It may behave been born in the 1980s, but Chris Keeton’s stunning Mk2 GTi continues to defy its years...

Words & Pics: Steve McCann

You know that saying about ‘dog years’? The one that reckons that roughly for every one of our calendar years, a dog will age seven. In other words, if your faithful foul-breathed chum makes it to the age of ten, in dog years, he’d actually be 70. Well, what if the same principle was applied to cars? There has to be many other considerations though. For example, some old dear’s Polo that’s been to the shops once a week since 1987 could theoretically be younger than some hard-pressed rep’s 100,000-mile three year old Passat. Taking into account mileage, replacement parts and overall condition it should be possible – with the aid of science or at least someone with a mathematical brain – to create a formula to tell you your car’s age in ‘human years’. But there could still possibly be flaws in the calculations; take a look at Chris Keeton’s Mk2 Golf GTi. In the ten years he’s owned it, his trusted automotive companion isn’t getting older, it just gets better and fresher. Here’s a car that’s remained forever young (which is also a song title by Bob Dylan – or Jay-Z if you prefer – depending on your age).

DEALING AN ACE

Over a decade ago, 29 year-old Chris left school and got himself a job as an apprentice mechanic at a VW dealer and he still works there to this day. When he passed his test his first car was a Vauxhall Nova SR, one of the definitive cars of the era, but it was never going to be anything more than a stop gap for him. “I only kept it for a year,” he remembers, “and I did a few things to it, but it was never intended to be a long term project.” Nope, Chris had his eyes set on something else. One of the mechanics at the garage had a 1900 Golf GTI eight-valve (it was actually his wife’s) and Chris could see the car had plenty of potential. “All the bodywork was straight, and it was standard apart from some lowering springs and 17in wheels,” says Chris. Having been a fan of the Mk2 Golf since he was a wee boy, a deal was soon struck and the car was his – this was back in August 2001.

Obviously, over ten years of car ownership, a lot of things change, and today Chris admits that the only thing left from when he first bought the car is the shell itself! But back in the early days, he started off with the obvious things, such as a Scorpion exhaust that came up cheap and then some Corbeau race seats: “I fitted them and left the rest of the interior standard, it wasn’t the best look,” he grins, “but when you’re young and stupid you do things like that.”

OWNER PROFILE

NAME:
Chris Keeton
AGE:
29
LOCATION:
Dumfries
OCCUPATION:
VW Mechanic
DREAM CAR:
Ferrari F430 Scuderia
FAVE MOD ON CAR:
BBS RS rims
TOP CHOONZ:
David Guetta

THE KNOWLEDGE

Engine:
1.8 20valve Turbo conversion AUM engine, K03s turbo with QPENG management, 2.5in downpipe, Bastuck 2.5in stainless exhaust system, twin slimline radiator fans, Merc Sprinter intercooler, polished HKS blow off valve, polished rocker and inlet manifold, stainless boost pipes

Transmission:
Mk2 Golf GTi 16V five-speed gearbox, Sachs organic sports clutch, short shift gear changer

Suspension:
Spax coilovers, G60 hubs, Eibach anti-roll bar kit, Powerflex bushes

Brakes:
280mm front brake conversion, Mk4 alloy rear calipers, stainless brake flexis all round, Black Diamond drilled and grooved discs front and rear

Wheels & Tyres:
15in BBS RS 047, rebuilt in 2011 to 9in wide with radinox stainless dishes, refurbed/painted spokes with original BBS bolts gold plated, BBS gold/black centre badges, with chrome BBS bolt in valves, 195/45/15 Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres stretched

Exterior:
Full respray in late 2010 factory Tornado Red, smooth tailgate and wing, new VW wings, full brand new G60 arch kit and sills with new big bumpers, Polo 6R aerial, Edition one chromeolux glass, carbon fibre rear spoiler, carbon wiper blank on scuttle panel, brand new VW Hella headlamps and fog lamps with Xenon conversion in both, single lamp VW grille, genuine Wolfsburg wing badges, fully polished Porsche door handles, carbon fibre rear number plate

Interior:
Electric Recaro seats with rear headrests, everything inside fully trimmed in cream leather by Snappy Interiors including roof lining, pillars, dashboard, Votex centre console, doorcards, seats, parcel shelf and supports, sunvisors, carbon fibre parts in Votex console (3x SWG gauges), carbon gearshift surround, Justmatz Executive mats with cream border, Isotta 310mm steering wheel half trimmed in cream leather, VR6 gearknob retrimmed in cream leather, chrome inner door handles, Lupo GTI pedals
 

ICE:
Sony flipface head unit, audioscape door pods, with Rainbow components in doors, rainbow crossovers and rainbow tweeters mounted in C pillars
 

Thanks:
Girlfriend Laura for all her help over year, brother Paul, mum and dad, Kenzie and the rest of the Dumfries VW lot, Skinny, Ryan and everyone else at Benfield VW Dumfries, Des Reid (it’s his fault I’m into this VW modifiying carry on), Ally, Mike, Willie and James at Lochthorn Cars, Andy at Snappy Interiors, Simon Sweetland and Ellis, Daz Burt and the FKIN guys, Detailed UK club, Graham and Neil Gibson for paint/body, Ben Leach at QPENG, Bruce hutchison, Scott and Freddy, Mike Richardson at Solway Windscreens

To read the rest of this feature see the January 2012 issue of Golf+.
Back issues available here.