TJ (TJ Demonte)

Well, I finally made it! I am so happy to have been chosen for oneB5 for July. It is truly flattering.

I bought my B5 in July of 2000 with 13k on the clock, my wife was looking for a new car and they had taken my car in on a trade. I had a 96 Passat GLX at the time, we worked out the deal and I drove home it it a day later.

I immediately started looking for ways to bring out the European soul in the car. My very first mod was an over-priced K&N filter from a speed shop in town. I can remember being scared to open the airbox for fear of damage. Things have changed a lot since then!

In my search for some performance parts I found some fellow B5ers in CT and MA. Joe Loturco and Ron Lee really got me addicted to this hobby. They are not only fellow B5ers now they are friends, and that seems to be the trend. It is amazing that an inanimate object like a car can bring people of like interests together and form true friendships that last.

So after my 'gateway" mod, I ended up getting a chipped ECU from a guy in NY, that is when I went from a casual B5er to a hardcore B5er. The way the car was transformed by the chip, or at least showed the potential, was a rush. From that day forward, it would consume my time, shred my knuckles, empty my pocket, and make me lose sleep, thinking of what to do next.

That was aprox 4 years ago, a lot has changed since then...I want to make it clear that every mod done to the car is by my hands, except painting. I designed and built the IC myself, I designed and installed the Carputer 3.5 years ago, etc.

I am very proud of my hard work as all of you should be, I really don't understand what I call "blank check" modding, and while everyone is not hands-on, it's those that don't even try to grasp the concepts and leave it to the "Pros" that end up paying to much; not learning anything in the process; and at a loss in the event of a problem. They miss out on most of the fun...it's like buying a puzzle, and paying someone do finish it for you

I have just finished the timing belt, water pump, injectors and tranny fluid service. All the major maintinence is done, so now I can drive her with confidence in the weak spots of the B5 designs.

I would like to thank my wife Stacy for being a Saint...she puts up with so much BS from me about the car it is unreal, she supports me with things about this car I would never expect from anyone other than a tweaky B5er. I would like to thank Ron Lee for being a great friend and late night voice of reason for mod ideas and direction. Sorry to bug you Ron! :) I would also like to thank Juan Mendoza from the now defunct Werks of Art racing in California for his covert sponsership of me and invaluable help with tuning and concepts. I would like to thank my band, Nodecember, for puting up with the "gear head' in me while we are trying to practice or going to our shows, I know you are bored of it by now!

In closing I would really like to thank B5one for recognizing me for the the car and my efforts. We all work very hard on these things, and it is nice to get a push or a thumbs up for a job well done.

See a special WMV movie of TJ's ride in Action

Mods

Engine:

• Air Box mod custom using the stock air box
• Forge Hyperboost valve
• Bosch 1 step colder range spark plugs. forgot the number
• Custom made FMIC hard pipes from turbo to intake
• Custom built Werks of Art K04 hybrid with a K16 compressor wheel/ Td04h exhaust wheel
• Various Race/street/310 injector GIAC programming with spare ECU
• Turbo back mandrel 2.5 exhaust to a SS Autotech muffler
• Tiptronic spare TCM and chip

Interior:

• Custom made boost gauge a pillar area
• Clarion 7" motorized touch screen headunit
• Matching DSP processor for the Clarion 7"
• 5 channel amp running stock speakers and 2 10"s in the trunk
• Full in car computing connnected to screen, with USB and PS2 ports dash mounted along with Power and Reset switched soldered into the motherboard header.
• Turbo timer custom installed in the center console under armrest
• Alien window controler
• Push button Tiptronic shifting, my own design

Exterior:

• Caractere Front spoiler customized to fit IC pipes
• Zender rear spoiler
• Caractere front Valance
• Xenon Headlights OEM Hella
• Kamei Long Eyebrows
• Kamei Chrome Mirrors
• Bonrath Badgeless grille
• Crystal clear corners and repeaters
• 18" Flik Wasps w/ Falken Ziex512 225/40/18
• S2000 antenna
• 38% Madico tint

Other Performance:

• ATE slotted rotors front, Mintex Pads all around, Ate superblue fluid stainless steel lines
• Sachs Sporting Set 1.5" drop
• P+P rear sway bar

Other oneB5s

B5one is a licensed club of Volkswagen