hes already got a good trans. stock 02m clutch has held 400whp… if anything a stock flywheel clutch upgrade would be fine. a disk and pressure plate. nothing crazy at all.
a precision 5557 vband kit/fmic from pagparts, tapp file, injectors and a fuel pump and a set of rods and the car will be dead reliable and make a fun 350whp at 20psi, all day long
there are people who daily BT 1.8t’s, 35mpg, and over 100kmi on their setups. dont run the car all out whenever your drive it and youll have better luck. i was revving my stock valvetrain a bit further than i should have and i paid the price for it. but i put a pretty hassle free 30k on my car, only problems were the cheesey 5 speed axles. but the engine and turbo setup never let me down until i missed a gear and mechaincally over-reved it.