Transplant Support

This car is a Mk2 Golf fitted with a 2005 S3 2.0 TFSi engine. Unlike some other conversions, the complete engine is fitted, along with standard or uprated ancilliaries and OEM management.

Mechanical installation was done by Paul Turner at The Phirm, who owns the car. It is tuned to around 365bhp, put through the six speed transmission that came with the new engine. The engine and bay wiring was done by Haslemere Tuning.

There are two bespoke modules behind the instrument panel. One communicates with the OEM ECU, replacing many of the functions that the engine expects to find in the standard vehicle and generating signals to drive the instruments. Where other installers use standard VAG parts to support the ECU, we use alternatives developed by us for this project.

Later gearboxes have no location for a speedometer cable or sender. Instead, the car has been fitted with ABS sensors, feeding the second module to generate a signal to drive an electric speedometer. The car has also been fitted with a water/meth injection kit, controlled by the custom modules. Activation is based on user selection and measurements of various engine systems - the pump is only triggered when the engine has hit certain speed, load and boost targets, both saving the cooling agent and protecting the engine.

This was the main cover car for PVW Magazine December 2010.