Sams "sensible" ish Seat

[samcash88]

Firstly, I know this project isn’t going to interest the majority of people on here but it’s a good place to keep record of any progress made, and despite not owning a s body for a little over 6 months now I find myself on here just the same amount so thought I would share my attempt at being “sensible” and more mrs friendly with my car choice...
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Some of you may remember after owning 2 s14a’s I had to scratch the vtec itch, I bought an ep3 Civic Type R and whilst it was a nice car it wasn’t for me.*

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/IMG_1103.jpg

I found the noise itself cool but soon missed the turbo and began to hate the whole civic chavvy thing. So a compromise was reached, and I bought a 2004 Seat Leon Cupra R 225.
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The car was completely standard aside from a IPod Kenwood Stereo, and came in the best colour (IMO) Emocion Red.
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Some pics from when I got the car:

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/07084ed0.jpg

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/6cb52032.jpg
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After I got the cambelt, water pump and stat replaced to cure a temperature issue I felt happier with the reliability of the car.
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After a while and after reading a few of Jems threads aswell as some kind advice from ipnanobox (thanks for the reply!) I decided I wanted to see what the fuss was about with the detailing side of things so after a holiday I had a bit of spare cash and bought the following;
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Das6 Pro Dual Action Machine Polisher
Menzerna Compounding, polishing and finishing pads
Meguiars Ultimate Compound
Clearkote Yellow Moose Glaze
Meguiars Next Gen Tech Wax
Wolfs Chemicals Nano Wheel cleaner & Sealant
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Thanks to tobrien1 we managed to give the whole car a full exterior detail, to say I’m pleased is a massive understatement, the depth of the colour now and the shine is amazing! I’ll let the pics do the talking despite not showing it to its full potential!

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/5ee79c2e.jpg
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*http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/b017a498.jpg


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I also had read that the standard Bosch recirc valve was prone to leaking, so when a forge 007p came up at a good price I couldn’t resist and here things begin! No pics of this as we all know what this looks like!
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Then the biggest update, the standard ride height as with most modern cars leaves a lot to be desired, aswell as poor fitment standard rims. 18 x 7.5j et38 all round... not exactly manly!!
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So im awaiting a delivery of coilovers to address the ride height and some 15mm spacers for the rear and 12mm for the front meaning it will be et26 and et23. All of this should hopefully be with me by Friday so ill be cracking on to get it fitted asap!
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After that is done should come the more fun mods to enhance the performance as im well aware how well this engine responds to a simple remap!
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Thanks for looking!
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[pdh 14a]

Another Seat fan here! Looks very nice mate,stunning condition! :thumbs:

[M200sex]

Decent panel filter and turbo intake pipe make the biggest difference on these, followed by 3"downpipe and system with a re map, should see you with 280-290hp on good fuel, we did one last week that made 304hp!!! But thats too much for standard rods so we had to "turn it down" a bit lol !!

[samcash88]

Thanks very much! In truth the car was in exceptional condition before but the polishing etc really has taken it to the next level!

[samcash88]

Decent panel filter and turbo intake pipe make the biggest difference on these, followed by 3"downpipe and system with a re map, should see you with 280-290hp on good fuel, we did one last week that made 304hp!!! But thats too much for standard rods so we had to "turn it down" a bit lol !!

Well that's definatly something to aim for, quite how it deals with it should be interesting! I've looked at the price of Fmic kits and exhausts from milltek, bloody pricey! Full exhaust is approx £800 and a forge Fmic kit £650!!! Think it may just be a stage 1 map for now!!

[nitroboss]

Well that's definatly something to aim for, quite how it deals with it should be interesting! I've looked at the price of Fmic kits and exhausts from milltek, bloody pricey! Full exhaust is approx £800 and a forge Fmic kit £650!!! Think it may just be a stage 1 map for now!!

For an exhaust maybe look at empperformance in bushey. They did a full custom system on my soarers in the past and I've been very happy :)

[Rubix_Cube]

Love these cars. Very practical and pretty quick :)

[samcash88]

It's not bad, all the power seems to come in at 2.5k rpm, so it's pretty fun even at sensible speeds and round town etc. as soon as I tighten it up by fitting my coilovers an removing the vag "comfy slightly wooly handling I'll be a happy man!

[samcash88]

Bit of an update.. The calipers paintwork seems to be a real weak point on these cars with laquer bubbling and chipping away etc which then leads to them looking increasingly dull, so I made a start to fix this

Firstly prepped the surface removing all loose laquer, then lightly wet and dried the surface to smooth any rough edges and then finally about 3-4 light coats of laquer. I'll let the pics do the talking

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/be6d94d4.jpg
before laquer:
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/e9d2df63.jpg

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/4ea09fa4.jpg

I also now have this little lot in my possession.....

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/4f1238b1.jpg

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/ecdea232.jpg

And with that I'll whore another shiny shot :)*

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/97b3b3b7.jpg

[Teggers]

Looking rather nice there! I was initially after one but as I'm doing a LOT more driving now I went for a Golf GT TDi.

Still might get one in a year or so as my missus wants the Golf...

Read a lot about them and they seem to be pretty easy to get reasonable power increases from. www.seatcupra.net/forums is where I got most of my info - they seemed to be pretty good on there.

[samcash88]

Definatly, kind of an easier transition to a normal car from the 200 as there's still enough bits to do to them and they go well enough to put a smile on your face when needed!

[turningjapanese]

What coilovers are they?

I've had AP coilovers on mine along with H&R arb's front and back for around 14 months now and the difference is amazing:eek::D

I've had my SCR since March 09 and apart from some expensive problems:mad: (I'll have my own thread for this:)) I don't miss the 200 too much.

I'm only a downpipe away from a stage 2 map although I'll probably go with custom mapped rather than off shelf.

Oh and if it hasn't had one already get one of Badger5's 3" TIPs fitted. The forge or equivalent silicone are ok but still restrict at the turbo entry as the angle is very shallow. Bill's 3" TIPs are very good indeed:cool:

[samcash88]

They're ta technix ones, I did think about buying a more expensive brand but I don't always think its the best way, I've compared these fitted on a Leon cupra r and I couldn't tell any difference between these and ap in terms of ride comfort and handling. Plus they come with the same tuv approval and warranty so for £175 delivered I didn't think I could go wrong! Plus they look a lot more up to the job than the coilovers fitted to my 200's....

I've heard the arb's are definatly worth doing, and it will be my next port of call I reckon! Where abouts did you get yours? As pricey as whiteline bits?

would you also recommend getting the badger 5 intake pipe on a yet to be unmapped car? I have plans to get to stage 1 ASAP but they seem expensive for what they actually are a silicone pipe lol!

Thanks for the info!

[turningjapanese]

The coilovers were fitted by the previous owner so I haven't got anything to compare them to other than a test driven LCR I looked at before buying my one. £175 sounds like a billy bargain especially if they are to the same build and quality as the dearer ones:thumbs:

The ARB's were supplied & fitted by AMD technik in Thurrock, Essex. They worked out to be similar price to the Whitelines when you factor in the drop links which are needed on the front ARB on the LCR. They were £295+vat and the links were £24.95+vat each. Labour was added on top as I don't have the necessary tools and experience to fit them

The LCR's got the same front suspension setup as the Audi TT so you can mix in TT bits if the SEAT parts are hard to find.

DPM Performance (http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk) are good for suspension and handling bits.

I'd recommend the Badger5 TIP over standard even on an unmapped car. The original rubber intake can collapse under vacuum and can constrict the airflow to the turbo. This happens due to the ageing of the rubber and the heat produced by the engine. The Forge intakes are a tried and tested intake so its worth a change if your unsure of the condition of the original intake.

I'll get my car thread up so you can see what I've been doing:)

[samcash88]

I'd definatly be interested in seeing what you've been up to with yours! I may have to consider the arb then considering how much it improved the 200 I'm sure it can't go a miss! I may even try the bay, Ive seen a few neuspeed used ones pop up for sensible money!

How does your car cope with the extra grunt? Do you find traction a issue etc?

I may look into the TT bits, was quite surprised to see no factory strut brace under there which again is something on my ever extensive list!

[turningjapanese]

I'm not going to fit any strut bracing as the front upper has to be drilled and tapped to fit:eek:.

The front lower is easier but I'm not convinced it'll make a real difference. The thick ARBs do a pretty good job.

Just remembered the drop links run from the tab on the coilover strut to the wishbones. If you fit what you have now with the standard ARB you may need longer drop links to stop the ARB fouling the driveshafts.

Traction isn't a problem really as the ABS/ESP system is quite clever at reigning in the power if its slippy out (wet weather etc) but most of the time its unobtrusive and doesn't hinder any progress I might be making;).

I switch it off in the dry and it will break traction in 3rd if I give it the full beans:eek::thumbs:. The 1.8VTs make a good amount of torque from low down!!

Oh and my LCR is the best colour they made too.......

Ovni Yellow:D

Tis a bit faded in places but its in decent enough nick. Could do with a proper detailing job though as the roof is suffering.

[cChance]

Nice to see you cracked out the polisher then, looks amazing from it!! Do you still speak to Jack Ringsell? May be worth speaking to him about bits worth doing from experience with his previous one. Good to see a thread on it mate!

[samcash88]

Just remembered the drop links run from the tab on the coilover strut to the wishbones. If you fit what you have now with the standard ARB you may need longer drop links to stop the ARB fouling the driveshafts.

Oh and my LCR is the best colour they made too.......

Ovni Yellow:D

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From what I can remember a friend had no issues with his lcr and the droplinks and his is pretty low... Something to look out for though! Thanks for the heads up!

The ovni yellow and the red I think are certainly the most eye catching colours although the most work to keep looking good!!



Nice to see you cracked out the polisher then, looks amazing from it!! Do you still speak to Jack Ringsell? May be worth speaking to him about bits worth doing from experience with his previous one. Good to see a thread on it mate!

Not really although I can't even really remember what he did and didn't have on that car, although I think it was a 210 version so a slightly different engine. The polisher was well worth it, has really transformed it! You'll have to have a nose soon!

[samcash88]

Well last night with the help of tobrien1 and daz_s13 we set about fitting my new coilovers. First we set about removing the front which is a bit of a PITA. Anyway pics:

All removed
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/59ba7e40.jpg

After the fight obviously very pleased with myself.... Only posting that due to blackmail... Cheers daz lol!
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/90499934.jpg

All fitted all round, rears were predictably a lot easier than the front!
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/0f984969.jpg
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/4eb055cd.jpg

I'll leave you with a little teaser pic before I get some better ones today! To say I'm chuffed is an understatement, the car rides very well and seems only a bit stiffer than standard!

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/ec08a76a.jpg

[turningjapanese]

Coilies looking nice and shiny...for now :cool:

Probably about as low as mine

[samcash88]

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/e7b73686.jpg
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/73fa3e35.jpg
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/cc497a9a.jpg

Been meaning to post them up for a while, the suspension is settling now but am thinking the rear needs to come down a bit more. I'll get some proper pics when I have access to a decent camera!

Pics also don't show the fitment, it's nice and flush now, kind of how all vag cars should be IMO Lol

[cChance]

Not really although I can't even really remember what he did and didn't have on that car, although I think it was a 210 version so a slightly different engine. The polisher was well worth it, has really transformed it! You'll have to have a nose soon!

Yea i will come and have a nose around soon mate, got a few things to do over the next week but if i get time at anypoint ill give you a text :thumbs: Looking good with the coilies by the way mate, agree with the tad more on the back. See what happends after a few hundred miles of driving first though :)

[samcash88]

That's what I'm thinking, by the weekend it will have a fair few miles under its belt do we shall see!

[samcash88]

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/355058a8.jpg

Gave the car a run up to Birmingham today, a good 200mile round trip, is a nice feeling to know the car is good for it! Tobrien1 also got the above snap of how it sits now, I'm pretty chuffed to be fair! Going to give it a good scrub up also tomorrow!

[daz_s13]

Looks like its sitting just right now mate!

[samcash88]

That was 4 up but it's been dropped a touch more today and I reckon it should be spot on now!

[Lex.]

Love these mate, would like to own one one day - red is nice too :D

[crazyshad1]

Great cars, kinda miss mine at times.

I made my own front mount intercooler, cost me around £180.

Might mot be to everyones taste but gives you an idea

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/crazyshad1/DSC00113.jpg

[samcash88]

It looks like its up to the job that's for sure! Certainly a lot cheaper that the kits available!

Tobrien1 on here has a black Leon cupra r now and they do look lovely when cleaned up!

[samcash88]

Ever since owning the car the exhaust has hung rather low, after more investigation the backbox mount closer to the front of the car had completely snapped off! This is the exhaust situation before:

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/6a10b72a.jpg

Unfortunatly I didn't get any during pics, however with the thanks of my dad we fabricated a complete custom bracket. The best job we could do was pull the exhaust up about 1 inch, however it's actually very close to the original position so I'm extremely happy with the outcome!

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/samcash88/1702e137.jpg

I also took this opportunity to get my private plate on, very happy with how it looks and it means the car is staying!