What inspired you to compete. Or makes you want to?

Seen this on another forum, Found it interesting. Lets see what got yall going.

I actually found a hobbie. I love it because I get to meet alot of FEMALES.

Back when moby dick was a minnow we started a shop called progressive audio here in KC that has grown up as LOUD & CLEAR. So I started competition to promote the stores business and it was like a crack addiction that grew. it grew bigger and bigger for 18 years developing into the monster know as Team Loud & Clear! So now I can just enjoy watching the rest of you.

Went to USACi Finals from 96-02 as a spectator. Finally decided I wanted to join in the fun. Wanted to do an SQ class but the classes changed for intro or whatever it was back then and I thought the split was 600 watts instead of 300 watts. So I backed out but competed in the Stock 0-150 class. Placed 9th that year in 2003. Been competing off and on every year since. Moved back to SQ full time last year.

Started installing radios and speakers at the age of 15 for family and friends and got hooked ever since. I started competing at small auto club trophy parties back in 97. Did my own system and won several first prizes. I met Kumar from INFINITI in 06. His black envoy that did a 157 and the way the team was helping each other inspired me a lot and started to compete at USACI competition shows ever since.

Copy and paste FTW


Working at a shop in TN we sold MMats, that year they had a brochure with a couple of vans on it, delapez being one of them. That grabbed my attention then got online and did some searching and found termpro. After going through and seeing vans like Jaime's, Henry's, Hughes, Scottie's, etc I thought it would be badass to get into.

Damn how much money I would have if it werent for that flyer :mad:

I blame it all on hughes now.

A local installer got me into it. He always had large systems. Still to this day I believe he's one of the best installers. I guess that's why I try to make my stuff look "presentable" and not slop everything in there. He always used to pick on me if I did that. lol

I started back in 89 installing my own stereo in my car, then added some house 12's lol, the thing sounded great, then my brother wanted the same set up so I hooked him up, then friends, then I met a guy in 91 that had a mini truck with 2 petra pro 15's and 2 500 watt amps and he gave me a demo, OMG it hurt to sit in that thing, but was the coolest thing I ever see, after 10 years of getting in trouble with the law, I needed something to use up my time to stay out of trouble so in 2003 I went to a show with my SUV with 2 10's and did a 144 and took 3rd place, had a great time, met Mike Jaffe and alot of cool people and seen just how competitive people were as well, after that I was hooked, so in 2005 I started to travel to as far as Vegas just for shows, and made it to finals, didn't do so hot with my 148 but had a great time, 2006 came around got pick up by Team db Driven, I traveled as far as el Paso, TX and was regional point champ for region 9, my wife calls this my crack, and says I can never get enough, I think she my be right, I don't see an end any time soon....

back in middle school my dad traded my neighbor some "spices" for a couple of fosgate twelves and a fosgate 250.2... put that into his olds cierra and that thing thumped... gave me a headache after a 15min drive... ever since ive loved it... done a few local comps with what i have been able to pick up and afford... as soon i get my finances straight and get my full licence back and what not imma start into it even more...

Navi wrote:

I blame it all on hughes now.

One name, Alma Gates.

zacdavis wrote:

One name, Alma Gates.

actually ... thats two names

I have always had something in my car to the tune of subs and speakers ect. I went to finals as a specatator from 2000-2004. In 2005 we (myself and meghan) decided we would like to take a swing at it.

Going in alone we made alot of great people who were more then willing to help us along the way in the very begining. Team Loud and Clear!

We have lots of people who have helped us whenever and whereever they can, Way to many to name. But a few like Terry Burns, Lundy, Jerry Davis and all the NWA crew, Team Budweiser, Team Db Driven, Team Audiohype. ECT ECT ECT ECT ECT I cant name everone who has helped us in one way or another over the last 2 years. But it was a great time.

Im sure we will be back to it soon.

it was to prove whos car was louder in town people that runs local shop always says they had loud cars and had to prove them wrong then feel in love with the sport

Basshead Chapa wrote:

I actually found a hobbie. I love it because I get to meet alot of FEMALES.

you know u do it for the trophies

My craving first came to me in middle school. I used to take a mechanical drawing class and in my spare time I would sketch out various "dream systems" I was only about 13 or 14 so I had no clue about the work involved, I just thought it was pretty cool.

When I got my first vehicle at age 16 I also got my first setup. This was around 92 I guess. Me and another guy in my class got into a kind of competition between ourselves. We both had single cab lowered S-10s. We had shops cram as much stuff into those trucks as possible. His money eventually out did mine. And it didn't help any that the shop that built my system left a loose ground in the truck with an improperly fused power wir. The combination eventually burned my poor little truck down.

At that point I decided I might be better off doing the work myself. With another S-10 in hand I built a system that may have actually done well in SQ competition had I had the balls at the time to take it to a show. Eclipse deck and DSP, Quart components, JL 12w6s, Audio Control crossovers, and the first McIntosh Six-Channel sold. (or so I was told). Sounded great to me but keep in mind I was only about 17 1o 18 at this point in time.

I helped another friend that was good at building and fabrication build his SQ car and even took it to some shows for him. He did pretty well. Especially when I was the one with the car at a show. (I lied and said I was him).

After we did so well with his car at some small time shows I decided to spiff the truck up a little and hit some myself. However it never happened. I totaled the S-10. The big McIntosh amp was kind enough to give me a little "good bye" kiss on the back of my head as it exited the truck via the front winshield.

That was the last S-10 I ever bought and the last attempt at an SQ setup until 2004. I always knew I wanted to get back to it. I told my wife when we got married that I had two major life goals to reach. One was to eventually own or at least work at a Car Stereo shop. The other was to compete and be successful at it no matter how hard it was or how many times I got my butt handed to me. I am proud to say I have achieved both of those goals.

My wife pokes at me because I once told her I would slow down or stop competing all together once my 3rd and final goal was reached. That goal was to become "World Champion". Well that goal was reached so quickly (2nd year competing), that I had to add some amendments to my goals. I told the wife that the win was too easy and I would continue to compete. Now she knows that I will more than likely never quit no matter what I acomplish. She knows there is just another class out there that I haven't won yet. And I will always find somewhere to play. Luckily she supports me in it.

This was the short explanation guys!

This is a good topic!... Keep em coming.

It all started in high school. The upper class were the loudest in the parking lot. By 10th grade I was king on the lot. My reign lasted until I graduated.
That was the beginning on the money eating monster.

I was hooked in highschool had to have the loudest car in school........we had our little competitions by ear in the parking lot after football games and stuff, i kept at it then found out they had competitions close by figured id give it a shot, then the next year Bill and the Street Beatz/SWAT boys approached me and told me to come up and tune the nights before shows, became a SWAT member. Now im addicted

it all started for me back in 04 with 2 audiobann 10 and a american bas 500 watt amp i one my first comp with a 144.5 man did i think i was the poop in 0-300. then i got my pooter kick by a civic so i bought a rex and drove down to college station so that jimbo could help me with a box. then one day i got a email from robert cary asking me if i wanted to be on team texas. i was like hell yeah. i made a lot of friends on here. no what realy suprises me is how we all still have wifes. lol

Well it started at a littel shop in KS when I went to put a system in my new car I had gotten when I enlisted in the Army that same year.(06) I had my enlistment bonus in my pocket and just wanted to be (what I thought was loud) loud. As I sat their waitiing on my car some of the guys that competed showed up and I could hear them comming way before they got to the shop. I just started talking to them and they invited me to roll to a show that weekend. I had an Amereican bass 880 and 2 American bass XO 12s. I went to the show was in third place (138 DB) till the end of the day and the last guy bumped everyone down one place and he took home 1st. So on my way home me and my 12yearold was talking to my wife about it and she said if we both enjoyed it that much that I could change the system a littel and try again. Me and my boy went back to the shop the next week. I did some littel upgrades and and got with them guys for some help and started winning lil shows. Than I was deployed to IRAQ wheir I am currently and now working on a real setup for when I get home. Now I am hooked and hope to be around to maybe win some trophies my kids love to go up and collect them. They have always just been smaller ones but I hope oneday to be abel for them to get one of them big ones.

super stock crx wrote:

Basshead Chapa wrote:

I actually found a hobbie. I love it because I get to meet alot of FEMALES.

you know u do it for the trophies

oh yeah, that also.

That's a good story ktsstratus. Kids can do some wonders.

USACI wrote:

This is a good topic!... Keep em coming.

Yes I agree!

What inspired me to compete? Music.
Who inspired me to compete? I think there are 2 guys that made me take the jump. The first one is Alex Mendoza, his car was the first SQ car I heard and blew my away, and he's always helped me a lot. And the second guy has to be Dave Brooks. Meeting him this year at another organizations finals was a life changing experience to say the least.
I only have one show under my belt, but plan to keep doing this for as long as I can.
See you in the lanes.

I started out because of my love of music and listening to it loud.

My first system when I was 16 in 1980 was in a 76 Dodge Dart Swinger. I had Alpine cassette player with two powered EQ's(Alpine, Yamaha) on 8 speakers(Alpine 5 1/4s, Alpine hex shaped, Yamaha 4"s, and Concord 6x9s). These were my heavy metal days and probably when I did my most hearing damage with the extreme highs/mids.

My next system was in a 86 Mazda B2000, First Alpine pullout cassette deck when it was released, Pyle subs(2-10's & 2-12s) and Orion amps. Had bed cut out with Huge 7th order enclosure for 10's and 12's. This thing would hit mega low. Truck totaled by drunk driver in 1992, so that is when I bought my 92 Mazda B2200. Original system in Mazda was Alpine CD player w/6 disc changer and everything else Orion. Ran Orion 1400DEQ(EQ/Processor), 2-Orion 225HCCA, and 28 speakers(6-1"s, 6-4"s, 4-5 1/4s, 4-6", and 8-XTR12DVC in sealed box using aperidic membranes). I thought the more speakers you had the louder it would be. Kinda funny now that my loudest in the 92 B2200 is with only 6 speakers(2-Image Dynamics compression drivers, 2-USD 6 1/2's, and 2-Memphis QVC Mojo 15's).

First competition was in 1987 where I took 3rd place at local show in Colorado Springs. Met some incredible SQ competitors like Thomas Morant(Moe) and Wayne Watkins. I saw a couple of world champion vehicles that Wayne had built(Tony Mueller, Joe Johnson, and Eric Cano). I then got hooked on competing and winning trophies. My first USAC(Not USACi) Finals was in 94 in Memphis. I did not place, but experience inspired me to do this as a lifetime hobby. Met Richard Clark(Buick Grand National) and Alma Gates.

My enjoyment has now passed onto my kids. My daughter, Naomi(20), competed this past year in her 98 Mustang with Alpine HU, Soundstream amps, and 2 RE-SX10's. She is doing 146db in a trunk car. She enjoys beating guys who think she is not loud with her two little tens. She won 9 trophies this year. It took me three years to win 9 trophies when I started. My son, Alex(14), loves competing and helps out with the Mazda. Many of you see him in the lanes with me. The truck is actually his and I originally built it with intentions of him driving it when he turned 16. Well now we have put so much time and money into so it is only a show vehicle. Our plans now our to build him a CRX or mini truck to drive/compete.

I thank God all the time for my hobby. I've won over 200 trophies, do something I enjoy with my kids, travel all over to shows, and most importantly have met great people(Friends) who enjoy the same pastime.

Started out for me when I first heard and helped my brother with his chevy sprint. Had 4 radio shack 8's and a coustic amp.

We then moved to phoenix and the bug to get louder and louder and have a system of my own jumped. We would cruise the strip at the time and bump the 4-pyle 12's and coustic 190 in a 75 AMC gremlin.Did a best 138 then sealed wall. They then had what the called the JAMZONE. This is where I first saw comps and measuring for db's. Also saw Terminator for the first time and various other outragious systems. Another comes to mind is the Blade van with 36-6.5's off one amp.

After that I began on the gremy with 2-12's and one booster amp. Then turned to a 79 dodge van and used home towers to get the bump. 4-12" towers and then back to 2-12 pyles off the coustic 190.

Since then my bro and I had done various little projects and the bug has been eating me more and more. Since I competed finally for the first time after moving to kansas 5yrs ago. I had a single bolt 12 and profile amp. 138 on the dash then in a ridiculously large box. Over 16 cubes to be exact.

Brother moved here and we built a wall in the van and put 2-12 bazooka subs in and the profile and got it to 150 plus on the ac at 40hz. Since then I have wanted more, but life turns on you and have to wait and wait to do things you really want.

Last year I had the best time and achieved almost my goal, but as said, life throws chit at you and you have to do things you don't want to do. This year will be different I hope and will return with beter equipment and achieve the goals set the year before.

ktsstratus wrote:

Well it started at a littel shop in KS when I went to put a system in my new car I had gotten when I enlisted in the Army that same year.(06) I had my enlistment bonus in my pocket and just wanted to be (what I thought was loud) loud. As I sat their waitiing on my car some of the guys that competed showed up and I could hear them comming way before they got to the shop. I just started talking to them and they invited me to roll to a show that weekend. I had an Amereican bass 880 and 2 American bass XO 12s. I went to the show was in third place (138 DB) till the end of the day and the last guy bumped everyone down one place and he took home 1st. So on my way home me and my 12yearold was talking to my wife about it and she said if we both enjoyed it that much that I could change the system a littel and try again. Me and my boy went back to the shop the next week. I did some littel upgrades and and got with them guys for some help and started winning lil shows. Than I was deployed to IRAQ wheir I am currently and now working on a real setup for when I get home. Now I am hooked and hope to be around to maybe win some trophies my kids love to go up and collect them. They have always just been smaller ones but I hope oneday to be abel for them to get one of them big ones.

that wouldnt of been a show at hb stereo would it ?

i started out in high school with 2-15" pyle drivers and a 200 watt roadmaster or some el cheapo like that. started reading about alma gates and mike jones. i didnt know about competions in my area till much later. fast forward several years i met sanman and angie from a mutal friend and the rest is history.

actualy stratus is talking about my homies shop in junction city midwest audio where he heard me come in that day running 2 l7 12's and a 400.1 on them lol.