Custom Fabrication

Chevy Truck Side and Front Cameras for Repeat Lake Butler Client

September 16, 2022 By JOey Knapp

In one of our recent posts, we shared a Chevy truck owned by a Lake Butler client with a radio, camera and speakers installed. We mentioned that the client had spoken about adding side view cameras. Shortly after finishing the first round of work, he contacted us again about finishing up the Chevy project with not only side cameras but also a front camera.

Front Camera Installation

We started with the easiest part of the installation, the front camera. We could use one of the Echomaster cameras with a mount that fits perfectly on the truck’s front grille. The camera’s small size lets it blend in and become almost unnoticeable.

Side View Camera Installation

The mounting location on the fender flare was precisely marked.

The small acrylic ring would provide the base of the angle adapter.

Once molded into place, it was time for some paint.

The spot we chose for the cameras ended up working great!

We might prefer this new location over a mirror mount!

The typical mounting location for side view cameras is in the side view mirrors. This truck, however, had some aftermarket mirrors that would not accommodate the adequate mounting of cameras. We started looking at other options for camera mounting and noticed a slight recess in the fender flares. This spot happened to be just big enough for a camera. The only problem with the spot was that the angle was too sharp for a camera to have a good line of sight.
Luckily for this client, we have the tools and know-how to tackle most any fabrication project. The plan we crafted was to laser cut a small acrylic ring, just larger than the camera size. Observing the correct angle, we molded that ring to the fender flare. Once the body filler had set, we removed the assembly and sanded the ring and filler to shape. A little automotive-grade paint was all that remained for the installation of the cameras into the fenders.

Final Adjustment of Chevy Cameras

Rear View

Front View

Left View

Right View

Once all the mounting was finished and wiring routed and connected, it was time to set the cameras up. Each camera has a bit of adjustment to maximize the views. We set the cameras, so they viewed the optimal area for each location. Once again, the client was happy with his upgrades and couldn’t wait to try out the new camera. We install much more than just backup cameras at Pinnacle Autosound. If you have any out-of-the-box camera needs, stop by or contact us for more information.

Chevrolet Truck Center Console Enclosure for Gainesville Client

September 2, 2022 By JOey Knapp

Our previous client from Gainesville recently contacted us about building a Chevrolet truck center console enclosure for him. At Pinnacle Autosound, we have a small staff consisting of Brian and Joey. Having only two people is often an asset because we can always ensure our quality of work will be top-notch. Our time, however, is often limited which, can be a downside. Custom work for products not purchased from us is one of the things that sometimes suffers. We build our pricing schedules such that they include profit from gear sales. So, many times, we have to say “no” to requests for custom work for gear we didn’t sell. This client was an exception because we had previously done quite a bit of work for him.

Center Console Enclosure

The brace was designed to hold the magnet without restricting airflow.

We made sure to support the massive weight of this subwoofer.

45-degree corner braces were added for additional strength.

The subwoofer brace also helped brace the port.

We were able to add two cupholders to the front of the enclosure.

We had to do some careful calculations to make sure the enclosure would fit.

A look into the enclosure before upholstery began.

When speaking with the client about the console, we learned that he didn’t want anything overly fancy, just a simple console to hold the subwoofer and maybe some cupholders. Using his input as a guide, we began designing the enclosure. We used our Term-Pro enclosure software to calculate the airspace and port tuning for the enclosure. The subwoofer the client brought us to install in the center console enclosure was massive. It had a thick metal basket and a heavy motor assembly. Our design had to consider the weight of the subwoofer, so we made sure it could be securely mounted.

The first plan to accommodate the subwoofer weight was to use a double thickness front baffle. The double baffle would give us 1.5″ of mounting surface to bolt the subwoofer to. Our second accommodation for the weight was a custom brace for the magnet assembly. The brace is needed to support the speaker but not limit the airspace and flow in the enclosure. To create a brace that would handle our needs, we used our CNC router to create a brace that fit the circumference of the magnets and had numerous openings for airflow.

Construction for the enclosure proceeded, as usual, gluing and nailing all the pieces together. To further strengthen the joints, we did add 45-degree corner braces on the inside panels.

Enclosure Upholstery and Mounting

After we assembled the enclosure and allowed the glue to dry, it was time for upholstery. The majority of the enclosure would be a grey, automotive-grade carpet that matched the interior color of the truck. We made a vinyl-covered top plate because the carpet can be uncomfortable to rest your arm on. The top plate had two pockets, one specifically to hold the client’s cell phone and one for general storage.

Making sure the enclosure stayed in place was a priority for us. To ensure the safe mounting of the console, we used heavy-gauge metal to form a bracket to secure the console to the floor. The metal bracket is bolted to the OEM mounting points for the factory console.

After a day’s work it was time to hand the truck back over to the client. He loved how we added the top plate to the enclosure and how we were able to integrate cupholders into the design. Call us, contact us, or stop by if you want to discuss having us fabricate something for you.

Polaris Sportsman 4-Wheeler Stereo and Lighting Upgrades

August 26, 2022 By JOey Knapp

Side-by-sides and golf carts are a big part of the work we do at Pinnacle Autosound. A type of vehicle we are capable of working on, but don’t see as much of are 4-wheeler ATV’s. One of our Pinnacle team members recently purchased a Polaris Sportsman, so we were excited to get to outfit it with some of our products. Our plan was to upgrade the 4-wheeler stereo system and add some awesome lighting, so the ATV would look and sound good, day and night.

Rockford Fosgate Moto-Can Speakers

The rear of the pods feature Rockford logos that can be rotated.

The pod speakers were bolted to the front frame.

We used our laser to make some custom badges for the speakers.

Adding speakers on a 4-wheeler can be a pretty challenging task. There are not a lot of places to install traditional speakers. We had to look somewhat outside the box to come up with a solution on this bike. The answer for this 4-wheeler stereo speaker upgrade was to look to the Rockford Fosgate lineup of powersports speakers. Rockford Fosgate has a line of smaller tower speakers, called Moto-Cans. These speaker pods feature the great-sounding marine audio speakers we love, in a small, rugged plastic housing. In addition to offering great sound, the pods also include front AND rear lighting, something unique to this type of product.

Mounting the speakers took a bit of ingenuity. The speakers are designed to be clamped to a thicker bar, such as those found on a roll cage or wake tower. This 4-wheeler, however, only had thin metal tubes. We found that if we took apart the clamp assembly, that the bolt holes for it lined up perfectly with the thinner bars on the front storage rack. This allowed us to through-bolt the pod speakers securely to the front rack.

Clarion, JL Audio and Rockford Fosgate Electronics

Now that we had some speakers on the Polaris, it was time to send some audio to them. We accomplished this through the use of a JL Audio Bluetooth receiver. The Bluetooth controller was mounted between the handlebars, for easy access while riding. The output of the controller was sent to a Clarion four-channel amplifier. The Clarion amplifier is marine rated, so it can handle any punishment it may take on off-road excursions. The final piece of the electronics puzzle was to add in a controller for the lighting we were installing. The Rockford Fosgate lighting controller we chose offers the user many different color, and pattern settings via a smartphone interface. The lighting controller and the Clarion amplifier were mounted on a Starboard (HDPE) plastic board that we custom cut to fit the front storage area in the Polaris.

4-Wheeler Stereo Setup and Lighting

The lighting pods give great lighting coverage on this Polaris ATV.

The rear of the Rockford Fosgate pods feature a lit logo.

The front of the speaker pods have RGB lighting.

With the electronics secured, it was time to add the rest of the lighting to the ATV. The lighting source we chose were small lighting pods by LEDGlow. These little circular pods are designed for use on motorcycles and powersports vehicles. They put off quite a bit of light and have a very small footprint. The pods were mounted and then the wiring neatly routed to the lighting controller.

The final step of the stereo and lighting package for this Polaris Sportsman was to set the amplifier gain controls and crossovers and test out the lighting. The result of all of the hard work was a 4-wheeler stereo system that was loud and clear enough to be heard, even at wide open throttle. In addition to great sound, the 4-wheeler lighting additions would ensure the ATV looked great, and was even safer, when the sun went down.

We loved the challenge of fitting a full audio system and custom lighting on this 4-wheeler, if you have a similar ATV and would like to know what we could do to help it look and sound better, stop by with it sometime. We will take a look at it and go over with you options to fit your goals and budget.

New Ford Bronco Wildtrack Full Audio System Upgrade

August 12, 2022 By JOey Knapp

When this client approached us about upgrading the audio system in his new Ford Bronco Wildtrack, we were very excited! We love the new Broncos and have not had the opportunity to work on one yet. After putting together some options for the client, we settled on a design that would give him everything he wanted. The result was a system that would sound and look great.

Ford Bronco Amplifier Upgrade

A mounting plate was laser cut to give us a base for mounting the electronics.

It was a tight fit, but we managed to fit two amps and the integration piece on the board.

The two amps and processor were hidden behind the factory side panel.

The large screen of the Bronco served as the media source.

Powering the audio system upgrades would be two Rockford Fosgate amplifiers. A 4-channel amplifier would power the front and rear speakers, while a 500 watt mono amplifier would power the subwoofer. Integration with the factory audio signals is handled by a Wavtech processor. Based on the popularity of the new Bronco, we took the opportunity of having one in our bays to create some Bronco-specific mounting pieces. For mounting the electronics in this Bronco we make a CAD drawing of a mounting board that would fit the spot behind the rear quarter panel on the passenger side. We then cut that pattern out in 1/2″ plywood with our CNC laser. By carefully positioning the amplifiers we were able to mount not only them, but also the Wavtech processor.

Ford Bronco Speaker Upgrade

We laser cut an acrylic adapter plate for the tweeters.

The tweeters we added fit under the factory grilles.

It is rare to find a vehicle these days with kick-panel mounted speakers.

The factory speakers would not be able to handle the power of the new amplifiers, so they had to be replaced. We chose as are replacement for the front speakers, Kenwood XR components. These speakers are very efficient and will ensure the client has audible tunes, even with the roof off. We cut a custom acrylic plate on our CNC laser to adapt the tweeter to the factory speaker location. The woofer from the Kenwood component set was installed in the factory kick panel location. The client wanted to keep the rear pods factory-looking, so we simply replaced the speakers in the pods with a JL Audio coaxial speaker.

Subwoofer Upgrade for Ford Bronco

The enclosure base was test-fit on the door to check the mounting points.

Additional contouring was added to the enclosure.

The enclosure was primed with high-build primer so we could sand it smooth.

Strips of foam were added to the back of the enclosure to limit vibrations.

The client can open the tailgate with pride, knowing he has the great-looking enclosure bolted to it!

The woofer was sunk into the front baffle to help reduce the space it takes up in the storage area.

This acrylic beauty panel is removable to access one of the mounting bolts.

The enclosure was kept as thin as possible so the client could retain his storage space.

The final piece of the puzzle for this Bronco was adding some bass. The client wanted to retain as much usable space in the rear of the vehicle as possible, so we decided on an enclosure that mounts to the rear door. To make sure the enclosure would hold up to any of the elements this Bronco might see, we built it out of marine plywood. The enclosure was designed to be attached to the back door with 5 bolts. The bolts attach to the rear door with rivetnut inserts. This lets the enclosure be removed and reinstalled without affecting the attachment integrity.

To complement the stylish interior of the new Bronco we decided the enclosure would be upholstered in a black vinyl. In order to have the vinyl be nice and smooth requires a bit of work. Once the enclosure was constructed, we sprayed it with a high-build primer to fill in any voids in the wood. The enclosure was then sanded and any remaining imperfections were repaired. The acrylic beauty panel on the front of the enclosure not only looks great, but it also serves as a cover for one of the bolts that secure the enclosure. Strong magnets attach the panel to the enclosure and allow for removal if the enclosure ever needs to be unbolted.

Radical Audio Transformation

When we were done installing all the gear it was time to setup the processor and amplifiers. We made sure the levels were matched properly and that the crossovers were set on the amplifiers. After giving the vehicle a quick wipe down, it was time to return it to the owner. The owner was very happy with the upgrades and glad he would now be able to enjoy his music with the top on or off. Give us a call or contact us if you would like to learn more about options for your vehicle.

Gaming Bus Customization for Local Entertainment Service

August 5, 2022 By JOey Knapp

The folks at Game Zone gave us a call about converting the van that they tow their gaming trailer with into a gaming bus. We had them stop by Pinnacle Autosound with the bus so we could take a look at it. What they had was an empty bus. The scope of the project would include TV mounts, wiring, upholstery, bench fabrication, lighting and installation of all the parts. While it was a huge project, we hate to turn down a challenge, so we booked an appointment for the bus.

Preparation for Building

Once we had the bus at our shop, the first thing we had to do was prepare it for the work we needed to do. The floor had many metal parts bolted through it, for previous seating. Those all had to be removed. The bus also once had a power lift gate for a wheelchair. Many pieces of this system, mechanical and wiring, were still in the bus. We spent hours going through the wiring systems and removing the parts that were associated with the lift mechanism. This not only would make our upcoming wiring work easier, it would also make it easier for anyone servicing the bus in the future.

The AC for the bus previously was in the rear of the bus and was now going to be in the center on top of the roof. There were wires, cables and hoses associated with that system that we removed. Again, the goal was to remove any parts that were not needed to simplify what was left. We were going to be adding plenty of our own wires, so we wanted everything to be able to be as organized as possible.

With all the old parts removed, we gave the interior a good cleaning and prepared to work our magic!

Gaming Bus Design

The concept for this bus was to have 6 independent gaming zones. There would be 2 rows of benches with monitors mounted at angles above the benches. The person sitting on the bench would look above the people sitting in front of them to see the monitor they would be playing on. To provide the players with audio, a pair of speakers were to be located in the tops of the benches, so the players would hear the sound for their monitors right at ear level. The idea was to get the speakers close enough to the gamers, so they didn’t need to be turned up so loud that the sounds all of the different games blended together. In addition to the video and audio, we were also adding lighting below the monitors and in the storage areas in the benches.

Miles of Wires

Because of all the different lighting and audio-video zones, this build was going to require a LOT of wiring and cables. We started by running the wires that would go behind the monitor mounting plates. This included the speaker wires, HDMI cables and the power wiring for the USB charging ports and lighting. These cables were neatly routed and secured in the factory wiring loops found along the perimeter of the roof. Some of the wires were routed to the future gaming console rack, and others to the front overhead storage area. We made sure to label all the wires we were running on both ends, so when it was time for all the connections, there would be no questions on what went where.

Overbuilt Monitor Mounts

The two 2×12’s will provide a solid foundation for mounting the large monitors.

The 2×12’s were painted black to blend in with the bus.

The metal brackets were primed and painted with industrial grade metal paint.

The metal brackets were cut, welded and drilled for mounting the 2×12’s.

The first 2×12 was mounted and the brackets for the next board were being installed.

The bus owner’s concept of having the monitors over the heads of the gamers was a great one, it maximizes the usable space in the bus. What wouldn’t be great, however, would be one of those monitors falling on some young gamer’s head! We wanted to make sure no one got hurt while in the care of the Game Zone so we made sure that our design for securing the monitors was over the top. We knew we would need some adjustability in where the mounting brackets would be positioned so we wanted to build in as much flexibility as possible. What we planned out was a 2×12 on each side that would be mounted with steel brackets we would fabricate. The brackets would give us numerous mounting points to make sure that the 2×12’s, and monitors they would eventually hold, were solid. We were thankful that there was a lot of exposed metal framing on the sides and top of the bus. These points gave us very secure mounting locations to bolt the brackets to. Once we had the brackets all bolted in, we were able to screw in the 2×12’s. To help hide any parts of it that might be seen after the monitors were installed, we painted the 2×12’s with a flat black paint.

Benches, Lots of Benches

Every now and then we are smart enough to realize that sometimes its ok to ask for help. In the instance of the benches for this bus, we happened to have a moment of enlightenment and realized we should get some help. We enlisted the help of a trusted friend with a cabinet making background to construct the benches for us. This would free up our time to focus on other parts of the bus. We worked together with the bus owner to come up with a design for the benches that would fit all the criteria, then handed off the plans to our friend.

We designed the benches to be in six pieces. This made the most sense for not only construction, installation and transportation, but also for the natural layout of the seating. The top of each bench would have two speakers and a USB charging port, to charge the controllers. We also made room at the top of each bench for two storage pockets, for convenient storage of game controllers. When drawing out the plans for the benches we noticed a big area of space under the seating area. After a brief chat with the bus owner, we learned that having a space where gamers could put their personal effects would be a bonus. So, we turned the bottom space into a storage area!

In addition to benches, we would also need a cabinet to house all of the game consoles, audio amplifier, etc. Once again, we were smart enough to ask for help and tapped our cabinet friend in for another round of fabrication. The goal was for the cabinet to serve its purpose and disappear in the bus. To that end, we planned for it to be completely black.

Upholstery

The start of the upholstery process was to cover the roof.

Each of the six benches were covered with the blue and black vinyl.

With the upholstery complete, the pieces could now come together.

At this point we had all of the fabrication complete and parts ready for the next step. The next step was to begin the process of upholstering pieces in and out of the bus. When it was brought to us, the roof of the bus was shiny white. This would not go well with our goal of pushing the focus to the screens and ambient lighting. In order to change the color, and also help a bit with reflected noise, we used a low nap black carpet to cover the roof. This would help make it disappear, and also help the bus to be not quite so loud inside.

The next parts we had to cover were the long “walls” of the bus. We had created two long panels that would fill the space between the top of the benches and the bottom of the monitor support beams. To blacken them, and help with reflected sounds, we once again went with our black carpet.

The next to the last thing to be upholstered was the floor of the gaming bus. The color scheme for the interior was blue and black, so to define the walking space, we chose blue as the color for the floor. The carpet was glued down using a commercial grade adhesive, for long term durability.

Our final upholstery project was to cover the benches. We had outsourced the fabrication and upholstery of the bench cushions, but the benches themselves were something we chose to tackle. The cushions were going to be two-tone, with a blue stripe at the top of the backrest cushions, and the rest of that cushion and the bottom cushion being black. In keeping with that theme, we upholstered the tops of the benches in blue vinyl. This would complete the blue lines when looking down the length of the bus. The bottoms of the bench faces were upholstered in a black vinyl. Finishing off the bench upholstery was the inside floor of the bench storage areas. These were upholstered in the same blue carpet that we used on the bus floor.

Gaming Bus Assembly!

All the work we had done so far led to the final stage of the project, assembly! We first loaded in all of the benches into the gaming bus. Then they were fastened together with bolts. The whole bench assemblies were then carefully aligned and bolted through the floor. After the benches were installed, we then installed the side “walls” of the bus. These were fastened into wood pockets we had created on the back of the benches. The tops were screwed into the monitor support beams.

Now that the bench assemblies were in place, we could install all of the mounts for the monitors. Having the benches in place allowed us to properly align the brackets for maximum headroom of the players. We had researched the various mounts available and chose a mount that would securely hold the monitors, while allowing for adjustment, and removal for servicing. These brackets were installed into the 2×12 support beams with large lag bolts, to ensure they would stay in place.

With those items checked off our list, we were then able to install the cabinet that would house the gaming consoles. This was bolted the floor and secured to the side of the benches. We routed all the wires from the monitors and speakers into this cabinet.

Final Wiring and Lighting

The lighting power supply and controller fit nicely in the front overhead wiring area.

A lighting controller was added giving the owner control over the flexible RGB LED lighting.

A USB charging port was added between the speakers, for charging the wireless controllers.

Lighting was added to the under seat storage areas.

The pieces were all in place, it was time for more wiring. We started the final wiring process with installing the speakers and USB ports in the tops of the benches. Rockford Fosgate Punch series coaxial speakers were chosen for their great sound, efficiency and rugged grille.

Our next step was to move on to the lighting. We added RGB lighting strips to the inside of each of the storage compartments under the seats. We also added strips along the monitor support beams, these lights would shine down below the monitors and “paint” the bus walls with color. The wiring for the lighting went to the front top storage compartment. There we installed a power supply and lighting controller. The final part of the lighting was to install the controller plate. This piece has a rotary knob that allows the user to adjust color, brightness and lighting patterns.

The bus owner was going to be in charge of installing all the game consoles in the cabinet. Our task in the cabinet was to route the power strips, organize the HDMI cables and install the audio amplifier and wire it up. The twelve-channel audio amplifier provides audio output to each of the six pair of Rockford Fosgate speakers, giving each station its own stereo sound. Independent volume controls on the amplifier allow the owner to tweak the audio settings for each zone.

Monitor Installation and Logo

The cabinet was pre-wired and ready for game consoles.

The rear fuse panel was cleaned up with this cover that features an acrylic sign.

The perimeter lighting on the Game Zone sign was the finishing touch this project needed.

One of the most exciting parts of the build was the installation of the monitors. Up to this point, the bus still didn’t look very complete inside. Adding the huge 55-inch monitors to the bus threw in a big heap of WOW factor. We were finally able to stand back and look at how awesome all of the pieces came together. One final piece we added at the very end was a cosmetic trim panel to cover over the breaker box in the rear of the bus, over the emergency exit door. We made a trapezoidal shaped cover that finished that area for a much cleaner look. We didn’t want to waste that extra space, so we took the opportunity to create a two-color acrylic sign on our CNC laser to add some branding to the interior of the bus. The final touch for the logo was some RGB LED perimeter lighting.

Gaming Bus Completion

If you have read some of our other build posts, you will notice that this project was much larger than our typical job. We had the gaming bus for about 2 weeks of intense work. More time was spent planning out the layout and wiring. In the end it was all worth it. We had radically transformed a shell of bus into killer gaming machine! The owner of the bus was thrilled with the work we had done and couldn’t wait to get it on the road and full of gamers. Normally we end our build logos suggesting if you want similar work done to call us or email us. For a project such as this one, though, please bring your bus by.

Honda Civic Stereo Upgrade for Repeat Lake City Client

July 29, 2022 By JOey Knapp

The owner of this 2015 Honda Civic previously had a stereo system installed by us in his old vehicle. We had removed that stereo system for him, and now he wanted his equipment installed in the Honda Civic. We came up with a plan for his Honda Civic stereo upgrade that would use a combination of his old gear and a few new parts.

Honda Civic Stereo Upgrade: Speakers

We mounted the Morel tweeters in the factory tweeter location.

The Morel Virtus speakers fit perfectly behind the door panel.

In addition to upgrading the rear speakers, we also removed the factory 8″ subwoofer to provide a vent for the bass upgrade.

The OEM radio was retained as the source unit.

The previous setup the client had used a pair of Morel Virtus component speakers. These are some of our favorite speakers, so we were happy to be using them again in the Civic. Adding to the Virtus components, we added a set of Morel Maximo coaxial speakers in the rear deck. Powering the speakers are the 8 channels from two Rockford Fosgate 5-channel amplifiers. Six of the channels are powering the Virtus speakers (4 channels powering the woofers, 2 powering the tweeters) and two of the channels power the rear speakers. This provides the client with an incredible amount of power on tap for a very dynamic sound. The client liked the functionality of his existing factory radio, so we integrated his amplifiers with the factory radio outputs. Our Mitchell1 software was used to look up the wiring charts for the Civic and integrate our convertors.

Honda Civic Stereo Upgrade: Subwoofers

The small enclosure left the client with plenty of trunk space.

The corners were rounded on the enclosure and the carpet was neatly wrapped.

The custom lasered insert gives this enclosure a unique look.

We lasered a custom remote bass level plate for the client.

Phase two of this installation was to add some bass. In the clients previous vehicle he had a single 10″ subwoofer. This time he had the trunk space, so he wanted more bass. Answering the call for more bass in this Civic was a pair of Rockford Fosgate 10″ P3 subwoofers. This subwoofers handle over 600 watts each and work in a very small enclosure. We designed and built the enclosure to fit up against the back seat of the Civic. It took up very little of the trunk’s usable space. To add a little bit of cosmetic flare to the enclosure we added an additional front plate that not only recessed in the woofers, but also gave us a mounting spot for a trim plate. The center trim plate featured a Honda emblem. We cut the plate on our laser and used a lower power setting to cut the acrylic paper and use it as a template for painting the design you see.

Honda Civic Stereo Upgrade: Result!

After all the installation work done, we setup the amplifiers to extract all of the potential output from the speakers and subwoofers. The result was a very dynamic audio system that played loudly and cleanly. The client loved this Honda Civic stereo even more than his last car! We would love to chat with you about your next stereo upgrade, stop by Pinnacle Autosound or contact us online to make an appointment.

Ford Raptor Stereo System Upgrade

July 1, 2022 By JOey Knapp

The Ford Raptor is an awesome bit of engineering. Take one of the most popular Ford Trunks and pump it full of steroids and you have a Raptor! It is unfortunate, however, that the team at Ford didn’t design an audio system that was as awesome as the truck itself. Luckily, this is where Pinnacle Autosound comes in! A local client contacted us about upgrading her son’s Ford Raptor stereo system. She was very knowledgeable on mobile electronics, so it was a pleasure to work with her to design the perfect system for her son’s truck.

Speaker Upgrade

The front door speaker adapters were cut on our laser.

The speaker were installed behind the factory door panels.

The JL Audio C3 speaker was mounted as a coaxial speaker in the rear doors.

The client is a long-time fan of JL Audio, so we leaned heavily on that brand for this stereo system. For the front and rear doors, we used the JL Audio C3 speakers to form the foundation for great sound in this Raptor. The C3 speaker is unique in that it can be installed as either a component set or a coaxial speaker. This is fortunate for this Raptor, because we needed a component set for the front doors and a coaxial for the rear doors. The JL Audio C3 speakers were the perfect fit for each set of doors! To adapt the factory 5×7′ speaker to the JL Audio 6.5″ we used our laser to cut acrylic adapter plates. In the rear doors we used an aftermarket speaker adapter and topped it off with a bit of sound deadening material.

Amplifiers and Integration Processor Installation

We pre-wired much of the wiring on the amplifier mounting plate.

We carefully laid out the gear on the amp board to make sure they all fit.

We made a custom plate for the remote bass knob.

To power the speakers and subwoofers in the truck we used two different JL Audio amplifiers. The amplifiers and additional electronics were mounted to a custom board that we constructed to go behind the rear seats. The board mounts using factory mounting points on the back wall of the truck. Powering the speakers is an RD400/4 amplifier. The JL Audio RD amplifiers provide the client with incredible value and great sound. Providing the 1000 watts we needed for the subwoofers is a JL Audio JD1000/1 amplifier. This amp provides plenty of clean power in a small footprint chassis.
Because the client wanted to keep the factory source unit, we used a NAV-TV Zen interface to obtain a clean audio signal. The Zen interface takes the factory digital signal and provides a clean analog output that we used to feed signal to the amplifiers.
The final piece of electronics that are mounted to the board are the passive crossovers for the JL Audio C3 speakers. To make future servicing easier we custom lasered plastic labels to designate the front and rear, left and right crossovers. To give the client’s son complete control over the subwoofer amplifier, we mounted a JL Audio remote bass knob to the left of the steering wheel. We added a custom lasered labeling plate beneath the knob.

Custom Subwoofer Enclosure

The enclosure was loaded with the subwoofers and ready to be installed.

The enclosure lighting and speaker wiring was wired with a quick release plug, in case the enclosure needed to be removed.

The enclosure was finished with a combination of carpet, vinyl and acrylic trim pieces.

Laser-etched accent panels flank the center Raptor logo.

The laser etched piece of acrylic was also lit with LED RGB lighting.

The Raptor logo was lit and accent lighting was added at the bottom of the enclosure.

Bass for this system is a pair of JL Audio 10Tw3 subwoofers. These are some of JL Audio’s best “thin” subwoofers. We have used many of these subwoofers over the years to fit in the tight spaces that modern trucks present us with. In addition to being a shallow-mount subwoofers, these winners also take very little airspace for their enclosure. A home run for trucks! The client didn’t want just a plain carpeted enclosure for her son, and that was music to our ears! We used a combination of laser cut acrylic pieces and LED lighting to really set this enclosure apart.

Ford Raptor Stereo Upgrade Success

As with all our installations, after the equipment was installed and the vehicle cleaned, we set the controls on the amplifiers to maximize the output of the stereo system. This truck was designed to sound incredible, and it didn’t disappoint. The client loved the way the truck sounded, and enjoyed the impressive amount of bass it had, she couldn’t wait to share it with her son. We have worked on hundreds of trucks, so we know how to make them sound great. If you have a truck and are interested in upgrading the sound in it, stop by or contact us online.

Rosary Garden Panels for Mission Nombre De Dios, St. Augustine, Florida

June 17, 2022 By JOey Knapp

At Pinnacle Autosound we are almost always up for a new challenge. Not too long ago we were posed with an interesting project by a landscape architectural firm. The firm was putting together a project for the Mission Nombre De Dios in St. Augustine. The project was to make wood panels for the new Rosary Garden at the Mission. The panels would attach to aluminum frames that a metal fabrication company were making. Each panel has verses that are associated with the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

Project Planning

We work with a lot of materials when building things for cars and boats. One thing we weren’t sure about, though, was the best material for use in the outdoor setting. After consulting with a local woodworker and cabinet maker, we ended up settling on cypress. We were told that wood would age gracefully and stand up to the elements. One thing we had to check, though, was how well it reacted to being laser engraved. After we ran a test sample we found that it engraved beautifully. We worked together with the project engineer and the metal fabrication company to come up with the optimal size for the panels. The next challenge was sourcing the amount of wood needed for this project. After calling around to a number of suppliers we finally found a company that had what we needed.

Panel Fabrication

This is the photo of the wood shavings our cabinet friend sent us after the panels were planed.

We setup a jig on the laser bed for cutting each of the panels.

We mocked up the layout of the panels to check fitment.

The laser cut edges of the panels had a dark finish that helped add contrast to the design.

Weights were kept on the panels to keep them from warping.

The grotto panels and four base toppers were fabricated and ready for the finish.

The finish on the panels was flawlessly smooth.

With the details on the project nailed down, it was time to get to work. The first step in the process of making the panels was to plane the wood down to thinner, uniform thickness. This would allow us to precisely engrave and cut the wood panels. To expedite the planing process we once again turned to our cabinet maker friend. He was able to take the boards and plane them down for us.
Moving forward in the project it was time to laser cut and engrave the panels. Because we wanted the contrast of the darker lasered wood, with the lighter wood, we not only used the laser to engrave the text, but also cut the panels. There were going to be a total of sixteen panels for the Mysteries, along with 2 additional panels for a stone grotto.
To make the accuracy of the lasering process as precise as possible, we setup a jig on our laser bed, so each board could be placed and cut with exactness. Once the jig was setup we started the process of lasering the panels. The engraving part took quite a while, because the laser head has to move back and forth over the surface, much like an old dot matrix printer.
When the sixteen Mystery panels were finished, we moved on to the two grotto panels, and finally the construction of four square frames that would trim off the tops of the rock foundations for the metal panel frames.
After each panel was engraved and cut, we cleaned up the engraving residue by sanding each panel with fine sandpaper. It was then time to once again call in the help of our cabinet friend. We did not have a space large enough to handle laying out all of the pieces and spraying them with the protective top coat, but our cabinet friend did. He did an excellent job in laying down a glass smooth finish on the panels.

Panel Installation

The four panels were attached to aluminum frames.

The grotto panels were glued in place.

The completed panels blended well with the surroundings in the Garden.

One of our final steps was to hand-align each of the bolt heads so they were oriented in a cruciform orientation.

There was a lot of work and preparation that led to the installation day for the panels. All of the panels, necessary tools, and cleanup supplies were loaded up and the trip was made to beautiful St. Augustine. The installation process for the panels was to use the laser cut acrylic jig we made to drill the mounting holes in the aluminum frames. Then each of the holes were tapped for the 10-24 stainless steel bolts that would hold the panels to the frames. We lined the perimeter of the frames with bolts to help ensure the wood did not warp over time. After prepping the metal frames, we installed the square frames, and then we then began the process of bolting on all the panels. All four panels were loosely bolted on the frames and then each one carefully tightened in place. This allowed the panels to sit evenly and helped make up for any slight differences in the sides of the metal frames. The two larger panels for the grotto were installed using construction adhesive, as they were attaching to a stone base.

Cleanup and A Job Well Done

It was long day, but all the panels were able to be installed in one day. The final step was cleaning up the metal shavings and wiping down all of the wood panels. The Diocese representative and the engineering contractor both loved the panels and were excited to debut them and the beautiful new Rosary Garden.
While we won’t always say yes to every project, we like a challenge. If you need some custom fabrication work, stop by for a chat or contact us online.

Jeep Wrangler Backup Camera and Audio Upgrade for Live Oak Client

May 24, 2022 By JOey Knapp

Jeeps and customizing go hand in hand. We don’t think anyone purchases a Jeep and thinks “It’s perfect, I will leave it just like this”. Customizing and enhancing safety were on the mind of a Live Oak client when she called us. The client wanted to make it easier to see when backing her Jeep Wrangler up and also get it sounding a little better. Jeeps aren’t the quietest vehicles on the road, so they always need a little help in the audio department.

Jeep Wrangler Backup Camera and Radio

The Sony radio gave the client access to her backup camera and smartphone.

The backup camera is barely visible hiding away in the wheel spoke

The backup camera is mounted in a metal tube, keeping it safe and secure.

Once the client dropped her Jeep off we began working on the numerous projects. The first we tackled was the Jeep Wrangler backup camera. For our Jeep clients we stock a special mount that positions the camera between the spokes of the spare tire. This provides an excellent vantage point for viewing, as well as having built-in protection from getting hit by anything. To help the client view her new camera, we installed a Sony touch screen radio in her dash. This radio not only shows the output of the backup camera when the Jeep is in reverse, but also give her the option for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Speaker and Bass Upgrade

We designed and cut this acrylic adapter plate on our laser.

The front speakers were upgrade with Morel component speakers.

The small Sony subwoofer fit perfectly under the rear seat.

With the camera and radio done, we moved onto the speakers and subwoofer upgrade. We removed the factory speakers and replaced them with Morel Maximo speakers. We love the Maximo speakers for their smooth response and detailed sound. To fit the tweeters in the factory location we used our laser to cut out custom acrylic adapter plates. Once the speakers were done, it was time to add in a little bass. The client didn’t want to take up any of the usable space in her Wrangler, so we went with a thin, under seat subwoofer system by Sony. We mounted the subwoofer under the rear seat, leaving all of her hatch area accessible. With the new gear installed we went through and adjusted the radio as well as setting the subwoofer controls. The result was a great sounding system that was not only better sounding but also louder, with more bass. Now the client could safely backup her Jeep and sound good doing it! Give us a call or contact us here if you would like to find out options for upgrading your Jeep.

Hurricane Sundeck Boat Gets JL Audio Marine Upgrades

July 13, 2021 By JOey Knapp

This local client was referred to us at Pinnacle Autosound for some marine audio upgrades to his Hurricane Sundeck boat. The boat had some previously installed equipment in it, but it was nowhere near the level of performance the client was looking for. After speaking with the client about his goals, we came up with a solution that would surely fit his needs.

JL Audio Source Unit

The black Starboard panel was crafted to fit the available space on the console.

We mounted the radio within easy reach of the captain.

To give the client the ability to not only use his phone to play music, but also listen to FM radio, we installed a JL Audio MM-50 radio. The JL Audio Media Master radio was to be installed to the right of the steering wheel. Because the previous radio had a different shape than the new JL Audio radio, we needed to make an adapter plate. This is a task we are always up to. We stock sheets of starboard in black and white, as well as acrylic in black, white, and clear and in various thicknesses. These plastics coupled with our large supply of stainless steel hardware give us the materials needed to install marine products properly. For this boat, some black Starboard and a handful of stainless screws gave us a clean way to mount not only the new radio but also the subwoofer control knob.

JL Audio Marine Amplifiers

Once the radio was installed it was time to move on to the amplifier installation. To power all the speakers in the boat we chose the JL Audio M600/6 amplifier. This 6 channel amplifier provides each speaker with 75 watts of clean power. We chose the M series amplifiers for this project to compliment the premium M6 speakers we would be using. To power the subwoofers, we used the MX500/1. The MX series amplifiers pack quite a bit of power into a very small footprint. Their high efficiency make them great for use on boats.

Premium M6 Speakers and Subwoofers

Midway through the boat we used another set of speakers.

Thanks to the 6 pairs of speakers, there wasn’t a bad seat in the boat!

A pair of M6 speakers were used in the bow of the boat.

The two 10″ subwoofers were mounted under the stern seat.

When it came time for speakers, the premium JL Audio M6 speakers were the choice for this Sundeck. The M6 speakers provide plenty of loud and clear sound, without a hint of distortion. To maximize the efficiency of the speaker system we chose the 7.7″ speakers. These speakers provide additional output over the traditional 6.5″ speaker size. The speakers were mounted in the front, sides, and back of the boat, for great audio coverage anywhere someone might choose to sit. To reinforce the low end, we again called on the M6 line from JL Audio. This time it was 2 10″ subwoofers. The subwoofers were mounted facing each other in the rear cubby area. These subwoofers, powered by the MX500/1 amplifier produce some great sounding bass.

Marine Audio Upgrades Are Successful!

With the installation finished it was time to clean up the boat. We always make sure the boats (and cars!) we return back to clients are in cleaner condition than they came to us in. When the client picked up the boat he loved the loud, effortless sound the M6 speakers produced. He had his own personal floating concert venue! We have worked on hundreds of boats and know what it takes to make them sound great. If you are looking for any audio upgrades for your boat, give us a call or contact us through our contact form.