While we normally like to bring you build threads such at the one that saw a Honda S2000 getting an NSX engine and becoming the S3500, there's always a young fabricator out there who has just started walking down the DIY route.
Photo: VWVortex
Most of us car aficionados are not lucky enough to have parents who can provide mechanical education, so we have to start somehow. So far, the Florida man we're here to talk about perfectly fits the pattern.
However, instead of kicking off the hostilities with building a go-kart and racing it on private properties, our guy chose to start off with a... rear-wheel-drive Volkswagen Golf conversion.
The man posted his story on the VW Vortex forums, entering our attention thanks to Redditor anti_throwaway.
It all started with his Mk IV Golf, which used to be slammed on wheels with extra-fat lips (you'll be able to spot the early pics in the massive gallery below).
After deciding it was time to build some fabrication skills by playing with his own ride, the man turned to a 01E manual gearbox (this has served many Audi S cars, V8s included), as well as a rear differential gasket and floor pan coming from an Audi A4 (B6 generation).
From that point on, the man treated the VW Group mashup like a LEGO set. For one thing, he learned multiple welding techniques along the way, building everything with advice coming from more fabrication-savvy friends and the good old internet.
While his early challenges saw the man having to add quite some weight to the car by attaching bits and pieces to make the melange happen, the build then reached an even more delicate point.
We're no longer talking about making your gearbox linkage work. Instead, the guy had to cope with issues such as wrongly-designed tie rods causing vicious bump steer and devouring the steering rack. Oh, and we forgot to mention, the guy used more than one part coming from the Mustang, steering rack included.
As you can imagine, the route leading to the initial drifting purpose was long and winding, as the failed sliding video below shows.
Probably as a result of this, the man stopped posting updates back in late 2011. Still, he did get to mention a few test runs, with fellow forum members asking for updates as recent as July this year.
We've seen this build splitting opinions like a Donald Trump appearance. There's the camp that pours gallon after gallon of hate on the project, talking about the unaesthetic welds and the lack of regard for road safety. And on the other side, we have those supporting the builder, who seems to be in his early 20s, for his efforts.
While we don't agree with the guy taking advantage of the loose Florida rules and driving this barn-engineered vehicle on the street instead of testing it on a track, we have to salute his garage efforts. If you ever have the chance to contribute to such a project, do it - you'll enjoy it. Should you be deprived of such opportunities, don't be afraid to spend a few weekends working on a bicycle as a way to start.
However, instead of kicking off the hostilities with building a go-kart and racing it on private properties, our guy chose to start off with a... rear-wheel-drive Volkswagen Golf conversion.
The man posted his story on the VW Vortex forums, entering our attention thanks to Redditor anti_throwaway.
It all started with his Mk IV Golf, which used to be slammed on wheels with extra-fat lips (you'll be able to spot the early pics in the massive gallery below).
After deciding it was time to build some fabrication skills by playing with his own ride, the man turned to a 01E manual gearbox (this has served many Audi S cars, V8s included), as well as a rear differential gasket and floor pan coming from an Audi A4 (B6 generation).
From that point on, the man treated the VW Group mashup like a LEGO set. For one thing, he learned multiple welding techniques along the way, building everything with advice coming from more fabrication-savvy friends and the good old internet.
While his early challenges saw the man having to add quite some weight to the car by attaching bits and pieces to make the melange happen, the build then reached an even more delicate point.
We're no longer talking about making your gearbox linkage work. Instead, the guy had to cope with issues such as wrongly-designed tie rods causing vicious bump steer and devouring the steering rack. Oh, and we forgot to mention, the guy used more than one part coming from the Mustang, steering rack included.
As you can imagine, the route leading to the initial drifting purpose was long and winding, as the failed sliding video below shows.
Probably as a result of this, the man stopped posting updates back in late 2011. Still, he did get to mention a few test runs, with fellow forum members asking for updates as recent as July this year.
This build is an opinion splitter
We've seen this build splitting opinions like a Donald Trump appearance. There's the camp that pours gallon after gallon of hate on the project, talking about the unaesthetic welds and the lack of regard for road safety. And on the other side, we have those supporting the builder, who seems to be in his early 20s, for his efforts.
While we don't agree with the guy taking advantage of the loose Florida rules and driving this barn-engineered vehicle on the street instead of testing it on a track, we have to salute his garage efforts. If you ever have the chance to contribute to such a project, do it - you'll enjoy it. Should you be deprived of such opportunities, don't be afraid to spend a few weekends working on a bicycle as a way to start.
Google News