Words: Phil R.
Photos: Josh G.
It’s amazing how drastically a car can change during a New England off-season. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it does. I first met Tobias years ago at the former Yarrowsport location. I spotted his MK1 inside the garage and stepped in to take a better look. At that point, it looked great in white, sitting nicely on a set of ATS Cups. The car remained essentially the same aesthetically for a while until this past offseason. During a random phone conversation, Tobias informed me that the car was getting a makeover and that I may not recognize it the next time I see it.
I had an opportunity to take a first look at Tobias’ coupe during a recent camping trip in Connecticut. However, PBR, various shenanigans, and a serious headache the following morning prevented me from really taking a closer look at the car. After setting up a date to get together, JG, Jiggles, and myself took a trip to Rhode Island’s capital to see what was really up with this MK1.
I must admit that I was pretty excited to not only check out the Mk1 but to also catch up with Tobias. Upon arrival, we were given an official viewing of the car and also a tour of Yarrow’s shop. Although Tobias’ car has changed dramatically, his mustache has not. After a few shots utilizing the shop as a backdrop, we realized that there was more to this location than meets the eye. After noticing the graffiti covered sidewall, we were shown the rear of the building.
For those of you who have been involved in the New England VW Scene, you have most likely witnessed this MK1 Jetta evolve over the years. After several months under the knife, it has reached a whole new level of cleanliness. Once you’ve had enough of staring at the gorgeous set of 14×7.5 and 8.5 Image Billet 60P wheels, you will notice the amazing quality of body work on this coupe.
Tobias informed me that he has spent a good seven years collecting body panels that were in the best condition he could possibly get his hands on. These panels include the bonnet, boot, wings, and doors. When it came down to getting the bodywork done, he turned to his good friend Jodi D. to tackle the job.
When it was all said and done, the washer jets, side trim holes, rear vertical panel seams, tow hooks and exhaust cutout had all been cleanly shaved. The aerial was also ditched and the rockers semi smoothed. Tobias admits that one of his favorite pieces of bodywork is the custom front lower valance which was made from scratch. The rear arches also received a great deal of attention. According to him, “Jodi built the rear arches so strong that we could put our hands on them and lift the back of the car off the ground…I doubt you could kick them in”. When it came time to choose paint, a stock MK1 color was in order. He decided Inaris Silver would be his choice. It’s a fairly rare color that interestingly enough resembles a very delightful shade of green. He went on to say, “Jodi did a killer job on bodywork and paint in only a two month turnaround, in his spare time!”
Under the hood, you will find an immaculately clean ABA 2.0 Crossflow dressed in black. The engine itself has been balanced, knife edged, and ported. A load of man hours were spent in this bay removing seam sealer as well as shaving over 100 holes. Tobias admits that the bay has remained relatively the same but for good reason: it works. The only issue he admits having is keeping up with the various painted bolts and determining what works best as a coating on all of them. Jodi’s work did not stop on the exterior; he also had a hand in the bay. One of Tobias’ favorite features of the car are the shaved bolts on the slam panel that hold the hood latch. It looks amazing and is something that few people do, especially stateside. At this point it’s worth mentioning that Tobias proclaims himself as “anti-chrome”. However, he claims that he wanted to “spice” things up and proceeded to install chrome bonnet opening hardware (the boot and door jam hardware are also chrome).
One thing Tobias and I share in common is our love of second generation Volkswagens. When he isn’t driving his Mk1 to a local event or another state, you can catch him in his clean, black, daily driven Mk2 Jetta Coupe. Although most of his attention has been given to his MK1, he has found a way to incorporate some second generation flavor into the Mk1. As you open the door and peer inside, you will notice a complete MK2 dash swap. This is complimented by Mk2 lower dash pockets as well as an early Mk2 diesel center console. A euro MK2 CL Lower blanking plate was sourced as well as a rare CL ashtray (US vent mounted) which conveniently houses Toby’s Ipod. A VWMS Steering Wheel and shift knob were the choice here for driving controls. A new black headliner was also installed with the help of Mr. James Clark.
The attention to detail of Tobias’ MK1 is remarkable. He has gone through every nut and bolt on this car and it shows. He has gone as far as replacing every single seal and gasket in the doors, windows, handles, mirrors, ect. But out of everything that he has done to this car, there is one thing that stands out the most to me: it is completely drivable. This MK1 starts, runs, and drives with absolutely no hesitation or issue. A hardslam thanks to H&R Ultra Ultra Lows brings this MK1 down to an excellent ride height without being absurdly low. If you ask me, it’s just right. Tobias seems to be happy with it as well claiming, “I would drive it to Seattle tomorrow and have no question of the integrity of any and or all of the work.” He also states that he is happy with how it’s come along over time but is already thinking about what’s next.
I’ll finish this by thanking Tobias for his involvement in this feature. We would also like to thank Mr. Yarrow Thorne for allowing us to have the photo shoot at his shop. Now, let’s allow Tobias to thank those who have helped him along the way.
“I’d like to thank Jodi for the bodywork, paint, and being a good buddy. James Clark for the numerous road trips and help with all the details. Daniele my girlfriend for putting up with the madness and helping to pick out the overall style. Yarrow, Jay Bird, Tall Dave, Andy Dixon, Lee, Moogie at MK1autohaus, Allistair, Josh of NLS, Jesse of Banckwerks, and numerous others who have helped in some form or another along the way.”
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