Customer Cars – Harkz’s Dragon Green MK3 Golf!

VW Parts International Blog:
Customer Cars – Harkz’s Dragon Green MK3 Golf!

After the fantastic response received on Rob’s VR6, it seemed only fair to cover another Customer Car! Unfortunately as many of you are aware I disappeared off for some rather important surgery to repair the mess that is my right arm – so for those of you looking forward to a new feature, I am deeply sorry, I don’t plan on having another operation for the foreseeable future! However, from my heart thank you for all of the well wishers sending messages while I was in hospital! Anyway, enough about me, let’s get on with the task in hand!

4 years ago, Harkz picked up this Dragon Green Volkswagen Golf MK3 VR6, and in his words, “It was a mess”. Interior pieces were missing, rust everywhere, and corroded rubber bushings all round. It was clear that this VR6 previously had a tough paper-round! However, unfazed by the task ahead of him, Harkz got straight to work, starting by replacing any rusty or rounded nuts and bolts on the chassis with OEM replacements from us at VW Parts International. Following that, the standard suspension was swapped out for some BC Racing coilovers. This was a perfect time to start replacing the old and corroded rubber bushings. and Harkz bought a Full Powerflex Bush Set from us at VWPI. The stance was then completed with a set of 17x8j BBS LM replicas.

So now the VR6 was starting to feel a little more healthy and tight from behind the wheel. Now was a perfect time to start on the appearance aesthetically, as the engine was strong, and the chassis tight. However the paint was bubbling with surface rust, and blistering from the sun. There were also small scratches and dings all over the car. To fix this properly, it would either take a huge number of man hours every day after work, or some time in a body shop. Harkz chose the latter, however he wasn’t just going to throw in a standard car for paint. Oh no, there were many pieces to be upgraded and changed, starting with a full Vento front end. US front and rear bumpers were added to the parts pile, along with a US tailgate. Wing mirrors taken from a MK3.5 cabrio were chosen as they give a MK3 a nice modern touch. Finally, Harkz got back on our site and bought a pair of Upper Air Intake Vents for the front bumper, a must have if your car isn’t factory fitted with front fog lights or your looking to feed in more cold air to the VR6 engine bay!

Once all US and Vento parts had been resprayed in Dragon Green, the body of the car was also de-rusted, de-dinged and given a fresh lease of life with perfect original Dragon Green Paint. This surely was turning into one clean green restored machine! Harkz now turned his attention to lighting, because now that there was a USDM style, a few things needed wiring differently. US side markers were added, and wired up from the original indicators. The amber side lights were also then spliced into the factory side lights to complete the USDM look. Finally, the Vento headlights were taken off, split, and “Joeyd”, meaning the chrome backing painted black, which when reassembled gives a really great look, while still maintaining the factory lighting brilliance. This completed the exterior, and finished off what has become one of the most beautiful examples of a Dragon Green MK3s the UK has seen!

Harkz’s final points of interest were the sound of the car, and the interior styling. He purchased and installed a full VR6 Exhaust System and De-Cat Replacement Pipe, and let the VR6 breathe a little easier with a K&N 57i Induction Kit. Now it was looking fresh with a better than factory re-spray, lovely wheels, great stance and finally there was an engine note to match! Harkz’s attention was finally focussed on the interior. The grey pillar trims were replaced for black, and the roof lining was re-trimmed in black faux suede. A wooden rimmed steering wheel from a B5 VW Passat was a welcomed touch of class, along with Audi TT knee bars onto the centre console. Partner this with a far more modern looking MK3.5 cabrio dimple dash and the driver’s seat was fast becoming a lovely place to be! As a last addition, Harkz made up a custom MK4 style appearance for his original clocks, finishing the modernised style.

Well harkz, what can I say? This is one of the class leading MK3s in the UK, and quite possibly one of the cleanest examples of a Dragon Green Golf remaining on the roads! The Vento front end is always a popular addition, along with BBS wheels. So from an on looker’s standpoint, this lean green cruising machine is breaking necks daily.  From all of the team at VW Parts International, thank you for your custom, we love the car, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

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