Rob and I planned a fairly complex upgrade to an older car that I have been restoring to factory new and beyond. We spent time discussing exactly what I wanted to accomplish which involved adding an array of components and technologies for security, communications and entertainment that weren't available 20 years ago and are still not installed in the majority of vehicles today.
And the key was to do this without impacting the elegance or functionality of the original design of the car, so that when I bring it into the dealer for service, unless they are actually working on the dashboard or looking closely at the relocation of buttons or switches, even they shouldn't notice anything significantly different (until they turn on the ignition ).
Rob guided me through the purchase of everything we would need and helped me keep the cost of my ambitious effort within my budget. He was extremely meticulous on every detail required to make this project a success.
The combination of skills required here cannot be overstated. The car needed to be totally rewired for security, speakers, audio, video, power, etc. and provide ample access to devices without impacting the look of the vehicle.
The dashboard console needed to be totally reconfigured to support a modern entertainment system while still retaining all factory functionality and be dealer serviceable. And the console had to look as if it came from the factory, right down to the wood grain.
The glove compartment needed to be reconfigured to hold specific devices and provide connections to the receiver in an uncluttered way plus provide additional power. And the center console had to be customized to provide additional power in an elegant manner for front and rear passengers (no cigarette lighters here ).
There are other goodies that I'll save for a future update.
After a bit of planning, it took three days over a three week period to get it done, and the results were fantastic. The craftsmanship is truly second-to-none. I am very particular about my stuff. I work hard and value what I purchase, so when I say that I really look forward to people getting into the car and not seeing anything out of the ordinary until I turn they key and the system comes alive, it's pretty amazing.
Now I am not talking about volume or bass, I'm talking about sitting in a 20 year old luxury car that is now showroom restored and having everything you'd want from your den available and trying to figure out how that could all be hidden in this car and the trunk is still empty.
Rob's ability to harness his knowledge of audio, video, electrical work, design, carpentry, plastics, and acoustics are a rare combination. I was quite fortunate to find him as he created this environment specifically the way I described it, rather than using some cookie cutter approach.
I found it funny that Rob is young enough to my son, because as the project proceeded I grew to respect him as a peer and think of him as a friend.
I would highly recommend him for any automotive entertainment or security project your are considering. read more