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Install Highlight: 1964 Impala Super Sport – Keepin it real!

May 28, 2020

Who doesn’t dream about cruising down the west coast on a warm summer day. Now focus on the car. Is it a classic? Is it a convertible? Is it effortlessly pumping out your favorite tunes with both strength and clarity? For Mike Miller Jr., that dream is a reality when he’s out in his original 1964 convertible Impala Super Sport with enough DD Audio equipment to be completely saturated in sound, flawlessly installed by Livewire Customs in Fairfield CA, and for this month’s Install Highlight, we’re all invited along for the ride.

The crew at Livewire Customs are no strangers to the Install Highlight series and in fact, some of our most popular social media posts of late have focused on the beautiful rides rolling out of their shop with DD Audio equipment. So when Mike needed to upgrade his sound, it’s no surprise that he confidently gave the Livewire team full license to go to work on his gorgeous ‘64.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for pros like these was simply tracking down manufacturer original materials to use in the build. In this case that’s carpet and three different OEM vinyls that haven’t been produced since sometime before The Beatles decided to part ways. With this material in hand, Livewire team members Ben Bolchi and John Gomez could seamlessly traverse and modify the factory original look throughout as needed.

“Some of the specific things about this build were the design elements that we pulled off the vehicle.”

Compare the arch in the trunk with the style and coloring of the dashboard or the woofer housings on the side panels in the trunk to the SS decorated door panels and center console. Consider the careful placement of the kick panels and how they follow the stainless strips or how the custom pressed grills perfectly match the original mesh found encircling the logo in-between the rear seats. This isn’t simply the skill of your ordinary installer whose goal is to provide a nice look. The extra design work done here demonstrates a truly outstanding attention to and appreciation for the ornate details of the 1964 Impala Super Sport.

Collage of pics from the Livewire Customs built 64 Impala - Trunk, Backseat, Front Seat and Exterior. Nicely integrated DD equipment throughout

While the extra effort brilliantly supports the factory aesthetic, the owner will now be able to enjoy sonic precision and power that was unthinkable more than a half century ago when the Impala rolled off the GM assembly line in Detroit. The heart of this ultra modern sound system is in the trunk. There you’ll find two USA Made 12 Inch Hi Def Tuned 2000 Series Subwoofers powered by a single DM1500a monoblock as well as a pair of Pro Audio Coaxials in the form of two VO-W8 Voice Optimized 8 Inch Woofers with two Voice Optimized 25mm Compression Tweeters and two Voice Optimized Aluminum Compression Horns powered by a six channel D6.500 Amplifier which sits perfectly below the DM1500a Monoblock Amplifier. This D6.500 also powers the front-stage where you’ll find four D Class 6×9 Coaxial Speakers and two Voice Optimized 1 Inch Bullet Tweeters. DD Audio’s EA3.1 Sound Deadening mat was used for energy attenuation and the whole system was wired with DD’s Z Wire System. Finally, a DSI-2 was installed, giving the installers a simple interface for tuning the entire system from their PC, tablet or smartphone.

Thanks to Mike Miller Jr. and all the guys at Livewire Customs for sharing this incredible ride and the splendid efforts made to give it True to the Source DD Audio.

DD Audio Equipment:
2x 2012c – Hi Def Tuned 12 Inch 2000 Series USA Made Subwoofers
2x VO-W8b – Voice Optimized 8 Inch Midrange Neo Speakers
2x VO-CT25 – Voice Optimized 25mm Compression Tweeters
2x VO-CTAL – Voice Optimized Aluminum Horns
2x VO-B1a – Voice Optimized 1 Inch Bullet Tweeter
4x DX6x9 – D Class 6 Inch x 9 Inch Coaxial Speakers
1x DM1500 – D Class Monoblock Amplifier
1x D6.500 – D Class 6 Channel Amplifier
DSI-2 – Digital Signal Integrator Processor
EA3.1 – Energy Attenuating Material
Z Wire System – RCA Connectors and Speaker / Power Wire

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