Passat of the Month - August 2006
Tom Parish
Madison County, NY USA
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First off, I am honored to have been asked to share my B5 with you all. My previous car was a 1985 Jetta GLI which I owned for 14 years and put on approximately 125K miles. While living in Boston I met Dick Shine at SRS who ended up modding my GLI more than I ever could have imagined. In February of 1999 he told me about the new 1.8T engine and what just a chip could do to improve the engine hp. Right then I was sold, hook, line, and sinker. With 2 small kids my Jetta was looking tiny. My wife already had a 1992 Passat wagon so I knew that the Passat was roomy and a great German road car. After a quick road test in a new B5 I realized it was light years ahead of her wagon and my GLI. So in April of 1999 I purchased my current B5 sedan.
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The first “mod” on my new B5 occurred even before the car was delivered; new TSW wheels. Within 5 months I had determined that the GIAC chip was for me and the true modding began. By the time I joined www.clubB5.com I had already added HIDs, clear corners, a CD changer, Bailey DV, Bilstein sport shocks, and Neuspeed sport springs. Once I joined ClubB5 my pay check just got smaller and smaller. The good thing was I now had a tremendous group of people to advise me on new mods, DIY projects, and maintenance. Before buying this car the only work under the hood I had ever done was to change the oil, spark plugs, and the occasional fuse. Now I was able to save more money with my DIY projects resulting in more cash for mods. Since then it has been exhaust upgrades, turbo upgrades, brake upgrades, B5.5 interior conversions, and the list goes on. Is there an end to infinity?
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I live in the boonies of Central New York which naïve ones will call upstate New York (the Adirondacks is actually called “The North Country” as there is no upstate NY). I am surrounded by dairy farms, long twisty roads, and best of all, no traffic. In other words a great place to enjoy driving your B5. Since joining ClubB5 I’ve continued to modify or upgrade almost every part of the car. Today I was wondering if ClubB5 has actually saved me money. My answer is, maybe. Now I very rarely go to the dealer for service or parts and I do almost all the maintenance myself or with friends. Unfortunately, the information, support, and confidence supplied by PassatWorld, nee ClubB5, has quickly eaten up any money I have saved.
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Peace and drive safely.
Tom Parish
Madison County, NY USA
First off, I am honored to have been asked to share my B5 with you all. My previous car was a 1985 Jetta GLI which I owned for 14 years and put on approximately 125K miles. While living in Boston I met Dick Shine at SRS who ended up modding my GLI more than I ever could have imagined. In February of 1999 he told me about the new 1.8T engine and what just a chip could do to improve the engine hp. Right then I was sold, hook, line, and sinker. With 2 small kids my Jetta was looking tiny. My wife already had a 1992 Passat wagon so I knew that the Passat was roomy and a great German road car. After a quick road test in a new B5 I realized it was light years ahead of her wagon and my GLI. So in April of 1999 I purchased my current B5 sedan.
The first “mod” on my new B5 occurred even before the car was delivered; new TSW wheels. Within 5 months I had determined that the GIAC chip was for me and the true modding began. By the time I joined www.clubB5.com I had already added HIDs, clear corners, a CD changer, Bailey DV, Bilstein sport shocks, and Neuspeed sport springs. Once I joined ClubB5 my pay check just got smaller and smaller. The good thing was I now had a tremendous group of people to advise me on new mods, DIY projects, and maintenance. Before buying this car the only work under the hood I had ever done was to change the oil, spark plugs, and the occasional fuse. Now I was able to save more money with my DIY projects resulting in more cash for mods. Since then it has been exhaust upgrades, turbo upgrades, brake upgrades, B5.5 interior conversions, and the list goes on. Is there an end to infinity?
I live in the boonies of Central New York which naïve ones will call upstate New York (the Adirondacks is actually called “The North Country” as there is no upstate NY). I am surrounded by dairy farms, long twisty roads, and best of all, no traffic. In other words a great place to enjoy driving your B5. Since joining ClubB5 I’ve continued to modify or upgrade almost every part of the car. Today I was wondering if ClubB5 has actually saved me money. My answer is, maybe. Now I very rarely go to the dealer for service or parts and I do almost all the maintenance myself or with friends. Unfortunately, the information, support, and confidence supplied by PassatWorld, nee ClubB5, has quickly eaten up any money I have saved.
Peace and drive safely.
