1992 Volkswagen Golf GL - Put Your Mind To It

There's a lot of advice out there: some good, some bad. Movies, TV, music, friends; everybody's got a theory about how to make it in the world. And although popular culture isn't the most reliable source, Marty McFly probably got it right in '85 (or was that 1955?), in Back to the Future. "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." The proof is right here, in the form of Randy Williams' '92 Golf GL.

A dental technician from Rocky Mount, NC, Randy's been living the dream of high-performance VWs since the early '90s. Back then, he didn't have the skills to do it all himself, nor the cash to pay somebody, but it didn't stop him from having a go. "I bought a '95 Jetta and fitted the basic bolt-on stuff. I did a body kit and stereo system but that was all I could afford," Randy began. "My wife ended up wrecking the car. So I tried to rebuild it, but got upset and stopped. However, I soon found myself in Charlotte, working for a company called Lakeview Auto."

Lakeview Auto was a salvage yard and Randy acquired intimate knowledge of what VW parts were interchangeable. Once he left the business and had a succession of projects under his belt, Randy was ready to finally build his dream VW, a Mk2 GTI.

Unfortunately, he ended up wrecking the car he planned to use, so visited a wrecking yard to find a new chassis. "I decided to strip the car and do a VR6 swap," Randy said.

Parts from a '98 Jetta GLX were procured from the salvage yard and Randy handled the installation, including a host of performance parts. Schrick 268 cams gave more top-end, while blue-top injectors and a GIAC chip took care of the fueling. An AAT6 intake with heat shield ensured plenty of cool air, while spent fuel exited through a custom 2.5" catalytic converter and Remus exhaust.

After years spent working on VWs and tearing them down for the salvage yard, Randy was able to complete the swap with minimal fuss. In fact, the only issue was caused by the use of a Passat front crossmember, rather than the more desirable Corrado item. "This caused a problem with the motor mounts." Randy confided. "I used Turn 2 mounts but had to modify them to get the right height."

The next job was to install the wider VR6 'Plus' front suspension, subframe and rear torsion beam. This allowed him to then fit an FK coilover system to drop the car, while an array of chassis strengthening parts from Autotech and Neuspeed ensure there's no flex.

"It handles really well," Randy confirmed. "The way the suspension's set up, you have to watch the rear end. If you corner too fast it will slide because it's so stiff back there."

To stop the car with urgency, Randy went one better than standard VR6 brakes. He installed huge 312mm front and 288mm rear slotted and drilled brakes from a 337 GTI. "Almost everything under the car is Mk3," Randy said, "so it stops pretty quickly!"

Going fast through the turns is one thing, but Randy knew the right set of wheels was the key to his project, which was ultimately destined to be part show car and part business card for his side business, BodySport Performance. He wanted a true head-turner, so a set of BBS RS wheels from a Porsche were ordered, arriving in less than perfect condition. "They came in four boxes, disassembled. I had to polish the lips, strip paint off the centers, repaint them, clean the barrels, get new bolts and reassemble them," Randy said.