According to the dictionary, Gestalt means: a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it could not be described merely as a sum of its parts. This is one of those lofty German terms used to describe the "oneness" of a thing; most people are familiar with it in the context of psychotherapy. But the definition here truly applies, as it is most apt to describe this European dream car that is very much a reality and serves as a daily driver for the owner of the vehicle, Al Patel.
Patel moved to the U.S. 14 years ago from beautiful Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to sunny Los Angeles, CA. He was always passionate and even obsessed with car audio and electronic gadgets, and got started in the industry as an installer at Competition Soundworks (CS) in Cerritos, CA. He eventually moved into managing the place, and helped make it one of the top car audio shops in the country (it was named retailer of the year for 1997). In addition it has put together numerous competition-winning vehicles. After his success in that arena of the industry Patel decided to work for a manufacturer, and now serves as an account manager for Boston Acoustics, a company which enthusiasts should certainly be aware of through its reputation for fine speakers and other audio gear. Readers of this magazine may also recognize Al Patel as a former contributing editor to Car Audio and Electronics.
Considering his current position Patel had to make sure his next vehicle would stand out. The first thing was to choose the car. After careful consideration he decided on the Anthracite Blue 2001 VW 1.8T Passat, which was custom ordered with leather, steering control and the sunroof package. When it came time to consider the system design he set interior integrity as a goal. He wanted to include as many products as possible while leaving enough room to fit a stroller for his newborn little girl (or keeping the option to have cargo area in the trunk). As for the exterior - it had to be visually stunning to match the level of the sound system.
The work on the exterior of the car fell to Joe Delio of Wet Works Garage in Stanton, CA. A veteran in the VW and import scene, he installed and painted the Caractere body kit from Belgium, car audio trim panels, custom turn signal lights in the side mirrors and engine panel parts. The next step was lowering the car with a Pro kit (springs, struts and front sway bar) from Eibach and to outfit it with TSW limited edition Xenon Pin Drive System 19" wheels. The wheels were painted graphite and are on a staggered setup: the front has 19 x 8 with 235/35/19 Yokohama AVS sport tires and the rear is even bigger: 19 x 9 with 265/30/19 tires. A very muscular look! For performance Patel went to Neuspeed to install the P-Chip to the factory computer for more horsepower. Greddy Performance installed a custom G2 exhaust system, which is one of a kind. To complement the performance package a set of iridium spark plugs, a K&N Air filter, a Greddy type-S blow-off valve and its turbo timer along with the brand's 52 mm turbo boost and exhaust temp gauges were installed. With all that speed Patel needed a brake system that could bring the car back to zero quickly. So StopTech in Lomita, CA installed a big brake kit, front and rear.
For what would truly set the Gestalt automobile apart from other performance Passats would be its audio system. For that Patel enlisted the help of Cliff Leeper from Progressive Mobile Electronics in San Diego, CA to execute this high-end install. Leeper is a veteran installer who has built many such systems and was geared up for the challenge. Patel designed this ultimate multimedia system and Leeper did all of the dirty work, making the system practical and serviceable, evenly distributing the weight, using materials such as metal brackets, aluminum trim rings and fiberglass.