The Golf!

A different kind of sports car.

SOLD! The Golf was been left behind in Canada when I moved to Colorado. Instead of sending it off to some stranger, my friend Trevor bought it from me. So don't be looking for any updates.

Meet my 1999.5 VW Golf GL in Jazz Blue. Wind up windows, ABS brakes, cloth upholstery, manual mirrors and a decent stereo. These VW guys have the right priorities. Instead of loading a car up with expensive frills like a standard power seat adjustment, the company gives you a car with very good basic engineering and the sort of features that are really valuable like ABS and a rear wiper.

I had them hunt down this exact car because it's just the way I wanted it, and I haven't regretted that a bit. The colour was very rare in the short 1999.5 model year, and is no longer available in North America. Pity, because it's the best blue I've ever seen. It'll make your eyes pop. You can see it on the 2000 Audi S4 if you live in North America.

As this is the working car of the family, it doesn't lead as glamorous a life as Baby, the Miata and is a little more reliable than the 1967 Land Rover. It runs year round and that brilliant blue paint gets covered in road salt and grime. That's part of the country I live in, unfortunately. But the Golf does get to do fun things such as carry kayaks. Lots of kayaks. And skis, and mountain bikes, and snowboards, and windsurfers - I'm one of the sort of people you see in VW ads leading an active lifestyle.

Of course, it got modified. Ultra-light 16" BBS RC wheels wrapped in fat 225/50-16 Dunlop SP8000 rubber. A set of H&R springs and Bilstein Sport shocks to tighten up the ride. An H&R front sway to deal with the lowered suspension. Some blue/silver Hella taillights. Shaved emblems on the back except for the VW which is filled in with reflective blue vinyl. White bumper lights (not in the photos). And some silver grilles for the front.

Other modifications are a new gas pedal (to make heel-and-toe shifting easier) and a set of Nokian Hakkapelitta 1 snow tires. A factory CD changer and roof rack have also been added.

Photos!

I went a little overboard on the image sizes, so bear with me.

• The white front bumper lights. Taken on a foggy winter morning in bad light, but these really clean up the looks of the car
• A closeup. There's a yellow bulb in there so they light up properly at night.

• Front quarter. You can see the effects of the suspension, the new wheels, and the front grilles.
• Front quarter, closer. More aggressive! A larger version of the shot at top.
• Front quater with the Miata. Yes, it's a colourful driveway.
• Side view with the Miata.
• Rear. Check out those tails! You can also see the fat rubber and more aggressive stance along with the blue-filled VW. Remember, that filling is reflective :)
• Closeup of the taillights. Made by Hella, they light up exactly the same as stock. No washed out pink.
• Rear view with the Miata
• Rear quarter view with the Miata
• Parking at my house. Awww. Purty. Of course, the Golf lives under a custom-fitted cover.

Older photos....

• Front quarter. Shiny! Dramatic!
• Side. Photos don't do this colour justice.
• Along the side from the rear. This shows off the way the wheels fill out the wheel wells. The car has a great stance.
• Along the side from the front. That's one full wheel well.
• Front quarter. Probably the photo that gives the most realistic view of the car.
• Closeup of a wheel. Golfs have big brakes!
• Rear. Fat! The Golf emblem is now gone, the taillights are blue and silver (see below), and the VW symbol has a reflective blue background.
• Low front shot. The car has silver grilles in the bumper now.
• Rear side. I just like the way this shot shows off the colour.

From the brochure, the 1999.5 colour choices for Canada. And look at this shot - it was tweaked for 2000 when Jazz was no longer offered.

• The old and the new. The Golf, Baby and Jelly. Jelly's the valiant Civic who was replaced by the Golf. Oh yes, that's me in there as well.
• With the 2 Miatas. The Golf poses with Baby and 338. A fun crowd. You'll notice that the Golf wears its roofracks...
• 3 sea kayaks. The longest of these is 18 feet long. We were going into the Canadian back woods for a few days. That's a good rack.
• Sea kayaks again. The Miata got to stay home that weekend for some reason.
• Whitewater boats! As you can see, the backyard gets a little crowded with all these toys sometimes. There's Jelly in the front and Baby hiding under a cover.

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