With the paint completed, the suspension and brakes installed, the engine bolted onto our 02’s chassis, and all the Hushmat sound dampening laid down, we finally got to move on to what we do best:
The Audio!
The story:
Enlisted to help, BP Autosound, one of our premier local dealers, wasted no time in crafting the custom panels for the trunk, rear deck, and kicks. All the WIREZ audio cables were routed in preparation for the Clarion audio equipment installation.
Many of those following the project have asked to explain what Clarion audio gear got installed in the car and why we selected the components that made in to the final install. First, of course, was the headunit. In this BMW 2002 we could easily fit a double DIN unit in the dash and we really wanted the safety and convenience of hands free voice control, so we chose the all-new NX605. This head unit features Clarion’s exclusive Intelligent Voice™ technology powered by Google, providing true hands free control of many aspects of the unit, which we thought was important for the days that this car will be shifting through the gears as it carves up the canyons above Malibu! Using the dedicated Pandora source and smartphone link, the NX605 also gives us direct access to the Clarion Builds’ Pandora station. In case we ever need to see who we left in our dust, and so we can keep the tail end of the car free of scrapes, we installed a CC510 camera. This super small camera can see in almost pitch black thanks to its .5 lux light sensitivity. We also don’t have to worry about the camera succumbing to the elements due to its IP67 waterproof rating, not that our SoCal car will see much rain anyway.
The NX605 also has 4-Volt RCA pre-amp outputs that deliver high quality audio to the XC6610 6ch amp that powers the entire system. We went this route because it allowed us to spec in only one amp to rule the whole system. Channels 5&6 are used for the subwoofers still leaving 1, 2, 3, & 4 to run the highs and mids. The XC6610 is very compact, making it simple to drop into the spare tire well with plenty of room to spare. It is also a fantastic sounding amplifier, which as you might have guessed is pretty important to us.
Now we needed something to take advantage of all that clean power and we hate cutting holes in the door panels of a classic car if it can be avoided. So, the guys at BP Autosound fabricated some custom kick panels to house our SRG1623S 6.5” component speakers. Their shallow basket design and minimal space requirements made them an ideal speaker for this application. For the rear fill, we dropped a pair of SRG6953R 6x9s into the rear deck. They add a fair bit of punch even at medium volume and, when we decide to really crank the system, their 5-way design really screams! And, to spice them up, BP added a custom trim panel sporting a lighted Clarion Builds logo!
Of course, we needed some low end to complement all the mids and highs, so we went with a pair of WG2520D 10” subwoofers. These particular woofers were chosen for their musical performance and efficient design and, because we did not have any limitation on mounting depth, we did not need to employ our phenomenal WF series shallow mount subwoofers. The pair of WG252D’s are installed in a custom built, rear firing enclosure that is trimmed out with a contoured leather wrapped beauty board. The whole trunk for that matter is covered in leather wrapped panels, giving it a simple, well sorted, and classy look. To enhance the visual appeal, white LED’s are used to accent the important bits, including a ring around the amp and another around the subwoofers.
To finish off the center stack where the radio was installed, we added three VDO gauges, our CCAUSBAV so we have easy access to the USB and AV input on the unit, and to keep thing symmetrical we relocated the factory hazard switch. Our Clarion Builds partner, SiriusXM, provided a SXV200 tuner that got tucked out of sight behind the radio.
Installed Clarion Product
NX605 $899.99 M.A.P.
2-DIN DVD Multimedia Station with built-in Navigation, HD Radio, Smart Access, Intelligent VOICE powered by Google, & a 6.2-inch touch screen
CC510 $99.99 M.A.P.
Rear Vision CMOS Camera with Distance Guide Lines
XC6610 $649.99 M.A.P.
Marine Grade 6-ch Class D Amplifier with 1000 watts Maximum Power, 85 Watts x 6 Channel @ 4-Ohms, and 250 Watts x 3 Channel @ 4-Ohms Bridged
SRG1623S $69.99 M.A.P.
350W MAX. 6-1/2″ 2-way Component Speaker System
SRG6953R $99.99 M.A.P.
600W MAX. 6″ × 9″ Multiaxial 5-way Speaker
WG2520D $69.99 M.A.P.
1000W MAX 10″ Dual 4-ohm Voice Coil Subwoofer
CCAUSBAV $39.99 M.A.P.
Flush Mount Female 3.3mm to Male RCA Audio/Video and USB Extension Cable
Check out all the details of the products we installed in our Clarion Builds 1974 BMW 2002 at www.clarion.com/us
