December 2004 Winner : Warren Jerris
Warren Jerris of A and B Sound in Winnipeg, Canada swept the December contest with his installation in a 2003 Cadillac Escalade that is owned by Ian White of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Everything in this prize-winning ride was fabricated by Warren himself. The installation includes two MTX Thunder9500 woofers powered by an MTX Thunder1501D amplifier with a Thunder404 amp powering the front stage of the vehicle. Lift up the hatch and you’ll see an MTX flag fashioned from CNC machined MDF with blue neon providing the backlighting over a Plexiglas finish. Behind the plexi, Warren placed several sheets of stainless steel to create a fish tank effect.
“When Ian approached me about doing the install, he said just to let my mind go wild and do something crazy,” Warren says. ”His only request was that I make his Escalade shake. We had heard about the MTX 9500 woofers and wanted to give them a shot. Not only does it shake, the system we put in blew the sunroof right off the track! Every inch of that vehicle shakes and he loves it.”
All of the accents in this installation are made of hand-shaped billet aluminum including the housings that hold analog voltmeters and temperature gauges. The gauges are functional showing the input voltage and the temperature of the heat sink for each amp. To finish the installation, under the seat Warren built a custom paint-matched rack to house a PlayStation 2 gaming system, AV controller and capacitors. The two and a half months (roughly 300 hours) of after-hours work on this vehicle is reflected in all of the detail throughout the install.
“It’s very exciting to win the title of Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer for December,” Warren continues. “Normal store hours are 9am to 9pm and I would work on the truck from about 9pm until 3 or 4 in the morning after I got off work. It’s nice to get recognition after you’ve put in so many long hours.”
Congratulations, Warren! We appreciate all of your hard work!
L-R: Jason Kranitz (winner), Kelly Wells of MTX Audio
November 2004 Winner : Jason Kranitz
If you’ve been paying attention to the Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer Contest, you’re probably quite familiar with Jason Kranitz’s name. MTX is proud to announce that Kranitz, the Car Toys installer from Portland, OR and winner of the March and June contests, has taken the $500 prize and title for the November contest as well.
Kranitz created this truly innovative install in a 2003 Ford Excursion. For comfort of driving, the customer, who is 7 feet tall, needed a new center console in his truck. Kranitz took advantage of this new addition and gave the truck teeth-rattling bass that took up no additional room. To accomplish this, he placed two MTX Thunder7510-04 Superwoofers in down-firing plexi enclosure which enables the installation to be seen on both sides of the console. The outer shell of the console was constructed out of fiberglass and incorporated the factory cover and cup holders. The factory storage of the console was cut down three inches to accommodate the rear section of the subwoofer enclosure and then the entire console was wrapped in vinyl that was color-matched to the factory vinyl already in the truck. The juice to the system was provided by an MTX Thunder801D amplifier and Thunder404 amplifier that live under the middle row of seats in the vehicle. The sleek finish-out of the install was accomplished by the addition of a cover panel constructed to hide the wires and make the installation blend seamlessly with the rest of the truck.
“I was pretty excited when MTX called and told me I was the winner for the November contest,” Kranitz commented. “Winning three times this year has been quite an honor. Now I’m just hoping for the big win in January!”
Great Job, Jason, on another fantastic installation!
L-R: Mike Wentz (winner)
& Shawn Bakk (winner)
October 2004 Winner : Shawn Bakk and Mike Wentz
MTX is proud to announce that it has awarded Shawn Bakk and Mike Wentz of Roadsounds in Minot, ND the $500 prize and the title of Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer. Shawn and Mike will split the prize and are now in the running to share the $15,000 grand prize and an all expenses paid trip to CES 2005 because of their remarkable install on a 2000 Honda Civic hatchback.
The customer came to Mike and Shawn with a request for the loudest, coolest system possible that could fit into his Civic hatch without taking up the backseat. The duo chose to use an MTX Thunder9500 15" Superwoofer with an MTX Thunder1501D amplifier providing the juice. A Thunder1004 amplifier was also used to power the rest of the speakers in the installation. Then, in the front, they placed one set of 5.25" Thunder8000 series component speakers in the kickpanels, another in the doors and a set of MTX T6000 series components in the rear.
“The system sounds awesome!” said Mike and Shawn. “We started the installation on a Wednesday morning and got it finished at 3 a.m. Saturday morning so the customer could attend a car show later that morning. The car ended up winning the award for best audio/video and best overall. We are very proud of the work we did on this vehicle and hope to do a lot more big systems with MTX product!”
Congratulations Shawn and Mike. Working together made this install #1!
L-R: Phil Gibson of
Current Sales, Josh
Crager (winner)
L-R: Lee Marks (sales),
Josh Crager (winner),
Phil Gibson of Current
Sales, Katie Howard &
Frank Shepard (owners)
September 2004 Winner : Josh Crager
There are only a few months left in the MTX Biggest Baddest Boldest Install Contest and the entries continue to wow the MTX panel of judges. Josh Crager of Car Stereo Warehouse in Lexington, KY was crowned the September winner for his jaw-dropping installation in a Chevy S10 Blazer.
This monster system starts under the hood where the vehicle is powered by an Optima YellowTop battery and the stock 100 amp alternator. Next, the MTX system was installed powered by two 300 amp alternators mounted on a custom skid plate with a custom pulley system that allows it to turn. Then, Josh ran a 1/0 awg cable from the alternators to the rear of the vehicle which enabled each alternator to feed its own bank of four Optima BlueTop batteries. The batteries are “cushioned” by two 50 farad capacitors and each is responsible for one of eight MTX 1501D amplifiers that are strapped together in pairs. Then, to add the final touch of gigantic bass to the system, Josh added MTX’s loudest, most menacing subwoofers, a pair of 15” RFLs, to the wall of the vehicle.
"It’s an honor to be the September winner in the Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer Contest," Josh said. "I knew when I started this installation, it had to be loud—and how do you spell loud? M-T-X!"
Congrats, Josh! Welcome to the winner’s circle!
L-R: Norm Ross of SCL Products Canada, Brad Goodman (winner), Geoff Russel of SCL Products Canada
August 2004 Winner : Brad Goodman
MTX has crowned its eighth winner of the year, Brad Goodman of RG Auto Parts in Surrey, British Columbia. Now $500 richer, Brad is in the running for the $15,000 grand prize and an all-expenses paid trip to CES 2005 because of the awesome installation he completed on a 1997Chevy S-10 Blazer.
“This customer wanted to go all out,” Brad said. “After talking with him we decided to go all MTX Audio for speakers, subs and amps.”
The install consists of two pairs of T8.5 component speakers powered by a Thunder1004 amplifier with four Thunder8124A subs running off of two Thunder1501D amps. To power all of those amps, two additional batteries and four SWX Cap1s were added.
Brad made this installation even more custom by adding three LCD monitors, a PS2 gaming system, blue neon, a custom headliner with LEDs installed for a starry night effect and custom CNC machined plexi with the Thunder and MTX logos. Custom black and silver leather interior and a radar detector were added as the finishing touches.
“I was really happy when MTX phoned and told me that I won,” Brad said. “A lot of work was put into this install to make it totally custom. It feels awesome to be the August winner.”
Congratulations, Brad, on a job well done!
L-R: Jim Hensel (winner),
Jerry Trimper of L.D.
Allen Communications
July 2004 Winner : Jim Hensel
Jim Hensel of Underground Autosound was crowned July’s winner because of his innovative installation in a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer "Evolution.”
The install, which took only a day to complete, consists of four MTX 6.5 Convertibles that were installed for the mids and highs in the stock
location while the trunk showcases MTX Thunder1501D and Thunder564 amplifiers flushed into a trim panel. Then, a Thunder9512 was installed
into a custom enclosure and an oval-shaped piece of black acrylic was placed above the woofer to display the shop logo. Next, an aluminum mesh
material was installed on both sides of the woofer to allow the bass to travel into the cab of the vehicle. To add a finishing touch, the MTX logo was
laser etched in the middle of a piece of 3/4 plexi and then back lit with blue neon.“When the customer came to pick up the car, he said, ‘I didn’t know I was on Pimp My Ride!’” Jim said referring to the popular MTV program. “He was amazed at how well the installation turned out.”
Great Job, Jim. Keep up the good work!
L-R: Jason Kranitz
(winner), Mike Vokoun of Pacific Rim Marketing
June 2004 Winner : Jason Kranitz
Jason Kranitz, the Car Toys installer from Portland , OR has managed to take MTX Audio to the bank for the second time. As the June winner of MTX’s Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer Contest, Kranitz was awarded another $500 for his outstanding install on a 1996 Chevy Impala. Krantiz also won the title for March’s winner, which increases his chances of winning the grand prize of $15,000 grand prize and an all-expense paid trip to 2005 CES.
The simple but striking installation only took Kranitz two days to complete. It is contained in the trunk of the vehicle and features two MTX Thunder5500 subwoofers, MTX Thunder404 and Thunder502 amplifiers and StreetWires wiring. The subs and amp racks feature silver carbon fiber with black carbon fiber trim with all areas highlighted in red neon. The goal of the installation was to give the owner a system that booms but still allow ample space so the trunk can be used when needed.
Kranitz was pleased to win the contest for the second time this year. “I think it’s really cool that MTX chose my install as the winner for June,” said Kranitz. “Being an installer is the best job there is, and winning cash for doing what you love is a big bonus.”
Great job, Jason. Another outstanding Installation!
L-R: Shawn Spedding of MTX Audio, Anthony Bonanno (winner)
May 2004 Winner : Anthony Bonanno
Anthony Bonanno of Independence Audio claimed the title of May’s Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer for his outstanding installation in a 2004 Civic Si.
Bonanno set out to create a daily driver that was an audio-video enthusiast’s dream come true. He spent two months on the installation for the local retail customer and finished with a product that earned him $500 for doing what he does best. The exterior of the vehicle includes a variety of upgrades including Lamborghini style doors and a custom paint job while interior fabrications include racing seats, steering wheel, shift knob, multiple gauges, 28 blue neon tubes, LED under car lighting, custom suede headliner, color back up camera in the hatch keyhole, 22 custom painted fiberglass panels, 8 frosted Plexiglas panels, and carbon fiber control panel in the glove box. And that’s only the beginning.
The real meat of the installation starts with the audio-video system. It features two 12” 9500 subs with a Thunder1501D amp driving each woofer, one Thunder1004 amplifier driving the front 4” and 6” components and the rear 5” components and one Thunder202 driving the 4” component center channel. Also included are seven 7” TV screens, in-dash DVD tuner, CD changer, X-Box and DD/DTS 5.1 Processor. All components in this award-winning install are wired with StreetWires.
Fantastic job, Anthony. Enjoy your extra cash!
L-R: Mike Vokoun of
Pacific Rim Marketing, Steve Grigorieff (winner)
April 2004 Winner : Steve Grigorieff
Congratulations to April’s Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer, Steve Grigorieff, of Cave Audio in Woodburn, OR who received a $500 check for his superb MTX installation in a 2004 Ford Explorer Limited!
Steve’s installation features three 9500 10” dual voice coil subwoofers in a ported cabinet driven off a single Thunder1501D amplifier with a Thunder564 to run all of the midrange speakers. He highlighted the subs by mounting each one to a one inch Plexiglas front panel and seating them into a custom fiberglass enclosure with a mirrored back wall accented by blue neon. The enclosure was molded to fit the interior body panels exactly and finished off with high gloss black paint. The amplifiers are flush mounted to the top of the enclosure and as an added touch, an LED voltage meter was molded into the front of the box.
Steve was pleased by how tight the installation sounded after he was finished. “Even after a full Dynamat job on the vehicle, there were still a lot of rattles that we had to chase down. Ironically, I called MTX customer service and got the enclosure specs from their tech team and now I’m $500 dollars richer!”
Awesome job, Steve! Your installation was one of the Biggest Baddest and Boldest we’ve seen!
L-R: Mike Vokoun of
Pacific Rim Marketing, Jason Kranitz (winner)
March 2004 Winner : Jason Kranitz
Congratulations to Jason Kranitz of Car Toys in Portland, Oregon! Jason secured his place in the winner's circle for the Biggest Baddest Boldest install contest for the month of March and was awarded the $500 prize.
Jason's impressive installation in a Honda Passport featured three of the 9500 series subwoofers in a sealed cabinet that are each driven off of their own Thunder 801D with a Thunder564 running all of the midrange speakers. The entire install is trimmed out in black carbon fiber with the tailgate highlighting the StreetWires capacitors and distribution block, also wrapped in color-matched vinyl. The subwoofers are accented in red carbon fiber along with the back of the amp rack and some of the fusing.
Jason was amazed by the output of the system when he was finished. "The roof was flexing so much that it was hitting the aluminum roof rack, and the seals in the back door and side doors were actually separating so much that you could see through them."
Great job, Jason, on an incredible install featuring incredible products! You proved that you are truly a "Biggest Baddest Boldest Installer."
Charles Stone (winner)
L-R: Charles Stone
(winner), Dale Pugh of M.J.M. Marketing
February 2004 Winner : Charles Stone
Charles Stone of Xtreme Dynamic Sounds in San Antonio, Texas catapulted himself into the winner's circle for the Biggest Baddest Boldest install contest in the month of February. Charles won $500, a pair of MTX Mechanix Wear gloves and is now in the running for the $15,000 grand prize and an all-expense paid trip to CES 2005.
Charles showcased his skills in the popular Toyota Scion XB. His retail sale to a local car dealer provided exactly what the dealer was looking for -- excitement. The installation, featuring four T61044A subs, a Thunder801D amplifier and a Thunder404 amplifier, has generated tons of interest and is creating additional traffic, according to the manager of the Scion dealership.
The install integrated a pair of T6.6 coaxial speakers into the front stage and a pair of the 6532 coaxial speakers in the rear where he used StreetWires power and distribution parts. Then, a blazing blue amp rack with a unique Plexiglas cover over the amps was incorporated while the featured equipment was wrapped in the trunk in color-matched fiberglass, the remaining pieces wrapped in black vinyl.
The installation fits cleanly into the back of the Scion with room to spare and looks incredible. The vehicle has been lowered 3", is sitting on 19" wheels and has dealer graphics on the side. It's a guaranteed eye-catcher!
Great job, Charles, on a well-done installation using the best products in the world!
Shanen Montoya (winner)
L-R: Mike Sumas of MTX Audio, Shanen Montoya (winner)
January 2004 Winner : Shanen Montoya
Congratulations to Shanen Montoya of Car Toys who proved to be January's Biggest Baddest Boldest MTX installer of the month! The install in a 1995 Honda Prelude featured an Alpine head unit, Infinity separate speakers, a Thunder404 amplifier to drive the midrange and Thunder502 amplifier to drive the single Thunder 8000 series 12" woofer. The amplifiers were flushed into the side walls of the trunk and then trimmed in vinyl while the face of the subwoofer enclosure was covered with Plexiglas and wrapped in neon. As a finishing touch, the famous MTX logo was etched into the Plexiglas.
Shanen beat out the rest of January's contestants to win the $500 prize and a pair of MTX mechanix gloves. All he had to do to fill in the entry form and submit some photos with a brief description of the installation. Now, he is the first member in an elite group of twelve that will compete to win $31,000 in prizes, and an all expense paid trip to 2005's International CES.Great job Shanen! Keep up the good work!