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One of my cars that has been used for trying many different systems for over the 22 years I've owned it (Have you tried working on 43-year-old-car?) It's a 1963 Buick Riviera with a 401 V-8 2 x 4 bbl carbs, mercedes astral silver, four black leather buckets with the custom interior. If you know anything about Rivieras, it's like the Silver Arrow I concept car:



The Nakamichi CD700II I just put in. (try cutting a DIN hole through a cast-iron radio face-plate and taking the dash and console apart on vintage cars--easy for me because I've done it so often; other professionals wouldn't even consider it when I was starting out. So that's why I do ALL my work!

Hey, I'm steve, and as soon as I got my license and first car (a hearse) I had to have the best mobile audio available at that time since I spent all my time in my car. Well, that was back in 1980, when switching, oscillating power supplies enabled designers to make 100 RMS= amps from 12V.

So my first system was an ADS Power Plate 100 amp, ADS 300i speakers, and a nakamichi 350 portable taped deck used for high-quality field recordings (i.e, bootlegs!!)

My latest system, after being ripped off in my classic '63 Riviera, is a

Nakamichi CD 700II
Audio alchemy DTI pro32 24bit interpolator/jitter-reducer
a/d/s 642ix/AC-502 constant bass, inverted band-pass processor
Nak EC-304 X-over
All Monster cable Refernce 2 interconnect
JL Audio 500/1 sub amp
(2) Soundstream reference SS-10R subs in an aperiodic/ quasi-infinite-baffle enclosure
(2) a/d/s 300is front speakers
Monster Powerline 2+ sub speaker wire (old school!)
Audio quest CV-4 fullrange speaker wire (Mega bucks!!)
Monster power wire
Gallons of medical-grade silicone and mass dampening materials to seal and minimize unwanted resonances (I'm a medical device engineer so I had access to unwanted silicone adhesives)

Optima yellowtop battery
Ungo box Total security

See? very simple 6 speaker in the right locations with the right staggered crossover points/slpoes/phases negate the need for sonically degrading EQ.

I have incredible imaging up front with vertical height, width and depth. The a/d/s/642ix constant bass processor helps to add the perception of bass coming from front and center (with its unique inverted band-pass for the front speakers)

Here's pic before the Jl500/1 amp:

Lookin good man, keep up the good work!

X2, looks great. Hope your here to stay

does all the medical grade silicon mean you have given your car breast implants?

haha looks good man love the car! welcome again become a platty soon!

yea i did forget to compliment the car.......pretty sweet ride....i got a broke down truck ill trade you.....ok ill even throw in a crx........

I have owned Riviera's in the past and a very good friend of mine is building up a show car with a 66 or 67 Toronado...the front wheel drive kind. All JL Audio with a 500/1 to an 8w7, z components, and eclipse head unit. It takes balls to cut the dash of a classic like that...so I gave you some rep points to start out replenishing those balls again...I like the car...love the paint, look forward to more pics. Again, welcome to the forum!

smoker wrote:does all the medical grade silicon mean you have given your car breast implants?

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Yes, I worked at a company that was the only one left manufacturing medical-grade silicone breast gel. But I mainly used GALLONS on MED1137- a high-grade ahnesive for sealant purposes and mass dampening.

On one of my last systems. I used a similar baffle board --this time infinite-baffle, not aperiodic---covered with a heavy layer of silicone high-shear strength adhesive, and bolted under neath the metal rear shelf which had the minimum of metal removed to retain structural integrity.

Well, when I wanted to remove the baffle board, I unbolted 8 bolts, and tried to remove the board. No luck!! Even with a crow bar, it wouldn't budge--anf this was with two heavy weight subs attatched. I had to physically pry and chip away at the plywood, and it SYTILL stuck.

This is a picture of an old system from '86 using Harman Kardon amps. They rocked hard and clean in spite of their underestimated spec's:

smoker wrote:does all the medical grade silicon mean you have given your car breast implants?

yes, it does. I worked for the only US manufacturer of medical-grade silicone gel for breast impants, although I used more silicone adhesive, Gallons, in fact for sealant and mass dampening purposes.

In an earlier install I wanted to remove a similar baffle board that was silicone sealed and bolted under the metal rear shelf. Even after removing the 8 bolts that I thought held it it up, it stayed in place. I tried to used a crow bar to pry itoff, but to no avail. I ended up having to chip away at the plywood and continue prying! The special silicone I was using had extremely high shear strength. here's apic of the old install from 1986. Look at those old Harman Kardon amps!! They rocked hard and clear, and were grossly underrated. The install could have used some cleaning up. But structural inyegrity was my main concern back then: