Witch One Day Six SOWO 2014

Day six of Southern Worthersee  is coming to an end, however if the show before the show is anything like the past few years shenanigans will soon ensue. No better place to show off ones hard work than cursing up and down the main roads of Helen GA. The streets are lined with thousands of car enthusiast cheering on each passer by to chanting ” burn out” A good many try and a few are handed tickets from the local police. In all it is a spectacle to be seen. I would encourage everyone to make this show tops on their must see shows.

I myself took both cars on a few laps through town. It is sad to say the Golf R has become common place and in this crowed she no longer turns heads. However Witch One is altogether a different story. While she is not the best MK3 GTI down here, she certainly is in the top five; and the car does pull more than a passing glance as she rolls by on her shinny BBS’s

Tomorrow Witch One will represent all the hard work Tristan and everyone one at Further Performance. had put into her. Ever time I drive the GTI my love affair with the car deepens. I smile ear to ear listing to the VR6 engine rumble I run through the gears. The car is solid in every way and an absolute joy to drive.

Below are a few to the pictures I took as I walked through Helen.

WitchOne Day Four SoWo 2014

Day Four of our 2014 Southern Worthersee  adventure continues. Except for a few minor mechanical problems with one of the  crew’s GTI’s the trip has been both trouble and drama free.  

I finally had the chance to take Witch One the 1997 Golf GTI VR6 turbo out for a drive. Nothing but props and a huge thanks for the guys at Further Performance. for this build. The car both handles and performs way above anyones expectations. Both Tristan, Matt and my self have pushed the GTI and the limits have yet to be found.

Of course like any build there is always things to be improved on; like upgraded brakes and a good set of sway bars will be a must. The Golf R has been rock solid other than a weak clutch, (planed winter project) she has answered every question asked and performed above all expectations.

Tomorrow the little town of Helen, Georgia will fill up with thousands of VW’s, Audi’s and veracious other Euro cars and the real shenanigans will begin. My hope is everyone has loads of fun but keeps things respectful and safe because I have this show on my must attend list for the foreseeable future.

I can’t close out this blog post without once again thanking the guys at Further Performance. Tristan Henderson, Matthew Henderson, Frank Buntz, Mike Olson and Aaron Witchger for their inspiration and hard work in making a dream come true.

 

Witch One The Rebirth of a Golf GTI

WitchOne

Today we set off on the long trek to SOWO Southern Worthersee A Volkswagen Audi show in northern Georgia . While this will not be my first time attending SOWO it will be the first time my 1997 Golf GTI will make an appearance. My GTI and I go back to the beginning; 17 years ago is when I bought this little 150HP pocket rocket. Today, after a total rebuild we are hoping, reborn, the little monster can pull 400HP and maybe more. Every day I drive Witch One I smile knowing in my hands I have a special machine that has not only kept me dreaming but also launched the dreams of at least 7 other people, maybe more, who were lucky enough to race her through the streets of Minneapolis.

Shows like Overhauling, Gas Monkey, Wheeler Dealers or Top Gear at their core depicts the emotional connection we humans have with our cars. I too have this emotional connection with my GTI and Golf R for that matter, and like the people from the aforementioned shows I can tell you exactly who inspired this connection and when the connection with my GTI occurred.

WitchOne and 2Dubs

I bought the GTI new and after several years the fun had left the car. I was a home owner with yard work and remodeling projects on the to do list. The little hot hatch became a defacto SUV, hauling everything from lawn mowers and yard mulch to soccer goals and snowblowers. Time was taking its toll on the little GTI. It was time to sell the her and buy something more practical, a real SUV.

At the time my friend Aaron Witchger would badger me to let him drive the GTI and since I had already bought the Tahoe I freely tossed him the keys. Every time he would bring the car back he would say “dude you can’t sell this car.” He would present me with ideas he had found on the internet on how to modify the GTI to improve her performance or alter her stance. Wheels, exhaust and a chip to give the VR6 engine a little more growl.  The times I would ride along as a passenger with Aaron as he was driving I would marvel at his driving skills. The guy was so tuned into that car man and machine truly became one. Aaron not only was one of the best athletes I had ever met but he was also one of the best drivers I had ever met. Riding along with Aaron as he dipped through Minneapolis traffic was the point in time where the fun of driving the GTI was replaced by the magic of driving the GTI and the future build took root my soul. It was here I decided I would never sell this little car.

WitchOne

Aaron and I have long gone our separate ways, however when I look back at the story of the GTI I can point to Aaron Witchger as the person who influenced me the most in not only keeping the GTI but someday building her into something special.

Fast forward now 7 plus years. The GTI build remained a dream but I was not really committed to making that dream come true. The GTI was little more than a third vehicle taking up space in my garage. About four yeas ago now is when the GTI threw a rod bearing and life for the hot hatch changed. I had her towed to Further Performance. and while she sat pathetically up on the hoist it was clear; we could rebuild her bring her back to life bigger, stronger and more powerful  than the day she left the plant in Wolfsburg Germany.

Ready for SOWO14 WitchOne

While building the car my friends would always ask me: “So you have three cars, Which one do you drive?” It was through countless conversations like this that the tag “Which One” took hold. It was also during the build that countless numbers of people, people I had never met started to tell me the stories of Aaron Witchger giving them their first ride in my GTI. They would tell me stories how they had so much fun riding or driving in my car with Aaron that they knew right there they had to buy a GTI of their own. One mutual friend told me a story of how Aaron scared the crap our of him as he dipped through Hennepin Ave traffic. The car and the drive was such a rush that with in a month he bought his very own 337 GTI.  Another person whom I had never met saw the GTI up on the hoist at Further Performance. and said “I own my GTI today because of the ride Aaron Witchger gave me in this car.”

People, it seemed, had not just one story but may stories about the time Aaron gave them a ride in my GTI. Each story was told with a sparkle in the eye and a smile on their face. The craziest thing to me was I had no idea any of these people had ever ridden in my car. I had no idea when I tossed Aaron the keys to the GTI he was making his friends smile and dream. There were so many stories that it was obvious that “Which One” had to be changed to “Witch One” a tribute to a guy who had such a positive yet unknown influence on so many.

WitchOne

It is funny how life can bring people together and create friendships, even if they are for a short amount of time; friendships that become frozen in one moment in time before they go their separate ways. I have not spoken to Aaron in over ten years but his influence on me and my GTI will live on until the day I die. When that day comes and I head off to the big Volkswagen club in the sky and some lawyer hands Aaron the keys to my GTI I hope rather than sending her to the crusher he brings new smiles and creates new dreams for the next generation of Volkswagen enthusiasts.

GTI Build Update

Last week the the GTI motor was reunited with the GTI body. I hope to see the GTI running by the end of this week. I had been struggling to find the right wheels to put on the GTI. I was not sure what was going to give not only the stance I was looking for but also how the color of the wheels were going to blend in with the new paint on the car. I had picked out a set of Schmidt Modern Lines but these BBS RS wheels became available so I snatched them up. They look sick up against the new pain, much better than I had envisioned.

 

 

A Sense Of Community

I spent the day at Further Performance as they assembled the rebuilt engine for my 1997 Golf GTI VR6.  Tristan has made his shop into more than a place to have an oil changed. So many people enjoy dropping by to see what new build is underway or just to chill out and tell hangar stories. There is a real sense of community among the people who gather at the shop. It is a community of people who share their collective knowledge of VW and Audi cars. The shop is also a place where it is not uncommon to see Tristan and everyone working at Further helping a new tuner find their way around an engine bay.

I have spent my life in the soccer coaching world, always willing to lend a hand and my equipment to young coaches or players. Despite their best intentions often my equipment did not come back in the same condition as it went out. For this reason I was amazed  when Tristan, in the spirt of true community, would willingly and with a smile, let tuners use the tools of his trade. I’m not talking about the tools of some giant unaware corporation, no, I am talking Tristan’s personal tools, the instruments of  his business. While I am sure, from time to time, a wrench or a socket went missing, mostly due to misplacement by the user, the vast majority of the time each tools was returned with care to its proper spot in the big blue toolbox. I guess in the end, when you trust the people who walk through your doors, it gives credence to the meaning of community.

 

Wheels

I will not be attending the ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA . However my wheels will be attending the race. My friends at Further Performance  have been invited by Volkswagen to highlight a two of their recent builds at the upcoming race. Tristan Henderson is bringing his 2012 Golf R. Tristan and I have almost identical Golf R’s except I had my stock Talladega wheels painted black and Tristan had his R wrapped in a lime green vinyl. In order to give the green machine a little more POP and hopefully a little TV time we swapped out his stock wheels with my gloss black stock wheels. Ok it is not as cool as being there in person but I will be mighty stoked if I see his R and my wheels on some cut away before the network goes to commercial, one can only hope.