Despite modified Mk5 Golfs being extremely popular, the Gen-2 Leon, which shares the same platform, is a rare breed indeed. Riki Jones-Heaton’s modified Mk2 Leon might just change a few people’s perception, though… 

Feature taken from Performance VW. Words & photos: Jon Cass

While the Mk5 Golf is no stranger to the pages of PVW, for some reason the Mk2 Leon – which shares the same very capable platform – is a rare visitor to these pages. And that seems a shame as the 1P Leon not only came with those striking looks and a range of fine power plants as standard, it was also a strong performer in the BTCC in its day, often battling it out at the front of the pack. For sure, not many VAG cars can boast such a cool motorsport history, of winning races that had you sat on the edge of your seat.

Luckily, the Catalunya built Leon still has its fans who rate it above its more commonplace Golf sibling and among them is 27-year-old Rikki Jones-Heaton who’s taken his 2007 Cupra further than most would dare.

Beginning his car ownership inventory with a Citroen C2 when he was just 18, Rikki restricted his mods to 18” rims and rally mud flaps to keep insurance costs down but soon he moved on to a Mk5 1.4 Golf. “I was beginning to take note of the VAG scene by then and a Mk5 Golf seemed like the right choice at the time,” Rikki recalls, “unfortunately it didn’t turn out to be such a great car.” Sadly, the Mk5 was something of an impulse buy and a closer inspection revealed it had been subjected to a previous accident and not repaired properly, the crazy paving body panels providing a clue and the radiator falling out not long after confirming this. “It was also unbelievably slow, but the prospect of replacing it with something faster and that hadn’t been in a crash, by now seemed within my budget,” Rikki explains.

Despite this particular Golf’s shortcomings, Rikki hadn’t been put off by Mk5s and initially began looking towards the highly rated Golf GTi. “There was no shortage of Mk5s for sale, but I began to take notice of the SEAT Leon Cupras that kept cropping up as I loved the looks and they came with more power with the KO4 turbo as standard along with bigger brakes. I found Leons were often cheaper than the equivalent Golfs too,” Rikki tells us.

Not wanting to make the same mistake he did with the first Mk5, Rikki took his time tracking down the right Leon for him and after five viewings he’d finally found it. “An immaculate bright red Cupra came up for sale in Birkenhead, I rang straight away and put a deposit down that same weekend,” he recalls, “the salesman told me I’d been lucky as he’s had 100 people in the last few days wanting to buy this particular car!”

It was a good buy too, the Cupra felt smooth and like new, Rikki’s initial plans were to restrict the mods to a set of rims and lowering springs, but how often have we heard that one before? “Once I’d started attending shows and seeing what everyone else was doing, the more inspiration came to me,” Rikki smiles. As planned, the wheels received a subtle change, now being repainted black while the spoiler was painted to match too and a set of coilovers provided a lower stance. “After five months I’d got used to the power and opted for a stage 1 map with 300bhp,” Rikki tells us. “Two weeks later the clutch let go so I had an uprated item fitted and then thought I might as well go for even more power!” Stage 2 came next, along with a more than useful 350bhp, while polybushes, an induction kit, cat back exhaust, a facelift diffuser and an Autotech fuel pump and intercooler were also added to the mix.

The coilovers certainly improved the handling, but Rikki was keen to ensure his Leon would stand out at shows and so he soon opted for air ride. We should point out here, Rikki is happy to carry out any work on his car himself. With the help of his mate Duncan by his side the pair created a neat boot build to house the air tanks and compressor. In fact, the boot build is already on its third incarnation, they’re such perfectionists! Both Rikki and Duncan have enjoyed working on this car so much, they’ve now set up their own business called REDesign customs, providing air ride, audio and boot build installs. Their custom fitted air ride centres around an Air Lift V2 system with full performance bags and dampers, while the rim of choice by now was a set of 19” Inspiris. Rikki’s Leon was beginning to grab people’s attention.

The Barnsley-based tuning company Performance Direct is a familiar name to PVW, you’ll probably recall their mental bright green 1.8T Lupo GTI with silly power from a few years back if not one of their other jaw dropping creations. Having the advantage of living not too far away from the Performance Direct unit, Rikki had began attending shows with the team there and a trip to the 2015 Humber car show proved to be quite an eventful one! “We were all travelling in convoy and my engine let go at 145mph, showering my mate, Matty’s Passat R36 with oil and piston number four,” Rikki recalls, “my Leon now sounded like a Subaru running on three cylinders, but I still managed to limp the car to the show.” A call was made to the recovery services an hour before the show ended so Rikki wouldn’t have to wait around after the results had been decided. Incredibly, Rikki’s Cupra picked up a trophy for best club car that day despite its lack of oil and piston and he probably goes down in history to be one of the happiest guys ever to be recovered from a show!

A return to the gloom of reality the following day at Performance Direct revealed the engine had ran lean and melted piston number four, Rikki made the decision to send the TFSI to TSR Performance for a rebuild. “While the engine was out, I had the idea to try and tuck or hide every wire and remove everything that wasn’t needed,” Rikki tells us, “after work each night, I set about chopping and smoothing the bay and somehow everything worked out fine and nothing caught fire!”

Once the now fully forged 2.0 TSFI had been returned by TSR, Rikki took the week off work to reinstall the engine. An oversized induction kit, R Tech pvc delete, CNC inlet manifold and RS4 145 bar fuel pressure return valve were also added around this time as was the custom twin exit exhaust, fabricated by Performance Direct themselves. “Once the engine had been run in, I took the car to R Tech Performance for a few map changes, leaving it in the capable hands of Niki Gower,” Rikki explains, “a few changes to the exhaust were made and a new welly cooler developed for my particular car.” The result not only looks stunning, the figures are impressive too. Now with 377bhp and 400lbft torque on tap, this Leon is proving to be a real hoot to drive. The only downside to that smoothed bay being the complete removal of the air con and firewall insulation as the cabin now gets quite toasty inside, but it’s a small price Rikki is willing to pay! “To be fair, I didn’t think it’d ever run again after I’d played around with the wiring so much, so I’m happy to put up with the extra heat inside the cabin,” he laughs.

Any changes to the interior had so far been neglected, but luckily Rikki’s close friend Emily at Luxe Auto Interiors was willing to help out here. The steering wheel, centre console, dash, hand brake gaitor and door cards have all now been retrimmed in black flocked material or contrasting red and grey Alcantara along with that fresh boot build Rikki had built with his mate Duncan. A pair of supportive Corbeau bucket seats stick with the motorsport theme Rikki was now aiming for and that colour coded rear cage now looks right at home too.

Certainly, the biggest instant transformation around this time was for Rikki to opt for a set of 19” OZ Superleggera split rims in metallic bronze with gloss black lips and chromed copper bolts. We couldn’t imagine another choice of wheel suiting this car any better.

Rikki’s attention then returned to the bodywork where he chose to enhance the Cupra’s striking looks with tinted rear lights, aftermarket side skirts, front grilles, and  a Mk1 Cupra front splitter to produce a much more menacing look. “I also managed to locate various carbon parts from Unique Carbon which I reckon suit the car better than the standard plastics,” he adds.

As we pointed out earlier, Rikki has taken his Leon further than most and you’d imagine he’s reached a stage he’d now be happy with the result, but then this guy doesn’t suffer from any lack of ambition or determination. “There are a lot of changes to come over the next year including a full 4WD set up as its not funny spinning the front wheels and unintentionally swapping lanes at 60mph,” he smiles. “I’d also like to fit a full cage and wide arches along with a fresh respray for that full touring car look.”

Should all this go to plan and knowing the crew at Performance Direct it probably will, we’d expect Rikki’s Cupra to create a storm in the coming show season. We’re just pleased he’s managed to unleash the Mk2 Leon’s potential and will no doubt provide inspiration for others to follow.

Tech Spec: Modified Mk2 Leon

Engine:

2.0-litre TFSI fully forged engine, KO4 turbo, oversized induction, full stainless exhaust system, R Tech welly cooler, R Tech PVC delete, Audi R8 coil packs, NGK iridium plugs, CNC inlet manifold with runner flap delete, air con delete,  hidden/ tucked wiring, high pressure Auto Tech fuel pump, RS4 145bar fuel pressure return valve, low pressure pump mod, carbon canister delete, custom twin-exit cat-back exhaust by Performance Direct, mapped by R Tech making 377bhp and 400lbft torque

Chassis:

OZ superleggera alloys, Air Lift Performance v2 air ride, poly bushed chassis, uprated brakes, wheels are finished with gloss black lips and bronze centres with chromed copper bolts

Exterior:

Mk1 Cupra Splitter, spoiler, aftermarket diffuser, aftermarket grilles, tinted rear lights, side skirts, Unique Carbon supplied carbon fibre parts including grille surround, wiper arms, slam panel, door handles and scuttle panel

Interior:

Carbon fibre detailing, flocked dash doors and center console, retrimmed arm rest ,steering wheel and door cards in alcantara, full boot build by REDesign customs, Corbeau Bucket seats, colour coded half cage

Stereo:

510 stereo

It takes something very different to stick out in the Focus scene, but Geoff Longley has certainly managed it with his big power AWD Focus ST.

Feature taken from Fast Ford magazine. Words: Simon Holmes. Photos: AS Design

Many Ford fanatics will tell you that the Blue Oval becomes a lifelong addiction. Sure enough, the owner of this fine Focus, Geoff Longley, has been into Fords for over 20 years, which is why his current project is something particularly special and unique, which is hard to do in the Ford scene. With mean looks and a track-ready interior, his ST packs around 500bhp and, most importantly, a custom all-wheel-drive conversion.

The story starts for Geoff many years ago, as he got into his Fords early on.

“It all goes back to when I was growing up,” he recalls. “Going to the Chelsea, Brighton and Southend cruises it was always Fords that looked and sounded the best back then. Ever since I’ve just loved them and I’ve had a Mk2 Escort, Fiesta XR2 and Escort RS Turbo. Although it took me a long time to get back into motors, once I had the money, it had to be Ford and, in my eyes, the ST and RS models are the best hot hatches on the road.”

Sure enough, having become bored of a string of BMWs and Mercedes models, Geoff decided he wanted to go back to his roots with a fast Ford. He bought this example back in 2013, sourced from the local Volvo dealers in Milton Keynes. It seemed the ideal candidate for the job, being a ‘one-owner-from-new’ car that was completely standard.

However, it didn’t stay that way for long, even though there was no specific plan in mind, as he explains to us.

“I hadn’t modified a car in years, so I just did the simple bits first; an intercooler, induction kit and exhaust,” he confirms. “They were just a few mods that I could do myself. But that changed when I went to Jamsport for a block mod, uprated clutch and remap.”

From there, things quickly began to escalate for the ST as Geoff found himself wanting more and more power from the car, as the familiar-sounding story goes. After getting to a decent 320bhp, it was decided to take it up a few notches and the car was booked in for a full-on Jamsport 500bhp conversion, featuring forged internals, a big turbo kit, EMU standalone ECU, Anembo inlet and plenty more.

This did of course keep the power-hungry Geoff content, as a 500bhp car would for most people. But the huge increase in performance soon revealed that other areas needed upgrading to cope and it was clear a radical solution would be needed.

“Once it was 500bhp I was snapping driveshafts daily,” remembers Geoff. “So two weeks after it came back from the big power conversion, I brought it back to Jamie at Jamsport and we sat and talked about what we could do to resolve the issue.”

A number of solutions were considered to cure the car’s appetite for driveshafts, the most obvious being an RS front end suspension and drivetrain set up, which uses much stronger items that are a relatively easy swap. However, not wanting to follow trends Geoff was also happy to think outside of the box and be a bit different.

“The RS front end conversion had been done before, so I said what about four-wheel-drive?” tells Geoff. “Jamie replied he had always wanted to do it, so that was that and off we went.”

Of course, the all-wheel-drive conversion had not been done before because it’s not easy or straightforward to do, which Ben Hayes at Jamsport was happy to confirm. Understandably, he also explained that they weren’t too willing to give up the trade secret details learnt from the car’s development.

“We will say it was a very time-consuming project,” he reveals. “There are bits used from lots of cars and the conversion required a lot of custom work, although very little was done to the shell itself and some parts bolted straight up still.”

What we can determine is the car is using some Ford Kuga parts, a Haldex rear differential and modified subframes, but whilst the fabrication and hardware was one part of the challenge, the other was integrating the electronics. For this, a second EMU ECU was employed just to control the amount of load going to the rear differential, although this cannot be altered on the fly. Ben also confirmed it’s not a conversion that Jamsport will be offering in future. “It’s simply not cost effective,” he stated.

From Geoff’s perspective as a customer, the conversion itself wasn’t quite so difficult but getting it all to work and look like it came straight out of a factory was.

“That was the one thing Jamie insisted on; that it was to look how it should have been built from Ford and not just loads of extra parts bolted on to make it work. But if anyone could do it, and do it properly, it would be Jamsport,” Geoff tells.

The conversion not only looks factory-fresh, it also cured the car’s driveshaft issue and transformed the way it drives and put its power down.

“It’s a completely different car. It scares the hell out of me!” admits Geoff. “One of the biggest problems before was pulling away at a junction. You would have to pull away gently until you were moving, only then you could put the power down,”

But that’s not the case anymore, as Geoff continues. “You put your foot down and you’re off; it’s insane, the traction pulling away is just instant. The cornering is also like being in a go-kart now and you can dive into corners and pull out of them with so much confidence.”

The handling has been massively helped by the use of coilovers and fully adjustable suspension arms both front and back, which allow the car to be dialled in perfectly for track or road. With the huge jump in performance and the ability to actually use it, Geoff has been careful to ensure the subtle exterior mods don’t give the game away too much, although the car’s styling has also enjoyed a development process.

“It’s changed along the way,” he confirms. “It started off looking a bit ‘Mad Max’, with crazy bonnet vents and a big spoiler and I was going to go down the wide arch route, but once it went to Danny at A5 Autobodys, we talked it over and just went for a clean sleeper look with a few hints of meanness.”

That look comes from a mix of custom bumpers, RS additions and finished in a full respray. On the inside, it’s strictly business with a stripped-down interior that houses just a pair of bucket seats, harnesses and a welded-in roll cage, although there are a host of tasty smaller additions such as the gauges and trim.

With a unique running gear and big power under the bonnet to back it up, together with track-ready suspension, a tasteful interior, and subtle exterior modifications, this must be one of the most potent Focus STs in the country, so what’s next for the car?

“I’m not sure exactly,” admits Geoff. “I don’t want more power, as it’s got plenty and there’s so much more Jamsport can do with the ECU and the rear diff. There is talk of a sequential gearbox maybe and I’d like to lose a bit of weight off the car. I’ve not tracked it yet as I’m still getting used to it, plus I’m so busy with my studio and tattoo convention it’s hard to find time. But I’ll have it on track at Ford Fair and for now, I’m happy enjoying it and showing it off.”

With the perfect weapon for the job, we hope to see much more of Geoff’s AWD Focus ST. Be careful not to miss it…

Tech Spec: AWD Focus ST

Engine:

2.5-litre Duratec five cylinder, Wiseco forged pistons, K1 steel rods, Jamsport tubular manifold, Turbo Technics T4 turbo, TiAL external wastegate, Jamsport race-spec intercooler and big boost pipe kit, Airtec Stage 2 CAIS, Anembo inlet plenum and 70mm throttle body, Bosch 1000cc injectors, Jamsport external fuel system, EMU standalone ECU, Jamsport race oil breather and oil cooler kit

Power:

500bhp (est)

Transmission:

Jamsport custom AWD conversion, Haldex rear differential, Helix paddle clutch, Anembo quick shift kit

Suspension:

BC Racing coilovers, Hardrace front arms, adjustable rear arms, adjustable camber arms and lower torque mount

Brakes:

K-Sport big brake kit, Focus RS rear brakes with Ferodo pads all round

Wheels & Tyres:

Bola B1 18×9.5in, Nankang NS-2 tyres

Exterior:

Custom front and rear bumpers, RS rear spoiler, custom bonnet with RS and WRC vents, Monkey Wrench headlights, Auto Specialists chrome engine bay kit, Inertech underseal, respray (Blue Waffle)

Interior:

Six-point rollcage, Mirco RS2 bucket seats, Sparco harnesses, auxiliary gauges