Golf to beat an R32 what do I need to do?

stevev282

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Location
telford
Car
vw golf 99 1.4
Re: hello

I have brought a mk4 golf 1.4 99 and want to transplant the engine and running gear so it's quicker than a R32 any suggestions on which engine to use taking into consideration ease of installing i.e mounts etc.
 
It will take quite a bit of work. A 2.5 TFSi engine with large turbo and major internal work would help. Traction will be a big problem though. You'd really need 4 wheel drive to beat an R32 and it will cost you a small fortune as so much will need to be changed.
 
I presume you mean a golf 32 and not a 32GTR

Either way you need help from god or a ridiculous amount of money.

TBH you might as well buy a 32 and be done with it. It will be cheaper and if you did the conversion the insurance would be double getting a proper 32
 
It will take a LOT of work!

The standard R32 GTR with 277bhp and 293lbs/ft will do the 1/4 in around 14.2 seconds. I can't find data for the 1.4 but a 1.6 Golf with 101bhp and 103lbs/ft takes approx 18.4 seconds.

Increasing the power to match the R32 will only get you to around 15.3 seconds because the power goes to the wrong wheels and there will be a lot of wheel spin!

I am not trying to put you off as a road legal Skyline beating Golf would be great :) However, don't expect it to be an easy or cheap job:

Convert to RWD or AWD
Increase power to around 250bhp
Gearbox and diff ratio changes to match new power level.
This is ignoring the other things that will be needed - brake upgrade, possible shell stiffening, etc.

The only advantage you have over the Skyline is around 320kg.

Or do you mean the Golf R32?
 
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If he means the GTR things are actually worse because the 277bhp was a quoted figure to get through the japanese regs at that time.
There was an agreement with the japanese government and the var manufacturers not to produce cars with more than 280bhp .

In reality all the japanese top of the range sports coupes of the time produced far more than that. GTRs varied between 295 up to 310 or even 320.

I would agree that having a gtr beating golf would be cool but unfortunately there is only one completely stock GTR in the UK - its in my garage and I dont race golfs

Most GTRs are around the 400 mark and a lot much more than that so you might well need a tuned vr32 to acheive that goal

I think he might have meant the golf R32 which would make more sense.
 
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Yes, you are most probably right :) I had forgotten about the Golf R32, I automatically assume Nissan when seeing R32.

In that case, I would simply fit a tuned Golf R32 Engine etc in, but the insurance would probably be more than a real R32!

Or buy a Golf R32 and fit 1.4 badges to it :)
 
Buying the golf R32 would probably be easier and cheaper than tying to make it happen with the 1.4.
the 1.4 1.6 and2.0 versions had different suspension.

so you would have to fit and engine - unless you were going for the 3.2 your other viable options would be to use the 2.8 from the 4motion and supercharge it. prone to a few overheating issues due to running lean in a couple of cylinders.
or the 1.8t. strengthening the block and fitting a bigger turbo to it. or the 225 varient of the 1.8

on top of this you would need to change the gearbox as the 1.4/1.6 is rivited together and would fall apart very quickly.

suspension would have to be changed as its made for a much lighter engine.

hub would have to be changed unless you think 232/256mm discs are going to be up for the job.
once the hubs are done then youve the brakes.

as your changing the engine then the immobilizer and clocks would need changed

thats just off the top of my head

either way you would end up with more power than the r32 however it would still be fwd and a chap chasis so you would be wheel spinning everytime you tried.

sell the 1.4 and buy the r32 is my advice. its the same as youll find all these people with the VW 1.8t and spending a fortune modifiying it when they would have been better buying the s3 have the haldex'd 4wd and able to use some of the power they bought/made
 
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