Let’s play a little word association game. We’ll tell you a word and you have to quickly say another that has some sort of connection to it. No, it doesn’t matter if you’re reading this on the bus and other commuters will shoot you funny looks. Ok, let’s start. Chewbacca… Tornado…Fender. If your word associated with the latter happened to be the R32 on these pages, then we’re here to help you look beyond those Berg Cup inspired protuberances to realize this MK4 is far more than meets the metal.
Ryan Maretsky, a 32-year-old clean room manufacturer hailing from the eastern end of Long Island, has owned the R32 you see here for a decade. “The first car I purchased with the intent to build was a 2004 GTI,” says Ryan. “I knew what I wanted, and the general look it would take.” With six months invested, a friend of his father mentioned they were planning to sell their R32. “Knowing what the car was, I immediately called him back and told him I would buy it. I put the GTI up for sale right then, stripped it of all its work, and went to pick up the R.”
Ryan’s automotive history is somewhat short yet sweet, with his first set of wheels being a 1964 Mustang which was replaced with a more practical Toyota 4Runner for college duties. “My grandfather consistently drove off brands like Renault and Citroen when I was growing up,” Ryan tells us. “Plus, my father had a vehicle customization shop, so I’ve been into cars as long as I can remember, but have always had a particular liking for Volkswagens.” We’re glad he does. Enter the R32.
We’re in an odd time right now where values of nearly everything are rising to levels that don’t make much sense. The term ‘survivor’ seems to have become synonymous with an instant premium on the bottom line, regardless of humble origins. Oh your grandmum has a taxi-spec 1.8 MK3 Golf
