To draw the right kind of attention, a show car must possess a perfect blend of modifications so it will stand out from the rest of the competition. Like in many other facets of life, outward appearance is important, but like the old saying goes, it's what's on the inside that counts. One can't help but notice the radiant metallic orange paint that covers every inch of Peter Phung's 1996 Saleen Mustang, but a closer look reveals the amount of detail that has gone into creating a truly remarkable showpiece, thanks to the commanding audio/video system.
Before the installation of the audio system began, the Mustang was treated to a strong dose of sound deadening. After yanking the interior, approximately 15 rolls of Dynamat and at least 10 cans of Dynashield were used to eliminate unwanted resonance. A multitude of Stinger Pro Series power and speaker cables and Stinger Queen Series triple shielded RCAs were then routed through the vehicle. A single Optima Orange Top battery, mounted in the Mustang's factory location, supplies the power for the system.
Peter chose to retain the stock mounting location for the Alpine CDA-7949 CD/tuner, which is the only component of the system that occupies its factory-intended home. Mounted directly above the head unit is a Sony XT750W monitor that has been flush-mounted into the dash bezel in the location normally occupied by the climate controls, which were relocated to the glove box. The finished bezel has been smoothed and color matched to the exterior of the vehicle.
Mobile entertainment comes by way of a Sony SVP-DC1 VCP, tucked neatly into the cavity beneath the driver's side rear seat. The audio/video signal is supplied to a Sony TV tuner/video input mounted under the front passenger's seat, which is linked to the head unit using an Alpine auxiliary adapter. Opposite the VCP, an Alpine CHA-S624 six-disc changer, mounted beneath the passenger's side rear seat, supplies the CD audio signal directly to the head unit.
An MB Quart PSD-316 three-way component set was chosen to create the front stage. Custom fabricated kick panels house the 5-1/4" midrange and 1" tweeter, while the 8" midbass drivers are mounted in separate, fiberglass door pods. Both kick panels and door pods were fabricated using a blend of MDF, fiberglass, Kitty Hair, and glazing putty. Like the dash bezel, each of the fabricated panels has also been smoothed and color matched.
Lifting the deck lid reveals the focal point of the installation. The area formerly known as the trunk now resembles something of a Rockford Fosgate shrine. The familiar Diamond R logo is proudly displayed on every component in the trunk, including the amps, subs, stiffening capacitors, and the system's equalizer/processor. The floor of the trunk is home to the Rockford Fosgate Power 400.4 four-channel amplifier, which drives the front stage, and the Rockford Fosgate BD1000 digital mono-block amplifier, which drives the subs. A Rockford link was used to connect the two, creating the appearance of one single amplifier that spans the width of the custom-fabricated amprack. Flanking the amprack are two smaller racks that house the three Rockford Fosgate Power Series 1-farad stiffening capacitors and the Rockford Fosgate QEQ2 10-band equalizer/processor. Each of the three racks was custom fabricated from the same blend of MDF, fiberglass, Kitty Hair, and glazing putty used for the kick panels and door pods. The finished panels were also smoothed, color matched to the exterior of the vehicle, and topped with a sheet of acrylic.
Low-end duties are handled by two 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch HX2 subs that fire forward from a 2.5-cubic-foot sealed enclosure, nestled tightly under the Mustang's rear deck. The basic structure of the subwoofer enclosure is constructed from 3/4" MDF, with a 1" acrylic rear panel that provides a clear view of the woofer's magnet structure. For the finishing touch, each chamber of the trunk was trimmed in black vinyl. Several strategically placed Street Glow neon tubes illuminate the sub chamber and amprack.
The orange color theme is continued throughout the Mustang's interior, with additional color-matched components on the dash, center console, and re-upholstered seats. Peter's attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the installation. Each custom built component is truly spectacular, but what is most impressive is the way that all of the individual elements combine to create an impressive showpiece, pleasing to both the eyes and the ears.
Driver Profile
Peter Phung of San Francisco, CA, is a 26-year-old installer/salesman who has been hooked on car audio for the past seven years. After installing numerous systems in his vehicles, he decided to create the "ultimate sound quality vehicle." Over the course of two years, Peter produced this ultra custom Saleen Mustang. It absolutely screams for attention with its eye-searing, metallic orange paint job.
The Mustang provided Peter with the opportunity to build a show car that could demonstrate his capabilities as a high-end installer. He takes a tremendous amount of pride in knowing that he designed and built the entire audio system himself. According to Peter, what sets his Mustang apart from the rest is that it features more than just a radical audio system. Extensive body modifications and an engine compartment full of chromed, polished and powder-coated goodies prove that there was much more than just sound quality in mind while this vehicle was being built.
Peter has earned numerous first and second place trophies for overall vehicle presentation and for best sound presentation at various car shows such as Extreme Autofest and Hot Import Nights. When asked if he ever catches any flak from the import crowd for rolling the domestic, he replies, "No, no one really says anything when you are bringing home first place trophies." According to Peter, his Mustang was one of the few cars chosen by Chevy (yes, Chevy) to be displayed on billboards and TV commercials nationwide to promote the new Cavalier.
While cruising the streets of San Francisco, Peter's music of choice is usually something with a hip-hop flavor to get the 12's moving, but admits that it is R&B that really demonstrates the sound quality and range of his system. Needless to say, the awards and recognition that he has received for his efforts are great, but Peter insists that what makes him the most proud of his work is when he is approached in public and told what a beautiful car he has. For him there is no greater feeling than when he returns to his Mustang to find a crowd of admirers taking pictures of what he has worked so hard to create.
SHOP BOX
Owner & Installer: Peter Phung
TECH BOX
Wheels: 18" SSR GPO
Tires: Sumitomo
Suspension: Tokico Illumina 5-way
Springs: Eibach Sportline
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 Head Unit Monitor: The Alpine...  Head Unit
Monitor: The Alpine CDA-7949 CD/tuner is mounted in the factory radio slot directly below the Sony XTL-750W monitor. It was flushed into the factory bezel in the area formerly occupied by the climate controls, which have been relocated to the glove box. The trick mounting of the monitor was achieved by molding an ABS trim plate into the factory bezel using plastic weld, Kitty Hair, glazing putty, and numerous hours of sanding. The finished bezel was color matched to the metallic orange exterior of the vehicle. |
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 Front Stage --The front stage...  Front Stage--The front stage is supplied by an MB Quart PSD-316 three-way component set. Custom kick panels were fabricated to house the 5-1/4" midrange and 1" tweeter, while the 8" midbass drivers were mounted in separate, custom door pods. Both kick panels and door pods are composed of MDF, fiberglass, Kitty Hair, and glazing putty. Each of the finished panels has been smoothed and color matched to the exterior of the vehicle. |
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 CD Changer VCP--A Sony SVPP-DC1...  CD Changer
VCP--A Sony SVPP-DC1 VCP, tucked neatly into the cavity beneath the driver's side rear seat, supplies the video signal. Opposite the VCP, an Alpine CHA-S624 six-disc changer, mounted beneath the passenger's side rear seat, supplies the CD audio signal directly to the head unit. Both the VCP and CD changer were flush mounted, with only their noses exposed. |
 Subwoofer Enclosure --Two...  Subwoofer Enclosure
--Two 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch HX2 subs were mounted in a 2.5-cubic-foot sealed enclosure, which was squeezed underneath the Mustang's rear deck. The basic structure of the subwoofer enclosure was constructed from 3/4" MDF, with a 1" acrylic rear panel providing a clear view of the woofer's magnet structure and smoothed fiberglass interior. The finished enclosure was trimmed in black vinyl and backlit with Street Glow neon. Amprack--The floor of the trunk is now home to a Rockford Fosgate Power 400.4 four-channel amplifier, which drives the front stage, and a Rockford Fosgate BD1000 digital mono-block amplifier, which drives the subs. A Rockford link was used to connect the two, creating the appearance of one single amplifier that spans the width of the custom-fabricated amprack. The handmade fiberglass rack features dual fans, which were mounted below the amplifiers for cooling. |
 Stiffening Capacitors--Three...  Stiffening Capacitors--Three Rockford Fosgate Power Series 1-farad stiffening capacitors were mounted in their own custom rack on the driver's side of the trunk. The three capacitors were linked together with buss bars and recessed into the color-matched fiberglass panel. The capacitors provide that quick burst of voltage to the amps to keep the bass rolling. |
 Equalizer/Processor--A Rockford...  Equalizer/Processor--A Rockford Fosgate QEQ2 resides in its own custom rack on the passenger's side of the trunk. Peter chose the 10-band equalizer/processor to boost the pre-out voltage and to give him more tuning control. Like the amplifiers, the EQ is recessed in its own color-matched, fiberglass rack, which was covered in acrylic and trimmed in black vinyl. |
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