With my overall look at Southern Wörthersee wrapped up, it’s now time to spend a little time on the cars that I feel had a bit more of a long lasting effect on the weekend. So without further ado, I bring to you the Spotlights of SoWo.
There’s really no need to BS you guys at this point, so I’ll be honest and admit that aside from the exclusivity of the Scirocco, the model has never really done much for me. Blasphemy I know, but all that changed when I stumbled across this 1984.5 Wolfsburg on my last lap of scouring the main venue…
There’s a reason this build stopped me dead in my tracks amongst all the other Sciroccos in attendance, because – believe it or not, this single owner, bad boy is still rocking its original coat of paint; has rarely spent anytime in the sun, and up until this rainy SoWo weekend has probably never felt a drop of unfiltered water in its life.
Can you imagine keeping a car this clean for over 30 years? I can’t even keep a t-shirt clean for more than 24 hours!
Yet, not only has its owner been responsible enough to maintain the VW’s showroom shine, he was actually ballsy enough to modify it. For the engine? A Stage II Calloway turbo system has been sourced.
Those awesome body additions on the exterior? Thats an authentic Kamei X1 body kit in conjunction with a set of Euro headlights and bumpers. Gorgeous isn’t she?
And, even though it’ll never need the support while it’s quietly resting in its air conditioned garage, Koni front and rear sway bars have been added into the mix along with Neuspeed upper and lower stress bars and HOR progressive springs to bring it down on its immaculate set of Ronal R8 wheels. Impressive, I know. It’s okay if you need to excuse yourself…
Back to the FutureWhile were talking about perfectly maintained classics, I feel I’d be doing y’all a real disservice if I didn’t spotlight this 1966 Type Volkswagen Notchback.
The owner – who has had his hands on the car for 11 years now – decided to dip into the dark side and actually modify this old school machine, as undoubtedly each and every one of us would.
Originally displacing 1.6 litters, the engine has been enlarged to 1914cc and upgraded with dual carbs.
And the interior has been completely restored and revamped to fit the classical bill.
I’ve noticed that the Euro scene definitely knows how to give their interiors some proper attention, but rarely have I ever seen something this clean. Restored and revamped to perfection; almost hot rod like.
And back on the versatility tip, the final touch was a set of classic Fuchs design wheels in a modern size.
Though the main competition became home to many great VAG builds, it wasn’t until I began sifting through the surrounding parking lots that I was truly engulfed in the variety that SoWo had to offer. Realistically, there were way too many badass builds to allow me to put my finger on an absolute favorite, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I gawked over this Volvo 142 GL many times throughout the weekend.
Aside from an air ride setup and Gotti J55B wheels in a 15×8-inch fitment at all four corners, not a lot has actually been done to the car.
But it’s one of those builds that on presence alone makes you weak in the knees.
For me, it was like coming across a ’70s-era Corolla, or even a stock RX-3. It didn’t matter what it had done to it – it was just plain cool.
And with some old school mud flaps and a couple of award winning plaques on the front grill, this guy had that character factor skyrocketing through the roof.
Power Mode, Engage!Okay, Now that I’ve fully covered the bases on the classics, it’s time for power. And what better place to start than this 800hp Golf Mk4 R32.
Where’s all that power coming from? A built engine, big Precision Turbo 6265 and E85 fuel – that’s where!
All to often I hear the question, ‘What exactly is a full build?’ Well ladies and gentlemen, you’re looking at prime example. From the wide body work and perfect coat of Brickyard Red paint, not one single area has been left untouched.
I mean, just look at it in there!
Even the front cockpit received immense attention with a clean pair of carbon fiber framed seats. If you’re unable to pick up on the owner’s dedication from these images alone, let me be the first to inform you that this guy was so eager to display his pride and joy that he actually brought it all the way out from Denver, Colorado, just for this show. That’s a solid 1,400 miles away from Helen, Georgia.
As I stated in my first post, one of the more overlooked cars in the main competition arena was this rather unassuming Audi S4.
The B5 has always been an odd car for me. Sure, in person it looks amazing – especially when brought down to the ground on H&R coils like this one has been.
But as a photographer, I still struggle to find the body lines, and it’s always been difficult for me to make this chassis look attractive in photographs. Maybe it’s just a little… chubby. But what I lack in capturing ability, this build more than makes up for in sex appeal – thanks in part to its new RS7-derived Nardo Gray warpaint.
But after speaking with the owner I found out there was so much more going on with this build than just a fresh coat of paint. Step closer and you’ll find a Porsche Cayenne 6-pot brake kit and VMR V713 wheels.
Though you would never expect it, this build has actually received a full engine rebuild from the ground up too. The list is of upgrades is very long, and on top some strengthened internals the V6 features RS6/K24 hybrid turbos and custom side mount intercoolers.
Surprise!Okay, so this post was only supposed to have five cars featured in it, but there was one more I absolutely have to touch on – this 12v VR6 Jetta. Who doesn’t love a little extra bonus, right?
Immaculate doesn’t even begin to describe this build and just about every single component within the bay has either been chromed or polished.
And it doesn’t stop there – just check out the cleanliness of the interior!
Every now and then you come across a build that hits the mark in absolutely every aspect. For me, this Jetta is one of them.
I really could go on about this car for days, but there’s a full feature in the works, so I’ll just leave it here for now… Don’t worry, it won’t be far away though!
So there you have it. This was my first attempt at covering SoWo, and through the cars I chose to include in my coverage thus far, I really hope that I was able to portray this glorious southern gathering with the recognition it deserves. Just remember, each and every one of us is viewing this event through our own eyes and sampling the succulent content with our own taste buds. These were mine. Now I’m looking forward to what you readers on the other side of the pond think of our stateside Wörthersee rendition. There’s still more come from Helen, GA, though, so stay tuned…
Matthew Jones
Instagram: matthewjonesphoto
matt@speedhunters.com
Not sure I quite understand the point of owning a car for 30 years and never taking it out if an air conditioned garage. It's a car, it should be used. It's not like it's a collector's $15m classic Ferrari either. It's a Scirocco.
That R32 is insane though. A little low for my liking, but respect for actually making it a full build.
In my opinion, this event is not even remotely close to the awesomeness of Ben's and Paddy's Worthesee coverage. Maybe they set the benchmark too high last year...
Nice job. I'm always amazed at the amount of time, money & sweat people will put into these simple street cars to turn them into proper hot rods.
MattAtDoyle i was going to say the same thing!! it amazes me when a person or people put a lot of time and money into restoring these daily cars. it shows you that they appreciate them for what they are and its not about how much they cost initially.
Its a JETTA!! but to the owner its something much more. something they want to keep alive and something they admire more than a car that cost $80,000+
I think all of these cars look amazing and i respect the owners of these car a lot for the work they put into these cars
Matt Jones ''Now I’m looking forward to what you readers on the other side of the pond think of our stateside Wörthersee rendition.''
My initial comment refers to that statement. Nothing personal, just my pov...
'Thats an authentic Kamei X1 body kit in conjunction with a set of Euro headlights and bumpers. Gorgeous isn’t she?'
No. Ugly then and uglier now. Like shellsuits, Goths, jelly/peanut butter, 60 section rubber, Ssangyongs, Britney, Twilight Saga, Putin, airbrushed rust, non-Heinz ketchup, OAP sex, corderouy, sharing bananas, Donks, cage fighting, Lidl, Prince Alberts, Michael Bolton... some things will never, ever be right.
I thought I was reading about the Europe event and was shocked when I came up on "brought the car from Denver!!"
If you don't pay attention to the details, the two events really look similar!
Purplehatchback LOL!!!!
Damn that VW Notchback & the Volvo! Speaking of Volvos...any P1800's around?
Anthraxxx i think that volvo is this one.
http://www.stanceworks.com/2013/11/greg-keysars-1974-volvo-142-gl/
sorry for the cross posting
Cheers Zaps!
Purplehatchback ssangyongs!!! lol. i'd like to add byd, faw, cherry, great wall, chang'an, jac, lifan,
Purplehatchback But I love peanut butter and jelly AND Britney! Everyone has different tastes
LOL @ some of your other suggestions though...
That R32 is super cool, but something tells me that it's not Brickyard Red...
the Scirocco!
So glad you put that Jetta in. Miss mine!
LOVE the Scirocco! but I did shed a tear for its undriven sheltered sterile life
@Seeking Perfection None taken buddy! Maybe I'm just bitter I'm not in Austria lol. Some day! Cheers my man.
zapsnyder Anthraxxx No worries! Mike did an incredible job on those photos. Love that article.
Michael Atwell It truly is. Probably just doesn't seem that way due to the harsh light.
This show looks pretty rad. VAG stuff has never really interested me much but this was just too cool!
SoWo was awesome this year! The variety was sweet as hell - loved all the CC's that were present - hell, even an old school Starion made an appearance!
Matt Jones zapsnyder Anthraxxx Speaking of Cross-Posting....My little Honda Turbo Facebook page...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Honda-City-Turbo-II/1486462251566284?skip_nax_wizard=true
Dat Jetta, looking forward to the feature!
Also, pretty impressive how the Scirocco looks with its stock paint after 30 years, guess it never spent a night outside the garage
Hotcakes Here in the Uk everyone used to say the same about renault fives... and rover metros/mk3 xr3i's/RS Fiestas (yep they exist), e30 beemers... the list goes on, and on..., "It's not like it's a collector's $15m classic Ferrari either. It's a XYZ." now though, as 20 years has passed, its those once overly popular XYZ cars that are no longer around, those are the cars people dream of and look back fondly on, they are also as mentioned the overly popular cars everyone scrapped as "theres loads about right?" causing a shortage - another example of this is the E-Type Jag. one of the most popular cars of its times, my dad back in the 70's lived on a road with 18 (!) of them.... and he lived in rosebud bay, Australia... now though? very few exist globally. My Father himself has been looking for a good 67 EH Holden (a very popular car back then in Aus) without any real luck as yet again: the curse of popularity strikes. not many about, those that are about are finished projects or wrecks that will never drive.
Popular cars are the ones worth keeping as eventually - everyone scraps the lesser, shabbier cars and you are left with a rare, stock (if thats your thing) car that turns heads.
Thats not to say though it has to be cherry fresh and un tuned, I have a friend who drives a mk3 RS Fiesta (1600i Turb not the 1800 NA) sure its driven in the dry, waxed to within a micron of its paint but its heavily modified and driven any chance he gets.... Kids driving mk5 and upwards fiestas these days..... most have never even seen a mk3 fiesta let alone a Rally Spec with a T3 Garret hanging in the bonnet. they slow down going past it outside my apartment, Its inspired one mk5 owner to hunt down a body kit locally! a fiesta bodykit! Its AWESOME that his outwardly mostly stock rarity has inspired another driver to try something different- its great fun watching the dads introduce their sons to the car they wished they owned back in the day but thought they never would see on the street again... "new classic" ownership goes waaaay deeper then most would expect - its about preserving for the generation that follows and inspiring them.
I will end here before I start pointing out all the hondas (y personal weakness) that have disappeared from the roads because of their own popularity... or the other jags, renaults, pugs, mitsi etc etc.
excuse the length of the post and the bad use of english, its the downside to an ex-penal system education.
Now don't you be saying bad things about Goths!
TarmacTerrorist Hotcakes I tried to find a EK4 Civic last month, nothing left is in good condition. Same goes for the 1.4 non-vtec. I had a 1.4 once, sold it for peanuts because 'there's loads of them right?' All that's left are EK9's which I can't really justify around £7000 for. I can almost buy a Audi RS4 for that kind of money.
Other Will TarmacTerrorist Hotcakes DC5 integers are going for about ten grand regardless of their.... ropiness....I'm finding atm, considering I can buy and import for that plus another grand from JPN makes me a sad panda. I feel your pain dude, but it does prove my point rather well though:)
Hotcakes perhaps to the owner, it's as special as a Ferrari? Try keeping a car alive, let alone pristine, over an extended period of time. Having done it myself (22 years and counting on a Datsun I acquired), it's not at all easy. Can't afford the Ferrari without liquidating everything, so to me, the Datsun might as well be the F or P car.
I love the article, amazing coverage of the show and some really cool cars, but I just can't get over the looks of that scirocco... I normally love them, and for what it's worth that one does deserve a ton of credit for it's condition... But man that kit just doesn't work for me... I feel like in ten years if someone kept their Fast and Furious: Jesses Jetta replica... That if it has low miles and perfect paint it should win best in show?? Hell no, it wasn't cool at the time, and still isn't. And unless you got sucked into the franchise that created some of the worst rice of our lifetime, it will never look good to you. I'm sure the car has a good story, and a good owner, just think there are a lot of people who are acting like it's amazing when a lot of us are too afraid to say what we are thinking lol
Hi guys. I would just like to say to the speedhunters team, you guys are amazing I really like what you guys do. I'm from Zimbabwe our car scene is not very big but it's growing one day we'll have a speedhunters worthy car show
Anyone know some modifications like SoWo by volvo 300?
http://www.cariseasy.com/images/_volvo-300-series-5.jpg
I know that strange question, but can I get lucky
Color is a modified lava red.