Comprehensive Toyota Prius Upgrades For Lehighton Client

Mobile Edge in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is known for more than just great car audio. An example is the work we recently did for a long-time client from Lehighton who came to us for some 2013 Toyota Prius upgrades as soon as he bought it. We started planning a new audio system right away, but the project grew into something much bigger. After three major steps, the car is pretty close to being done. Here’s how we enhanced this vehicle.

Step 1 – Security And Convenience

The Compustar dash camera enhances the vehicle security.

Although the eventual goal for the vehicle was to have an impressive sound system, the client was also concerned about safety and security. We start by discussing the installation of a Compustar security system. After we demonstrated a few options, the scope expanded to include a Compustar Pro RF-P2W901-SS remote car starter and security system, and a DroneMobile cellular GPS interface. The client knew this would set his budget back a bit in terms of getting the audio system installed, but he loved the idea of always knowing the car was safe and secure, no matter where he was. He added a Compustar CD-3200 dash cam to capture anything that might happen when parked or when driving.

Step 2 – Looking Good!

Bob finishes up the window film installation.

Seat Heaters on the front seats ensure all-weather comfort.

As the seasons changed, so too did the plan for the next step on this Prius project. The client was interested in reducing the temperature inside the vehicle with window tint, but didn’t want to change the look of the vehicle. We installed 3M Crystalline 70 film on the side and rear windows to block UV and IR energy, without dramatically changing the look of the vehicle. Crystalline 70 allows 69% of visible light to enter the vehicle.

While we were working on the 3M tinting, the client was looking at our WeatherTech display. He decided to outfit the car with a full set of FloorLiners for the front and rear seats, and a CargoLiner for the hatch area. The client also picked up an assortment of WeatherTech TechCare cleaning products to keep the vehicle looking clean.

We installed a set of heated seat pads in the front seats of the vehicle. When combined with the remote starter, these will ensure that the interior of the vehicle will be comfortable and warm once the client gets to his car – even on the coldest of winter mornings.

Stage 3 – Sounding Great!

After several years of “other” improvements, it was finally time to upgrade the audio system in the Prius. We were able to accelerate the timeline by selecting an Audison Prima series amplifier instead of a discrete amp and separate processor. The Audison AP5.9 bit is a five-channel amplifier with built-in DSP tuning capability. We used a pair of channels for tweeters, a pair of channels for midrange drivers and the fifth channel for a subwoofer. The speakers are Hertz ML1650 6 1/2 inch and ML280 tweeters.

Front Speakers

The factory speaker was used as a template for making a tweeter mounting ring.

Plastic was used to create the speaker adapters, this ensures they will last as long as the car!

The Hertz tweeter was a perfect fit in the factory location.

We mounted the ML1650 on custom weather-resistant PVC plastic adapters we created at the shop. We treated the ML280 tweeters to the same style of adapters for easy installation and excellent reliability. We applied HushMat sound-deadening to the doors to help keep the vehicle quiet and a set of Speed Rings to help maximize the performance of the speakers.

Bass Upgrade

To make a copy of the side hatch pocket, the area is taped off and fiberglass applied.

Tucked neatly into the passenger side of the hatch area is the custom fiberglass enclosure.

For the subwoofer, we created a molded fiberglass enclosure in the passenger-side corner of the hatch area. We finished the enclosure in color-matching carpet and fabricated a custom speaker grille to protect the subwoofer. We used MDF wood rings and perforated steel mesh to make the one-off grille.

Power By Audison

The Audison amplifier was mounted using a metal mounting plate.

The Audison Prima AP5.9 bit was installed under the seat on a welded steel mounting bracket. The client wanted to be able to adjust the subwoofer level, so we added the Audison DRC to the system. We mounted the DRC in an overhead storage pocket to keep it concealed, but easy to access.

Expert Tuning

The final step in the audio upgrade was to tune the system for maximum sound quality.

We wrapped up the installation with a full system tuning, using our Audison bit Tune and set up two presets – one for the driver-only and one suitable for listening from both front seat locations.

We love long-term projects like this at Mobile Edge. Working with our customers to evolve their upgrades is a lot of fun. New products come to market that offer different solutions and great value. This client loves how his system sounds, and is now considering changing his radio to add CarPlay.

Contact us here for information about upgrades to your vehicle.