My audio install - lessons learned
 

I went from a basic OEM single CD headunit powering OEM 14w door speakers to:
Pioneer Appradio2 headunit (links to iPhone 4 to run apps :p )
700W Kenwood 4ch amp for the doors
600W Sony Xplod amp for the 8" sub
Built the custom enclosure for the hatch area (in the left/rear 'cubby behind the rear wheel)

What Went Well:
- running the power from the battery through the fender to the door post rubber grommet and down the d/s.
- mounting the amps under the seats (trim the plastic air vent to help the amps mount further forward (and away from rear pasenger shoes ;) )
- removing the bottom bracket from the p/s seat which holds the air bag computer (and zip-tieing it the bottom of the seat). This allowed room to mount an amp under the seat.
-cutting the rear stock speakers to mount the new 6.5" subs. I did 'duct tape seal' the old speaker 'adapter' to help with bass response.
-using Alpine 'universal fit' component speakers for the fronts - did not have to cut up the old speakers for mounting adapters ;)
-surface mounted the alpine tweeters which can be aimed to improve sound staging.
-OEM wiring in the door for the speakers is a better grade than i expected (must be the same harness for the RF speakers...{thumbup})
Did all my adjustments on the amps before installing the seats (but now that i drive/listen more - i want to further tweak them - meaning i have to pull the seats again... :rolleyes: )



What I Would Do Different:
-The Alpine tweeters are too bright! I should have bought the more expensive Boston Accoustics and being smaller, the tweets would have fit inside the stock enclosures...
-The Metra dash kit is sh1t. Gaps between the standard double din face and at the dash where it meets the trim. {thumbdwn}
-bought the OEM RF sub enclosure. My custom sealed box sounds fine - but is too small (interior volume) even for the 8"...
-until i can figure out why my radio reception is so much worse than the OEM radio [scratches head] i would not advise getting the Pioneer. :confused:

Total cost to me for the system (buying headunit off the forum, amps used on craigs list, scrounging up old RCA cables and bits of speaker wire, Ebay, and Parts Express for the rest... was $395. Yep. That is all. :D

win.

Got any pics? Did you do any sound deadening?

You mentioned 6.5" and 8" subs.. which did you do?

You, sir, have an awesome install!

I will post pix - but the system, like yours is stealth ;)

No sound deadening.

Thanks! And hey, nothing wrong with a good stealth install that doesn't scream "steal me."

Which series of Alpine speakers did you go with?

Specifc components:
Front speakers: Alpine SPS-610C (one inch soft dome tweets that come apart to fit inside the stock housing (i know that NOW! ) Good sonic accuracy - perhaps too bright in the Lancer...

Rear Speakers: Pyle PLG64 subs. Robust construction.

Sub: Lanzar MAXP84 8" 800 Watt Woofer


Front/Rear amp Kenwood KAC8404 (50W/ch) with good LPF/HPF filters. Sounds good.
Subwoofer Amp: Sony Xplod (300W/mono)

I hope to have pix by next Wed...

still no pix [shrug]
BUT i did replace the Metra dashkit with 'what i thought' was the OEM Nav dash on EBay.

FAIL.

It was the Scosche unit (silver bar across the top and no Mitsu part numbers)... It fit poorly big gap at the top/center...

IDEA! I put (i am NOT making this up!) a tennis ball under the sagging portion and it mostly lines up now (or at least good enough). sigh.

So check the FS section for a crappy Metra dash kit coming soon! I will provide full disclosure and maybe someone will still want it... sigh.

Huh! The dash kit i used is the same as the Mitsu/NAV kit on Ebay new at $250 :O

So. Have a tennis ball ready. Or the part stripper gooned up removing it prior to selling it...
[shrug]

I'd be very curious to see the gaps.
It sounds like you're saying they are top center where the Metra kit meets the dash. Google doesn't have a lot of pics with the Metra kit, but this is one and it looks ok.
http://caraudio.in.ua/img/652930f0d784f47_o_enl.jpg

I left the 12v industry a couple years ago, but I've never seen both the Metra and Scosche kits for the same car be described so terribly off - it sounds like there's something else going on but hard to say without seeing it.

The Metra piece did not align with the tabs in the dash (upper left and lower right) and so the fit was 'off' and could not be forced...

You can see stress marks where perhaps the Mitsu 'Nav Adapter' was forced in removal and it should be okay if purchased new...

I was wrong and have not tried the Scosche unit...

(BTW: If you want to buy the Metra kit - hit me up! (but unless you have the patience to heat/bend it - why would you?!))