As part of our 20th anniversary retrospective, we're showcasing some of our favorite vehicles of the past two decades. You'll be able to vote on your favorite car later. Here's the 4th installment.
Demetrios Karabinis fully rebuilt his 1973 Gran Torino when he bought the unique car in 1983. At first he had a simpler system, but after his first win at a competition, he decided to go a little audio crazy. Alan Lionudakis, owner of Sounds Unlimited in Modesto, Calif., handled the install in Karabinis' daily driver.
Heading the system is a Sony CDX0A10 CD changer in the trunk. To access its functions, Karabinis turns to the controller that is mounted on a gooseneck by the driver's seat. It's so flexible it can be tucked under the seat if he wants to hide it.
At the bottom of the dash, a pair of Zapco equalizers received a new faceplate, so that they look not only built in, but also one unit. Everything else in the cabin is hidden, appropriate for a time when security was always an issue. The doors hide three 6-inch Morel midranges for example. The rear deck holds another set of Morels as well as the Cerwin-Vega 12s in a ported enclosure. Another set of Electro-Voice 15-inch subwoofers use the trunk for airspace.
The trunk itself is where the ostentation takes place. Zapco amplifiers, power supplies and energy storage modules, all anodized or painted red, take up the entire floor space. Karabinis, now with Arc Audio, was tinkering on this Torino every few months back then, constantly refining and trying out new ideas.
Here are some of the other vehicles we've featured in our 20th anniversary retrospective:
Speakerworks Buick Grand National
Steve Brown's Acura