# 2009 Civic LX Coupe



## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

So Bikinpunk has posted some threads over at the 8th Civic Forums that brought me here. I just ordered a bunch of gear to start my build. I plan to do a three way active setup. I'll do this in phases starting with the head unit.

Here is what I have ordered so far:
- Alpine IVA-W505 - HU
- Alpine PXA-H100 - Imprint Processor
- Alpine KTX-H100 - MultEQ
- Alpine KCE-400BT - Bluetooth
- Alpine TUA-T550HD - HD Radio
- Alpine KCA-SC100 - Sirius Connect
- SiriusConnect SC-C1 - Sirius Receiver

Additional items I plan to add:
- Zed Leviathan?
- 2 Way Component Set (Hertz HSK 165 or Apline SPX-17PRO)
- Single 10" or 12" sub
- Nav add on for HU
- Sound deadening
- Wiring upgrades
- 160gb iPod Classic

Items I have done so far:
- Optima D51R battery

The idea is to have any of my music available at any time, and it sound good. I know some don't like the imprint, but I didn't really want to spring for an Audison BitOne.

I'm sure I will have a ton of question, but there is plenty of research material here!


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

where in ohio are you? would love to hear this setup when you are done. I have a 2005 civic that im always adding to.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

I finished the Big 3 upgrade today. I haven't done the positive wires yet. I will work on those this weekend and will also put in the head unit.

Original Crappy Ground Wires:


Transmission Ground:


Battery Ground:


Engine Block Ground:


Battery Terminals:


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

Alright, back to this... I have installed the HU and all of the modules. Nothing spectacular here. I crammed all of the modules up under the dash. I will probably move them at some point.

I purchase a Hertz HSK 163 3 way set. I will am in the process of building custom A-piller pods for the mid and tweet. I started with 1/2" MDF. I cut the base for the pod with a Dremel and the Dremel circle jig. I covered the piece with headliner material that is an open cell foam with a cloth backing. I then used 3/4" iron-on veneer to create a lip that will be used to fiber glass the pod to the a-pillar. My father is cutting a metal trim ring that will sit inside the lip. I'll probably cover this trim piece with carbon fiber vinyl fabric. I also worked on positioning the speakers. I think I will end up aiming them at the dome light.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

I figured I would post a little more background. It's been nine years since I last built a system. I used to work at a local stereo shop in high school, but no one there knew anything about SQ.

I bought the Civic in August (Yay Cash for Clunkers!). I plan on doing a complete audio build over about 6-9 months. I have already purchased the following:

HU - Alpine IVA-W505 with Imprint, BlueTooth, HD Radio, and Sirius
iPod Classic 120gb
Hertz HSK 163
Alpine MRV-F405

I plan on adding:
2 x Arc Audio KS 300.4
Image Dynamic IDQ 12"

The HU and modules are already installed. I've been working on installing the Hertz kit.

I finished sound deadening the passenger door. I used Damplifier and Luxery Liner. I covered about 80% of the outer skin and around 90% of the inner skin. I had to cover two large holes with Plexi glass and then Damplified over the plexi. I used 3M spray adhesive to add a layer of Luxer Liner trimmed to fit.









The baffles are 1.5 of MDF. Around the inner edge of the baffle, I used 1/2" weather stripping. I then covered the front of the baffel with headliner material purchased from Joann Fabrics. It has about 1/8" open cell foam with a cloth cover. I did this in case any bit show through the opening in the door panel.

















I am in the process of building a trim ring for this so that you can't see the cut marks.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Are the MDF rings treated in any way?

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/60325-post13.html

Imagine what that ring will do a a speaker basket.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

t3sn4f2 said:


> Are the MDF rings treated in any way?
> 
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/60325-post13.html
> 
> Imagine what that ring will do a a speaker basket.


In other vehicles, I have had baffles installed for years with absolutely no sign of water damage. But to be safe, I will coat the inside in fiber glass resin when I do the a-pillar pods.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

MorfiusX said:


> In other vehicles, I have had baffles installed for years with absolutely no sign of water damage. But to be safe, I will coat the inside in fiber glass resin when I do the a-pillar pods.


Yup better safe then sorry when it's more then just a piece of MDF at risk.

Although, resin on MDF is not a good idea either. It can be a pretty bad one because MDF is like a water soluble sponge that will soak up the resin and cause it to deform. 

If I was you I'd redo them and make them out of a cheap piece of cutting board plastic.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

MorfiusX said:


> In other vehicles, I have had baffles installed for years with absolutely no sign of water damage. But to be safe, I will coat the inside in fiber glass resin when I do the a-pillar pods.


fyi> i drove around with my door panels off for a while and the civic door do leak like a mofo...you will need to treat the mdf and make a rain deflector to keep water off those sexy hertz woofers. nicely done on cutting out the oem grill...it really kills the output of the driver...

rubberized undercoating spray is a cheap way to make the mdf splash resistant


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

go on ebay, look up Cesany Plastics. They sell something called King Starboard. It's available 1.5" thick, and takes threaded inserts rather well.

Cesany Plastics can do custom sizes. IIRC, I got mine cut to 18x24. It was only like $59 shipped, but you'd probably need far less.

Here's how I made my speaker mounts.

2010 Genesis Coupe Build Log, Page 4

Jay


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## RaceShowDrive (Sep 21, 2009)

Subcribed


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

I had my father cut some new mid/tweet speaker rings using the water jet. I wanted to see how well MDF held up. It did OK. I could have him re-cut these using 1/2 aluminum, but I would have to wait until Monday to get them back and I want to start working on this Saturday. I covered the MDF in painters tape to reduce the water that was absorbed. When the get covered and glassed into the a-pillar, you won't even know they absorbed a bit of water.


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## RaceShowDrive (Sep 21, 2009)

looks good. Now I know who to hit up when I start on my system.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

More work on the a-pillar pods:

























I don't think I'm gonna get as much as I wanted done this weekend...








Rolled my ankle playing indoor softball. Hurts like a ***** and I can barely walk.


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## RaceShowDrive (Sep 21, 2009)

Nice ankle. Although I do not see how that affects your install. A real audiophile would not let that stop them.

Just Kidding. Hopefully it gets better soon.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

ouch!


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

A-Pillar work:

















Carbon-Fiber vinyl on the door:

















A surprise from my son on my camera:


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

nice job with c/f vinyl.... i was thinking of using that stuff too, but you beat me to it.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

Neat pillar pods. I wish I had pillars large enough to
incorporate something like that in my install. Really
slick

I too have never had any water issues with wooden
door baffles. However, if you coat them in resin I would
use epoxy resin, polyester isn't really waterproof. You
could get a small amount of "West System" from most
any boaters store.
West Marine: #105 Epoxy Resin Product Display

Anyway, based on your location I would use 
the fast hardener due to air temp. Also, you
can put the can in a pot of water bring it up to say 90deg.
Doing this will ensure proper cure, the same technique
can be used with polyester in cold climates. If you cant
or don't want to use WEST System, many other choices
are available, MAS, SYSTEM3, Marinepoxy, Silver Tip.

I know I'm going to catch crap for suggesting epoxy over
polyester, but as a boat builder you can trust the info I
give on this particular subject to be correct. I wouldn't
lead anyone wrong on something I'm passionate about.

Again, really neat pods I look forward to your progress.....


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/901825-post175.html

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/902390-post184.html


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

t3sn4f2 said:


> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/901825-post175.html
> 
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/902390-post184.html


Yeah, I drilled holes through the first layer so that the second would stick better.


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## Echo42987 (Dec 25, 2008)

Just curious, where did you get the Carbon Fiber Vinyl and how much?


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

Echo42987 said:


> Just curious, where did you get the Carbon Fiber Vinyl and how much?


Upholstery Fabric, Tools, Supplies, Decorative Nails and Furniture Legs
Upholstery Vinyl Classic Black Carbon Fiber | DIY Upholstery Supply

~$12/yd on a 54" bolt. 3 yards was ~$50.


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## DonH (Jun 25, 2009)

lookn good man!


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## dvflyer (May 11, 2007)

Interested in seeing how this turns out. I have been itching to redo my a-pillars.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

I really have been working on my install, I promise. I've just been taking my time. I'm a perfectionist and sometimes that slows me down more.

I have the driver's side pillar nearly done. I plan on having these covered in color-matched vinyl at a local shop due to their complex curves. It's way beyond my skill level with vinyl.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

They look really nice, your well on your way with these. I
hope your local trim shop does them justice


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

So my local shop is hella expensive to do vinyl work. So I decided to break out the sewing machine for the first time since Boyscouts. I borrowed a machine from my mom and I'm gonna do it my self. Here's what the drivers side looks like now:


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## peterpanonacid (Jun 28, 2009)

cardboardtemplates and sewing is easy stuff just gets harder with thicker material ya know


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

One more pic of the stitching I have been practicing with. I will probably use micro-suede as it is a lot easier to work with than vinyl on my cheapo sewing machine. I'm going to order some color matched material. This stuff is just practice cheapo stuff.


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## dvflyer (May 11, 2007)

Nice work. I may end up with something very close to that.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

I have mostly finished the drivers side. I used gray spray paint to make sure nothing weird would show through the fabric. I used gray speaker cloth from Parts Express (god I love have that place 20 minutes from me...). I still need to cover the trim ring. I ordered some Neffy Wrap for the trim ring as it is lot thinner than the carbon fiber vinyl. I really like the way it turned out. I may try to remove the tweeter grill and fabricate my own connected to the trim ring.


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

Looks damn good man.....Seriously I LOVE the pillars


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

wow!


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

those pillars look top notch...great job


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

That does look hot!!!!!!

Now get to work on that damn ironing board... lol....jk


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## RaceShowDrive (Sep 21, 2009)

Looks good. Keep practicing you can help me with mine when it gets warm again.


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## Pad (Mar 22, 2009)

Very clean, good job. You're gone keep it white or paint around the baffles?


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## hornedfrog2000 (Aug 31, 2006)

That looks really nice.


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## capnxtreme (Feb 5, 2008)

Nice work on those pillars, man.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

Pad said:


> Very clean, good job. You're gone keep it white or paint around the baffles?


The trim ring isn't white, that's the reflection of the flash. It is a piece of ~16 gauge steel. I will spray paint it to prevent rust then cover with Neffy Wrap (carbon fiber wrap) when my order gets in later this week. I post up more pics of it installed when I finish that step.


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## gitmobass (Nov 7, 2009)

Looking good man! Keep it up


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## rollininstyle2004 (Nov 30, 2009)

Pillars turned out great.


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## dvflyer (May 11, 2007)

Excellent!


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## MaXaZoR (Apr 1, 2007)

How does it sound!!!


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

MaXaZoR said:


> How does it sound!!!


Waiting on my Zed Leviathan to come from the group buy. I wish I could answer that question.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

1.5 HDPE + WaterJet = New Baffels for the 6.5 woofers:


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

1.5 HDPE + WaterJet = New Baffels for the 6.5 woofers:

























Almost done with the one of the trim rings. It's ~16 gauge steel covered in Neffy Wrap. I used a couple of 1/2 steel pieces cut to size to form the grill.


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## RaceShowDrive (Sep 21, 2009)

Sweet I can not wait to see these. And here them.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

morfius, will you be applying a layer of dynamat or non hardening putty/clay on your rain sheilds?


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## pankrok (Jan 1, 2010)

nice shape , nice fabric , definitely cool!


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

TOP NOTCH!! Man I wish I had those skills. I may redo my pillars in the up comming months. Seriously, NICE FREAKING WORK!!


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

amitaF said:


> morfius, will you be applying a layer of dynamat or non hardening putty/clay on your rain sheilds?


I haven't yet. I've got some extra Damplifier, I will probably put that on it. I decided not to use clay. It's around $4/lb at the local craft store. Instead, I've been using heavy duty weather stripping from Lowe's. It's a closed cell foam that's about 1/2" thick. I'll post some pictures when I get done with the driver side door.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

scooter99 said:


> TOP NOTCH!! Man I wish I had those skills. I may redo my pillars in the up comming months. Seriously, NICE FREAKING WORK!!


I really don't consider myself skilled at this. It's mainly patience and vision. I have an idea in my head of how things should be. Then I do a ton of research and reading online to see what other have done. The biggest reason I created a build log was to share my experience so that it may help others. I haven't built my system to show off, well, maybe a little...


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## dvflyer (May 11, 2007)

MorfiusX said:


> I really don't consider myself skilled at this. It's mainly patience and vision.


No... it's skill (along with patience and vision). You WAY underestimate your skillz, dude. Excellent work. :thumbsup:


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

question! In post #17, when you filled in the back of the pods, what is that. It looks like spray foam insulation that you formed into a mold.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

scooter99 said:


> question! In post #17, when you filled in the back of the pods, what is that. It looks like spray foam insulation that you formed into a mold.


It was. I then fiberglassed over top of it, which didn't work as well as I had hoped. It turned out pretty wavy and needed a bunch of work. I used to do sculpting this way in high school for my AP art classes, but I used plaster as the top coat. The chemicals in the fiberglass resin reacted with some of the spray foam.

The second pillar, I just layered Bondo. 60-80 grit sandpaper and a palm sander blows through bondo pretty quick. I just kept layering bondo and shaping until I had it the way I wanted it.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

Here is my new toy! $45 on eBay. This thing is a beast. It weights at least 40 lbs. Probably over 30 years old and it still works. If only they still made electronics like this. What I find funny is that it's considered portable.


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

Nice. Well again, I'm sure you've heard it enough, but they turned out great!


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

Did you ever install these pillar pods? I'd like to see them if you have plese!


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

scooter99 said:


> Did you ever install these pillar pods? I'd like to see them if you have plese!


Yes! I've got some more pictures coming. It's been really cold for a while so I haven't made a ton of progress... I'll get the pics up tonight.


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## MorfiusX (Sep 4, 2009)

Pic Updates!


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