2000_VW_GolfMeet Bernie Chacon. If you haven't heard that name before, then maybe you should go back to tuning Hondas! He's the man behind Dub-Nation.com. For many VW enthusiasts, this site is an invaluable tool when planning and building the perfect look for their VW. Originally, Bernie created the site as a medium for his new car club. However, he later decided that managing a club was more responsibility than he wanted. Instead, he posted photos of his famous JTI conversion, and it's grown from there.
Bernie first bought his GTI 1.8T back in 2000. The decision came after testdriving his good friend, Anthony Gelinas' 1.8T. Bernie's no stranger to VWs, as his last car was a lightly modified '99 GTI. But even before having left the dealership with his new car, he was already modifying it. He replaced the stock Fuba antenna with one from a Honda S2000. As soon as he left the dealer's lot, he replaced the stock light switch with a Euro switch while stopped at a traffic light. Just about all the performance parts installed on his '99 GTI would fit the new '00 1.8T, so he and his buddy called in sick to work so they could transfer the parts the following day.
These consisted of Neuspeed upper and lower tie-bars, front and rear sway bars, and lowering front springs. The dampers are from Bilstein, but he has a Weitec spring and perch set up in the rear. When asked why, Bernie simply replied, "That was the only way to fit my wheels."
Not too long after the suspension work, he did a front-end conversion with his brother's Jetta. The swap is possible because VW designed both cars with identical front clips. According to Bernie, it's fairly easy. A systematic disassembly is necessary, starting with the hood, front bumper, grille and headlights, then fenders. Reassembly is in the reverse order. "The hardest part of the swap is aligning all the parts," explains Bernie. "If you're not careful with the alignment, damage may occur."
The idea came from Anthony, who'd previously done the same thing with great success. And although Bernie wasn't the first to do the swap, he was the first to coin the names "JTI" and "Getta." The terms came from swapping the letters on each badge and fitting them to the cars. "At first, people thought it was lame using the terms, 'JTI' and 'Getta,' but soon after they started to catch on," said Bernie. That's right, Bernie's unofficially credited for inventing the terms that are now part of regular VW lingo.
Although Bernie had no set goals for his JTI, things changed after a three-way tie at the '01 Dub Wars show. The judges finally decided to place him in third, and it was like lighting a fire under somebody's ass. He kicked into high gear and strived to be the best. "That year I was laid off from my job but still managed to squeeze every penny into the car," he explained. He was down to eating ramen noodles with ketchup packets. Talk about hardcore!
Since the suspension was already done, he concentrated on other areas of the car. He replaced the old wheels with staggered Schmidt Race 2000s. They are 18x9" in the front and 18x10.5" in the rear to give the JTI an aggressive stance. The wheels are wrapped in Toyo Proxes T1-S tires and hidden inside are 12.5" slotted Neuspeed rotors and braided-steel lines. To fit the rotors, Bernie purchased an Audi TT brake kit solely for the carriers because they weren't readily available any other way.
On the exterior, a Votex Jetta front bumper and side skirts were installed. The rear bumper was replaced with the Euro-spec part molded with a 337 valance. All rubbing strips around the car were shaved to add a subtle custom appearance. The windshield wiper was also converted to the Bonrath single wiper to create the look only Euro hatches can successfully pull off.