Wesley marsh returns and goes all in
A couple years ago, Wesley Marsh decided to
get out of the car show game. The New Jersey resident had previously fielded a
few vehicles with some success. After walking away from the stage, Marsh
decided to buy a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta as a family car and a means to commute
to work.
Six months passed, then something odd
happened. Marsh suddenly found himself back in the shop, working to turn his
daily driver into a brand new show car. So much for retirement.
2008
Volkswagen Jetta - Back in The Game
Marsh says he wanted to make some basic
stereo and wheel changes, but the scratch needed to be itched after he started
working on it. No doubt his work as an automotive audio installer and the fact
he was practically born in the garage has a lot to do with it. Many of the
tricks he's learned have come from his father, who was an auto mechanic.
The best way to describe Marsh's
daily-driver-turned-show-car would be subtle swag. There's nothing too
outlandish about the build, but the highlights he wants to show are clearly
worthy of a judge's attention.
Taking a closer look, the first detail
you'll notice is the color scheme of the car. Just a simple grey, it's in this
de- literately bland color that the genius of Marsh's design comes through. The
monochrome body makes the orange highlights around the car almost explode into
your field of vision.
Taking
a closer look, the first detail you'll notice is the color scheme of the car
With the wheels, it's difficult to ignore
rims as stylish as the Privat Remember wheels, but custom painted orange makes
looking away an impossibility. Accelera tires do an excellent job to make the
rims stand out; they appear thin but provide good traction.
The front of the vehicle features a custom
Boser hood, an Osir GT2 OF-2 V front lip and an FK badgeless grille, while the
rest of the body has been widened thanks to a new Vortex rear bumper and side
skirts. All of this creates a docile yet aggressive exterior that is
reminiscent of a sleeping bear.
The mirrors also stand out, dressed in
orange camp — a visual theme that continues inside the vehicle, notably with
the seats, door panels and dash.
Marsh had the stock seats re-finished in
grey suede by his friend Josh Frone, the upholstery proudly displays a diamond
pattern with orange stitching. On the door panels and dash, that same orange
came from the mirrors outside is splashed all over.
Marsh
had the stock seats re-finished in grey suede by his friend Josh Frone, the
upholstery proudly displays a diamond pattern with orange stitching
This came is particularly cool because of
the different shades of orange and the grey tones within it. It gives the Jetta
an extra bit of character without diverting too much from the color scheme.
Other notable interior modifications are a
MOMO Trek-R steering Performance wise, there isn't a lot done, but there are
some modifications; this is a show car after all. The stock intercooler has
been replaced with one from an Audi S3, a new Cold Cone Box intake system from
AWE Tuning and a Forge blow-off valve. Marsh's return to the car show circuit
has been very successful. Since buying the car in 2010, he's earned accolades
that include a number of wheel and Auto Meter volt and air pressure mount,
which sits inside a custom pod in the headliner.
With Marsh being an audio installer
himself, it's only natural this car would have an impressive audio system.
Specifically, the car has JL Audio C5 speakers, ZR tweeters, 6W3 subwoofers and
a H0750/1 amplifier with a Pioneer M O head unit, so on the very off-chance the
exterior doesn't catch a strangers attention, the audio will.
Other
notable interior modifications are a MOMO Trek-R steering Performance wise
Performance wise, there isn't a lot done,
but there are some modifications; this is a show car after all. The stock
intercooler has been replaced with one from an Audi S3, a new Cold Cone Box
intake system from AWE Tuning and a Forge blow-off valve.
Marsh's return to the car show circuit has
been very successful. Since buying the car in 2010, he's earned accolades that
include a number of first-place finishes and a second place at the 18th edition
of the grand-daddy of Volkswagen shows, Waterfest, last year.
In addition to his prizes, creating this
master- piece has also brought Marsh back into the social element of car
madding. He created his own car club, Slam'n Euro'z, and even took over a
couple VW shows, including the spring and fall VW/Audi Shown Go held in
Englishtown, New Jersey.
