Strip Down, Damp Out And Amp Up - How To

by CAE, Nov 01, 2007

For the last 18 months I've been designing and building my latest custom show vehicle, the '05 Honda Civic Si loaded with Sony XPLOD gear that is featured on the cover. I did all of the designing, building, engineering, wiring, fiberglass, sanding, exterior bodywork and final assembly on the car. The only part I cannot take full credit for is the amazing custom paint.

The car features a uniquely designed electronic system that includes 27 speakers, 13 TV monitors, dual CD/MP3/DVD system decks, a rear backup camera system, three subwoofers and other electronic toys and gadgets. I took a lot of care ensuring that no holes were drilled into the vehicle and not a single factory wire or Molex plug was cut. I tried to maintain the factory integrity of the car insofar as the safety features and driveability of the car were concerned. The air conditioning, airbags and seatbelts are still intact and the car is completely street-legal and driveable.

Over the next 12 months, I will show step-by-step how I built this Sony Civic, including techniques that I developed while building it, wiring schematics and pictures demonstrating the work. While I don't expect many to build a car by themselves, readers may find certain aspects helpful for their own projects. This month involves the initial design process and first building projects including the ported subwoofer box and massive amprack.

The most important thing to me is the overall plan and setup. I spent months choosing a vehicle that would benefit me the most in my project goals. After choosing a vehicle that would best serve my goal of properly displaying the Sony products in a visually stimulating atmosphere, I was ready to begin.