Lon Mok
'02 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Avant
At 28, Lon Mok is on his seventh Euro. He's been a devotee since 16. His first modified car was a '86 Volvo 760 Turbo with IPD products. Maybe he got it from his father, who passed the car down to him and now owns a GTI 337 with a Jetta front-end. Nonetheless, Lon's enthusiasm has continued and if you run into him today he's probably wrenching on his '99 GTI VR6 project, or busy managing the socaleuro.com community and its successful events.
Lon's Avant is the most versatile of the three. He hasn't built the car to be a showstopper or speed demon - it's a wonderful mix of both. "I drive my car everywhere," Lon clarified. "It's definitely not a garage queen. It's seen 92k miles. The car has seen many autocrosses and laps of Streets of Willow. I also use it to transport stuff when I set up for SoCal Euro gatherings."
The perfect blend required substantial power. Having a 1.8T unleashed several options. "I've gone through the Euro-spec K04-E05 turbo and then a standard K04," Lon admitted. "In the end, the ATP GTRS Eliminator kit has shown the most potential."
Supporting the ATP turbo kit, Eurocode Tuning helped program the vehicle with custom-mapped Revo software. With the extra air blowing into the engine, Lon installed 440cc Bosch injectors to supplement fueling. Eurocode also provided its test pipe and FMIC for effective turbo performance. Finally, he had Magnaflow build an exhaust to reduce restrictions.
Though Lon's Avant is no stranger to the track, he also demanded comfort. And KW V2 coilovers provided the right balance of handling and comfort. He fitted H-Sport sway bars as well to reduce overall body roll.
Since Lon acquired the Avant he's cycled through several sets of wheels. "This is my eighth set and the fourth set of BBS. Ironically, it is my second set of BBS RS-GTs - the first were 18s. Some call me a wheel whore, but I admit wheels to me are like shoes to girls." Well, he's finally found his Jimmy Choos with 19x8.5" BBS RS-GTs.
Lon maintained a clean exterior. The Sportec front bumper and side skirts give a more aggressive yet clean appearance. He fitted a silver carbon hood from DTM Karbon with the paint feathered from the edges. An S4 rear bumper was also fitted.
The interior continued Lon's theme - a comfy pair of alcantara Topspin Design seats replaced the factory chairs. An AWE gauge was cleverly fitted in the center vent to monitor boost.
Lon confessed he's an enormous music fan. Before SoCalEuro.com he was a club organizer and promoter, and while there wasn't a reason to disrupt the factory audio system, he added more bass with a concealed Image Dynamics 10" subwoofer in the rear panel. A JBL amp was also hidden under the floor. This gives pleasure to his ears while allowing him to retain complete use of the trunk.
It's been four years since Lon started the project and he admits there have been several changes and many hours of toil to achieve the level it's at now, but he reassured us he's happy. "Maybe a new set of wheels," he joked.
TECH SPEC
Lon Mok
LOCATION: San Diego, CA
OCCUPATION: Web Server Administrator
2002 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Avant
ENGINE: 1.8 liter 20v four cylinder with ATP GTRS eliminator kit and exhaust manifold, Revo/Eurocode software, Bosch 440cc injectors, Eurocode test pipe and FMIC, Neuspeed Xtreme turbo inlet pipe, Magnaflow exhaust and resonators, Evolution Motorsports diverter valve, AFE filter, Sun Auto Hyper Ground and Voltage kit
DRIVELINE: five-speed manual transmission, Stasis Motorsport 40/60 center differential, Advanced Motorsports short shifter kit
SUSPENSION: KW Variant 2 coilovers, H-Sport Audi S4 sway bars
WHEELS & TIRES: 19x8.5" BBS RS-GT wheels, 245/35-19 Toyo Proxes T1R tires
BRAKES: B6 Audi S4 brakes, Carbotech Bobcat pads
EXTERIOR: Sportec front bumper and skirts, S4 rear bumper and door blades, DTM Karbon silver-weave bser hood, Euro grille, OEM Ultrasport hatch spoiler, Euro HID headlights
INTERIOR: Topspin Design alcantara sport seats and 3" harnesses, S-line leather shift knob, AWE center vent boost gauge
AUDIO/VISUAL: hardwired Valentine 1 radar detector, Image Dynamics IDQ 10" subwoofer, JBL 300.1 amp
THANKS: Paul Chan and supporters of socaleuro.com, EuroCode Tuning, Chris and Stan at Toyo, Mike at Pure Motorsport, Stan at Topspin Design, Cory at Magnaflow, Troy at Group5motorsports, Sun Automotive, Sinful Enhancements body shop, my family