Yellowracer - my `99 Custom Styled TDI / Germany

[Yellowracer]

Hey guys,

after I´ve enjoyed a lot of nice beetle pictures in this gallery (that gave me some new ideas ) I just want to show you some pics of my 1999 TDI bug called "Yellowracer"!

But first some technical facts:

The car has a cleaned body without outside antenna, side turn lights, front- and rear VW-badge and removed markers for the car lift.

It`s got the "Turbo S" frontbumper, a special-designed rearbumper made from original and "Bonrath" parts. At the back there are two different spoilers ("Caractere" and "Beetle RSI") so that you don`t fly away on german autobahn..

It comes along with a airride suspension (with adjustable hardness) that is installed in the spare wheel recess and 18 inch custom rims with "Vredestein" Ultrac 225/40 tires.

The engine is chipped to about 120hp (factory 90hp). It`s got a duplex stainless-steel exhaust and self-build "Porsche 996 Carrera" exhaust pipes.

The car has got a unique two-color-paint (lower parts with original yellow). The door-entry area and several interior parts are painted, too.

The front seats are from an Audi S3 ("Recaro" Style). The back seats from the "Beetle Turbo S". Most parts in the inside are either painted or wear real leather.

Last Winter the car was equipped with an Dolby Digital / DTS Surround System with mainly "Kenwood" and "Hifonics" components. The moniceiver is a "Kenwood KVT 727 DVD" touchsreen. The audiosystem has got 3 amplifiers and 7 speakers (plus additional tweeters) and 1 subwoofer in the trunk.

There is also a Kenwood Cd-changer and a DVD-Navigation-System installed.

In the interior and the engine compartment you look at different parts that are coated with chrom or real gold.
Several plastic parts are chromepainted.

I think that`s enough facts for the beginning... So I´ll show you the pics now!

-> The first picture is from October 1999, when the car was new. (Just for comparision.. )

Greetings from germany
Björn

[Yellowracer]

Here are some interior pics:

[callisto9]

cool! i really like the seats and the black top. looks like you take great care of your beetle! thanks for sharing the pics with us.

[marvins_dad]

Sick, SIck, SICK!!!

I love your upholstry work all over, the speaker grills and def. the Air Ride!!!

Can you show us another shot of your dash, I like what you did to get rid of the textured plastic surface....is it all leather now?

Great job!

BTW - are the front seats heated...looking for an upgrade for mine and wondering what would be a good direct fit.

[Yellowracer]

Hi Marvin (Antoine?),

thank you very much! I`am working at the "Yellowracer" project for several years now. Somehow I started modifing the car in the year 2001 with some 16 inch rims. Later on it rolled on 18 inch Porsche "Turbo II" rims. Now it has the shown custom chrome rims.

In the last two years I´ve decided to build a unique new beetle custom showcar. In this time the car took a lot of work and money and the project stressed my nerves - by the point of sleepless nights...

The car was an all-day-driver from Oktober 1999 till Oktober 2006. In the last winter it was a "tuning field" for about five month. This year it`s a weekend driver just for the summer (first of april till last day of october).

Originally Posted by marvins_dad

BTW - are the front seats heated...looking for an upgrade for mine and wondering what would be a good direct fit.

My front seats are not heated. But you can get these seats even with seat heating!

The old Audi A3/S3, Golf IV, Bora and Beetle have the same undercarriage, because of the volkswagen "platform-strategy". That`s why the seats apply without great modding into every beetle!

The seats are from factory available in complete black, black/gray, complete grey, black/yellow and some other colors.
My seats were original complete black. The parts with yellow leather and flames are a single-unit production by one of the best saddler in germany: http://www.asts-gaber.de/

Originally Posted by marvins_dad

Can you show us another shot of your dash, I like what you did to get rid of the textured plastic surface....is it all leather now?

Yes, I hated that grey plastic **** everywhere in the interior, too!! At this point of modification there is nothing of that grey plastic left, just a teeny spot in the glove box. All the rest is either worn in leather or painted in black.

Here are some pics for you (the missing tweeter is mounted now; the pictures are from april this year):

[marvins_dad]

Man that's hot!
I think I have a new favorite Custom Beetle!
Love the tweeter mounts - really cool and creative!

[bugsy98nb]

SWEEEEEEEEEET bug !

[mentalVdub]

the door jams are impressive!

so are the modifications to the rest of the car.

[Yellowracer]

Here are some picts of the front brakes! It`s not just the stock caliper painted in gold!!

At the front I´ve mounted the BREMBO "Junior Kit" with two-piece drilled disks (320mm x 28mm) and FERODO "Performance DS" sport-brake pads. It`s a four piston BREMBO brake caliper, factory painted in Yellow, that I`ve painted in special heat-resistend gold finish (matching to the wheels)!

The brake pot (middle part of the disc) is against oxidation painted with a special - up to 800 °C resistent - black paint.

[Yellowracer]

At the rear axle the stock brakes were substituted against the big vented brake system from the Audi TT 225hp. It has got a (even gold painted) LUCAS caliper and some drilled/slotted heat-treated brake rotor-discs.

This picture shows the rear brake, when is was a construction site. It`s all finished now (no actual pics).

[Lony]

Hi Björn! Jetzt hab ich Dich hier auch "erwischt". Wo ich gerade Deinen Beetle so sehe fällt mir ein, dass Harry's Mellow Yellow zum Schluß sehr ähnlich ausgesehen hat.
Auf jedenfall alles eine top Arbeit!

Gruß
Pierre

[Yellowracer]

Hi Pierre,

ja, jetzt hast Du mich erwischt!

Bei dem "Mellow Yellow" Beetle von Harry mochte ich zuletzt die Lackierung nicht mehr - das war irgendwie zu viel und zu durcheinander! Hatte zwar eine gute "Showwirkung" aber für mich zu wenig einheitliches Konzept! Und die Airbrushs mit den Adlern etc. sind nicht mein Stil. Auch fand ich die polierten RH-Felgen am "Mellow Yellow" nicht so toll - zu sehr "mainstream". Nix besonderes!

Klar ist der Mellow-Yellow für sich genommen ein schickes Showfahrzeug - aber ich wage zu behaupten, dass der Wagen hinsichtlich der Qualität der Umsetzung und bezüglich der optischen Stimmigkeit des Gesamtkonzepts an meinen Wagen nicht heranreicht! Ist halt auch ne Frage des Preises..

Einzig die Hifianlage und den (serienmäßigen) 1.8T Motor am "Mellow-Yellow" finde ich wirklich TOP! Der Rest bekommt ein "ok"!

"Vorbilder" für meinen Umbau sind dann eher:

-> Der "California Beetle", denn der Umbau ist einfach spitze! Meiner Meinung nach einer der besten überhaupt - und "Show & Shine-technisch" kaum zu schlagen! Dass der Besitzer "ein wenig" unsympathisch rüberkommt ändert daran garnichts!

-> Dieses schicke Gerät ist absolut TOP: BHRIFIC - a VERY custom 2004 New Beetle Convertible

-> Der "Belgier" hat ebenfalls ganz "meinen Stil" getroffen: Project Beetle_Boy 1.9 TDI

Vielleicht sollten wir aber in Englisch weiterdiskutieren, damit die anderen User der Diskussion folgen können!

[TechnoTrix'd]

Wonderfully done car! Great interior paint design and execution, good color theme and the use of customer leather accents is perfect!

Outstanding work, you should take great pride in your efforts!

Die besten Beachtungen,

TechnoTrix'd...

[FallinApartBoy]

oh my my...WOOF WOOF!!

[Billsbug]

Luv the leather work!

[TechnoTrix'd]

Originally Posted by Yellowracer

Hi Pierre,

(snip)..

Vielleicht sollten wir aber in Englisch weiterdiskutieren, damit die anderen User der Diskussion folgen können!

This is why I like people from Germany so much. In general, I have found them to be some of the most considerate people on the planet.

Lose tranlation is that Björn suggested that they switch back to English for any future conversations on this topic so that the rest of us non-German speaking members could follow.

Wow, how nice is that!!

TechnoTrix'd...

[Mazzzja]

Hi Björn

That's an amazing looking car you have there.

Will you be going to Switzerland to the GTG August 30th as well?

Anyway, enjoy!

[Yellowracer]

Originally Posted by Mazzzja

Will you be going to Switzerland to the GTG August 30th as well?

Do you think of this event? http://www.des-alpes-newbeetle.org/

Yes, I`ve plans on taking part at this event! Must be great days for all beetle-freaks! But I`am still not sure cause it`s such a far trip from northern germany. We`ll see..

In this list I can see just two people from germany! http://www.belgian-bug.org/modules.php?name=Frame That`s not too much!

Apart from that it`s 100% sure that I`am taking part at the "new beetle sunshinetour" from Lübeck to Grömitz on 14. of july! This beetle parade with about 200 cars is a highlight for me every year! http://www.beetle-sunshinetour.de/redax/
Perhaps we`ll see there??

[LadybugEwa]

Wow, the interior is simply stellar! Every detail's just perfect, and it's so elegant - not at all 'over the top'.
Totally lickable!

[Lony]

Airbrush design and choice of wheels is a matter of taste. You know the Americans like Euro Style and we europeans like US style, I think thats why he went with the Porsche rims. All work on Harry's Beetle was also on a very high level. I just saw yours and that remembered me of Harry, it was maybe just the color.
I really like a lot of details, but all in all you must be careful that it doesn't get overloaded.