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| Home » Mitsubishi Eclipse News » 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse - On Wings Of Desire | ||
01/10/2007
"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 Outside Sure, 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% Custom The 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 Choir Instead 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. Car Audio |
