Dipping into the European parts bin, Melissa sourced a stubbier Euro bumper for the rear and color-matched the valance. Deleting the rear wiper and fitting R32 tail lights makes the Mk5 more distinctive.
Melissa's goldmine of ideas continued inside. Instead of adding a pair of race seats or over-accessorizing, she took the car to Williams Upholstery where a simple enhancement of color and comfort would complement the Euro theme. The front and rear seats, along with the door cards and shift knob boot, were reupholstered in pumpkin leather. Melissa then color-matched the trim pieces and dash tray to the exterior, which brought a great deal more class to the originally drab interior.
GTI pedals give Melissa more feel, while a European headlight switch deactivated the daytime running lights and gives the option of parking lights.
With these tasks completed, Melissa could concentrate on the parts she could wrench at home. So finishing off the exterior are authentic Mercedes wheels. "I had BBS LM replicas but a friend had these SL wheels for sale," she told us. "They weren't what I had originally planned but turned out well."
Originally intended for the Mercedes SL, the 18x8.5" front and 18x9.5" rear bolt right up to the Rabbit without mods. Kumho tires are stretched tight around the rims so Melissa can lower the car without rubbing issues.
The slammed stance was accomplished with FK Silverline coilovers. Currently, the front coils are wound all the way down, but Melissa admits the rear can still go lower.
To cap off the list of current work, bigger brakes with slotted rotors were fitted for safety's sake. "It's an upgrade from ECS Tuning that's similar to the GTI and gives more stopping power than the tiny stock brakes," Melissa said. To complement the pumpkin interior, she painted all four calipers orange.
Melissa has plenty more ideas up her sleeve but still daily drives the car and wants to keep the modifications simple and clean. "The car's put me in debt, so I'm broke for now. Eventually I plan on doing the C2 Motorsport turbo kit but the car only has 10,000 miles on it and I still have a warranty, so I'll ride it out a little longer." She's also entertaining the idea of new wheels and even a shaved engine bay. Whatever comes next, it can only make Melissa's Rabbit stronger and we commend her for starting a career many male readers only dream about.