I’m a pragmatist who’s been driving modestly equipped cars all of his life. I was not interested in the fancy options that come with the upper trim levels, particularly the sunroof or leather seats. “Why not just get a Golf?” is a VERY common question. The answer is simple: I wanted the more powerful 2.0T. It’s A LOT more fun, especially after a tune! Plus, the GTI is a better car that’s still available with a manual transmission while the manual Golf was only available in “S” form. I bought a “Sport” trim, which is essentially a GTI “S” with Performance and Lighting Packages, as well as unique wheels. I’ve shared details about my decision here.
I usually don’t like anything eye-catching on my car. It’s a discretely modified car, except for when I mount the big antennas shown below. Being my “everything car,” it serves as a daily driver, traveler, workhorse, and routine joy-rider. But you’d never know it by passing it on the street. No one would suspect this car of hiding nearly 400 hp! Every modification is either completely hidden or easily removable. I don’t even have personalized license plates, an apparent rite of passage here in Virginia. It’s the answer to “Why StealthGTI!” 😉
After about five years of ownership and the continual expansion of my ham radio projects, I find myself with a radio platform that definitely blows my “Stealth” or hidden look. There’s no hiding these antennas now! The good news is that I designed these platforms to be modular and easy to remove when I want to run “clean” or do not have a communications mission. Check the menus at the top of the page to learn more. Or start reading more on my Mechanical page. I’ve shared a photo album below, too.
