"This car was really built to enjoy music," reveals Jason Pellino, proud owner of this 2001 Lexus IS 300. Given the 34-year-old's fondness for IASCA, enjoying great tunes only during his commute wouldn't cut it. Pellino also wanted the pleasure of having his new daily driver kick butt on the sound circuit. To that end, he turned to Jeff Smith and the guys at Audio Designs of Atlanta, who are known for churning out top SQ rides. "A shop that can build nice cars is one thing, but these guys build cars that sound amazing also," Pellino enthuses. The clear choice resulted in the ideal blend of characteristics you'll see on the following pages - a mild-mannered appearance suitable for a daily driver and the audio excellence needed for a fierce SQ combatant.
Subwoofers:
Audio Designs head honcho Jeff Smith firmly believes in the infinite baffle setup. He got rid of the rear speakers and sealed the rear deck completely. Then a thick 1" birch plywood baffle was constructed to hold the pair of Image Dynamics IDQ15D2 V.2 subwoofers. The baffle is wrapped in brushed aluminum laminate while the subs are protected by the same perforated aluminum mesh from Mobile Solutions that was used in the kick panels. Green neon from Street Glow highlights the back of the speakers. The resulting baffle uses only 15 percent of the usable trunk space, Pellino says.
Trunk:
Underneath the sheepskin, this wolf bares a mouth full of electronics. A trunk mat usually conceals the acrylic window cut with four air inlets to ventilate a trio of Zapco DC Reference amplifiers. The MDF amprack hinges up to allow access to the spare tire. It holds two 4-channel DC360.4's and one DC500.1 monoblock. To increase the stereo separation and improve imaging from left to right, Smith configured the front stage amps into 3-channel mode. The trunk also holds the CD changer, Stinger power accessories and ventilation fans.
Security:
This daily driver isn't protected in a garage all day long, so a VIPER 560XV security system with remote start was installed. Dave "The Alarm Master" Dopson hooked up some extra features, such as a window module, trunk pop and radio valet. The Lexus hasn't been car jacked yet, making it out to the IASCA 2006 World Finals and bringing back second place in SQ. Pellino plans to continue competing, do a lot of driving and, of course, keep enjoying that music.
Dash:
The trim ring from the new head unit (an Alpine IVA-W200) flows with the factory dash contours after some molding work. Tucked out of sight in the center console, an Alpine KCA-422i full speed cable makes the connection between the receiver and the 20GB iPod (which docks in its cradle). Also hidden, this time in the glovebox, is the Zapco DRC-SL DSP programmer and display that feeds the amps.
Dash\doors:
A birch plywood baffle securely mounted in the kick panels provides a solid location for the 4" midrange. It's part of the Legatia L641-3 3-way set from Hybrid Audio Technologies (IASCA world champion Scott Buwalda's outfit). Tan grille cloth camouflages the tweeter of this set in the factory A-pillars. Below in the door stock locations, the 6" midbass driver was mounted on 31/44" birch plywood. A great deal of Dynamat Extreme was used on the doors (as well as everywhere else in the installation) to reduce unwanted resonance.
Driver Profile:
At 16 years old, Jason Pellino loved to hang out at car audio shops with his friends. They didn't have the money to buy anything, but the shop owners let them sit in demo vehicles and listen as long as they wanted. He got his first system for a birthday present, and then, with high school graduation money, he loaded another car. Now, all grown up (and with more change his pocket), Pellino familiarized himself with IASCA and started competing. For this Lexus, he'd like to thank the guys at Audio Designs of Atlanta, Scott Buwalda of Hybrid Audio Technologies, Bob Rugani of Zapco, Jason Noel at Stinger and Jack Argez of Auto Sound Syndicate "for getting me started in IASCA and sound quality."
Shop:
Audio Designs of AtlantaStockbridge, GAInstallers: Jeff Smith, Calvin Thomas, and Dave Dopson