Installation
Rudy 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 Started
The 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.
One, Two, Three
Between the rear seats are the subwoofer enclosure and two amplifiers. Although this section looks like one massive structure, the amplifier housing is separate from the subwoofer enclosure. The enclosure features a trio of JL Audio 10W3's mounted in an enclosure built using MDF, fiberglass, and body filler. This stout and rigid enclosure has an internal volume of only 2.25 cubic feet. The baffle board is trimmed in yellow leather while the exterior of the enclosure is surrounded by plush black leather.
The amplifier rack continues the yellow and black theme. At first glance, the rack looks too big to fit just two amplifiers, but there are reasons for this. The first is that Zitserman wanted the amplifier rack to be level with the console that resides in between the front two seats. This console holds a secondary air conditioning unit for the rear passengers. Secondly, in between the rear seats is a hump on the floor for the drive train (Hummer tucks the drive-train into the vehicle so the bottom of the vehicle is flat and does not get caught up on anything when off-roading). Facing the subwoofers in a "V" shape is an Alpine MRV-1507 amplifier powering the three subwoofers. The internal crossovers of the massive amplifier were utilized to reduce the use of any extra components.
On the top portion of the amplifier rack is an Alpine MRV-F407 4-channel amplifier powering the components in each door. On the passengers side of the amp rack is an Alpine NVE-N851 DVD navigation system. "I carry many navigation systems and nothing else comes close. It adds peace of mind to the owner because it does more than just give you directions. The navigation system is a wealth of knowledge," explains Zitserman. Next to the Alpine amplifier on top (driver's side) is an Alpine CHA-1214 12-disc CD changer. Jorsling utilized the space below the amplifiers to hide the brain to each of the five Alpine monitors.
Monitor Happy
The Hummer definitely does not lack viewing sources with seven monitors strategically placed throughout the vehicle. The main monitor is also the main source unit in the vehicle. An Alpine IVA-C800 sits flush in the factory location of the vehicle just above the climate controls. Through here, the owner has a variety of choices on what source is displayed on the screen. Single CD, CD changer, radio, navigation, DVD, or VCR. Space was ample in the center console and the installation crew took this opportunity by nestling several components into the area. The top portion of the console was modified to fit an Alpine DVA-5205 DVD Player and a Sony PlayStation 2 directly below it. The DVD player now sits where the center vents used to be. The cigarette lighter for the driver and passenger were almost relocated and reside on either side of the DVD player. The Sony PlayStation 2 was flush mounted into the console so only the controller ports are showing. The slide tray is located to the right of the ports and is also easily accessed. The last component is an Alpine VPE-V180A VCR located just in front of the cup holders. The trim ring for both the IVA-C800 and DVA-5205 was painted yellow to match the color scheme of the interior.
Four Alpine TME-M750A 6.5-inch monitors are installed in the headrests. Jorsling built a housing out of MDF to hold the monitor in place and used the factory seat bracing to secure the housing into the seat. As a finishing touch each monitor received yellow leather piping. Another Alpine monitor is built into the dash facing the front passenger using the same trim as the headrest monitors. The control boxes for all the Alpine monitors converge underneath the amplifier rack. The final monitor is installed in the middle of the windshield. A 5.25-inch Mobile TV was housed in a custom fabricated Fiberglass enclosure.
A rear vision camera was installed in the rear of the vehicle and all the images are viewed through the windshield monitor. The camera was installed in one of the center lights in the rear and is completely waterproof.
More is Better
The Alpine PXA-H510 Dolby Digital processor brings the system all together providing movie like sounds in a mobile environment. The brain to the unit is mounted out of the way under the passenger side rear seat. The controller/display is mounted in the rear as well. Seems like an odd location, but this was requested by the customer and once the system is setup, there is barely any adjustments that need to be made on the PXA controller.
In between the two front seats is a custom carousel wrapped in leather. On top is a Toshiba Pentium II laptop. Due to the computer having a video input and output, the computers' display can also be viewed through anyone of the monitors excluding the one on the windshield. The Toshiba is equipped with a wireless modem so the customer can access the Internet at any given time.
An Alpine SEC-8063 security system was installed to keep all the components and the vehicle remaining where it they should be. Other features added to the security system are a remote start and radar sensor (which is helpful when the top is down). A four-head, police issued strobe kit provides visual confirmation of the security systems status.
To round out the vehicle, Alcoa rims were added and monstrous Super Swamper 38" tires keep the Hummer moving even in the roughest terrain. A front Push bar and side steps were added to make the beefy SUV even beefier! Finally, HID fog lights make it seem like it is daytime all the time.
Just the Beginning
Zitserman is extremely pleased with the outcome of the Hummer (and so is the customer). Although this was just one of many extravagant installations done at Best Sound and Security, Zitserman is looking forward to doing more outlandish work on future vehicles. If you are ever roaming Northern Boulevard in Bayside, New York and stumble upon some pretty trick looking and sounding vehicles, look at the sign above. It'll probably say "Best Sound and Security".