After more than 10 years in the car audio business, Michigan installer John Williams was tired. Tired of pouring months of work into cars only to see others get the glory; tired of being hemmed in by his clients' wants, needs and budgets; and, most of all, tired of standing back and watching his creations for other people take home award after award.
"I was just sick of sitting in the bleachers," Williams remembers, "and I wanted to get out and show people what we can do. I was building cars for everybody else and never had a car for myself."
So, in the summer of 2005, he decided to do something about it, picking up a wrecked 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse at auction for $500. He then enlisted help from his father, John Sr., and went to work in his Ionia, MI shop, revamping the car inside and out and installing more than $100,000 in modifications.
"We did the whole thing, built the whole car in 40 days from start to finish," Williams says. "And we pretty much did everything on it; the paintwork, the airbrushing. I guess I just took it a little too far," he laughs.
Angels On The OutsideSure, a smashed-up Eclipse is no dream car, but for Williams and Co. it was ideal - a blank canvas on which they could create their ultimate showpiece. Besides, the vehicle's condition meant that they didn't really have to tear the car down before starting the installation; everything was already done for them.
First up was the body. Since it was totaled, Williams repaired the Eclipse's paneling and added a custom widebody kit from Extreme Dimensions. Not only did the kit fix the car's exterior problems, it gave Williams the edgy, modern look he was going for. He then custom-shaped the doors, installed billet grilles in the front and rear, and added molded fiberglass panels for the wiper cowls and front driving lights. A replacement hood gives the Eclipse an air intake for improved performance, while new carbon-fiber splitters on the front and sides direct additional air right where it needs to go.
And that's not all. Williams also replaced the Mitsubishi's factory wheels with 19" Motegis and upgraded the suspension with a digitally-controlled air lift system from Easy Street.
It's a standout piece of machinery, but what really sets this Eclipse apart on the show floor is its paint job: a bright, candy apple red over silver that Williams applied himself and highlighted with five hand-painted angels. "It's just something different," he says of the graphics, which he added in contrasting black. "I'd never seen anything like it and I just wanted to show the talents that we have here."
100% CustomThe red-and-black color scheme continues inside the car, with patches of Jaguar leather and black suede highlighting the custom interior paneling. The black adds a touch of style to the car and, according to Williams, "breaks up the monotony a little bit." Overall, he says, the whole idea for the interior was custom, but not tacked on. "Everything that was custom made was done to look as if it was factory installed."
Another advantage of the full rebuild was that it gave Williams the freedom to create an ideal interior space for his audio system. Rather than being limited by factory speaker locations and daily driving concerns, he was able to go crazy and mold the perfect 5.1-surround-sound compartment.
He started with a full treatment of Cascade Gatorskin sound dampening material followed by new wiring for the speakers and amps. The Gatorskin ensures tight, focused sound, while the upgraded wiring delivers the best possible performance from his audio components.
In the front, behind the custom dash grille, Williams mounted a set of 5 1/4" Crossfire X5 component speakers for the left and right channels and a 6 1/2" X6 for the center. To even out the sound for the front passengers, he also installed a single 8" Crossfire DB3 sub in the dash. The design allows for an excellent front soundstage and takes better advantage of the car's natural acoustics than the factory door locations would.
To fill out the surround sound effect, and give the Eclipse a show-worthy focal point, the team removed the rear seats and installed a massive fiberglass display piece in the back. Featuring its own angel graphic, the red-painted piece houses another set of Crossfire X6 component speakers, a pair of 12" subs, all of the system amplifiers, and two more LCD monitors.
"It's funny when you're at a car show," Williams says. "The color attracts people, and then they look inside and they stand there in awe. It's always fun watching people's reactions."
A Heavenly ChoirInstead of anchoring the system with a traditional head unit, Williams chose an iMobile car computer that's controlled by an 8-inch touchscreen monitor mounted front and center in the dash. The PC provides the car with GPS navigation, DVD and MP3 playback, a wireless Internet connection and XM Radio, and allows for management of the entire multimedia and navigation systems right from the driver's seat. The computer is also at work under the hood, running a timing program that manages engine performance.
In addition to the computer, the Angel also sports Alpine's PXA-H701 multi-channel sound processor and an Alpine controller in the center console. The setup allows Williams to show off his audio and video systems at the same time, while the processor converts everything from the PC and head unit to 5.1 surround sound.
The Eclipse is well known on the show circuit, where it competes in the sport compact/tuner category. The car has appeared at more than 40 regional and national shows in the past year and has taken home numerous awards ranging from Outstanding Sport Compact at the Detroit Autorama, to Best of Show at SEMA 2006, to a Highest Achievement Award from the International Show Car Association. The sound system has been recognized, too, bringing home Best of Show honors from the 2005 United States Autosound Competition International show in Kansas City. At the first Trifecta at SEMA's Auto Salon, Williams just barely finished out of the money in fourth place against some stiff competition.
For Williams, who plans to retire the car from competition in 2007, all of this recognition for what he considers to be his "dream car" has been great. And, he says, just watching show crowds react to the Eclipse is worth all of the effort and expense.
"They drop their jaw when they see it," he laughs. "A lot of people can't believe the artwork on the car. When they see the art and then they see the paint job it just draws them to the car and the rest of the car just keeps 'em there."