Equipment:
Kenwood KVT-911DVD DVD receiver with 6.5" monitor
(2) Kenwood LZ-601 6.4" monitors
(2) Kenwood LZ-701W 7" monitors
Kenwood KDV-C810 10-disc DVD/CD changer
(3) Polk/MOMO 6-3/4" component systems
(6) Kicker 10" Solo-Baric L7 subwoofers
Kicker SX1250.1 mono subwoofer amplifier
Kicker SX700.4 4-channel amplifier
StreetGlow neon accents
StreetWires interconnects and power wire
Dynamat vibration damping material


Installers:
Chris Caracofe
Eddie Armstrong
Jason Lambert
Matthew Kennedy

This Honda Element has come a long way since it rolled off the factory assembly line in 2002.

The Car:
A distinctive look and supreme functionality has made the Honda Element a big hit with a new generation of drivers. Recently, when NOPI Street Performance Compact magazine decided to deck out a 2002 Honda Element for a feature article, they handed the job over to the talented installers at the Crutchfield store in Harrisonburg, Virginia. A four-man crew, headed by Lead Installer/Operations Manager Chris Caracofe, went to town on the Element, totally transforming the interior into a showcase of fiberglass, neon, and some very cool audio/video equipment. Kenwood donated video screens and a DVD receiver, Polk provided three sets of Polk/MOMO components, and Kicker kicked in with six L7 subs and a pair of new SX amps.

The remodeled dash features the monitor screen from Kenwood's KVT-911DVD receiver. Touchscreen controls allow the driver to make quick system changes.

Chris Caracofe wanted to make the dash installation a little different, with a video screen permanently mounted in the dash instead of the more typical retractable screen. Repair technician Luke Hammond (from Crutchfield's Charlottesville, Va. repair facility) began by separating the Kenwood KVT-911DVD's video monitor from its housing (which contains the DVD player). The crew then shaped a new section of dash (made from MDF, fiberglass, and body filler) to house the monitor, and painted the dash to make the monitor installation seamless. The monitor display offers touchscreen control over all system functions; the KVT-911DVD's hideaway box (containing the AM/FM tuner, TV tuner, built-in amplifier, etc.) is mounted in the rear. All system connections are made through the hideaway box which includes two audio/video inputs, an audio/video output, three sets of preamp outputs, changer port, and antenna jacks.

This photo shows the almost-completed "utility closet," which houses the KVT-911DVD's hideaway box, the StreetWires fuse box, and StreetGlow neon accent.

The finished "utility closet" sports the neon-accented Crutchfield logo and Kenwood's KDV-C810 10-disc DVD/CD changer.

Transforming the interior
The crew stripped the rest of the interior down to the metal, and built a network of five fiberglass pods in the rear to house the amps, speakers, subs, and all other goodies:

• Center Pod: houses the two Kicker amplifiers, two Kenwood LZ-701 monitors, the KDV-C810 10-disc DVD/CD changer, and a fuse box;
• Two Side Pods: each side pod houses three 10" Solo-Baric L7 subwoofers;
• Two Speaker Pods: each speaker pod contain two Polk/MOMO component systems.

Each pod is formed from fiberglass, and then covered with vinyl or paint to match the factory dcor. The resulting arrangement of pods looks so natural, you'd almost think it came that way from the factory.

The "utility closet," located directly behind the front seats in the center pod, contains the KVT-911DVD's hideaway box and the system's fuse box. Its flip-up lid is emblazoned with the Crutchfield logo, illuminated from below by StreetGlow neon. Since the KVT-911DVD's built-in DVD deck was removed for this installation, Kenwood's KDV-C810 10-disc DVD changer, mounted at the front of the center pod, stores all movies and music.