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Sharp Looking Amp Racks

The creative installers who design and construct car audio and audio-video systems are coming up with things that are not only pleasing to the ear but also engaging to the eyes. The cosmetics of an audio system -- the way the components have been placed in the car -- has become to some installers almost as important as producing the ultimate sounding audio system.

One central element of these designs has become the amplifier rack -- the location where the amplifiers of the system are mounted. You may think that installers just mount an amplifier on a board and tuck it under a seat or lay it to the floor of the trunk. But it has become a whole lot more than that. Because of the materials now available and the creative skills of installers in using those materials, the amp rack has become almost a work of art. Here are some examples.



Clarion used a 1957 Chevrolet as the platform for its newest products which was showcased at the manufacturer’s booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada in January, 2003. The amplifiers were mounted on the floor of the trunk in a rack that was constructed of wood panels to achieve unique angles for each amp with packing foam on the sides so that the installer, Albert Vicencio, senior tech specialist for Clarion, could sculpture the shape of the rack which was then made permanent with fiberglass and bondo and painted to match the decor of the car.

Xtant used a 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT as a stage for a system that included three Xtant amplifiers on an amp rack made of steel and mounted on to the bed of the vehicle. The amplifiers appear to be floating in mid-air.



Coustics converted a 2002 Ford Focus to serve as a stage for an audio-video system that included 10 Coustics amplifiers mounted to an amplifier rack that sits on the floor of the vehicle between two subwoofer enclosures. The rack is made of medium density fiberboard and is finished and painted to match the subwoofer enclosures. The amplifiers are mounted back to back on three plexiglass fins that are hollowed out and lit up with neon from the inside. The plexiglass was cut in the shape of the amps so there is the illusion that the amplifiers are floating between the subwoofers. The rack also includes hinges on the front so that it can be lifted to gain access to the batteries, wiring, and fuses that are in the spare tire well below it.



Blaupunkt used a 2001 four-door Ford Focus as a stage for an audio-video system that included three Blaupunkt amplifiers that are mounted into the rear deck. The factory rear deck was removed and a plate was made which was fiberglassed. Holes were cut into the structure and the amplifiers were flush mounted into the holes and the structure was covered in calfskin leather and mounted in the rear deck location.

Kenwood has used a 2000 PT Cruiser owned by Ken and Heidi Karaczewski of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida that is so outrageous in its appearance it is called the Looney Cruiser. It features paintings of the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. The audio system in the car includes three Kenwood Excellon amplifiers. A false floor has been constructed in front of the rear seats and one amplifier is mounted in the floor in front of the driver’s side rear seat and one amp appears in the floor in front of the passenger’s side rear seat. The amplifiers are covered with plexiglass. A ventilation system which includes two fans assures that the amplifiers stay cool.

A Clarion audio-video system was showcased in a 1970 Suburban owned by Michael Filion of Santa Ana, California. Four Clarion amplifiers power the system. The amplifiers are mounted to an aluminum bracket that runs from left side to right side across the rear of the vehicle and is visible when the back door is open. Controls for a DVD player actually mounted in an amplifier heatsink and a Clarion 5-inch monitor has been flush mounted into a heatsink taken from an amplifier. The way things are configured, it looks like one super large amplifier.

Infinity Systems, manufacturer of car and home speakers, used a 1999 Chrysler Neon owned by the Chrysler Corporation as a platform to showcase products at the 2002 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Five JBL amplifiers power the sound system. Four of the amplifiers are mounted directly to welded steel and are framed in fiberglass and appear on the back wall of the trunk.

A 2001 Jetta owned by Lightning Audio was used to showcase that company’s goods. The car has a racer appearance and includes a rollbar and nitrous oxide from NOS. Four Lightning Audio amplifiers power the sound system. Three of the amplifiers are mounted to the rollbar and one amplifier is hidden behind a quarter panel.

 

There are hundreds if not thousands of examples of unique, creative and exotic designs of amplifier racks tucked into cars that are traversing the highways of the country. Only a few have been listed here. The point is that the amplifier and the rack it is mounted to can become a central element of the visual appearance of an overall audio system. There is nothing that installers with a great imagination cannot do.