When I first went to Rich's
CarTunes to discuss a system for the Navigator, I hadn't even taken delivery of the
vehicle. Rich Inferrera worked with me to figure out a system installation based on the
Lincoln Navigator brochure pictures. I was familiar with Rich's work from past
installations and knew he could come up with something "special".
As soon as I had taken delivery of
the Navigator, I contacted Rich again to set up another consultation on the system. After
seeing the vehicle and taking some measurements, Rich made some installation suggestions
that seemed logical to me. I had come up with the notion of an amp rack in the rear of the
vehicle with a couple of 12 disk Alpine CD changers in the factory console along with the
Alpine CVA-1000 display unit in the dash. I left the Navigator with Rich and his crew took
it from there.
A couple of days later, Rich called
to give me an update on the system. He said that his team had come up with a new idea. An
idea that he thought I would like. I went back to his shop to see their design for a
complete replacement of the factory rear console. They designed it to house not only the
CD changers but also the amplifier, one set of crossovers, the multi CD changer controller
plus the Brax capacitor and some cooling fans. The design work was excellent plus it
eliminated any invasion into the cargo area space and made the install more
"stealth". Another benefit was that I would be able to change CD packs from the
front seat simply by reaching around to the front of the rear console. Check out the
pictures and you'll see what I mean.
The next challenge was the sub
woofer. The factory "Premium" system used an 8" sub woofer in the right
rear quarter. This would not provide enough bass for my needs. We agreed that a 10"
a/d/s/ dual voice coil RS-10 would do the trick. The problem was how to fit it without
building a box that would take up cargo space. Rich and his team figured out a way to
modify a JL Audio Stealthbox to fit into the factory subwoofer location. They didn't even
need to change the factory grill. Of course, I did lose the use of the small jack storage
area behind the factory sub but that was a small price to pay for the improved bass
response and punch that the RS-10 supplies. After seeing the box in place, I suggested
that Rich sell his design to JL Audio for other Navigator installations!
What came next is what I call the
"speaker surprise". The factory speaker locations were great for the a/d/s/
speakers I had specified. The problem was, no door depth. Rich's solution was to customize
the door panels to fit the two sets of a/d/s/ 335 PX speakers. Mounting the front tweeters
in the A pillars really helped the sound imaging. (The factory tweeters were in the front
doors.) Mounting the rear tweeters in place of the rear ash trays made "sound
sense" too. Check out the pictures and you'll see the excellent workmanship and color
matching.
Details, details, details...that's
what the workmanship at Rich's is all about. Rich's team designed custom mounting for the
Dakota Digital gauges I had specified. They thoughtfully included a cooling fan switch for
the rear console right above the amplifier temperature gauge. They also protected the
system components with a variety of fuses plus they included a hidden system circuit
breaker that I can use to disable the music system when I leave the car for service or
valet parking.
When it came to protecting the car
from theft, I determined that the factory alarm was not going to meet my needs. Rich
suggested a Clifford system. I added the PageMate so I could start (or stop) the vehicle
with a phone call. Two sets of Clifford "Smart Windows" were added to make the
security system even more convenient to use. Again, Rich's team came through on their
attention to detail. From integrating the Clifford system with the Lincoln coded key
system, to adding a "town and country" horn setting (with and without the alarm
system air horns) they thought of everything to make the system more pleasant to use.
Needless to say, the alarm system is much more functional than the factory unit.
You can see from the pictures how it
looks. So, how does it sound?? Well, as I write this, (Sept. 9, 1997) Rich and crew are
still doing a few "tweaks" to the music system. I think it sounds wonderful.
Then again, Rich is only satisfied with perfection. In fact, I had to wrestle the
Navigator away from Rich last weekend for a trip I needed to make. He said I could only
have the Navigator for the weekend if I promised to bring it back first thing Monday
morning for its final system tune-up!
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention
Rich's installation crew (Ken, Donnie, Chris & Doug) and their sales crew (Blake and
Jeff) and thank them for their help on the installation. In summary, Rich and his team
represent the rare commodity of total dedication to customer service and satisfaction. If
you need it fast and cheap don't bother. On the other hand, if you want the ultimate
in a music, navigation, or alarm system for your vehicle don't hesitate to call Rich's
CarTunes.
Sincerely,
A very satisfied customer |
