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Parts & Accessories

Why is everyone who drives slower than me an idiot, and everyone who drives faster a maniac?

Parts & Mods list:

antenna angle adapter	DRLs, disabled	pen, “.:R32”
antenna, S2000 type	DRLs – city lights as DRLs, with LEDs	Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S
antenna, Sharan	Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D	poster,"R32"
AWD dynometer decal	ECU upgrade	power steering fluid
5-brake light mod	emblem cover, VW smoked	.:R accessories kit
battery, VW OEM	foam tool holders, VW	.:R-line monster mats, VW OEM
bootliner	Gorilla-Gear system	Rheostat
brake light switch	Haldex Performance, sticker	short shift, EIP Tuning R32 6-speed
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS	headlight covers, Lexan, VW OEM	spare tire, EIP R32 conversion
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A	HIDs, VW OEM	sunglass holder, grey, Golf/Jetta IV
bumper, front, VW OEM Golf R32	Hold the Phone	sway bar, rear, H&R 21mm adjustable
bumper sidemarkers, clear, VW MkIV	intake, EIP CCAI Special Edition	Tail light
CD changer, 6-disc, VW OEM	key chain, “.:R32”	temperature sensor, ambient
CD player	key fob, .:R-badge	transmission mount, EIP VW MkIV/R32 modified lower rear
coilover suspension, HPA SHS	license frame, VW 4-Motion	valve stem caps
coolant temperature sensor	mirrors, aspherical blue, VW OEM	Venture Shield
Dash vents, upper, billet aluminum	passenger seat knob, VW OEM	wheel center cap
Dogbone mount		wheels, O.Z. Crono HT
		wiper blades, VW OEM

Sharan Antenna Hillside Imports. Part No. 7M0 035 849 E. Recently I’d been wishing for a different antenna since the angle adapter (and S2000 antenna) was becoming difficult to line up properly and it was too loose to maintain the desired angle, defeating its original purpose of preventing the antenna from touching the rear spoiler. Back in the day the VW OEM Sharan antenna from Hillside Imports was always sold out so I let it go, but a couple weeks ago I discovered they finally had some in stock. Why not order it from a VW dealership? First, the Sharan isn’t available in the U.S. or Canada. Second, if memory serves there’s some modification needed with the threads to make it fit the R32 antenna base.
	The Sharan stubby doesn’t touch the rear spoiler.
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Venture Shield VentureShield; installed by Mobile Film Installation. I decided to install some clear sticker protection for the R’s front – much cheaper than getting it repainted. I didn’t anticipate the need for relief cuts, but all in all I’d still recommend it. The sticker covers the front bumper, front parts of the hood and fenders, and HIDs (Good-bye, Lexan Covers. Twas fun while it lasted). As an added bonus, the sticker makes it much easier to wash off bugs.
	Arrows point out the stickers’ edge.	Unnoticeable a short distance away.
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Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position TireRack 225/40R18 88Y, Max Performance summer tires. I purchased these asymmetric summers in a package with my O.Z. Crono HT wheels.
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O.Z. Crono HT wheels TireRack Bright Silver Paint; 1-pc low pressure cast; 18x8; 35mm offset; 5.86” backspacing; 5x100 bolt pattern; recommended tire size 225/40-18; 19.5lbs each; made in Italy; 2-yr finish warranty. In preparation for warmer temperatures I needed to get some wheels for my summer tires, the stock 15-spoke Aristos having been relegated to winter wheel status. Anywhoo, TireRack is having a close out sale on these wheels and despite the sizeable chunk customs and duties would rip out I was more comfortable purchasing from a company I had experience with. At 19.5lb the O.Z. Crono wheel weighs 8-9lb less than the Aristo (27-28lbs each). I went with 5-spoke wheels because no matter how much I like how they look the 15-spoke Aristos are a pain to clean. I’ll need centering rings to install these on my R. They came with the wheels – but what I really want to know is whether they’re re-useable. Anyone? No in situ pictures, yet, as it still hasn’t been sufficently warm on a consistent basis. The Land of Tim Hortons even had snow on Monday (6 April 2009). UPDATE (9^th May 2009): I finally installed my summer wheels. Looks great, eh? I think the Crono wheels look more aggressive, cleaner than the Aristos. Mikey, I think I like ‘em!
	O.Z. Crono HT	O.Z. Crono HT installed.	Nice!
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Ambient temperature sensor VW of Canada Part number 1J0 973 702. After I had my city lights wired to work like DRLs I noticed that seeming at random the R’s outside temperature on the MFA read -50°C. Subsequently the Climatronic would blare out suffocating heat – a problem I solved by turning the darned thing off. Anywhoo, I finally had it looked at and was informed that when I had my DRLs installed by Pro-Imports they had forgotten to reconnect the ambient temperature sensor, leading to corrosion. A new sensor and some wiring were required to repair.
Part no. 1J0-973-702.	Corroded temperature sensor.
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Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D TireRack Performance winter tires (225/40R18) In preparation for relocating to the Land of Tim Hortons I decided winter tires were a necessity. Once again I based my decision on two criteria: pricing and ratings. I haven’t had any problems with the Dunlop SP to date as they’ve successfully taken the R over snowy, mountainous highways and snowy city streets for over 1,200 miles.
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City lights as DRLs I disabled my DRLs to protect my OEM HIDs from being damaged, but now I need to have DRLs. To have DRLs without abandoning and/or damaging my HIDs, I had my city lights wired to the R’s ignition so that they turn on automatically. I replaced the stock city light bulbs with high-intensity white BAX9S wedge style LEDs (42 Draft Designs #SB-143).
The city light LED is below the high-beam.	Farther back: city light LEDs.	City light LED + HID in poor light.	City light LEDs in poor light.
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.:R32 poster VW of America Roughly 18 months after purchasing my R (circa September 2005), I received a free R32 poster in the mail. It was both completely unexpected and very gratifying—almost as if the poster itself justified buying an R32. :o) This poster is 1 of 5000 mailed to each original owner of a 2004 R32—printed individually on the poster’s lower left. Despite how much I might wish otherwise, the poster number has nothing to do with my R’s production sequence. The poster says “Just in from Germany”, and in the lower right, “The 240 hp, 6-speed, all-wheel drive limited edition R32. Drivers Wanted.” The only poor note in this free gift was that it arrived slightly wrinkled. Wangos. Oh yeah, and lest you think VWoA is simply rolling in cash (who knows, maybe they are), I had the poster mounted and framed myself.
	I took the pic at an angle to avoid glare and reflections.
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.:R32 key chain VW of America Part no. 1J0 860 357 This R32 leather key chain, extra key ring, and carabiner cost me around $30,000 USD. It was a bargain since the dealer threw in a brand new R32. :o) I’d heard some new R owners actually finding the key chain “missing”, so I was relieved to receive mine. The key chain may look marked up—that’s only because I’ve been using it since day one. :o)
	It came with the box, too. :o)
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.:R32 ballpoint pen This pen came with the owner’s manual. A nice touch, and I was especially happy to have one since, like the R32 key chain, I’d heard others finding theirs AWOL. The “R32” lettering (black) is much more legible than it appears in the picture—my camera’s oft annoying flash, again.
	This is the pen I use most often. :o)
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.:R-badge for key fob NorPacvw.com I found this advertised on VWvortex. It’s constructed of aluminum and fits over the VW logo on MkIV and MkV key fobs. Expensive ($10 USD), but life’s too short; I bought two of them. :o)
Key fobs as received.	Key fob “.:R” badge.	The badge has an adhesive backing.
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Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position Tire Rack Ultra-high performance all seasons (225/40ZR18 88W SL). Max. load, 1235 lbs; max. infl. pressure, 51 psi; tread depth, 11/32”; tire weight, 24 lbs. I went with all seasons because I don’t have the luxury of being able to store summer and/or winter tires. FYI, I also had a four-wheel alignment done when the Potenzas were mounted and balanced. My fronts “Turning” (see R32 alignment specs) was set at -2.3 to -2.4. Pro-Imports said they couldn’t get it closer to stock spec without installing control arms. They did say that I wouldn’t notice any handling differences or excess tire wear so I left it at that. I chose these tires because they were rated #1 overall in their category by customers on Tire Rack, they were priced in my affordable range, I vaguely recalled reading some positive recommendations on VWVortex, and they were in stock (I was trying to avoid having to repair a couple slow leaks in my old Pzero Neros).
Bridgestone all-seasons	Potenza	RE960AS	treads.
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Dogbone mount BmF Technologies Part No. BmF006 I wanted to try something a little more aggressive so I replaced my rear transmission mount from EIP with one from BmF Technik. I received the BmF Dogbone mount almost a month after ordering it. This was due to a unexpectedly large number of orders. I wasn’t too annoyed since BmF kept me updated, quickly responded to all my questions, and explained the cause of the delay—that’s how you keep customers happy. Impressions, comparisons, and more pics—dogbone mounts.
	Torque specs, and free stickers :o)	It’s orange!
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Gorilla-Gear system VW of America Part No. 1J0 061 166 H 469 I purchased this Gorilla-Gear system as soon as I learned Volkswagen was finally offering one designed for the MkIV R32—and it only took them three years to do it ::roll eyes::. If you’re looking for a rear cargo mat I strongly recommend this Gorilla-Gear cargo mat over the flimsy piece of foam VW started offering several months ago. The Gorilla-Gear system includes a rubber-backed cargo mat that can be hosed off and four Gorilla-Grips cargo locks that attach using Velcro.
	Part no. 1J0 061 166 H 469		Cargo Mat and Gorilla-Grips in use.
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Bootliner

VW of America

Part No. 1J0 061 161

When the 2004 R32 was first released Volkswagen didn’t offer a cargo liner or anything for the hatch. Because of the 4Motion the R32’s hatch floor is raised—meaning that liners/mats for the Golf/GTI don’t fit the R32. In winter 2006 VW finally came out with a bootliner designed to fit the 2004 R32. Unfortunately, I read that it was just a piece of flimsy foam so I promptly forgot all about its existence until last week when I asked a local VW parts department about cargo liners. Anywhoo, I decided to order a bootliner—since it has to better than nothing—and this morning I picked it up. My verdict: this bootliner is an expensive piece of flimsy foam… but it has to be better than nothing.

stock, carpeted liner; off black