VW GTI
"I started MF Automotive in the summer of '01 after being shut down by zoning officials for working out of my garage," Matt Ford started. "So with only $350 in my hand, I found a shop big enough to fit one and a half cars. It didn't even have running water or a bathroom but I coughed up the cash and I was in."
With dreams of building a VW/Audi performance shop in his hometown of Knoxville, TN, Matt's immediate future looked bleak. He started out with little money, a barely functional shop and a couple of months before the September 11 incident, causing distress to the nation and economy.
Yes, you saw those correctly...
Yes, you saw those correctly - Porsche GT3 seats
Despite adversity, Matt found ways to create a business. He used his mechanical skills to repair anything, from a Chevy Suburban to a Mitsubishi Eclipse. He did what he had to do to keep the lights on and food on his plate. And because his VAG passion was strong, he would even wrench on friends' Jettas and GTIs for free because he didn't have the resources to build his own. "I would build them for zero labor just to have the opportunity," he told us. "I wanted to build a car but was too busy with the shop."
Matt's generosity and enthusiasm led to this motorsport-inspired '87 GTI. Originally a 1.8 liter 8v with 102hp, it was collecting dust with 200k miles on a blown motor. So good friend Al Almonroad took the car off his hands and funded the new project. Matt helped track down a 2.8 liter VR6 with 80k miles from a '98 Jetta GLX for the transplant and the rest is history. "I built the shit out of the GTI," he laughed.
"The idea was reliability and a factory installation, so it could be driven hard at the autocross or track," Matt explained.
Rare 15" ATS Classic wheels...
Rare 15" ATS Classic wheels painted satin black
The project launched in '04 and took a year to get the wheels rolling again. It remained a daily driver and weekend track car for years; however, it was stripped down to its bare shell earlier this year for another overhaul. "Every nut and bolt was stripped, sandblasted and cleaned," Matt told us. "Even the tranny was split open and cleaned."
Everything in the engine bay, interior, body and undercarriage was either replaced or cleaned. In the flesh, the car looks newer than a Mk5 off the dealer's lot. This Mk2 is timeless.
Starting under the hood, Matt sprayed the motor and tranny flat black, even going as far as painting the intake and brake lines. "I completely rewired the car from the headlights to the tail lights with central electric two, which is used on late Mk2 and Mk3s. So it was a matter of a few Corrado parts to fit the motor, plug it in and turn the key. It's the right way to do a VR6 swap and a lot cleaner."
Every nut and bolt was cleaned...
Every nut and bolt was cleaned and sprayed black on the VR6 transplant
To improve the performance of the stout six, Matt installed a Techtonics 2.5" cat-back exhaust and software. The five-speed manual received lightweight flywheel and Sachs clutch for more clamping force, plus a Peloquin limited-slip to provide traction when the car gets abused.
Matt followed with chassis upgrades to improve drivability. Koni coilovers were adjusted to give the GTI its low stance and solid behavior. Poly bushings and an Autotech rear sway bar was also added.
For stopping power, the tiny front brakes were upgraded to 11" Corrado VR6 spec, while the rear drums were swapped for 8.9" VR6 discs as well.
The wheels followed the weekend-racer theme. According to Matt, these 15x7" ATS Classics were pretty rare: "In that particular wheel, you can get 13s anywhere," he explained. "But this is the only set of 15s I've ever seen." Possibly one reasons for their rarity is the Porsche bolt pattern, which required H&R adapters to fit the GTI's hubs. And before the wheels were wrapped in a set of Toyo T1R tires, Matt painted them satin black.