Whether you're upgrading a daily driver so that you can feel an intense boom in your trunk, or you're a competitive audiophile creating a sound quality (SQ) system--all audio/video installers need to have certain basic skills and knowledge. There are tools and techniques, tips and tricks, and basic rules of engineering and safety that must be learned and followed.

In the world of mobile electronics, you must have an understanding of electronics, woodworking, metal fabrication, fiberglass, sewing, drawing, and design and engineering. So what do you do if you're not a maverick supersonic that naturally has all of this knowledge? My advice is to read this book.

Car audio and electronics is a passion of mine. I started drawing my own concept cars at the age of 5 and have kept on sketching ever since. I built my first show car at the age of 15. I remember the smell of the fiberglass and the tingle of sawdust in my eyes--and I was hooked. My best memory is the first time I stayed up five straight days and nights to finish my first car show project. I was exhausted, hungry, and frazzled. But when I turned the key in the ignition and sound poured through my speakers, I was rewarded a hundred times over. It's the best feeling in the world to work hard at something, see it through to the end, and then reap the rewards of a job well done.

When I first started to learn about car audio and installation, I was like a leech to anyone who had more knowledge than me. I wanted to suck all of that information out of their head, and then turn around and figure out how to improve my talents utilizing some of their skills. What I didn't have was a guidebook or some sort of reference to help me through the challenges when no one else knew how to solve the problems. This is why I wanted to write this book--to give someone else out there the benefit of learning from my successes and the ability to avoid my failures. All of the content in this book comes from my own real-life experiences: problems that I solved, mistakes that I made, and victories that I won.

This book is designed for anyone at any level of expertise. If you're new to audio engineering, you can use this book to work on a car project from start to finish. But if you're a seasoned professional, use this book as a reference tool to help you work faster and more efficiently at your trade.

What's important to remember is that mobile electronics can be hard work. It's not a hobby you can pick up overnight, and it's not a craft you can be careless about. It takes careful planning, attention to detail, and commitment to see a project through to the end. Rest assured that the unexpected will always happen, things will inevitably take longer than expected, and you will have frustrating failures. But at the end of the day, when you've worked hard and overcome the challenges, you will be left with a vehicle that sounds amazing and work that you can be proud of doing.

So if you love the smell of fiberglass resin in your hair and enjoy listening to the purr of a 20-gallon air compressor--then I hope you enjoy reading this book just a little bit too. I certainly enjoyed writing it.