Euro Custom is in vogue
The Volkswagen Golf series is one of the most popular European cars in Japan, and since the first generation was introduced in 1974, its history has not been interrupted and the 8th generation is currently in service. This time, we would like to introduce Mr. Yuki Okuhara, who enjoys working on and dressing up a battered “Golf Cabriolet” that he met through his work.
He has enjoyed kei-cars, and acquired an old car for the first time
Mr. Yuki Okuhara, now 26 years old, who participated in the “8th Street International in Kyushu” held in Fukuoka Prefecture on December 3, 2023, owns a 1992 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet. It has a cute straight-edge body design, and is the last model of this generation.
“I work at a car shop, and we had a customer ask us about an abandoned vehicle whose inspection had expired. It was a waste to leave it as it was, so we decided to salvage it, but I liked it so much that I decided to buy it.”
After getting his driver’s license, Mr. Okuhara dressed up his Suzuki Wagon R, Suzuki Carry, and Suzuki Every, and enjoyed a wide range of activities including circuit driving and motorcycling in his two Suzuki Alts. His first old car was a Golf Cabriolet, which he met by chance.
“I wanted to get an old car someday, and I fell in love with the design of this Golf. But it was an abandoned car, so it needed a lot of repairs. Up until then, I had only driven kei-cars, so I expected it to be reasonably fast since it had a displacement of 1800 cc, but I was completely disappointed.”
He replaced as many consumable parts as possible, such as belts, plugs, and engine mounts, and reconditioned the engine. Because of his occupation in car-related work, he did everything himself to complete the current specifications.
Inspired by RSL Motorsports demo vehicle
Having acquired a Golf Cabriolet, Mr. Okuhara obtained various information for future specification changes. One of the vehicles he came across was one produced by RSL Motorsports, a German brand at the time.
“The wheels were changed from Kerscher Calypso to RSL Motorsports wheels obtained at an auction. The front banner and side decals are based on the demo car in the catalog, so I made my stickers of the manufacturer’s logo. For the audio system, I also used Clarion’s ADDZEST model 9255, which was popular at the time.”
The emphasis was on a style that evokes speed without being excessively low. 14-inch RSL wheels were obtained for the front and rear, in the long-awaited sizes of 8J in the front and 9J in the rear. Although only the front wheels are repaired and used, Mr. Okuhara is proud of the powerful rim depth and 14 inches.
Other exterior work includes smoothing the front end. An Italian Super Sprint muffler was installed, triple gauges for voltage, water temperature, and oil temperature were added, and the steering wheel was replaced. The interior has been reupholstered and other small changes have been made to suit his personal tastes. The Golf Cabriolet looks forward to the evolution of the Golf Cabriolet as they plan to make further specification changes in the future.
