nananana4k (Jerry)

"Jasmine"
98 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Tiptronic

What started it all was when it came to letting go of my 98 Nissan Pathfinder. I had it for a short period of time, but the repairs of an SUV coupled with the low gas mileage made it a too costly to own. The sluggish engine made it too slow to enjoy. So I started looking for a car. The number of options plagued me, however, the one commercial that stuck out the most was "It only looks like a million dollars."

So I hopped on the internet to get an idea of what the price ranges were for a Passat. I checked everywhere, even online auctions. And there it was in a private ad, a 98 Satin Silver Passat in CT. Took a trip out to the owners house, got in the car, and a test drive later I was on the highway. Brad said "floor it". As the turbo kicked in I couldn't believe how stable it was, and before I knew it I was at 120 mph. Days later, it was signed, sealed and delivered to my driveway.

I guess the very first mod I did was the usual rice choice, changing out the amber corners. Odd how when you put in clear corners Passat in a search engine, the profiles on Club B5 come up. And that's how the mod bug hit. Everything was for sale. And more information about throttle bodies, exhaust, and dear lord, the CHIP.

The mods began to flow in slowly. After an accident coming back from Boston, I had to invest in a pair of HID's. Best investment I've made. Part looks, mostly function, the heavy price tag more or less validated any additional mod from that point on. Wrapped in Votex, debaged and the car lowered, the number of confused looks on the street began. Even got a VIP spot at the garage near work. Although I do get the cursed "Nice Jetta" every once and a while. Driving a friend home, she pointed out the TT shift, and said, "That's not stock." Pointed out the side skirts, the HID's, and a couple of other things. Being real impressed with the car, she added "All the small changes are prettyÉclassy." I guess that was the end goal. Nothing too outrageous, just clean mods.

While purchasing some items from Joe, he put me onto B5One. Found some familiar members, and came out to spring fling. Went in with a million mods to be done, left with changed spark plugs. Good food and good people always equals a good time. I'd also like to thank all the members that make it feel like a family, like Bryan (B Dizzle Fizzle), Joe (Joe), Jacob (Passaturbonium), Matt (HizzyBfizzy), Eric (Bombay83), Ron (B518t) and friends.

In retrospect the car probably costs more in mods than repairs or gas could have cost me on the Pathfinder. And the commercial that got me to get Jasmine in the first place was for a B5.5. But in the end, I can't imagine driving away with anything else.

Mods

Engine

Suspension, and Tires

Exterior

Interior

Acoustics

Other oneB5s

B5one is a licensed club of Volkswagen