All-out stance builds rarely command my attention today. Not and not using a serious performance aspect, not less than.
Before any demon-camber enthusiasts take up in arms, consider that as a change in my automotive taste somewhat than a commentary on the stance scene in 2024.
It’s just that after years of being exposed to a number of the classiest, most gangster and most outrageous stance builds on the market, my senses can have turn out to be barely dulled to a automobile sat on its ass with big shiny wheels poking out from under the arches.
And yet Players Classic remains to be my favourite show on the UK calendar. Partly for the range but additionally since it has a habit of re-kindling my love for show cars with some exceptional builds.
Builds like Alex Downs’ 1980 VW Golf GLS, which I spent a while with at this 12 months’s event.
After his previous project automobile was crashed into by an uninsured driver and subsequently written off, Alex went back to the drafting board for a brand new construct. This time he got down to create a show automobile that might not only sustain with modern traffic but additionally exhibit his skills as a classic automobile restorer by trade.
Taken back to reveal metal, Alex has restored the Golf from the bottom up with raised suspension turrets to go together with a raised floor/body drop. This allows the Golf to air out as little as possible on its custom air suspension setup; modified GAZ shock absorbers with airbags controlled by Air Lift Performance management.
The sleek engine bay is obvious, but there are more subtle details, just like the custom swallowtail-style rear end and subtly widened rear arches. The paint color is a custom mix that Alex got here up with.
Underneath the arches are a set of bespoke split rims, again of Alex’s design, machined from billet aluminium to take 34-hole BBS lips and barrels. The back wheels are particularly aggressive, with the rear suspension beam narrowed by 4 inches to suit four-inch lips throughout the bodywork.
The faces have been left of their raw-machined finish – a glance I can really get behind – with custom centre caps engraved with Alex’s automobile club: The Drivers Collection. A fun addition is the matching fifth wheel face as a part of the air suspension system installation within the boot.
A standout feature of the Golf, the air ride system comprises 4 single-gallon air tanks suspended by hard lines on a plinth. No LED light shows or large acrylic panels paying homage to gaming PC setups in sight…
…only a boot floor trimmed to match the inside, and a surprising paint job by Jack Smith at Forged From Flake.
Speaking of which, the Golf’s interior contains a mixture of bespoke trimming and a few rare parts.
A pair of Recaro Rallye 3 seats, trimmed in chocolate leather with Harris tweed inserts and with the rear shells painted to match the bodywork, take pride of place.
These rare seats are best known for his or her folding mechanism, where you lift the seat back and bolster up and forward. When fitted because the OEM seat of the Fiat Ritmo 130 TC Abarth, this movement would cause the headrest to get stuck up against the headliner, stopping anyone from easily entering into the back of the automobile.
The rear bench seat is trimmed to match, with a swallowtail dashboard, CAE shifter and Momo Heritage steering wheel further elevating the cabin. My favourite details are the tinted acrylic sun visors, matching race helmet, and the vintage tobacco tin housing the Air Lift Performance controller, which belonged to Alex’s grandfather.
The Smiths fuel consumption (economy) gauge is at all times set to ‘good’, a cheeky nod to the VW PD130 diesel engine swap within the shaved bay.
Not only does the PD130 allow Alex to quietly and reliably put mileage onto his Mk1, but it commonly returns over 60mpg. The entire 318 stainless-steel pie-cut pipework was done by Alex himself over six months, through trial and error in his parents’ garage.
“This automobile has huge sentimental value to me,” Alex states. “I’ve built The Drivers Collection by travelling across the UK to shows covering over 20,000 miles because the Golf was first built. I’ve met a few of my closest friends and achieved over 50 awards with this automobile. It has blown me away just how well received it has been, especially for something that isn’t the same old recipe for a show automobile!”
A five-door, diesel Mk1 Golf is much from what I’d describe if you happen to asked me what I search for in a automobile. Yet here we’re, and I feel that’s exactly what makes this one so special.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
