Back in April 2007 I bought this MK2 Golf CL shell to replace the previous one I`d crashed at the Nurburgring.
I`ve spent the last 16 years continually modifying the Golf from a pretty standard MK2 with a 2.0 16V engine from the MK3 Golf GTi, adding Megasquirt and GSXR 750 Throttle bodies and then the Turbo back in 2014.
I`ve spent a lot of time learning as I went. The Aero development has been going on for several years now and pretty much every passenger who sits in it comments how stable it is at high speed.
The name `Pinderwagen` actually came from Dale Lomas who runs www.bridgetogantry.com .It was a throwaway comment he made when following me in 2014 and the name stuck.
Before then it was just `The Golf` or `Nige`s Golf` but the step increase in performance from adding the Turbo took it to a new level and the #Pinderwagen was born.
I`m not a mechanic I`m just an enthusiastic amateur who likes to learn new skills and will have a go at anything. Some things have worked out, others haven`t but that`s the case in pretty much everything and my view is that the important thing is that I learn from my mistakes. By doing everything myself I`ve been able to try things I wouldn`t if I had to pay someone to do it and I`ve been able to keep the overall build cost to sensible levels.
Overall I`m a pretty positive person and when things go wrong I just try and make the best of it. There is no point getting upset about things beyond your control so I try not to bother. Sometimes that is easier than others…
A 7:23BTG laptime whilst chasing a friend in his Cayman GT4 MR is the fastest MK2 Golf around the Nurburgring by some margin. That was with the standard H pattern shifter.
Current Spec. August 2023.
Chassis
- 1990 Golf MK2 Non Sunroof CL 3-Door Shell
- Comprehensive Custom multipoint welded roll cage tied to front and rear turrets
- Engine bay Chassis strengthening
- Cobra Sebring Side Mounted Bucket Seats
- Schroth Profi II 6 Point 3″ Harnesses
- Flocked MK2 dash with Custom gauge and switch panels
- Standard Rear Beam, no additional ARB
- 25mm Stub Axle Spacers
- Polo Stub Axle for improved wheel bearing life
- Polo Rear Discs
- Raysbestos St45 Rear Pads on Golf MK4 Calipers
- Standard stitch welded MK2 Subframe
- Subframe lower brace.
- MK3 Power Steering Rack
- Vauxhall Astra MK5 Electro Hydraulic Power steering pump (greater assistance than the previous Mercedes A Class pump)
- Custom wider track Wishbones with increased Caster (7.5Degrees vs 1.5 Degrees Stock)
- AP Racing CP9660 6 Pot Calipers
- Reyland Custom Caliper Carriers and Bells
- Floating BTCC 364mmmm x 36mm Discs
- Raysbestos ST45 BTCC Front Pads
- Spherical steering Tie Rod Ends
- Standard MK2 Front Hubs
- Roll Centre Correction Balljoint Extenders
- ACS Pro Series 90mm Bullet Nose Wheel Studs
- 17″ x 8 ET35 Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 Alloy Wheels x 12
- 17″ x 9 ET35 Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 Alloy Wheels x 2
- 225/45 R17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Wet tyres
- 225/45 R17 Dunlop Direzza DZ03G H1 Dry Tyres
- 245/40 R17 Yokohama A052 Dry Tyres
- 235/610 R17 Dunlop Slicks Medium Compound
- KW Clubsport Coilovers Front and Rear
- Eibach Pro Race Front and Rear springs.
- Spherical Top Mounts
- Polybushed throughout
- Stock MK2 Front ARB
Engine
- 2.0 16V ABF Block
- Stock Cylinder head with 3-angle seats and valves and ABF camshafts
- Inconel Exhaust valves
- Stock Crankshaft
- Wiseco Forged Pistons
- ARP Headbolts.
- Integrated Engineering Rifle Drilled conrods with Genuine ARP Bolts.
- Custom Baffled sump with windage tray
- Custom KR & 1.8T Inlet manifold with ABF Throttle body.
- Setrab 52-12864-01 Proline oil cooler
- Custom SERCK 50mm triple pass radiator
- Toyosport 70mm Intercooler.
- 2.5″ Turbo to Intercooler pipework
- 3″ Intercooler to Throttle body pipework
- Comprehensive cooling ducting
- DTA Fast S80Pro ECU Controlling Fuel, Spark and Boost
- Bosch 1000cc motorsport injectors
- DTA ECU Loom and Custom Fuse and Relay board with independent ECU Loom.
- Littco G25-660 Hybrid Turbo
- TIAL Genuine external Wastegate
- Custom Tubular Stainless Steel SCH40 Manifold
- Custom 3″ Stainless Exhaust with 2 large Silencers
Transmission
- SQS 02Q 6Speed Manual Gearbox with 1-6 Dog gearset
- Lightened Flywheel
- Alcon Paddle Clutch
- LUK Pressure plate
- SQS Seqshift (Converts H Pattern to Sequential fore/aft movement)
- Spherical Rod ends on Shifter cables
- SQS Plate Diff
- Custom Satchell Engineering Driveshafts
- Golf R32 Bolt through Outer CV Joints with Redline CV2 Grease
- 108mm Inner CV Joints with Redline CV2 Grease
- SKF Front Wheel Bearings repacked with Redline CV2 Grease
Body
- Trackslag Fibreglass bonnet with Custom reverse vent for improved cooling.
- Custom Front Splitter with integrated Brake Duct Air Scoops
- Custom Aluminium Flat Floor
- Custom Aluminium Side Skirts
- Custom Fibreglass Roof Scoop
- Custom Fibreglass Diffuser
- Custom Fibreglass Widened and vented front wings
- Aluminium Rear Wing
The entire build was carried out by me, in many cases learning as I went and making mistakes along the journey. All the Custom parts were designed and fabricated by myself often using examples taken from elsewhere as a starting point.