It's hard to believe it's been 16 years since installation legend David "the Fishman" Rivera built his first modified ride. After some 70 show cars, he's surprised many with an evolution in style that's led ultimately to his Ford Expedition. This is something different for the man they call Fish. Known for wild motorization and extreme fiberglass, he has kept his signature elements and combined them withfresh ideas. The Fishedition is the latest in the seemingly endless procession from this prolific builder.
A Rough Start
Fishman's training course on advanced fabrication at Metra initiated the Fishedition; however, what we now see was not the original plan. For a demo build at the 2003 USACi Finals, Rivera put up his own Eddie Bauer Ford Expedition. Twenty students from previous trainings, the Fishcamp All-Stars, were divided into four teams and assigned different sections of the vehicle.
Everything ran smoothly for the first 30 hours or so; then, problems started. Although none of the teams completed their plans, the USACi crowd was impressed with the demonstration and it was deemed a success. However, Rivera still had a semi-built SUV. With no time to complete it, he decided to mothball the project.
New Inspiration
Two weeks after CES '05, Rivera noticed several concept car features in a magazine and was taken by the elegant curves and simple fluidity. He took the Expedition out of storage and brought it back to Fishcamp training at the Metra facility outside Daytona Beach, FL.
Over the next four Fishcamp seminars, the visions of high elegance slowly became reality. As opposed to the wildly outlandish trailer queens of the past, the Fishedition became a daily-driver show car capable of towing a trailer full of the very equipment used to create it. Virtually every panel in the Expedition was modified, making it difficult to discern where Ford ends and Fish begins.
A Polished Finish
In the center of the re-fabricated dash resides a Kenwood Kvt-715DVD widescreen head unit. When open, the screen face rests flush with the panel. When closed, it exposes a uniquely functional sunglass storage pocket, framed with polished aluminum in the shape of Rivera's favorite shades. Rivera wanted to implement this idea five years ago, but decided to save it for his own car. "I only want to do it once, that's what custom is all about," Rivera says.
The sweeping center console holds a variety of controls and accessories, including a Kenwood LZ-800W 8-inch touchscreen for the rear passengers with a Ford badge just below. As the console rises to form the rear passengers' armrest, the window/climate control panel motorizes out 18" to reveal a Nintendo Game Cube and wireless controllers. The seat rolls back an additional 12 or so inches for extra legroom.
Amazing in its functional simplicity, the rear cargo area starts where the console top sweeps out from window to window in a horseshoe shape, melding to rear pillar panels with polished aluminum trim joints before spilling down to floor level. In addition to the wow factor provided by a motorized 23-inch monitor, the rear holds another surprise. With the touch of an alarm remote, the aluminum-framed carpeted floor slides back 24" on a Fishdrive actuator to showcase a Tsunami X15HCAP-40 capacitor and JL Audio amps- two 450/4's and one 1000/1.
Rivera uses this opulent interior as a training tool to demonstrate a multitude of fabrication techniques pioneered and perfected by the master. Subdued and tasteful, the understated elegance and functionality of the Fishedition is considered by many to be his finest work. Rivera states, "This will be difficult to top, even for me."