I`ll

"I'll
Take
Oneln
White"
n the October '86 issue of VW &
PORSCHE, we ran an article profiling the Volkswagen GTI project
car of Automotive Performance Systems. It was a sharp-looking vehicle
that featured plenty of suspension and
aerodynamic modification work, and it
turned heads wherever it went.
One reader who was really impressed
was Massimo Della Santa. In fact, he
was so taken by the racy countenance
of the red GTI that he called APS and
ordered one for himself. But this wasn't
going to be merely a situation of their
fitting the various components to his
I
The Callaway Stage II
lntercooled turbo system Is
very neatly Installed.
Intercooler is solidly
mounted and its rubber seal
matches hood scoop
opening. Horsepower is up a
whopping 75 percent at the
wheels!
With only 25 miles on its
odometer, the GTI was
stripped of non-essential
parts and its undercarriage
cleaned of cosmolene prior
to installation
62/VW & PORSCHE
one
Reader's
Response
To our
Article
About A
Special OTI
HORSfPOWER
STOCK
RPM
CAU.AWAY
TURBO
27
2000
39
2500
36
3000
80
3500
63
4000
120
4500
75
5000
132
5500
Interior features Flofit seats custom
covered In factory VW material to
perfectly match rear seats and door
panels. VDO gauge panel, Momo wheels
and matching leather shift knob add
finishing touches.
69
6000
6500
7000
128
car. Massimo wanted APS to first locate
for him an '87 GTI at a local dealer, purchase the car, then drive it to their shop
and perform the modification work.
Massimo, a residen't of Nashua, N.H.,
wanted his-' GTI outfitted similarly to
the project car, but requested white
paint instead of red. From that conversation, APS' president, Bill Neumann,
contacted a local SoCal VW dealer and
got a price on a fully loaded GTI, replete with air conditioning, power windows and locks. With the financial particulars figured out to Massimo's agreement, the car was purchased and the
work begun.
It is interesting to see an off-theshowroom-floor cat...be driven a mere
25 miles and then be stripped of interior, suspension, bumpers, grille, mirrors, door handles, rear spoiler and
engine paraphernalia right down to a
headless block, but this was the fate of
Massimo's GTI.
The first order of business was to fit
and test-mount the Hella aerodynamic
kit. .Once this pre-installation trial was
complete, all applicable body parts
were delivered to Anaheim Hills Auto
Body for painting, along with all the
parts Massimo wanted finished in
body-color white; these included the
grille, mirrors, door handles, wheels,
deck latch trim, and both the stock and
Zender rear spoilers.· (Be advised,
Continued on page 104
After all modifications were complete, APS checked out
car on their chassis dyno. This gives real-world
horsepower readings, not just someone's best guess.
All finished and loaded
on the carrier, GTJ Is on
Its way to New Hampshire
and Its new owner.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1987/63
I'LL TAKE ONE IN WHITE
however, that the stock VW plastic
parts require a lot of sanding and priming to come out smooth.)
While the body components were
being painted, APS started work on the
car 's suspension . Manager Aaron
Neumann installed a Koni Sport Kit,
which includes externally adjustable
low-pressure gas front strut inserts, adjustable gas rear shocks and chrome
silicone triple progressive-rate springs
to lower the car about 1 1/z inches.
Following that were Neuspeed adjustable anti-roll bars (22-mm front/25 -mm
rear) and Repco Metalmaster brake
pads, while Momo Aries 15x6-inch
alloys and 195/50VR15 Pirelli P7
radials were chosen to connect it all to
the pavement.
With the grille removed, this was the
perfect time to add Neuspeed 's oil
cooler in front of the air conditioning
condenser and position it in front of
the fan for proper air flow. This was
hooked up using Earl's braided stainless steel hose, fittings and 180-degree
thermostat adapter. When there is a
tight fit , APS protects the radiator and
other parts with heat-shrink tubing to
prevent chafing, and uses adel clamps
where necessary.
Next on the docket was the Callaway
Turbosystem installation. This item was
not on APS' project car, but was something Massimo definitely wanted for his
own GTI. Installation of the Turbosystem is fairly straightforward, but
time-consuming, so it is wise to have
a knowledgeable shop perform the
work. APS used its new chassis dyno
to verify the system's horsepower
levels, which, as you can see in the spec
box, are significant.
By this time the painted components
had been allowed sufficient time to
cure, so Aaron went to work mounting
them on the GTI. By working for a
perfect fit prior to painting, the body
panels now slide into place and look
" right," not merely bolted-on .
Interior work followed the comple tion of the car 's body mods and included the installation of a VDO gauge
panel in the center console to accom modate turbo boost, oil pressure and
voltage gauges. Flofit seats were
ordered by APS and were finished with
stock GTI upholstery to match the factory look, while a Momo Cobra wheel
and matching leather shift knob where
added for improved aesthetics. A nice
additional touch is the control for the
Hella fog lights, which is operated by
a YW factory dash switch.
Once everything was complete, APS
performed the final dyno and road
tests, then loaded the sparkling GTI
onto the transporter and sent it on its
way to its excited owner in New Hampshire. Not a bad way to buy a car.~
IVI...-Z
~~
»I .,
...._,
AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS, INC.
3300 Corte Malpaso • Camarillo, CA 93012
805.388.7171 tel • 805.388.0030 fax • [email protected]
WWW.NEUSPEED.COM