Damo's Leon Cupra 280 ST (Sold) & Car History

[Damo H]

So had a fair bit of history with MINI's, in fact a MINI was the first car I owned...

1 - Cooper No 1 May 2002 to December 2003

Modifications:

Didn't do a huge amount to this one, from what I can remember:

Custom "Cooper" Grill
Custom ICE Install
"Cooper" Wheel Centre Stickers
MG UnionJack/Chequred badges on Side Grills and Rear (often copied now

)
Aerodynamic Spoiler

Before:



After:

 

[Damo H]

The first MINI had some scrote in Salford throw a rock at it. So whilst getting a quote for a repair, I was talked into trading it in, and getting a new spec MINI. Still a cooper as couldn't afford the insurance on an S yet, but a few tasty extras like Xenons...

2 - Cooper No 2 December 2003 to May 2005

Modifications:

Modded this one a fair bit more:

Custom ICE Install
"Cooper" Wheel Centre Stickers
MG UnionJack/Chequred badges on Side Grills and Rear
Aerodynamic Spoiler

Aerokit (was on within a week after collecting as bought it with car and fitted it myself)
18" JCW Wheels
JCW Seats
Eibach Lowering Springs
Red and White rear lights
Momo Gear Knob

Before

Not quite got a "before pic" as modded the car the day after collecting it. This was half way through doing the aero kit. This is the pic after I did the sideskirts:



After:

 

[Damo H]

It was at this point I started looking a getting a Leon, in fact I may of even lurked this Forum the first time then. I was looking at a mk1 Leon CupraR 225. Very well nearly bought it, but then ended up specking a brand new S and modding it a lot...

3 - Cooper S May 2005 to October 2012

Factory Spec:

Solid Black with White Roof
Chili Pack
Half Leather Black Space Interior (See modifications)
Brilliant Silver Interior Trim (See modifications)
Xenon Lights
Multi-Function Steering Wheel
Auto Dimming Mirror
Climate Control
Anthracite headliner
Heated Mirrors and Washer jets
Arm Rest

Modifications:

Quite a bit came from my 2nd Cooper:
Mikeys Custom ICE Install
Eibach Lowering Springs
JCW Wheels
JCW Seats

Exterior:
Aerodynamic Kit
Custom made bonnet stripes
Custom made side stripes with S logo
Body Coloured S Indicator Grills
S Badges in Reflective White
BBR Venturi Bonnet Scoop replaced with an M7 RAM Scoop
PIAA Main Beam Lights
De-Chromed "Red" tail lights then White LED lights
Halo side lights

Wheels and Tyres:
18x7" OZ Superleggeras (Bright Silver)
215/35 R18 Yokohama Parada Spec 2

Brakes:
Stoptech ST 40 4 Pot Calipers
328x32mm 2 Piece Floating Discs
Braided Hoses

Interior:
JCW Half Leather Seats
JCW Leather 3 Spoke Steering Wheel
Piano Black Dash board (From MINI One) with Custom Red Stripe
Leather with Red Stitching Gear Stick and Hand-brake Gaiters
Rear Seat Delete with spare wheel

ICE:
Sony CDX-CA900 CD Head Unit
Sony Mini-Disc Changer hidden beneath toggle switches

Suspension:
GTT Top Aero Brace
GTT Lower front Brace
GTT Lower Mid Brace
GTT Boot Brace
BK Racing Adjustable Coilovers
Eibach Front and Rear Anti-Roll Bars
Powerflex and Superflex Bushes all round
H Sport Adjustable rear control arms

Engine:
GRS Intercooler
Alta Cold Air Intake replaced with customer Enclosed Intake with Large K&N Cone filter.
Alta 17% Pulley
NGK Colder Plugs
JCW 380cc Injectors
Janspeed 4 into 1 Racing Manifold with Standard cat adapted to sit further back exhaust.
Play MINI Sports Exhaust then replaced with one ball exhaust (standard exhaust with one silencer removed)

Before Pics:



Day 3 - Cooper Mods transferred over and stripes added:



Work in progress:



After pics:







Final Pics:


The day they left (some mods removed):

 

[Damo H]

Then I got married and the wife and I wanting to start a family decided to trade both our beloved matching MINI's in for a sensible family car. A Seat Leon FR+ 170 Diesel DSG.

Turned out to be very sensible, just not very family orientated. After a few years of ownership and the family finally got 1 bigger, we quickly realised this car wasn't big enough.

It was not a hard decision to get rid of it. There was not much love for this car. It wasn't bad, it just lacked any kind of excitement or love compared to our previous MINI. I even tried to mod it but it made little difference, neither my wife or I fell in love with this car....

4 - Seat Leon FR+ 170 Diesel DSG October 2012 to October 2015

Modifications:
Blacked out Bumper Lip and Number plate surround
Cupra R Diffuser and Exhaust

Before


After (kind of, not many photos of this car that I can find :O)

 

[Damo H]

The almost Skoda:

So when we realised the car wasn't big enough for +1, I started looking at the ST.

Due to larger incomes and less time spent commuting a diesel was no longer needed, so I looked to the Cupra 280 ST.

I spent 2 hours in a dealership whilst my car was being serviced, waiting to be taken out in the Cupra Demo car that I'd booked a test drive of. That car never came into the dealership, so I was PI$$ED after sitting twindling my thumbs. I vowed not to buy a Seat.

And then I put a deposit down on a highly spec'd Skoda Octavia VRS 220. In fact I put a deposit down on 2. The first kept being delayed and delayed, and in the mean time the special edition came out with 230 and the VAQ diff.

As my car was not going to arrive in time for the holiday I needed it for, I put a deposit on one sat in a showroom in Crewe and had the finance approved.

Few days later, 2 days before I was due to collect the car in fact, got a call to say VW would not honour the 0% finance they had been offering on the special edition cars. (They later started doing it but too late for me). The salesman was pissed as there were 2 in the showroom, and his wife had been buying the other. I later saw the salesman and the b*****ds had put both cars either side of his desk!

So had to go back to my original dealership who still had my deposit for the 220 car and they said they'd lend me a car for my holiday.

But by that point I wanted the special edition with that diff...

...and then I saw a second hand Seat Cupra 280 ST DSG dealer demo in Crewe. It had over 10k knocked off of it as it was the 2015 spec with 8,000 miles on it, and the rest is history.

 

[Damo H]

Well after the sensible family car of the FR not being so much a family car, this is a sensible family car that at times is far from sensible

5. Leon Cupra 280 ST DSG October 2015 to now.

Factory Spec:
Everything you could have at the time apart from, Sub8 pack, Bucket Seats and sunroof. 2 of those 3 things I'd of happily swapped everything else for.

Modifications:
Quite mild really:
TRC Splitter
DSG Paddle Extensions in Black
Sub8/Aero Side Skirts
Colour Coded Rear Bumper and Diffuser - after an Audi drove into the back of my wife.
Red LED Interior.
VCDS Mods
Powervalve Cat Back Exhaust with Quad 76mm black ceramic coated tips
Custom designed stripes
Blacked out bumper lip



Other mods planned:
Racingline R600 Intake
Spoiler Lip
Black Pack Side Spoilers
Black Pack Cupra badge in black
Blacked out, Grey or dechromed Seat Badges
Updated Sat Nav (somehow)
Bucket Seats
Rear Diffuser

 

[Jimbobcook]

What a great thread! Not my normal 6.30am reading haha

That's some mod list for that Cooper s! I also noticed a Nokia from the 90's in the front drinks holder, good work!

Do you do all the work yourself as it seems you've had plenty of time to hone in on skills lol I maybe being blind but I don't see any remaps for the 280.

Your insurance company must love you with all the admin fees when telling them about all the mods you do haha

Great thread keep up the good work!

 

[Damo H]

What a great thread! Not my normal 6.30am reading haha

That's some mod list for that Cooper s! I also noticed a Nokia from the 90's in the front drinks holder, good work!

Do you do all the work yourself as it seems you've had plenty of time to hone in on skills lol I maybe being blind but I don't see any remaps for the 280.

Your insurance company must love you with all the admin fees when telling them about all the mods you do haha

Great thread keep up the good work!

Thanks!

A lot of the work I did myself or with friends, apart from the Pulley, that I helped (watched really) my best mate with after he borrowed a pulley removal tool. The brakes, a company called Lohen did that, and the one ball exhaust with standard cat (required cutting and welding).

The manifold was the worst thing I’ve ever done.

But by the end of it I knew a lot about the R53. I also did a cam and a remap on the MINI but the car was pinking like mad with the cam even with a remap so it all had to go back.

I was a bit naughty with insurance at first as I was young and foolish, but when I got the S I changed insurance companies due to the mods.

Has to do the same with the Cupra this year as my current insurance provider was for the sensible family man.

I fancy a stage 1 remap, but not so sure yet, it’ll be at least 12 months off I reckon as it’ll need a DSG remap too.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Nice car and history, DSG Map adds to the car but you can do the engine without it (I have for over a year and a half).

If you are interested in APR or Revo maps then they both have sales on towards the end of year which saves you a few bob so keep your eyes open.

 

[Damo H]

Please wish a warm welcome to @Theboss1973 who has picked up the old girl.

Awesome car?

Hi, Quick introduction, owned a few Seat cars in the past, Arosa, Ibiza but had my Leon Cupra for a couple of months now and WOW?, never get bored of my son telling me to give it the beans and I'm only too happy to oblige ?, I even let him push the Cupra button. Looking forward to reading...

www.seatcupra.net

@Theboss1973, you need to create a readers ride thread to follow this one. I'll close this thread for now and update with a link to yours if you make one

 

[Damo H]

My new motor since October 2018:

Damo's Carbon Edition Build