From the same forum that brought you the Viper powered Saab 93 Wagon comes another frankenstein build. Function-over-form readers will be pleased to notice the absence hectic stance, bags vs static arguments, ground clearance measurements or rusted body panels. This Golf is different…very different. I’ve featured a few MKIII Golfs before, each with their own impressive qualities, but none as all-out as this one with it’s Volvo T5 power, a change in driveline direction from FWD to RWD, and a whole lot of one-off fabricated goodness. I think I’ve made up my mind, when I die I want to be reincarnated as a Scandinavian car builder. Race quality fabrication, bodywork, carbon fiber…is there anything they can’t do?

CLICK HERE for the full build thread.

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Remember the Eurowise AWD R32 powered Mk1 rabbit? Well it’s still in progress, but the team responsible for the build decided they wanted a sweet ride of their own to debut at the recent H20 show. So with that in mind they locked themselves in the Eurowise compound and built a VR6 powered Mk1 Cabby in 16 days. That’s an engine swap, bodywork, paint, interior, suspension…all in just over a couple of weeks. Anyone else feeling very lazy and incompetent at the moment?

CLICK HERE for the full build thread (there are some videos of the build in there, too).

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Imagine my delight when Canadian photographer, Matt, emailed me to inform me he’s been shooting a local MK2 Golf build for a friend of his. A photographer, documenting a build? Sounds like a match made in heaven to me, I only just managed to refrain from squealing like a schoolgirl. The build is a mixture of the owners images and Matt’s, showcasing the 2-door Golf’s transformation from almost stock and problem-ridden into a (yet to be run-in and re-tuned) 300fwhp animal.

CLICK HERE for the full build thread.

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I’ve seen pictures of a few of these coupe creations before, I think they look great and I love the initiative people take to build something that VW didn’t offer. John emailed me two builds that he has personally worked on, a MKIII and a MKIV. Basically what happens is you take a Jetta/Vento/Bora sedan, use the longer doors from a 2-door Golf hatch, move the b-pillar backwards to suit the new doors, then fill in the gap between the door and the rear quarter panel. Yeah, I made it sound really easy, didn’t I? Hit the build threads after the jump to see the work involved.

MKIII:

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MKIV:

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CLICK HERE for the MKIII build.

CLICK HERE for the MKIV build.

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I think I better feature this build just so people stop submitting it! Around 3 or 4 people have emailed me various links to this car in the last month, including one of the men behind it, Mike from Eurowise. Once you take a look at the images, you’ll see why it’s getting so much attention. Already the recipient of one very nice build including a turbo’d 16V 2.0, the car has recently been torn down for a full overhaul. It’s no secret I’m a big fan of MK1 Golfs, and even though I like them a bit more sedately built, this one takes things to the extreme with an engine, driveline, and floorplan being swapped under it from a MKIV R32 Golf, including the AWD system. I especially like how the MKIV rear end was shortened and sectioned to fit inside the dimensions of the MK1 body, instead of just tacking on some wheel arch flares or going widebody. Did I mention it’s also going to be twin turbo?

CLICK HERE for the full build thread. The car isn’t quite finished but the updates are coming in constantly.

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Mk1 Golf? Check.
Full build? Check.
Great photography? Check.
Well, this one ticks all my boxes.

Thanks to Oli from Supermade for the heads up.

CLICK HERE for the full build thread. If you’re not in the reading mood, you can head to page 54 to see a pictorial summary.

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MKII Golf, Audi S2 5-cylinder turbo engine, space frame engineering, home built. Keep reading?

Thanks to Daniel for submitting.

Build thread: http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19402

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I’m pretty sure this is the most extreme and creative use of DIY I’ve ever seen. Sure, some people have access to CNC machines, or they might be handy with a lathe, but have you ever seen someone CAST their own parts? The owner is even creating his own 16V head and a sliding throttle body setup, everything from the linkages to the carbon fiber plenum, all done by hand. Not enough, well what about a scratch-built head-skimming machine? I think you get the point, and I didn’t even mention the carbon fiber spoon…wait, what?

If anyone has the right to call themselves a “builder”, it’s this guy. The tech-savvy and fans of home-built cars will love this one. All of the hard work is being put into a MK2 Golf, but this is more about the work and parts than the car itself. If you’re a bit like me and found yourself scratching your head when you heard the term “sliding throttle bodies”, check out this link for a bit of information. Update: Or you can click here to see a Youtube video of some sliding throttle bodies in action. Fast forward to around 1:35 (Thanks Tilman)

Thanks to “Chester Rumble” from my favourite Honda forum, NWP4LIFE for bringing this build to my attention.

Full build thread:
http://vagdrivers.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=39794

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Another one from Justin, this time it’s a Dubai residing MKV being worked over in track-spec fashion, with two paint jobs plus a custom wide-body conversion – gotta love rear diffusers. Not too many ‘build’ pics at the beginning but it’s still a really sweet ride with plenty of nice photography. Credit to crankandpiston.com for majority of the slick imagery, check out their blog for all the best UAE coverage.

Head to http://golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69882 for the full build.

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Following on from the Rusty Road-Trip post, here we have another guy trekking his car across the US of A. Thanks to Matt for sending this link my way.

All these road trip posts are making me want to plan my own highway escapade. Except I don’t think I could be bothered doing it in a modified car putting up with low ground clearance and dodging pot-holes, I’d prefer to hire a mini-bus and grab a few close friends to drive up the east coast of Australia, hitting up all the beaches in summer. But back to the topic, there’s just something nice about a guy and his car going on a long drive, seeing the sites and spending some real quality time behind the wheel. For some people, the height of their car ownership is taking it to the race track, hitting up their favourite windy roads, cruising around their local city, or parking at an outdoor show. For others, a long and well-planned road trip is what really appeals to them, as it gives you ample time to slow your thoughts, think clearly, really get to know your car, and see parts of your country that you’ve never seen before.

On with the show…

CLICK HERE to see all the sites and read the full story.

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