Originally Posted by cheeba (Post 168556)

It's a turbo engine, so the maximum power is ultimately going to be limited by your turbo selection. With the correct turbo, you can get 1000HP out of your 1.8T. That said, you will not get to 300bHP on a K04 (not reliably, anyway); you'll need to step up to something along the lines of a GT28RS or larger. That means new manifold, DP, injectors, tuning, fuel pump, and intake and charge-air piping; which, all adds up to much more than $2-3K.

I don't mean any offense here, but it doesn't sound like you know much about tuning cars and are just rattling off a ton of questions. The 1.8T is one of the most tuned engines in history; and, there is a nearly-limitless amount of information out there in that respect. Check out my build thread for a taste of what the 1.8T can do - I can easily walk on most new-model 400-500HP cars. Properly building a reliable vehicle that doubles stock power is going to take a lot more than $2K - you have to worry about everything necessary to handle the power: maintenance, tires, brakes, suspension, etc.

Everything above aside, a chip/injectors/turbo-back really wake the 1.8T up; and, make for a reliable daily driver. For tuning, I'd go Eurodyne or Unitronic; or, APR for something a little more conservative.

Also, the 19" wheels are - depending on weight - going to hurt your power (and steering, handling, and braking) significantly. You could always sell the Regula Tuning kit and the wheels, and put it towards your performance budget. Your call: show or go :D