I've been writing this column for quite a while now, and honestly it's been great. It's so much fun for me to share my knowledge and experience with you guys, and based on the positive e-mail responses I get every day I know it helps you out. The only problem I've run into is not having enough space to expand some of these topics to the level of detail you deserve. It seems like every time I get rolling on a subject, I'm out of room before I know it. Fortunately, I'm not the only one who noticed this trend, a point that was discussed recently in a meeting with the head honchos at Car Audio. Here's the good news: we're expanding the column to two to three pages, and we're even adding pictures! This will allow you guys to see the techniques I use every day here at Alpine to create some of the baddest demo vehicles on the planet. When you see some of our techniques, I know you'll want to try them for yourself, so I'll provide enough detail to get you started on a trick project of your own.
 My BMW M3, featuring a full...  My BMW M3, featuring a full Alpine F#1Status audio system, 19-inch wheels, big brakes, and a supercharger. |  The interior is all custom,...  The interior is all custom, with a symmetrical dash and door panels to provide ultimate sound quality. |  The trunk is home to the processor...  The trunk is home to the processor as well as two 12" subs, with lots of painted fiberglass and Plexiglas as well. |
For the last six months, we've been working on a project car like none we've ever done before. The level of modification and customization is very extensive, so we decided to show you how we built it, step-by-step. Along the way, you'll learn many of our custom fabrication techniques that you can use to make your system the best it can be. Before we get into that car, however, I thought it would be a good idea to show you some of the systems that we've built at Alpine over the years so you can see the type of work we do.
I know what you're thinking -- who's "we?" I've worked with Chris Yato, my "partner in crime," for nearly eight years at Alpine. We are responsible for creating demo cars for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January every year. In case you haven't heard, CES is the place where all the manufacturers introduce their new products and it's by far the most important show we do throughout the year. As I write this, we're putting the finishing touches on our newest and most extreme demo car to date. Most of the vehicles you're about to see were originally built for this show as well.
The first vehicle is a 2000 Ford Excursion, the largest SUV ever produced. We built this one for CES 2000, and it was honored with the "Best of Show" award that year. This truck marked the first year that we used welded steel to fabricate the substructure of the system, allowing us to do some things that were never possible before. For example, the amprack splits off from the center console and "floats" to the back of the vehicle, a feat that requires the strength of steel to be technically possible. This truck also featured extensive use of body color and contrasting paint colors to highlight the shapes and curves throughout the interior. In addition, the large dash was utilized to house two monitors, a CD player, and a CD changer for multimedia capability.
 This silver 2000 Ford Excursion...  This silver 2000 Ford Excursion graced our CES booth in 2000, complete with graphics and 20-inch wheels. |  The dash was custom built...  The dash was custom built with two monitors, a CD player, and a CD changer. |  The rear of the truck features...  The rear of the truck features a split floating amp rack, a neon-lit Alpine logo, two monitors, and no less than twelve 12" subs. |
Next up is our Plymouth Prowler, one of the rare vehicles that we didn't build for the CES show. This car was commissioned by Alpine's president, who was captivated by the Prowler's sleek lines, to be shown at the Tokyo Audio Fair in Japan. This show is much like CES here in the States, so we knew it had to be something special. While the Prowler is a relatively rare sight on our shores, there are less than 10 of them in Japan, and most Japanese citizens have never seen or heard of this unique automobile.
The main challenge with this car was a severe lack of space. We wanted something flashy, but there was simply no room to do it within the confines of the interior or trunk. No problem -- we just built the system outside the car. The rear bumper was removed, and a motorized amp rack was built in its place. With the amprack closed, you would never know anything was back there since the cover was molded and painted to match the outside of the car. Needless to say, the car really received a lot of attention in Japan.
 10. The rear bumper of our...  10. The rear bumper of our Plymouth Prowler was removed, and a custom motorized amprack was built in its place. |  11. Another view of the Prowler...  11. Another view of the Prowler amprack, showing the amps and the curved panel that hides the assembly when it is closed. | |
At CES 2001, Alpine introduced a new line of ultra-high-end products, known as F#1Status. Chris and I knew we had to build a vehicle to highlight this product and show the type of ultimate sound quality it was capable of providing. I had recently purchased a BMW M3 and after looking it over, we knew we could turn it into the ultimate sound quality vehicle to show off F#1Status and compete in the IASCA competition circuit. With that in mind, we spent seven months and over 3000 hours to achieve these goals. It took us over a month just to figure out where to put the speakers, including how to angle and enclose them. When it was all done, hardly anything remained stock in the car. The entire dash and door panels were rebuilt to make them symmetrical, as well as to house the speakers required to create a realistic soundstage. The trunk was also entirely rebuilt, showcasing the Alpine processor in a floating rack that extends inside the car between the seats. All of our hard work was rewarded with another "Best of Show" at CES in 2001, in addition to a first place at the IASCA Spring Break Nationals and a runner-up at the IASCA Finals.
We took a slightly different approach with our CES car in 2002. With shows like Hot Import Nights increasing wildly in popularity, we decided to build a vehicle specifically tailored for this market. We started with the hottest import car we could find, which at the time was a 2002 Acura RSX. We partnered with Wings West on this one, so it sported a custom wide body kit and custom airbrushed paint. We focused our energy on making the vehicle very high profile inside and out, and once again very few stock panels made it back into the interior. A completely custom two-tier dash with aftermarket gauges took center stage in the front along with hand-stitched leather seats. In the rear hatch, a three-level neon-lit amprack was tapped to power two 15" subs. Many of the interior panels also received the custom airbrush treatment along with many silver highlights. This car really hit its mark, and it was very popular at every show it attended.
 1. CES 2002 was the debut...  1. CES 2002 was the debut of our Acura RSX Type S, here showing off its Wings West body kit and custom airbrushed paint. |  2. The custom two-tiered dash,...  2. The custom two-tiered dash, complete with aftermarket gauges and the center channel. |  3. Two 15" subs receive power...  3. Two 15" subs receive power from the three-level amp rack, which was also treated to the same airbrushing as the outside of the car. |
So, that brings us to CES 2003. Without giving away the intro for next month, we're building the wildest 2003 Civic Si that we could come up with. I know some of you will have seen the vehicle by the time this article is printed, but for those of you who haven't, this car will be shown at many Hot Import Nights shows in '03 in addition to CES and Spring Break Nationals. Here's a hint -- it only has one seat, and it's in the middle of the car! You know what that means: get out your tools, take apart your car, and get ready to learn how the pros at Alpine do it. That's all for this month, so keep those questions coming to sbrown@alpine-usa.com, and I'll see you in the lanes.