Volkswagen Golf 2 is a favorite model of many Russians in every sense. As they say, ride, tune, and have fun. Russian tuningists (as Russian-speaking car tuning enthusiasts are called abroad) treat this car with special respect. With interest and undisguised enjoyment, they create both external and internal tuning.
A correctly implemented upgrade will make it possible to radically modernize not only the external design of the car, but also to seriously change the dynamic capabilities of the car towards improvement. Tuning No. 1 among Russian motorists is the installation of a deflector and spoiler. Please note that not all elements of a modern upgrade can be created independently “on your knees”. And the point here is not that there may be a lack of knowledge, experience, skill and healthy adventurism, but since errors in manufacturing are expensive, it is simply not acceptable to make a mistake even by a micron in the calculations.
So, installing a spoiler makes it possible to transform laminar air flow into turbulent one. There are two main classes of tuning: front and tail. Frontal - “sponges”, tail - “skirt”. But the spoiler is not all, it’s a long way to the finish line, you also need to install a wing. The purpose of such a modern upgrade is to strengthen the grip of the wheels on the road by pressing the tail section.
Tuning golf 2 involves developing professional engineering skills. If you are not an engineer, but would like to become one, then welcome to the process. Good tuning is a good experience. Working on a car means working on yourself. A car is a certain way of transforming consciousness; tuning as a hobby becomes a form of worldview.
Golf 2 Wing
But let's not go into abstractions and return to concrete reality. Let's talk about installing a wing. At certain points, the wing can be implemented in two installations, as a spoiler and as a wing at the same time. It should be noted that installation will radically transform your car’s external design into a racing car and seriously help realize your ambitions of self-expression.
It should be located at an angle of 10-15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine. The part is made from fiberglass, sometimes from aluminum. When installing the wing, you need to know that the further it is installed from the base of the body, the more powerful the mount needs to be made.
The second most popular is the installation of a deflector, which, in addition to the aesthetic component, also has very useful functions, which are expressed in the distribution of air flow in a certain direction.
Having finished with the make-up of the car, we can safely move on to changing its interior. There are a billion options here. Or so. The most attractive option is to cover the entire interior with leather, but this is a very expensive pleasure; it is better to replace the leather with synthetic analogues. Both cheap and cheerful.
Tuning the instrument panel is also a fascinating thing. After installing the white scale, the attractiveness of the entire torpedo increases significantly.
If in severe frosts your hands stick to the steering wheel. And this can happen in this car model, then darken the steering wheel with a material that can be heated.
It's done something like this:
- We create patterns.
- We sew a ring from them.
- We put the ring on the steering wheel
You can use a heating wire from the floor heater as a heater by screwing it onto the steering wheel and wrapping it with insulating tape.
Preliminary steps begin with preparing the pattern. This is a required action. You can't do without it. To implement the process, you need cling film and masking tape. We wrap the cling film around the steering wheel and seal it on top with masking tape. Then use a knife to methodically cut in a circle and pull out the finished pattern. Submit Rating
Tuning "Golf-2" can be done without a trip to a car service center. This will not only be more economical financially, but also much more interesting. A car enthusiast just needs to follow the recommendations of experts. Some tips for changing this Volkswagen model will be offered in this article.
Model description
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Advantages of the car
"Golf-2", the tuning of which is practiced among car enthusiasts, has a diesel engine with three popular letters and a power of 110 hp. With. This power is ideal for busy driving on city roads.
Vehicle type: VW Golf 2 GTI TDI 1990. Tuning the Golf 2 for its engine consists of converting it to a 1.9 TDI 110HP from a Seat Toledo. You can also add air conditioning and power steering.
The car is equipped with:
- original 5-speed gearbox, including drive shafts,
- suspension AP Coilovers,
- original Seat Toledo brakes 280 mm,
- steel wheels from T5, 7x17 ET55,
- bolts 5x120 with adapter plates 20/25 mm,
- Nankang tires 185/35 R17,
- original yellow fog lights and spotlights.
By tuning the Golf 2 with your own hands, you will equip the car with various components and a diesel tachometer.
Why is there a need for tuning?
This car did not always enter Russian territory legally. At the end of the last century, such used cars were transported from European countries and modernized to their taste.
Thus, in the Golf-2 model, the installation of deflectors and spoilers was practiced. Moreover, it was not necessary to purchase the listed parts. They were also made with their own hands, provided that the computational operations were performed correctly.
Spoilers were used to convert laminar air into turbulent air. Such devices are divided into frontal and tail-type models. And upon completion of the work, the appearance of the car will require the finishing touch. And this could be the installation of anti-wings. In addition to giving a spectacular look, such an innovation will help provide improved traction between the wheels and the road surface.
Changing the headlights
Photos of the Volkswagen Golf 2 tuning can be seen below. The headlights on this car can also be replaced. As a rule, people tend to install them themselves. Such changes will provide a more attractive appearance to the vehicle, because the headlights are the “eyes” of the car.
But before the process, you must carefully study the instructions from the manufacturer. The all-round illuminated headlights look very impressive. But it is important that such floodlights have properly designed reflectors to protect against glare from oncoming cars.
Six headlight wires are brought out to illuminate the dimensions. And with the help of a regular plug you can protect the device from dust. To install new lighting fixtures, you simply need to insert the light bulb, snap it into place, and put on the rubber band. Then the connector will fit directly onto the light bulb.
The headlights must be identical. Be sure to pay attention to whether there is a direction indication, as there are sometimes left and right headlight options. For convenience, they usually have arrows or corresponding inscriptions.
Let's sum it up
Vehicle tuning is widely practiced among car enthusiasts, especially in Russia. Working with such a high-quality and powerful car as the Volkswagen Golf 2 is very promising, since the car has high-quality technical characteristics. One German assembly is worth it! If you wish, you can tune such a car yourself, taking into account the recommendations of specialists.
Powerful V-6 under the hood, acceleration to hundreds in 6.5 seconds, perfect condition. It's hard to believe this is all about the Golf II GTi, which just turned 31 years old. “A holiday car,” that’s what owner Evgeniy Minginovich says about it, who over the course of several years brought the car, which is rare today, to perfect condition.
After the “six” I realized: I want a foreign car
The first car of his own in Evgeniy’s life was a Lada of the sixth model, which was given to him by his old grandfather.
- Don't think it was an old car. My grandfather bought it new in 1996 in Togliatti, he drove it a little, so the car was well preserved, and for me, as a student, it was a very generous gift. Of course, like all Soviet cars, it constantly required minor repairs, so after a couple of years I, considered, qualified as a mechanic.
All this time, Evgeniy studied at a mechanical engineering college, then went to work at MTZ.
— It was quite hard work: assembling tractors on a conveyor belt, after the shift I also worked part-time in a taxi company, helping a friend in a painting shop. Later these skills came in handy. It was thanks to a friend that I met Golf II. Compared to the Lada, it’s heaven and earth. Everything about it seemed perfect to me: both appearance and control. I wanted the same thing, only special - a GTi, and even then I was sure that there would be enough knowledge and experience to restore it.
Grandfather's GTi
Before going to choose his new car, Evgeniy managed to read a lot about the desired model and decided for himself that he would check everything carefully. But as soon as I got behind the wheel of the first car I inspected, I lost all skepticism.
— This Golf was sold by a young man; the car had a lot of “collective farm” tuning. At the back there was a huge spoiler of unknown origin, the steering wheel was the cheapest China. But I got excited and thought: “Here it is, my car, I’ll throw away everything unoriginal.” The seller, seeing my eyes, even reduced the price a little. But then a friend came to the rescue, who, unlike me, meticulously inspected the car. He literally took me by the hand and pointed to the bottom... And it was rotten, smeared with some kind of black paste and covered almost with newspapers.
Evgeny had better luck with the second car - it was an original GTi, which was being sold by an elderly couple.
“I knew there could be a big difference between what’s in photos and what’s in real life, so imagine my surprise when a well-kept Golf GTi stood in front of me. The condition was as close as possible to the original, and the spouses sold it. The owner was well over 60 years old. His wife, an English teacher, said that the car began to break down more often, and it was difficult for them, old people, to go to the service station. According to the documents, they had the car in their hands since 1996.
During the inspection, it turned out that the bottom was in perfect condition, we noticed a slight blow to the front, and rust had accumulated near the tow bar. The fender trim was welded in and the front passenger door was replaced. But, surprisingly, when I was already removing the trim in the garage, I saw that the rear fender was covered in black soil. This indicates that the car was made a very long time ago, and the body parts were installed new. They also put the original sticker on the side, just like from the factory.
Been preparing for painting for a month
A 1985 Golf GTi cost Eugene $2,500, which in 2009 was a lot of money for such a car. He didn’t have the entire amount, so he had to borrow the missing part from friends. As a small compensation, Lithuanian coins were found under the rug.
— When I started painting the car, my skills as a painter left much to be desired. The first time I decided to reproduce the original color - burgundy, but it turned out so-so. The door stood out from the general scheme; it was a little darker. Therefore, it was decided to change both the color and the approach to the process. I spent a whole month preparing the car for painting: I cleaned it with an eccentric sander, smoothed out all the dents, and smoothed out the surfaces with a meter block.
Initially, Evgeniy wanted to repaint the car in a “chameleon” color from black to red, but the idea turned out to be too expensive. A can of paint cost $150, and you needed 2-3 for a car. Considering the upcoming costs, this was a serious budget overrun.
— When I realized that I couldn’t pull off the “chameleon” and my soul wanted something unusual, I bought a special Candy powder “red apple.” First, I painted the body in a black base, then mixed the purchased powder with a binder, after which I applied four layers of Sikkens varnish to be sure. In the end, I think it turned out a little provocative, but my friends liked it.
In dim light in the morning it looks like a normal black color. But as soon as the sun rises, the Golf turns black and burgundy, and not just black and burgundy. It is difficult to describe this color in words, it is better to see it in the photo.
V-six for GTi
Initially, under the hood there was a stock 1.8-liter eight-valve EV engine producing 112 hp. s., which Evgeniy did not like with its dynamics.
— Initially I wanted to install a 16-valve KR engine with a capacity of 139 hp. With. We managed to find two motors in acceptable condition, but after measuring compression they had to be abandoned. I was upset, of course, but what could I do, I went back to digging the Internet.
On the Internet, Evgeniy found the necessary information, from which he learned that it is possible to install a 2.8-liter V-shaped six on the second Golf.
— We managed to find a suitable engine in Brest; it was installed on the Passat B3. Together with the body kit, the engine cost $1,100 at that time. It fit into the engine compartment without any problems, I installed it myself. But I’m not good with electricians, so I had to take it to a specialist.
Along with the engine, Evgeniy installed a K&N filter, a five-speed Passat gearbox, an equal-length exhaust manifold, and the car drove off.
— When 174 horses settled under the hood, the Golf became much more fun to drive. It reaches the first hundred in 6.5 seconds. There is plenty of power on the highway when overtaking. The plans are to install a new V6, 280-horsepower engine from the Passat B6.
Almost a lowrider
Evgeniy came up with the idea of lowering the Golf by accident and, according to him, this is a temporary condition of the car.
— While browsing American forums dedicated to VW, I came across projects of lowered Golfs more than once. Well, the effect of the 25th frame probably worked. Therefore, I decided to install a Tatehnix-20−80 screw suspension. With the car lowered to maximum, it looks very sporty. The front lip, which is very short-lived, by the way, also adds to this feeling. It is soft and quickly becomes covered with scratches, after which it only needs to be replaced. That's why I bought several of these in reserve.
In this form, the Golf GTi managed to take part in several car festivals, where it aroused constant public interest.
— Of course, a small ground clearance causes a lot of inconvenience, this was especially true when traveling to Odessa, then we even had to raise the car several turns. In Minsk, minor difficulties with speed bumps also occur. But this is not what influenced my decision to return the car to its original appearance. Over time, the low suspension began to seem like a foreign element on the Golf. Therefore, there are plans to abandon it.
Lucky chance and rare discs
Eugene's Golf II GTi is distinguished by the presence of rare elements that can rightfully be the envy of many avid golfers.
Moreover, our hero got them all completely by accident.
— I remember, looking through the advertisements, out of the corner of my eye I caught a beat-up second Golf that was being sold by a resident of Chashnikov. This car had rare folding windows. These were not installed as standard on this car, but were made by the Happych studio. Today this is very rare. I honestly couldn’t even believe my eyes; I looked through the pictures several times.
The seller agreed to Evgeniy's offer to exchange ordinary glass for glass with windows, but with an additional payment.
— Even heavily used windows like these cost from $350. Everything cost me much less. It was a real lucky break.
However, this was not the only happy accident in the history of the Golf II reconstruction.
— For a long time I wanted to find original BBS RS wheels. These are three-piece racing wheels. In good condition they are worth a lot of money. And imagine my surprise when, returning home from work one day, I saw them on the neighbor’s Passat B3. Without hesitating for a second, he wrote a note and put it under the car wiper.
The neighbor called back the next day. We agreed that Evgeniy would buy a new casting kit for the wheels for $150 and pay an additional $20.
— The purchased discs were in terrible condition. The fact is that forged wheels themselves are light and strong, and upon impact they begin to crack, and even welding will only help temporarily. But it was very important to me that they were on my Golf II. Now I am in the process of restoring them. It’s like for an archaeologist to find a rare vase from the Chinese dynasty: yes, there will be cracks on it, but this will not reduce its value.
Evgeniy wants to replace the existing interior with a sports one from Recaro, which was installed on the GTi.
— There are big plans for customization. This includes upgrading the old Recaro seats that were installed on this second Golf into leather. They have the strongest lateral support, by the way. Installing an original air conditioner is a very rare thing. I happened to see one of these during disassembly, but the set was incomplete, so I had to abandon the purchase. In addition, these air conditioners were filled with R12 reagent, which is now prohibited. And to switch to the permitted R134, you need special equipment. Well, I want to find my own radio radio.
Holiday car
Throughout the winter and part of the spring, Evgeniya’s Golf sits in the garage; its time comes in the summer, when rare trips behind the wheel turn into a real holiday for the owner.
— If you drive often, you lose the sense of the importance of the moment: you just get behind the wheel and go about your business. This Golf was built for something else. Every trip is a real ceremony. Everything from preparing the car to filling gas and turning the key in the lock keeps the atmosphere of the holiday. It's hard to put it into words. These are the most positive emotions that a car can bring.
Golf II experienced many happy moments with Evgeniy, the most important of which was the wedding.
“I entrusted this car to take the most important person in my life – my wife – to the altar. We had a very unusual and memorable wedding. I gathered my friends, Golf owners, especially for the ceremony, and together we created a colorful procession. My wife, by the way, although she has a license, is not a car enthusiast like I am, she doesn’t tinker with me, but she cooks wonderfully and supports me in everything, and that’s worth a lot. And Golf II itself eventually became a full member of the family.
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Golf is a line of models from the German automobile concern Volkswagen, produced since the 80s of the last century. Over the 35 years of the 4th generation of Golfs, the first series is now rare due to obsolescence, but the 2nd Golf, due to the optimal ratio of price and performance characteristics, is in demand to this day.
Popular and in demand car
This article discusses the tuning of Volkswagen 2,3 and 4th generations. You will learn how to modernize the interior and optics, which will make your car stand out among similar vehicles.
Tuning Volkswagen Golf 2
Tuning a VW Golf 2 is an activity that requires knowledge of the design features of the car, patience and financial costs, but the result obtained fully justifies the difficulties.
It is rational to start the external transformation of the car with installation. Compared to factory stamped wheels, due to their lower mass and inertia, they provide improved vehicle controllability at speed and increased acceleration dynamics. This tuning for the Volkswagen Golf 2 visually changes the car, giving it a catchy, aggressive appearance.
Optics for Golf 2 are the second basic component of the car’s exterior. By replacing old headlights with xenon lights, you will receive increased luminous flux power and, as a result, greater safety when driving at night. Xenon headlights on the Golf 2 have low energy consumption, which reduces the load on the vehicle's on-board electrical system.
Tuning the headlights on the Golf 2 is carried out by installing “eyelashes” on the optics or installing LED “angel eyes”, characteristic of BMW cars. Dimming the headlights with tint film also looks advantageous. Unlike varnish tinting, you can dismantle such a film, which is useful if there are complaints from traffic police officers.
Reliability, quality, safety Tuning Golf 2 is accompanied by the installation of aerodynamic body kits on the car:
- Anti-wing (spoiler);
- Rear and
- Side sills.
Aerodynamic tuning for the Volkswagen Golf 2 turns the compact hatchback into a memorable sports car. Due to the improvement, it picks up speed, and the spoiler redistributes wind flows, pressing the car to the road surface, which gives confident handling at high speeds.
Tuning for Golf 2 involves improving the interior, which in a 30-year-old car has an unpresentable appearance. We recommend leather or Alcantara for the ceiling and door panels. Cover Golf 2 with carbon fiber vinyl film, thereby saving on replacing the torpedo.
You can change the exterior by tuning spare parts for Golf 2. Replace small components - moldings, door handles and mirrors with chrome parts. The front of the car is transformed when a matte radiator grille is installed.
Do-it-yourself tuning for a Golf 2 is variable; follow examples of already implemented projects or your own ideas and you will get an exclusive car.
Tuning Golf 3
The third Golf was produced by the concern in the period 91-97. By operational standards, this is a modern car and does not require fundamental changes to the interior aimed at increasing comfort. Tuning the Golf 3 can be rationally aimed at modernizing the car’s exterior and eliminating problems in its weak point - the transmission.
Problems with the transmission in the third generation begin after 200 thousand kilometers - the clutch begins to act up, which manifests itself in difficulties when shifting gears at high speeds, and a characteristic hum occurs in the gearbox.
Problems can be resolved through a comprehensive repair at a service station, during which the transmission bearings are replaced and a new clutch cable is installed (in rare cases, the entire driveshaft). For replacement, we recommend using stock spare parts from the fourth generation Golf or components manufactured by Sachs, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen concern.
In the factory configuration, the third Golf has stamped wheels, replace them with cast ones and your car will be visually transformed. Tuning a Volkswagen Golf 3 often involves airbrushing the car, through which 3D drawings or patterns are applied to the body.
Unique, personalized and generous design Airbrushing makes a car unique and has a positive effect on its safety - car thieves rarely mess with cars that stand out from the crowd. If excessive pretentiousness is not for you, paint the car metallic; the third Golf also looks advantageous in a dark matte body.
If tuning the Golf 3 yourself is carried out by replacing the optics, we recommend using the following headlight kits:
- Hella Black;
- Bi-xenon "Toureg".
They are not cheap (400-500 dollars per set), but they fully justify their price. When making Golf 3 with your own hands, replace the factory seats and steering wheel with sports ones, which will give you new sensations when driving at high speed.
Let's look separately at tuning for the Volkswagen Passat B3. The third series of Passats gained popularity due to their comfortable, spacious interior and durable suspension. In terms of performance, the B3 is comparable to business class cars of that time, which makes sense to emphasize when tuning a Volkswagen B3.
We recommend upholstering the interior with genuine leather. The initial costs will be higher than when using leatherette, however, due to the wear resistance of the material, you will no longer need to spend money in the future - such upholstery lasts a long time, and the interior itself looks presentable.
Tuning a Volkswagen Passat B3 involves decorating the interior with overhead wood panels installed on the dashboard, door panels, and armrests. A torpedo covered with wood-like vinyl film looks advantageous.
External tuning of the Volkswagen Passat B3 does not accept the use of flashy sports accessories and body kits. Repaint the car in a solid dark color and equip it with chrome parts - handles, mirrors. Alloy wheels are an additional plus to the visual appeal of your car.
Do-it-yourself tuning for a Volkswagen Passat B3, in order to improve the performance of the car, provides for sound insulation of the interior. We recommend that you carry it out comprehensively - cover the bottom, engine compartment, hood, ceiling and doors with insulating material; you will also need to replace the silent blocks of the Volkswagen Passat B3.
The problem area of the third Passat is the thermostat. You can understand that you need to replace the thermostat on a Volkswagen Passat B3 by the following signs:
- The fan works, but the bottom pipe is cold;
- The upper and lower pipes have the same temperature;
- The car cools down at idle speed;
- The engine warm-up time has increased.
When replacing a thermostat, it is rational to contact a service center. The cost of the service is 1-1.5 thousand rubles.
Tuning Golf 4
The fourth Golf was produced by the Volkswagen concern in the period 97-04 in hatchback, convertible and station wagon bodies. The advantages of these cars are a spacious interior for such a compact body, a high-spirited engine and a silent chassis.
When upgrading the Golf 4, it is rational to perform chip tuning of the engine, during which the factory firmware of the electronic engine control unit is changed. Chipovka ensures an increase in engine power - 1.6. liter engines, horsepower increases from 75 to 83, and torque increases from 127 to 141 Nm.
Chip tuning is accompanied by fine tuning of the power unit, including:
- Removing the factory software speed limit;
- Changing the ignition timing;
- Reduced fuel consumption (within 3-5%).
A car that exceeded my expectations The cost of chipping the fourth Golf is $250-300. However, keep in mind that an increase in power entails accelerated wear of the power unit; the engine life will decrease by 4%.
When performing tuning on Golf 4 with your own hands, it makes sense to tint the windows. If you have a limited budget, we recommend using tinting film; if finances allow, install double glazing (the first glass is transparent, the second is darkened), or cover the stock windows with electrochromic film. This coating costs $400 per m2, but as a result you get the opportunity to automatically adjust the level of shading of the glass.
Complete the car body with chrome elements - moldings, door handles, mirror covers. If possible, install an aerodynamic body kit and alloy wheels with low-profile tires. This is how you turn a compact, unremarkable hatchback into a flashy sports car.
DIY steering wheel tuning for VW Golf 2
We bring to your attention instructions, following which you can independently install heated steering wheel on your second Golf and cover it with leather.
To complete the work you will need:
- Carbon tapes 110 cm long, 4 pcs.;
- Stationery knife;
- Cling film;
- Leather, nylon thread, needles;
- Super glue;
- Cotton tape;
- Terminals for connecting wires;
- Soldering iron.
Refinement is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- The steering wheel is dismantled, and the old trim is removed from the steering wheel using a utility knife;
- Do not throw away the removed upholstery; it will later be needed for marking the pattern;
- We cover the perimeter of the steering wheel with carbon tape using super glue (Moment will do). Individual segments are placed parallel to each other with an indentation of 1 cm.
- In the steering wheel, using a stationery knife, recesses are made for laying the cable. The grooves contain wires that are connected to the contact pads of the tape by soldering. The wires in one section are routed inside the steering wheel and secured with insulating tape.
- To prevent possible damage to the tape when covering it, cover the wheel with 3-4 layers of cling film.
- We rip apart the trim previously removed from the steering wheel and cut out a blank from the purchased leather along its contours.
- We cover the steering wheel by stitching the leather using a zig-zag stitch. The elasticity of the material allows you to tighten it, even if you made an error in the size of the pattern.
WATCH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
The heating is connected to the vehicle's on-board electrical system through the steering shaft using a 5 Amp fuse. If there are heated seats, the steering wheel wiring is connected to their switches.
