# Big fish tuning



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

We'll after reading a lot of good reports on big fish tuning I thought I would go and take a look.

I just turned up at their unit and was greeted by John the owner. He seemed a genuinely decent guy and had plenty of time to talk even though he was working. His set up looked really good too.

My idea for turning up before booking in for a remap was to "check them out" if I'm honest. I'm in no hurry just to give my pride and joy over to some guy/company to find out I don't particularly like them!

He showed me graphs and readout of previous TTS's he had mapped, and also explained my different options. He said I could go for an APR map that they do, or I could go with his custom map, set up on the rolling road for £295 all in. A previous TTS he had mapped on standard set up was showing 312bhp and about (i think?) 100nm extra. He said about 4 hours would be needed from start to finish, with a nice "customer viewing room" directly above the rolling road. He mentioned that the TTS can be prone to clutch slip after a map, so they spend a bit of time making sure the map isn't too much for the car to handle and won't slip the clutch.

So I was well impressed with big fish, and will be booking myself in over the next few weeks for a stage 1 remap.

Anyone here had their TTS done by them out of interest?

Gaz


----------



## Roller Skate (May 18, 2015)

Not heard of them but for a Stage 1 remap with live data on a rolling road ... it does seem a bargain.


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

Roller Skate said:


> Not heard of them but for a Stage 1 remap with live data on a rolling road ... it does seem a bargain.


He seems well known on the vagcars forum and is a sponsor on the site. Done quite a bit of "googling" and all comments look positive on them. Yeah I thought for the money it seemed good too!


----------



## Roller Skate (May 18, 2015)

Gaz78 said:


> Roller Skate said:
> 
> 
> > Not heard of them but for a Stage 1 remap with live data on a rolling road ... it does seem a bargain.
> ...


His Facebook page has 69 x 5* reviews, his Google review page has him at 3* because of what looks like a malicious review.

Personally, if it was me looking for no more that a stage 1 map for my TTS, I'd be happy with Blufin, it's tried, tested and switchable with their obd map box and it's about the same price.


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

Roller Skate said:


> Gaz78 said:
> 
> 
> > Roller Skate said:
> ...


Bluefin was actually what I was initially going to go for. But it's the fact that his mapping is custom with rolling road etc that's swaying me??


----------



## Roller Skate (May 18, 2015)

Gaz78 said:


> Roller Skate said:
> 
> 
> > Not heard of them but for a Stage 1 remap with live data on a rolling road ... it does seem a bargain.
> ...


His Facebook page has 69 x 5* reviews, his Google review page has him at 3* because of what looks like a malicious review.

Personally, if it was me looking for no more that a stage 1 map for my TTS, I'd be happy with Blufin, it's tried, tested and switchable with their obd map box and it's about the same price.[/quote]

Bluefin was actually what I was initially going to go for. But it's the fact that his mapping is custom with rolling road etc that's swaying me??[/quote]

I've always considered it fannying around when it's a pretested Stage 1 map. Ed at APS used to take the car out for a drive with live data running through his laptop ... it didn't change anything other than the owner getting the perception that he was getting better value for his £500 for less than an hours work.


----------



## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

First to admit I know nothing about tuning but mine had a custom map at r tech. The graphs show 312bhp and 340 lb/ft. What I can say is its much faster than my last tts. It has been on the car for 18 months. The more I read about the company the more I see good reviews on all the other golf/audi forums and they have been going for a long, long time, with people travelling from all over the country to go to them.

The car scans fine with vcds and the guy seem really helpful. I called them to check about battery disconnects per skates advice and the guy assured me the map stays in place.

It is a little more expensive at £390 for a custom including the RR time. Not sure how they compare on reputation compared to the company your looking at but thought I would give you another option to consider.

http://r-techperformance.co.uk


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

bhoy78 said:


> First to admit I know nothing about tuning but mine had a custom map at r tech. The graphs show 312bhp and 340 lb/ft. What I can say is its much faster than my last tts. It has been on the car for 18 months. The more I read about the company the more I see good reviews on all the other golf/audi forums and they have been going for a long, long time, with people travelling from all over the country to go to them.
> 
> The car scans fine with vcds and the guy seem really helpful. I called them to check about battery disconnects per skates advice and the guy assured me the map stays in place.
> 
> ...


Yep I have read about rtech and again can't find a bad review on them.

So how do you find your map buoy.....alot torquier, faster, mpg??


----------



## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

I don't think I ever felt I could loose control of my last car, it was standard. This one I nearly flipped the day after I got it showing my brother what it could do :lol: My brother used to race motocross/supercross semi professionally and it was funny hearing him beg me to slow down and hold onto the seat like a lil girl  He was hung over mind you!

The torque is crazy and yes it can shift, just seems to pull and pull. It transforms the car Gaz. I felt before that at low down speeds you really had to work the car. Now it just goes at any speed, in any gear.

I rarely drive fast, on the way home from collecting the car a few tried on the mway that should have been at least as fast or faster and they failed/gave up.

Just the other day I was behind a new golf r, I have no idea how quick they are meant to be but I assume he thought he would smoke me, he thought wrong.

Don't get me wrong obviously there are faster cars out there, I don't claim to be a speed freak or anything but you could easily loose your license with the car at stage 1, when I read about the guys on here with stage 2/3 or tuned to the moon TTRS then I wonder how they manage to find enough quiet roads to put it through its paces :lol:

For the little outlay it is well worth it, you cant get a better return for your cash, that's my opinion.

Mpg isn't as good. If your putting your foot down it does drink the gas.


----------



## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

By the way Gaz just noticed your driving a manual. Not saying it always happens, have seen people say they have had clutch slip after a map. Can be expensive if you end up needing to change to an after market clutch. I would be tempted with the Bluefin, maybe not just as aggressive but sure it will transform the drive and more likely to not affect your clutch.


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

bhoy78 said:


> By the way Gaz just noticed your driving a manual. Not saying it always happens, have seen people say they have had clutch slip after a map. Can be expensive if you end up needing to change to an after market clutch. I would be tempted with the Bluefin, maybe not just as aggressive but sure it will transform the drive and more likely to not affect your clutch.


Well the guys at big fish are saying that the car will be mapped so that there's no clutch slip. He said that some guys/mappers just set the cars at max torque/bhp which obviously results in the slipping. Bluefin does still a good option though!


----------



## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

I think that's probably right Gaz, problem being I guess is you don't know how the previous owner drove the car. I remember aquazi getting his low mileage car mapped and he suffered clutch slip soon after. That was an apr map though so maybe it was more aggressive. Fitting the sachs clutch did give him the perfect excuse to go stage 2 though!!

I don't know if its torque that kills clutches? anyway mine at 340 lb/ft is 460nm so a real boost in figures. Hopefully Skate, Danny or some of the other guys that actually know about tuning can give you advice.

Sure the guys at Big fish will keep you right, just thought id mention it as wouldn't want you to be staring down the barrel of a £800 clutch change a few weeks later.

Good luck with whatever you decide, look forward to hearing your thoughts when mapped 8)


----------



## Danny1 (Sep 2, 2010)

bhoy78 said:


> I think that's probably right Gaz, problem being I guess is you don't know how the previous owner drove the car. I remember aquazi getting his low mileage car mapped and he suffered clutch slip soon after. That was an apr map though so maybe it was more aggressive. Fitting the sachs clutch did give him the perfect excuse to go stage 2 though!!
> 
> I don't know if its torque that kills clutches? anyway mine at 340 lb/ft is 460nm so a real boost in figures. Hopefully Skate, Danny or some of the other guys that actually know about tuning can give you advice.
> 
> ...


This is correct mate, its torque thats the killer, however, There isnt a definitive cut off where 350lb/ft is safe and 360lb/ft is clutch meltdown for eg. As you say you dont know what condition the clutch is in, how its been worn etc Im unsure how someone would go about live mapping a car to not slip the clutch other than map it run it see if it slips turn it up or down and test again etc.

My advise would be go into it assuming you might need a new clutch as worse case scenario, that way you are prepared for it 

From what I know and have read, Bluefin seems the safest(in a clutch sense) map you can get and its off the shelf simple and at a decent price, if you arn't bothered about maxing the performance thats what I would go for, it will still be a big upgrade over the standard cars performance and will make you smile.


----------



## davectr (Sep 9, 2012)

Where abouts are you from Gaz? Just curious as I'm not far from Big Fish Tuning myself (Guisborough) and have heard a lot of good things about them but never been.


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

davectr said:


> Where abouts are you from Gaz? Just curious as I'm not far from Big Fish Tuning myself (Guisborough) and have heard a lot of good things about them but never been.


I'm in thirsk but today was in stokesly so thought I would drop in to big fish. It's still only 20 mins from my house. I was defiantly impressed with them.

Gaz


----------



## bhoy78 (Oct 30, 2014)

Yeah that's what I was thinking Danny, most TT's will have had a previous owner with a happy right foot in the past, if the cars done 50/60k miles then I would expect to need a new clutch sooner rather than later. Not saying the tuner would tell you what you want to hear to get your business but in reality I wouldn't be going down that route without realising a 800/1k clutch bill is on the horizion.

Don't take him out in yours Dave or he will be wanting stage 3 and a jet engine tied to the back :wink: :lol:


----------



## Danny1 (Sep 2, 2010)

bhoy78 said:


> Yeah that's what I was thinking Danny, most TT's will have had a previous owner with a happy right foot in the past, if the cars done 50/60k miles then I would expect to need a new clutch sooner rather than later. Not saying the tuner would tell you what you want to hear to get your business but in reality I wouldn't be going down that route without realising a 800/1k clutch bill is on the horizion.
> 
> Don't take him out in yours Dave or he will be wanting stage 3 and a jet engine tied to the back :wink: :lol:


Every cloud has a silver lining though, if it does then need a clutch at some point, get an uprated one and then you can happily go stage 2+ without any worries


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

Danny1 said:


> bhoy78 said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah that's what I was thinking Danny, most TT's will have had a previous owner with a happy right foot in the past, if the cars done 50/60k miles then I would expect to need a new clutch sooner rather than later. Not saying the tuner would tell you what you want to hear to get your business but in reality I wouldn't be going down that route without realising a 800/1k clutch bill is on the horizion.
> ...


Well the chap I bought the car from didn't look like the kind of guy to give it a good 'ol thrashing everytime he drove it, but then buying used cars you never know??

If the clutch was to go then I would fit an updated one and go from there :twisted:

Gaz


----------



## Jim55 (Feb 16, 2017)

I got my last car Mercedes diesel done at big fish ,highly recommended ,great service , always replies to mails really professionall set up 4 wd rr and all the right bits, nice guy(s) who really know their stuff , specialist in higher end stuff ( merc jag audi,,,,,)I researched for ages and he has a great reputation ,not a generic map either ,he actually writes it and supplies a lot of tuners with software that they then upload and pass off as theirs ,most merc 63 that are mapped use his map and several big tuning houses rate him,u wouldn't b dissatisfied,I made the journey down from glasgow based on reccs and I was delighted with the results


----------



## davectr (Sep 9, 2012)

Gaz78 said:


> davectr said:
> 
> 
> > Where abouts are you from Gaz? Just curious as I'm not far from Big Fish Tuning myself (Guisborough) and have heard a lot of good things about them but never been.
> ...


Thirsk, not far then. Are you going to Cars in the Park at Newby Hall tomorrow?


----------



## davectr (Sep 9, 2012)

bhoy78 said:


> Don't take him out in yours Dave or he will be wanting stage 3 and a jet engine tied to the back :wink: :lol:


Ha ha :lol: I doubt it. But he's more than welcome to have a blast :wink:


----------



## Gaz78 (Mar 15, 2017)

davectr said:


> Gaz78 said:
> 
> 
> > davectr said:
> ...


Not heard anything about that to be honest.......im off to Google it!


----------

