The Volkswagen Golf you see here rolled off the assembly line in 1979 and was purchased by its current owner in 2014, but never tuned until this year. With a Golf R32 engine transplant and other mods, it is decidedly a sportier machine now than ever before.
The tuners who worked on the car replaced its worn-out cabin trim and installed new Recaro seats, as well as a different steering wheel. Fresh-looking yellow trim has come to replace the stock blue one, and the owner didn’t hold back on leather and Alcantara. Noise proofing was improved all around and a roll cage was added for rigidity. The doors can be considered especially lucky here, since they wound up with original Porsche handles.
As we said above, the stock engine was swapped for an R32 mill rated at 240 PS (237 hp / 177 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque. The torque goes to all four wheels, air cushions in the suspension provide for a smooth and comfortable ride, and the only major thing that stays stock is the brakes.
Per the owner, the main challenge wasn’t technical – it was sourcing the necessary components. The old Golf isn’t particularly popular in South Africa, so many parts had to be ordered from Europe.