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Next up is VWvortex reader: 1988gti



How long have you owned this car?

I have owned the car for just about two years.

Is there anything unique about the history of this car?

Previous owners daily drove it and didn’t care much about it, P.S. it had been sitting under a tree for 6 months before I saved her.

What drew you to this specific car?

It is a 1994, Black on Black Recaro’s “Quite RARE”!

What other cars did you consider? 

I truly wanted a 94-95 Corrado, 2004 WRX STI, 2004 VW R32, or 2002 Yellow S4.

What was your objective with this car? 

First, to bring it back to life and second, to make it look like a true Euro Corrado .

What tuning style would you describe this car as? 

Euro, OcT (Owner’s Creative Taste)

Who helped you build this car? 

My best friend Mikey, my loving wife Houriya, my Father, and some great friends who gave me great answers when I had questions.

What makes your car special?

My car is very special because it’s the only Corrado that’s styling a Passat lip attached to the original lip, MK3 Euro Flares and side skirts, and a hand grafted rear lip.  

What is your favorite part/feature/function? 

I love the mint Black Recaro’s, the rear wing rising, and the exterior out-look of the vehicle.

Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?

Just myself and my creativity. I previously had a very perfect red 93 Corrado but before I got to do much to it, I was involved in the middle of a pile-up traffic accident were my car was compressed in-between other cars. luckily, I was not hurt much.

What don't you like about this car?

I love everything about it since I’ve owned it but I hate when I find things going wrong because of the previous owners cutting corners on doing work on it.  

What was your biggest obstacle in building this car? 

How I can pull off the look of the Mk3 side skirts and fender flares. Also, the 10 inch wide wheels all around.


How did you overcome the issue?

I had to do a lot of cutting, heating and molding to make the fender flares fit. And the wheels fit great with some serious stretched tires and precision machines adapters.

What would you change if you could?

I would definitely have a 4motion R32 power plant and give it a full showroom respray.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project?

I would scale it at around 9, only because I want a more powerful Vr6 in it.

What would you do to the car if money were no object? 

4motion R36 Turbo swap.

Who has been your biggest critic of this project? 

People who said, you CAN’T. The ones that said “OH we tried and it didn’t fit.” There is no such thing as “I CAN’T” in my head, there is a possibility for everything, you just have to commit to it and believe in yourself.

What do your family and friends say about this car? 

They love it but they can’t believe the amount of money and time that I put in it. Why does your car scrape on the road? OMG it’s so wide!

What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car? 

When I went into a parking lot for this huge outlet sale, and the security started to chase me because I was trying to show off by being loud. I had to get my ass out of their property and away from them before they caught up to me. I was almost scared that I was going to be blocked in this huge parking lot and then fined. Also the unbeatable sound of this car under bridges and in tunnels.


What is your favorite story about this car?

I tried to show off the power and sound in the rain to one of my colleagues’, next thing you know, my first and second gear synchro’s were busted. I had to drive home in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears.

Has this car competed in any events? 

No, but I wish I could bring it to the shows and events in the U.S.

What is your favorite place to drive this car? 

On windy roads and on beautiful sunny days.

What is your ideal day with this car? 

Just cruising with a bunch of friends on a nice sunny day or going on a trip to the beach.

Who gets to drive this car? 

Usually just me. But maybe my dad since he loves the car so much and my friend Mikey because of his endless help.

If your car had a motto, what would it be?

I am sooooo going to look different than other Corrado’s. 


If you had to name your car, what would you name it?

The car is named “Swiffer” because the lip is so low that it brushes on the street when I brake a little hard. P.S. my lovely wife came up with the name for her.

What was your previous project?

Silver four door MK3 Golf VRT. It didn’t get accomplished though, due to an extreme amount of floor rust.

What is your next project?

God know’s! In the future, when I am established, I want a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa and I want to design parts for it to make it my own V12 Twin Turbo.

What one word best describes your car?

OneOfaKind (I made it up long time ago cause unfortunately the word doesn’t exist)

Any regrets? Tell us about it.

NO, I just wish it was still in my garage.

Anything else you’d like to share?

It is known as 1 of 25 cars to drive before you die. Therefore, I’m happy I have owned two in the past. Definitely one of the most enjoyable and fun cars I have ever driven.

Owner Information:

Name- Riaz Haghiri

Address- Toronto, Canada

VWvortex Username- 1988gti

Occupation- Mechanical Engineer in progress

Club Affiliations- N/A

Vehicle Information:


Year- 1994

Make- Volkswagen

Model- Corrado

Mileage- 230,000 Km’s

Color (Include original if applicable)- Original Black

Engine- 2.8L VR6

Engine Modifications- K&N intake, Samco hoses, and refinished engine.

Exhaust Modifications- Stainless piping from cat to original muffler, deleted resonators.

Transmission Modifications- Stock

Suspension Modifications- B&G RS2 coilovers, 18-way hard to soft dampening, all racing bushings and bearings

Brake Modifications- Volkswagen OEM brake discs with TRW soft pads.

Wheels and Tires- 16x9.5 3 piece ARE wheels, 215/40ZR16 BFGoodrich KDW on the front and 215/40R16 Maragoni Zeta Linea on the rear.

Exterior/Body Modifications- Camouflage hood, euro smoked e-codes with HID’s, smoke/red tail-lights, wired inner rear tail-lights, passat front lip, Mk3 side skirts and fender flares, re-fabricated stock front lip to the bottom of rear bumper, removed rubber door strips, stubby antenna, single front wiper, and deleted rear wiper.

Interior Modifications- Momo Team steering wheel and hub, Mk5 wooden/leather shift knob, gauge cluster chrome rings, Passat glass sunroof, and Passat dual cupholders.

Audio/Video/I.C.E.- Kenwood KDC deck, 10 inch Infinity subwoofer, SPL 800 watt amp, and all Stinger wiring.

Thanks/Props- Firstly, my best friend Mikey for all of his time and help. Secondly, my wife, parents and family for their love, support and inspiration. Thirdly, Jason @ Queensway VW, Yaz @ Martin Grove VW, Brian Dennis, great friend Jamie Stokes, Garrette, Sinba, my cousin Pedro and my uncle Azamat for lending me a hoist in their shop to work on my car, Sterling Tire, Chris @ Precision DNC, and anyone that hooked me up with parts.


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