2003 Porsche 996 Convertible - Head of the Class

Inspiration can come in many forms. For the painter, a beam of sunlight breaking through the trees. For the poet, a moment of sublime beauty. For Tom Gazda, co-founder of installation school Mobile Dynamics and head of the Tempe, AZ, campus, inspiration arrived in the shape of his 2003 Porsche 996, an $87,000 gift from the gods. This powerhouse of a muse also serves to inspire not only his students at Mobile Dynamics, but also clients of the new Mobile Dynamics Premium Services, the school's retail division.

In keeping with the look and feel of the Porsche, it was decided to focus on stealth and sound quality. Because of the specific challenges posed by the vehicle, as well as the desire to keep it a daily driver, a number of modifications would have to be made. Rick Jones, the head of the retail branch, was handed the keys to the Porsche and work got under way. The seats, carpeting, door and side panels were removed to install Dynamat Extreme to all doors, side panels and flooring.

Center Console
The interior of the 996 is a thing of beauty. Any extreme changes would likely throw off the balance of the center console, so care was taken to make sure everything appeared to be in its right place. Since the factory head unit location was needed for the Alpine TME- M580 LCD screen, the new head unit, a McIntosh MX-406, along with the factory climate controls, had to be moved to the lower center console area. This was done by removing the factory storage pocket and cassette tape holder. A custom faceplate was laser cut out of 1/8" aluminum, which was then powder coated black to match the console texture.

For those long drives in the Arizona desert, a Delphi Roady XM receiver was brought on board. But where to house it? This is where inspiration comes in. The Roady was modified and its LCD screen, remote wired to the unit hidden behind the dash. The car's overhead console was modified to house just the LCD screen. The IR eye is remote mounted in the dash for the remote control. It is, in a word, stunning.

Video and Navigation
The Alpine TME-M580 LCD screen occupies the focal point of the center console, wired to an Alpine NVE-N852A navigation system housed under the passenger front seat. There is no DVD player in this vehicle, a fact that Gazda addresses rather humorously: "If you need to watch DVDs while driving a Porsche, you're probably not driving fast enough."

Taking the place of movies are two cameras mounted in the rear of the car and, surprisingly, in the rear tire well area. A ShowFX-FrameCam was mounted into a custom aluminum license plate frame. Wiring was routed to the front of the vehicle and connected to the LCD screen in the dash. "After having a backup camera on a truck, I fell in love with the concept," states Gazda. "Although most people wouldn't consider one on a Porsche, I use the camera all the time." In addition, a ShowFX-UniCam was installed in the driver's-side rear tire well. When the vehicle is in motion, the left rear half shaft, shock and brakes are visible to the driver. While the monitor allows the user to select between the navigation system input to the cameras, a gear selector automatically selects the cameras. When in reverse, the license plate cam is activated, and when in first to sixth gear, the suspension cam is activated.

Front Stage
Since Gazda deemed the factory speakers "inoffensive," Jones set about making things right. A custom baffle made of 1/2" MDF was used to replace the factory Bose enclosure and house a set of Scan-Speak 18W/4531G00 7" midbass drivers. Each baffle was reinforced with fiberglass and Dynamat Extreme to add rigidity, protect the wood and reduce resonance. Existing mounting points were used to secure the custom baffle and retain vehicle integrity. Factory tweeters and mids were replaced with Scan-Speak D2904/6000 1" dome tweeters, placed in the dash's factory locations. Solen Electronique in Canada custom built passive crossovers for the front components.

Subwoofer
Next to the complex amprack, the subwoofer enclosure was the second largest project in the Porsche. When it rolled out of the factory, the Porsche had a Bose enclosure mounted behind the rear seats, which was incorporated as part of the rear parcel shelf. Nice enough, but not for a Dynaudio MW180 9" subwoofer.

Several criteria had to be met in order to build a custom box that would replace the Bose enclosure. "I've seen a lot of custom systems in [Porsches] and knew that I did not want a swoopy fiberglass hot-tub effect in the back of my car," states Gazda. The enclosure had to be stealthy, blend well cosmetically with the vehicle and use only factory mounting points. The project began with the creation of a plug, a mockup made of wood, two-part foam and body filler. Once the installers were happy with the cosmetics and fit in the vehicle, the plug was sent to a glass shop, which fabricated a mold from the plug. Once the mold was complete, any number of finished enclosures could have been manufactured. Each 1.2ft3 finished enclosure is comprised entirely of fiberglass and is approximately 3/8" thick. For a finishing touch in Gazda's Porsche, the enclosure was upholstered in factory Porsche leather and carpet. Factory stitching was used throughout.

Amprack
Porsches aren't known for their massive interior space. A McIntosh MCC404M amp was chosen and ready for under the hood, but how could an amprack be installed while still leaving enough room for groceries? "While the McIntosh amp looks great and sounds even better," Gazda declares, "the sheer size of this amplifier can create some installation challenges." After weeks of deliberation, a unique design was formulated. The amplifier would hover over the trunk space in the front of the vehicle. The amp, running in 3-channel mode at 4 ohms, 100 watts x 2 (front), 400 x 1 (subwoofer), only takes up 3" of trunk depth, leaving plenty of room for luggage or groceries. This approach keeps the amplifier cool even when the trunk is being used for travel.

The amprack is primarily made of 1 1/2" mild steel tubing. This tubing was cut into several pieces and welded together to hold up the amplifier, mounted to the factory Bose amplifier mounting points. In addition to the steel tubing, several custom aluminum brackets were used to anchor and support the tubing. All parts were powder coated to match the trunk area cosmetics. Lightning Audio wiring, used throughout, was fed through the tubing and then through the firewall. A custom circuit controls a linear actuator that motorizes the amprack up and down to allow access to the trunk space below. Beautiful.

The Finished Package
After two months and almost $14,000 in parts and labor, Gazda and Mobile Dynamics had their vehicle ready to bring inspiration to all who gaze upon it. And let's not forget what it must be like to be behind the wheel of this beauty. "After hours and on weekends is when all the fun starts," enthuses Gazda. "Arizona has some of the best roads in the U.S. for a sports car. The sound system and Alpine nav make those long, winding roads that much more fun." Special thanks are extended to Scottsdale Precision for its laser work on the dash cosmetics and amprack components and to Precision Powdercoat for its work on all metals.

Driver Profile
Tom Gazda got his start in the mobile electronics industry at a small retail operation in London, ONT, Canada, where he worked as an installer and subsequently a shop manager. Gazda was soon offered a position at Alpine Electronics of Canada in Toronto, where he stayed until 1990 when he left to form North America's first car audio school, Mobile Dynamics, with partner Derek Lee, also a former Alpine co-worker. In 1995, Gazda left Toronto to open a Mobile Dynamics campus in Tempe, AZ. To date, over 1,500 new installers have started their career at the Tempe facility. Today, Gazda continues to head up the school in Tempe (Derek Lee runs the Toronto school).