I would presume it's the constant changing of boxes and sub setup and amps that deters the SPL guy from giving a rip how his install looks. If you are hit upon a good setup, why not spend some time to make it nice? Like Dukk said, it really only helps out the sport because then you might draw more spectators.

SPL, IMO, isn't really about spectators anymore too much. It's about the small core group of people who attend shows to gain points. I say this because I went to a few local SPL shows and turnout was pretty dismal. Basically the same guys with the same beat to hell cars. There was a fairly well-advertised SPL and SQ event in Chilliwack that 604 Autosound put on late last year in the mall parking lot right near the busiest intersection in town. Turnout was HUGE. It reminded me very much of the shows back in the day that we actually exciting to go to. I could feel the excitement as I pulled up to it and really couldn't wait to walk around the cars. The other few SPL shows I went to, I contemplated just driving by.

 

some good points guys, but lets hear what the casual passerby who stops buy one of our shows has to say... hum thats a piece of junk why is that civic here, i sure hope it aint in this CAR SHOW! now he casually looks in the window and sees no interior and something that looks like white wood with a big thingie sticking out of the back of it and a huge, what looks like a speaker out the front. but he really cant tell because the car is closed up tight, then he walks over to the nicer cars and sees the window all tinted and some are closed up as well, but most are open, and he says, wow that is a cool looking deck install, and how did he get those subs in the trunk lid of that car... very nice indeed. i wish my wife was as clean as this car! BRAPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!! what the hell was that.... as he looks over to see a large crowd of people around a red clock..... i must go see whats all that noise...... whats going on here? that car there is seeing how loud it will go......... that car!! with no seats or carpet, or paint.... what the hells the point to that! soooooo my point is that that joe smo, dosent know our industry like we do.. and i have been in this industry long enough to know that to get the uneducated people to like our sport we have to give them a reason... and sorry to offend some of you but junk is junk.... no one wants to see it. thats like going to sbn and seeing grandmas in the bikini contest..... eeuuwwwwww!!! exept morgan fairchild. lets please look at the big picture, if you compete you are doing it for you AND the industry!! your are a representative of what this industry stands for and are sometimes all the non-educated public may ever see of what we do...... so thats one reason i would like just a little more finish on the installs..

 

funny how a guy builds an spl car that hits over 150 and kills most of his local competitors in his class in 3 sanctions...and all non sanctioned show events.....your right .....hitting 153 is too easy....and not hard at all...that is why everyone does it....

i think the point goalie was making was...that it wins in his area...at all major shows in the province....in spl and sq....which hasnt been done....you right...it is a comprimise....but goalie isnt looking to go to finals...nor did he build it for that....no one else has build for spl an sq in a long time....not at the level he has done it at....

he has competed at all sanctions and has won ......in spl and sq....and you gotta admit....chances are...you reading this....havent....

good on ya goalie...

 

I'm def. SPL oriented but I work hard on a clean install and still play music.

 

There was magic back in the day....when you saw a nicely detailed car, customized a little or a lot, and with a killer system in it...that's why I went to shows, bought magazines, and tried to do the same in my car(s). I guess that's why SPL has never interested me, the vehicles used are ones that i can't imagine ever owning. Part of the whole mystique of a killer system was selling a lifestyle. I remember all the ads back in the 80's and 90's actually had photos of a car driving somewhere..along a desert highway, along a coast, with a nice lady next to you...that's what I like to do. For me, nothings better than jumping in the car with my girl and going for a long drive to nowhere and the tunes are playing...loud, or soft it didn't matter...it just had to sound good. Ads today just show a car that's over modified (unrealistic for daily living), and equipment. There's no lifestyle being sold...and that's what attracts the masses!

 

Ah the good ole days.....miss them! Very true statement!

 

so how many think that good looking cars with good looking installations should be a big or required part of the SPL game? It seems counter intuitive that this is a popular concept that would 'bring back the good ol days' and save SPL, especially during an economic down turn. If it is part of SQ in some organizations it makes sense that it should be part of SPL... or is this over thinking?

 

my advise is plan... plan again. and then plan somemore....... building a loud car that has some athetics to it is not that hard.... why not save some money on a 5000 watt amp and buy a 4000 watt amp and recover your seats to match the interior of your car, instead of that $1500 dollar sub, buy one that is just as good but doesent have that bling bling name for 750bucks and put some carpet on that box! does everthing have to be brand new??? no look aroung talk to the reps or the guys holding the show and competitors, hell i got a couple of 800 watt concept amps at home, some matts pro audio 12 doing nothing and i know every serious competitor has used stuff just sitting there as well... just ask and iam sure you will find some smoken deals to start your spl build and keep it at a reasonable price... even talk to the local shops holding these show, ask them if they have any trade in gear or clearence stuff they want to blow out... you would be suprised at how cheap you can get practically new stuff for if you just ask.... the money you save, may be enough for some body work on the car, or some much needed finishing details...

 

I think there should be some criteria or rules on wiring cleanliness, batteries mounted securely, creativity, and maybe a few other things that required it to be finished but not necessary polished like an SQ car might be.

 

I think one of the biggest turn offs is probably the fact that they don't play music...it's supposed to be a car audio system. A 65hz burp is hardly musical. There's nothing really interesting about a metal box (vehicle) making an obnoxious noise really loudly. One of the main reasons most of us even got involved in car audio was the loud MUSIC. I think all of us remember the first time we heard a boom car and realized that loud stereo systems were fun and since most of us were music fanatics, it was easy to see the attraction. SPL cars have little to do with music, in fact they're about as interesting to me as a pressure cooker.