The Chevrolet Chevelle has entranced Wes Shirley for years. "My first car was a '69 Chevelle and I always had a vision of what I wanted but had no money," the automotive parts wholesaler relates. "When the money came, so did the car." In 2000, he acted on his dream, which mainly pertained to what lay under the hood. First, he tore into the engine. Later, he progressed to the exterior with a new suspension and wheels.
The Chevelle looked great and could tear up the pavement. It was just what Shirley wanted. With these new alterations, most performance-minded enthusiasts would consider the Chevelle complete. Fortunately, Rich Clark of Enriched Mobile Electronics in Santa Rosa, Calif., had to disagree. Certainly the engine sounded great, roaring as Shirley revved it up on the highway. But what about a different kind of music, the kind that plays through wires and speakers rather than chambers and exhausts? Clark convinced Shirley to think about the mobile electronics side of the custom car, or in Shirley's words, he "twisted my arm."
Due to such enthusiastic prodding, Shirley had to acquiesce, giving the Enriched Mobile team of Scott Hosier, Cody Harris, and Rob Gomez free rein to get creative. With mobile electronics manufacturer Zapco on board as a sponsor, the installers had no shortage of ear candy to work with. After toiling away for approximately 240 man-hours, they unveiled the vehicle you see here.
Subtle HighlightsIn keeping with the retro aesthetics, marring clean door panels with an array of speakers would not fly. Instead, Clark had the team incorporate the speakers into out-of-the-way kick panel enclosures. "They needed to blend into the floor as much as possible," he explains. The installers formed the base of the sound quality-friendly enclosures with fiberglass built up to 3/4-inch thick. They then cut baffles from 3/4-inch MDF and blended them into the bases with more fiberglass and fleece. Black vinyl wraps up the bodywork, while steel mesh grilles covered in suede-like fabric hide the Zapco RB-16.2 6.5-inch components.
Out On DeckClark also tapped the Zapco RB-16.2 components for rear fill. This time, he made use of the rear deck factory locations, but the team couldn't just drop the speakers in the existing holes. Instead, they created quarter-cubic-foot enclosures from 3/4-inch MDF and bolted them to the deck. For a finishing touch, Enriched covered a 1/4-inch MDF trim panel in black vinyl and 6x9 grilles with more of the suede grille cloth.
A Modern Head
With the hot-rod focus of the vehicle, new gauges were in order for the dash, but the primary addition was the new radio. The Enriched team cut out the factory source and climate control knobs to make way for a Panasonic CQ-VD6503U double-DIN head unit with its 6.5-inch screen. To attach this aftermarket unit, the guys created aluminum brackets and affixed them to the steel dash. "Those brackets hold the head unit independent of the custom-molded dash bezel," Clark reveals. Not visible, a trio of Zapco BTL line drivers mounted on a plastic panel is easily accessible under the dash.
ShopEnriched Mobile ElectronicsSanta Rosa, Calif.Owner: Rich ClarkInstallers: Scott Hosier, Cody Harris,Rob Gomez
PaintDowntown AutobodyRohnert Park, Calif.