"Are you familiar with New England roads?" Dustin laughed. "They're pretty bad. You have to be cautious, but it's one of those things. It's a trade-off you make after modifying your car and slamming the suspension."
The inner barrels on the wheels were re-finished in flat black to keep visible dirt and dust from the Hawk brake pads to a minimum. After daily use, cleaning them had become tiring. "I hated having to reach in there and scrub the silver wheels," Dustin explained.
The aforementioned Rieger front bumper was part of a complete kit, including side skirts and a rear valance, originally intended to give the muscle-bound hatch a more aggressive look. It did the trick for a while, but was begging for a more personal touch. "As the car progressed I wanted something a little different. So I shaved the hatch," he said. "And then I found a pair of Kerscher skirts online and absolutely wanted them."
Not afraid to get his hands dirty, Dustin got to work on the front bumper as well. "I shaved the side openings myself in my driveway for about ten days straight," he said. However, his labor went down the drain after some road debris damaged the entire bumper.
"I was driving home when a car in front threw a large branch through my front bumper. I had to have it repaired so I could have my photo shoot," Dustin lamented. "I spent so much time getting the bumper to look right, just to have it totaled in 30 seconds. It was horrible." As you can see, it now looks better than new.
On the inside, there's a mixture of OEM parts designed to improve Dustin's daily commute. "Since it's a daily driver, I wanted the interior to be comfortable, yet sporty. The stock set up wasn't doing it for me. The bolsters weren't large enough, the steering wheel was vinyl, things like that..."
So a three-spoke steering wheel, heated GTI sport seats and a Momo shift knob were included in the subtle changes. An array of Auto Meter Cobalt gauges relay information to the driver, residing in a 42 Draft Designs triple gauge panel. One of the more trick parts is the Passat W8 overhead lighting console. "It's an OEM part that provides two red LEDs to cast a glow over the cabin, like mood lighting," Dustin laughed.
The finishing touch was an array of Alpine electronics, including an IVA-D310 head unit, navigation, Type R component speakers and subwoofers, all powered by two Alpine amps. To Dustin, a former car audio competitor, good sound quality was essential: "I hooked up with Cellular Concepts locally. Sandy, who owns the company, took care of me and got all the Alpine equipment, all the good stuff."
However, the original sub box was removed and rebuilt by Dustin and his father after finding the WRD rear stress bar wouldn't fit.
Interestingly, the family that originally pushed Dustin to consider a VW helped him to be part of a whole different family, since he now organizes the New England Dustoff show with Dave Demetrick and Kevin Clemens, attending as many get-togethers as he can. "You meet people in the industry or this hobby that become lifelong friends," Dustin said. "I lost contact with half the kids I grew up with or knew through college, but I talk to people I met through the hobby and go to their weddings, hang out with them at BBQs and go to the beach with their families. It's that sort of connection with people that makes it a fantastic hobby!"
At the end of the day, that's what the Euro scene is all about, and sometimes it takes a tough-as-nails four-door to remind you.