EPICENTER
story and photos by dan hankin
It wasn't an earthquake, but a different natural disaster that led Randy Ross to this Audi A4. When the flood waters of Hurricane Isabel rose to swallow the town of Poquoson, Virginia, Ross's extensively modified 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GST Spyder show car was lost in the depths.
With immeasurable time and money invested in the Spyder, he was understandably
shaken. Ross says, "I was pretty pissed until the insurance check came,
and then the pain went away. The insurance company took good care of me."
With the insurance check now in hand, Ross began shopping for a new car.
You may be wondering why this time he passed on the convertible sports cars
and opted for the European sedan. He has a good answer for you. Ross's young
son started traveling to shows with him, and a sedan made more sense for
the family.
One of the first mods Ross did to the Audi, and certainly one of the most
obvious, was the slammed stance. The air ride suspension offers a full range
of motion and will set the body on the pavement when it's show time. Ross
designed and fabricated the suspension himself and controls it from inside
the car via a Sony PlayStation controller. Dual air tanks provide air for
the system and Autometer gauges monitor the pressure.
Ross is a hands-on type of guy and believes in doing as much of his own
work as possible. With friends looking on and offering advice, Ross installed
the '94 Cadillac tail lights in the Audi's bumper on his own; his first
foray into major bodywork. The result was better than he expected, which
boosted his confidence.
Next Ross picked up the paint gun, unfortunately not with the same results.
Ross's buddies Eric Bucklew and Scott Bundick, both professional bodymen,
came to the rescue, completing the paint to the stunning shine you see here.
The base paint color is actually the factory Audi red. A heavy violet pearl
was shot over the base and was then covered with clear. The resulting finish
is deep, picking up reflections from everywhere. The ghost flames licking
the hood and fenders were achieved with a mixture of gold, red, and green.
The sliding canvas ragtop is Ross's handiwork, done at home with the help
of friend, Bernie Blyth.
With a little help and guidance from his uncle, Ronnie Selby, who is a welder
by trade, Ross welded up the brackets for the Lambo door conversion. Unfortunately,
it would be four months before the doors operated correctly.
The struts that lift the doors are hidden in the Audi's fenderwells, along
with the 18" Pasati wheels. The first time Ross emptied the air suspension
to drop the car, the wheels crushed the door struts. He had to re-engineer
the kit and fabricate his own brackets to make the doors work with the rest
of his setup.
Entertainment for long car shows comes in the form of a Sony PS2 and Audiobahn
monitor in the trunk, easily enjoyed from a lawn chair. A Clarion VRX630
head unit spins the tunes and plays DVD movies. Three MTX Thunder Series
amps power a pair of 12" Rockford subs in the trunk, a pair of 8"
JL Audio subs in the footwells, and Bose mids. A pair of batteries, each
with their own voltmeter, power the electronics and ensure Ross has enough
juice to start the car at the end of the day.
As it sits, this A4 attracts attention everywhere it goes, but Ross isn't
finished yet. He's getting ready to do something he's never done; leave
the car at a shop. Though he prides himself on being hands-on with his car,
Ross lacks the tools to do a custom interior and upholstery, so he's talking
to professionals.
Ross plans to continue stretching the envelope. He's got a few more ideas
for creative mods that should eventually end up on the car. Every step takes
him just a little bit closer. Just a little bit closer to the focal point.
To the Epicenter.
