Words & Photos by Henry Phull
Louis’ 1988 Mk2 Volkswagen Jetta first won me over back at Edition38 last year when it was sitting on a set of Autostrada Modenas, although I think it must have been the paintwork that truly struck a chord… it’s a thing of utter beauty. Believe it or not, Louis first picked up the car for a mere £200, which – having seen the car now, seems absolutely ridiculous! Looking back at the old photographs though, it’s clear this Jetta has been through a major transformation from the blue banger it once was… to the show-stopping beauty it is today. It just goes to show what an incredible job Louis has done to get it to where it is today.
A painter and panel beater by trade working at Nostalgia Cars in Somerset, Louis had his mind set on a specific colour, and treated the Jetta to a complete respray in luscious Lido Green, something you don’t see every day.
During the build he managed to track down someone breaking an earlier Jetta and made the decision to utilize the doors, trims, LHD windscreen wipers and everything else needed for an early/Typ19 conversion.
Notice the 7-slat front grill, another nice touch and homage to the earlier Mk2s.
At the rear you’ll find an added heckblende, always a welcoming modification in the Volkswagen world, and here helps to further show off the stunning paintwork.
Wheel wise, Louis has opted for a set of face mounted BBS RC041’s with polished lips, a classy affair, along with 185/35/17 tyres all round. The Mk2 sits at an ideal ride height thanks to a set of Jom coilovers. You don’t always need to spend big to get the car looking right!
The transformation continues inside the cabin, where the original dark interior has been binned in favour of early brown sears and door cards, all looking immaculate.
And of course a Nardi wooden steering wheel to finish it off…
The Jetta started life as a TX 1.6 carb, but Louis wanted to change that for something a bit more reliable and economical, so it was promptly swapped out in favour of a 1.6 turbo diesel lump from a GTD. Naturally, working in a paint shop, the rocker cover and servo were treated to fresh gloss black paint to complete the bay. Noise quality is equally important, consequently Louis went for a custom stainless steel exhaust.
Clearly this is by far one very special Jetta. Most of the time we see Mk1’s take all the credit, so it’s nice on this occasion to see such a beauty of a Mk2. He has pretty much built the car entirely by himself, and for someone so young with such impeccable taste, that’s just plain awesome to witness. Take a look at his build thread and see for yourself. There’s not many young’uns out there that can say they built and painted a car themselves to such perfection, so props to you, Louis.