Following its motto of "Livin' Loud," Kicker has built a reputation by creating some of the most outlandish and innovative demo vehicles. From the subtle and classy to in-your-face extreme, the Kicker build team has done it all. Their latest creation, a 2006 Toyota FJ Cruiser, is no exception. Of course, it didn't start that way.
The vehicle arrived from Toyota in very bad shape. The FJ Cruiser was actually a prototype model that was used for testing by Toyota. Before the installation could begin, the guys at Kicker replaced every interior panel with factory replacements. Then they got to work on the fun stuff.
Lower Enclosure
The FJ boasts a total of six CompVT 10" subs. Following the first pair mounted in the front doors, the second set of subs was mounted in a 1.75ft3 fiberglass enclosure that resembles the shape of the amplifier badges. This enclosure features two of the subs inverted and rests on the floor against the rear seat. The Kicker amplifiers - a ZX650.4 (powering the front components and KM620 marine coaxials) and ZX750.1 (wired to the front 10" subs) - are mounted to the steel tube rack built by David Adams that runs from the roof to the middle subwoofer enclosure.
Top Enclosure
The third subwoofer enclosure is the most unique. Made of fiberglass, it's shaped to match the second box, but the third doesn't rest on the floor. It's mounted to a steel tube rack, which is hung on a set of bearings. Adams built that rack to rotate 360 degrees in either direction via a 12-volt motor and a chain drive. This would seem to bring up a wiring issue, but Kicker found a solution with a MercoTac slip ring. The slip ring works different than other similar mechanisms that employ brushes and plates to make electrical connections. Brushes and plates can introduce noise into an audio system, which is bad, especially for a demo vehicle. The MercoTac uses liquid metal to make the connection, which eliminates not only noise, but wear and fatigue as well. This configuration was designed to show off the slim-mount CompVT subwoofer, which has a mounting depth of less than 4.5". Also included on the rotating enclosure is a Clarion VMA7196 screen, which adds a little visual punch to the already impressive enclosure.
The audio system begins with a Clarion MAX675VD 7-inch touchscreen head unit that features an iPod interface mounted in the stock location. The front speakers were mounted in fiberglass pods built into the lower door panels. Each pod holds a set of RS56.2 components in sealed enclosures, while each CompVT 10" subwoofer resides in a free-air configuration. Bolted to the stock door panel, each panel was built using traditional fiberglass techniques. The slim-profile CompVT woofer can be mounted just about anywhere, even in a door without a large build-out. Mitch Kelly of Kelly and Sons Crazy Painters airbrushed the sheetmetal and rivets design.
To get the attention of spectators that might not be in the visual range of the truck, Kicker added a set of KM620 marine coaxial speakers to the roof of the FJ in pods. This made sure that the truck could be heard before it's seen.
All of the components in the FJ were built and installed in four weeks. To accomplish this task in that kind of time frame, the Kicker group had to put in some extra hours. Sean Murphy, David Adams, Randy Botts, Tim Smith and Toby Lewis are those held responsible for this impressive build. Make sure you stop by the Kicker booth at the next event you attend to check out this very cool truck.