Johnny's VW Golf MK1 ABF
If you follow the nonsense I post on social media, in particular Instagram Stories, you'll know I have a die-hard love for modified classic cars on period correct wheels. It's a combination that can't be beaten and that's a hill I'm more than willing to die on.
So naturally, when such a car pops up on this island of Ireland, I'm interested and one of those cars was Johnnys ABF swapped MK1 Golf.
I think I hassled Johnny for the best part of two years over this shoot. For Johnny, cars had been put on the long finger, the not-so-small matter of life and family getting in the way. We mutually agreed that the next time the car saw road, he'd give me a text and I'd pop down with the camera.
Fast forward to this month and along with some good mates, Johnny was making plans to run their yearly euro car show. As I'd be providing the promotional film for the event, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to get that MK1 out of hiding.
Johnny claims this car is far from complete but I'd beg to differ. We nailed a perfect day of sunshine for the shoot, probably the first real summers day after a long and grey winter, and the Mandarin Orange (i think?) bodywork popped in the sun.
While the MK1 boasts a powerful beating heart, Johnny has kept the rest of the car relatively simple. It sits on a beautiful set of BBS RS with yellow caps that match the paintwork nicely. Inside, a special pair of Recaro fish-nets sourced from a good friend keep the Golfs occupants firmly in place. A recent addition is the JB-Motoring shifter tower which really completes the interior and adds to the driving experience.
While the exterior is subtle, the engine bay certainly isn't as Johnny has shoe-horned in a 16-valve ABF 2.0L formerly found in a MK3 GTI. In stock form, the ABF pumps out 150HP but when paired with a car weighing around 800KG, that's pretty significant.
I want to say a big thank-you to Johnny for pulling the car out for some shots. Stoked to finally get a chance to see this car in person and point my lens at it - hopefully it won't be the last time this year either.
Owner: Johnny Curran
Location: Westmeath, Ireland