A CURE FOR THE DASH-BORED; SUPER-MODIFIED, $100,000 SUVS AIM TO KEEP PASSENGERS ENTERTAINED.

Byline: Phil Davis Staff Writer

John Wagner loves his daughters, but even the loveliest child's voice can be a touch aggravating as it tirelessly chimes ``Are we there yet?''

Wagner's solution: He made his 1995 GMC Suburban into a living room on wheels.

The Camarillo health-care executive's sport utility vehicle is customized far beyond the cell phones, picnic tables and chilled cup holders that are common in today's oversized family cars. His Suburban has all the standard amenities plus $18,000 worth of luxury accessories, two high-tech liquid crystal display screens in the back of the driver and passenger seat headrests, a TV tuner, a VCR and a Nintendo game console with wireless remotes.

Now Elizabeth, 12, and Olivia, 8, can jam to the Backstreet Boys or duke it out in a Nintendo hockey game while dad battles gridlock on the 101.

``It's been a joy of a vehicle and environment to drive around in because it really does occupy your kids,'' Wagner said. ``It relieves stress because you don't have the constant questioning - `Dad, are we there yet?' and `Where's the next bathroom?' They're constantly engrossed. It makes the trip a lot more tolerable, whether you're in traffic or on a long haul.''

A portable television in a van is nothing new, but the development of compact electronics and LCD screens that fit in sun visors and headrests made the concept a lot more attractive. Couple that with studies that show Americans - especially moms - are spending more time than ever in cars, and it's not surprising people are taking everything but the kitchen sink on road trips.

Car salespeople say customers are clamoring for aftermarket accessories, but the gear isn't for everyone. Michigan-based Visteon's rear-seat entertainment system with a 6.4-inch LCD screen, VCR and Nintendo 64 game system, corners the low end of the market at $1,499. The cost increases exponentially from there.

Actor Will Smith quadrupled the cost of his standard Suburban with a $120,000 overhaul that includes top-of-the-line video and sound and a Mercedes-Benz-style interior, in addition to fat tires, a supercharged engine and racing brakes.

``Will bought a Bentley a couple of months before we finished his Suburban, but his reaction and his wife's reaction when we brought the Suburban to them was: `Why did we buy the Bentley?''' said Howard Becker, a pioneer in the field of customizing SUVs and minivans for upscale clients.

Becker Automotive Design in Los Angeles is packed with leviathan vehicles waiting to be loaded with the latest in luxury and high-tech accessories, from fax machines to refrigerators - even bulletproof armor.

``It's a whole different cultural experience when you do something like this,'' Becker said. ``Who isn't bored and a little bit seasick in the back seat? Before this, it was always `Are we there yet?' So it's not like we're spoiling the kids - what we're doing is spoiling the driver.''

Most of his customers are looking for a blend of American-style roominess and European luxury - pretentious on the inside, everyman on the outside.

``Even though it's an American truck, (the person) who's in it knows what `right' should feel and smell and work like because they've been in European luxury cars,'' Becker said.

Westlake Village mom Dawn Nelson loved driving her Jaguar, but the reality of hauling four daughters all over Ventura County rendered the car obsolete.

She bought a $43,000 Suburban and paid Becker another $50,000 to essentially convert it into a massive Mercedes. Most of her money went into a sleek black exterior, beefed-up suspension, powerful race-car brakes, noise-deadening insulation, luxury seats, suede headlining and Mercedes-Benz carpeting.

``It's fabulous. This is exactly the car I want,'' Nelson said. ``I went for more the luxury than the TV and game stuff. But I do find that my kids fight about what's playing on the radio, so I got them their own CD players back there, so if they want to listen to their own thing, I don't have to hear it.''

The girls - Kylie, 12; Ali, 10; Taylor, 7; and Hayley, 5 - share two stereos, while mom gets her own in the front seat. Nelson said she left out the video and game systems because she feared it would end the quality conversations she has with her girls while driving up to three hours a day on various errands.

``I want them to talk to me, to tell me what happened at school, not go, `Oh good, my game.' '' Nelson said. ``I hate to say I think other people make a bad decision by getting that, because it seems really great. But I do think sometimes people are like, `Oh thank God, watch the movie. Leave me alone.' ''

Psychiatrists say her concern is warranted. Dr. Tom Hicklin, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Southern California, and Dr. Susan Chung, a child psychiatrist who works with Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in the San Fernando Valley, agree that the high-tech intrusion has the potential to subvert important conversations.

``All of the important things between children and parents are discussed in the car,'' Chung said. ``Because we are losing so much time between parents and children, this is the only time we can still use for a one-to-one talk. It's a way to have more exclusive attention to each other without disruptions.''

``Built-in baby sitters,'' chuckles Hicklin. ``It's an electronic age, and we have to find some kind of happy medium. Somebody has to set limits on it so that children might still be prone to look out the window and see where they're at.''

On the other hand, the psychiatrists say the technology has value as a way to ease boredom on long trips and to serve as a transition to relax a child after a stressful day at school. The key is to use it judiciously.

``These electronic devices won't interfere with (communication) if they're used in moderation,'' Hicklin said.

Wagner said he often slips nature videos into his daughter's mobile viewing lineup. And Becker said the expensive accessories bring his family together in a comfortable, stress-free environment. There are no arguments about who gets the most comfortable seats, what's on the stereo, or even what to watch on TV, because the vehicle is wired to give everyone a choice.

``We're all in the same living room,'' he said. ``Even if I can't watch the movie, I can enjoy the soundtrack and laugh at the jokes. I can hold my wife's hand. A drive to San Diego is delightful. We can be social and be entertained individually to all of our tastes when we want to be.''

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4 Photos

PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) GRAND HEFT AUTO

New gadgets turn family car into living room on wheels.

(2--3) Above, customizer Howard Becker shows off an SUV that his company has equipped with a ceiling-mounted video screen, VCR, CD changer and new seats and carpeting. Above left, it also features dual back massagers and a CB radio.

(4) The video system in this Dodge Durango is operated by remote control.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer