Perfectionists know that satisfaction is hard to come by. Even after completing a project, they must cope with a state of mind that says “enough is never enough.” Craig Yost often finds himself in this position. After attending many car shows, the greatest challenge he faces is seeing ideas on other vehicles that he wants to integrate into his own. Yet the effect of making those changes to his own car always seems to outweigh his ability to make improvements without completely reconfiguring his setup.
But one thing is for sure with Yost — going big is the only way to ride in his 2005 Ford Crown Victoria. The car, which has been a mainstay in police fleets for years, bears little resemblance to Yost’s interpretation. When people see him coming in the rearview mirror, they don’t slow down because they think he’s a cop. They slow down to get a better look at his ride.
The car had seen better days when Yost got his hands on it. The first thing he did was paint over the dull red finish with a more potent color. When he got to the interior, the dash pieces and door panels had to be painted as well.
| STATS BOX |
| » Engine: 4.6-liter V-8 |
| » Performance: throttle body, intake, x-pipe, dual exhaust, cams, lifters, lowering springs |
| » Interior: custom interior door panels, custom seats, custom dashboard, LED lighting, suede headliner, two sun visor TVs, touchscreen Pioneer CD head unit, custom navigation in the steering wheel, PlayStation 2 in the dash, four 15-inch subwoofers, three amplifiers, three sets of Kicker component speakers, audio control processor, two 13-inch drop-down TVs, CD changer custom-molded into back seat |
“They were boring and nothing to really catch the eye,” Yost said.
Burgundy and gray became the new color combination. Yost added some interior lighting effects to create some conversation pieces for local car shows. But the wheels would be the centerpiece of his build. Yost’s first set of wheels were solid chrome, which gave the car some street credibility but ultimately weren’t to his liking.
“I noticed it was just blending in with the crowds, and I needed to stand out,” Yost said.
To remedy this, Yost purchased Status Knight wheels in black and painted them to match the car.
With the wheels updated, the sound system ensured that if his car wasn’t seen, it would definitely be heard. Yost had been an audio technician for 16 years and wanted the car to showcase his talents. The interior soon included TVs in the sun visors, a Pioneer head unit to operate the four 15-inch subwoofers, three amplifiers, three sets of Kicker component speakers, and an audio processor. Two 13-inch drop-down TVs were installed in the roof, while a CD changer in the back seat ensures Yost never runs out of music. A final touch was a PlayStation 2 installed in the dashboard.
Yost then turned his focus to the engine, hoping to give the high-riding Crown Victoria more pep despite losing a step or two because of the big, heavy wheels. Custom throttle body, cams, lifters, intake, exhaust and x-pipe were added.
Yost said his next project involves another custom installation, but he’s keeping tight-lipped about the details.
What do you drive? 2005 Ford Crown Victoria. Why do you drive it? I like to drive the car because it’s comfortable and has a lot of room for mods and upgrades. What makes this car so special? My cars are always special because no one ever knows what to expect from me and my ideas. What is your most memorable driving experience with this car? Driving to Colorado and getting people to look at me, kids pointing at my car, and people telling me I did a nice job. What was the first vehicle you owned? A 1989 two-door Chevrolet Cavalier with a 12-inch subwoofer box. It was pretty cool and my first loud system. What music are you currently listening to in your car? I like to listen to about everything. I can’t seem to get into country, but primarily rap and R&B, techno, metal. And your first ticket? What was it for? My first ticket was for spinning wheels at a stop light. I was a kid, so give me a break. But I had a lot more tickets after I started mod-ing my cars. Got a custom car you want to show off? E-mail [email protected].
