WRITE TO: Editor CA&E, 2400 E. Katella Ave, Ste 1100, Anaheim, CA, 92806
WHEN I THINK OF DO-IT-YOURSELFERS, I SOMETIMES THINK OF PUNK MUSIC. A lot of artists had to form their own labels, do their own "marketing" and whatever they had to in general in order to get their music heard. They knew that corporate America was scared out of its mind by the anarchic spirit or social dissolution they, the punks, seemed to be advocating.
It seems to me a very American attitude, doing things yourself. Oftentimes, it is the only way to get things done, or at least done right. Get someone else to do it for you and it'll cost you a fortune and take forever. It's a liberating feeling being able to fix or make something on your own. But that feeling can be undermined by the luxurious temptation of having whatever it is done for you.
We do what we can to help DIYers fight off the temptation to call in a professional. But when in doubt, we say get yourself to a shop, or an install school. Check out the latest school profiles and programs offered by Mobile Dynamics, Installer Institute, Acoustic Edge, Snake Pit, et al. But until you find yourself enrolling in one of their classes, you can check out our annual DIY issue.
Obviously there's only so much we can cover in any single issue. If you've been reading on a regular basis you know we've been providing more how-to content. Beyond this issue we'll continue with more stories for do-it-yourselfers.
In addition to new content, this month we hope to provide some reader service by running Chris Yato's basic fabrication articles all in one issue. Some people might have missed one or two of the six-part series. Getting it all under one roof, so to speak, should be helpful to those of you who want to learn the fundamentals of fabrication. For readers that already know it all and have been asking for more real-world car audio, I hope you enjoy a special Choices section and the story on our Mazda install.
Our cover features Jason Syner's Civic, sponsored by Sony. This is not your average sponsored project car. Virtually every mod on the car was performed by Syner alone. Not many cars are done by a single person. To build a vehicle of this caliber with help would've been a remarkable achievement; to have customized it without help is astounding. It's enough to make one dizzy thinking of the intense and solitary labor involved. Clearly it exemplifies the DIY spirit and that's why it's our cover car this month -- and why Syner received a direct invite to the Trifecta Finals at SEMA. Please read his how-to and follow his articles as we cover the various aspects of the build on the Civic.
Finally, this month, if you're not the kind of enthusiast that likes to do things on your own, no worries. Hey, not all of us are blessed with hand skills and the patience required to work on cars and car audio. So we are giving away some prefab enclosures from Bassforms. Just answer a few simple questions and a universal or vehicle-specific box is yours. That should help speed up the work on your latest project car. And if you don't win, don't worry either. Just follow one of our how-tos and you can build your own. Then when you're ready for the next step, check out one of the schools. Enjoy.
NEXT MONTH
Got a stock system? Check out our Step-Up Guide issue. We'll cover interfaces, adapters, all the things you need to upgrade your audio. We also have another big giveaway -- our Vehicle Makeover Giveaway will have three prizes, including a system from Audiovox and more.
CORRECTION: In the September issue we improperly labeled these wheels in our Customize section. You see the black rims with the AR center cap? Yeah, that would be American Racing and NOT MRR Design. We regret our mistake.