Without hesitation, Frank looked to BBS for the treasured LM wheel. However, there wasn't a 19" fitment available so he opted for a custom wheel with similar appeal - the HRE 540. "HRE hadn't done a Mk5 fitment at that time, so I had to measure the wheel wells and send them the dimensions," he stated. "I wanted to see how wide I could go with factory fenders. I wanted it to have a little poke and a little stretch." After three months, the three-piece wheels arrived, measuring 19x8" in the front and 19x9" in the rear, matched to 225/35 front and 235/35 rear Toyo Proxes 4 tires.
For the next stage, Abt was an obvious choice. "Nobody was selling the body kit in the US," Frank recollected. "So when I went to Germany I contacted Abt Sportsline and they put me in contact with their representative in the States. However, he had trouble getting me the North American rear apron with the smaller license plate recess. I had to wait two months and went crazy because I wanted it by Waterfest. He finally promised it to me three weeks before the show. It didn't come in time and when it did, I got the European version by mistake. I didn't have a Euro bumper to fit the rear valance so I just said 'forget it' and the kit sat in my living room for a while."
Returning home after Waterfest, one of Frank's friends was selling a Euro rear bumper. One week later, he'd bought it and sent it away for paint. After that it was installed along with the rest of the kit.
Added to the Abt components, Frank fitted a Rieger splitter below the front bumper. He also color-matched the front grille and side markers, and yellow Lamin-X film covers the foglights to simulate French lights.
While the exterior is an important aspect of Frank's GTI, the project wouldn't be complete without improving the performance. "I knew I was getting a quad exhaust rear apron," he explained, "but I didn't get Abt's exhaust because it was really expensive and was just a muffler. At that time, nobody had a system but I came across Jetex and they sent me over a prototype." The new 3" quad exhaust fitted without complication and improved power across the rev range.
Airflow was also improved with a Carbonio intake. And the new carbon intake re-used the factory engine cover for a clean appearance.
Power was added through APR's 93-octane software flash done at last year's H2O International show.
Suspension was next on the list, but again, Frank had trouble sourcing the parts. "I wanted H&R because that's what was on my Audi," he told us. "However, it was back-ordered three months, so I called KW and had the units in a week."
Interior accents such as a retrofitted European headlight switch, as well as an Abt shift knob and steering wheel emblem personalize the driving ambiance.
The brakes and factory stereo haven't been touched since Frank didn't feel there was a need to overdo things. He still plans other upgrades, though. "I hope to get European R32 seats with the same factory cloth, and would then color-match the back of the seats in white. I also thought about air ride after seeing some good systems at Essen, but the ones here are crappy," he commented. "Changing the suspension will eventually happen. I love the coilovers but they don't go as low in the rear."
Frank also promises additional engine upgrades when products are proven.He concluded, "I like the VW/Audi community. That's what keeps me going back. It's a neat culture."
As one of the friendliest gentlemen on the scene, Frank's enthusiasm, determination and survival instincts have been a real asset to the European aftermarket.