Getting ready for a major road trip can be a motivator for installing an awesome sound system to help make the miles fly by. The crew from Eightball Rods and Choppers and I will be making a trip to this year's Bonneville Speed Week, just outside of Wendover, Utah. The trip will cover 1,350 miles round trip and we knew a premium audio sound machine was needed to make the trip more enjoyable. The guys at Eightball have a '97 Chevy Silverado crew cab dualie and they wanted to install a system with a solid, but clear, bass bump that would shake things up during the long drive. They also wanted the optimum separation of mid and high tones that would cleanly interface with the heavy bass inside the cab.
| 1997 Chevy Silverado Audio Upgrades audio Innovations
To achieve this high-quality sound, we called Joe Provenzano at Audio Innovations in Glendora, California. The shop is located right on U.S. Route 66, how cool. We contacted three major kingpins in the mobile audio world to make the wish list come true. PowerBass supplied power amplifiers ASA 600.4x and ASA 1000.1Dx, four XL60C 61/2-inch component speakers with 1-inch tweeters and crossovers, four M-104 10-inch subwoofers and a XTK-8D amplifier wiring kit. Clarion stepped up with their incredible NZ500 multimedia head unit, complete with Bluetooth, rear USB iPod, Bluetooth external mic, 12 million navigation POIs, DVD video, Dolby surround sound, 7-inch LCD color monitor and a handheld remote control. HushMat helped to deaden the rattle-infested interior of the crew cab by providing HushMat sound deadening material. The HushMat was adhered to the floor, roof, doors, kick panels and back wall.
As you flip through the following pages, you will see how Joe, son Brad, and Jimmy Lesler fabricate and complete the awesome installation. If your truck is in need of new, or even louder, tunes, this how-to will solve your bass-thumping problems.
FROM THE DRIVER SEAT
The team at Audio Innovations provided the quality installation, fabrication skills, and craftsmanship that made the cab's interior rock. Their talents along with the HushMat material, PowerBass audio components, and the Clarion head unit completed the superior audio sound package. The concert hall-quality sound and crystal clear visual effects produced by the system's components made driving this big truck a pleasure, and the miles just flew by.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Time Spent Working: 20 Hours
Degree Of Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools Used:
Small and medium Phillips screwdrivers, OHM meter, power test-light, table saw, jig saw, compass, carpet knife, calculator, Hushmat roller, Allen wrench fist, wire cutters, wire crimpers, whole saw 1-inch dia., wood glue, pneumatic nail gun, 16 gauge 2-inch nails, Sharpie, cordless drill, tape measure, steel yard stick.
Parts Used:
Clarion NZ500 head unit
$999.99
HushMat Ultra 10501silver material
$989.97 (3)
PowerBass 2XL-60 6 1/2-inch component speakers
$244.95 (each)
PowerBass M-1 10-inch subwoofers
$683.80 (4)
PowerBass XTK-48D wiring kit
$389.95
PowerBass ASA1000.10x amplifier
$679.95
PowerBass ASA 600.4 amplifier
$499.95
Total: $4,733.51
(Prices from PowerBass, Clarion, and Hushmat, do not include tax, shipping or installation)
