2001 VW Jetta 1.8T MK4 - Stroke Of Genius

With looks that could kill, the next plan was to raise the 1.8T's power. The stock 150hp, 155 lb-ft wasn't going to cut it, so Tom sought the aid of brother-in law Ivan Torres. "He's a VW mechanic and did lots of diesel work back in the day," Tom told us. "I basically left my car with him for five months. He did 90% of the work, but I helped when I could, installing the Revo software, K04 turbo, Aquamist injection, cams and injectors."

Although the car hasn't been dynoed, the software alone bumped factory figures over 200hp and 230 lb-ft. The addition of a K04 turbo, Techtonics turbo-back exhaust and larger injectors should take power over 250hp.

We were surprised to see the Schrick 268 cams and Aquamist system. "I wanted to see what these did," he explained. "And the car feels a lot more peppy now. The pick up is much better."

To complement the cams, Tom also fitted an ABD intake manifold (not pictured) to move more air into the cylinders. The Aquamist system also helped by allowing more ignition advance. It works by injecting mists of cold water/methanol into the intake manifold on boost to cool the air, making it denser.

Other tuning parts included a Neuspeed front-mount intercooler and underdrive pulleys, Forge turbo inlet pipe and boost hoses, plus a Carbonio cold-air intake.

To improve the handling, Tom installed Koni coilovers with Neuspeed sway bars. However, braking power had also become a factor, so Tom swapped to the larger brakes from the 20th Anniversary GTI, while the rear rotors are drilled and slotted Brembos.

The clean OEM+ theme continues inside with an almost complete R32 swap. "I pieced most of it together except the door pulls," he informed us. "A buddy who lived in Germany got most of the parts. The front door cards are from a four-door Euro R32, as is the dash - it's perforated instead of being smooth."

The list of Euro goodies continues with the cluster, brushed aluminum door trim, pedals, steering wheel, headlight switch and all four seats. He also mounted a a Stewart-Warner boost gauge on the A-pillar with a 42DD pod.

All these OEM+ accents flow smoothly but what about the patches of plaid? Is that Burberry? "Five years ago my wife wanted a Burberry pocketbook, so every holiday, birthday or anniversary, she gets something Burberry now. I also used to live in Scotland in the early '90s and everybody there wore Burberry. It's a cool pattern. The red, khaki and black colors blend together nicely and brought a splash of color to the interior."

You'll notice Burberry influences on the headliner, armrest, steering column and climate controls. Black suede has also been added to the pillars and rear deck to complete the makeover.

Tom couldn't leave the trunk untouched, so a friend helped fabricate a sub enclosure. "Typically most people leave the sub exposed but since I don't daily drive the car any more, I don't have to worry about a spare tire. So I was able to utilize the whole trunk for the audio," Tom explained. "It now has a false floor with the amps and capacitor exposed."

For improved sound quality, there are two sets of JL Audio components inside the car and an Alpine DVD head unit with disc changer complete the audio upgrades.

We were somewhat baffled at the shape of Tom's trunk design. "My buddy and I tried to make it a little different. Some people say it looks like a toilet bowl but I prefer to think it looks like Kenny from South Park."

Tom has come a long way, but his journey is far from over. He plans to continue the exterior with Audi A8 handles, a Euro trunk and pulled fenders. A big turbo is also underway with the help of Revo Technik, so we'll hear more from Tom in years to come. "This car will never be sold," he concluded. "I couldn't put a number on the amount I've put into it, but I know my son is going to inherit it one day!"