A longtime client of Sound Depot and Performance in Gainesville brought this stunning 1968 Chevrolet Camaro in for a stereo upgrade and window tint installation. Our client purchased the car with the restoration complete and wanted to make it more fun and more comfortable to drive. After inspecting the vehicle and discussing his listening style, we designed an audio system that would not only look great but sound amazing.
Sound Deadening for a Classic Car
The Camaro stereo upgrade started with our team cleaning the sides and floor of the trunk, as well as the doors, interior floor and rear fenders of the vehicle to prepare for the application of MESA Damping Mat sound deadening. This butyl and aluminum damping material dramatically reduces noise transfer into the vehicle and makes it much more comfortable to drive.
Custom Amp Rack and Subwoofer Enclosure
Next, our team set to work measuring the trunk to design a custom subwoofer enclosure with an integrated amp rack. The enclosure is home to a single JL Audio 12W1-D4 12-inch subwoofer and has a mounting location for a JL Audio HD600/4 four-channel amplifier. The subwoofer enclosure is a vented design to improve the efficiency of the system and provide extra low-frequency output.
The mounting panel for the sub is wrapped in red vinyl and serves as the trim for the amp. Our fabrication team created an accent panel that features a pressed mesh grille, gray vinyl and carpeted accents that match the interior of the trunk.
Classic Camaro Stereo Speaker Upgrade
Our team used a set of Q-Logic Q Form drop-in kick panels to mount a set of Hertz HSK 165.4 component speakers. These speaker mounting panels feature angled mounting locations to optimize the performance of the sound system. The front two channels of the JL HD amplifier power the Hertz speakers while the rear pair are bridged to deliver up to 300 watts of power to the subwoofer.
We added a set of 3.5-inch speakers to the dash of the Camaro to help raise the soundstage a bit and mounted a set of Hertz 5¼-inch coaxial speakers in the rear of the vehicle to wrap the sound around the listener. The car can be quite loud when running, so the extra speakers help drown out engine and exhaust noise. The dash and rear speakers are powered by a compact Sony XM-S400D four-channel amp.
An AudioControl DM-810 digital signal processor takes care of routing the signal from a JL Audio MBT-RX Bluetooth audio receiver to the amplifiers. We used the equalizer and crossover functions in the processor to ensure that the system had a smooth and natural frequency response. The client can play music stored on his phone or audio from an online streaming service like Pandora or iHeartRadio.
Premium Window Tint
Our client asked us to tint the windows of the Camaro to give it an even more sinister look. We used 3M’s new Obsidian Series tint film on the side and back windows. We also added an eyebrow across the top of the windshield to help reduce glare while driving early in the morning or as the sun sets. As always, we cut the tint using our computer-controlled plotter so that our tint technicians wouldn’t have to touch the glass with a razor knife. We never cut tint or paint protection film on our clients’ vehicles because the risk of damage is too high.
3M Obsidian tint blocks 99% of the UV rays from the sun to protect the driver and passengers from sunburn. The film rejects 44% of the heat energy from the sun using a non-metalized design that won’t affect the operation of mobile phones or a portable GPS navigation system.
Gainesville’s Mobile Audio Experts
With the stereo equipment installed in the Camaro and the tuning process complete, we called the client and let him know that his car was ready. He was thrilled with the way the trunk turned out and loved how clear the system sounded. If you’re interested in a custom audio system for your classic car, drop by Sound Depot and Performance in Gainesville and speak with a member of our sales team. You can also reach us by e-mail using the form on our contact page.
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