From the early days of the Southern Californian surfing explosion in in the late '50s and early '60s, music has been a large part of the surfing culture. For the most part "surf music" is minimalist, stripped to the bone and raw-a perfect metaphor for the grace and fury that is the planet's most powerful force. The best bet is to go with the flow; don't force anything or it will pull you under and spit you out in a broken mass. Just go for the ride, using what Mother Nature offered up for you to enjoy and you'll come out on the other side with a smile and serenity.
As a surf shop manager, Ryan Beppu has taken that philosophy and applied it to his daily-driver Infiniti G35. His edict to Audio Concepts was to maximize the available space and minimize the intrusion into the cargo area. In only two weeks, Link Ahlers and his Audio Concepts crew designed and installed a system that fit Beppu's order like a wetsuit.
Borrowing from the Japanese-market Nissan Skyline, the Infiniti is outfitted with an Eclipse AVN5435 head unit. The Eclipse unit provides Beppu with the exact audio/video/navigation essentials he needs. With it, Beppu can listen to CD, CD-R/RW or MP3 audio, watch DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-Video on the 6.5-inch screen or find his way to a less crowded beach with the DVD-based navigation system.
Taking the place of the factory door speakers are MB Quart PCE 164 6 1/2" midbass drivers. Custom kick panels were fabricated to house MB Quart PCE 213 5 1/4" 2-way component speakers. To get better imaging, the 1" tweeter from the PCE 213 component set is also mounted in the factory position in the upper door. The kick panels are dressed in interior-matching vinyl and fitted with factory-looking grilles.
The rear passenger speakers were also replaced with offerings from MB Quart. The rear quarter panels are now home to a set of RCE 213 component speakers. Amplification for the rear components comes from a JL Audio e2150 2-channel amp hidden behind the rear passenger quarter panel.
Retaining as much cargo space in the trunk as possible and still being able to utilize the fold down rear seats was accomplished by building sub enclosures in the rear corners of the trunk. There you find the MB Quart PWE 252 10" subs. Each enclosure is made of fiberglass and painted to match the body color. Slightly deceiving is that most of the enclosures are hidden beneath a false floor.
Two of the three system amplifiers reside under the false floor. To make the most of the room afforded under it, the spare tire was removed and a custom MDF and fiberglass tub was fabricated to house the amps. The MB Quart RAA 4200 4-channel amplifier powers the front stage. Two channels are routed to the PCE 213 component speakers while two other channels head to the PCE 164 midbass drivers. The MB Quart RAA 1000 mono amplifier does solo work for the subs. A red vinyl trim ring encircles the enclosure and red LEDs add a touch of color to the subdued hues in the otherwise stock-appearing trunk.
Wiring And Accessories
A system that has vibrations, rattles and road noise is a lot like having sand in your shorts. It can be hard to find and get rid of, and really chaps your hide. To keep all unwanted noises out, the floor, trunk, trunk lid, roof, doors and quarter panels are all coated with Scosche Hyperflex sound damping material. Scosche EFX cables, distribution blocks, terminals, caps and interconnects were used throughout the install to make sure the signals get to where they are supposed to end up. A Viper 2-way alarm with remote start protects Beppu's investment and allows him to warm up the engine while he slips out of his wetsuit. After he stows it with his bodyboard and shakes off the sand, he always cranks the tunes on the way home from the beach.
Tech
Customized Gialla Front Grille
Clear Side Markers
De-Badged Body
Axis Super Mesh Wheels, 19" X 8.5" Front, 19" X 9.5" Rear
Nitto 555 Tires, 245/35 Front, 275/30 Rear
H&R Lowering Springs
AEM Cold-Air Intake