My 04 Thunder Grey SQ Competition Ralliart
 

Hey guys,

I've been lurking this forum for a long time now any time I needed some info about my car. This place has been great so I figured I'd post some pictures of my car. It just recently won the modified sound quality class at the MECA world finals in Nashville, so the vast majority of the mods are stereo related.

First, the car. Exterior mods include carbon fiber eyelids, red painted brake calipers, carbon fiber shorty antenna, 35% tint, and exhaust tip. (Taking recommendations for further subtle, classy exterior mods!)

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1745.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/M1280007.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/ralliart.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1833.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1743.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1724.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1733.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1711.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...014_202412.jpg

:)







That's all for exterior / cosmetic stuff.

Nothing much as far as performance mods goes. Here's the engine bay all cleaned up:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1691.jpg

Also, I'm considering having the valve cover powder coated red. Here's a photoshopped version. Thoughts?

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/redvalve.jpg

Current battery with terminals for stereo stuff:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...922_103552.jpg

Example of 1/0ga upgraded ground wires in the engine bay. I know this doesn't count as a performance mod - it's just for the stereo.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...922_103616.jpg

Original shocks/springs reached the end of their life, so all 4 corners got an upgrade from RRM in the form of KYB shocks, Progress lowering springs, and Progress rear sway bar.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1825.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1824.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1828.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1820.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1830.jpg

Interior mods:

Other than stereo, I refinished the dash trim with graphite carbon fiber:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1083.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1085.jpg

Some carbon fiber vinyl on the key fob too cause I had some extra...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1073.jpg

Brushed aluminum shift knob, and painted the ring around the shifter aluminum to match. Carbon fiber at the base of the knob as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1070.jpg

In addition to above mentioned stuff, you can also see the steering wheel cover with red stitching in this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g/DSCN1092.jpg

New floor mats too:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1726.jpg




That's it for interior, non audio mods.

Now for the audio stuff. As I said in the first post, I compete in the modified class of the Mobile Electronics Competition Association Sound Quality League, and all of the mods here conform to the rules of that class.

To start things off, an Alpine CDA-9887 head unit is mounted in the factory location. It simply plays CD's and iPods, and provides a full range output signal.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...1-05122417.jpg

These are my main front speakers: Audible Physics Arian 6.5” midbass speaker mounted in the front doors, and Nz3A 3” wideband midrange speaker mounted in custom modified A-pillars. Each wire from the speakers (as well as every wire in the car pertaining to the stereo) is covered in TechFlex and terminated with quick disconnect fittings and heat shrink tubing. The wires are soldered directly to the speaker terminals.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/SAM_0421.jpg

Two of these tiny air motion transducers supplement the very highest frequencies in the audible spectrum. Each is about the size of your thumbnail.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/SAM_0314.jpg

Here is the 3” midrange speaker in the A-pillar, wrapped with interior matching black vinyl, and the small high frequency speaker mounted in the sail panel.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...823_193952.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/SAM_0340.jpg

Midbasses were mounted to a 1/2" MDF baffle in the doors which have been fully sound deadened with CLD mat and MLV. A deflex pad is mounted directly behind the speaker to break help break up rear waves.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/SAM_0449.jpg

Also mounted up front in the passenger footwell is a Dayton HO 10” subwoofer to help keep the bass sound up front in the car, rather than sound like it’s coming from the back like in so many other cars. It’s in a custom fiberglass enclosure of about .45 cubic feet. A grill keeps it protected from feet and out of sight.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2519.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...1-05115400.jpg

A small Arc Audio KS300.2 amplifier under the front passenger seat powers it.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...1-05115122.jpg

On to the trunk. Here it is in normal 'stealth' mode. Floor looks stock, and you see a wall with the Ralliart logo.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2666.jpg

Remove the carpet and you see an additional cutout with the Mitsubishi logo.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2668.jpg

Remove the panels, and here’s what you see. Behind the Ralliart grille, two Acoustic Elegance IB15 subwoofers on a 1.5” thick baffle. In the floor, two Mosconi One 120.4 four channel amplifiers flanking a custom painted Clarion DPX11551 mono amplifier. The ring around the subs and the panel around the amplifiers is trimmed with a contrasting silver carbon fiber vinyl.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2677.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2678.jpg

Between the carpet and carbon fiber trim is also a layer of ½” plexiglass cut to exactly the same shape. It has been frosted over and an RGB LED lighting strip has been affixed to the outside edge to diffuse light through. So it the dark, it looks like this:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2680.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2686.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2689.jpg

It can produce dozens of colors, but red, white, and blue are my favorites.

Beneath the small right side panel, a Mosconi 6to8 digital signal processor does all of the equalization, time correction, level matching, and other tuning functions necessary to produce the best sound possible.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2702.jpg

Beneath the left side panel is the power distribution block and the LED control module.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN2699.jpg




That's it. I did 95% of the work shown here myself and have hundreds more higher resolution pictures, so if you’d like to know how I did something, feel free to ask. Otherwise, hope you enjoyed it.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

HOLY ****!!! that is some serious sound equipment...please tell me you have at least two 3.5mm or 1/4" patch cord inputs...:D

those speakers are ****ing ridiculous...you sure as hell deserved to win with all the work and money you put into it, but now you need a turbo to lug all that extra weight around :p

wow...seriously...love the trim in the trunk, looks super clean...

Haha thanks man. The DSP has 6 more channels of input, so I could add other sources if I wanted. 1/4" jack so my old high school buddies could plug in a guitar would be kinda neat. Haven't seen that in many cars.

No doubt there's been some extra weight added, but it might not be as much as you think. The 15's in the back only weigh 17lbs each, and the fact that they are infinite baffle without an enclosure saves a lot of space and weight. I'd certainly like to do a turbo upgrade. Maybe once the warranty is gone. At this point, it's been great and reliable for me. It's got barely over 60k miles.

that's what i was getting at...with all that kit it probably would sound as good as a tube amp...
Oh, wow...that's why it's so clean too...very nice car man, and welcome to the board. I'd blow your doors off at on the 1/4 mile, but mine is dirty, beat up and get's abused regularly...lol, and you have basically the same suspension setup as well, so she handles good, that's more importnat than speed...

Holy crap... Thats amazing. You have done some amazing work on your car. Im in love! :D

I though my tiny enclosed sub sounded good in my car you put anything Ive seen in person in a Mitsu to shame. haha

Car looks great. Suspension looks solid as well. Good (professional looking) work! Keep it up man you have an awesome RA as it is! {thumbup}

That is SICK!! I am coming to buy the Ralliart trunk cover from you. No, but seriously...that system is DOPE. I'm assuming nobody has ever sat in the backseat and lived to tell about it. :lol: Great job and way to be unique! Welcome, even though you actually joined 4 years ago :mitsu:

EDIT: As far as exterior mod reccomendations, if you want to continue the CF theme you could get the gas cover and rear license plate panel from carbonbydesign.com and wrap your front and rear mitsu emblems in CF vinyl and maybe tinited sidemakers and tails I think that would still be subtle. CF side mirrors might be pushing it though.

Thanks guys, glad you like it.

As far as other exterior mods, idk about more carbon fiber. I like it in the interior. Admittedly the only reason why the eyelids are CF is because I had some extra after doing some other pieces and wanted to see how it looked. Ideally, I'd like to get some color matched to the body. I've been slightly hesitant though. They look good in pictures, but I've never seen them in real life. I'd be worried they'd look too thick so the transfer between the headlight and the fender wouldn't be smooth.

Does anybody have a picture of a grey RA with the DEPO black or tinted tails? I've been through the whole thunder grey picture thread and there were very few if any. I'd like to see more before spending the money on that. My gf has been trying to convince me to just use a tint film or spray.



Also, if any of you guys are looking to get into audio, I have this subwoofer enclosure leftover from my previous install. It's built for a pair of Dayton HO 10's. .7 cubic feet each tuned to 29Hz. It was designed to save the max amount of trunk space possible, so it goes all the way across the trunk and is very shallow.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1595.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1247.jpg

This was the whole old install

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCN1633.jpg

Classy and beautiful. Love it all.

That's a awesome setup man, good job.

Hey I was just looking this over again. I was wondering if you did anything with the speakers in the rear deck. Did you replace them? Leave the stock ones? Or possibly gut them?

There are no speakers in the rear deck. The holes are covered with MDF. Since the rear subs are infinite baffle, all areas between the trunk and cabin must be closed off to seal the front wave from the back wave of the subs so there are no cancellations.

Very nice car man :D How many competitions have you won, an what class etc.?

To bad it took you so long to come out and show it off though. I hope other long time lurkers are more willing to post up and be be seen now.

Very nice car dude! Insane audio set-up, very clean.

I compete in the modified SQ class. I've won 5-7 shows. This was my first real season competing.

And yes, I've been a lurker here for a while, but the car definitely hasn't been this modded the whole time. The current install that I posted was just completed in May. The previous install that I posted later down the page was completed June of last year.

Almost everything has happened within the past year or two.

Very clean instal! Props man..

that audio setup is amazing!

as for some suggestions on the exterior, mesh grill with RA logo, black out the rear badges (with plastidip) get the depo tails, makes a huge difference. I personally don't like the eyelids, but its just not my thing. Many RA owners seem to like them. Keep it up!

Thanks. Anybody got pics of a grey RA with the black depo tails? I want to see it before doing it. I figured there would be a lot on here but I haven't been able to find any.

Here are a few I found :mitsu:


http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/...4B9B2D3B99.jpg

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/...4BA077D981.jpg

Sorry about the hijack, but any idea what rear lip extensions those might be lanzer? happen to know the owner?

hey can you tell me were you bought that pocket for ur sunglasses in front of the shifter iv been looking for a pocket for the counsol and cant find one

My car came like that. What is in that spot on yours?

i got my deck down low and i had gauges up in the middle but i took the gauges out

I can't recall 100% but I think I got that one from the oz-es section. This is from my archive lol.



On another note ,that pocket is oem , one could be found in the evo part out section ;)

Hey man checkout this thread post #191 {thumbup}

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/04...-thread-5.html

Saw that just the other day, thanks for lookin' out :)

Hopefully he comes through with more pics!


Also, while I'm at it, what do you guys think of this?

I'm wanting to add some nice looking stainless steel or aluminum door sill scuff plates to my car to go with the aluminum shift knob, trim ring, and aluminum Ralliart pedals that I'll be adding.

Options:

OEM Mitsubishi - only for front doors. Guaranteed fit, says Lancer, not Ralliart.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...718/cars/2.jpg

'Lancer' door sills for all 4 doors. Definitely from China. Again, would rather it say Ralliart than Lancer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...718/cars/1.jpg

Unmarked ones for all 4 doors. Could have these engraved with Ralliart logo and paint in the engraving with the red/orange.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...718/cars/3.jpg

Illuminated ones that do say Ralliart for all 4 corners. I like these and think they would be cool. Some people will probably say it's ricey, but lots of high end cars have illuminated door sills now. Haven't seen another Lancer with these.'

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...718/cars/4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...18/cars/42.jpg


Anyway, my issue with any of the non-OEM ones is that they're from China and I'm worried about how they'll fit. All the one's I posted are listed as fitting my car. But especially for the rear ones, they aren't angled like the ones in our cars are, which makes me wonder about the rest of it.

What do you guys think?

So for Christmas I'm hoping to get the OEM door sills, a new shift boot with red stitching, the Ralliart pedals, the Rexpeed handbrake, and some other small stuff.

Anything else you guys recommend?

solid engine mounts, shifter bushings, and a super heavy shift knob...

What will different shifter bushings really do for me? The car already has the best feeling shifter I've felt in any car ever. Seriously... better than a Mazda Miata, Mazda 3, Subaru BRZ, Porsche 989, Porsche 993 C4S, Porsche 997 S.. (only other manual trans cars I have driven). One of my favorite things about the Ralliart.

I have a solid aluminum shift knob already... I wouldn't say it's "super heavy" but I'm sure it's heavier than whatever it came with stock.

I'll look into the motor mounts. Will I really notice a difference in daily driving? With all the audio gear, it's not like I'm ever out doing drag/autocross events.

I like the ricey door sills :mitsu: I like crans list but if your not going to like or use it get something that's for your needs.

the bushings make the shifter have zero slop in between being in and out of gear...i also have driven many varieties of manual cars and i know the stock shifter in our car is pretty decent, even my co-worker's 2012 STI has quite a bit of "floppiness". solid engine mounts will add a fair bit of vibration to the cabin, so if that worries you, go with a stock evo 8 or 9 mount. the advatange is your engine won't flop around like a dead fish when it revs, so power deliery from transmission to road is crisper in every situation. a heavy steel shift knob just makes shifting physically easy...like you can basically just "slap" it from 3rd to 4th :D...none of these things make the car faster or more powerful, but makes the car "sprint" quicker because of faster, easier shifts, and quicker, sharper smoother power delivery to the road...

I like the lighted Ralliart ones the best too, but I just can't believe they'll fit well, so I decided to go with the OEM ones.


The car is rough enough with the lowering springs - I don't want to add any more vibration, that's for sure. And I still need to get the balance shaft checked after having the timing belt replaced to hopefully smooth it out more around highway cruising speed.

cool work man...

New wheels? Could be too pricey but you could always start saving. Interior lighting accents. Similar to what you have in the trunk. If it could match the shades in the trunk that'd be awesome too. Evo 8/9 steering wheel, always looks dope in the car. I didn't see any video equipment in the car that could be interesting as well and still follow the style you have going with your car.

If you want more performance/power there is a massive list I could give you... lol I keep giving the list to my family every year and they pretty much laugh at me. :P

Maybe new wheels someday when it's less of a daily driver and more for show. I'd like to do some more lighting in the interior, especially in the back. You can't see anything in the back seats at night since there's no dome light. Quite annoying sometimes. Don't have any sources for video in the car, so maybe later on that. Sound quality is main priority for the competitions.

I know there's a bunch I could get for performance, but for a N/A car, the dollar per HP gain ratio just isn't there, especially for what I use the car for. I was thinking about a timing box though. Not sure how much difference I'd notice. Mainly I just want the car smooth and quiet inside so the music sounds best. My next car will be the fast car :)

I've been thinking about this too. Whenever I pull my headliner out to fix my sunroof (where the infamous loose motor screws dwell) I was thinking about cutting some holes in the C pillar and putting in some reading lights or a small mini domelight at the rear of the headliner near the rear windshield. I'm not a wiring expert, but for a mini dome light I think all I would need is power and ground if I connect it to the main dome light switch. :dunno:

Just a quick idea , but I think it could look good if done nicely. Some pros are, it's cheap, LEDs, no wiring, installed and removed with Velcro so battery replacement is easy.... Just a thought :mitsu:

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/...E525302C7D.jpg

Interesting idea. Would definitely be easy. Thanks!

Hey guys, figured I'd post some pics with the newest additions from Christmas. Bunch of new Ralliart and other parts :)

Door sills:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...07_163426r.jpg

Ralliart pedals:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb4f1f85.jpg

Dash mat: (helps protect the dash since it will be sitting outside for the next few months, but also helps the sound in the car by absorbing high frequency reflections that can cause imaging to be less focused)

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps879555ca.jpg

Carbon fiber brake handle:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...107_163556.jpg

Ralliart oil cap:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psb6ef6b97.jpg

New leather steering wheel cover with red stitching: (same as old, but stitching was faded and leather was worn in some places)

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...107_163347.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps78345a1f.jpg

Ralliart valve stem caps:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pse10c446a.jpg

Ralliart leather shift boot with red stitching, custom trim ring, and aluminum shift knob: (trim ring was painted aluminum to match the knob, and 8 Allen head screws were added to hold everything together)

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps575cbc9f.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...107_163200.jpg



Thinking tail lights will be next, and maybe the CF license plate cover.

Nice , now no one better ever call your Ralliart an evo :D , keep it up :mitsu:

Looking good, looking good.
I spent all my christmas splurge money on blood work and an ultrasound for my dog. She wasn't doing to well. :crap:

There is always the tax refund though

Alright, time for an update.


To start with, I was completely happy with how the car sounded after finals. It was the best it has ever been and there was no pressing need to change, other than that I wanted to see if it could get even better. After studying some of the top cars, reading up on sound power response and some other stuff, I decided on what I wanted to do.

So the goals were:

1. Re-aim the 3's to be more on axis, and try to equalize power response from both speakers to eliminate the need for as much independent L/R EQ, and to get better high frequency response from these wideband drivers
2. Increase width and depth
3. Install the speakers behind the pillars, so that there was no indication of a speaker there



Now on to the build. Luckily, the Lancer has fairly wide pillars with a good bit of space behind them, so I was able to accomplish goal number 3. But to do so, the dash had to come out...:eek:

Starting:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2694414e.jpg

Done:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psfeacbe4b.jpg

The area we're working with:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psa62994e4.jpg

Why not make a true enclosure while we're at it?

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6c83fac5.jpg

Aiming angle we're going for - much more on axis, following the slope of the windshield:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8871e1f7.jpg

Glass 'em in:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd95fd3c3.jpg

Bit of carpet and reconnect the speaker:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps746c56a3.jpg

Installed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbaa3ebb.jpg

Dash back on:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59ae8fd1.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps955e6f82.jpg



All in all, some aspects were improved, and others are not as good - namely high frequency response. I wanted to get the speakers more on axis to help this, but at this point they're too low so much of the high content is being blocked by the dash, so I'll be changing it again soon.



To finish up, got some high open area hex mesh:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7b83ccd1.jpg

Spent waaayyyy too long trying to form it to the right shape:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps870da6a7.jpg

Covered in grill cloth:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psfc14e929.jpg

And back in the car:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psaa66e8eb.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pseb155fbe.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2124a76f.jpg

Then ghetto rig some Dayton 5/8" tweets running off a simple capacitor high pass to add some temporary top end until a more permanent fix is devised:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03547aca.jpg

With these, it really does sound pretty darn good. 14KHz high pass on the tweets, -6dB. But of course I want something better and more permanent than this.

I know this forum doesn't really care that much about audio, but if anyone is interested, the speakers are currently for sale to fund new ones for the new season.

As always let me know if you have any questions.



Along with fixing the aiming, I'm also going to be trying out some Plasti-Dip with Metalizer on the wheels.

dude, those A pillars look great! nice work.

Wow great work dude! Keep it up.

Great work man!

I love seeing projects where people arent afraid to cut/weld/customize parts of their ride to get a job done.

You know a lot more about this than I do. But in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee I had tweeters installed in the vents in the middle of the dash. The higher frequencies came through very clear from there. Just something to think about maybe. May not be worth thinking about. LOL IDK.

The tweeters are now in the sail panels. I'll post some pics of the recent changes to the audio system and cosmetics soon.

Hey guys, here's some more updates:

- Got the stone chips in the bumper fixed and painted the wheels anthracite metallic

Before:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps78b8471a.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1fba4bbd.jpg

After:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59bafae7.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6d204839.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81e4c7ba.jpg

With some trophies from the audio competitions


Couple shots with my girlfriend's Monte Carlo:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps85400145.jpg

She's also into audio and modding in general

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7a531ca8.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0fcdf401.jpg

Trunk build we just finished in her car.



Just got a can of 3M Paint Defender for the front bumper. Anyone used it?

Lookin' great! :D The wheels set it off darkened like that.

Damn you have a lot of trophies! hahaha wish I had some for my car lol

Man I think some of the black or carbon fiber depo tail lights would look great on your car!

Depo carbon fiber tails are next on the list. Will probably order them soon. Hoping to be able to sell the current ones. I've never seen a pic of a car with them... only the black ones. I wish I could see first, but I might just have to do it.

Anyway, here's some more audio stuff.

As mentioned I wasn't really happy with the gain to loss ratio of putting the speakers behind the pillars, so I went back to the old install for a bit, with some tweets in the sail panels. These Dayton ND16s fit perfectly.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps844dac95.jpg

Hole cut and grill cloth applied to the cover:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps783b672c.jpg

Dynaudio MW172's replaced the previous door speakers and are about the biggest you can fit without building out the door panel:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps71413059.jpg

Mounted on a 5/8" baffle with machine screws after cutting about 1/4" of metal around the speaker opening:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44399ced.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2e9bf2ff.jpg

Changed to a Rockford Fosgate 3sixty.3 processor:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps536e6d4d.jpg

With the controller mounted in the ash tray:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps61cd42f3.jpg

Cover still closes so it can be completely hidden:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psdc7a35db.jpg



And random close up of the shift boot and custom trim ring cause I didn't have a very good one on here before:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pse109c4d3.jpg

That is really sweet work. Thank you for sharing, it's nice to learn something about the art of audio.

Yeah, I was wondering when someone would do the trim ring right!

Idk if anyone sells the carbon tails anymore but if you're looking to pick up a set of black depos I'm selling mine decently cheap.

I actually just picked up a pair of the carbon tails off Amazon.

Spent the morning applying 3M Paint Defender to the front bumper. Didn't go so well :( This stuff is difficult to work with. I hope it comes off as easy as they say without taking off the paint.

Tail lights are in :)

I'm liking them. I think the carbon matches the car color better than regular black.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4a7971e2.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4f81fe9d.jpg


New tweeters in the sail panels, and new mids back in the old pillars:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd2c6c112.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3e93c923.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0aeacaba.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps24464046.jpg


Sounding really good again!

The CF tails look awesome on there! :thumbup:

And what happened to the really tiny things you had installed in the sail panels?

And how did you get your A pillars that size?

LOL sorry to ask so many questions! :P

Thanks, I'm liking the new tails. Fairly subtle, but makes a nice difference.

The little ambient transducers were sold along with the old midbass and midrange speakers. The new tweeters are bigger and better than those and the Daytons that were in there previously. At first I thought they weren't going to fit and I was going to have to build the sail panel out and glass them in which I really didn't want to do, but I was able to remove enough material inside the sail panel and from the little cover piece to get them to fit at the angle I wanted them.

Here's the build pics for the pillars:

Speaker mock up and mounting ring made:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9f510a4f.jpg

Pillars cut and rings installed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps22614829.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1a5baf7c.jpg

Cloth stretched to form shape:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4916c751.jpg

Test fit:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2d39883d.jpg

Resin added:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps02507353.jpg

Fiberglass cloth added:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psdc98d566.jpg

Hole cut out and trimmed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psb6b60c90.jpg

Filled from the back for added strength and mass:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps333e92e7.jpg

Body filler added, sanded, and smoothed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps911cbe59.jpg

And then just black vinyl added to get them to what they look like now.



No problem asking questions. I'm here to learn and also contribute what I know. Most of what I've posted has been completion pics. I have hundreds more of the build process of pretty much everything if there's something you want to see.

In order to actually use tweeters, I had to run a third set of speaker wire to each side.

So here's some wires, wrapped in carbon Techflex and secured with zip ties.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps888cc51c.jpg

3rd set of speaker wire running to amps now - mids and tweets on front outputs, midbass still bridged on rear of each amp.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd70a8396.jpg

New red Ixos RCA300 cables for the trunk. Also the entire amp rack is carpeted now... not sure if I ever showed pics of that before. But here's what it looks like under the false floor now:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psa51d4900.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc9910142.jpg

Also got a new LED control module (that's black this time) that can also make the LEDs pulse to music, because why not.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps47e5c448.jpg

And the last piece for what will hopefully be a while... a nice carbon fiber trim piece for the gauge cluster:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6d9389ff.jpg

Current view from the driver's seat:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8fc3ae2.jpg

Stunningly creative. You are very accomplished, strakele, thanks for sharing your knowledge so freely.

Looking good! :)

You dont run a second battery do you? What is the point in that? I knew a guy who drove an Evo and wanted to run two big 12's in his trunk and was trying to put a second battery back there for them...

No problem RalliartN, happy to share what I can.

Bakuro - it's just the single XS D3400 up front. No second battery. I don't run the stereo for hours with the engine off, so there's no real need. My subwoofer amps use Class G/H technology so they are quite efficient, and the IB subwoofer setup is very efficient itself (a combined 94dB at 1W/1m, compared to many subs that are around 84dB). That coupled with the XS battery and large diameter wire results in no hint of light dimming until I'm really jamming some bass heavy stuff at very high volume. My very first setup in this car was a Kenwood 900W amp on a pair of Alpine Type R 10's in a sealed box (Autozone battery, 4ga wire, no upgraded grounds) and I got much more voltage drop with that setup than I do currently with 3300W worth of amplifier. Remember that power and sound level you get from amps and speakers is not a linear relationship. You have to double power to gain 3dB. So if my subwoofer system is 10dB more efficient than another (84dB vs 94dB), the other system will have to use 10x the power to get as loud as mine. I need around 130W to reach 115dB. The other system will need around 1,300W. That obviously takes a ton more current to produce and clearly shows the benefit of efficient speakers.

You really only need a second battery if you plan to use the system a lot with the engine off or run huge amps on an inefficient sub setup, or if you like driving around blasting music at 145dB. People usually use them or add a capacitor (which is also a band-aid fix) when they notice their headlights dimming when the bass hits. This is caused by voltage drop that occurs when the alternator can't supply enough current on demand for the amps, so the car's battery steps in to help out. In these situations, large diameter wire for main grounds and the alternator can help, as well as a high output alternator. Batteries are most useful for running the system for extended periods with the engine off, or if you're competing in SPL. An extra battery is a lot of extra expense and weight that isn't worth it unless you really need it. The small light racing batteries or hybrid "batcap" devices can't really hurt though and can be fit many more places. They're also quite expensive however.

Awesome. Man you really know your stuff! :D

Thanks for explaining that. I didnt know what purpose he was trying to achieve by having a second battery back there other than maybe running it for a while with the car off.

I nominate Strakele for RA audio expert! :P

No problem man.

You guys feel free to ask whatever you want.

Hey dude, I was wondering where you picked up the CF tails, they look great on the car and I've been looking to change up from the stock ones.

I got them from Amazon. There's also some sellers on eBay who have them.

Looks like I'll be heading back to MECA world finals again next weekend to see if I can pull off a repeat victory in the modified class.

Awesome!!! Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Thought I had posted this already but apparently not...

Couple little things first...

My XS D3400 up and died on me one day, so it had to get replaced:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psba0f9e48.jpg

Along with that, I got this cool little voltmeter so I can keep track of battery voltage whenever I demo with the car off and no charger. Just plugs into the cigarette lighter. I think it reads a tenth or two low so there's a bit of built in safety margin.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc2e921e1.jpg


Now on to the main update..

Ever since I've been running a front sub, I've always had it band passed, not just low passed. But I wanted something I could run with no high pass and be able to take whatever I throw at it and not care. So after doing some research and modeling, I decided to try out the 5th generation Alpine Type R. The whole Alpine sub lineup has gotten a major overhaul recently with lots of new high tech features implemented, and they've been getting great reviews.

But this introduces a problem. All 10" subs are not actually the same size and the last time I swapped one out it required hacking up and modifying the baffle quite a bit. This time I wanted to do it right and not cut corners. (Well actually, I decided to really do it right after cutting corners didn't work lol) Basically, the screw holes were pretty worn out, and the cutout circle wasn't exactly circular so one of the screws didn't really have anything to bite into so I couldn't get a good seal. Anyone who has heard a sealed sub box that isn't quite sealed knows it sounds utterly horrible. So with that, I decided to completely remove the baffle and start over.

However, I first decided to test each sub free air. At this point I became concerned because the Alpine had significantly more mechanical noise than the Dayton. With how close the sub will be to me in the cabin, that could easily be a deal-breaker. I'd be furious if I spent the time and money to completely rebuild the front of the enclosure only to find that the sub is too noisy, so I needed a way to test it.

So off to the store to pick up a prefab enclosure to test it in, just to make sure it actually does sound good.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c11cd5d.jpg

It passed the test (though the test enclosure didn't lol), so the project moved on.

Carpet pulled off. You can see the mounting surface looks kinda smooth and shiny where I tried to just add some resin to bring in back to life a bit. No go.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87622380.jpg

After a bit of time with the circular saw and a couple pry bars, baffle and fiberglass enclosure are no longer one.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pscd20283b.jpg

Sanded and chipped out most of the excess globs of filler, resin, fiberglass, and other stuff in the enclosure to maximize airspace as much as possible.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5f501882.jpg

The Alpine sub sits fairly high over the baffle which probably would have interfered with my cover panel, so I had to countersink the sub in the box. Both top layers are built out so as not to take up any enclosure volume, and the third layer is basically just a ring to double the thickness of where the screws bite into to further solidify mounting without taking up any more volume than necessary. This .5 cubic foot enclosure is a bit small for the Alpine, so I wanted to get every bit I could out of it.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8426e0e2.jpg

Baffles screwed together and covered in resin. Used machine screws and hurricane nuts to mount the sub instead of wood screws this time. I will never mount another sub with wood screws after using these!

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pse4e05487.jpg

After the baffle was glued to the enclosure with resin, the entire perimeter on both the inside and outside was sealed with at least 2-3 layers of fiberglass mat.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psf0563061.jpg

Test fit - works perfect!

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd1360b0.jpg

Wrapped in black and stuffed with some polyfill:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psa7105645.jpg

Sub installed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps062c5627.jpg

And in the car:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2da25cbb.jpg

Cover panel back on:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps592e595c.jpg

Weather has been nasty here so no good lighting for better pics. But you get the idea. The Type R is a pretty cool looking sub with the black cone, red logo, multi roll surround, and gasket that covers the screws.

Most importantly, it does what I wanted it to do. The enclosure is completely sealed, and the sub takes anything I throw at it with no need for a high pass. Victory. Also definitely more output than before.

Minor update - added some red trim to the doors and dash.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps01f805e5.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3b8bb0c8.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3cb01a39.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psa2edf14a.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps495421cb.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps592d3456.jpg

That red trim looks really nice. what did you do that with?

I've never seen aftermarket piping like that - I really like it.

Thanks! It's something I found on a website for BMWs. They call them 'interior color strips'.

They make rolls of thin colored trim like this that you can get on eBay for like $6 for 15 feet, but it has 3M foam tape on the back for attaching it to stuff, which doesn't work that well, is too thick, and overall just looks cheap.

This stuff was like 6 times as expensive for the same 15ft, but looks much nicer and instead of just taping on the surface, has a very thin strip that you actually wedge between panels so that it's sitting IN gaps instead of ON them, which is a much better design. It also comes with tape that you can add to help it hold in areas where the gaps aren't that tight.

Give these people a link!

that was easy - I just searched "bmw interior colour strips" and came up with a Canadian supplier: http://www.bimmian.com/Interior-Colo...W-E46-3-Series and fair price for the piping since as strakele points out you get what you pay for.

Man, gotta love German precision and quality, I wish I bled money like bimmer people...

Yeah that's where I got it from. Kinda expensive shipping for a small product, but that site and a couple of related dealers are the only place you can get them, and they all charge the same price and shipping.

The way it's designed, it can curve side to side easily (like around a bend), but it can't curve up and down to follow a curve that isn't on a flat surface unless you cut the bottom to allow it to bend. Kinda a bad description but you'd understand when you hold it.

To continue the interior updates, I got a OEM carbon fiber e-brake handle with aluminum accents instead of black chrome to match the other metal in the interior, and a new red stitched leather armrest cover and e-brake boot from Redline Goods to match the shift boot and steering wheel, along with all the other black/red in the car. The current shift boot will also be replaced with one that looks very similar but is made of a nicer material and has the Ralliart logo stitched into it instead of onto it. That won't happen till I figure out if I'm switching processors and adding some more vinyl.

Anyway, here's some pics.

Before:


http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...107_163200.jpg






After:


http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88b680f2.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4d41f509.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps132dfca6.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb98ed67.jpg


Much nicer IMO :)

Looks very nice! I love that arm rest! The boot on the ebrake is nice as well!

Thanks man. I definitely like it.

Gonna have another update later this week :)

That looks very nice!

Well it's about time for some more updates. Should be done by the end of the week, but here's the start


First, my floor mat had a big nasty hole worn in the carpet. So instead of getting all new ones again, I got this:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psf6d777d3.jpg

Maybe a little ricey to some people, but I'm in the Air Force and wear combat boots to work and they will tear up carpet real quick. I don't care for the look of completely rubber mats, especially for the passenger seats, so this will protect the carpet and match the pedals. And it will be transferable if I'm able to find some embroidered OEM mats so the driver's one doesn't get destroyed in a couple months.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7e6f2465.jpg



Other than that, there are some new things in the works.

Replacing the Melodic Acoustic 20mm tweeter (left) with JL ZR-100 1 inch tweeter (right). Same physical diameter, but bigger dome, and shallower mounting depth.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd00ecf2c.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc90ad4f5.jpg

Replacing Melodic Acoustic 3.5" midrange (right) with Morel Hybrid Ovation 4" midrange (left). Only 1/2" bigger diameter, but almost 2.5x as much cone are due to the Morel's flangeless design.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps482a1a34.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3a781a23.jpg



Build pics to follow.

For the pillars:

A large open area was cut out from the base of the pillars and reinforced with some thin steel rods to resist twisting and flexing while cloth was being stretched:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7544377b.jpg

Mock up of how the speakers would be aimed. They are placed as wide as possible, inset into the pillar so the baffle will essentially be touching the metal of the pillar to maximize stage width and minimize the amount they stick out.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps06eccefe.jpg

Baffles were made out of a fiber reinforced 4" atrium grate that was cut and turned to precisely fit the speaker

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps07ade400.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ef1f748.jpg

The rings were then placed in each side and glued in place:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc8138744.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psad2ac5eb.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps889f2ff6.jpg

Then the area around the pillar was fully masked off:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6c4415fd.jpg

And cloth stretched to form the shape of the base:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c57e70b.jpg

Then resin was applied and the pillar was placed in position to cure:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps01c97fce.jpg

And removed from the car when cured..

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55e7f1b5.jpg

Same was done to the other side:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0811fbf9.jpg

Kinda tough to tell in the pic, but then a large half oval area was cut out in front of the speaker baffle so it wouldn't block the speaker, and cloth stretched to form and smooth concave curve:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9791ab63.jpg

After resin applied and cured:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd800051.jpg

Test fit in car:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psb351b021.jpg

After reinforcement with fiberglass mat on the back side, it was time for body filler to smooth:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps78781bae.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1d2924ac.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0bb7bd71.jpg

Then I shot one with Plasti-Dip so it was all one color to make it easier to see any flaws while being easy to remove:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3faebaa7.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps90a9668d.jpg

Wow! I really love this thread! So much attention to detail. So much good DIY work! Your really good at this. Keep up the good work!

Other was filled and smoothed to match:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd87cc6f5.jpg


Then it was time for upholstery. I went with black vinyl on the majority just like the old pillars to match the interior, a padded suede insert behind the speaker to control some reflections, and red stitching to match the rest of the interior.

Right after picking them up:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257

And in the car!

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/at...ine=1417066257


I'm very pleased with how it's all coming together :)

Now that there's a new higher voltage version, I swapped the Rockford processor for the Mosconi 6to8v8 DSP.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pscca5c4a3.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psd42da084.jpg

Wow, a lot of work into the project. Looking good, however be careful. Do not do too much.

Hadnt looked at this car in a while. I still love it! The interior is spot on! :D

Any updates?

Thanks guys. No major updates for now. Some tweaks on the tune. Been super busy with pilot training.

I guess I forgot to post this though..

The first shift boot I got was made out of some pretty tough material and after a year or two it ended up cracking:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0b6ca538.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psfd9f64c4.jpg


So I got a nicer new one made of softer material that has an embroidered badge instead of a sewn on one:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psaa101c8e.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd72f7e5.jpg


The sail panel covers are now covered in suede:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc40f0a88.jpg


And got a suede texture dash mat that I added a bit of stitching to in order to match the sails/pillars.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3f293cdd.jpg

Man, it's been a looong time since an update. I've been super busy with pilot training, but luckily it's almost done. Hopefully I'll be moving on to fly these soon:

http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2...6B-x-large.jpg





Anyway, it's been a while since I've done anything to the car, but now that I'll have a little more time, I'm making some updates. This is the first part of a multi stage process with the goal being further increasing dynamics and impact while retaining all the SQ aspects that I require. I'm hoping to achieve this mostly through the use of higher efficiency speakers and probably some new power and processing.

Step 1: Midbass. The most often switched component in my car. I was able to find one more real 8" speaker that would fit in the very limited depth I have available in the doors - the Beyma 8BR40/N. Given the specs and manufacturer, I was hoping this woofer would bridge the gap between 'normal' hifi speakers and pro audio speakers and I think it does that well. For those looking for a shallow, powerful 8" midbass/woofer, I'd highly recommend it, especially for the price.


Beyma 8BR40/N 8" woofer for all hi-fi and studio monitor bass speakers

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pshf11ywaf.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ncwspgx.jpg


It's a really tight squeeze to get it to fit in the Lancer, but I made it work. Pretty standard install procedure-wise...

Terminated as usual with solder/Techflex/heat shrink:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psoiyyljlx.jpg

Cut baffles - birch this time and using 8-32 T-Nuts:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psmpr2lywb.jpg

Sealed for moisture protection:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psc27jnrhf.jpg

Bolted to the car with a pound or so of duct seal all around:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psifxroivr.jpg

And speaker installed:

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pszfug2b1p.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7lllmfrm.jpg


These things pound like no other midbass I've used before. Run with no highpass there are plenty of people who'd be totally happy without a sub. I just got them installed yesterday and have done very little tuning so I don't know if they'll be quite a snappy as a higher efficiency pro audio driver like a B&C 8NDL51 or 18Sound 8NMB420 (which wouldn't fit due to their large octagonal flange, but I know without a doubt that they play lower with loads more authority. For $70 each, I'm very pleased with them!

Nice update, welcome back!

Nice job! You do some high quality work. I'm always excited to see updates in this thread!

Are you in the airforce or something?

Thanks man! Yeah I'm in the Air Force.

Looks great! Wish my interior was that clean

Now that I'm done flying for a little while I have a bit of time on my hands to do something I have wanted to do for a while but never had the time - make my own RCAs. I currently have some pretty nice IXOS cables but to get everything wired the way I needed required a couple different product lines. I want to make everything matching and I can't find any that I like that had all the lengths and necessary Y cables to do everything I need. Doing so also allows me to make them in the length and configuration I need rather than having extra wire to tuck away somewhere.

So after some research and talking to a few guys I ended up with red Gepco 61801EZ cable, some eBay RCA ends that I was able to find matching male/female versions of, red with black spiral Techflex, and some solder and heat shrink.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psllozvn5w.jpg

Made a 1F-2M Y adapter first to test out stripping/soldering/shrinking techniques and now have a way to do everything that I'm happy with. So here's an example of how the rest of them will look.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psrdu2uelu.jpg


Here's my process:

Carefully strip the end

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8wpsdsgc.jpg

Twist together black and shield (source end)

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psmxupixdy.jpg

Add Techflex, insert into RCA end, screw down positive, clamp down wire

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psphhhju5p.jpg

Solder ground/shield with a bead of solder running from the hole where the wire goes through all the way up to where it touches the main body to help guarantee connectivity and add strength. When soldering, I'd also plug them into a female end to keep everything perfectly centered just in case the heat made the plastic soft or something.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pstaixf5ff.jpg

Solder the positive as well

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pszymzr6lz.jpg

Add hot glue inside most of the plug, so nothing can move around

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pssszmfgjo.jpg

Heat shrink over it

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9dlhnwjo.jpg

Then screw the shell of the plug on with a trail of heat shrink with extra red ring to denote source end

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psudhjmpzo.jpg

Awesome! As always! Keep it comin! {thumbup}

Thanks man. Also got the front bumper redone and the whole car professionally buffed so it's lookin real good. I'll get some pics soon.

Took some pictures after a wash but I guess it was just a bit too dark for my little camera - they didn't come out as nice as I was hoping but here's a couple that didn't suck too bad. Of course it rained the next day...

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psj0v8qfje.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psylovhufj.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...psghmiqdkj.jpg

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...pszgsv8yc4.jpg

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More updates.

Got the RCAs done.

Attachment 272327

Along with the RCAs, I'm also doing some work to tidy up more of the wiring in the trunk. Screw down zip ties, barrier strips, etc.

Next up, new front sub. I had the Alpine Type R.

Attachment 272328

Attachment 272329

Out with the old, in with the new. Acoustic Elegance TD10X-4.

Attachment 272330

Attachment 272331

With the direction I'm going with the system now, I'm less concerned with being able to get under 20Hz from the front sub enclosure and am instead looking for more detail/attack/impact and a higher efficiency, higher energy type sound. This sub, while providing just a hair less output in the low bass, is nearly a full 10 dB more efficient than the Alpine. And in the enclosure I have, has a lower qtc. All of which I'm hoping will provide the sound I'm looking for. The Alpine was a beast. It could get looow and loud and pound. No EQ necessary to get 20Hz flat. But the box was a bit too small for it so it could be a bit muddy in the midbass.

So, pulled the old sub out and all the carpet and stuffing as well and gave it a quick sand. I had to enlarge the mounting hole by 1/8 inch for the new sub to fit.

Attachment 272332

Shot it with some random black spray just to keep it dark.

Attachment 272333

Hammered in some threaded inserts so I can use machine screws to mount the subs.

Attachment 272334

Re-carpeted

Attachment 272335

And stuffed with some polyfill

Attachment 272336


Gonna free air test the new sub then get it mounted and installed after I run the new RCAs.

Hoping to be done with everything by tomorrow.

Nice, once again, have you considered spacers for the wheels?

Hadn't really thought about it, but now that you mention it, spacing them out a bit to be a little more flush with the fenders would look good.

Is there a common size/brand that's recommended for the stock wheels?