Cruising with Friends & Interior Transformation

After weeks of wrenching and troubleshooting, I finally got to enjoy what this project was all about—driving. A few friends and I set out for a group drive through some scenic routes, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had in the car so far. The weather held up, the roads were dry, and the GTI felt sharp and eager.

It was the kind of day where you forget about all the frustration and rusted bolts and just enjoy the payoff. The sound of the EA113 under load, the DSG downshifts—it was just perfect. Everyone brought something different to the group: some were heavily modified, others nearly bone stock, but all had their own personality.

Before the drive, I finally got around to giving the interior a proper deep clean. The leather seats were treated, plastics were polished, carpets vacuumed, and every last bit of road dust and snack debris was banished. It’s honestly the cleanest this car has felt since I bought it.

I used some of my go-to interior products, which I’ll go over in a future post. I'm planning a dedicated “how to clean your interior” guide for anyone looking to bring their cabin back to life—especially helpful if your car’s been neglected or daily-driven through harsh seasons like mine has.

More drives are definitely coming soon. After all the time spent under the hood, it feels good to finally be behind the wheel with some clean leather under me and twisty roads ahead.