This particular Golf was a little bit of a mythical creature. I would see it once or twice a year, more often than not did I have to convince some people that this actually existed; it was like the tooth fairy, or the loch ness monster. Many people weren’t even aware that this homologation even existed. For those that aren’t aware, a homologation special in simple terms is where manufacturer is required to build a road going version of the car they wish to compete with for a particular series or event.
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Its hard sometimes to define a good car. What makes a good car, everyone will have a different opinion on this? The same could be asked about the above..What makes a good Honda? The above civic is almost as close as you could get. It doesn’t need to have the most horsepower nor does it have the rarest components, the most insane engine, or the best suspension setup…
To polish a turd or “The act of trying to make something hopelessly weak and unattractive appear strong and appealing. An impossible process that usually results in a larger, uglier turd’. From the outside looking in, sometimes our way of spending money and spending time may look like a lost cause to the outside world.
If there is one thing I have learned over the years is that Ireland has such a deep rooted car following. In your family or group of friends someone has an interest in cars whether it be an uncle brother or friend, who has either had something over the years or still has a piece of metal with four wheels they hold close to their hearts. The thing about the Irish car scene is most of the time it is hidden, any car action you come across is usually surface level car enthusiasts who drive the streets at night and park up at McDonalds, do a couple of laps of the city and head home.
The one thing that always gets me excited about running this website is the amount of surprise cars which pop up that I just have to see in person. Ireland is action packed full of surprise builds. Owners who really build cars for themselves are what get me excited the most. Similar to the KE70 we featured a few months back, this RX7 appeared on the internet out of nowhere and when it appeared in my news feed I had to find out its story. Throughout the boom Ireland purchased its fair share of these beauties but the common feeling amongst people towards these cars is fear, due to the Rotary engine set-ups which was a relatively new thing to Ireland… Most car enthusiasts would have a fear of these cars because of the high maintenance which would steer people most of them away from ever really touching such an incredible looking chassis.
The owner of this car over thinks, but this is possibly one of his best qualities, the attention to detail in this car is stunning, and only get better. It takes Barry a long time to think about where a sticker should be placed, what colour, if it will stick out too much, clash with other colours on the car, look right and be in the right place. I love this about Barry and his perception of how a car should look. The amount of thought that goes into each part of the car would scare most people but it’s what has helped him to slowly craft one of the best EK9’s in Ireland.
In Ireland, a country heavily influenced by Rallying, many of the Impreza and Lancer evolutions which have been roaming the streets since the days of been brought in from Japan have had a very reserved following. Quite a lot of the owners usually theme the cars loosely on a rally style or keep the cars very subtle and almost stock exterior when it comes to exterior modifications.
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I recently had the pleasure of checking out number 189. I’m sure many of you are well acquainted with the Tommi Mäkinen EVO 6 or 6.5 as its often referred to. The car is named after the Finnish World rally driver after he took four driver championships in a row, Its always been a cool thing when a large car company comes out with a model like this with that extra special feeling of exclusivity creating a collectors item almost isntantly.
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The phrase “built not bought” is a common collection of words thrown around in today’s car scene. Many cars proudly wear the sticker and it’s become almost a trend in itself to say your car was built not bought. This car is the true definition of that phrase. The owner of this car Neil wanted to go his own route, always being interested in the JDM/US hatch scene he decided to make his purchase. A 01 Mitsubishi Colt would become his canvas. Ireland has a great deal of love for the Honda and the Toyota, and it’s no lie that these dominate the hatch scene here whilst Honda dominates the Hatch scene in the US. I’ve always wondered what it would be like if an American Honda owner got his hands on a Colt/Mirage and built one with the same love and enthusiasm they seem to have for the Civic, carefully selecting a mixture of performance and OEM parts to build a flawless clean hatch.