Tuning the Golf for Torque and BHP

"Theres a wide Golf"

The Volkswagen Golf has been one of the most successful cars from Volkswagen.

The mk1 Golf was very responsive and still has a dedicated following today despite it's age.

MK2 Golf tuning was where the scene started taking off and now we see 1.8T mk2 engine conversions and also the VR6 going in as well.

Mk3 Golfs up to the Mk4 were not fantastic cars, the GTi had lost it's magic so thankfully to address this there were plenty of aftermarket Golf tuning parts created allowing you to achieve the "GTi ideal".

The MK4 (mkIV) and MK5 (mkV) Golfs shows VW dedication to the platform and a lot of criticisms leveled at the previous models were addressed.

We now have many different revisions to the platform and the Golf remains a superb base for a tuning project.

The engines pull well and the small relatively light body make it a fun car.

The early eighties 8 and 16 valve GTI engines were excellent and many remark that 8 valve engine actually improves with age. (A fact the Dyno seems to bear out!)

We have plenty of members in our forum with Golf tuning projects underway from engine swaps to the VR6 to 8 and 16 valve head conversions.

The mk2 golf, and particularly the GTI a model are still loved by enthusiasts today.  By the time the mk3 and mk4 were released there was something magical missing from the GTI.  The handling was no longer as sharp and responsive as the early models. The engines were ordinary and the weight had increased due to safety features. 

It had become a run of the mill family car, more lukewarm hatch than a hot hatch. This didn't stop many of our members from improving it though. With an anti roll bar, a set of adjustable coil overs and low profile tyres along with a few other suspension tweaks you get a mk III/IV Golf every bit as much fun as the original.

Dropping in more powerful engines seemed the logical next step and we have seen successful conversions to the 1.8T and VR6 blocks. We have even heard of some Japanese engines being fitted with great success (much to the chagrin of Golf tuning enthusiasts).

The first Golf modification to perform is generally to sort the suspension.  Lowering the car 30-40 millimetres and fitting stiffer springs will sharpen up the ride and your driver enjoyment of the car. 

On the larger engines (1.8 and above) and those with turbos we recommend a full induction kit with a cold air feed. For smaller engines we would recommend a panel air filter made from a high flow material. A fast road cam would raise the peak power band. 

The 2000 VAG 1.8T engine is one of the most tunable engines around and can be fairly easily tweaked to push out in excess of 300 BHP with no need for internal strengthening. Many of our members have got power figures in excess of 200bhp with a straightforward ECU remap.

Other particularly notable engines in the golf range was the the V6 4motion and the V6 R32 which produced 204 and 240 BHP respectively. 

The Golf has a reputation for being a reliable car, and certainly holds its resale value well.

Check for a full service history when buying one though as the oil changes must be adhered to.

 There are many reports of sludge problems in the 1.8 models if oil changes are not carried out.

The TDI engines have improved considerably over the years, and the mark 4 Golf GtTDI represents one of the best economy to power ratios for an engine in current production.  With a remap, power can reach 200 BHP, and you can still expect 50 plus MPG.

The mk5 Golf actually looks smaller than the previous model, but in actual fact has a slightly larger wheelbase. The wider hips seem to make the car seem smaller. Much of the handling criticisms leveled at its predecessor, the mk IV, have been redressed and the golf GTI is once again regarded as a driver's car.

Keep wheel rims sizes to 18 inches or less for optimum handling.  The body panels in the Golf are very substantial and solid so if you were going to perform weight reduction you could make a substantial saving with a carbon fibre bonnet and front wings.

The front wheel drive versions will perform better if you fit a limited slip differential, or a semi locking diff as found on the A3 T Sport.  Lower gear ratios will also improve acceleration.

Engine swaps are very popular with our members and we have seen everything from the recent 1.8T engines going into early golfs to VR6 engine conversions. You'll certainly get plenty of helpful advice and pointers on modified golfs in our forum.

Join our friendly chat forum to meet our resident VAG enthusiasts, where you will have access to 1000's of car specific articles and will be able to get your tuning questions answered.

This article was written by Waynne Smith on TorqueCars, and I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Volkswagen. You can leave a response below or join TorqueCars forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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