2003 Volkswagen Golf GTI 1.8T - California Dreamin'

2003 VW GOLF GTI 1.8T
It's taken Yih Liang five years to unveil his Cali-style '03 VW GTI 1.8T. But the inspiration and encouragement from his Mk4 forefathers and NoFuknJoke team members proved invaluable.

Do the names Bernie Chacon, Wendell Willkom, Ronny Ng and Albert Lee ring a bell? If your answer is yes, then you're a true Mk4 enthusiast. But if your answer is no, it's time to flip back through your et archives. The fab four have built some of the most memorable Mk4 Golfs and GTIs we've published. Each has a distinguished style shared in the California Mk4 scene, with similarities such as large diameter wheels, aggressive styling and extravagant audio setups.

So Yih Liang is now able to add his name to the Cali-Mk4 hall of fame, but it's taken a lifetime of hardship to get there. He's been involved in two major car accidents and was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, from which he's still recovering today.

Like many California residents, Yih started in the Japanese world with an Acura Integra but, "everything took a downturn, twice," he remembered. "I guess I was young, stupid and full of testosterone."

The first incident involved a freeway exit at excessive speed on wet pavement. The Integra flew over the ramp and bounced like a pinball from tree to tree. "The car landed on its side and I crawled out to find the rear spoiler hanging in the tree," Yih said. He walked away from the accident but flirted with disaster a second time when he was late to school one morning. While speeding on the highway, another driver repeatedly cut him off in an effort to provoke a race. "On the third time, I tried to swerve away but my tires broke loose," Yih continued. "The car fishtailed across the freeway and that's the last thing I remember."

Miraculously, Yih woke up in the hospital with no major injuries while the car was crushed except for the cabin. Although Yih wasn't street racing, he was cited for reckless driving and lost his license for a year.

To make matters worse, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last summer. "I'm in remission now. I've done radiation and chemo but there's a slight chance I could get it back. It's put my life into perspective, so I wanted to move on with other things in life like buying a house and raising a family." Before Yih's license was officially revoked, he paid a visit to his nearest VW dealership. "I didn't want to deal with Japanese cars any more," he revealed. "I knew the Golf was economical so I bought one without a test drive, knowing it would be safer and a more exciting project."

A suspended license meant Yih couldn't drive his new VW, so it was delivered to the bodyshop. Drawing inspiration from the aforementioned Mk4 owners, NoFuknJoke teammates as well as good friend Jeremie Habib (who's smooth Mk3 GTI VR6T was featured in et 3/04), Yih had a good start on his perfect GTI.

Starting with the aerodynamics, a Rieger RS4 body kit was chosen for its pronounced mouth and deeper styling. Furthermore, "Nobody had the kit at the time," Yih added. However, it required some tidying, so the front plate and gills were shaved. The rest of the body then begged for a similar flowing style, so the side moldings and indicators were shaved as well as the driver's door lock. The rear features an aggressive Rieger bumper. Yih cleaned up the hatch by deleting the emblem and handle before adding a Caractere hatch blend to smooth the contours.

With clothes as suave as an Armani suit, Yih added some wow factor. All four fenders were extended to achieve a fatter track. Although he wasn't over zealous with the widening, the bumpers needed slight alteration to keep the lines of the car.

The last massage included a Vorsteiner carbon bser hood with matching hatch spoiler and a functional Audi TT fuel door grafted to the existing location.