Well, this was supposed to be a "put up or shut up" email to my friend Tony but I decided to make it public and I guess we'll just see where this takes us. Try to keep up folks...


A week ago, well ok, go back two months ago. This entire summer kate and I have been planning betty out as we went along. I've had a general idea of how I want her to look and I'll shoot some ideas off to kate and vice versa generally melding together into a completely different idea altogether. We tackled all of the greater issues early on in May and June with the car leaving the big issues to the final months of the summer until leaving us where we are today. Betty could be done right now. We can bring her to the final 2-3 shows of the season, sell her and then either spend the money paying off bills, buy a rock for kate's tiny finger or piss it away on hookers and yayo.

I wanted to lower her in the beginning but the more I look at her, the more I want her to look stock. And then her rear shocks started showing their age and were starting to produce a reverse rake in her side profile (the ass hangs lower than the front).

Ok, issue #1:
1) keep her stock and not spend a dime
2) buy some shocks and springs and permanently put her at a nice stance (which could alter her resale but still look nice to "enthusiasts")
3) buy coilovers which will allow her to be raised or lowered as we saw fit

This problem's solution had a price ranging from nothing to 500$ to 1000$ respectively. I did secure two sponsors offering discounts on suspension but it would cause me to spend money I didn't want to spend. Ok, let's just overlook this issue for now. I don't want to have to stress about spending money. We are on a strict budget that we have adhered to for the entire summer.

Then I looked at her paint. She's a great car and the way she sits right now is just fine with probably everyone. I mean, for a 20 year old run of the mill Golf, she definately is good to go. She even turns heads (sometimes). The interior is perfect. The body is close to perfect. Hell, the paint even has some clear left. It's just that up close, it is dry and stained. That's definately going to hurt us for magazine contention.

Even if the magazine chance happens, now is the time to either shit or get off the pot. I'll be 30 in september. Fucking 30. I'll be getting married etc etc etc. This is just one of those chances where I can almost see her where I want her to be and I can either just stop or go balls out and do her the right way.

You only live once. Plus, this could be an awesome experience. One of those things where you really work on something you're passionate about. And ok, so the paint job will take money and kate and my time prepping her but I see it this way... it's not the price of the paint job I'll be paying for, it's the experience kate and I will go through. Those stories we will be able to tell our kids will be worth the cost alone. I wonder if people reading that can finally understand the "sickness" we call the "bug for cars".

So... fast forward to yesterday. I know this guy named Tony. I met Tony three summers ago and we clicked instantly. He's just one of those cool guys everyone wants to hang out with and considering we are both HUGE famewhores, we tend to compete for the laughs which I really enjoy. He also runs a little video magazine called Torque. It's pretty much Jackass with cars. Tony is just one of those guys where he has to be the center of attention therefore he just does the craziest shit with his friends and catches it on film. And it's actually quite good film too.

Anyhoo, Tony is pretty hardcore in the tuning scene and has connections. He has a paint guy who does AWESOME work so I called him up 19 times (he never picks up his fucking phone just like me) and we finally got to talking last night. I told him that I wanted to paint Betts the same colour, just add a little clearcoat this time around and make her pristine.

We shot some ideas back and forth, he was instantly hooked with the idea and I started to get excited. I told him how I was gunning to get into PVW (the bible of VW magazines and is a "right of passage" for dubbers if they actually get chosen to be in it) come hell or highwater, I wanted to be in that magazine. That was my goal I set for myself and although it was a MASSIVE goal, it was obtainable with a shitload of work, lots of bloody knuckles and many many sleepless nights.

Then I remembered that Tony was more like me than I ever knew. You see, if you know me, you know that I don't 100% commit to something unless I have a fire under my ass. Otherwise, I will halfass it all day long. Tony is like that too. He has the best intentions and he's a great guy but he has issues committing to things of importance. This is starting to sound like me more and more hahaha

So here is my declaration Tony.

Let's get betty in that booth before H20 dude. Document it. Starting right now. Four weeks to completely overhaul a dub in time for the last and greatest show of the year. Document the sleepless nights. Document the hardships and the letdowns. Document the first time it goes in the booth. Document the trip to H20 and finally, god willing, document it getting shot from those fine chaps across the pond who just so happen make the finest dub magazine on earth ;) (Am I laying it on thick enough yet boys? hahahaha)

Time to shit or get off the pot dude. Lets roll suckah.