Marrero Client Gets Charger Audio System & Custom Interior

A new client from Marrero, Louisiana, came to Prestige Car Audio & Marine for some help with his 2008 Dodge Charger. When we saw him pull up, what we saw was an absolutely beautiful car, with stellar body work and an over-the-top paint job. Unfortunately, our positive thoughts about the car went downhill quickly when we went out to the vehicle. You see, he had a shop do a complete interior transformation and audio upgrade, and it turned out horribly. He went to a second shop to have it fixed, and and they made it worse. He tried a third shop, and it was no better. As a last resort, he did some digging and heard good things about us, so he got in touch with us. Normally, if we see a vehicle in such poor condition when it comes to the interior and audio, we walk away from the job as we know it won’t end well. In this instance, though, we could tell the guy wanted something incredible and simply was taken advantage of, time and again.

WARNING: Graphic Images, May Not Be Suitable For Car-Lovers

The rear seat area of the Charger housed numerous fire hazards.

Even the trunk lid had poor craftsmanship. This had to be replaced too.

Behind the door panels we found more problems.

Google “Wrong way to install a security system” and you are likely to find this picture. We were able to salvage this mess and instal a security system that retained the integrity of the vehicle wiring.

The door panels that were on the car when we got it were a poor attempt at building and acceptable piece.

We agreed to bring the car into our shop and start looking it over. Take a look at these pictures and you will see what kind of work had been done to this Charger. After we stripped down the whole interior and truck to bare metal, the only parts we could salvage were the steering wheel and the dashboard. Every other part you see in the pictures of the finished project was ordered new from Dodge or built in-house by our fabrication team.

After stripping down the car, we sat down with the client and went over his goals for the vehicle. We showed him work we had done to other vehicles and listened as he laid out his master plan. After spending significant time with the client, we worked up a proposal that we thought would make the interior match the exterior, once and for all. He loved our idea, so we got crankin’ on it.

iPad Mini Controls Hidden Sony Radio

Hidden behind the iPad is a Sony Radio that is the source control unit for the audio system.

In the dash, we installed a Sony MEX-XB100BT CD player, and recessed it into the factory opening. Then we flushed an iPad Mini into the dash that runs the SongPal app to control the Sony deck hidden behind it.

JL Audio Amplifier Powers Whole System

The pressed grill in the floor covers the Accuair air ride system and tank, that are responsible for leveling the ride of the car.

The musical signal now flows to the trunk, to a JL Audio XD1000/5v2 amplifier that supplies over 600 watts of clean power to the subwoofers and 75 watts per channel to each of the front and rear speakers.

JL Audio Speakers Bring The Music To Life

When it came time to choose the speakers, we went back to JL Audio, opting for the C5-650 components for all locations. These speakers use a 6.5” woofer and a .75” silk dome tweeter, and we chose them because they sound fantastic.

Plenty Of Bass Output From Two JL Audio Subwoofers

The two JL Audio 10″ subwoofer are accented and protected by two pressed grills that are highlighted with orange trim.

For bass, we stayed with a familiar theme and used JL Audio 10W1v3 subwoofers mounted in a custom enclosure in the trunk.

Now, let’s talk about where the magic happens. Once this vehicle was stripped down to bare metal with just a dash and steering column left, we were left with a blank canvas. That’s when our award-winning installers started working their magic.

Black And Orange Theme Starts At The Front

The steering wheel was customized in the orange and black theme. Also note some of the additional switches that were added for vehicle control.

The client decided early on that he wanted a black-and-orange theme for the interior, so we added orange accents to the steering wheel and dash to get that theme started. We made new front and rear seats and covered them in black and orange leather.

Custom Center Console Is Control Center For Vehicle Accessories

Hidden behind the iPad is a Sony Radio that is the source control unit for the audio system.

The center console flows from the front to the back and up to the rear parcel tray.

The interior command center of the car is now the console area.

We added in switches to the console to control the many additional electronic features the client has on the Charger.

We made a custom center console in-house, with the only stock part being the shifter surround. Then we installed custom switches to control various items in the vehicle.

Custom Door Panels Continue Black And Orange Theme

The completed door panels look so much better than the previous panels. The client can now proudly open his doors.

Note the precision lines on the door panel trim pieces, These lines will be evident once the pieces are upholstered, so they have to be perfect.

This is a look at the door pods that were constructed. These were then grafted onto the door panels.

Prestige Car Audio & Marine built the front door panels to house the front component speakers and continue the black-and-orange theme. We made the rear door panels to match the styling of the front ones. If you look closely at the pictures, you will see the custom grilles that we made in our fabrication shop, and how that theme continues throughout the vehicle.

Custom Rear Deck Not Only Looks Great But Also Serves As Venting For Subwoofers

The rear parcel shelf cover not only looks great but also serves as a vent for the trunk mounted subwoofers.

We remade the rear deck, and it now houses the rear component speakers and has strategically placed vents to allow the bass in the trunk to enter the cabin.

Custom Trunk Finishes Off The Black And Orange Themed Charger Audio Build

The clean lines of this trunk will make this car an attention getter any time the trunk is popped.

When you look at the trunk, you will see the JL subwoofers are firing toward the rear of the vehicle, and the amplifier is in a custom well that is flushed into the floor.

Sound Proofed Vehicle Now Has Reduced Rattles And Resonances

We treated the whole vehicle with sound damping to reduce road noise and eliminate any buzzing or rattling from the new audio system.

We Were Excited To Be Part Of This Vehicle Transformation And The Client Was Thrilled With His “New” Car

We love the colors on this Charger!

With the air-ride system all the way down this car has some serious stance.

The staggered wheels give the Charger an aggressive, muscle car look.

When the client came to pick up his vehicle, he was speechless. We had finally built what he always wanted. He now had a one-off, unique custom ride that he could show off with pride. And that made our day.

When you are in the market for a shop you can trust, we hope you will come visit Prestige Car Audio and Marine. Let us show you why Mobile Electronics magazine has named us one of the Top Retailers in the Nation.

You can also contact us here for more information about any of our products and services.