Classical car lovers go to unimaginably great lengths sometimes to get what they want. You’d think $140,000 USD would be enough to buy a high-end sports car and maintain it throughout the years. Flushing the same amount into a seedy 1983 VW Golf, though…
Nevertheless, this is what Derek Spratt, from the USA, did with this first-gen Golf GTI. He never enlisted anyone’s paid assistance, either, preferring to buy the components and carry out all the work himself. This took him 7 years, or more than 12,000 hours of work.
Among other things, Derek found a way to boost the engine to 240 hp (179 kW) without resorting to modern catalysts. He made the seats power-adjustable, installed power windows and a digital dashboard, and did not neglect an engine start button.
The story ends on a somewhat melancholic note: upon living his dream, Derek lost interest in the car and let it go for a fraction of the cost.