With none other than the Driver's Edition of the VW GTI, Chad Radue has much to be happy about. Not only does he have what many VW enthusiasts consider to be the holy grail, he's also taken the extra steps to ensure it performs like a champ.
Keeping the modifications light, but effective, Radue has added an Autotech exhaust system and a Neuspeed cam and chip. Furthermore, he's upgraded the cooling capacity of his Vee Dub with a better thermostat and 180-degree fan switch. Improving the intake flow is a K&N filter.
In terms of appearance, rollers consist of Enkei 16-inch wheels wrapped with Kuhmo rubber. Other exterior goodies include painted brake calipers, Votex grille with built-in dual round foglights and plasma blue headlights.
With a car this great, there's nothing much you need to do. Radue makes a point of this by leaving his Driver's Edition GTI as clean as possible. Why mess with such a gem?
Chad Radue; Chandler, Ariz.
1998 VW GTI Driver's Edition
Karl Kuhn's vision for his Accord is to have it look good and run like a champ. It's easy to see how he accomplishes this. A Weapon R intake aids breathing performance and a DC Sports header and GReddy exhaust ushers spent fumes out the back. An STR cam gear helps tune valvetrain events, while Accel spark plug wires and an Optima battery provide additional energy to the spark plugs. Aiding the ECU in its engine management tasks is a Venom 400 control module.
Keeping this Honda poised are a set of Weapon R coil-overs and a Neuspeed front strut tower bar. Rollers consist of Team Loco 17x7-inch rims wrapped with Pirelli rubber.
Outside, a Ground Designs 2000 front bumper and side skirts make the Accord more appealing to the eye, while clear headlights and taillights brighten up the road.
No car is complete without a proper entertainment system and Kuhn's Honda isn't about to disappoint. With an Alpine CD player and monitor connected to Blaupunkt and Rockford Fosgate amps, which power Polk Audio components and a Kicker 12-inch subwoofer, playing games on the in-car PlayStation system is always a good experience.
Kuhn plans to add a Jackson Racing supercharger and Zex nitrous system in the future, along with an Alpine DVD player and GPS unit. Sounds like he's either on the road to success-or bankruptcy.
Karl KuhnGeorgetown, Ky.
1998 Honda Accord LX
Many readers will be quick to point out we're really quite fond of Toyotas around here. In fact, Toyota has quite the reputation for building tough engines that can withstand a lifetime of abuse like a champ. It's not hard to make them look good either.
Brian Rabes has gone through a great deal of effort to make his Celica stand out from the crowd of secretary cars and grocery-getters. The focus of the exterior modification is his Erebuni Shogun body kit. A GT-R wing on the trunk lid is also good for catching looks as well.
Rolling stock consists of 17-inch Focal F-5s wrapped with Toyo Proxes sized 205/40R-17. Giving the Celica a more hunkered down, bulldog-like stance is a set of Intrax lowering springs.
Under the hood, Rabes gets the air into the engine all the more quickly with an Iceman intake. A Pacesetter full exhaust takes care of the spent gases.
As always, no project is ever complete without future plans. Rabes is no different. His plan is to grab a 3S-GTE engine and drop it in along with an intercooler, Fireball ignition and an HKS exhaust. A full coil-over suspension is expected to be just around the corner as well.
Brian RabesNew Philadelphia, Ohio
1990 Toyota Celica
Now here's a woman on a mission. Kathryn Gallagher is dedicated to winning as many car shows as possible and we can see why. With a platform like the Civic Si, how can you go wrong?
Currently, Gallagher's Civic sports a Wings West full body kit and Tunnel spoiler. Altezza-style taillights put the finishing touches on the body. Under the hood, the engine has been spruced up with a variety of goodies like STR Osaka covers, including: brake fluid reservoir, clutch, fuse box, battery hold down, radiator cap, dip stick and valve cover insert. Cool silver hosing also ties it all together.
In the realm of performance, Gallagher has added an AEM cold air intake and DC Sports ceramic coated header. Rolling stock is comprised of Knig Rated R 17-inch wheels wrapped with Toyo T1-S rubber. Stopping power is provided by an AEM big brake 12-inch rotor upgrade. Suspending the four corners are a set of Skunk2 coil-overs.
Inside, Gallagher has personalized her Civic with V-Racing Rush seats and a brushed aluminum dash kit. Also accenting the cockpit are a DC Sports shift knob and Momo shoulder pads and door seal.
Future plans call for forced induction, a better ignition system, nitrous, a roll cage and countless other bits to make the car look even better.
Kathryn GallagherMarietta, Ga.
2000 Honda Civic Si
Going back to old school Honda performance is always fun to do. Chi-yu Wong is particularly fond of his '89 Civic hatch, which plays host to a variety of mods ranging from exterior appearance goodies to good, old-fashioned go-fast hardware.
In terms of trick appearance bits, Wong has added a Wings West body kit, Weather Tech vent visors and painted rearview mirrors. Lighting is enhanced with clear corners, clear taillights, '91 clear bumpers, side markers and 3A Racing fog lights. Inside, seatbelt pads make keeping buckled up a little more comfy, while a 3A Racing shift knob and pedals customize driver inputs.
Performance goodies include a custom intake tipped with a Tenzo air filter. NGK spark plug wires and Bosch +4 spark plugs ensure sufficient spark to ignite the air/fuel mixture. A custom exhaust takes care of the byproducts of combusion events.
Of course, with the added looks and performance, there must be a sound to accompany it. And this time, it's not from the stereo. A set of Hella three-tone air horns alert other drivers to move over and get out of Wong's way.
Chi-yu Wong Philadelphia
1989 Honda Civic