Folks have actually been coming by the shop to see this truck, some have told me they didn't believe this web page and wanted to see for themselves if all this stuff was really going in this truck. Don't believe it? Come by and take a look!

If you want to see a map of where the famous suburban is located at all times day or night try this link http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?NU5K  ... Usually it is here at the shop, but sometimes you can see where I am driving to.  pretty neato!

After selling the Hummer I needed something to drive. My wife and I decided on a 3/4 ton Suburban with the 454 engine so we could tow the Unimog around.

We were going to get a red one but there are two other red ones in our neighborhood so we decided to get a black one instead.   Black does kind of have that "official" look.

Now we need protection when we drive it!  Since this 290horsepower truck will go a tad faster than the Hummer did, I better put some protection in here against police radar! K40 makes the very best stuff available if you can afford it. Here are pictures of the boxes for the undetectable front and rear radar detectors and the K40 laser diffuser plus. With this setup I can detect ALL bands of radar currently in use in the USA plus LASER and it is also a laser jammer. We sell this package installed in most cars for $1400.  But it is quite a step up from the standard cheap ass escort or Valentine radar detector like most folks have.

The K40 undetectable radar builds right in the truck so it is truly undetectable. The receivers mount in the front grill and also in the back of the truck, the indicators and noise makers build right into the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster is removed and the stuff is built in by a skilled installer (me)...  You can see the holes I drilled for the small LED indicators.

The new communications console in the Suburban isn't quite done yet but the gear is all mounted and working and so many folks wanted to see its progress I decided to go ahead and post some pictures..

Click on picture for larger view

In this picture we will start at the top!  1) the Garmin color street pilot GPS unit which is interfaced to a ham radio as well as a vehicle location device! Click here to see a map where the Suburban is right now, even tells the direction and speed!   2) The color monitor is hooked up to a color backup camera which is mounted on the roof in the rear of the truck, this monitor can also display a front view (both can be recorded just like the cop cars), and of course we can watch videos, TV and so on in this monitor as well. 3) The newest Uniden Bearcat BC-780XLT scanner, this thing can receive darned near everything! Cops, Ambulance, fire, frs, the trash man, you name it. 4) Another BC-780, I like to listen to everything that goes on around me, I have strategically located 6 small communications speakers to help me tell which radio is squaking, the different radios send sound at me from 6 different directions to eliminate the confusion. 5) Icom 706 MKII G, ham radio.. This radio can talk almost anywhere in the world while I am driving! It covers all the HF worldband frequencies and lets me listen to the BBC, and all the worldwide channels as well as letting me TALK all over the place... It is a good emergency radio as well covering all the world band emergency channels, including marine and aircraft. 6) CB radio.. still got to get info from the truckers while we travel.

Ya think I got so much radio equipment that I cant find enough different folks to listen to??  Not with this device! This device is the Explorer made by Optoelectronics. It aint cheap but it is a radio transmitter detector...!!  It can instantly seep the radio spectrum (about 2 seconds) and display any radio frequency that is being used near me or my truck!  It can detect (and listen to) cops talking on their radios, it can detect someone in the next car using almost any type of radio gear,it can detect the mall security guards radios when I drive through the mall parking lot,  it can even detect bugs! In fact these devices are commonly used to sweep rooms for bugging devices..  But in the quest for the ultimate installation I had to have one... ;-)

Color backup camera mounted above the brake light on the top of the suburban

And I used a board camera for the front view. 

 The two cameras can be switched to the recorder. Just like the police cameras you see on TV. 

Also have a Hi FI VCR. I decided on the NEW Jensen HI FI VCR. I built it into the custom console. Yes it will record, I can record anything from the cameras or from other sources. the Hi Fi will also be run through the stereo system.  The cameras and recorders will also be tied into the security system and activated with proximity sensors. So if someone messes with the truck hopefully I will have their picture! 

I have acquired a 24hour time lapse 12 volt recorder also, but haven't decided if I want it in the vehicle yet.  I might make it removable, this way if I need to park the Suburban and point a camera out the window for surveillance of something or someone I can install the 24 hour recorder temporarily. This is very effective way to stake out a parking lot where auto theft is common. Its easy to catch the bad guys on tape.. 

Also, hookups for the 8mm camcorder, unfortunately my night vision scope doesn't have video outputs, but it is part of the GEAR I keep handy along with flashlights and binoculars.

I have two LCD monitors in the truck, my wife can watch her soap operas while were traveling and I can watch the navigation screens or listen to the radio/CD... She has her own private set of head phones.

  GPS, this will also hook into the notebook computer so we can use the Delorme navagation software (if we want to it would be the THIRD nav system)  . The notebook computer also has a built in soundcard and can pipe MP3s right into the audio system. 

ALSO the Philips CARIN 522 Navagation System is really neato!
I have had this in the Suburban for quite a while now and it is my favorite toy!

 

I installed this into the truck thinking I wouldn't like it much but I first installed it temporarily so that I could learn how to use it. I was amazed! I love the thing!  I ran an extra wire to the screen so that I can also use the screen with the TV, VCR, and the cameras on the truck. This unit is made by the same folks that make the ones for Landrover and BMW but this one has a bigger screen and a kinky remote control. This system can find the closest gas stations, restaurants (every Hooters is at your fingertips! Or for someone like me it makes it easy to keep up my figure, find the closest Dairy Queen in seconds!), airports and more. It can instantly plot a route and direct you by VOICE, onscreen arrows and very detailed onscreen maps to EXACTLY where you wanna go! It is so accurate it even knows the freeway entrances and exits almost to the foot! It has a sexy female voice that warns that a turn is approaching and even tells you when to turn. And the maps are super detailed! I love it!  

Latest Car Stereo news in the Suburban...

I seem to change the car stereo and play with different things in it on an almost weekly basis.

The lastest cool thing is the new XM Satellite radio!  That kicks ass!
It has been a long time since I have really enjoyed something so cool as the XM radio.

there is about 100 digital channels that include several comedy channels (listening to the old Marx brothers cracks me up, as well as Rodney Dangerfield)... There are many channels for rock, country, classical, Urban, as well as CNN, the weather channel, a whole bunch of weird stuff and talk shows, and a 40's channel, a 50's channel, a 60's channel, a 70's channel, and 80's channel and a 90's channel! Wow there is so much to listen to... EVEN A NASCAR CHANNEL! 

I have also done up the back with 2 Memphis 15s for bass,  2 Emenence 15s for mid range, and two HUGE Community horns for highs, this system is an experement on trying to make the sound as real sounding as a real live band...  Very dynamic and pretty close so far...

The audio system also has a nice set of Memphis speakers in the suburans front doors. And I am powering it all with the big Memphis Bell amplifier (5 channel)!

This is a Federal PA-300 Police siren...  It has a VERY LOUD PA!

also an electronic horn....

This is the Speaker for the PA-300, and the strobe lights that will mount into the factory light housings.

I have painted three of these police fin antennas black to match the truck. They will be installed on the roof so all the radios can receive stuff.  Since I installed the three fin antennas folks don't know what to think about the big black suburban with the dark tinted windows...  

MORE will come as I get it photographed and as I do the work!