Let me start off by saying I am happy with my current setup, but this might be too good to pass up. Current setup below:

Pioneer Avic Z-1 Head unit
Phoenix Gold OCTANE-R 8.0:4 amp
Memphis Audio 16-MCA300 for Subs
2 10 inch Memphis Audio Subs M1's in a JL Audio Stealthbox
Phoenix Gold components in front Co axials in the rear

I have already upgraded the following:
Clarion head unit to the Z-1.
Replaced the JL 10W3 v2 subs with the Memphis audio Subs
Replaced a phoenix gold amp with the Memphis amp (wasnt enough power!, ordering the wrong amp from jump was my fault.
Eventually I will replace the front and rear speakers with Memphis audio or CDT or Focal but for now they are fine.

Here's my boggle, Phoenix Gold USED to be my company of choice for amps but I believe they were bought out by another company, blah blah, needless to say their amps just arent what they used to be (hence the need to preplace some of the components already)

That being said, a long time ago when they were in my opinion the defacto standard for serious power, they made an amplifier called the Frank Amp'n Stein. They only made 300 of these amplifiers. They were basically a combination of two of their competition amplifiers bonded together in a custom heatsink. The package came from Phoenix Gold in a crate filled with straw and in a burlap body bag. Also included was a signal processor done in the same custom finish as the amp.

The custom heatsink was a dark purple with metallic flakes droped in. The amplifier was designed to be mounted upside down so you could look through the plastic cover and see the insternals(plastic cover with fans set in).

I actually talked my friend into buying one of these monster amplifiers and I recently learned he still has it and removed it from his vehicle 6 months after he purchased it (whimp). He has offered to sell me the unit for what he paid for the unit back in the day.

Do I pick up this unit? just because it was a limited edition amplifier release in 1992. He has offered it to me for less than he paid for it in 92 since he doesnt want to be bothered with eBay.

Heres the stats for the amp in two parts since the amp is a combination of two amps:
MQ430 SPECIFICATIONS:
Into 4 ohms @ 12.5/14.4 VDC
30/50 WRMS x 4
Into 2 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
90 WRMS x 4
Bridged into 4 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
100 WRMS x 2

MS2125 SPECIFICATIONS:
Into 4 ohms @ 12.5/14.4 VDC
125/160 WRMS x 2
Into 2 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
255 WRMS x 2
Bridged into 4 ohms @ 14.4 VDC
510 WRMS x 1
Case Dimensions
25.5"L x 11.4"W x 2.4"H
Dimensions with Flanges
and Terminal Blocks
26.5"L x 11.4"W x 2.4"H

Here are some pics I was able to scrap up from the web (not my pics)


and



Any input? (looking forward to Wicked CAS response)

 

the frankamstein is a great amp, like many of the older phoenix amps, BUT, in my experience, over the years, you are running the chance of having it blow up on you and fail...i have seen dozens and dozens of old school phoenix MS series, and a few old school special edition amps like the route 66 etc etc...

your situation is say this amp goes in the near future, where are you going to send it to fix it? phoenix might or they may not since it out of production for so long...etc...

so my personal opinion would be to pass, if you are dead set on a phoenix special edition amp, i would say look at the octane or the other big one, cant remember the name, like reactor or something, basically a titanium 4 channel and mono block rolled into one...

i think there are plenty of 5 channels out there currently that are just as good as the frankampstein if not better, and much better in the reliablity department...

so if you want a piece of historical memerabilia (SP), go for it, if you want a good reliable piece of mind, i would stay away from it...

 

Sound advice sir thank you, I might just have to liberate the amp from my buddy and put it up on eBay.