SPARES OR REPAIR

For all except the most life-laundered among us, the biggest certainty of adulthood is a steadily-growing collection of the things we hang onto ‘just in case’. You know the stuff - that box under the stairs with the tangled Walkman headphones, a couple of old remote controls and a spare kettle plug, all patiently awaiting their second life. Factor in a few project cars along the way and ‘just in case’ can become a space-hungry habit, but occasionally it can also turn out to be a lifesaver.

At 38, Chris Laing has the sort of back catalogue that justifies a box or two of spares in the garage. In the 20 years or so since he ditched the learner plates, he’s been through a respectable collection of engine-swapped Mk1 and Mk2 GTis, a trio of Corrados and even a Skoda Felicia Fun pickup, just to keep things varied. But there’s one car that’s left a bigger impression than the rest, and its legacy isn’t just good memories.

“I was 18 when I bought my first Mk1,” he tells us. “My brother Gregor had always been into Golfs, and he had a Mk1 GTI which I’d set my heart on at the time, but I was an apprentice electrician on £80 a week, so I couldn’t have