Waterfest - Sunday
Greg
Sunday is always our favorite day since it's when we descend on show car areas. And while the faltering economy had clearly reduced the number of cars on display, the quality was still exceptional.
Split into stock, mild and wild classes, the array of VW and Audis are arranged by type. For some reason I'm always drawn to the rows of Mk3 and Mk4 chassis, since these seem to epitomize all that's best about the creativity and affordability of the scene.
There was a dramatic lack of Mk1 and Mk2 chassis. We're assuming the owners had ignored our reasoning to support Waterfest and instead decided to put their numbers into H20i. While the latter is a great show, we have continually started that the VW/Audi scene needs both events and it's up to us to support both. If we lose one, the other will be adversely affected and the scene as a whole will suffer needlessly.
From the photos we've chosen, you can see most of our favorite cars from Waterfest 14. And we'll have highlights of the very best of these in our October issue devoted to the show.
Despite forecasts of storms, the rain stayed away until Sunday night, but a stronger breeze during the day offered some respite from the stifling heat and exhausting humidity that marked both days.
We'll have a full report from the drag racing and dyno components of Waterfest 14 in the same October issue of eurotuner magazine, and subsequently online at www.eurotuner.com - so don't miss that issue if you're a VW/Audi fan or if you missed the weekend's action.
Sam
Day two is the main event. Like the day before, we noticed a decline in the number of cars and traffic. I was especially disappointed with the lack of old school flavor. Where are all the Mk1s?
The Mk3, Mk4 and Mk5 crowd seemed to make up for it. My favorite Mk3 belonged to Jessie Arellano of Virginia Beach. The Porcelain blue '98 GTI VR6 looked pristine on 16x8/9" color-matched Schmidt TH-Lines with gold bolts. The combination of shaved bumpers, stubby mirrors, Patec coilovers, badgeless grille and color-matched head lights made the car pleasing to the eye. Looking into the car a bit closer, the interior was reupholstered in cognac leather including a false floor. A Nardi steering wheel was the final touch.
More Audis seemed to be at Waterfest this year and one that stood out was Adam Sasso's '98 A4 1.8T. Adam isn't a stranger to et since his TT was featured back in 8/06. The A4 was always his daily driver but now it has enough show and go upgrades that outdo most show cars. The engine is a custom bored and stroked 2.0 liter with the full piston and rod upgrades. A Turbonetic GT-K turbo and water/meth system should put the car around 500whp. The exterior features smooth RS4 bumpers and sides with Vorsteiner hood and 19x8.5" BBS LM wheels. The body's been respayed a Mercedes white. With already so much work done, the interior wasn't going to be half-assed so Recaro Topline seats have been reupholstered along with the rest of the interior. A roll bar finishes the motorsport look. Stay tune for a full feature on this amazing Audi.
It was tough choosing my favorite Mk5 but for some reason, Jonathan Buttero's '06 GTI grew on me. At first, I hated it. But after dissecting the car and appreciating the theme, it truly baffled me. The basis behind the car is its green Takata harnesses which are commonly found in Japanese imports. But using it to his advantage, he had Forgeline color-match a set of 18x8.5/9.5" wheels to the harnesses and reupholstered the interior in red leather for a beautiful contrast. R32 bumpers, badgeless front-end and shaved hatch complete the exterior transformation. The engine wasn't overlooked as Jonathan built a custom dual exhaust with electronic dump to fill the rear R32 center-exit bumper. VF mounts, Eurojet, evoms and APR parts finish the engine bits. His girlfriend also has a complimentary Mk5 Rabbit with blue 17" Advan wheels and several other upgrades. If only I had a girlfriend who would do that!
With the awaited release of our first Ladies issue in September, girl enthusiasts were still fresh on my mind. Two girls at Waterfest which stood out to me were Marlene Fernandez and Susannah Kristine. Marlene is from Queens, NY and owns a beautiful black '06 GTI with cranberry-painted 18x8.5" Keskin wheels. The engine covers are also matched to color. The front-end has been swapped with a Rabbit for a cleaner look and shaved. The moldings are shaved and the rear bumper was sourced from an R32 which was also smoothed so the exhaust is hidden. The rear is pulled an 1" to look a little more wider and FK coilovers slam the car on the ground.
Susannah Kirstine is from Toronto, Canada, but she still made the drive down in her `01 GTI. It's sitting on air ride and sports Euro bumpers and bright pink 17" BBS RS wheels. Sadly, her oil pan broke the night before the show and a thief even tried to rip off her side skirt.
And finally, best of show in my opinion is Dave Paster's Corrado. Not much is needed to say about this car. It looks like it should be from the UK or Germany.
Overall, Waterfest was a great event even with a noticeably lower attendance. There was still so much to see I didn't get a chance to check out the drag racing or the exhibition parking lot. My only complaint is more old school cars - and how about some cuter models at the show!