Proving once again that you should
never judge a book by its cover
When you're starting off a build, it's a
lot easier when you know what style you want. You simply do what you think is
cool, and usually the only limit is the amount of cash you have to spend on it.
When you're a shop owner building a demo vehicle as a calling card for your
business, the thought process can he a lot more difficult. It's important to
show off your talents, along with the latest parts and the hottest styles. It
goes without saying that, with these kinds of builds, money really is no
object.
Proving
once again that you should never judge a book by its cover
Faisal Siddiqui, owner of SIDOS Radio in
Vaughan, Ontario, decided to stand out by going ¡n a totally different
direction with his 2002 Audi TT 1.8 Turbo.
“I love checking out show cars as much as
the next guy,” says Faisal. “But when I look at a lot of them, I think, ‘Wow,
that’s a killer build, but it looks like it cost a fortune.” So, when Siddiqui
started this build, he made the decision to keep it simple.
The plan was to show his customers a cool
ride that performs well sounds awesome and is attainable. Siddiqui found a
pristine 2002 Audi TT Quattro S Line equipped with a five-valve, 1.8-liter
turbocharged engine to start. Initial modifications included a bigger turbo, KN
cold air intake, Unitronic’s Stage 3 computer upgrade and a boost controller.
Siddiqui then integrated an Auto Meter boost gauge into the brushed aluminum factory
heating vent. Everything was installed and tuned by Vin Test Auto, bringing the
TT to 2L15 horses at the wheels. Audi’s renowned Quattro all-wheel drive system
lays the power to the ground with help from H&R springs with Tokico
dampers.
The understated exterior lets Audi’s
timeless styling do all the talking with a subtle upgrade coming from 19 inch
A7 wheels tucked in nicely and backed up by an SP Performance big brake package
with slotted rotors all around.
Since SIDOS Radio Is a custom car audio store,
it makes sense the stereo would be the centerpiece of the build. Instead of
installing flashy products from any manufacturer, chose to outfit the car with
Lightning Audio products, a recently re-launched and rapidly growing brand that
delivers outstanding performance with great value.
Since
SIDOS Radio Is a custom car audio store, it makes sense the stereo would be the
centerpiece of the build
Lightning’s LA-1652-S components sit up
front with hidden crossovers and flush-mounted tweeters in the doors and a
second pair of Lightning LA-1T tweeters for the center channel. In the rear.
Lightning LA-16514 coaxial speakers are tucked nicely into the deck lid.
Lightning’s top-line L3-0212 12-inch sub-
woofers provide a heavy 1,000 watts of power handling. A trio of Lightning
amplifiers put out an ear-numbing 14,000 watts, with one Lightning LA8011LI
four-channel powering the component sets and two LA-1600M D digital mono blocks
powering one subwoofer each. These amplifiers have received strong reviews
right here In PASMAG, and they prove their worth in the 1T Controlling it all
is a single-DIN Kenwood Excelon head unit, fitting behind Audi’s classy
brushed-aluminum folding cover on the dash.
The system is finished with a super-clean
install befitting of the 1Ts interior. The aluminum flush-mounted amplifiers
match the 1T accents perfectly while the surrounding material is custom-matched
to the leather interior for a look that appears straight from the factory.
The audio system has also been extensively
torture tested, reaching more than 10 dBs at peak power and delivering
excellent sound quality at the same time.
A
peak power, the audio reaches more than 140 DBS, delivering great sound quality
at the same time
We exhibited the car at the Megaspeed show
in Toronto earlier this year and the install was finished minutes before the
show started. recalls. “We cycled hundreds of show goers through the car, and
pinned the system for every one of them all weekend long. When you have
potential customers lined up to get Into the car. they don’t want to wait for
the subs and amps to cool down, so we just went ahead and kept it going. I kept
expecting the gear to melt down, but it never did!
2002
Audi TT 1.8 Turbo
Since then the car has served as a rolling
business card for SIOD’s Radio. It brings closer to his customers because the
car connects with them on a personal level. But most of all, he loves the
thrill of taking a first-timer for a spin to show off the car. “The part I love
best is when I play the system for someone. The bass hits, then you see a great
big smile spread across their face.”
