[Mk2guy]

Ya, turbo is the best bang for you buck. You want to polish the chamber then, but make sure the valves stay in when you do this, You don't want to damage the seat. The key to turbo's is focusing on exhaust flow. don't worry about the intake side. (you're gonna need new rings for a turbo and a balanced and polished crank.) A turbo 5mge can cost money too. If you get that exhaust though you at least working your way up there.

Ya, I have a bar welded from the rear wheel wells, to stiffen the back of the car, but their are better ways to do this. Mine what done by someone else. It was used as a rally car.

I had Gabriel ultra's, I got a good deal on them and they are not as bad as people make them out to be. (they hold more pressure than Monroe's) KYB is better though. My upper support struts are kyb's. (I just have the stock springs, they work fine. as long as you stay stock you maintenance requirements are not that much; as it's built for reliability stock; it can take more abuse that way too)

edit* I just realized you you meant springs, not valve springs. I use stock ones either way. Springs don't go bad hardly at all. The only valve springs I seen that were bad were for the 60's. The springs from a McPherson strut system, I am sure it's the same. I have never seen a broken one, just a rusty and dirty one. I try to balance performance with cost, so...... Adjustable shocks are for people that are serious. They balance the car to the weight of the driver. You are talking about only marginal gains and that is really only for people in competition.