A Customizer At Heart

Back in 2004, Nick Zalesky shipped this Scion xB from California to Colorado, making it perhaps the first Scion in the state. He then formed Denver's largest Scion club, ScinergyCO. The 27-year-old obviously loves this car. "I chose the Scion because it is different and looked like I could have some fun with it," he says. He definitely did, working on the xB for almost two years to bring it to its current level of customization. "I can't stop building on the car," Zalesky divulges. "It went from stock to lowered with rims within a week to a new stereo and so and so on."

Zalesky built everything but the sub enclosure in his own garage, with occasional help from friends and family (to whom he gives thanks). "It feels good when people look at it and ask, 'Who did your install?' and you [can] say, 'I did!' " he relates. His audio system starts with a Kenwood KVT- 911DVD head unit. "I have Kenwood units in all of my cars and have always had nothing but great things from them," Zalesky enthuses. "To me, they outperform the rest!"

To bring surround sound to the xB, Zalesky added the Kenwood KDSP901 digital sound processor and a KSC-700CCS center channel speaker, which he mounted just above the rearview mirror. "I chose the Kenwood center channel because it sounds amazing and is slim enough to fit where I wanted it," he explains. Although Kenwood got the nod for the center speaker, Focal 165KF components serve as both the main front and rear speakers. "I love Focal components and the way they sound," Zalesky reveals. "They are perfect for my listening needs."

Quality Auto Sound in Denver stepped in to build a custom enclosure for a pair of Rockford Fosgate T1 subs. The hard-hitting woofers enjoy 5ft of airspace in the slotted box. Constructed of MDF and fiberglass, the enclosure sports a custom Scion emblem atop it that is painted (along with the trim rings) to match the xB's paint scheme.

"I wanted to stay with Kenwood for the amplifiers," Zalesky continues, "to try and keep most of the setup Kenwood." The Rockford subs are fed by a pair of KAC-PS400M amps that Zalesky mounted in the suede-wrapped false floor. With two SAVV monitors mounted in between and plenty of orange neon splashing about, the amps get a fair share of attention. "I chose the old-school Kenwood PS-400M amps because I have had numerous setups in my vehicles and have never had any problems with them," Zalesky relates. "I would buy them again or rebuild them if needed."

He also tucked a Kenwood amp for the center channel into the dash and, for the components, he purchased two Kenwood KAC-649s amplifiers. The first he mounted in a false floor up front. The other hides behind the sub box. On the power side of things, he upgraded the stock battery with two Optima YellowTops (one in the stock location and the other under the driver's seat), backed up by an AlumaPro CAP15 capacitor.

Despite all the monitors, eye-popping orange lighting and custom work, Zalesky still considers tinkering further with his '04 xB. "I would say probably a widebody kit, some new wheels, maybe even redo the enclosure and go totally wild with the next one," he muses. Whatever he chooses to do in the future, this do-it-yourselfer can take pride in his current accomplishments. "I have put my heart and soul into this vehicle, and I hope it is a delight to everyone's eyes."