With time crunching down, the exterior still needed goodies from Carbon Creations. There was a carbon tailgate, rear wing and hood to come. "We had to make the hood fit both our widebody as well as stock cars," Leigh said. "We added 1.5" more length over the headlights to create a bser look and make the car more aggressive."
Sleeprz received the parts a few days before the deadline. The trunk wasn't an easy fit because the factory glass needed to be retained in order to keep the defrost functional.
Next on the list were the wheels and tires, and these were also a rush to finish. "It's always hard making custom wheels for a widebody," admitted Leigh. "We were lucky because the plan was to mock up a wheel and check the offsets but the car was delayed. So David Mapp at VIP Modular mocked up a wheel based on our rough measurements. The finished wheels showed up two days before SEMA and fit perfectly. It was dumb luck."
The gold VIP Modular wheels measured 19" in diameter and are 10.5" wide in the front, 13" in the rear. All have massive lips - 5" front and 7" rear - to highlight the widebody. After mounting the wheels, Leigh noticed there was room for another inch in the rear but time didn't permit any changes.
A sticky set of Yokohama tires ensure traction wouldn't be an issue with 255/30 front and 315/25 on the rear.
It was time for Leigh and Fausto to finish the remainder of the project. The 2.0T received GIAC software flashed by Torque Factory to increase boost and overall power. Because the car is driven in the California heat, a larger front-mount intercooler was fabricated and fitted by Evolution Racewerks (ER) to cool intake temperatures.
To make the flow of air and gas more efficient, an Injen intake and GHL Motorsport quad exhaust were also fitted by ER. Finally, an HKS Super-Sequential blow-off valve releases excess boost pressure.
There are plans for a big turbo and BDL fuel rail in the future, so stay tuned.
Suspension was next and it was another last minute rush. "Megan Racing was suppose to do prototyping on our car, but the car was delayed in the bodyshop when they were suppose to have it," Leigh explained. "Fortunately, they found another GTI to work on, but our shipment of new coilovers from the manufacturing plant didn't arrive in time. Fausto's car was on the lift being worked on, so we took off the stock suspension and delivered it to Megan Racing for a swap."
With hours left before the car was to be transported to Vegas, Evolution Racewerks graciously agreed to install the Megan prototype suspension along with a set of 14" Wilwood big brakes.
We can't forget about the interior. To add contrast, the GTI received lightweight Status Racing Ring seats, manufactured in carbon and upholstered in red suede. ER fabricated custom seat brackets to ensure safe anchorage. Red suede accents can be found on the door panels, rear seats, armrest and trunk floor thanks to fast upholstery work by VIP Modular.
Unfortunately, something has to be sacrificed if everything is last minute, and the stereo components were the victim. But by the time you read this, the stereo will have been completed and the car displayed by Dension USA at the '07 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "It was a last minute deal but Dension is featuring my car in its CES booth to showcase its iPod integration adapter," Fausto explained.
"The iPod display is pretty cool because you can control it on the steering wheel and the song information comes up on the factory radio display. The product will be vehicle specific for this reason."
Alphasonik products will improve the audio quality, including speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers. Audio Innovations in Glendora, CA will complete the fitting. Of course, none of this comes in the Hot Wheels version.
Tech Spec
Fausto MeridaLocation: San Dimas, CA
Occupation: Programs Analyst
'06 Vw Gti
Engine: 2.0 liter four cylinder 16v FSI turbo with GIAC software, Injen air intake, GHL Motorsports turbo-back exhaust, Evolution Racewerks front-mount intercooler, HKS Super-Sequential blow-off valve
Driveline: six-speed manual transmission
Suspension: Megan Racing coilovers and sway bars
Wheels & Tires: 19x10.5" front and 19x13" rear VIP Modular wheels, 255/30-19 front and 315/25-19 rear Yokohama Advan Sport tires
Brakes: RPI/Wilwood 14" big brake upgrade
Exterior: Extreme Dimensions/Hot Wheels front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, front fenders and rear quarters molded to the body, Carbon Creations rear wing, hood and tailgate, shaved door handles, black roof and mirrors, tinted headlamps, indicator lenses and tail lights, Ignited 8000k HIDs
Interior: Status Racing Ring carbon seats upholstered in suede, NRG four-point harnesses, suede interior accents
Thanks: Leigh Guarnieri at Extreme Dimensions, David Mapp at VIP Modular Wheels, Fred Su at Evolution Racewerks, Jim Desmond at Sleeprz Custom Car, Joe Provenzano at Audio Innovations, Nat Tonprasert at Vision Autosport, Jeff Gerber at GHL Motorsports, Jeff Moss at Torque Factory, Brad Best, Brian Joe