In front of the gear box,...
In front of the gear box, in the ashtray are the switches for activating the strobe lights (three swtiches) and for the system's valet (two switches).
The amplifier rack was constructed from 1/2" thin wall welded steel. Brown made a jig and welded all the pieces together. The rack was then mounted to the sheet metal behind the rear seat. To power the system Cajayon chose an Alpine MRD-F752 5-channel amplifier which gives each of the four corners 75 watts while sending 250 watts to the sub. Once the amp was mounted, Brown worked on molding the subwoofer enclosure and the "Mobile Multi-Media Center" to the amplifier rack. The cover panel for the amp rack also molds to the shape of the amplifier and features a 1/4" piece of Plexiglas with an Alpine logo etched into it. Four blue 9" neon tubes light up the logo while four more tubes on the rear deck light up the rest of the trunk.
To mold the three panels together, Brown used fiberglass mat, Mar-Glass, and body filler. Once all three panels were massaged into place and Brown was satisfied, several steps were taken to create the final panels. All three panels were sanded smooth, then sprayed with Poly Primer. This helps fill in all of the imperfections. After sanding again, and epoxy primer and finishing primer was applied. All the panels were then painted (base coat/clear coat) in steel gray to match the vehicles' exterior. Once dry, Brown wet sanded the panels to give it what he calls the "TA-Dow" finish.
The factory trunk carpet was replaced with OEM BMW carpet with bound leather edges. Custom carpet mats were also made to protect all of the components. With all of the carpet pieces in place, the system is out of sight. To protect the vehicle an Alpine SEC-8063 with some classified features has been added.
Other Modifications
Most people thought Cajayon was crazy when he started purchasing aftermarket parts for his BMW months before he took delivery. The day after picking the vehicle up, he changed the suspension with H&R coil-overs and Hamann 19" PGII wheels. Toyo Tires T1-S (235/35 front and 265/30 rear) keep him connected to the road. Unfortunately as of the photo shoot, Cajayon was unable to get his hands on another 19" Hamann wheel for the spare.
Lurking behind the front wheels are massive Brembo brakes featuring a 14.1" rotor and 4-piston calipers painted red. All the bumper guards were painted the body color, and a wing from an E46 M3 was added to the trunk lip. European spec OEM clear corners, side markers, and rear tail lights replaced the amber lenses, and M3 style mirrors were installed in place of the factory mirrors. Another Hamann product, the exhaust system replaces the OEM system. For kicks, a Whelan strobe light kit was added to use at shows. They are controlled through three of the five aluminum switches (purchased in Japan) that Brown installed in the ashtray. The switches are mounted on frosted Plexiglas and are backlit in amber at night to match the dash lights. In the interior, a Hamann pedal set, footrest, and e-brake handle were added along with an aluminum shift knob from BMW. Brown took the time to paint the steering wheel in the same color as the aluminum trim in the dash. Future modifications include an RMS supercharger. As for the stereo system, Cajayon may add monitors into the headrests.