Hi All
Thought I'd start a thread on my Japanese import 'GTi estate'. I bought it with a baby just arrived, realising the pram takes up all the boot space of my Mk4 GTi that was previously serving as a daily. Looking for a 'fastish' VAG estate in my price range made me realise I really didn't want to drive an A4 Avant (irrational I know) and I saw one of these on Auto Trader, never knowing they existed before. I missed out on that one but from that point I was on the hunt. Many sleepless nights comforting a baby led me to trawling Japanese auction sites and buying a red, low mileage model, through JDM Auction watch. That one was still on a boat when this one, with a better spec, popped up for sale in Somerset. A expensive train ride later and it was mine. So now I have two, although at the time of writing the red one is still on a boat, somewhere around Jeddah last time I checked.
This one is Carmella white, a yellowish white more often seen on New Beetles, not Candy White as the advert said, but I guess I'll grow to love it. It has pretty much all the gadgets including a full length sun roof and heated leather seats, but missing the all important buttons on the steering wheel - something to do with Japanese models never having OEM stereos, but more sophisticated units from the factory. Just over 56k on the clock and incredibly well looked after.
Here it is as I picked it up
And looking dirty in my street after driving it 4 hours home
Protective plastic film still on the gearstick surround (I told you it was well kept)
But missing the bottle opener (maybe beer drinking and driving is frowned on in Japan
)
I had what I though was a super original, never been done before, plan to retrofit it with GTi parts to create a true (fake) GTi estate, but after a bit of a google found this one
https://www.ksgarage.co.uk/used/volkswagen-golf-2.0t-fsi-sportline-dsg-gti-spec-japanese-import-estate-in-banbury/1822 and after coming to this forum found a couple of other chaps doing something similar, undoubtedly with better results than I will achieve. Anyway, I still plan to do it.
So far I've had the fuel tank replaced (was leaky when i bought it) and a 30mm drop on Eibach springs. Just waiting for a set of diamond cut Monzas to come back from the refurbers after they messed them up the first time
After 30mm drop
Gave the headlights a quick squizz with a Meguiars kit that looked good for all of a day, so will give them a proper machine polish at some point
Trial fitted a GTi grille, but I didn't realise the VW badge was a different size so waiting for the new one to turn up before this goes on. Gives me time to rig up a magnetic number plate. I have a GTi bumper to go on too but it needs painting.
Future plans include:Fitting those Monzas
GTi bumper and maybe side skirts
Black out the chrome window trim
Fitting an RCD 330plus stereo
GTi MFSW steering wheel
Maybe a GTi DSG gear stick and/or surround
Stage 1 Remap and Ram Air intake
I have a set of MK6 GTi seats that I was planning to put in, just because the standard seats don't hold you that well. They were the best set I could find and still they're a bit damaged and dirty. Did VW manage to source some special super cheap material for these? So without getting them retrimmed they'll let down the interior. That's probably more money than I want to spend and even then I'll lose the electric drivers seat I currently have. So they might go in the red one, or be up for sale.
I'll keep this thread updated, especially after I get round to washing it.
