FEATURED INSTALLATIONS Archives - Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security

High-Output Air Horn System for Anchorage Jeep Grand Cherokee

05/26/2021 By John Schwartz

A client from here in Anchorage recently contacted the team at Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security to inquire about having us install a high-output air horn system on his 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The system that the client wanted wasn’t the sort of thing you’d find at Walmart or an auto parts store. This HornBlasters Conductor’s Special kit includes a high-performance compressor and four hand-tuned Shocker XL horns that deliver real train-horn performance.

Grand Cherokee Air Horn System

The project started with us creating a mounting panel that fits into the storage area in the back of the Jeep. With a layer of black carpet in place for a neat and tidy look, we mounted the Viair 444C compressor and the two-gallon, six-port air tank to the panel. We plumbed the compressor into the tank and installed the pressure gauge to be visible from the rear of the vehicle. Using our CNC laser, our team fabricated a 2-inch acrylic plastic spacer that fits under the spare tire hold-down nut to secure everything in place.

The Viair compressor is rated for 100% duty cycle and can fill the tank back to full pressure in about one minute. The horn system has enough air to blast at full output for at least four seconds. That’s well more than enough to get anyone’s attention.

Train Horn Installation

Next, we set to work mounting the quartet of Shocker XL horns and the brass-body solenoid valve under the vehicle. The valve features a 16 mm orifice to ensure maximum airflow to the horns. The horns themselves are tucked up close to the floor and are aimed rearward so that they won’t fill with dirt, water, snow or slush. The solenoid is bolted securely to the truck’s floor, and all the wiring is protected from damage and moisture using automotive-grade cloth tape before being routed with existing wiring under the vehicle.

With everything installed, it was time to test the system. Of course, we warned everyone in the shop about our intentions before giving this the first blast. Sweet-mother-of-pearl, this system is insanely loud! Even with the bay doors closed, we bet they could hear us up the street at the gas station. Our apologies to our neighbors.

The client was absolutely thrilled with the installation and loved how loud the air horn system is. He was excited to get the truck back on the road and give his friends a demonstration. If you’re interested in upgrading your vehicle, drop by Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security and speak with one of our experts. If you can’t get to the store during regular business hours, give us a call or send our team an e-mail.

Anchorage Ford Transit in for Audio and Comfort Upgrades

04/27/2021 By John Schwartz

A client from here in Anchorage recently brought his 2020 Ford Transit van to Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security for an audio system and sound deadening upgrade. The big cargo van was a bit too noisy inside for the client’s liking. He also wanted the stereo system to sound better with improved clarity and better bass performance. After inspecting the vehicle, one of our Product Specialists put together a simple yet elegant upgrade solution that would deliver exactly what the client wanted.

Ford Transit Sound Deadening Improves Comfort

The first order of business was to remove the entirety of the interior on the Transit so our technicians could install 12 rolls of SoundShield SSD1 acoustic deadening material. This deadening was applied to the floor, the rear side panels, the rear doors and the outer front door skins.

SoundShield’s thick butyl, aluminum and foam material helps prevent sound energy from the tires, exhaust and drivetrain from entering the cab. The difference in comfort is instantly apparent, and it makes driving the van much more enjoyable. A secondary yet equally important benefit is that the clarity of the outgoing audio of the Bluetooth hands-free communication system is much improved.

Audio System Upgrade

We replaced the front door speakers with a set of Morel Tempo Ultra Integra 602 6.5-inch point-source coaxial drivers to improve the stereo. These speakers offer a dramatic improvement in both frequency extension and clarity. The result is that every genre of music sounds clearer and more detailed.

The next step was to install an Alpine PWE-S8 powered subwoofer to the vehicle to add some warmth and extension. This compact subwoofer system features an 8-inch woofer housed in a cast-metal enclosure. It includes a 120-watt amplifier to drive the sub and has all the connections we needed to integrate it into the factory radio. Of course, the key to making it sound good was to configure the crossover and level controls to work with the rest of the van’s speakers.

Alaska’s Vehicle Enhancement Experts

After a few days of work, we had this Ford Transit upgraded and ready to roll again. The client was amazed at how much quieter the vehicle was and loved how the audio system sounds with the new speakers and subwoofer. If you have a car, van or truck that could be more comfortable with a quieter interior, or you want to upgrade its audio system, drop by Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security in Anchorage and speak with one of our Product Specialists. We’d be happy to design a custom solution that addresses your needs. If you can’t visit the store during regular business hours, give us a call or send our team an e-mail using our contact form.

Ford Ranger Upholstery Upgrade for Anchorage Client

04/12/2021 By John Schwartz

A client from here in Anchorage recently dropped by Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security to inquire about upgrading the upholstery on his 2019 Ford Ranger seats. The STX trim-level pickup truck came with cloth seats in the front and rear, and the client wanted something a little classier. After looking at the truck, we worked with the client to choose a set of custom-stitched Katzkin leather upholstered seats that would look great in the vehicle.

Ford Ranger Upholstery Upgrade

Ford Upholstery — The client’s time on the road would be very comfortable now.

The Katzkin website is designed to make it very easy for clients to mix and match different color leathers and stitching to create a truly custom look. Our client chose black leather for the seats and added coffee-colored wing inserts on either side of the center panel and coffee-colored French stitching for a subtle accent. Katzkin created the front and rear seats’ upholstery and sent them to our shop for installation.

Once the new Katzkin upholstery arrived, we scheduled an appointment to begin upgrading the Ranger. After going through our check-in process, our team disconnected the battery to keep the airbag system safe, then set to work removing the front and rear seats from the truck. We removed the cloth and installed the new leather upholstery.

Expert Upholstery Installation

The new seat upholstery kit includes the backs and bottoms of the front and rear seats, along with all five headrests, as well as the armrest in the center of the back seat. Our technicians use genuine steel hog rings to secure the new leather to the seats. Some shops take shortcuts with zip ties to speed up this process. Unfortunately, plastic zip ties or wire ties can become brittle in the extreme cold conditions we experience and can break. The last thing we want is for the client’s new upholstery to shift and look unsightly.

With the seats recovered, we reinstalled them in the vehicle and torqued all the fasteners back to their OE specifications. We also reconnected the airbag and occupant detection sensors to ensure that all the truck’s safety systems would function properly. We finished by going through our check-out procedure to make sure everything else in the truck was flawless.

Alaska’s Vehicle Upgrade Experts

The client returned to Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security in Anchorage, excited to see the new upholstery in his Ford Ranger. He loved the color choices he made and was impressed with how well everything fit. If you’re interested in making your car or truck more comfortable or upgrading your vehicle’s look, drop by our store and speak with one of our product experts. If you can’t get to us during regular business hours, give our team a call or send us an e-mail.

Stereo and Lighting Upgrade for Anchorage Chevy 5500 Truck

02/26/2021 By John Schwartz

A commercial client from here in Anchorage recently visited Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security to inquire about upgrading the stereo and lighting on his 2020 Chevy 5500 HD truck. After talking with the client about how he wanted the music to sound and his lighting upgrade goals, we inspected the truck to come up with a plan.

Chevy 5500 Stereo System Upgrade

We started by removing the factory radio in the vehicle’s dash to make way for a DMH-2600NEX multimedia receiver. This new radio features a 6.8-inch touchscreen display and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Our team used a PAC RP5-GM51 RadioPRO5 interface module to connect the radio to the steering wheel’s radio control buttons. In addition, we added a Momento MR-C200 camera on the rear of the truck so the operator can see behind the vehicle when parking.

For the rear audio system, we started with a Pioneer MVH-S322BT digital media receiver. The radio is installed in the same panel as power inverter controls. We added a USB port to the power panel so he can charge his phone.

Our technicians created custom speaker enclosures that mount to the curved portion of the box where the walls meet the roof for rear speakers. Each enclosure houses a pair of Morel Maximo Ultra 602C coaxial speakers. We finished the enclosures in a black truck bed liner coating.

Truck Lighting Adds Safety

We started the lighting upgrade by replacing the headlight bulbs with Lucas Lighting L3-series LED bulbs. The high-beam bulbs were replaced with L4-series LED modules. Next, we replaced the low and high-beams with a set of Lucas Lighting L3-Series LED bulbs. We also added bulbs for the turn signals.

The icing on the cake for the lighting upgrade would be a Rigid Industries 20-inch 122313 LED light bar. This bar is part of the E-Series Pro line and includes both driving and spot beam patterns. We mounted the light in the front bumper and added Rigid’s 40284 security hardware kit to reduce the chances of it being stolen. Our team wired the relays for the LED light bar into the high-beam circuit.

Alaska’s Truck Accessory Experts

After finishing the stereo system upgrades and checking the light bar’s alignment, we had this Chevrolet 5500 HD work truck ready to return to the client. Upon his return to our store, we gave him a tour of the upgrades we’d installed and helped him pair his smartphone to the new radios. He loved how everything worked and couldn’t wait to fire up the monster light bar at night.

If you’re interested in upgrading your work truck with improved lighting or a better audio system, drop by Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security in Anchorage. You can also get in touch with our team by calling 907-563-8112 or by sending us an e-mail using our contact form.

Seat Heaters and Remote Starter for Local Toyota Sequoia

02/24/2021 By John Schwartz

A local client recently dropped into Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security to ask about upgrading his 2019 Toyota Sequoia with a remote car starter and seat heaters. What was a little different about this request was that he wanted us to add heaters in the back seats as well as the front. After one of our technicians inspected the vehicle to ensure that we’d be able to accommodate his request, we scheduled an appointment to begin the work.

Toyota Remote Car Starter

Toyota Starter — Our technicians added a remote starter system to this Toyota.

We started this upgrade project by installing a Compustar remote car starter. After talking to the client about where the vehicle is parked at home and work, we suggested the 2WG15 remote control kit. This bundle includes a four-button remote control that flashes LEDs and beeps once the controller has executed commands in the vehicle. The G15 remotes offer up to 3,000 feet of range.

The kit also includes a Drone telematics system. The client can use the DroneMobile app on his smartphone to control the door locks and remote start functions from anywhere he has internet access.

Heated Seat Upgrades

With the starter integration complete, our team set to work installing seat heater kits in the front and rear seats. Our heating kits include flexible warming pads that use carbon fiber elements. Once installed on the backs and bottom of the seat, you can’t even tell they’re there. The kits include a mechanical switch that allows each set of pads to be set to the high or low temperature setting. If the owner remembers to leave them turned on, they will start to warm the seats once the remote car starter is activated.

Add Comfort to Your Vehicle at Perfectionist

After a full day of work, our team had the starter and seat heaters installed in this client’s Toyota Sequoia. He returned to Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security to pick up the vehicle, and we showed him how to use the remote starter and heaters. He was thrilled with the results! We explained the features available with the Drone system so he could choose the right package to suit his needs.

If you’re interested in making your car or truck more comfortable to drive this winter, drop by Perfectionist and speak with one of our Product Specialists. You can also reach us by phone or by e-mail using the contact form here on our website.