For a while now my mind has been straying to thoughts of a show car, compounded by a trip to Ultimate Dubs.

There's part of me that says sell the MKII for what I can get and buy something like a Passat PD130 estate for a daily and a 20vT MKII or MKIII Golf. I hate the frankly terrible cliche of a mega low car on split rims but at the same time I really want one. I'm pretty sure I don't want air and I hate the idea that you need a pastel retrim of some RS4 Recaros to fit in.

Actually I think that's just hit the nail on the head - fitting in. Is this modifying scene all about being a sheep? Buying an Up! and fitting it with air and a set of Transporter steels doth not maketh a show car in my humble opinion and TOO MANY of these cars follow the same formula.

I don't think I want to fit in but I would still like a MKII Golf with about 280bhp, low enough to still work properly and allow the power to be used without destroying sumps or wheel arches, with a nice bit of tuck (or possibly flush fitting) on a set of 16" splits.

My car's not scene in any way shape or form - in fact quite the opposite. Everything about it is about go rather than show - the brakes, whilst having a Porsche decal on them, are not massive big Lamborghini or R8 8 pots. They're on the car because they save weight and they stop more effectively than the OE kit. The wheels have normally been picked because they're lightweight and fit over the calipers rather than immediately how they look. I also love having a fast daily too and I know I'd miss that aspect.

Am I just bloody mad? I don't want this to turn into an, "I don't know why you bother modifying cars, I put a beaded seat cover in my 1986 Vauxhall Cavalier and that was the only worthwhile modification I ever saw" thread but I'm just interested to see what people think and if I should do something like this while my own car still has some value in it and while I'm still able to get away with it!

I think you need to do whatever makes you happy.

No regrets.

 

Personally I've seen some nice cars that are "scene" (Mostly on Briskoda) but most of them are just variations on a theme and all quite similar.

I'm far more interested in tinkering with the bits you can't see and then having a lot of fun in them over parking up for people to look at.

Ive got a MK5 on bags wheels etc and I love it, I love having something that gets loads of attention but don't get me wrong its a money pit. The key to enjoying your car and the "scene" is not giving a f*!k what anyone else thinks. About 2 years ago me and a few friends set up an open group for local guys and know theres about 20 of us who just roll to shows together and have a laugh and to me thats my "scene" just chilling out with a bunch of cool guys.

Also I spotted your car at UD and few of us loved your plate!

Not my type of scene but if you want to then go for it. The cost of having a show car only is very expensive and when you come to sell it, you don't get anywhere near the money you spent on it. I had an XJ6 years ago just for shows and driving w/ends in the dry, getting it wet was the end of the world for me at the time.   I'm all for using cars in rain or shine now.

How about a MK2 Golf with 475 bhp from a 2.0 litre 8 valve turbo motor?  This car is a G60, it has an 8 valve turbo motor with some trick bits and pieces, it runs approx 475 bhp and is a daily driver, it is not concourse but it is very special.

 As Richard says above, a car is there for you to enjoy, in whatever way makes you happy, my V6 Golf is the wrong car to be using on the track as it is a big heavy pig, it is slightly under powered BUT in the damp at Oulton the other week it was epic, I had great fun and who cares what it costs?  Just do what you feel suits you.

 

Round here the scene is get a car that's not usually modded, slam it low and tinker with the engine.

TThere's a b reg passat estate and a 'spud' micra with a nice pearlescent paint job.

Do exactly what it is you want to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't keep up with the Jonses and whatever you do be happy with the decisions you make. At the end of the day if others like what you do, so be it. A good car doesn't have to be one that gets covered in the sticky fingerprints of the great unwashed. 

 There are so many things that you can do- the 1.8t conversion is so common now its much like dropping a scoobie flat into a bus. Pre-made kits already exist to allow the conversion. You can go big with 6 cyclinder monster blocks or expand on an ABF conversion- the most insane MK2 i've ever seen has an 1150hp turbo'd 2ltr  

 

 

All wrapped up in a boggo small bumper. I've gone for working with the KR that VW gave me and going lighter- it's just what I wanted to do.

 

 Just be true to yourself and enjoy what you're doing. And understand that you'll never be finished. You'll never stop thinking or day dreaming or tinkering or adjusting. Or buying or upgrading. Don't worry about what others are doing or thinking, plow your own furrow. 

 

PS- If you want to keep off the speed humps, remove the mid-box and lift the exhaust into the transmission tunnel used to house the 4x4 system of the Golf Country. With a rear-heavy stance you'll sail over speed humps without anyone in the back. 

I was building my vr6 to go to shows, not to be 'scene' as I was doing it how I wanted and not to fit in. If people liked it then I was doing it right & if they didn't so be it. I'm gutted that I didn't get it finished as UD would have been it's first show/stand.

I've now decided to do the mk2 and again not everyone likes the way it's going (too much stretch/poke, wrong offsets blah blah) but that's fine, I'm doing it how I want and because you don't see many

I think if you don't scratch the itch you'll always be wondering what if. You have a properly sorted vrs so maybe keep that and pick up a cheap mk2/3 that's an unfinished project?.

A mate of mine has just built his mk3 golf driver into a 20vt in his garage, not cost him the earth as it was a tidy base.

Thanks lads, for the feedback - I've not replied until now because there are lots and lots and lots of factors to take into consideration.

I'm not, never have been and never will be 'scene' in any way, shape or form. I can't do fashion (something that became VERY obvious to me when I worked as a fashion merchandiser for a fashion retailer in a fashion head office) but I do recognise some of the effort and individual taste that goes into putting these cars together.

Let's talk about some of the below - sorry if I don't reply to everybody's points - there's loads to consider.

 

I think you need to do whatever makes you happy.

No regrets.

 

Personally I've seen some nice cars that are "scene" (Mostly on Briskoda) but most of them are just variations on a theme and all quite similar.

I'm far more interested in tinkering with the bits you can't see and then having a lot of fun in them over parking up for people to look at.

 

Well I am too really. I would prefer a car I can run on a track than one I can stand around and look at, but I have started to really enjoy going to shows and would love to have a car I could show off. Yes I could do it with my mk2, but it's definitely provided me with something of a false dichotomy. It's a very throaway comment to make but I really have no regrets about anything - mainly because there's nothing I can do now to change what I've already done and I'm sure in the future I'll make my decisions carefully. There are a handful of things I might consider doing differently given the opportunity to do them again, but they're all lessons learned.

 

Ive got a MK5 on bags wheels etc and I love it, I love having something that gets loads of attention but don't get me wrong its a money pit. The key to enjoying your car and the "scene" is not giving a f*!k what anyone else thinks. About 2 years ago me and a few friends set up an open group for local guys and know theres about 20 of us who just roll to shows together and have a laugh and to me thats my "scene" just chilling out with a bunch of cool guys. Also I spotted your car at UD and few of us loved your plate!

 

Cheers Dale. I think maybe hooking up locally with a few like minded people might be the way to go. There is a big meet in Leicester every couple of months but it doesn't really look like the sort of thing I fancy going to. It's on a retail park and I imagine there are lots of things involving burnouts and other behaviour I don't want anything to do with

Out of interest, when I am in your area, would you mind giving me a ride in your car? I've never been in a car on air and I may have a somewhat unfair opinion of it, but I'd like to see for myself before I really judge. If you get a few of your guys together and I can ride along I'll do some rolling shots if you like?

 

Not my type of scene but if you want to then go for it. The cost of having a show car only is very expensive and when you come to sell it, you don't get anywhere near the money you spent on it. I had an XJ6 years ago just for shows and driving w/ends in the dry, getting it wet was the end of the world for me at the time.   I'm all for using cars in rain or shine now.

 

I'm definitely well aware of this. My primary hobby was trading guitars - I never lost a penny on a guitar and in some cases made upwards of 60-70% profit. The biggest thing with playing with the car as a hobby is getting over the hurdle that I am highly unlikely to see any of what I've spent out coming back to me but I'm comfortable with that now. I don't have a budget to play with a garage of cars so cost is definitely to be considered, but slowly but surely is the way to go.

 

I was building my vr6 to go to shows, not to be 'scene' as I was doing it how I wanted and not to fit in. If people liked it then I was doing it right & if they didn't so be it. I'm gutted that I didn't get it finished as UD would have been it's first show/stand.

I've now decided to do the mk2 and again not everyone likes the way it's going (too much stretch/poke, wrong offsets blah blah) but that's fine, I'm doing it how I want and because you don't see many

I think if you don't scratch the itch you'll always be wondering what if. You have a properly sorted vrs so maybe keep that and pick up a cheap mk2/3 that's an unfinished project?.

A mate of mine has just built his mk3 golf driver into a 20vt in his garage, not cost him the earth as it was a tidy base.

There's definitely an itch and I think coming back back to Richard's point, I've got more 'whatifs' than regrets. I don't think they're the same, but it's on my mind.

I've seen plenty of cheap mk2s recently but I think to get one to the standard that I'd like would need a complete repaint and an interior. I don't like smoothed engine bays but I would like to look under the bonnet and for it to look like new - fresh paint, new tanks/hoses/clips/etc and unfortunately that would probably cost me the thick end of the value of my Mk2.

There's the other moral question as well - a lot of the work done to achieve the power in my mk2 was all done as R&D on the parts of several people. Having not spent a great deal on that, I don't feel it's right to sell the car as stage two and three quarters (as I've taken to calling it) in its current state, which would mean refitting a stock K03 and injectors and going back to stage 2++ or even putting it all back to standard to sell. It's either that or get something cheap (mk2, Audi 80 Avant, Passat B5) and try and do something different.

Oh I don't know......

It's your car, so it's your rules. Tell anyone who complains or bitches to do one, it works for me, it has to as my daily hack is a Roomster!

(but as is well known, if it's got *its or tyres, it's going to cost)

Aaaaargh

Spotted a nice, restored and sympathetically modified Mk2 for £4.5k today. That's probably another couple of grand in mods needs spending too.

Option 2 is wait until mrs j0hn wants to replace her mk5 TDI PD105 and pay her the trade in value for it. Then hybrid turbo, injectors and a front mount, brakes, silly low and 17s/18s, but that's a few years off.

Just do what you want. I buy/restore/modify cars how I want because they're MY cars. I've had a few comments about retaining originality (I'm talking about a 1966 classic here) but there's no point having a car that pleases others if you don't like it or having an original car if you can't use it because its awkward.

I admit I like the attention the cars get - everyone from teens in Saxos to OAPs and toddlers stare when they see (and hear) them.

BE CONTROVERSIAL - LIFE WOULD BE BORING IF WE WERE ALL THE SAME!!

Just do what you want to do and build it for you as that's the only person that has to like it

My car has been through many guises over the years and is currently changing again but I just do what I want when the urge takes over and it keeps me happy even though a lot of people think it's silly or too low etc but I really don't care cos it keeps me entertained

Each to their own as my old Nan used to say.

 

Do whatever you fancy, it's only a car at the end of the day - a thing of fluidity that can change from one month to the next.

 

I spent 3 hours yesterday lying on the drive scrubbing and jet washing the floorpans and wheel arches of my Fabia vRS, neigbours and Mrs Lofty think I'm mad, but I did it because it gave me satisfaction knowing it'd been done.

 

Go for it - life is too short to have any regrets about anything.

 

Matt