The Red Beast
So you think you’ve got what it takes to become a serious Sound Quality (SQ) competitor?
A lot of time and money are spent to build top quality systems and Wayne Fowlers WRX ‘REDLIN’ is a prime example, as the #1 SQ car in his class. Utilizing entirely Alpine products, this car is set to win. No wonder it took 3 years to build, with PK Autoelectrical in Auckland performing the task.
As with any serious high quality system, car preparation is a top priority. Therefore sound deadener was applied to the inner and outer skins of both the front and rear doors to keep the rattles to a minimum and to help produce strong midbass performance.
An Alpine CDA-7949 headunit puts out the tunes. Wayne had the unit brought in from the States but had the tuner changed so it could pick up NZ frequencies. The reason for this was the US model is black (whereas the unit sold in NZ/AUS is silver) so it ties in nicely with the rest of his install.
From the H/U the sound travels to the boot where it is feed into one of Alpine’s F#1 Status PXA-H900 processors (no wonder he wins all the comps!) and then splits off to the amps. The processor is mounted behind the subs and sunk into the false floor. The control unit for the H900 is mounted under the H/U for easy access.
Running the front stage are 2 amps, an Alpine MRV-F407 running the mids and tweets, and an Alpine MRV-757 running the midbass. The system is run active, which improves the SQ and allows each speaker to be separately tuned to the finest level of detail by the processor. Running active also gives a 3dB gain over passive crossover systems. The amps sit on each side of the boot in there own little enclosures, constructed of MDF. The original panels in the boot were modified to fit nicely around the amp racks.
The front stage consists of 6” DDDrive F17C components with a pair of older 6” Alpine flagship 6062 midbass drivers pumping out the bass. The 6062s truly go nuts with impressive excursion and a very good sound. The front stage pods are constructed of fiberglass, MDF, lots of Bog and then covered in Vinyl. The original door pocket has been integrated into the pod, which make them flow with the door adding to the interiors aesthetic appeal. The F17C mids sit in the front pod on a perfect axis and have been completely sealed off from the doors and midbass speakers. The entire door cavity on each side has been built as an enclosure for each of the 6062 midbass speakers. The DDDrive tweeters are placed up high on the sail.
An Alpine MRV-1507 is bridged to run the subs. A cap is run on the power wire for the 1507 to help store a bit of energy for the big bass drops. Pumping out the low frequencies are two 12” DDDrive DDW-F30 which are inverted in a tyrewell enclosure. The enclosure is constructed of MDF with interior mirrors for a trick looking install.
Wayne replaced the factory battery with an Optima Yellow Top and placed PG battery terminals on it, along with a PG circuit breaker. All this is displayed under a lexan panel. Sucking back the juice to the distribution block is a run of 0AWG, which then splits off to the amps and cap.
A lot of work has been done to the interior as well, the rear seats have been molded up to match the fronts and the whole interior has been retrimmed. Embroidered in the front and rear seats is the ‘STI’ logo and in the rear headrests are the words ‘/////Alpine’ and ‘DDDrive’. A red MOMO gear knob and steering wheel have also been added, along with some snazzy foot pedals.
As you can see Wayne has won quite a few trophies with his vehicle, I can see why too, if you ever get a chance to listen to his system go for it, you will be amazed.
Future plans for the car include a revamp of the boot and a new custom built engine.
Wayne has an Alpine F#1 Status headunit on the cards for his future install.. we will keep you informed as we find out more.
Driver Details
Name: Wayne Fowler
Car Details
Year: 1996
Model: Impreza WRX STI
Engine: 2.0l Turbo
Car Audio
Headunit: Alpine 7949
Processor: Alpine PXA-H900
Speakers: Alpine F17C components, Alpine 6062 midbass
Speaker Amps: Alpine MRV-F407, Alpine MRV-757
Sub Amp: Alpine MRV-1507
Subwoofers: DDDrive DDW-F30 x2
