writer: Scott G.
photographer: Javier Oyarzabal
Exterior
With just a glance at the outside of the car you'll notice that the VW has a relatively stock appearance or shape. However when looked at a little closer, you'll realize that there are some very clean and tidy modifications. Alex started with the body, adding only a front bumper spoiler kit from Oettinger which Mix-Up painted in-house. The stance of the VW was next on the to-do list. A set of 1.5" lowering springs from Eibach were coiled around Bilstein performance struts and installed for desired ride quality and ride height. Next the team opted for a set of 19X7" 1000 Milla rims wrapped in 225/35/19 Toyo rubber to keep the VW firmly planted to the earth. With the exterior handled it was now time to step up the power.
Under The Hood
The factory 2.0 liter engine puts out a respectable amount of power to begin with. The added weight of any audio system makes it practically an absolute necessity to have performance upgrades to keep the vehicle up to par. The Golf's motor saw a 20-30 horsepower increase achieved through a power chip and exhaust system from Nuespeed. The powerplant saw a few finishing touches with an ABD carbon fiber look-a-like engine cover, and a custom motor compartment cover made of fiberglass. The compartment cover has two flush-mounted Plexiglas covers, one for the Stinger SP1000 battery, and the other for the circuit breakers. Both Plexi covers are on actuators and can be opened from inside the vehicle with switches.
Interior
All of the interior was removed for wiring and sound dampening. The chassis was covered from head to toe with Stinger Roadkill sound dampening materials. While the interior was out, it was sent to be re-stitched with fresh material. The front and rear seats were both re-covered with black and gray leather for that luxurious feel. The front seats had the Focal logo embroidered into the upper seat backs for a nice finishing touch. The carpet was re-installed and both front floor boards were covered with custom 5-bar diamond plate floor mats. Alex wanted to control all of the audio functions from either side of the vehicle with the head unit in stealth mode. This meant a custom set of door panels would need to be constructed to carry the controls for driver or passenger. The new fiberglass door panels still employ the stock door lock and window switching locations, but they were extended to accommodate all of the audio switching options. Both panels were smoothed out and painted gloss black with exterior paint-matched centers. The factory front speaker locations now house a VW logo which is brilliantly back-lit with red neon. Every stitch of interior behind the rear seats was removed for the artwork. Finally, a complete trunk area was constructed and paint-matched to the vehicle's exterior as well.
Entertainment
Simplicity was the key to this install; that is, Alex decided to use a limited number of components with maximum adjustability. The thought put into controlling this system is astounding, and way beyond the average install. A little background will serve here: Alex was a rather forward-thinking teen-ager, and was designing and building his own alarm systems at age 15. His wealth of electronics knowledge gives him and his team at Mix-Up a leg up on the competition. He is one of very few people in the world that can integrate today's high-end electronics in a fashion that offers endless possibilities. Basically if you can dream it up, Alex can figure out a way to do it. With that said, lets take a closer look at what's inside.