Car Audio & Electronics this month

RedGTiVR6 · 05-22-2007, 05:35 PM

Thought I would share.

The cover car is a very close friend of mine. He got my my first job in car audio actually. Monte, my husband, hired him on as a first job at Circuit City in College Station while going to school at A&M.

Figured some of you might have seen this car out there before and might see it in the near future out at shows.

It's a very nice car...and to make it relevent...I built the computer in it for him...

http://www.mj-garage.com/pics/CA&E_Chris_1.jpg

http://www.mj-garage.com/pics/CA&E_Chris_2.jpg

http://www.mj-garage.com/pics/CA&E_Chris_3.jpg

http://www.mj-garage.com/pics/CA&E_Chris_4.jpg

You'll probably have to zoom in on the images to actually read the article. Enjoy!

Feel free to ask me any questions about the car. If I can answer (and I'm at liberty) I will. We helped build part of the vehicle.

Pathos · 05-22-2007, 07:38 PM

Looks great from here......first you and now your friend getting some
national exposure for our little "hobby" is good......now if only they had
a section for installations most likely to burn a car down to the ground
I could be featured too (j/k!!)

RedGTiVR6 · 05-22-2007, 08:26 PM

He's been in the mag before, only no CarPC.

This is his first cover.

durwood · 05-22-2007, 10:16 PM

I saw this yesterday. i was browsing for that Garry Biggs article but missed it from last month. Oh well, I never heard or saw the Gary car anyway. I did notice that Civic with Streetdeck and saw your name mentioned. Good job.

The only thing I had a problem with is that fact he can't drive it. I guess I don't get it.

Why make something that sounds great but then can't drive it? That's what a living room is for.

RedGTiVR6 · 05-22-2007, 10:30 PM

The issue on Gary's car didn't go nearly in as much detail as I would have liked. However, this issue does cover his BMW...

Regarding not being able to drive the car....in the Expert class, if you want to be compeditive, that's what you have to do. Gary's regal was driveable, but you wouldn't want to. Cory Hemmel's van isn't really driveable neither is Lary Stephen's Expedition. Sure, they can be driven, but not for very long at all. They are all trailer queens. So much work goes into building those cars. Heck, I don't even like to drive my car. Just 2 days after we got back from Finals last year a lady rearended us...for a car you've spent hundreds of hours on and dedicated yourself to, to risk something like that....and risk missing the show you've worked all year to get to?

If you want to push the envelope in the Expert class, you have to play at that level. The goal at that point is to make the car sound like a studio. You simply can't do it unless you take it to that level.

durwood · 05-23-2007, 07:14 AM

Ya I know that part about competition but it would drive me nuts to build something like that but not be able to drive it an listen to it at the same time. I'm usually doing so many other things at home that my drive time is very valuable music listening time. That's why I would never compete in Expert, I'll stick to Pro, maybe the highest I'd go is Ultimate, but never Expert.

Sucks about the rear-end stuff. I missed the first half of the season in 04 because my car was in the shop for a month and a half for a rear-end, so I know exactly what you mean. Lately I have been so paranoid on the highway with all the construction. The traffic here in Chicago can go from 85 to 0 in a matter of seconds. I can stop but it's the people behind me that worry me. I almost got rear-ended two days ago.

hithere · 05-23-2007, 07:19 AM

Got the issue last weekend, and noticed the carPC, but didn't know if it was post-worthy...the install looks, well, worthy of a magazine spread. BTW...IIRC, there's another carPC running street deck in the same issue, am I thinking of the bimmer mentioned above?

WRT to the driveability...I understand that's what it takes to be in the "expert" class, but seriously, I think the term "car audio" is only loosely applied to what is, essentially, a listening room that just so happens to be shaped like a car.

IMHO, if you can't drive the thing, it should be called "Audio" and not "Car Audio". A car is a conveyance, and drivability is half the challenge of the car environment. I can't even imagine what my system would look like if I didn't have to worry about little things like the steering wheel, road noise, relocating my AC lcd's, keeping my spare tire, power requirements for my lights and other accessories, etc. etc. This is largely the reason I quickly skipped to the Bimmer, along with that, what was it, a Merc?...don't have the mag in front of me, but it had excellent fiberglass work in the trunk.

RedGTiVR6 · 05-23-2007, 07:34 AM

The bimmer is not running a PC. The screen you see in the dash is stock, the screen above the dash is just the display for the JBL processor.

hithere · 05-23-2007, 07:39 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

The bimmer is not running a PC. The screen you see in the dash is stock, the screen above the dash is just the display for the JBL processor.

...Well, on one of the installs, there is a carPC screen running, i believe, street deck, and it sits just below the main display for, iirc, an alpine DVD player/LCD. The carPC is specifically mentioned in the article. IIRC, the interior of the car involved is beige. Perhaps it is one of the other installs, or they were talking about the trailer queen, and I have it confused.

RedGTiVR6 · 05-23-2007, 07:49 AM

You're thinking of the Lexus, and it's running Drive Soft.

Thing is, it's super easy to pass judgment when you've never been in the position. I used to say the same things about trailer queens. But now that I've been there and spent the time and money and dedicated myself to attaining the best possible sound out of the car, it makes complete sense to me. At this level, your goal is to attain the best sound possible, and at that level, if you want to be competitive, it's what you have to do.

There's reasons there are different levels to compete in. Within the next few years, our car will be completely stripped and redone.

One other thing to remember...when you make your living doing this stuff, your car is your best advertisement. That car, though not drivable, demonstrates a good chunk of Chris's abilities as an installer. If the public wants to dump the money into an install at a shop, they are going to hunt out the best installer for their money. That car is like a business card for him.

hithere · 05-23-2007, 07:57 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

Thing is, it's super easy to pass judgment when you've never been in the position. I used to say the same things about trailer queens. But now that I've been there and spent the time and money and dedicated myself to attaining the best possible sound out of the car, it makes complete sense to me. At this level, your goal is to attain the best sound possible, and at that level, if you want to be competitive, it's what you have to do.

Red, don't get me wrong...I'm not passing judgment on it (sorry if i came off as judgmental), I totally understand what it's about: something to aim for, the very best any install can aspire to and still be in something akin to a car, or what the world would be like without boundaries. It's just that for me, it's separate from what I consider to be "car audio"...kinda the same way that prototype experimental rocket cars in the Nevada desert relate to, but are not representative of, auto-racing.

BTW, belated congrats on your wins at South Padre: Taking second in SQ to an expert car is huge.

RedGTiVR6 · 05-23-2007, 08:08 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by hithere

Red, don't get me wrong...I'm not passing judgment on it (sorry if i came off as judgmental), I totally understand what it's about: something to aim for, the very best any install can aspire to and still be in something akin to a car, or what the world would be like without boundaries. It's just that for me, it's separate from what I consider to be "car audio"...kinda the same way that prototype experimental rocket cars in the Nevada desert relate to, but are not representative of, auto-racing.

Very true. Many of the things those expert cars have done have been passed down through the rank and file of car audio. Some people don't consider MotoGP motorcycle racing because the bikes are not representative of any bike on the market.

Quote:

BTW, belated congrats on your wins at South Padre: Taking second in SQ to an expert car is huge.

Yeah - second in a class where install isn't judged and it's only sound...we were perfectly fine with that...

We're headed to the San Antonio Heat Wave in two weekends...it's also a Trifecta event...see how we do with little to no changes...lol

boomintrac · 05-23-2007, 02:34 PM

Hey Red everyone that worked on the civic did an outstanding job. I liked the old install but love the new install. The car has to sound amazzing, If I ever get a chance to meet chris I really want to hear the car. I love the idea of the idea with the kinetics and distribution in the rear bumper.
So how does he steer the car when moving it to and from his trailer??

Hey Darin If I remember I will bring the Gary Biggs' Regal article to the June meet.
Aron

RedGTiVR6 · 05-23-2007, 03:01 PM

The steering wheel is removed by pulling a pin and then the entire steering column. There's a slot where the column slides through into the dash. From there you put the pin back in and can steer the car.

durwood · 05-23-2007, 03:21 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

The steering wheel is removed by pulling a pin and then the entire steering column. There's a slot where the column slides through into the dash. From there you put the pin back in and can steer the car.

Ah, so technically he could drive it.

Quote: Originally Posted by boomintrac

Hey Darin If I remember I will bring the Gary Biggs' Regal article to the June meet.
Aron

Cool, although I might not make it. If it's the weekend of June 23, I'm already booked up.

If you have a scanner and the time do you think you could scan it for me?

Quote: Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

Thing is, it's super easy to pass judgment when you've never been in the position. I used to say the same things about trailer queens. But now that I've been there and spent the time and money and dedicated myself to attaining the best possible sound out of the car, it makes complete sense to me. At this level, your goal is to attain the best sound possible, and at that level, if you want to be competitive, it's what you have to do.

One other thing to remember...when you make your living doing this stuff, your car is your best advertisement. That car, though not drivable, demonstrates a good chunk of Chris's abilities as an installer. If the public wants to dump the money into an install at a shop, they are going to hunt out the best installer for their money. That car is like a business card for him.

Good point about using it as advertising. I'm just saying it would kill me not to be able to hear my greatest install. It is a very clean looking install.