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Ownership experiences of different vehicles that include the GMC Yukon XL Denali, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Volkswagen R32, Infiniti G35, Suzuki Burgman, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sequoia, Mazda MPV and the Volkswagen Passat.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'vw'
VW R32: Cute
I'd heard the description before, but the other day was the first time I'd heard in person my R described as "cute".I wasn't at all bothered or anything, merely taken back for half a second, thinking to myself, really?I just don't see it. But that d...
VW R32: Sharan antenna
One of the first things I changed on my R was the stock antenna -- it reminded me of those long metal wires sticking out the top of old trains and buses that connect to overhead electric cables. The problem with installing a different antenna, thoug...
VW R32: VentureShield
I decided it's much cheaper to install clear sticker on the R than having to have it repainted. I had some VentureShield clear sticker installed on the front of the R. It covers the front part of the hood, the HIDs, front bumper, and part of the fr...
VW R32: Front Repaint
A short while back the cornucopia of rock chips on the R's front reached my personal I-will-pay-good-money threshold. Being new to the area, I went with a local dealership's recommendation for a good paint shop.My entire front bumper was like this:T...
VW R32: O.Z. Crono HT Installed
I purchased some 5-spoke O.Z. Crono HT wheels for my summer tires a short while back. This weekend I finally installed them.Click below the fold for pictures.First, for easier comparison, this first picture is with the stock Aristos:Now, the last tw...
VW R32: Importing a vehicle into Canada from the U.S.
I've posted previously that I imported my 2004 VW Golf R32 to Canada from the U.S. when I relocated to the Land of Tim Hortons; here I want to provide some of the details on an initially daunting but ultimately straight-forward process. It goes wit...
New Volkswagen Golf VI Commercial: "The Fight"
Nice moves. Catchy song.Stargazer's Garage @ istargazer.blogspot.com...
VW R32: O.Z. Crono HT
The stock Aristos on my R32 have been relegated to winter wheel status. In preparation for the other three seasons I purchased 18x8 O.Z. Crono HT wheels. I haven't installed them yet as it still hasn't been consistently warm (it snowed 6 days ago) ...
VW R32: 5th Anniversary
Well... it's been five years since I purchased the R. I have to say most of it has been fun. I also have to say, or admit, that in the past year and a bit, and after several large expenditures, I've wondered how much money I could have saved if I d...
VW R32: Icy HIDs
The R32 is great nevertheless there were some things that I found disappointing about the 2004 North American iteration sold in the United States. One of which is that for some inexplicable reason (probably $$$) prior to shipping R32s to the United...
VW R32: A R32 in Canada
After 50,070 miles my R has officially become a Canadian citizen. It survived the roughly 1,200 miles, most of it driven in snowy darkness, it took to complete my relocation to the Land of Tim Hortons.The R hopped through the hoops set by the Registr...
VW R32: Disappearing Coolant
A couple years ago my R's coolant warning light went off. I had it checked and the dealership couldn't find any leaks. Huh. I topped it off and everything was fine... until this weekend.Click below the fold for more.I'd just come back from an 83...
Bumper side markers
While I was having my city lights wired like DRLs I learned that one of my bumper side markers had partially melted. Eh... what!? These particular clear side markers were from 42 Draft Designs.Anywhoo, upon learning of this I immediately ordered ne...
City lights as DRLs
I previously posted that in the near future I'll be heading up to Canada for my next job. To meet Canadian safety requirements I need to have daytime running lights on my R. Stock, the 2004 R32 does have DRLs but stock the R doesn't have HIDs. ...
My Inconvenient Truth
I have to sell my R.I accepted a job in Canada so I have to sell my R.I thought it might happen. I considered the possibility it might happen but I didn't think it actually would happen. It looks like it is in fact happening. It looks like Volkswa...
2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali - 10-way power seats and reverse-tilt mirrors
Some vehicles we've seen seem to put the front passenger in "Economy" class by not providing the same power-seat options as the driver. The 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali has 10-way power seats for both driver and passenger. This includes power lumbar supp...
Just in from Germany
Many moons ago I received an unexpected gift mailed to original VW 2004 Golf R32 owners. Never has receiving a wood product been so satisfying. Well, that’s not strictly true — receiving my degrees was satisfying, too. :o)Check below the fold ...
VW R32: First wax of 2008
This weekend worked out relatively well. Both temperature and timing aligned such that I could wash and wax my Golf R32 for the first time in three months—and to make things even better, it was 31 days after having my hood repainted so I was final...
VW R32: Perfectly Tuned
A short while back I found another advertisement for the Golf R32. Judging by how the exhaust tips are paired it's probably advertising the MkV Golf R32 - rather than the much better and original iteration, the MkIV Golf R32. :o)More VW ads and VW...
VW R32: Repainted
A couple months ago my R was vandalized. I decided it was time to finally get her repaired.More beneath the fold.The shop I went to did an excellent job; they repainted the hood and blended the fenders. I was very impressed. The hood looked amazin...
VW R32: Deja vu - missing wheel center cap
What is it with these caps?! This is the third wheel center cap I've lost this year. Strangely, all three instances have occurred on the rear wheels. ::sigh::.Last time it took two weeks for the replacement cap (1J0-601-171) to come in. I think th...
VW R32: Vandalized
A little over a week ago my R was vandalized. Needless to say, I was and am still not happy. The pictures are self-explanatory.There's more below the fold.No need to spell it out, though. The point was made when the vandal(s) carved the R in the f...
VW R32: Key fob badge
One of the reasons I stop by VWvortex is to get Volkswagen and R32-related news, in addition to seeing what other people are doing with their R32s. I saw a thread about customizing key fobs which I thought was a neat idea.See over the fold for pictu...
VW R32: Freebies
In what I think was a nice touch, every new 2004 VW Golf R32 came with a R32 ballpoint pen and leather key chain. I was particularly happy to receive mine (although the United States--unlike Europe--didn't get the R32 umbrella ::cry::) because I'd...
VW R32: Post-wax pictures
Last weekend after waxing my R I decided to take additional pictures from a more holistic perspective.More pics beneath the fold....Follow this link for more pictures.Stargazer's Garage @ istargazer.blogspot.com...
VW R32: Wash and Wax
Normally in October I'm anxiously awaiting the next dry spell so I can wash and wax my R. This year, however, it's been unusually dry and warm. I used the opportunity to wax the R despite having waxed it only 5-6 weeks earlier.More beneath the fold...
VW R32: Potenza RE960AS
The MkIV R32 came stock with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 225/40ZR18 performance summer tires which were great--good grip on dry and wet--except for the soft sidewalls. I don't have the luxury of having space to store winter and/or summer tires so I quic...
VW R32: wiper blades
A short while ago I replaced my wiper blades. They were still useable but I did notice a decrease in their effectiveness.Part Nos:driver-side, 1J1 955 425 B;passenger-side, 1J1 955 426 B;rear, 1J6 955 427.Stargazer's Garage @ istargazer.blogspot.com...
VW R32: Lexan headlight covers
I’d decided to use Lexan headlight covers rather than adhesive-type film to protect my HIDs (Let there be light). I preferred the Lexan covers because I disliked the idea of attaching anything permanent to my HIDs, especially if there was a chance...
VW R32: dogbone mounts
I replaced the EIP Tuning dogbone mount on my R with a mount from BmF Technologies. I’d been satisfied with the EIP mount for 30k miles but for multiple reasons I decided to try something new.When I first purchased my R I wanted to get an after-m...
