Pipisskip

Been a very long time since i've updated this! Prior to a trip to Europe in October, including some time in the motherland, i'd started toying with the idea of getting something with a manual box, and rear wheel drive. A few cars were toyed with, including an M2 and a Cayman, but I wasn't too keen to part way with the cash they fetch over here. I'd also been keeping an eye on e46 M3's... A car i've always fancied, if/when timing was right. Whilst a manual car will still fetch strong money ($80k CS anyone? Yes, a CS, not a CSL), and prove to be thin on the ground, I kept my eyes peeled for something Vic based. Just prior to the trip, a Carbon Black car came up for sale. After 6 weeks away, the car was still available, with a visit promptly locked in. Long story short, I ended up with said car. Originally a UK delivered, 2002 factory manual M3 with 92k miles on the clock. A couple of options, including H/K stereo and 19's. A full service history was in place, along with MOT's prior to being imported to Australia with 60k on the clock in 07'. It spent almost 7 years in Tassie, then landed in Melbourne with the Brit I bought it from. The car was inspected prior to purchase, confirming the main known issues were ok (rear subframe, rod bearings), with mainly consumables needing to be replaced, including tyres - it was on only it's second set of M3 spec continentals! Pictures from when I picked it up Tyres were swiftly replaced, opting for PS4S' after finding them spot on with the Golf. And after a clean At home with the R The eagle eyed among you may notice a different exhaust on the Golf. Whilst the idea of keeping both played heavily on my mind, justifying two cars for weekends simply didn't add up, despite much man maths. The Golf went mostly back to stock, bar springs (I really enjoyed driving it like this too), and sold at the beginning of this year to a fellow car, and VW enthusiast. The M3 has become the next project. After tyres, I've since had an Inspection II service completed, along with new: Diff cover and diff bushes Steering coupler Engine mounts Rear pads (had the wrong size fitted by prior owner) Rear plate lights I also pulled the front seats out, to detail the interior, which is in great condition considering it's age, along with a bit of Pears soap to freshen up the steering wheel. Wheel before: After: And a pic after a clean, in the sun That brings this up to date! Plans are to do a suspension refresh, with parts accumulating, and a set of Bilstein B12's on pre-order. Once that's done, it'll be a front end respray, and a proper detail as the paint isn't in great condition at all (especially compared to the Golf), then enjoy when we're back on the roads and we move into spring! If you got this far, and haven't lost interest in the switch to another marque, thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 and a half years of ownership with the R. Lots of fond memories of decent drives, Phillip Island and seeing it transform, whilst also being part of the community here. I definitely miss it, and would own another if I could warrant another car in the future. Thanks for having me all! -Chris

Cheers Glaze. I left it in Morrie from Reflection Perfection's capable hands. It came out looking superb - the pics didn't really do it justice. It's been over 18 months since I had it done, and comes up nearly as good as then when it's had a wash. Crystal Serum Ultra is 👌 Cheers Simon! What I'd do for a blast on those roads, Dave! I hear you though, and always have that little niggle in the back of my mind - that and the zero tolerance for any kind of fun on the roads here by the rozzers!

Thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread - some eclectic rides! I'm also a keen rider with a couple of steads alongside the R. The Road bike: A 90's Clamont frame from Australian Frame builder Geoff Scott. Lovely Columbus steel frame with some stunning lugs. Decided to go down the old with a blend of new with the build, with an Ultegra group-set and Mavic rims. It's my daily (I'm lucky to be able to commute along the Yarra river in Melbourne to work and back each day), but also enjoy getting out for a longer ride at the weekends. The MTB: A 2017 Canyon Spectral Al 7.0. Lovely piece of kit this. Full SRAM groupset, including Eagle drive-train, Renthal bars and Mavic rims/hubs. Plenty of decent trail here in Victoria - spent today getting nice and muddy at Wombat State forest! I really enjoy riding both; reading through this thread hasn't helped with the niggling that I 'need' a carbon disc road weapon for those special weekend rides! Cheers all!

Thanks @R3DM - They were fairly pricey I must admit (although a lot cheaper than their cheaper BBK option). I ordered them from here. Got stung by Australian customs too which was pleasant. Try not to look at their 360mm kit - stunning! Very timely question. I just popped up the road to pick up a curry and they were noticeably noisy on the short journey. It's pretty chilly here at the moment, even for a brit, which didn't help. Luckily, it's normally used for a bit of a weekend blast otherwise it'd drive me mad. Maybe Strada's would be the way to go? From memory, the Corsa's don't have any the anti-rattle shims either, although i've not noticed any issues here.

Another recommend for an upgrade. I went down the Tarox route when I did brakes earlier this year, with F2000 discs (2-piece up front), Corsa Front and Strada rear pads, lines, and RS3 ducts. Noticeably better than stock, with zero fade when out on a fast road run. Yet to test them on track though! @expor gratuitous pictures, just in-case you're still considering the 2-piece 😉

Thanks Ptraynor, Phil. I occasionally wonder whether I should do the Prets in silver for a change, but when it's clean, I love them in black again! Agreed Rick. Admittedly, I've not spent much time driving RWD machinery, and I'm no Colin McRae, but having all 4 driving does provide confidence, with the PS4S's providing me with some faith it'll hang on too. The Mustang has just had the same tyres and a full set of coilovers thrown at it, so it'll be even more of a weapon now!

Went for a drive with mates this morning; there's some absolutely incredible roads ~100km outside of Melbourne, the Reefton Spur being one of them - sensational! It's drives like this that remind me just how capable the car is, and how much I love it! It swallowed up the bends and made easy work of the straights, the supercharged mustang wasn't to be seen 🙄🤨 Needs a wash now!

Took mine out for an early morning run with some mates on some superb roads outside of Melbourne (the Reefton Spur of particular note - unreal).

I went with the Corsa up front, Strada at the rear combination. I'd done a bit of reading, and heard that there might be a bit of noise. They've actually been spot-on. Occasional squeaking when it's not been moved or only driven short distances. As they've bedded in, it's very rare. Cheers @BD., @Jack-R. They might cost a little bit more, but worth the cash if you're into looks too 😉

I went for a Tarox upgrade at the beginning of the year, with a 2-piece up front with aluminium bells, and black at the back. Decent quality, great with Strada and Corsa pads, with their braided lines too. I also think think they look better than the standard option 😏 I've not tracked with them, yet, but they perform very well when out for a fast road jaunt and day-to-day. Would recommend!

Here's mine on VWR springs, no spacers, but running DCC. Admittedly, I drive mine in 'Normal' most of the time, as 'Race' is way too firm for the awesome roads here in Melbourne!

No trouble. I haven't used the timer as of yet... Need a Dragy or Vbox to do a comparison ideally. I believe so @YvanOn3 - I don't know much about PolarFis, but it plugs into the cars OBD port.

Nice write-up, and absolute weapon you've got there Kieran! Have you noticed improved handling with the drop in tyre size in addition to the impressive 0-60 time? Keen to hear how you get on over at the Ring on the cups too!

Thanks for the prompt @SpursMadDave - gave the inside a quick vacuum today, and snapped some pics of the P3. I also had an analogue boost sensor fitted, using a CTS boost tap to ensure accurate readings. Despite being a little bit gimmicky, I've found it useful keeping an eye on temps when out for a fast road run, along with boost of course, given its state of tune on the standard turbo. It definitely wasn't a priority purchase, but Autoinstruct had it on sale after Christmas, which was too good to pass up...

I ended up ordering them from the Tarox website - https://www.tarox.co.uk/product/front-tarox-brake-discs-volkswagen-golf-mk7-r-bespoke/ Very sensible indeed. That 360mm kit will always be a niggle in the back of my mind 😬