# G35 Coupe Demo Car for Zapco - I-force level products



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey guys,

Just got done with the first big project since I came back from vacation.

This time, it isn’t a focused SQ install, but a demo system for a show car. Actually, it’s nice to shift gears once in a while to do something with a different focus  keeps the mind sharp in my senile old age lol

The car is a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe.

The goals:

1. To remove and clean up a sub-par install that was previously in the vehicle.
2. To create a classy set up with a decent show factor that showcases the lower line zapco Iforce products along with the new shallow components.
3. to build a clean sounding system, not specifically SQ focused, but just nice and clean 

So, let’s get started...well, as goal number 1 stated, i had to deal with a pre-existing install that was already in the vehicle. I encounter quite a bit of "problematic" installs on a regular basis, but when it’s of this umm...caliber, I will post some pics of what I found as I tore down the old set up... just for your viewing enjoyment. hehe

underhood battery terminal:










behind the headunit:










the old door panel, with the ADS crossover about to fall out of the door, i was wondering why there was a big long speaker grille:










until i saw the 3 way set with the mid and midbass screwed to the door panel itself:










a random wire that came through a hole in the metal and into the factory loom










audiobahn remote bass controller held on by one screw:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

this is the old set up, the trim panels were snapped as is, I didn’t touch it hehe




























after removing the amp rack, unplugged a few wires, and this is whats underneath it:










now here is an interesting tidbit, the optima yellow top only had its ground terminal hooked up, i looked throughout the car but did not find a positive connection at all? 










so this is with everything out of the trunk, showing the wiring, other than the few cables I unplugged, everything is laying on the floor as i found it. 










the install combined audiobahn gear with what appears to be top of the line a/d/s speakers, which even after DEI , is not a bad comp set by any means…hmmm...aiyaya...

it’s a shame really, because the car itself is pretty cool, here are some pics:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

After two days of tearing out stuff and fixing things, the new install got started.

The signal starts with a pioneer AVIC-N5 single din flipout headunit, this was already in the vehicle and we kept it as it serves it purpose. Previously, there was a piece of wood silconed below it that squeezed a clarion in dash EQ, which we eliminated. I trimmed a nissan/toyota single din pocket to fit below the N5:










As mentioned before, the front stage is designed to showcase Zapco's new ZSL-165 6.5" two way shallow mount component system, they feature a front mounted motor on the midbass for a very shallow overall depth. 

after doing some thinking and measuring, I decided to go with TWO sets of components per door, again keep in mind this is not for SQ, but more designed to demo the speaker at car shows and meets.

I built a door pod that runs the entire length of the lower door panel, housing both midbasses and both tweets upfront, and then incorporated a zapco logo plate towards the back. The pod is wrapped in black vinyl and secured to the door.

since this is a pretty dedicated show car, there isn’t much emphasis on stock looking or stealth 

here is the driver side pod from various angles and close ups.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

likewise, here is the passenger side:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

here are some quick build pics of the doors.

first, the metal door panel received a layer of foam to block road noise, a rack was attached, housing the two passive crossovers per door. new wires were run into the door via the factory molex:



















next is the start of the door pod. first an initial mold was taken of the area the pod will take up:










once that’s cured, a layer of duraglass went on to ensure it doesn’t warp:










after that is allowed to cure over a weekend, the back mold was trimmed and rough sanded:










next, the various ring baffles was attached, along with the baffle for the zapco logo plate towards the back. 










mold cloth was pulled over the entire shape and resin applied:



















next the pods are reinforced from the inside via more cloth, chop strand, and duraglass:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

then both pods are fillered and sanded smooth, and i mocked up the speakers and plates to ensure proper fitment:









































































the inside of the pods received some more sound proofing:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

both door cards were then heavily sound proofed as the G35 door panel is prone to buzzing and rattling if untreated:



















then the pods were wrapped in black vinyl:










and finally, attached to each door card:



















That’s it for the front stage, moving onto the back, one thing i did not get to snap a picture of was how the N5 brain, the BT and the XM modules were mounted from the previous, or rather, how it was NOT mounted, they were all just free floating under the passenger seat. I put a piece of MDF underneath and secured all three modules:










the rear deck was also removed, and sound proofed to prevent rattles:










the floor of the trunk sound proofed as well:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

So, moving onto the trunk. the goal is to still maintain my basic values of class and simplicity, and to showcase the Iforce amps and subs. we used two Zapco 450s, one powers the front stage with 4 x 75 watts, while the other sends 250 watts to each Iforce 10" subwoofer.

after playing around with the limited space available, I came up with a simple symmetrical design for the display.

the two subs are upfront, in a 1.1 cubic foot enclosure, and the two amps sit towards the back. all have slant routed cutouts and are trimmed in red vinyl as suggested by the customer. The top fake floor cutout has a T shaped extension in the middle that divides the two amps as well as visually separating the amps from the subs. 

there is a piece of routed plexi glass border under the entire cutout.

so here is the day light view of the trunk:





































flip a switch, and the border lights up red from LEDs shining through the outer edge of the plexi glass. its hard to get the effect right with my camera, and these were the best that i can do:




























finally, a shot of the wiring below the floor:










Overall, the car sounds pretty good actually, I am digging these new speakers. the midrange and high is quite decent and IMO above par for components of this design and price range, the midbass is a bit weaker than the zapco reference set I used before, but still adequate, especially considering the shallow design. The subs provides a decent amount of clean output and extension. overall, a pretty sweet sounding all passive demo vehicle 

The car is going to undergo more modifications after this, perhaps a new body kit and will be at various California shows.

Cheers!


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

The rescue of the year???


Bing, you've turned a really rushed dog into another quality masterpiece!


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## pirrimarin (Jul 22, 2009)

Wow, just wow!
Even for "simple" installs, your work is amazing.

I want to be just like you when I grow up


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

thanks guys  does anyone know how much that ADS set costs normally? i was quite surprised when i saw that speaker in the mix


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## stuckinok (Jul 22, 2008)

Beautiful install! Nice and clean like all your others. I wish I was in Nor-Cal so you could do mine!


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

Those A/D/S speakers are a really quality sounding set! I ran some fully active in my Audi S4 and they were fantastic sounding. Of Course. The ones I had were before DEI bought them out and then everything went south..

That three way if mint is worth $500 if beat up or just used looking then probably $300

Nice rescue on that system. I love it!


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## d5sc (Aug 14, 2007)

Bing, 

EXCELLENT work (as always)!!! The previous installation was downright scary to say the least !!! 

Yourself and Sound Innovations are the only local shops that I would recommend out of good conscience. Despite the good number of shops in our area, quality, professionalism, and good customer service are things that are definitely few and far between.


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Yet *another* winner! This guy is unstoppable!


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

I think this is one of your better installs. I dig it

how do u do the lighting for everything?


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

That 3-way a/d/s/ set is the 641is, they're pre-DEI buyout.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

wow pre dei...even sadder 

mic, i use the led strips from oznium.com and they are secured to the outside edge of hte plexi cutout  except the T part, where its direct underneath the plexi in the middle


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## Blazemore (Dec 1, 2006)

How did you secured the pods to the door?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

a series of screw/speed clips


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## tdiantonio (May 8, 2007)

Excellent work. Definitely rescue of the year. I can't get over how bad that original install really was...that is no way to treat a yellow top optima and nice a/d/s 3 way component set


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## 98kugt (Jul 27, 2007)

Wow! Love that the battery wasn't even hooked up. Nice job!


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

Very nice sir as always.


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## Tonyguy (Nov 15, 2007)

Bing, What else can be said that hasn't been already. Great ****ing job.


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## sinister-kustoms (Jul 22, 2009)

Man, what a turnaround. Nice work!


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

Those door pods are sweet, and the trunk is looking very cool. That would be great work anyday, but considering what you started with, I think you deserve a medal or something.


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## 99IntegraGS (Jan 18, 2007)

Chaos said:


> Those door pods are sweet, and the trunk is looking very cool. That would be great work anyday, but considering what you started with, I think you deserve a medal or something.


I'd love to get some pods made for my doors... it's too damn bad I live so far away from Bing. I wish we had a Bing in Tallahassee.



I'm not a huge fan of the wheel choice, but the stance is awesome.










JD


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## MaXaZoR (Apr 1, 2007)

Can't wait to see what Peter Euro has to say about this one? You honestly took some shody work and made it into a work of art. Great install for a show car! If I was the owner of the car I would have punched the guy who did the original install.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

The original install made me sick to my stomach but the makeover made it all better.Good job as always.


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## BLACKonBLACK98 (Apr 5, 2008)

great work as always.



simplicityinsound said:


>


whats the purpose of the oblong pieces next to where the zapco logo sits?


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## DATCAT (Aug 3, 2009)

Great work simple and clean. I am sure this is a silly question but what are the blue rings around the mdf speaker rings made from and where can I find it?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

to be fair, the car was purchased wtih that system in place, so its not the current owner's fault 

as for that long piece thats infront of hte logo plate. i first tried it with just hte logo thing, but it looked awfully odd, beucase of how long the piece is, without something in the middle to space it up, the pod early became paper thin in the middle, looking odd and also lacking rigidity. so i gave it an extension of sorts.


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## munkeeboi83 (Jul 7, 2007)

Extreme Makeover CAR EDITION! You're like Ty Pennington. 

You should use the pictures to show your customers when they complain about high prices or trying to low ball you and go to different shops. I didn't realize the importance of going to a good installer until taking it to some Armenian place in Pasadena and having them do a hacked up job to it. I had to take it to another shop (Audio Advice) to have them strip everything out and do it all over again. 

Awesome job with the install!


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## Robert_R (Jun 18, 2007)

Great install Bing. Love the work on the door panels.


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## SpecV (Mar 26, 2009)

I love how "simple" the trunk layout is but still looks fantastic. Great WORK!


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## chadillac3 (Feb 3, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Great install Bing. Love the work on the door panels.


Hehe, is this where you first saw pics or did Bing send them to you first?


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## piston (Apr 7, 2007)

chadillac3 said:


> Hehe, is this where you first saw pics or did Bing send them to you first?


Yes interesting ? seeing how this is stated as a demo car for Zapco. Did this "customer" get the product for free or on some kind of major sponsorship. Or is this just a car you build for someone with all Zapco product.

I have a question on the door pods. Is there some type of grille for the speakers, or is this your intended finish. They just look incomplete compared to the grille with the ADS install.

Also, why the x-overs in the doors. Just seems like a badspot due to the door closing. 

Trunk looks good, simple looking yet its not.

Jason


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Those A/D/S speakers are worthless, I'll send you a box to send them back to me in and we'll just consider it a recycle effort  

Seriously though, you have quite the skill and talent for installs. I enjoy each and every one.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

piston said:


> Yes interesting ? seeing how this is stated as a demo car for Zapco. Did this "customer" get the product for free or on some kind of major sponsorship. Or is this just a car you build for someone with all Zapco product.
> 
> I have a question on the door pods. Is there some type of grille for the speakers, or is this your intended finish. They just look incomplete compared to the grille with the ADS install.
> 
> ...


this is a car partially sponsored by zapco, not free by any means but a discount  i sent the link to robert hehe..

no grille on the speaker, as stated, this is a pretty dedicated show car that rarely gets driven, and the goal is to showcase the speakers themselves, no popping on and off the grille.

as far as why the crossovers are in the door, not sure what you mean by door closing? but they arent going anywhere for sure being that they are on a board and the board is secured to the door. but also, trying to run FOUR pairs of decent guage speaker wires into the stock molex is a loose cause, there simply isnt enough room. if you know hwat the G35/350z Molex looks like you will know what i mean  

overall, for how little the car is driven and the point is to show the products off, i feel this is the best way to go


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## justfuz (Aug 28, 2008)

Bing.. Great looking install. I've got a three way system for the fronts and a huge xover. I was thinking about doing something similar to the ads setup (better thou) but liked what you ended up with here. Any thoughts on showing the xover vs. hiding it in the door? My main issue is no glass experience and just not sure the steps to take to get the look I want. Any pics of how you mounted the pods?


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

Looks very clean, only one nitpick, the speakers have an unattractive mounting ring. A trim piece of some sort covering up the screws and all those extra holes would make it 100% smoother. I'm imagining a nice piece of polished aluminum. Would be pretty easy to whip out with a router and circle jig out of some 1/4 inch aluminum stock.

But as always, nice and clean job. Always an inspiration as far as attention to detail and craftsmanship goes.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

yeah, i may do the trim ring down the road for sure. i dont trust my router on asluminum though...but i am sure its simple finding someone who can make a coupla alum rings for me


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## Mr B (Apr 21, 2009)

Very nice install! I was extremely surprised to see the previous install and what a major fire hazard it was.  I wonder why he's using the Kinetix plenum as I always thought it made very minimal gains without forced induction.


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## The Dude (Mar 24, 2007)

Unreal job, that vinyl work you did on the doors is so nice! One of my favourite cars also, great lines.....


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## g37mobbin (Aug 15, 2009)

Mr B said:


> Very nice install! I was extremely surprised to see the previous install and what a major fire hazard it was.  I wonder why he's using the Kinetix plenum as I always thought it made very minimal gains without forced induction.


this actually my girlfriend ride. The Kinetix plenum is the third version and does prove gains that i thought it wouldn't. made me a believer. of course you are going to get better gains going F.I but imo was worth it to go with the Kinetix.


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## g37mobbin (Aug 15, 2009)

99IntegraGS said:


> I'd love to get some pods made for my doors... it's too damn bad I live so far away from Bing. I wish we had a Bing in Tallahassee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


JD,
When she first got the car the wheels were bent without our knowledge and wanted to change it up a bit so decided to go with the gloss black but to some effect makes the wheels look small. Pictures do not have justice for the ride in person it looks alot nicer. on an other note,
the car is going for another make over.....according to Versus Motorsports it will be the first Auth. Chargespeed fully bodykit, including the hood,trunk and roof fin in the US. i am excited for it. along with that, she is getting aftermarket seats and a carbon fiber steering wheel to get it a touch up. As for the wheels themselves, we are currently waiting for the Volk g2's to come in. we been waiting for about 4 months and still nothing. as well the car is getting a paint job just my girlfriend is undecided to go with black with burgandy or Candy apple red.


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## bkzjayy718 (Aug 11, 2009)

Nice job..


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## Roadmaster11 (Jul 14, 2008)

I am astonished that a company/customer could let that first install leave the shop.

Bing, i wish i had your patience.


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## MaXaZoR (Apr 1, 2007)

What "mold" cloth do you use, do you purchase it online? I usually use fleece from the bargin bins at target.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

i use three general kinds of mold cloth dependent on the application.

for bigger jobs where thickness isnt an issue, such as a subbox or major amp rack build, i use fleece.

for thinner, more delicate molds such as these pods, i use T shirt material

for even finer jobs, i use grille cloth


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## superduper (Aug 26, 2009)

now thats klean...


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## lou95340 (Apr 7, 2009)

Love the install...we need more "rescue" installs posted! Also love the pic of the car parked on a typical San Francisco street. Very nice!


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

wat speakers are those in the doors? they look awfuly familliar to the illusion audio carbon series speakers that were copied by planet audio.

great speakers back then, great looking install. im more into practical trunk space - but it looks great none the less.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

req said:


> wat speakers are those in the doors? they look awfuly familliar to the illusion audio carbon series speakers that were copied by planet audio.
> 
> great speakers back then, great looking install. im more into practical trunk space - but it looks great none the less.


hehe i think i answered that questions and wrote about not needing usable trunk space in my initial post


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## troytag (Aug 1, 2009)

g37mobbin said:


> JD,
> When she first got the car the wheels were bent without our knowledge and wanted to change it up a bit so decided to go with the gloss black but to some effect makes the wheels look small. Pictures do not have justice for the ride in person it looks alot nicer. on an other note,
> the car is going for another make over.....according to Versus Motorsports it will be the first Auth. Chargespeed fully bodykit, including the hood,trunk and roof fin in the US. i am excited for it. along with that, she is getting aftermarket seats and a carbon fiber steering wheel to get it a touch up. As for the wheels themselves, we are currently waiting for the Volk g2's to come in. we been waiting for about 4 months and still nothing. as well the car is getting a paint job just my girlfriend is undecided to go with black with burgandy or Candy apple red.


candy red..with silver base...cant go wrong...


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## troytag (Aug 1, 2009)

simplicityinsound said:


> hehe i think i answered that questions and wrote about not needing usable trunk space in my initial post



very nice bing..
we talked about 3 weeks ago..install in my 60 impala?

i now see why you have a 6 month back log!!

very,very nice work..


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

troytag said:


> very nice bing..
> we talked about 3 weeks ago..install in my 60 impala?
> 
> i now see why you have a 6 month back log!!
> ...


hey bud,

is THAT a pic of YOUR car? man  if you havent done anyhting yet, i would love to get my hands on it. wish i can do a classic ride once in a while to keep things fresh hehe

b


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## troytag (Aug 1, 2009)

simplicityinsound said:


> hey bud,
> 
> is THAT a pic of YOUR car? man  if you havent done anyhting yet, i would love to get my hands on it. wish i can do a classic ride once in a while to keep things fresh hehe
> 
> b


id love to have you do the install..here it is now after a fresh black paint job..
ill email ya with questions on the install...















































i started to look for used "older " zapco amps...i think ive got enough..


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

holy Fux0rz batman. that original install, shame shame shame. great work bing! solid underpinnings beat cosmetics every time. and you did both! very nice!


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Bing, great work as always. One question though. Once you cast that mold from the doors and finished it up, how did you then attach it to the door?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

that impala is awesome! 

stylion: a series of screws and speed clips fully fasten the pod to the door. impossible to come off


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

troytag & bing, we want to see you two combine that Impala & those Zaps into something spesh!!!
YOU HAVE OUR ATTENTION!


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## steffanan (Dec 9, 2010)

holy crap!!!! like a year ago i searched ZAPCO DOOR PANELS on google images, and found two pictures. ONE of these door panels, and ONE of the trunk all lit up... i loved it to death, and used it as my cell phone background for about a year, and i showed my friends and boss, and was so excited to some day have a system like this because for some reason, this system here REALLY hits me the right way. so anyways, now here i am, searching around on diyma, and i found a really cool install. i clicked on the website and learned everything about bing, and was really interested in his work. spent hours on his website before finding this. i just cant believe that i found it after all of this time. and i am able to comment on it! Bing when i get a lOT of money i am going to have you do a magical system in my vehicle, because 1. you use ALL of the equiptment that i use (zapco everything, damplifier pro, and im sure other things  ) 2. you have the best looking stuff ever ever ever!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

okay okay...calm down, its this kind of stuff that ends up getting me in trouble...

truly, i am honored, but equally true i am so remotely not worthy of that kind of praise its embarrassing... 

I can think of dozens, if not hundreds of guys i literally say the exact same thing to, at any given time...quite a few of them are active on this forum...

look at the work done by guys like josh at jml, jon at handcrafted, Jay at Drive customs, Ernie at Sound Innovations, Jeremy at Advanced Audio, Gary Bell, Chris Yato, Mike Vu, etc etc etc etc etc...now those are the people you should want to take your car to if you made a ton of cash 

here, look at the installs here: 

Show Car Stereo Systems - Car Audio and Electronics

Competition Car Stereo Systems - Car Audio and Electronics

b


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## steffanan (Dec 9, 2010)

simplicityinsound said:


> okay okay...calm down, its this kind of stuff that ends up getting me in trouble...
> 
> truly, i am honored, but equally true i am so remotely not worthy of that kind of praise its embarrassing...
> 
> ...


haha I'm way too excited to have found the forum of my favorite install ever! I know that there are other awesome custom installers out there but I am a fan of your stuff because you use high end zapco stuff, and I love seeing what you do with that stuff.


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## w8lifter21 (Jun 12, 2009)

Inspiration to do some pods in my G35!


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## jrs1006 (Sep 19, 2010)

Dang who did that original install a crack head. Looks like they just threw everything together. No planning, organization just sloppy really. Must of taken a lot of time to clean everything up and make it all good.


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## ryomanx (Feb 18, 2011)

simplicityinsound said:


> a series of screw/speed clips


should have know. that answers my only question.
I like it.


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## Vitty (Feb 26, 2011)

Wow, took a butchered car and made it clean again. Good work.


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## BullDawg36 (Dec 14, 2008)

hey Bing,
i just picked up an 03 G35 sedan with navi in the dash. Would happen to know if there is a dash install kit to install an aftermrket unit? I have seen these for the cars w/o the nav, but none so far with the nav. any assistance is appreciated!!!


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Very nice work. Just night and day between amateur and professional class installs.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

BullDawg36 said:


> hey Bing,
> i just picked up an 03 G35 sedan with navi in the dash. Would happen to know if there is a dash install kit to install an aftermrket unit? I have seen these for the cars w/o the nav, but none so far with the nav. any assistance is appreciated!!!


you need the JDM finisher and AC controller.

go to g35driver.com, i am sure there are current info on where best to get it. you can also try your local dealer, here some dealers do stock them.

the ac controller normally does not come with the dual button, so you have three choices:

1. just run without dual zone ac

2. remove the dual button from the stock unit and solder it to the new one

3. pay some extra money and get the ac controller that has the dual button.

total should be a bit over $200...

you dont need the cage or anything, as you can reuse the stock one. but you will very likely have to redrill the holes so the headunit line up with the opening correctly.

do not get the metra kit, it looks really crappy, the jdm one is 100 percent stock look.

you will also need a nissan antenna adapter and harness...nissan 95 and up.

if you plan JUST to install the headunit and not touch anyhting else, i prefer to get the scosche nissan kit they sell on crutchfield, whcih is basically the nissan harness with a adjustable line out converter attached. if you are planning to swap out your speakers, you can just use the standard harness and tap for power gorund acc etc...also for non bose cars you use the normal harness.

you can remove the stock slide out nav assembly and find a cubby from a junkyard and use that, that will give you some storage space and also give you a bit more room to work with behind the headunit.

just becareful and take your time, the 03-04 headunit install on the G35 is among hte more difficult headunit jobs out there...i usually spend a good 4- hours on a full blown nav install to make sure its perfect.

b


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## blackknight87 (Jul 11, 2011)

man i wish i had skills to do custom door panels like that.

good save!


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## jayhawker (Jun 24, 2008)

very nice recovery.


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## mr.metoo (Feb 20, 2010)

Dude you're a freaking beast :beerchug:


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## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

How in the hell do people call themselves installers when they do such a crap job like that!?! You really took a wreck and made it a gem. Nice work, as usual.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

thanks...its been a few years since this one


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## shawnk (Jan 11, 2010)

Just saw this one for the first time as well. 

Super nice work as usual bro!

Nice save too!!!


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