SpeakerWorks - 1986 Buick Grand National - 1989 CA&E

[imjustjason]

Pitre, Joe "Installations - Buick Grand National." Car Audio & Electronics April 1989: 34-37.

[Euphonic]

This is a car I wish I would have a chance to listen to because I have always questioned how it could sound very good with that speaker layout.

[Hic]

coupla quotes

I used to own a car stereo shop back in the late 80's/early 90's and competed in the pro class in shows all over the south.
One show in the summer of 90 i was fortunate enough to get a personal 15 minute demo from Richard Clark in the car and was just simply blown away. I don't think i spoke for an hour after the demo--my wife asked me what was wrong. I just told her i didn't know how to describe what i just heard. I thought at the time i was pretty skilled at car audio--i found out i didn't know squat!! HAHA


Thanks for the great memory.

#14 ghall, May 25, 2011

I was big time into car audio back in the 80's and that was THE system in THE car to beat! The car was awesome when Speakerworks first came out with it but Richard Clark took it to an even higher standard that was just completely off the charts. I always liked the fact that it wasn't a flashy system - very stealth. I believe it is the only car that has retired from the pro division of sound off competition undefeated. I'd be willing to bet he could drag it out of retirement in the same configuration from 20years ago and still kick butt. I would love to get to actually see/hear that car some day.

#11 Bent6, May 24, 2011

[pocket5s]

Not that it matters a ton, but RC made several changes to the car after he got it. He added a servo setup of the subs and time alignment to name two.

The article mentions a 4" and tweeter. If they did have that, it was before they put horns in it and rc upgraded those horns with custom diaphram altec drivers, which can be see in a later article.

I got to hear it in 91 at finals in OKC. Sadly I didn't know squat about sound back then :/

[bigbubba]

This is the other article after RC got the car. I loved this car and read the article everyday for months. Never got the pleasure of hearing it.

http://www.caraudiojunkies.com/showt...=Richard+Clark

I had heard that after it was retired that he changed out the Alpine amps for Kenwood's and some other things and it never sounded very good after that then it was never seen again. Not sure how true any of this is though, just what I heard.

[pocket5s]

That's what I heard as well. He does still have the car I believe but the audio isn't in it or isn't functioning. Mark E. Said that in the early 2k period he and Richard we're going to rebuild the car and bring it back out but it never happened. Didn't say why..

[Hic]

Back - in - the - day.

[Euphonic]

Fixed

[Baqi9]

I got the opportunity to sit in that masterpiece and listen to the system back in 1989 at a competition in Columbus Ga. To this day, I’ve NEVER heard a system come close to that one. No matter where I put my head, the sound appeared to be playing like I had on earphones….but earphones from the future because there’s just no way I should’ve been able to clearly hear each instrument and the crispness of the voices no what. The volume brought NO distortion whatsoever, it was just amazing and a fight to get out of the car.

[ckirocz28]

Those exterior graphics just ruin the looks of that car.