Innehållsförteckning för May 2024 från Performance VW

If only 90’s kids had got their stance game sorted, perhaps their Halfords ram-raid plastic fantastic creations wouldn’t have been quite so questionable. PVW regular, Lee Dougherty’s R32-powered Mk3 (p8) steals this month’s cover and shows what can be achieved with a few of the finest 90’s most popular mods and a touch of good taste. Those Venoms, tho! Elsewhere in the issue we have a grandfather and grandson-built Mk4 R32 (p26) on super rare BBS IMPUL wheels, plus a super-cool T5 van on Range Rover steelies (p34) and a Jap-spec Polo 6N2 on Votex four-spokes (p42). We also managed to bag a 200mph split-screen drag racer, plus coverage from Euro District (p80) across the pond and South Africa’s Vdub Campfest (p54). We wrap the issue with Part 2 of…

We’re probably a bit biased, but in this fickle world of social media instant wins and Tweet-sized soundbytes, there’s nothing quite like the permanence of printed media. Old brochures, catalogues and magazines capture a moment in time, with all the often-forgotten details that made it unique, without the risk of being lost to defunct photo-hosting services and dead forums. For Morgan Rowlands, dipping into those archives wasn’t just about nostalgia – it’s been a guiding light during a nine-year journey into the murky depths of OEM+. “My interest in cars is all down to my father, Julian,” he tells us. “He’s been taking me to Volkswagen shows since I was two months old, and I spent my childhood going to events with him in his Mk2F Polo. But that also…

The old saying ‘Wheels Maketh The Car’ is correct, to a degree. That being said, even the best wheels will still look a bit pants if the vehicle in question doesn’t sit right. After our Midge had spent so long fine tuning the interior of our Caddy last time, we really needed to sort out a set of wheels and suspension drop to complement this and the Arlon wrap. So, anybody that has owned or modified a Caddy 2k will be aware, while the front end features a regular spring and damper strut, out back is a bit different. It’s basically a pretty primitive leaf spring set up, which is perfectly fine for the Caddy’s workhorse role. When it came to upgrades, we really wanted the Caddy to sit super…

Lee Docherty last appeared on these hallowed pages back in April 2018. His more door Mk3 left-hooker Harlequin VR6 tribute was not for the faint of heart, taking multicoloured colour coding and Lego-themed detailing to the extreme. Hell, he even wore a life-size Lego head for the cover shoot! Even though the Bonnybridge-based 44-year-old car sales manager and detailer pushed the boundaries before with attention to detail and the ‘x-factor’ of his Harlequin Golf, we’d seen the general idea elsewhere. The same can’t be said for his new three-door build though, this thing well and truly struts to the sound of its own ruleless jazz beat. Lee’s automotive journey started fairly typically with an insurance-friendly Fiat Cinquecento at the tender age of 17. The Fiats got progressively faster, and he…

The Mk4 Golf R32 was a very special car from the factory, especially when compared to a regular Mk4 Golf 1.8T with all the bells and whistles. With it’s deep, smooth bumpers, unique motorsport-inspired 18” wheels, big brakes and whopping dual tailpipes out back, the car had something of a custom feel to it - and that was before you stepped inside. Those Konig Special buckets stole the show inside and the sound from the 3.2 24v V6 coupled to a Haldex four-wheel-system completed the very comprehensive pack. As great as it was, the Mk5 just lost the whole wow factor that made the Mk4 R32 so mega. While the sixth, seventh and eighth-generation’ R Golfs may have been better driver’s cars, none of them offered this same level of…

From a young age, Matt Kendrick has always loved cars. “My dad and grandad were both car guys,” he says. “My grandad even did a bit of racing in his time. That led me into cars and as I got older, I started buying and modifying them.” It wasn’t until later in life that he got the Transporter bug. “I always liked them,” he admits. “I just never felt the need for one due to being into cars so much! One of my best mates, Mark used to come around to my place with his vans. He started off with T4s then got into facelifting T5s. He was always talking to me about them and asking my advice on modifications. I lost count of the times he said I should…

It was around 2003 that all-round good guy, ace fabricator and hirsute drag racer, Wayne Allman, decided to do something with the gnarly ’65 Split Single Cab that had come his way (twice) by a chain of not entirely unconnected events. “I’m going to go 200mph in that,” he proclaimed enthusiastically, to anyone that would listen. “There, there,” we suspect a few replied, while others just smiled and made the international gesture of cuckoo with their forefinger rotating around the side of their head. In fairness, it was a bit of a tall order, but in mid-September this year, at the NSRA Hot Rod Drags at Santa Pod Raceway, Wayne achieved his goal. Twice. First time was with a 7.15 / 201.67mph pass, backing that up in the cooler afternoon…

While attending the recent L’oe Show event, I clearly remember thinking to myself that car shows are funny. A show organiser says “Hey, come to my random town that you otherwise probably would never visit or have heard of and I promise I’ll throw a great event. I will put in a ton of time, and energy into it if you just show up.” Then they do it over and over again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? I work tirelessly to create memorable events in unlikely locations. The amount of energy I cram into Euro District is nothing short of crazy, but feeling the vibes radiating over the weekend makes it worthwhile. “The Ocho,” as we coined our 8th year taking over the streets of Jeffersonville Indiana, was held…

APRIL 12-13th WOOKIES IN THE WOODS Fontana Dam, NC, USA wookiesinthewoods.com 13-14th APRIL GR8 CAR SHOW Kortrijk Xpo, Belgium gr8mag.be 14th AUTO CULTURE ’24 Doncaster Racecourse FB: Elsecar at the Races 21st GTI SPRING FEST 2024 Santa Pod Raceway santapod.co.uk 21st SUNDAY SCRAMBLE Bicester Heritage bicesterheritage.co.uk 21st DROPPED Heusden Zodler, Belgium dropped.be 28th DUSTOFF Thompson Speedway, CT, USA nedustoff.com 28th LAY LOW 11 Kortrijk, Belgium FB: Lay Low MAY 5th BHP SHOW Kent Event Centre, Maidstone bhpshows.com 5th EUROBUILT SHOW & SHINE Greenfield, MA, USA eurobuiltvt.com 5th EUROS AT THE CREEK Maryland International Raceway, USA deutschwurx.business.site 10-12th VANWEST Taunton Racecourse vanwest.co.uk 11-12th RETRO RIDES WEEKENDER Goodwood Motor Circuit retroridesweekender.com 12th EDITION RELOADED Sywell Aerodrome FB: Edition Reloaded 13-19th ALPINE VOLKS FAIR Helen, Georgia, USA avfshow.com 16-18th WÖRTHERSEE REVIVAL Austria FB:…