Tell us the story behind your ride. What made you pick this particular one? Where did you find it?  I've always wanted something small and compact, something quick that was fun as a daily. This GTI   really caught my attention, just something about it that really attracted me. I did a full search just to REALLY  learn about the car and just fell in love. Basic tune on this and it goes a long ways! The black beast as i recall   it, resided in Sacramento when i first laid eyes on it. I knew that it was the one, well maintained, bone stock,   something to start from scratch so i could build what's mines.   Describe the modifications you've made. Where did you start,   what’s the most recent mod and what motivated it?  Coming from being bone stock, i've come a long ways. Currently tuned by Unitronic, Stage 2 with the high pressure fuel pump file. Full bolt ons and and currently still debating if i should go with a Frakenturbo. Both charge pipe have been upgraded, CTS Charge pipe and a Neuspeed Discharge pipe. Also running a CTS catless downpipe and thats connected to a custom catback, straight piped and it sounds quite nice. The most recent mod was upgrading my high pressure fuel pump so that i could run a stronger tune. The only reason being why was to keep up with my brother's 350z. Other than engine mods, i am running a votex front lip, swapped to jetta grilles, and my beautiful enkei t6s.   Of all the mods you’ve made, which do you think offers the biggest bang for the buck?  Probably my tune, hands down. I say that because one of the things is looking nice, but to be driving and FEEL more power just makes me fall in love all over again.  How did you go about selecting the specific parts for this build? Any installation tips to share?  Choosing specific parts for this car was a challenge, the years and build year is important for these cars. Know that you want either a FSI or TSI. These years came with two different motors and i could not regret more that i wish i could've gotten a later year for the TSI motor. No time for regrets as i only want to be happy with what i have, as for any installation on this car, if you should have a FSI, CHECK YOUR CAM FOLLOWER!  What are you planning next?  As i referred to before, my next step is probably going for a bigger turbo. Currently debating on a Frakenturbo or K04. With my stock turbo pretty much at it's peak, the only thing restraining me from going faster is my tiny turbo!  What’s been the biggest challenge with this build?  One of the greatest challenge for this build was finding the right wheels. With the bolt pattern of 5x112, i felt limited for the choices that i had. Most GTI's that i had seen had mesh wheels, VMR's were a very popular choice for this car and though it does look nice, i wanted something more. After nights of looking for the right pair, i came across the "Enkei T6S". The moment i saw it, i knew that was it. My current set up is 18x8.5 +42, it's quite aggressive for this because GTI's cant run with super wide wheels.