Cam Waugh's 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit

The 1.8t engine is the best thing to happen to Volkswagen enthusiasts since the GTI. We've seen plenty of 1.8t swaps into earlier cars, even a few buses and a Porsche 914, but none have had the obsessive, over-the-top attention to detail of this Rabbit, which takes the best of show prize anywhere it turns up.

Cam Waugh, the owner of this Rabbit, also owns CWS Tuning (www.cwstuning.com) of Regina, Saskatchewan, which builds any and every sort of hybrid its customers can dream up, even Hondas.

Cam's first run at a Rabbit 1.8T was actually more our style, with an engine from a 1997 A4, a body covered in grey primer and a glovebox full of 13.0-second timeslips. Unfortunately, detonation killed the engine. Then, when Cam yanked the motor, he found cracks in the unibody around the lower control arms, and enough rust at the rear suspension mounting points to make a new shell the best solution.

Six months of searching yielded a perfectly rust-free and running 1980 Rabbit for $300. It was immediately stripped bare, then the front engine mount was reinforced with 2-inch tubing and the engine mount and strut tower unibody structures were seam welded. A Honda CBR motorcycle fuel tank filler replaced the Rabbit's black plastic piece.

Cam made a front bumper from a 1990 Cabrio top, 1992 GTI center section and 1995 GTI lower spoiler, all to fit a Porsche 944 intercooler behind the bumper. Rear door handles from a 1998 Jetta were adapted to the Rabbit doors and fitted with electric lock solenoids. A more normal selection of aftermarket trim bits was added, too, before the shell was painted 2002 Acura TL pearl black inside and out by Auto Host Paint and Body in Regina, Saskatchewan. The windows were installed with Hawaiian white rubber trim made for old Beetle restoration.

The interior displayed even greater unbalance. The first car had a MkIII GTI dash, but this one had to be better. Another MkIII dash was narrowed and shortened to fit the little Rabbit, complete with wiring, switches and fuse block. Cam added custom pods for gauges and the SDS EFI display and the Climatronic climate control system from a MkIV GTI VR6 before covering the whole thing in black alcantara, similar to late-model Audi S4 trim.

A tilt/telescoping steering column with the "switchblade" ignition key and Sparco Flash 3 steering wheel were wired to control the SDS EFI. Heated leather Recaro seats may be heavy, but are a good idea in Saskatchewan. A serious stereo was installed to round out the modernization program.

The engine was completely rebuilt, kept basic but beefed up with 81.5mm JE 8.0:1 forged pistons and a three-angle valve job. On the outside, though, Cam went back to fabricating everything. A custom turbo header with 1.5-inch primaries and an external wastegate mount the Garrett T3/T4E built by ADP in Surrey, British Columbia. A custom aluminum intake manifold makes use of a bored-out 2.0-liter throttle body.

A five-speed transmission was sourced from a 1998 Jetta 2.0-liter. A Simple Digital Systems stand-alone EFI system, Turbosmart manual boost controller, Tial 35-mm wastegate and Turbosmart blow-off valve keep combustion under control. Using an FJO wideband O2 sensor with Palm Pilot datalogging, Cam tuned the car himself. With no dyno in Regina, his best guess as to output is 300-plus hp at 20 psi.

Suspension mods are simple, with the installation of FK Highsport coil-overs and Neuspeed 25mm front and 28mm rear anti-roll bars. The flimsy chassis was reinforced with Eurosport Accessories' four-point lower front subframe brace and an OMP front strut tower brace. In case you were wondering, the Rabbit is the car that caused aftermarket strut tower braces to be invented.

The Rabbit's brakes were upgraded with a kit from Momentum Motorsport. With some light grinding on the caliper carrier and redrilling of the hubs to a 5x100 pattern, the 11.5-inch rotors and calipers from a 2002 GTI bolted on. The rear 2002 GTI brakes bolted on directly, with e-brake cables from a Scirocco the only complication. Braided lines, good fluid and PBR Metalmaster pads finish the job. Stock Rabbit tires are 155/80-13. Besides being nobody's idea of how to go fast, the wheels wouldn't fit over the brakes. A set of 17x7-inch, 35-mm offset ATS Planet wheels solved the problem.

This Rabbit doesn't just have the coolest body and interior of any show Volkswagen we've ever seen, with the most advanced comfort and electronics systems of any Rabbit, it also has legs. Even weighing in the neighborhood of 2,200 pounds with Cam strapped in, and with serious traction problems caused by an open differential and basic Silverstone tires, Cam has run a 12.7-second, 115-mph quarter mile. Impressive for a car that's driven almost every day.

Although no car is ever done, this Rabbit is as close to finished as any car can be. In fact, it has already moved aside to make room for a 1991 Jetta with a tuned TDI engine that should make 325 lb-ft of torque and still get 50 mpg.

BodyCustom front bumper, 1990 Cabriolet Clipper kit, Cabrio rearbumper, Kamei grille spoiler, Euro GTI grille, Zender hatch spoiler, 1998 Jetta rear door handles, DTM Cup side mirrors,early Scirocco single wiper, Audi TT antenna, Hawaiian Whitewindow rubber, clear taillights and side markers, Infiniti HIDs in Bosch housings, 2002 Acura RL pearl black

Interior2000 GTI VR6 heated leather Recaro seats, Mk4 GTI tilt/telescoping steering column with power steering and switchblade key Sparco Flash 3 steering wheel, 2000 GTI shift knob, Alpine stereo head unit, six-disc CD changer, MB Quart mids and tweeters, Kicker 6-in. mid bass, Audiobahn 12-in. flame sub, 1997 GTI dash and wiring, custom gaugepods, 2000 GTI Climatronic digital heater controls, Passat power windows, Euro GTI door panels, Euro GTI black headliner, remote trunk release, Auto Meter boost, EGT and air/fuel ratio gauges