Once all the parts were fitted, the GTI was delivered to Autowerks in El Monte, CA for paint and a pearl lacquer. With the schedule delayed, they had one week to complete the work. Tein then had one remaining week to reassemble the car before its public debut in Las Vegas.
One of the harder tasks was installing the custom cage fabricated by Rothschild Fabrication (RF). The company had received the car early in its cycle so it could take all the necessary measurements. It then produced a bolt-in cage that allowed the interior trim to remain in situ. RF also constructed front fender braces that triangulate the firewall and shock towers to reinforce the front end after the rear cage had been installed.
The cage would then be home to a pair of 12 lb composite gas bottles from Nitrous Express. These feed the intercooler spray that automatically activates when full boost is reached.
Up front, Bride Gias seats were fitted. These recliners were fully optioned with black outer panels, graduated grey centers, red stitching and carbon/kevlar back panels. Mated to Takata harnesses, these products represent some of the most popular Japanese performance products. "We always wanted a combination of Japanese and European parts," Philip explained. "We looked for the best products, regardless of country of origin but since we've worked with many of the most sought-after suppliers from Japan on previous projects, it was inevitable we'd return to them for the GTI."
Inside the car we found a brace of Defi blackout gauges that illuminate blue to match the GTI's interior lighting. These include three in the console, EGT in the cupholder, boost on the steering column and voltage in the glovebox.
Upholstery specialist Form & Function created a suede boot with red stitching for the gear change. They also trimmed the door panels in black suede with red stitching, a red trim line and Tein logo. This was matched on the rear quarter panels. The company also built a board to cover the rear seat mounts, installing a Rockford amp underneath.
A second board was used to cover the trunk floor and conceal the battery below in an aluminum box. It sits on a steel plate that strengthened the floor after the spare wheel well was cut out.
Although the Tein GTI is a track car, it's also a show car, so a Rockford amp and speakers were installed, along with an Alpine head unit. It also has an iPod cable and Alpine's Blackbird nav unit, but there's no subwoofer in the interest of weight.
For a suspension company like Tein, the GTI's chassis was obviously paramount. The first addition was its own Euro Damper coilovers. These are a monotube design developed for the European market since they're quieter and more refined. This is because they carry more oil than a twin-tube damper and have larger valving for a smoother ride. It's also easy for Tein to tune the ride to individual requirements, needing just two weeks to complete the work.
The dampers allow the use of high rate 2.5" springs without affecting comfort, but Philip admitted the use of hardened rubber mounts and comfort valving made the coilovers more suitable for fast road than track use.
The coilovers were fitted with Tein's Electronic Damping Force Controller (et 1/06). This ingenious equipment activates a motor on each damper to adjust damping force from inside the car. The EDFC was mounted below the headlight switch and gives the driver 16 points of adjustment via the digital display. There are also three presets that give instant access to preferred settings at the touch of a button.