2.8-litre 12v VR6 engined 1986 Volkswagen Golf Mk2

When we first clapped eyes on Nick Ponterio’s incredible Mk2, we had no idea it was the same car that graced these pages almost a decade before, albeit in a very different guise.

Words: Bryan McCarthy

Photos: Dave Tormey

NICK TUCK

All great artists share a common bond in their respective crafts. Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, you know, the one you’re most likely to mention trying to impress strangers at a dinner party. That guy imagined the famed Fallingwater on an empty plot of land. Or television’s Guy Fieri welcoming the newest resident of FlavorTown from a pile of someone else’s ingredients. How about the talented yet nameless individuals who can sculpt Napoleon busts out of blocks of ice? They all imagined something from nothing.

While Nick Ponterio’s MK2 Golf before you might not find itself on the National Historic Landmark registry, it certainly has all the qualities of a timeless build. Although it didn’t necessarily come from nothing.

“I got the car in 2011 with the intention to enjoy it,” 35-year-old Nick opens with. “It was somewhat of a known build, being the S&L Imports orange 1.8T Golf built in 2001.” The everything orange Mk2 was a former feature car in its previous life (PVW 3/04), but little did it know it would be given a second chance.

“I figured if I bought a built car I wouldn’t have to go through all the work and time of achieving one.” While we can certainly appreciate the candor in his bought, not built admission, clearly that was a fleeting mentality for our protagonist. After driving it around for a year, and with issues creeping in and the style falling out of favour for the times, Nick parted a majority of the car, keeping just the shell to which a work of art was yet to come.

“I think I knew from the start what I was going for,” says Nick, “but the vision was blurry because at the time there wasn't anything that looked like my car to compare it to.” Keep in mind this was nearly a decade ago, at the peak of forum fanboying and the infancy of social media. “I remember seeing a race car that had just been painted and I loved how it looked nice, but was [also] so raw and minimal like race cars tend to be.” A conversation with a friend lead to the conclusion that the void would benefit from a properly built car and boom, the direction of the project was established. Nick further clarifies his intentions, “I wanted to do something that was ‘as simple as two seats and a motor but looks badass.’ Simple, but aesthetically pleasing; built to be minimal. I wanted to delete everything I saw useless and enhance the simplicity of what's left. I wanted something that was a show car and motorsport all in one.”

This might be the white Golf’s second lease on life, but what about Nick’s Volkswagen history? “It all started in 2010. I was riding BMX most of my life and one day I decided I wanted something new. I sort of knew it was cars that I wanted to embark on, but I wasn't sure what car exactly. My father was a mechanic for over 45 years and had some badass cars growing up.” When queried further about said cars, it was revealed that his first car was a 1964 VW Beetle, so once again there’s that father-son thread. Of course, he also had his share of American muscle in the form of a Chevelle SS 396, Olds Cutlass Supreme and a ’62 Chrysler Newport. “If I was going to get into cars for myself,” Nick continues, “I had some big shoes to fi ll.” But the question remained, big blocks or big bumpers?

“Due to friends being into VWs, I was quickly drawn to them, MK1s and MK2s specifically,” says Nick, who lays the blame solely at the feet of local legend, Mike Taurozzi. “I had a 1986 Bright Blue Metallic MK2 with a VR6. I sold that after eight months of owning it to buy the orange car.” That car’s VR6 was responsible for his love of the six shooter and ultimately lead to the heart transplant in the replacement in 2012.

First featured in PVW 3/04, Nick figured basing his project on a car already built would make life easier. He was wrong…

Nick enjoyed the car in that state for about a year, until in 2013 when the car was disassembled down to its shell and the motor was placed on a stand. At this point, the roll started to slow while other things in his life took centre stage. “I started to save money to start a business,” Nick explains. “NBP Finishing opened in 2015 and for the first year of trying to get the business on its feet, my car still sat untouched and apart.” This could have turned into a tale all too familiar, where the shoemaker’s children often go barefoot. However, the car itself played a pivotal role in this business direction. “I was so in love with building a car as soon as I started,” enthuses Nick. “That led me to want to open a shop where I could be of service and a part of other peoples’ builds.

I knew quitting my job and taking a chance was going to put a dead stop on fi nishing my car, but I didn't care. The shop was more important to me and I wanted to achieve it way more than a car build. So I went with my gut and put the car on hold to make something of myself in the industry.” And so it was, the creation of a name that’s graced many a Shout Box since.

The car itself is a collective effort from a solid group of individuals that Nick’s aligned himself with during the course of its construction.

We've seen some intricate builds over the years but it's a wonder Nick gets any other work done around the shop. Look at the thing.

It’s hard to absorb all the details upon first glance, as custom touches are constantly being discovering the more you look it over, elevating it above the population of MK2s at any given time. The exterior is smooth, yes, but the absence of door handles may prevent your brain from noticing the lack of mirrors, or swage lines, or any piece of decorative trim save for the chrome strips on the front and rear Euro bumpers. Or the carbon fibre roof. The badgeless Bonrath grille, which was NOS with the box thanks to his buddy Brock, complements the shaved one in the rear, allowing the plate tub to appear as a solo act without the supporting plinth bits. The immaculate paintwork is attributed to Dave at Slaw Built, another individual whose work is no stranger to these pages. The wheels are another collaborative effort between Nick and Jason at Rotiform. And yes, they’re a pain to clean. The lows are managed by good old fashioned Ultra Low coil overs from suspension stalwarts H&R.

While the outside lost everything that wasn’t structural, the attention was concurrently focused on the motor. “By 2017, I had the shop in a good state and things were working, so it was time to get the car finished,” Nick tells us. “I started with the motor, tore it down completely and rebuilt and refinished everything piece by piece. I would say a year later I had the long block complete and the car almost finished in paint. I remember feeling on top of the world at the time and it seemed like what I was doing was possible for sure in my mind.” Famous last words, of course, as he wasn’t quite out of the woods. But amongst a handful of setbacks that required redoing certain things, Nick kept his head up and the positivity flowing. Just remember the old adage of eating an elephant, right? One bite at a time.

And just look at that motor. Matt from Eurokraft took care of the internal engine building and wiring everything up, among other things, but there were a few other heads that can be credited with the museum piece sat between the frame rails. Anything painted black or white came courtesy of Tom at Espo’s Powder Coating. That incredible set of headers out back? That is the creation of the ever so talented Greg at SwoopsBUILT, who also hid the radiator cap and overflow bottle, and disguised the valve cover. And those ITBs lined up like six microphones, just ready to amplify the song of the VR6? They’re from DG Motorsport and something Nick never imagined would be possible.

It was at Matt’s house when the VR took its first breath and ventured out on its first drive. Nick recalls the day fondly. “Hearing it run for the first time made everything finally feel possible. When you build a car for yourself the way I did, the very first time you drive it…doesn’t matter if it’s for two blocks or 20 miles…all the pain goes away. The excitement of achieving something you dreamed up takes over you.”

“One of my personal favourites on the motor is that my alternator is also the belt tensioner, “admits Nick. “I love that all I have is a crank pulley, water pump pulley, and alternator pulley. Also all the body lines on the upper timing cover have been shaved off and smoothed out. The valve cover is really cool, too, as it’s built up and boxed out.” Words truly can’t do the bay justice so please excuse yourself from this paragraph and bury your attention in the images.

Speaking of images, while it’s usually not proper procedure to mention the set design, per se, exceptions can be made. Snapper Dave Tormey founded a little event called First Class Fitment which ran for a decade before bowing out on top back in 2019. “I did the finishing work on the trophies for two or three years and I was actually lucky enough to win best of show for the last year of it,” Nick recalls. “Dave ending up being the photographer was the cherry on top for this shoot and the reason I say that is because the location of this shoot has been my dream since the day I decided to build this car back in 2011. [It’s] an abandoned airfield in my hometown that was originally built as a training facility for the coast guard. The tower behind the car in some of the photos is actually a gun tower.” At the time, the site was closed and in the process of being turned into a community park. With the car completed and both owner and photographer getting up before the sun, Nick’s dream would be memorialised forever with a combination of forces directed by fate.

The fishbowl effect accomplished by the lack of any tacky aftermarket tint allows the viewer to peer inside to peep the pristine interior prior to popping open the door. “The theme was kind of easy for me in my head,” recounts Nick. “I wanted two seats and a motor, but I knew I would have to somehow tastefully carry it out through the car. So by keeping door cards and the dash, it would keep a semi-Mk2 flow.” It’s a mix of show and go that just works. Everything you need and nothing you don’t. There is no carpet, instead it’s been sprayed with a colour-matched tinted bed liner, similar to that of the undercarriage, but of a higher quality.

There is no lower dash, exposing three polished canisters and a system of hard lines. “Those are custom reservoirs for the brake and clutch,” Nick informs us. “I have a Wilwood manual pedal set up and they come with plastic bottles and rubber lines for them. That wasn't going to work for me so we made custom bottles.”

Front and centre is a CAE shifter, unencumbered from the absent console. The two adjacent Recaros, like sentries at the watch tower, are recovered in a contrasting shade of brown vinyl that carries over to the door cards and the dash. Look up and you’ll notice the lack of headliner, gaze down and you’ll see custom floor mats. Beyond the custom-wrapped steering wheel is Nick’s favourite interior feature, the Digifi z cluster. Behind the driver and passengers sits a SwoopsBUILT half cage and kick panels, filling the space as minimalistic as possible. Itching to get out? Grab the door pull similar to those found on those fancy, rear-engined GT track cars.

While Nick holds the title to the historically registered ’91 Golf, the car is the sum of many things from many different people, some of whom found their way into Nick’s life because of it. And although his journey from acquisition to completion wasn’t a straight path, each disappointment and triumph are tied to a book of memories, a set of emotional cues that bring a smile to his face each time he fi res it up. “Building cars is an art form,” says Nick. “It’s a representation of someone's ideas and vision. There has to be emotions involved.”

After nearly seven years, the car was finished in time for Euro Tripper down in Helen, Georgia. On its first time at bat, the MK2 drove it out of the park, collecting best in show and validating the countless late nights spent up until that point. “I had support from my family 100 percent, They all respected the vision, but my mother shakes her head at me till this day. Even when I pull up to her house to visit,” Nick laughs.

The future is uncertain for the Golf. Just some odds and ends here and there. We can’t imagine it levelling up any further, so for now Nick is just going to enjoy it in the moment. And that is something we’re sure his mother would approve of.

DUB DETAILS

• ENGINE: 2.8 12v VR6 engine, Schrick 268 cams, DG motorsport ITBs, custom valve cover, custom stainless steel exhaust headers, billet aluminum pulleys, aluminum radiator with custom fan/ shroud, custom coolant over flow, custom coolant lines, thermostat housing, and crack pipe, custom aluminium fuel rail and lines, O2A transmission with LSD and O2J shift tower, MS3Pro stand-alone engine management system with custom harness
• CHASSIS: 7.5x17” custom Rotiform wheels, ATR-K Economist tires 195/40/r17, H&R Ultra Low coil overs
• EXTERIOR: The car was put on a rotisserie rack for complete chassis restoration full respray inside, out, and underneath. Euro chrome trim bumpers, badgeless grille by Bonrath, Voomeran front lip, Hella 50/50 tails, Crosshair headlights, shaved door handles, shaved side moldings, wiper delete, shaved hatch trim, shaved rear emblem, shave C-pillar body line, Carbon fibre roof, carbon fibre mirror deletes
• INTERIOR: Complete custom interior wrapped in brown vinyl. Recaro front seats, Rear seat delete, Shaved dash carbon fibre stripe, Digifiz 8k cluster, CAE shifter, Wilwood racing pedal box with custom reservoirs, custom hydraulic e-brake, carbon fibre clam shell, carbon fibre door pull trim, Porsche inspired door pulls with carbon fibre trim, carbon fibre door sills, shaved A, B, and C pillars, shaved rear floor section, SwoopsBUILT roll cage with B-pillar mounting.
• SHOUT: My wife Heather & parents for always being supportive of me, Dave Tormey for an amazing shoot, Tom from Espo’s Powdercoating for coating everything on the car, Jason from Rotiform for the wheels, Matt from EuroKraft Performance for everything, from engine rebuild to custom harness. The car wouldn’t be what it is without Matt. Greg from SwoopsBUILT for an endless amount of one-off fabrication work, Dave from SLAW BUILT for taking care of all the paint work, Frank from Shore Polishing & Finishing, Justin from Zealous MFG for all the stainless hardware & beauty washers, Miguel Grullon for some of the custom made parts, Kip from Loves Trim on the interior work, Rick from Swift Stitch Upholstery on interior work, Double R Detailing for paint correction and coating, Marco from Auto Haas for spare parts, Brock Bickford for helping secure some rare parts for the car, Andrew Paino & Mike Taurozzi for helping over the years and anyone else who lent a hand along the way