We’ve been asking our Volkswagen Golf owners what makes their cars so special. In this series we meet the people behind the builds, the drivers, dreamers and tinkerers who’ve each taken a Golf and made it completely their own.
For many, that story starts on the driveway at home. Maybe a parent’s car, a sibling’s first set of wheels or a memory of that unmistakable VW badge on the school run. The Golf has always been a part of the family fabric, passed down through generations and reimagined time and time again. For those who love to modify, like those in this series, the Golf is the perfect canvas for creativity, individuality and shared passion.
It’s a Golf Thing
Next up, we meet Ben, whose 2002 MK4 Golf proves than the people’s car can be as personal as you make it. What started as a friend’s hand-me-down quickly became a project full of personality, from its custom black paint job with rainbow flake to a motorsport-inspired interior. It’s the kind of car that turns heads at every show and yet carries a familiarity that every Volkswagen fan recognises.
So, Ben, what made you pick a Volkswagen Golf in the first place? Was it love at first sight or more of a practical choice?
It was originally a friend's car that he bought back after selling and I’d always kind of liked it... Plus it got me out of driving a Citroen Picasso!
Which Golf do you drive (year/model), and what mods have you done so far?
I drive a 2002 MK4 Golf. Mods? Uh oh, where to begin? I bought it standard and currently it’s a PD130 1.9 TDI been mapped to 190bhp with an uprated Darkside intercooler and boost gauge.
On the outside it has uprated headlights with halos, R32 body kit, rear spoiler, custom respray in black with rainbow flake, LED smoked rear lights, shark fin aerial, debadged and smoothed boot, rear wiper delete, stainless steel R32 look-a-like custom exhaust and Stance+ coilovers.
Inside it has a custom interior with rear seat delete, flat floor, red k-brace, audio build, custom door cards, Bad Boy Customs bucket seats with red diamond stitch, TRS harnesses in red, red BBS alloy wheels, Pioneer touchscreen radio and a few more interior bits like gear knob and gator (red of course!).
It’s now being stripped down for an engine and fuel swap to a V5 petrol, with a complete underside rebuild and potentially a respray.
What's the best part about driving a modified Golf?
It’s fun! You never get bored of it and when you’re not driving it, you miss it!
Which upgrade/mod makes you smile the most when you’re behind the wheel?
Either the seats or harnesses - I just love that motorsport kind of feeling. Or the boost gauge; there’s just something satisfying watching the needle flicker with the turbo.
How does your Golf fit into your daily routine? Your commutes, meets, weekend fun, or just garage therapy?
It was my daily to start with it then became a project, went to a few shows and that’s when I found the gearbox oil and engine oil leaks! And now it’s been sat for a couple of years whilst I sourced the engine swap.
Has a mod ever surprised you? Whether in performance, looks, or how much attention it gets?
The paint! I never expected to get as much attention that it does, I knew I loved it, and I thought it looked amazing in the sun, but I never expected so many people to agree and even ask where the car was when it wasn’t there!
Any memorable stories since modifying your Golf (a car meet, a race, a funny mishap, a proud moment)?
The most memorable for me is the first Modified Nationals I took the car to after being sprayed! It had just been done, no one from the club knew what I’d sprayed the car in and so many of them were just blown away by how it looked.
It got so much attention over the whole weekend not just from people I knew. That was a great feeling!
What’s the reaction you get most often when people see or hear your Golf?
Always the paint! Everyone wants to know how we done it and a lot of people ask to feel it to see if they can feel the flake! People always seem genuinely stunned by it.
Are you already planning your next mod, or is your Golf finally ‘finished’ (if that’s ever possible)?
Next mods? Well, the fuel and engine swap to the V5 engine, full underside rebuild along with finishing the middle section/rest of the exhaust. I’ve also bought a deep-dish steering wheel, and I’d like to refresh/modify some more of the interior. Maybe respray the car too at my work to fix some imperfections. And of course, a glow kit underfloor kit and some new wheels.
Will the Golf ever be ‘finished’? Oh, I doubt that 😅
As Ben’s story shows, the Golf isn’t just for one type of driver. It’s for everyone. It’s the car you grow up with, learn to drive in, fall in love with and never quite let go of. From long family trips to late night garage sessions, the Golf evolves with you.
The Volkswagen Golf has always been the people’s car. Practical enough for everyday life but with enough soul to fuel a lifelong passion. Whether it’s shared between generations or reimagined by the next, it continues to bring people together at meets, on driveways and across families. That’s the beauty of the Golf. It belongs to everyone and yet always feels entirely your own.
- Volkswagen