15000 members - 11/04

12000 members - 03/04

10000 members - 10/03

9,000 members - 07/03

7,000 members - 01/03

5,000 members - 06/02

3,000 members - 12/01

I would like to express my gratitude for being selected as ClubB5 Of The Month for August. Looking through the past B5OTM members everyone has made an important contribution to this awesome website. Whether it is HermanH’s ability to explain complicated things in a simple way or BoeserBlick’s creativity, each member has brought something special to ClubB5. Personally my contributions have ranged from simple to complex, from “Don’t drink G-12 coolant” to “How to install leather interior in a Passat”.

The first time I saw the B5 Passat was in 1998. I was looking at a new Jetta GLX which happened to be parked next to VW’s latest model. Riding on the dealer added 15" chrome wheels the car I thought the car looked overweight. A year later I was serious about buying a car, being a tall person I was limited in my car choices. If I wanted a car with a sunroof it had to be either a Passat or a New Beetle. By that time I had seen Passats in a different light and liked the styling. My college experience working with turbocharged engines told me the 1.8T could be pushed more than it’s stock 150hp. I arranged to pick up a 1999 Passat 1.8T with a sunroof and manual transmission in Portland , Oregon . Upon arriving at the dealer all they had were tiptronic cars and V6s so my hunt continued for a month before I stumbled upon this Colorado Red Passat. Unfortunately it did not have a sunroof but the sale price more than made up for that shortcoming.

My first “mod” to the car was a set of front splash guards followed by debadging the trunklid and a CD changer. Over time the small mods continued to show up, Audi Sport wheels, clear side markers, K&N filter, etc.. It was not until three years after the original purchase that I seriously started modifying.

In 2001 I started posting on ClubB5 after lurking for a year. I installed Bilstein Sports with H&R OE springs by myself without air tools over the course of a weekend. A fellow member asked about suspension installs and we started talking back and forth over ClubB5. Pretty soon I was over at Jason’s (j) house helping with a suspension install (using air tools this time). The current suspension setup includes KW V2 INOX coilovers, a Neuspeed 28mm adjustable rear sway bar, and an AndyBar lower subframe brace.

The engine modifications started with a simple APR chip and the lust for more power had me going farther into the engine. I have settled on an Audi RS4 Motorsport turbo mounted to a custom machined K04 exhaust housing. The programming is a custom GIAC file designed to work with the 310cc injectors, ported exhaust manifold, and EVO Motorsports Front Mount Intercooler. This setup is one of two that I know of using the RS4 Motorsport turbo and was originated by Juan Mendoza of the defunct Werks of Art Tuning shop. The exhaust is a Brullen 2.5" mandrel bent full stainless system. My only other engine modifications are a NewSouth intake manifold gasket and an EVO Motorsports intake.

I would like to think my Passat is unique but in truth it represents the inspirations given to me by my fellow members. The original inspirations for building my Passat were garnered from photos of neokai’s Passat and Boris’s black beauty. Seeing those two cars showed me what a Passat could become. The Caractere’ front valence and B5.5 gauge rings are courtesy of b5bel’s creativity and help. Bel’s Passat represents a total package that flows together and integrates many styling cues in becoming unbelievable. The BBS RK wheels were a must have on my B5 after looking at pictures of HermanH’s beautiful blue Passat. Herman’s justification for the RKs included their light weight and brake clearance which was enough to sell me on the purchase. Painting the lower valences seemed almost required after seeing pictures of redb5sdca’s Colorado Red Passat.

All of my knowledge about in-car entertainment has been gained from one insanely intelligent CB5 member. Jason (j) does absolutely remarkable work and has amazing ability to bring components together in phonic perfection. Because my only condition about the ICE was to use the stock head unit Jason worked within that guideline to build my stereo. The factory RCA outputs are used utilizing an adapter from Blaupunkt. It uses MB Quart components in front with stock speakers in the back. Jason built a mounting board for the PPI six channel amp and a custom box to fit behind the passenger’s side of the rear seat. The box was designed using a computer program that can optimize any speaker to it’s enclosure for premium efficiency.

The mods are not quite finished yet. At the New Dimensions 2003 show I loved the S4 seats mounted in Wunder Wagen’s Anthracite Passat. Since then I purchased a set of perfect black leather seats and will be installing them soon. I also have a complete Net Optik interior trim set to install and of course some little tweaks here and there. Scuba2001's double din conversion instructions were invaluable during that daunting project. With j providing help and moral support we completed the install in a day without too many hang ups.

ClubB5 is one of the best online communities because it allows for discussion, learning, and even a little arguing. It definitely is a place I am proud to be a part of.

I would like to thank all of the ClubB5 members who contribute to our site. In addition to all the members I would like to thank my fiancé’ Natalie for all her understanding, patience, and enthusiasm.

 This site is not affiliated with Volkswagen of America or its parent company VW AG.