Mars's Golf

Mars brought this car to me as a standard black A reg mk2 Golf GTI. He had a few ideas for the car and wanted to make it look like a late-spec mk2 Golf. I sourced a pair of late-spec doors and a late-spec 16-valve golf cloth interior. I also sourced a set of big bumpers to give the car the desired look.

Mars wanted to run 17" wheels, so I removed the plastic arch trims and modified the wheel arches to accept the large wheels. I also lowered the car using Spax springs and shocks and modified a set of BMW M3 mirrors to fit the doors.

We wanted to do something different at the back, so I welded up the number plate recess in the tailgate, fabricated a new recess in the rear bumper and fitted late-spec 16v back lights. I also fitted a debadged front grill to give a smooth look.

Once I was happy with the look of the whole car, I transported it to a local painter, who resprayed it in Ford Samarkand – a flip paint that changes from grey to deep purple.

In terms of running gear, the original car had a standard five-speed GTI gearbox. I fitted a reconditioned 1800 eight-valve engine with a modified cylinder head and a higher lift camshaft.

The finished car was featured in Golf+ magazine, and Mars kept it for quite a while. When it did eventually come up for sale, I was at the front of the queue. I kept the car for a long time, although I changed the wheels for smaller 15" ones, and eventually I sold it on.