If you live in Southern California and find yourself at car shows and other happenings, you'll probably see this 2000 Ford Expedition sooner or later. As a manufacturer's representative, Mike Thompson and Taylor Marketing are expected to be everywhere, all the time. They operate at events armed with literature and a rolling display of their offerings. Here, a Ford Expedition hyped-up with JBL Gti speakers and amplifiers. The installation theme is such that the products are wildly on display and plugged for playback. Their intention is to "wow" show-going consumers with the latest and greatest from the companies they represent.
With this demo vehicle they wow plenty. Five months of labor went into this installation by the masters at Competition SoundWorks in Cerritos, California. Putting the big SUV in the hands of CSW was a no-brainer for Thompson. CSW is an account of Thompson's, so they know the product well and would put forth their strongest efforts to make the install pop. Additionally, Thompson took advantage of the fact that CSW has built a name as the local's shop, where owner Jason Lee has solidly placed himself as the 12-volt guru in the Inland Empire. It's a perfect match of Southern California 12-volt specialists working together at every level.
On The Down Low
Like most demo rides, the demo takes place outside of the vehicle. A nice implement of components in the cockpit and passenger seating are mostly for the privileged few that "do lunch" with Thompson in between gigs. Should someone request a private listening session Thompson no doubt grants them the request, but the idea was to build something that can be enjoyed equally from outside.
Utilizing all of the factory locations for the head unit and speakers, the cabin of the Expedition looks mostly stock. A Kenwood Excelon KVT910DVD is mounted in the original location with help from a Metra install kit. CSW installer Cesar Meneses color-matched the Metra trim piece to flow with the original dash color. The KVT910DVD was a nice selection because it not only sports an AM/FM/CD/DVD receiver, but also a motorized 6.5-inch widescreen with touch-screen controls, all in a single DIN-sized unit. Multi-play duties are handled by Kenwood's C907 10-disc changer mounted in the armrest. Custom mounting and trim had to be fabricated to massage the unit into place under the armrest cover. Matching vinyl was used to complete the job.
In Dash: Kenwood's Excelon...
In Dash: Kenwood's Excelon KVT910 DVD was installed using a color-matched Metra kit. The 910 is an in-dash CD/DVD receiver with motorized 6.5-inch monitor.
Everybody loves video games, and what would a modern-day mobile multimedia system be without one. While most in the 12-volt world have stayed true to the PlayStation 1 for its smallish size, Thompson wanted the improved features of the PS2. He would let CSW figure out how to mount it. Fortunately the Expedition has high driver and passenger seating, so the PS2 was simply mounted under the passenger's seat. With room to spare, a custom trim panel was fabricated and covered in vinyl to properly integrate the unit.
Gamers can enjoy the PS2, or DVD, in privacy through Audiovox LCM 5600 monitors built into the rear headrests of the driver and passenger seats. The monitors have built-in IR headphone transmitters so rear passengers can enjoy their own video and audio source without being bothered by boring, non-interactive activity. An Alpine switcher allows users to play multiple video sources at once, including the PS2, making everybody happy.
Factory locations may have been retained for the front JBL C608 GTi component speakers, but that in no way suggests compromise. In fact, the versatility of the C608 GTi system lends itself to the confines of a typical mobile speaker installation. Thompson has seen countless custom kickpanel pods destroyed by heavy traffic, leaving the installer to recover them time and time again. This time things would be different. A high-quality component set would be positioned in a more traditional configuration without running the risk of getting trampled.