Bob Rugani knows car audio. He was there in the beginning, opening up his first installation shop in 1978 and has been active on the competition circuit for nearly 30 years - first competing in the Pro category and now managing the 20 members of Team Zapco.
So when it came time for Rugani to put together his latest show car a few years ago, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: assemble a thoroughly modern vehicle that would combine his love for classic cars with his two-plus decades of audio industry experience.
The result? This silver 1956 Ford F-100 pickup that Rugani and his son, Robert, designed and restored from the ground up in 2002. "I grew up on a ranch," he says, "and we had a '56 Ford for many years, so I kind of grew up driving that thing around the ranch. I always wanted to keep it, but my dad sold it, so when I got the opportunity I bought another one."
But that's where the similarities between Rugani's F-100 and the Eisenhower-era utility vehicle of his youth end. His is a bona fide street rod - a shiny, silver tribute to the latest and greatest in mobile audio technology. Still, the truck hasn't forgotten its Detroit heritage, instead Rugani embellished and built upon the simple style of the original Ford. It's a little old and a little new - just like its owner wanted.
Updating A ClassicRugani and Co. started their restoration by pulling out the paneling and treating the entire vehicle with sound dampening material. With that done, he set to work re-imagining the dash and the majority of the interior with a layer of silver fiberglass. Bucket seats replaced the original bench, giving the F-100 a futuristic look without sacrificing its original '50s charm, and a new center console was created to house the A/V monitor and other system components.
For the audio system, Rugani wanted something that would sound good without taking away from the overall vibe of the truck. In other words, he didn't want rattling bass that would distract from the rest of the install. So he kept things simple, mounting a set of 6 11/42" Zapco components in custom kick panels and balancing them out with a pair of 8" woofers, also installed in the kicks. The speakers and components more than fill out the F-100's small cab area, and they don't get in the way of the interior design.
A Pioneer DVD player was mounted front and center in the console, replacing the F-100's non-existent factory stereo and offering the driver plenty of entertainment options. But Rugani wanted more hands-on control for the audio, so he added a pair of Zapco outboard equalizers to the mix. They handle the overall soundstage from their home in the glovebox, while the Pioneer's onboard controls are used for everyday bass and treble tweaks.
A standalone crossover allows Rugani to dial in just the right mix for his soundstage, and by tying the unit into the F-100's center console, Rugani made it look that much cooler. "We took all the control knobs and extended them off of the main board," he says. "Then each knob was individually mounted in the center console in a half-circle design."
Low RiderAnd the F-100's sleek, silver interior is just the beginning. Out back in the bed, Rugani mounted three Zapco amps and a pair of 12" Alumapro subs in a custom amprack, all covered with fiberglass and highlighted with a laser-cut Zapco logo. "The goals for the bass were very low response that seemed to come from the front of the truck," Rugani says. "This was accomplished with the port firing forward. It gave the low end an up-front presence without drowning out the rest of the system."