Long time, no see?

It’s been a while.

The last post went up in August. It’s now January. Not because I’ve lost interest in the golf — quite the opposite — but because life has been busy in ways that don’t leave much room for writing.

The past months have been filled with work pressure, writing, delivering, and defending my master’s thesis in sustainable web design, while also trying to be present with the people around me. Christmas was spent with my girlfriend and my family, and nearly every visit to her meant fixing something on the car. She lives about two hours away, and I’m fairly sure something has gone wrong almost every single time I’ve driven there.

One of the bigger concerns right now is a noise from the suspension. When the car is loaded mid-corner, especially in tighter turns, there’s a sharp snap or clunk — like something shifting into place. The suspension otherwise feels completely normal. No instability, no odd behavior, just that sound. Still, it’s not something I’m comfortable ignoring. Once the car is on a lift, the suspension is coming apart so I can finally see what’s going on.

Then there’s the oil consumption...

An engine overhaul is no longer optional. I’m currently gathering all the details so I know exactly which parts to order before we put the car on a lift and pull the engine. Worn piston rings are the obvious culprit, and I also suspect the valves aren’t sealing perfectly. While it’s apart, it makes sense to look at engine mounts and suspension components as well. If it’s coming out, it’s getting done properly.

As if that wasn’t enough, one of my summer tires decided to give up at 120 km/h.

The previous owner told me the tires were good and would last a long time. In reality, they were already five or six years old — well past their safe lifespan. I was naïve to trust that without checking myself, telling myself I’d replace everything once I bought new wheels. New wheels kept getting postponed while I focused on mechanical issues.

The tire blew on the highway, in the middle of nowhere. By pure luck, it happened right next to a truck stop — basically a holding area with a toilet and not much else.

While I was waiting for a tow, a black Mercedes pulled up at an angle between my car and another parked car. Five guys jumped out, left all the doors open, and started moving around quickly. They were clearly breaking into the other car — digging through it, starting it, and covering the license plate with red stickers.

They were also circling my car, looking it over.

I was genuinely worried they’d try something. Norway is supposed to be safe, but moments like that make you realize not everyone has good intentions. Luckily, the tow truck arrived before anything escalated.

I was towed to a tire shop in the opposite direction of where I was going, where I was told they didn’t know if they could take the car that day. I ended up waiting for three hours, until just before closing, when they finally brought it in.

Seeing someone else drive my car was strange, but also oddly satisfying. Watching it roll out of the shop, I caught myself thinking: wow, my car is really pretty.

The puncture wasn’t without consequences. One of the rims was badly damaged from driving on bare asphalt and is now slightly oval. Even with new tires, the drive home was uncomfortable. The shop told me, almost casually, that my rims “aren’t round anymore.” I remember thinking, okay — but can I still drive it?

I made it home safely and swapped to my winter wheels immediately.

That whole situation left me more shaken than I expected. Seeing people break into a car right next to mine — and potentially considering mine — really stuck with me. Since then, I’ve been much more careful about where I leave the car, avoiding places without cameras or visibility. I don’t like that people like that exist, and it’s hard to ignore once you’ve seen it up close.

Because of that, I’ve started looking into dash cams. Either a three-way setup or a 360-degree system. I’ve been researching 70mai in particular — they’ve been around for years, and their 4K Omni with full 360-degree surveillance and AI detection looks genuinely solid. It’s tempting, but it’s not a priority right now. The engine comes first.

Oil consumption has also started killing spark plugs. I’ve already replaced them once, and right before a Christmas party with my family, the engine started misfiring just as we left the house. We made it five kilometers back home on three cylinders.

Hopefully the catalytic converter survived — I didn’t notice any smell afterward.

On top of that, I still have the classic water-in-the-boot problem. The drainage tube is clogged or broken, so I’ve ordered a replacement. While I was at it, I ordered a new backup camera and a new radio.

The head unit is an RCD 880 Pro — essentially a modernized RCD 330 with a larger, buttonless screen. Since I only use the steering wheel controls anyway, it made more sense to prioritize screen size and clarity. Reports also suggest the audio quality is better than the standard RCD 330.

It’s plug-and-play and keeps the OEM Volkswagen software, which matters to me. I could’ve gone full aftermarket with higher-resolution AHD cameras and different software, but this is still a Volkswagen — and a special edition at that. Some things can be upgraded, but I want the interior to stay clean and OEM-plus.

I’ll post photos and demo videos once the radio and new backup camera are installed.

Last summer, the golf was in good mechanical shape. I still think it mostly is — just tired. Once it’s on the lift, the plan is to fix everything that’s been nagging me: oil consumption, suspension noise, mounts, brakes.

And once the engine is healthy again, it’s time to tune it.

The hardware is already there. From the factory, this engine was built to handle 300 hp — the same setup used in the Golf R. At that point, it’s almost plug-and-play.

Stay tuned.