[CappAttack]

Update: dear JettaD is now at 235,6xx miles and has been my daily driver since the end of October. Have been reliably been getting 36-38 mpg per tank. From the get go I had a full upper block (with a cutout for the air intake port there) and 40% lower block, aluminum skid plate (Plate rides approx 3in above the pavement), tires at sidewall pressure (44psi), raodo antenna relocated to inside rear frame between rear pass window and rear window, and a home made CCV filter.

Tcc lockup is still spotty but spends more time functional than not, I'm getting ready to replace both pan gaskets and the drain plug to help them stop leaking (they're all leaking), pretty sure the main seal is leaking oil as well (approx 1.5qt every 5k milles) added a bottle of bars leaks rear main seal fixer. Will check level again in 5k miles.

Want to remove my passenger side mirror again, family had me put it back out of safety concern. I want to have it be the last thing I do after everything else is done. That way I can see how much improvement I can get.

Currently planning to replace the belts and related tensioners/idlers, and water pump. Those are regular maintenance things for this car every 100k miles, I don't know when they were last done and any to get a baseline for when to do it next.

Planning to install a coroplast and/or sheet metal belly pan, get thinner tires that are also LRR rated (mine are almost to the wear marks), get a set of bosio sprint 520 injector nozzles, and an ECU tune from somewhere (Malone maybe? Site says he can do VW TDI specific tunes).

My question is this. Last Thursday I chopped off my muffler and almost immediately my UG started showing an avg mpg of 48-50 instead of my usual 36-38. Have not conciously made changes to my driving style since then and have not made any other changes, still fill up at the same pump from the same station every time. Is this a possible gain from the muffler delete? Or did I do something else incidentally? Anyone have similar experiences with a muffler delete?