Blog
Donington National - MSV Trackday Trophy & Championship - 11th April
The first round of the 2021 Season of the MSV Trackday Championship and MSV Trackday Trophy was at our 'local' track, Donington Park, on the National Circuit configuration.
For those not up to speed, the class structure is based upon Power to Weight ratio which is a very good way of keeping different cars on a level playing field. It also works well for 2 driver teams, as it is a 45 minute race with a mandatory 2 minute pit stop, which allows for a driver change. We decided that I will run
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20 04 2021
Tuning the BMW x30d N57N / N57D30A 3.0 Diesel Engine
The 3.0 Diesel N57 Engine found in most of the F Series (and some of the E Series) BMWs is highly tuneable, and pretty much bullet proof (save for the usually emissions gremlins).
We have tuned many of them over the years, and now have a good recipe for the ultimate daily driver setup whilst maintaining that reliability.
This Blog Post is specifically talking about the N57N / N57D30A engine with Solenoid Injectors, but the principles of the mods are pretty similar to the other N57 Engines.
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19 04 2021
DFS Upgrades
We're still not sure why VW have never produced a sporty (GTI / GTD) version of the Caddy van, but for those seeking that hot hatch feeling whilst still having the practically of a van, don't worry, we have you covered.The newer (DFS) range of 2.0 TDI Caddy's seem to be the ideal platform to start from. With the DFSF (75) DFSC (75) DFSD (102) DFSE (122) DFSB (150) all fitted with the same hardware, these can all be tuned to the same level.This blog outlines the options we can offer for thes
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29 03 2021
Amarok 7T Up-Plating
We are working to make the Amarok the perfect tow vehicle by increasing Gross Train weight (GTW) from the factory 6000kg to 7000kg. Using a normal hitch the towing capacity is increased to 3.5T from the stock 3.1T. This is all possible on a Normal Licence - B + E (3500kg + Trailer).
A 2020 V6 weighs roughly 2300kg with 1/2 Tank of fuel depending on specification, with a Maximum allowable Mass (MAM) of 3290kg. With up-plating the vehicle the MAM is increased to 3500kg, meaning payload is increas
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18 03 2021
VW Amarok Suspension Guide
The ultimate guide to lifting or lowering your VW Amarok!Whether it's for practicality or just for looks this guide covers all our options for lifting and lowering your VW Amarok...
Lifting
From factory the rear of the Amarok sits higher than the front, so the first step to lifting is to raise the front to match. Some people install lift springs to the stock struts which is not ideal as this maxes the travel of the damper resulting in a crashy ride.If you have already gone down this route we o
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30 01 2021
How will BREXIT affect my orders from Darkside?
As of 31st December 2020, the UK will be leaving the European Union, we would like to reassure all of our European customers that our ability to ship orders will not be affected.
In the simplest of terms, the only real change you will see is around taxes and duties. Instead of paying us the UK VAT @ 20%, we will sell the goods without VAT, then the taxes will be paid by yourself upon import at your local rate. If you are VAT registered in your country, you would then claim this back like any
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22 12 2020
Brands Hatch Indy - MSV SuperCup - 12th September
The next round of the SuperCup, took us all the way down South to Brands Hatch, on the short Indy Circuit.
With a busy schedule outside of racing, we were not able to do any testing before the race, which wouldn't have been much of a problem had we not being having the usual Golf nightmares!
The DSG box started causing issues on Wednesday night, sticking in gears. We figured it was a wiring or solenoid issue, both of which we had lost interest in trying to diagnose after countless hours tr
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16 09 2020
Silverstone GP - MSV SuperCup and Focus Cup - 15th-16th August
With only one week between our MSV Trackday Championship and EnduroKA success at Oulton Park (which you can read about here) and the next round of the SuperCup, we needed to get the car ready quickly, especially after we found a few niggles that we know would haunt us if we didn't get them sorted.
As the circuit is so big (and expensive to rent for over an hour), MSV decided to combine the SuperCup Grid with that of the TDC and Trackday Trophy. This meant we had a grid of over 50 cars, so i
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25 08 2020
Oulton Park - MSV Trackday Championship / EnduroKA - 8th August 2020
The first round of the MSV Trackday Championship was a proper stinker at Snetterton, with 2 DNFs in the Golf due to various issues (which you can read about here). Not to let this dampen our spirits, we came back to base and worked like crazy to iron out as many issues as possible before round 2 at Oulton Park in Cheshire, which comprised of a 45 minute Race in the Golf, then a 5 hour race in the EnduroKA. We did plan to also enter the Trackday Trophy in the Golf, but once bitten twice shy, we d
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13 08 2020