Euromedian | European Automotive Event Coverage – Volkswagen Audi BMW – Pictures, Videos and – Volkswagen Audi BMW

Bonjour, I’m Tom Bell, 31 years wise, living in Cardiff with my lovely missus Yvonne. I’m a self employed cabinet maker, and owner of my business www.tom-bell.org

Apart from the cars, i did 5 snowboard seasons back to back but what with the business and all that, getting away is pretty tough these days. Nowadays i have a weird enjoyment of DIY, and my never ending quest to find the perfect local pub. Teaching the NewportEdition hardcore how to drink, and slowly but surely, what to drink.(driving home Trev?) I’ve Been messing about with cars, not always dubs, but always having fun for years and years. The full astro turf interior of my sierra estate was a particular highlight.

Before i forget, i’ve got to give a big thanks to Ewan for taking the pictures, an awesome job as always, and George for sorting a top location. And Gaz for the one luke warm cup of tea.

How long have you owned this car?
I’ve owned this mk2 for coming up to five years. No matter what we do to each other, we have an inseperable bond. Sometimes literally thanks to the wonderous substance that is no more nails which features a few times around the car!

Is there anything unique about the history of this car?
I came about buying this car by pure chance. I was driving my last mk2, a 16v 5 door home from the MOT station with a depressing list of massive failures. I was sat at traffic lights pondering my next move and this car pulled up next to me with for sale signs in the windows. I followed it home (further than i expected) and bought it there and then, covered in dirt and in the dark. Thankfully it turned out to be almost mint….

What other cars did you consider?
Before the chance encounter with this car at the lights, i was thinking about an E30 325. Apart from that, it would have been another mk2, possibly a mk2 rocco. Definitely 80’s / 90’s German though.

What was your objective with this car?
The only objective was to build exactly what i wanted, not knowingly taking any direct influences from anyone else’s car, and do it all on a tighter than tight budget. To prove that you don’t have to follow the herd, chuck money at a project and ask people’s opinions every step of the way to put together a car that fulfils all your criteria and grabs attention wherever it goes. Above all though, all i have ever wanted to do with my cars is have fun and sod what anyone else thinks of them.

What tuning style would you describe this car as?
Er… Newport look? I honestly can’t say it follows any other style!

Who helped you build this car?
One of the lads in the club (NewportEdition) Clarkee is a VAG master tech so was the obvious choice to help out with the engine swap saving me literally decades in time and my body weight in plasters. Apart from that, i’ve done absolutely every last thing myself, taking it from from totally bone stock to the monster you see today. A big shout has to go to the lads and lasses of Newport Edition though, for good times, memories and never ending show season hilarity year after year.

What makes this car special?
Special to me? Well all of it, and the fact that it all works and doesn’t kill me. Special to everyone else? Not a lot probably!

What is your favourite part / feature / function?
The Porsche seats are one of my favourite bits, not least as i bought the complete interior for £120, took what i wanted from it and sold the rest for £135. That’s a cheap set of seats right there! I also love the way i get so many positive comments at shows and meets for something that is essentially a series of experiments on an old car.

Who or what inspired the direction of modifications of this car?
My own twisted mind.

What don’t you like about this car?
I don’t like the way i have to use 2 massive ramps to get it in and out of my workshop, then go the long way round absolutely everywhere. (anyone who knows Cardiff and Splott in particular will know exactly what i’m on about!) Maybe it’s because i’m getting older, but the rock hard coilovers are starting to grate a bit too… although they’re staying.

What was the biggest obstacle in building this car?
Doing a full windows out colour change on my own in an old cow shed full of sawdust in the middle of winter having never done anything like it before was pretty testing, all the time trying to run my business from the same place. Saying that, doing a full colour change with a crap spray gun that came free with a very cheap compressor wasn’t the best idea to begin with.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project?
So far about a 7 i suppose. There’s a lot of imperfections in the paint and things like that, but as far how everything looks and works together, and the general theme of the car i’m pretty happy with it. The car never gets finished though, it’s in a permanent state of transformation so i don’t think a 10 will ever be attainable!

What would you do to the car if money were no object?
Draw a massive cock and balls on the roof in diamonds.

Who has been the biggest critic of this project?
People on the forums that just don’t get it i suppose, although that doesn’t really bother me that much as the old adage that the only opinion that counts is the owner’s, is certainly true. Apart from that, my girlfriend is a pretty vocal critic every time we go over a bump in the road.

Who gets to drive this car?
Nobody apart from me, and usually not even me. Saying that, you have to be well over 6’ to see out anyway.

If this car had a motto what would it be?
“Why not?” In reference to the bewildering amount of times i’ve been asked “why did you paint it brown?”

If you had to name your car, what would it be?
Trev. At NewportEdition, we don’t discriminate. Black, white, male female, young or old, everyone’s called the same. Trev. Which can get confusing on nights out in all fairness, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

What one word best describes your car?
Brown.

Vehicle information:
1991 mk2 Golf GTI (originally Schwartz metallic)

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN:
8 valve GTI engine (2nd one) with piper cam and pulley, pipercross induction. Plans in the pipeline for something a lot better though!
Polybushed throughout
Rebuilt gearbox
Braided brake lines throughout, 16v brake set up. Full stainless exhaust built by Gareth @ WelshCoastCustoms in Newport with twin 3.5” tailpipes.

WHEELS AND SUSPENSION:
Various sets of rims, now on Porsche 928’s, 7’s and 8’s,first in factory silver, then fully were polished, then black with red lip, then all brown, now black with brown lip. 25mm rear, 30mm front H+R steel p.c.d. adaptors. 195/40/16 falkens on front, 195/45/16 on rear for a bit of nose down “big’n’little” stance.
Jamex coilovers, modified front top mounts.

INTERIOR:
Brown Porsche tombstone front seats on custom subfames. Colour coded steering wheel, black and brown dice gear knob, Focal / JBL 2 stereo system, almost totally hidden. 13” focal sub built into spare wheel well. Rear strut brace trimmed in brown suede to match full false floor. Door cards dyed brown with wood stain (seriously) Newton Commercial carpet set in a biscuit colour. Mats in the post (hopefully)

PAINT AND BODY:
Full color change to a custom mix brown based on what they used to use to paint railway carriages, 25% matting agent added, satin black roof (was matt black checks on gloss black roof, then brown leather, then cream leather)
Smoothed boot plinth with solenoid release, roof ariel smoothed, rear badges smoothed apart from roundel, which is a mk3 item adapted to fit.

Extensively modified arches to accommodate bigger and wider wheels at big drops with no rubbing.
Various light set ups, currently all black hella’s out back, with crystals all over the front.