1992 Volkswagen GTI - Holy Smoke

"It started out as my daily driver when I was 17, then became my summer car when I installed the turbo and repainted it. Now that everything's polished, I only take it out when it's nice. But don't think I'm afraid to drive it hard!" Those were young Andy Dixon's words before laying a 12-foot black line on a deserted country road the morning before H2O International.

Originally a 1.8 liter 8v painted a dreary black, his '92 GTI now summons 350whp from a 2.8 liter VR6 turbo and exudes enough style to steal your neighborhood car show.

A small-town boy from Lakeville, MA - a quaint city south of Boston - this is Andy's first project and first VW, for that matter!

His first car was a lifeless '89 Chevy Corsica, but wrenching on cars is in his blood. His father runs an automotive repair shop called A&A Automotive where Andy has practically lived since he can remember.

The shop handles mostly domestic cars on a day-to-day basis but Andy worked after-hours to mold his Mk2 masterpiece. Every week he'd see another big-block V8 pull into the shop and its owner talk down his project, but Andy was resilient and had his own agenda to humiliate them with his humble hatchback.

Being his first Dub, he ventured to Waterfest to soak up the VW scene like a sponge. He returned wanting the best of both worlds: form and function. But he was in high school and didn't have the income to support his dreams. Encouraged by coworkers and friends, he got down 'n dirty. "I did all the work myself, except the exterior. I even did the shaved engine bay and motor swap in my own time at my dad's shop," he told us.

At first, Andy swapped-in a G60 motor. The supercharged four provided more performance than the sloppy 8v, but still lacked real power. "I sold the motor and found a totaled Mk3 GTI VR6 as a donor car for its motor and drivetrain," he continued. "I also wanted to paint my car, so I pulled it apart that winter."

We're lucky Andy's still with us after adversity struck when he picked up the VR6. On his way home, the tow-truck jack-knifed on the highway and rolled over. Minutes later, a car came at full speed and smashed the truck into pieces. Andy and his friend got out in time and the Mk3 was surprisingly salvaged. "If we got out of the truck a moment later, I probably wouldn't be here!" he said.

With luck on his side, Andy got the VR6 home and continued the project. A VR6 turbo was his final goal but limited funds meant the build would be split into stages. The 2.8 liter 12v motor dropped in smoothly, along with its five-speed transmission. "I ran the car for a year, all motor, even with the Mk3 wheels. The next year was time to turbo..."

Before the VR6 received forced induction, Andy rebuilt it with help from B&H Auto Supply. "A lot of guys run a head spacer but I lowered the compression properly," he explained. "I wanted to make sure it was going to last, so Ross pistons dropped the compression from 10:1 to 8.5:1."

Once the motor was reassembled with ARP hardware, Andy picked up a Kinetic Motorsport stage 2 turbo kit from C2 Motorsports. Typically, this includes a front-mount intercooler but Andy opted to fabricate his own. A Garrett T3/T04E turbo provided the heart of the system, along with new intake and exhaust manifolds. C2 Motorsports included its own software and fueling kit to ensure the optimum mixture. In addition, a 38mm Tial wastegate and Forge diverter valve redirect excess boost to guarantee reliability. Finally, a 3" downpipe from 20squared Tuning expels spent gases.

With more than double the original horsepower of a stock VR6, would the transmission last? He'd already blown up the first 02A tranny before the car was even turboed. So Andy found another in a wrecked Passat and fitted a Peloquin limited-slip differential and bolt kit, plus a Spec aluminum flywheel and clutch to assure the power was transfered to the wheels.