Part 1  Part 2

Peter Simpson
VW Passat 1.8 20v

Year: 1998
Mileage: 54,000
Current Mods: Rear badges removed, de-badged grille, 3G Brakes, German number plates, blue paint for calipers, Jamex suspension, Schmidt Wheels, Dunlop Tyres


Some nice new wheels... mostly not on the car
The new suspension is a tad soft but does the job
This month the Passat got its new rubber thanks to James at Dunlop. I wrapped these wheels in a set of Dunlop Sport Maxx 235/40R18 tyres. The wheels came from Volker Schmidt. The outer wheel dish on Schmidt-wheels is Radinox technology and they are made entirely of this special high-grade metal (Radinox) which is an extremely hard, lightweight stainless steel. If you visit Schmidt’s website or even YouTube you will be able to see how strong these wheels actually are; they will amaze almost any car enthusiast. Put it this way – kerbing should not be a problem! The wheels are called Jack-Line and they are 8Jx18H2, with satin black centres and a polished rim. They look quite hard on the not-so-standard looking Passat.

Now to the suspension. After hunting around and sending about 100 emails to one well-known supplier and getting no response, I ended up with a much cheaper option on the suspension. Jamex springs and struts are great value and do the job. They are fully adjustable and a snip at just under £300. They’re a little soft but that’s nice in such a large car. They were not too difficult to fit either. The car, as you can see, just sits right; the tyres may be a bit wider than I imagined, but they work well. PS

 


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