Rump Shaker Enterprises

They call me the Rump Shaker for good reason - my SPL machines are known throughout the competition circuit for their ass-jiggling prowess. Now get down with my latest, a melting pot of Orion-powered ferocity and SQ-styled attention to detail.

My tale and my love affair with creating astronomical amounts of sound pressure is not unlike many SPL stories. I am a 24-year-old engineering student from Akron, Ohio, and I began as an installer hobbyist in high school, rolling a pair of tens in my '95 Sahara. Over time I built bigger, badder vehicles, each system more potent and prolific than the previous. I was earning a rep around the community for my deafening ways when, after a couple ladies sat in one of my rides and related how the massive SPLs rattled their rears, I was dubbed the Rump Shaker.

Lofty aims, true, but fully in line with my hands-on work ethic. Indeed every part of the Astro, with the exception of the actual components, has been either altered or manufactured by myself.

The van was built from the ground up, and everything on it was hand built or fabricated. The only parts you can get from GM are the hood and gas door.

You can really appreciate my DIY approach while examining the cargo area of the Chevy. In it, eight Orion amplifiers supported by milled aluminum racks flow juice to the eight drivers, each running at 1 ohm and pumping 2,500 watts into a single channel. A ninth Orion power plant is tucked out of sight behind one of the side walls, powering the system's three sets of show-only coaxes.

Covering the floor are 40 2,600-amp batteries power the SPL machine from behind 3/8" sheets of Lexan, Fat 4/0 gauge industrial cables handle power and ground chores. Several solid-copper buss bars link the batteries and extend the length of the rear cabin. The entire area is accented by strategically placed tubes of blue neon.

The rear doors also suggest a master craftsman. Outside, I replaced the windows with sculpted, painted fiberglass panels. Set into the panels is an array of digital gauges - 22 total - monitoring voltage and engine performance. Along the lower lip of the left window is one of two Kenwood decks and above that is an AudioControl EQ/line driver.

A second handheld Kenwood receiver plugs into the molded trim via RCA jacks, and spread along the bottom edges of both windows are toggle switches controlling the alternators and "burp" function. Inside, the doors received three pairs of 5 1/4" coaxial speakers molded into the fiberglass panels. One of the panels also conceals an AudioControl electronic crossover.

The Astro's cab looks something like a bank safe, with sheets of machined solid aluminum covering nearly every surface. The aluminum is backed by plenty of steel reinforcement, necessary since the area is essentially a common chamber for eight Orion 15" subwoofers. Each 12"-thick door weighs around 500 lbs. and is kept sealed with 11 toggle clamps. The windows also needed fortification, which I resolved by creating 4-in. billet aluminum braces to keep the molded 40-mm custom glass panes from exploding during competition.

Other features that typically remain unseen include a cache of 16 400 amp custom alternators mounted underneath the van, essential for keeping the batteries at full strength. Additionally, I fashioned a custom 14-channel remote to run the air ride suspension, lighting, gauges, and door pop functions.

It's tough to look at an SPL vehicle and not think it an exercise in excess but this psycho Astro employs equal parts brute force and finesse - a finesse that we don't normally see in a ride that hits over 170dB.