JET-AWESOME

Sollar is from Centerville, Ohio, and he owns this awesome ’04 Volkswagen Jetta. But before getting down to building this Jetta, Sollar was all about the Honda scene. Before owning the Jetta, Sollar owned a hooked-up Prelude and a Del Sol. He actually purchased the Jetta with the intention of keeping it stock—we’ve heard that one before—but as with so many tuners, the modification bug bit Sollar big time, and before he knew what bit him, he was off modifying his Jetta.

From Honda to Volkswagen: Sollar’s Journey

While on location at the photo shoot, Sollar and the guys from DTR Performance told us Sollar just started going crazy on the car and never looked back. His long-term goals were to build an awesome Jetta, get recognition with the car throughout the country and get it featured in a national magazine…mission completed!

The Start of the Jetta Transformation

Sollar purchased this Jetta brand new in 2004, and after a few short weeks of tinkering with the car, it was time for the serious, over-the-top and insane modification to begin. Sollar contacted the guys from DTR Performance in Florence, Kentucky, because they are known for their awesome fabrication work. Sollar shipped the car from Ohio to Kentucky so that DTR could transform this tame beast into something truly awesome. Sollar informed the guys from DTR that he wanted a machine that would be completely different from the regular Euro stuff that was currently out in the scene.

Custom Wide-Body and Exterior Modifications

Starting with the exterior of the car, a completely handcrafted, fully custom, all-metal wide-body kit was fabricated by DTR. The front and rear bumpers were re-sculpted Zender Racer R pieces built to fit the new, widened bodywork. DTR also made and stretched the all-metal side skirts. Once the custom bodywork was completed and the car was covered in its new awesome Lagoon metallic-blue paint scheme, the rest of the exterior was outfitted with a ViS carbon-fiber hood and trunk, APR carbon-fiber mirrors, GT200 wing, front splitter and a set of FK angel-eye projector lights.

Wheels, Tires, and Braking Power

With the Jetta’s body now up to par, it was time for the guys to install the new custom set of totally awesome Forgeline SP3P wheels measuring 9 inches wide in the front and 12 inches wide in the rear. Aggressive Falken FK-452 tires cover these massive Forgeline wheels. The front Falkens are 265/30R19s, while the rears are enormous 315/25R19s.

Sitting nicely behind the Forgeline wheels and helping this beast stop is a set of ECS Tuning’s modified six-piston Porsche calipers with monster 15.1-inch rotors. On the rear are four-piston calipers with menacing 12.1-inch discs and street/track pads.

Suspension Upgrades: Low and Controlled

Bringing down the Jetta’s center of gravity is an Easy Street air-suspension kit that allows Sollar to lift and lower his Jetta with his in-car switches. Rounding off the suspension side of things are a Neuspeed front and rear and tie bars that help strengthen the Jetta’s chassis.

Interior Overhaul: Performance and Style

The cockpit of Sollar’s awesome Jetta is outfitted with fully functional Recaro SPG seats that are matched up with MOMO four-point harnesses. Keeping with the performance theme, DTR built a one-off chromoly rollcage with Pro-werks bottle brackets holding the CO2 tanks. To make sure Sollar doesn’t blow up his Jetta, DTR installed several electronic gauges in the dash area, including a set of AEM electronic gauges: Tru-Boost controller, wide-band UEGO, voltmeter, oil pressure, and fuel pressure.

The rear seats were removed and replaced with custom trim and an illuminated logo that screams “awesome.” Other goodies found inside the Jetta include a MOMO sport steering wheel, e-brake handle, and shift knob connected to a Neuspeed short-shifter. Wrapping up the interior of this awesome Jetta are yards and yards of suede.

Audio System: Rockford Fosgate Powerhouse

No show car would be complete without a booming sound system, and Sollar’s Jetta is no exception. In the dash is a Clarion DVD MAX675VD head unit. Rockford Fosgate came in big time to support this build. A Rockford Fosgate Power1000 five-channel amp is used to power the T162 6.5-inch front and rear component sets and T1-15 subwoofer. The entire system was wired with Rockford Fosgate wiring, and let’s just say that this system booms and is totally awesome.

Engine Rebuild and Performance Enhancements

While the rest of the Jetta was being worked on, the motor received a fresh rebuild with forged pistons and stronger rods. The head was also ported and polished, and DTR fabricated a custom four-into-one header that matches up with an SPA GT30R turbo. The extra gases are helped along via a TiAL 44mm wastegate that passes into a custom 3-inch side-exit exhaust clamped with V-bands. Highlighting this custom turbo kit is a massive S-Max intercooler, an SW300 blowoff valve, a vacuum manifold, a DEI Cry02 intercooler spray bar, and a plethora of polished DTR intercooler pipes. A VR6 throttle body was fitted to a custom DTR intake manifold that was polished for some extra bling. Helping fuel the fire is an Aeromotive 700 inline fuel pump complete with a surge tank. The high-octane feeds into the ATP billet rail with an S-Max adjustable fuel pressure regulator that works with the 800cc Bosch injectors.

Engine Bay and Tuning

Sollar and the DTR guys didn’t want a motor that just performed—they also wanted an engine bay that looked up to par with the rest of the car. To go along with the rest of the theme of the car, the guys at DTR shaved the entire engine bay and then had it painted to match the rest of the car. The wiring harnesses were tucked away and several items were removed from the engine compartment. After the engine was put back in and everything came together, the overall effect they were going for was accomplished. They wanted a clean and subtle engine bay with a motor that made a ton of power, and they definitely got the best of both worlds.

Sollar’s awesome Jetta was tuned by guess who? DTR Performance, of course. DTR used a 034-standalone 2C engine management with an onboard wide-band sensor to tune the car, and the motor put down some serious power. When we shot the car, it was putting down just under 400 wheel horsepower—not bad for a Jetta that wasn’t supposed to be modified when purchased.

A Project of Passion

There aren’t many individuals who would take on a project of this magnitude, but fortunately for the VW world, Sollar isn’t your average enthusiast. After spending over six figures on this project, Sollar decided it would be best to stop keeping track of what he spent on this awesome Jetta. Not only does Sollar want to own the world’s “most awesome Jetta,” but he also would like to keep his sanity. The crew from DTR Performance did an awesome job building this one-of-a-kind Jetta, and it comes as no surprise that companies such as S-Max, Falken Tires, Forgeline Wheels, AEM, ViS Racing, APR, and Rockford Fosgate became big supporters of this project.