making mods to a Goblin is somewhat easier than other vehicles, most everything is accessible and you know where everything is located if you built it.

On the other hand, there are a few builders who find more enjoyment in the build and take a varied path from the above. Some make simple mods during the build, some of which don't affect the first start success, others are willing to take the chance and go with the 'while you're in there' route. If you have a good background with cars, then doing mods or improvements before building is very doable. But some sound advice, if it is electrical in nature - and you're not electrical savvy - wait until after first start and checkout of the 'stock' electronics.

The dark path: A very few are just die hard engineering types who can't leave things alone and have to change/improve everything before the build can be completed. Taking a soundly designed 'basic' kit and making the safety/performance/nice to have mods and changes that require good fabrication skills to complete - since there are no real bolt-ons for a Goblin - is not recommended. Unless you have the time, resources, money, and patience to go this route the build will become a longer road than planned and the amount of cash spent will not make your home accountant happy.

 

[aaronc7]

My gut tells me the VAQ eLSD will be difficult to very difficult or nearly impossible to get right on the stock controller. It most likely uses other inputs beyond wheel speed sensors, such as steering angle, and generally it would be 'tuned' quite a bit different for a front axle vs rear. And there's no open tuning solutions for it...all of these things thrown together most likely means it just wouldn't turn out right. Mechanical would be a lot more simple and better in the end-- I bought a wavetrac for mine.

But there is one possible alternative here: OpenHaldex https://github.com/Forbes-Automotive/OpenHaldex-C6

Made for the Haldex AWD module but it's identical to the VAQ controller and system. I don't have any firsthand experience here, but it offers a "standalone" mode to completely replace the OEM controller, and allows some more simple logic to be applied. Wouldn't be a plug n play solution, but the sky is the limit here and you could configure it do whatever you want based on any CANbus input such wheel speed, steering angle, etc.

 

[Rauq]

For those of you who have already been through a build, what do you consider worthwhile preventative maintenance while everything is apart? I’m familiar with the common GTI items like the water pump, thermostat housing, clutch, rear main seal, PCV, carbon cleaning, etc., but I’m curious what you felt was worth doing and what you felt wasn’t.

I’ve also been going down the wheel and tire rabbit hole. I’d love to hear what setups everyone is running and, more importantly, whether you’d choose the same combination again if you were starting over. There seems to be a lot of different opinions on wheel size, tire width, staggered vs. square, and tire choice depending on how the car is used.

The types of things I did during my build and not after were more maintenance type issues where I wasn't going to want to tear the car back down to fix them. I think for me that was a clutch and a rear main seal. I left the injectors and pulley for after I got the car up and running, partially because I wanted to see what stock power felt like, and partially because I didn't want to have to chase tuning during or immediately after first startup. I think those concepts translate to any build. My mindset was, I don't mind tearing into things for upgrades, but tearing the car apart for maintenance sucks.

As far as wheels and tires, my general recommendation has been that 200TW should be considered the default for a Goblin, and wider isn't always better- 245 wide should be good for most street driven builds making decent power. The Goblin is so light that it doesn't eat up sticky tires like a full bodied car would, and tires much wider than necessary will struggle to get any warmth across the tire. Aside from that, stick close to stock diameter so you're not stretching your gearing out. Smaller diameter isn't bad either if you want to effectively lower your final drive ratio too.

 

[Blizzard25]

Small update!

View attachment 58032

I dropped the GTI off with Adam yesterday and spent some time hanging around the shop. It was great finally getting to see everything in person after following the project online for so many years, and Adam was kind enough to answer what was probably way too many of my questions.

The highlight, though, was getting to see my frame sitting up on the jig. After staring at pictures of everyone else’s builds for years, it finally started to sink in that this is actually happening.

Now comes the hard part… waiting.

At least I can spend that time planning instead of second-guessing whether I should have bought one in the first place.

I’ve been trying to put that time to good use by researching all the “while you’re in there” items that seem to snowball into doubling your budget if you’re not careful. My goal is still to get the car built, reliable, and on the road before chasing more performance, but I’d also rather not wish I’d replaced something while the drivetrain was already out.

For those of you who have already been through a build, what do you consider worthwhile preventative maintenance while everything is apart? I’m familiar with the common GTI items like the water pump, thermostat housing, clutch, rear main seal, PCV, carbon cleaning, etc., but I’m curious what you felt was worth doing and what you felt wasn’t.

I’ve also been going down the wheel and tire rabbit hole. I’d love to hear what setups everyone is running and, more importantly, whether you’d choose the same combination again if you were starting over. There seems to be a lot of different opinions on wheel size, tire width, staggered vs. square, and tire choice depending on how the car is used.

One thing I’m especially curious about is the factory Performance Pack limited-slip differential. My donor has it, and I’m interested to see how well it translates into the Goblin. Since it’s electronically managed in the GTI, I’m not sure how much of that functionality can be retained. I’d love to keep it if it works well rather than converting to a mechanical LSD—but maybe the mechanical route ends up being the better solution? Curious if anyone has any insights.

Another thing I’d love to keep, if it’s practical, is the factory push-button start. It’s definitely not a requirement, but it would be a neat feature to retain if it can be done without adding unnecessary complexity or creating battery drain issues.

I’m sure I’ll keep coming up with more questions while I’m waiting, but I figured I’d throw these out there and see what advice everyone has. Looking forward to hearing what has worked well for you guys—and maybe just as importantly, what you’d do differently if you were starting another build.

Whatever you end up doing, make a list you decide on and stick to it. At some point you'll get near something else accessible and be like "Oh well maybe since it's easy I should just..." No, you shouldn't. Unless you decided ahead of time. I'm on the opposite end of this right now, everything is finally back together and I'm glad I have all my maintenance plus some figured out, but I should have been way more organized about it.