Auto Sound & Security
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT A HIGH-END SOUND SYSTEM INTO A GMC SYCLONE TRUCK? THINGS GET A LITTLE PSYCHOTIC.
by Christopher Ruserts
If you follow the automotive scene at all, then you must be well aware of the GMC Syclone and its potential threat to dust most of the exotic cars on the road today How much of a threat? Car and Driver magazine put a bone-stock Syclone up against a Ferrari 348 TS in a quarter-mile drag race; the Sylone won the race. From here on out, the Syclone would be a high-demand vehicle produced in fairly low numbers before its counterpart the Typhoon, would be manufactured, but that’s a whole other story in itself. To stick to the subject of “What happens when you put a high-end sound system into a GMC Syclone,” we’ll continue on with the auto-sound installation found in this Psychotic Syclone.
When the Syclone was delivered to Dave Williams at Al & Ed’s Autosound in Lakewood. California. a set of system parameters was laid on the counter-top with a blank check. The goal was to install an eye-catching system without sacrificing the integrity of the vehicle … too much. To get comfortable with the vehicle and its interior. Dave went for a brief drive around the block, enabling him to have a different outlook on the interior. (We sure hope there weren’t any Ferraris on the road!)
Dave’s cruise around the block screamed Clif Designs! The Clif 6.5-inch speaker housed in small fiberglass pods (one per door) would serve as a great bass reinforcement for the front stage. Bringing up the mid-range frequencies was left to a pair of Clif 4.25-inch drivers (two per door) also placed in custom fiberglass enclosures. Both the mid-range and mid-bass speaker locations received a slightly backwards angle to improve imaging. Occupying the factory dash locations are Rockford Fosgate’s Neodymium tweeters behind recovered grilles. At this point Dave felt that a center channel wouldn’t hurt so a pair of Clif Neodymium hard dome tweeters was mounted to the back of the rearview mirror using the windshield to reflect the sound.
Sitting Shotgun is a Sony CDX-7560 AM/FM CD player flush mounted along with Rockford’s PA1 HD preamp. An aluminum plate finished with black Formica serves as the mounting face-plate. while keeping an lf-it-were-factory-it-would-look-like-this appearance. The ashtray was converted to a flip-down holder to accommodate the controller module for the Sony RM-X2001, which is coupled with a Sony CDX-A100 disc changer. Signal from the PA1 HD is carried to two Rockford OEQ-1 octave equalizers electrically installed left and right respectively, allowing tor individual tuning of the left and right channels. The tweaked signal is then passed to a pair of Rockford’s AF-4 electronic crossovers, again installed left and fight respectively. With the audio all doctored up to Dave’s winning combo. the amplifiers were installed. Eight Rockford Fosgate Punch 30’s were installed in the bed on a hydraulically actuated flip-down panel. All of the signal cable used is Mogami studio-quality microphone cable, while Marshall Sound Runner speaker wire was routed to each speaker and each component through a “sub” floor.
The design of the bed alone deserves a story in itself. The Sony CD changer was installed in a motorized cabinet positioned in the center of the bed
between two Delco batteries. The equalizers and crossovers are built into an illuminated display that is visible when the amplifiers are folded down. With the small amount of room left over, a fused power distribution center was built in behind a Plexiglas panel. An integral part or this whole unit is the subwoofer enclosure. Cllf Designs l0-inch woofers are used in Clif’s recommended 2.5 cubic foot each, sealed. A crawl-through had to be cut into the bed and cab to let the beats roll in. Amazingly enough, Dave managed to fit all of this into less than 10 cubic feet total!
All of the hydraulic actuators used to lift. push, pull and twist the components in the bed are operated by a Quantum V.S.E. keypad. V.S.E.’s Quantum also powers up the Tonneau cover, as well as the power door locks. In addition. a Teletrac vehicle recovery system was installed to monitor the vehicle in case of theft. An interior keypad was installed on the passenger side face of the dash tor a stock look and easy access. Protecting the factory high-output 4.3-liter turbo-charged Vortec motor is an electronic hood lock also operated by the Quantum. Mounted to the powerplant in place of the
factory GM alternator was a Perfect Interface 9135 DG high-output, dual-output alternator.
The final product was an accurate sound system as dynamic as the Syclone itself. The total amount of time spent on this vehicle was nearly nine months. Dave and Al & Ed’s Autosound would like to thank the customer tor his patience throughout the entire installation. Currently, Dave is building a 4×4 Suburban for the same customer. We can’t wait to see it!
