The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV was one of the most eagerly anticipated SUV releases in recent history. The ESV is spacious, powerful and elegant from the factory, but most owners will choose to add their own touches to personalize this truck, just as they did with the old one. 

Ryan Friedlinghaus, owner of West Coast Customs in Corona, California, wanted to personalize his own Escalade ESV, but he wanted to do it in a stealthy and subdued sort of way so that he could then offer the WCC package to other Escalade owners.

Friedlinghaus succeeded, as he and his WCC crew built a truck that adds elegance to the Cadillac style without going over the top. It is hard not to notice the huge chrome 26-inch Lexani Roma II wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero 305/30R26 tires that seem to fit the big, black SUV. Friedlinghaus chose to retain the factory Cadillac four-wheel disc brake system, since it does a good job of stopping the ESV. The only other noticeable changes on the exterior are the blacked-out window tint, smoked taillight lenses and the polished stainless steel Gibson exhaust tip. 

Under the hood, the Escalade is mostly stock, with the simple additions of dual SVR audio series dry-cell batteries to provide the audio/video system with plenty of current. The 403hp Vortec 6.2-liter V-8 is enhanced by a Gibson 3-inch-diameter after-cat exhaust system, and all that power is channeled to the Pirellis courtesy of the awesome Hydra-Matic 6L80 heavy-duty six-speed tap-shift automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel-drive system.

Inside, the monochrome creamy beige leather interior was augmented by a deep brown basketweave suede headliner and factory matched brown perforated leather on the seats and the door panels. It almost looks like a factory option, with embroidered WCC and Cadillac crest logos on the headrests and floor mats. Factory matching wood trim was also strategically used to maintain the factory look and feel. You’ll find more than new upholstery; WCC audio/video fabricators Sam Murillo and Chad Utt installed a stealthy multimedia system, which includes five video monitors in addition to a six-disc CD changer and a navigation system. Utt and Murillo did such a good job of integrating the Alpine TME-M770S 6.5-inch touch-screen monitor and DVE-5207 DVD player into the dash that it looks as though Cadillac and Alpine collaborated on the design. In fact, the Alpine VPA-B222 Vehicle Hub Pro controller mounted on the top of the center armrest looks suspiciously like a Cadillac version of an I-Drive controller. 

To assist the driver and make sure he doesn’t get lost, the team also installed the Alpine NVE-N852A DVD/navigation unit and tied it into the other Alpine units. The passenger’s side of the center console is home to the Alpine CHA-S634 CD changer that rounds out the ESV’s multimedia source units. To integrate the factory steering wheel audio controls with the Alpine components, the team used a PAC steering wheel interface adapter that translates the signals from the factory controls to the aftermarket system.

Audio signals from the Alpine units are fed to a pair of hidden PrecisionPower amplifiers—yes, the amps are completely hidden from view in a recessed chamber below the cargo floor. The metal chamber is welded into the cargo floor so that the amps sit below the carpet for the ultimate stealth look. To keep the amplifiers cool Utt tapped into the rear air conditioning ducts to circulate air around them.

A PrecisionPower A600/4 four-channel amplifier drives the front and rear door speakers while a D2000/1 mono amplifier powers the subs. The ESV’s front doors house the 6.5-inch midbass drivers from a PrecisionPower PC650S component system, while the tweeters are mounted in the factory A-pillar location. In the rear, the doors hold both the midbass and tweeter for the PC650S component system. Three 10-inch West Coast Customs 104S subwoofers give the large SUV its thump. The subs are installed in a custom-molded enclosure on the driver’s side of the cargo area. The enclosure is integrated into the factory trim panel and features high-gloss wood trim on the face.

Video signals from the Alpine units can be directed to one of the remaining four video monitors; the front seats use SAVV headrests with 10.4-inch LCD monitors and a pair of 12-inch OHV-1202 Directed Electronics flip-down monitors are installed in the headliner. The second-row passengers get the bulk of the eye candy, with both headrest monitors and one of the overhead monitors, while third-row passengers have only a single dedicated 12-inch monitor. Since this Escalade is a daily driver, Friedlinghaus wanted to make sure it would be secure, so he installed a Viper 791XV security system with remote start and two-way LCD remote. 

Compared to many cars and trucks that roll out of West Coast Customs, this one is rather sedate, but upon a closer look (or listen) you can tell this is the real deal, with a more civilized manner—just the way Friedlinghaus wanted.