Wes Shirley's 1969 Custom Chevelle

A Little Balance
"The goal for bass was not to have a 'booming' system, but to have a well-balanced system with a little extra impact," Clark says. To accomplish this, the Enriched team reverse loaded a single Zapco CW12 subwoofer in a sealed 1.5 cubic-foot enclosure bolted to the floor of the car. Lit by white neon, the painted interior of the 3/4-inch MDF box is clearly visible through a pane of 3/4-inch acrylic. Behind this enclosure, they hid an A/V-dedicated battery in a custom mount. At shows, such as CES where the Chevelle debuted, it can be charged externally via a plug mounted directly to the vehicle frame.

The Chevelle looked great and could tear up the pavement. It was just what Shirley wanted. With these new alterations, most performance-minded enthusiasts would consider the Chevelle complete. Fortunately, Rich Clark of Enriched Mobile Electronics in Santa Rosa, Calif., had to disagree. Certainly the engine sounded great, roaring as Shirley revved it up on the highway. But what about a different kind of music, the kind that plays through wires and speakers rather than chambers and exhausts? Clark convinced Shirley to think about the mobile electronics side of the custom car, or in Shirley's words, he "twisted my arm."

Due to such enthusiastic prodding, Shirley had to acquiesce, giving the Enriched Mobile team of Scott Hosier, Cody Harris, and Rob Gomez free rein to get creative. With mobile electronics manufacturer Zapco on board as a sponsor, the installers had no shortage of ear candy to work with. After toiling away for approximately 240 man-hours, they unveiled the vehicle you see here.

And In The Corner
Placed in the rear corners of the trunk, a Zapco DC1100.1 and a Zapco DC1000.4 power the sub and components, respectively. A combination of 3/4-inch MDF "wiggle wood," fiberglass, and 1/2-inch ABS plastic constituted the amprack, which received a dose of vinyl and a touch of neon backlighting to finish it off. The guys at Enriched took a lot of time making sure that the amprack trim lined up cleanly with the vehicle. Instead of screws, strong magnets hold down the trim.

Out On DeckClark also tapped the Zapco RB-16.2 components for rear fill. This time, he made use of the rear deck factory locations, but the team couldn't just drop the speakers in the existing holes. Instead, they created quarter-cubic-foot enclosures from 3/4-inch MDF and bolted them to the deck. For a finishing touch, Enriched covered a 1/4-inch MDF trim panel in black vinyl and 6x9 grilles with more of the suede grille cloth.

Going The Distance
Extra attention comes in many forms, such as five whole shop packs of Stinger Roadkill smothering the interior surfaces. The trunk hinges also received extra treatment with two slide pieces created from ABS, vinyl, and magnets. To disguise the trunk latch, the installers worked with acrylic to create the backlit Enriched logo. Extra touches like these are what set off a custom build.

Building The Ampracks

ShopEnriched Mobile ElectronicsSanta Rosa, Calif.Owner: Rich ClarkInstallers: Scott Hosier, Cody Harris,Rob Gomez

More Progress In The Trunk

The Build In The Cabin