2000 HummerRudy Zitserman is a huge fan of automobiles. And unlike most of us he can indulge in his passion for cars by buying them! His collection includes a Bentley, Lamborghini, and a totally modified Honda. For as long as he can remember, he was always tinkering with his vehicles. He started with upgrading parts under the hood until he was introduced to the world of car audio in 1975. His interest in car audio soon became a passion and he decided to open his own store, Best Sound & Security in Flushing, New York back in 1988. Today, he is a successful owner and prides his shop on its service and craftsmanship.
Best Sound and Security receives high-end vehicles on a weekly basis for small and extreme jobs. Whatever the magnitude of the task, each vehicle is well taken care of with the craftsmanship that has brought the store to the forefront of the car audio world in a highly competitive market. Lately, Zitserman has even ventured into car and truck Accessories. "We carry or have access to almost every aftermarket part conceivable. Selling Car Stereo's on a daily basis can get lethargic. This adds excitement to the store and makes it a "One-stop-shop,'" says Zitserman. Late last year, one of his loyal customers brought in a 2000 Hummer for an installation. This is just one of the many high-end automobiles that frequent the establishment. Zitserman and his team are so highly trusted that the customer simply dropped off the keys to his $102,000 vehicle and told Zitserman to "do it up". After a few days of planning, the installation began with head installer Mark Jorsling at the helm.
Getting StartedThe Hummer was built to travel through the roughest terrain, not to be a quiet and cushy ride. Therefore, damping material from the factory was an afterthought. There was very little to none existing. As with all the vehicles that pull into Best Sound and Security for a big project, the Hummer received an ample amount of Dynamat, greatly improving the sound characteristics of the vehicle. At this point all the wires were run for the system. Wiring, interconnects, fuse blocks, distribution blocks, and breakers are from Lightning Audio. The vehicle comes factory with dual batteries and the factory alternator was utilized because of its already high output.
The installation of the front speakers turned out to be quite a project. The original speaker locations were installed under the dashboard, but because Zitserman wanted to have good sound quality in the Hummer, he knew that new speaker locations were necessary. It was decided that a pair of JL Audio Evolution XR650-CS 6.5" components would be installed in the front doors. The stock doors in the Hummer had double plated steel, so massaging the 6.5" driver into place took some effort. The first step was to completely damp the doors with Dynamat to reduce any unwanted resonances. Once the hole was cut, the entire door panel was refabricated out of MDF and Fiberglass. It features two speaker pods trimmed in black and yellow leather to match the rest of the interior. The rear doors received the same treatment as the front doors but this time a set of JL Audio Evolution XR525-CS components were used.
For a unique twist, it was decided that the system in the Hummer would include a Dolby Digital Processor. In this case, Zitserman installed an Alpine SBS-0515 center channel speaker at the base of the windshield. The speaker was concealed underneath the dash panel and sound passes through the newly perforated dash. "This location works out well because the sound reflects off the windshield into the passenger compartment," claims Zitserman.