In a scene where simple modifications have become the norm, Volkswagens with great attention to detail have become a rarity. In the U.S., air ride and wheel choice have become a number one priority. In Europe, extreme attention to detail seems as though it still matters. This is apparent when you look at an event such as Worthersee. Whether you’re interested in attention to detail or stance and wheels, Chris Rego’s MK3 fits both criteria.

This particular Jetta has been years in the making. Whether Chris was waiting months for UPS to deliver a rare European part or waiting for the body shop to finish up a custom modification, he stayed dedicated. He continued to stick with a game plan.

Chris’ MK3 has evolved over the years, reaching a higher level with each modification. In May of 2002, Chris traded his black MK3 Jetta for the white Jetta you see here. Of course, it was bone stock then and fresh off of an expired lease. At this point, the car received a brand new set of Ronal Turbo R10s, KW coilovers, a VR6 Lip and several other simple modifications.





While you stare at the exterior of this MK3 now, you sense a solid OEM+ theme. However, if you look closer and dig deeper, you will realize that there is more going on than meets the eye. While strolling around the front end, you will notice the OEM Euro bumper. Look closer and you will notice the perfectly molded Kamei vents on the lower bumper. These were flawlessly added by Five Star Collision out of MA. If you look a little lower, you’ll see the VR6 Lip. By looking a little closer, you’ll notice that not only is the lip OEM but it is also accompanied by OEM splash guards. The splash guards do a nice job of filling the gap that is left in the lower wheel well when they are not utilized. The front end is completed by a badge-less Vento grille, OEM European clear turn signals and dummies, and French fog lights. Chris also went back in time by adding a Bonrath single wiper which adds a bit of old school flavor.





While walking along the side of the car, you’ll pass the OEM mirrors. Look a bit closer and you’ll notice the concave/split mirrored glass. The split glass is specific to where the driver sits, so Chris was looking at finding one overseas. Thanks to Matt at Tuning Zubehor, Chris attained the glass for both sides.

The rear end is set off with a pair of M3 style taillights for a little flair and a chromed tailpipe for a little bling. The holes left from the deleted rear spoiler were filled and the rear emblem shaved to complete things out back.





Instead of shaving and deleting various engine components, Chris has left the engine bay fully functional using mostly OEM parts. In 2005, with the help of his friend Lee from Neuspeed, Chris purchased the supercharger, camshaft, adjustable cam gear, short shift kit, and the upper strut bar. These modifications along with a modified airbox, K&N Filter, and Techtonics Tuning Stainless Steel 2.25” exhaust created enough power to keep Chris satisfied for a couple of years. However, in 2007 the engine was once again his focus. An EIP Big Valve Head with new lifters and ARP undercut cylinder head studs was the next order of business accompanied by a port and polished lower manifold. He then sent the lower manifold and valve cover to Jet-Hot to get them ceramic coated in an attempt to reduce heat soak. Finally, a Clutchnet 6 Puck disk, Luk 16v pressure plate, and a Peloquin 80% Differential Locking kit were added to help with the car’s responsiveness.





After going through several sets of wheels that include Ronal Turbos and BBS RMs, Chris has finally reached a point of satisfaction with the mounting of a gorgeous set of BBS RS189 from Memory Fab. As Chris described, “This model is special in the sense that the offset is 38 which allows me to run a half inch bigger lip all around. Therefore, I can have a 7.5” width in the front which works out to be even with the fender”. Chris proceeded to tell himself that he was going to take his time piecing the wheels together. However, before he knew it, Chris had ordered the lips, bolts, flat caps, and badges from Jeremy at Just Matz. With the help of some friends, the wheels were disassembled, sanded, and color matched to the exterior.

When it came to tire choice, Chris had his mind set on Toyo’s T1R. The problem was these tires were on back order throughout the country at the time he was ready to order. Chris settled for Federal SS 595 which still provided a decent amount of stretch. He also had the rear quarters slightly rolled at Five Star Collision in an attempt to reduce any future rubbing issues. Eventually, Chris found himself with rubbing issues and proceeded to replace his tires with Federal 165/50s. The reason for any rubbing issues would be thanks to a set of KW INOX Stainless Steel coilovers that drop this MK3 down to a very aesthetically pleasing ride height.





Now, let’s step inside for a minute. Chris has done an excellent job of using a mix of rare factory and aftermarket parts to create an overall OEM feel with the interior. The deep bucket Koenig seats not only fit the interior extremely well, they are also extremely rare. As Chris described, “The seats were the only set known at the time in existence in the states. They originally came with open headrests, but I had ordered closed ones to match the factory headrests on the rear seats”. Chris sourced the essentially perfect rear seat from a junkyard in Florida.





An Isotta steering wheel and hub were purchased, along with a chrome MOMO e-brake handle from Tuning Zubehor. A rare Isotta shift knob and even rarer Fisher CD Box were purchased from New Dimensions to accompany the European center console. If that wasn’t enough, Chris sourced Kamei Vento Door Sills (That were no longer made) from Evolution Motorsports.





After scoring a “0” on trunk appearance at a local show, Chris decided to go all out on his trunk. He proceeded to add the laminate floor with the help of his father and uncle. He then added the “BBS” wheel to the trunk which was sourced in rather awful shape from a local junkyard. After restoring the wheel and mounting a Toyo T1R tire on it, the trunk was now complete.





It’s not every day you come across a car with this much attention to detail. You start to get the sense that every nut and bolt on this car is tightened to spec and aligned to match every other one. It seems as though Chris has reached a point of satisfaction. I’ll allow Chris to wrap this up:

“After all these years of meeting people , going to shows, spending lots of money, and waiting patiently for things to come in, I am extremely happy that I could complete this project 8 years later with the resources that I had, and having lots of fun doing it. I also want to thank everyone, and I mean everyone who put up with me, and helped me throughout this time. I greatly appreciate it”.

Nice CCs are few and far between. After seeing this one, the bar has been raised as far as Im concerned.


Owned by Fookerbob, check out his thread with some more pics here

Nothing super exciting, but I finally finished my trunk and Im pretty happy with how it turned out. Enjoy.