# 2001 WS6 Trans Am Install



## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

This will be a record of what's going on audio installation-wise with my WS6. The system as of now (03/09/09) consists of:
Eclipse 7200 MKII- Head-unit
Pioneer 720-PRS components- Front statge
2 FI Q 12's dual 2ohm- Subs
Memphis Belle (Big Belle) 5ch- Amp
4awg from battery back to distro block 8awg to amp. I know I know  This will be changed in the future to 0awg & 4awg. 
Tweets speaker wire- Rockford Fosgate 16awg
Mids speaker wire- Rockford Fosgate 12awg
Subs speaker wire- Monster Cable 12awg
Stinger 4ch RCA
??unknown 2ch RCA

Here is the headunit, looks good on the outside but behind the facade is a tangled mess of wires. This was all tidy'd up (forgot to take pic  )


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Next will be a few shots of the box I built and the subs. I built the box with help from fourthmeal (thanks again) using the T/S parameters in WinISD to come up with the needed airspace for my sealed enclosure. I still have to carpet it but it came out pretty well. A little ruff around the edges but not bad.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Up next will be some pics of the front doors before and after Dynamat and adding the 720PRS comps.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)




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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thats about it for pics so far but will add more. I went active with the 720's and they sound great! Best front stage I have ever had! Those JL (not to badmouth a fine company)VR components were so blah! If I had held one in my hand and checked it out beforehand, I doubt seriously that I would have bought them. I have had beefier $50 coaxils (Jenson from back in the day and Rockford Fosgate come to mind) that would out-perform these things. I gave them to the kid doing the Dynamat install for a "tip". There was no way I was going to ask money for those things 

I am going to custom build an amp-rack to hang on the rear wall and hide all wiring and cables to it. I am probably going to go with the Zuki Eleets 4ch and not decided on the sub amp? Waiting to see the small mono that Zuki is going to put out. I think Jason (bertholomey) is going to get one so I will check his out as he let me check out his Eleets already. That is it for now. Any comments/suggestions are welcome. 
I know I should have done the Dynamat myself but I did watch and obviously took pics so when I go to putting more in I will know how to handle it. 

Thanks guys 

Jman


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Horry chit! My second favorite Trans Am (the WS6, very closely behind the 78') Very good install you have going on. Nice attention to detail and good job with your research beforehand.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thank you 

Yeah, the research has been a blast! I have been spending hour upon hour on here reading and reading all the while keeping a couple of tabs open to do further searching  I am so looking forward to testing and tuning on this puppy and then moving onward and upward  I think I have a fairly decent grasp on the crossover stuff. Next up is the Time Alignment and PEQ settings. My head unit is way smarter than I am so it has been a struggle to grasp all of it. I had TA on my old Alpine head unit but it was just a matter of entering the distance each speaker was away from the listening position. This thing here has DB settings and Time Delay settings for each speaker   

Lots of info here so it won't be long before it becomes clearer. 

Thanks again

Jman


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## SSSnake (Mar 8, 2007)

Very nice car! Good luck with the install


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Sweet J-man! Thanks for the props. I hope it works out perfectly.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words guys 

fourthmeal, I seriously doubt my box would sound half as good without your help. I have mentioned in some other posts that I had built a sealed enclosure for the DA D6 12 using DA recommended specs and it sounded horrible!!  Using the program and the numbers you suggested (the #'s I was using came up with a considerable difference in airspace) is the difference between this being a great sounding box (which it is) and a pile of kindling  

Thanks again guys

Jman


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Sorry for hitting this one more time today, but..... 

I got to send a big shout out to mikey7182! He has been a tremendous help to me during this phase of my audio incarnation. I have probably Pm'd him 50 times asking questions and clarifications of some the answers. He always responds and is very patient and is able to dumb it down for me  The fact I was able to claim a fair amount of understanding of the crossover part is all because of his help. 

Thanks Mike  

Jman


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

What's up one and all!! Got some work done on the Bird this week so time to share 

New additions:

Optima yellow top battery- not my first choice but my friend that helped hook me up with the install is a dealer so I bought it to show some love 

0awg power wire to the rear of the car then 4 awg to the amps

EFX fused power and non-fused ground distro blocks

Eclipse IPC-106 Ipod adapter

Zuki Eleets 4 channel- incredible SQ amp I picked up from dodgerblue here on DIYMA

Phoenix Gold Xenon 1200.1- monster mono amp I picked up from 02bluesuperroo here on DIYMA

New custom t-top well box for the 2 FI Audio Q's

New custom amp rack for the amps

I ran into a friend of mine from years back that has upwards of 25 years experience installing mobile audio and is also an F-body man (99SS). He saw my old set up and wanted to work on my car, on the condition I ditched the big ugly non-carpeted box that was in it at the time So i relented and went about gathering stuff to finish the job. I will start adding the pics in the next post, stay tuned


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ok I will start with a few pics of the battery and power wire install:
















This pic is a gratuitous pic of my battery cover LOL


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

next I will show a couple of the early designs of the amp rack. He ended up changing it all up because he didn't want any of the wiring showing through the window. So, he flipped the Zuki around the other way and moved the Zuki logo so that it would be seen.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ok, time to start over


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Don't ya just love when a plan starts coming together! 

Time to start putting the vinyl on the rack and the box.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Time for a couple of shout outs! This is my boy Clint, he put this pic on my camera cause he is always threatening to steal my American Racing Torque Thrust wheels for his SS 









This is a pic of another friend Jon, that had to do some of the cutting cause Clint's back was acting up and was taking some pain killers and didn't want to operate any power tools (probably a good idea!) 









Another friend Brian is the owner of the shop. We all worked together back in 05 although they have known each other longer than they have known me. Great guys each one!! Brian has sunk his savings into getting this shop off the ground and running and has a great place! It is called Wires Inc. and is located in Rocky Mount NC. They are going to be a full service shop. Mobile audio, tint, custom fabrication, leather and vinyl covering, pin-striping and graphics, and auto accessories. He has a facebook page now and will be adding myspace and a website in the near future. If anyone on here needs anything, give them a call. Like I said, Brian and the gang are all great guys to deal with and they will do right by you.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

All in all, I am very pleased with the way it came out. Clint is kinda anal about stuff and wants to do some more tweaking on the amp rack cover as far as fitment so we will tackle that in some spare time. For now I am more than happy with the results. 

Now for the sound: OH MY GOD!! It is beyond anything I could have hoped for and blows away everything I have ever experienced in any of my automobiles. I have said before (maybe in this thread but I am not going to go back up and look) that I have been tinkering with systems since 1979 and NOTHING has ever had the clarity and presence of this set up! I will do some fine tuning at the NC meet in Statesville on the 29th, Electrodynamic (Stereo Integrity) is going to have an RTA there, but for now it is great. I set the TA on it today and the crossovers are all set, maybe some minor adjustments here and there but nothing major. The Eleets are making those 720PRS fricking scream! (bertholomey I can't to get your impressions) The PG is feeding the Q's just fine! They seem really happy  

In a way, I think I am done for now. I really want to switch to Morel for the front stage. It is a long story but I have been wanting that for a few years now. I actually had a set of Morels (can't remember the model but they were made in England not Israel, and yes they were still Morels) for over a year and just kept them in the closet cause I thought I was happy with my ID Chameleons  I ended up selling them on Feebay. Other than that, I am good. There is no way I could ever need more power in that cabin for the Q's, the Zuki is as good as advertised. I know people love to debate that and complain about the ratings but F**k that! It rocks! 

Ok, I will shut up for now, go change my sig, and maybe update my cardomain site. Let me know what ya think guys. I am interested in your thoughts or suggestions on my set up. 

Thanks to all of you that have helped me here on DIYMA also. I was so far away from where I am now when I signed up back in January 09, it seems like a lifetime ago 

Jman


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

That looks fantastic!!!

What a difference from the first time I saw your set up and heard your set up. 

Wow, from a single ported box with an FI Q that was 'boomin' to an active set up with a well balanced front stage and sub stage. Now, with a little eye candy to match! 

It looks like those buds of yours really took care of you - I can't wait to hear it next week. Great job - You are going to be grinnin' for a while now - have fun going through all of your music again (Wow, is that how that is supposed to sound?) 

Congrats J-Man!


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Indeed, Looks good. What perfect timing for the upcoming GTG; can't wait to hear it next weekend and check things out in more detail!


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## Beyond Silence (May 11, 2009)

the mounting of the mids doesn´t look so secure to me...


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks guys  It is going to take forever to re-listen to my collection of music, but it is going to be a blast!!  <-- That is probably exactly how my face will look while doing it!




Beyond Silence said:


> the mounting of the mids doesn´t look so secure to me...


 Not sure how much more secure it needs to be? They are mounted to an "enclosure" (has a vented opening about halfway around the circumfrence at the rear of the enclosure) that is mounted to the door panel. I know some people use an mdf ring, but I didn't see the need. Of course, being a noob to a lot of the practices on this board, I am always open to suggestions  How should I make this a better mounting situation? 

Thanks for checking it out and keep the comments and suggestions coming

Jman


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## Fiercetimbo17 (May 17, 2007)

I would kinda agree, I would build a baffle using that plastic OEM spacer as a template.

Btw is that a Best buy install bay?


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ha Ha Yep. The pics of the Dynamat and mids installation were done there. That is where I ran into Clint. He is working there part time until Brian gets his shop up and running full speed. (I believe this is his last week at worst buy) The day I showed up to get the dynamat and the PRS's installed he was out sick (spent time in the hospital) and I decided to give the kid (Drew) a chance and he did a great job. Took him all day though cause he was trying so hard to do it right plus I kept hanging around to make sure  

I will have to take some of my excess MDF I got laying around from making the box and make some templates. 

Do I need to ditch the plastic enclosure pieces altogether? Mount the MDF rings to the door and the mids to it and have them free-air behind? 

Like I said, any and all advice/suggestions are welcome. I have learned a bunch from you guys but by no means do I think I know it all 

Thanks 

Jman


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Some use of oil based non hardening clay around the stock ring may be all you need to deaden and decouple the driver from the sheet metal


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Cool

Check it out Friday and let me know what ya think  

Honestly, it is sounding pretty freaking awesome right now!  I just went for a ride just to do some more listening. Listened to some Korn and then some Talking Heads and just keep getting impressed by these 720PRS comps! The Q's are just plain Silly! When I get my new daily driver (looking for a 200-05 Vette), I am going to have to consider just running 1 in the TA and one in the Vette! 

Jman


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

j-man said:


> Sorry for hitting this one more time today, but.....
> 
> I got to send a big shout out to mikey7182! He has been a tremendous help to me during this phase of my audio incarnation. I have probably Pm'd him 50 times asking questions and clarifications of some the answers. He always responds and is very patient and is able to dumb it down for me  The fact I was able to claim a fair amount of understanding of the crossover part is all because of his help.
> 
> ...


Not sure how I missed this! Sorry for such a late response. You are more than welcome. Not to wax philosophical, but I think that's what DIYMA is all about; at least it has been for me. Although I've been involved with car audio for 11 years or so, I realized after joining here that I knew very little about car audio. Members of this site, former and current, have shared their wealth of knowledge here, and I have managed to pick up a few pieces along the way.

Your install looks awesome! I love the tweeter placement- the stock location is perfect. That amp rack looks sweet too! As far as your mids go, I had those same pods on my S-10. I had originally mounted my SPX-PRO woofers to those with some modeling clay, and good ol' AZ heat melted it after a few weeks. Guess I got the wrong kind.  So I pulled those off and made new ones out of MDF. Just watch out for door skin clearance and you should be fine.  I may have to try out a few of those Zukis! I'm not a believer much in amps sounding different, but I've always wanted to see what the hype is all about. Ya never know... my horns may persuade me to keep the Zukis!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks Mike  

Looks like I will be working on the mounting of the mids next. I guess I should have done more research before putting the PRS comps in. Oh well, it's not like I mind playing around with things and that is something I can tinker with in the garage 

As far as the Zuki, I am a believer. I won't get into any of the arguments, life is too short for all that nonsense, but going from the Belle to the Zuki has been like night and day. I was to the point of actively searching for comps to replace the 720's but not any longer. I may eventually move to something else just to try out but they are infinitely better than any I have had in the past. 

Jman


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## 02bluesuperroo (Oct 31, 2006)

j-man,

Good to see my amp pumping away on some nice speakers. That amp rocks, hopefully it will give you a lifetime of service.

Your install is looking pretty good but I agree about the speakers in the doors. If you want to get the most out of them, I'd work on that area a bit.

Not to brag, bit if you want to see how to do it up right, take a look at page two of this thread  http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-build-logs/19513-2007-fj-cruiser-install-diary-2.html


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Those are fantastic looking doors on the FJ!

A lot of guys mentioned using some type of waterproofing if you are using mdf for baffles, or many have promoted the use of materials like the HDPE used in the FJ. Some of the comments I have seen are that it is of course water proof, and a bit more secure for tightening the screws.


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

j-man
Do I need to pack some tools for this weekend? I'll be in GSO at Jasons place.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

02bluesuperroo said:


> j-man,
> 
> Good to see my amp pumping away on some nice speakers. That amp rocks, hopefully it will give you a lifetime of service.
> 
> ...



Your amp is rocking those Q's hella crazy!! Like I have stated, the addition of these 2 amps was like buying a whole new system! The 720's have come alive and sound nothing like they did on the Belle. The Q's are just pounding away like it aint nothing now that they are getting some power. 

Thanks for the link to your install! So that is what doors are supposed to look like!  Much work is needed on mine apparently. I am glad everyone is checking in with good advice. I really appreciate it.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

slade1274 said:


> j-man
> Do I need to pack some tools for this weekend? I'll be in GSO at Jasons place.





Maybe my friend! 

Probably not though  I have nothing in the way of tools in GSO. I always do my tinkering at pops house in Bailey, NC. He has about every tool known to man, and some that aren't known  

Thanks again for the kind words and suggestions everyone!

Jman


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## arrivalanche (Jun 27, 2008)

Sorry man but that amp rack is pretty rough. Why didnt you at least make the sides follow the contours of the cars interior? Also around the distro blocks you can see bare wood plain as day. Attention to detail man.......


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Perfect? Nah, not by a long shot, but serves its purpose. We plan to revisit it later and do something with fiberglass that will follow more closely the flow of the hatch. As far as seeing bare wood as plain as day, that is true of some of the early pics but not the last ones. All you see in the finished product is the distro blocks. I do plan on getting some more vinyl and recovering the cover or making a new one altogether because there are a couple of spots where there are dimples in the wood. 

I still like it a lot and when it all comes down, that is what counts  

Thanks for your observations

Jman


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## 02bluesuperroo (Oct 31, 2006)

arrivalanche said:


> Sorry man but that amp rack is pretty rough. Why didnt you at least make the sides follow the contours of the cars interior? Also around the distro blocks you can see bare wood plain as day. Attention to detail man.......


I like the criticism but maybe you could deliver it in a more constructive manner so as not to discourage people from taking on these kinds of projects themselves. 

The whole point of this site it to help people learn how to do these types of projects (at least it used to be  ). Anyone who has been in love with car audio since they were old enough to drive (or younger) has done an installation that was FAR worse then what we see here. If I would have had a site like this available to me then, maybe I wouldn't have done so many shoddy installations. :laugh: When I started coming to this site I had no idea how to fiberglass, cut circles with a router, properly sound deaden a car, properly fuse my system, properly set gains, how phase effects bass response, use hdpe for speaker mounts, using clay .... do I need to continue?

Maybe next time you could impress us all with a really great suggestion for his setup or better yet, some pictures of YOUR setup where you did something that might help him make his install better.

Help keep DIY mobile audio alive!!  

-Rob


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Very well put Rob  

Not that I myself would be discouraged by his comments, but maybe someone else that might be thinking of posting an install thread. I know there is plenty of room for improvement but as I stated I am happy with this stage. Anyone that has seen any of the earlier setups I have had in this car will see that this latest is by far the nicest. Each step I take in this journey leads me to another and so it goes. The day I stop working on and trying to improve my baby whether sound quality wise or performance wise, is the day they convert it into a coffin and bury my fat ass  

Thanks again Rob (especially for the Xenon!!) 

Jman


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

02bluesuperroo said:


> I like the criticism but maybe you could deliver it in a more constructive manner so as not to discourage people from taking on these kinds of projects themselves.
> 
> The whole point of this site it to help people learn how to do these types of projects (at least it used to be  ). Anyone who has been in love with car audio since they were old enough to drive (or younger) has done an installation that was FAR worse then what we see here. If I would have had a site like this available to me then, maybe I wouldn't have done so many shoddy installations. :laugh: When I started coming to this site I had no idea how to fiberglass, cut circles with a router, properly sound deaden a car, properly fuse my system, properly set gains, how phase effects bass response, use hdpe for speaker mounts, using clay .... do I need to continue?
> 
> ...


No Chit! My first install was a box built out of 1/2" wood shelving and I used a drill and a chisel to cut the holes for the subs as I didn't even have a jig-saw. Oh yea, the drivers were good-ol Radio Shack!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Just a quick D-fib on this long lost thread 

I will have more details and pics in the near future to show what has been happening. I got a killer deal on some Rainbow Platinum components, I sold the Zuki and replaced it with a sub-amp matching Xenon 200.4. The Rainbow mids are 7" and would not fit in stock locations. I met up with Joey (g0a on here) of Audio Illusions in Hickory and he designed some baffles and installed the Rainbows today. Joey did a tremendous job! It was a lot of fun watching him figure everything out and then executing it. He does top notch work and I can say I have definately found myself a shop and installer!! 

It is late and I have to wait for some pics (didn't have my camera so Joey took several) then I will go into a little more detail. These are a couple I snapped with my cell phone.


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words J-man . It was my pleasure to work on your car.
Had a great time talking about car audio and listening to the Rainbows after we got everything built. Damn fine sounding components,I cant wait to hear them with a good tune on them =) gonna be sick!

thanks again for the opportunity to do some work for you It was a lot of fun.
You are a patient and very cool dude Ill bring a bunch of music to the meet to let you check out .
thanks again
Joey @ Audio Illusions


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## ALL4SPL (Sep 30, 2009)

Very clean and simple install, looks like it will sound great!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

g0a said:


> Thanks for the kind words J-man . It was my pleasure to work on your car.
> Had a great time talking about car audio and listening to the Rainbows after we got everything built. Damn fine sounding components,I cant wait to hear them with a good tune on them =) gonna be sick!
> 
> thanks again for the opportunity to do some work for you It was a lot of fun.
> ...


You got it Joey! I had a blast man! The drive home went too fast but boy was it fun  Then I got up this morning and drove another 2 hours over here to Pops and tried to play every cd in the car :laugh::laugh: 

See ya at the GTG!



ALL4SPL said:


> Very clean and simple install, looks like it will sound great!


Thanks for the kind words  I know there are lots of systems that sound better but this one is pretty awesome! Best I have ever had by a long shot and have been building systems since '79 How is O-town by the way?? I lived there for 20 years before coming to NC. Remember Shakespereans from back in the day?? :laugh::laugh:

Jman


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## Kenny_Cox (Sep 9, 2007)

looks good! i had a '01 with a procharger, and those same wheels! I miss that car all the time. I had that same dash kit you have there too

Good stuff.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Kenny! 

A procharger! I am jealous!!  I am an old man, I am going all motor baby!! All I have left to do is heads/cam and get my Yank TC installed! This is my 3rd LS1 and will never sell this one. At least you still have an LS_ in the garage 

Thanks for the kind words sir! 

Jman


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## Kenny_Cox (Sep 9, 2007)

Yes, the TBSS is fun, the LS2 is a kick ass motor. But, she's just slow. She's a heavy one. The procharger was intimidating. Stock bottom end pushed 500RWHP with 11# of boost. The new owner is still pushing it to this day with no problems. 

I tried to buy it back beginning of this summer but it was a no go I might buy another one someday as a project car. Have fun with it, lot's of people are not fans of the handling. I think it could be better but didn't mind, I thought it was a fun driving car.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

It's not too hard to make those TBSS's fast 

I agree, they are very fun cars! People that tell me they don't handle well enough or the interior is chincy or whatever get told real quick, those aren't the reasons I bought it!  400+rwhp 400+rwtq and 28 mpg on the highway!! Emphasis on the Rear Wheel part!!  Besides, with all the suspension mods I have done, she handles pretty well. 

Jman


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ok, back on topic 

First Joey took apart the door panels and checked out the stock set-up. After checking clearance issues with the window and door panel, he developed a plan and laid it all out and gave me a price, to which I said Hell Yeah!! 

Joey took the stock plastic piece and made a template to take it's place and a mdf ring to mount to it for the 7"mid to mount to. 

























This is Joey's world famous "Perfect Circle router"  









Next the rings were glued/screwed to the templates and then some more test fitting.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Next Joey mixed up some resin to coat the template/rings and layered it on. We had a little fun with this step since he mixed it up pretty hot and the stuff started popping and smoking and was pretty much all kinds of UNstable!  After the resin cured the templates/rings were then covered with a layer of SecondSkin Damplifier Pro


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Next the mids were attached and then installed in the doors. After installing in the door, Joey added some silicone to help seal everything up. Here are the pics of everything in the doors. It turned out incredible!! I am very very pleased. Special thanks to all involved from Joey for the great fabricating, to Jason(bertholomey) and Ryan(Slade1274) and Mike(mikey7182) for all the times they let me pick their brains about setups, to the guys offering their criticism on my original door set-up  It has all gone together to helping me get my car right!  Thanks to all of DIYMA as well, I have learned so much here. Ok, on with the pics









































Looks pretty good huh????

Ok one more pic
I put new springs on my baby 









Let me know what ya think


Jman


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Hey J-Man,

I am so glad this worked out - you have been persistent in trying out new things - always taking it one notch higher. The best part is that you really enjoy every level. You get so stoked about the way it sounds compared to the last iteration, the learning you get at every level, and the enjoyment of your car all the way around. It has been a trip to have the opportunity to hear the car that first time in Jamestown and then hear it every time you have made a change. That is why I am really looking forward to this Saturday - I will really enjoy the time I get to listen to the Bird. 

Those Rainbows look great - it looks like a fantastic installation job as well.


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

can't wait to hear the changes/improvements....


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

dual layer baffles > flimsy factory plastic
Thanks for the writeup J-man =)


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

bertholomey said:


> Hey J-Man,
> 
> I am so glad this worked out - you have been persistent in trying out new things - always taking it one notch higher. The best part is that you really enjoy every level. You get so stoked about the way it sounds compared to the last iteration, the learning you get at every level, and the enjoyment of your car all the way around. It has been a trip to have the opportunity to hear the car that first time in Jamestown and then hear it every time you have made a change. That is why I am really looking forward to this Saturday - I will really enjoy the time I get to listen to the Bird.
> 
> Those Rainbows look great - it looks like a fantastic installation job as well.


Thanks Jason 

She has come a long way since that first meeting in Jamestown! One thing that has remained constant: I still envy your Morels  ha ha See ya Saturday!



slade1274 said:


> can't wait to hear the changes/improvements....


It will be great to hang out with ya again Ryan! I am looking forward to hearing your car with all the changes you have gone through as well. See ya Saturday 



g0a said:


> dual layer baffles > flimsy factory plastic
> Thanks for the writeup J-man =)


> by far!! 

Thank you for the pictures!! I told you I would be pimpin that ****! LOL I got a thread up over at LS1tech also 

See ya Saturday Joey!


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## Drifticon (Nov 20, 2007)

Hey I helped a little hahaha. Glad you like it man Joey did some sick work, glad I work for him


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ha Ha 

What's up Brock! 

Yeah you did and I appreciate your help as well! 

You coming to GSO for the GTG Saturday??

I am also honored your 5th post was in my thread


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

=) 
Yeah Broc did a a good job with the assist. I dont know what I would do without him =)
He is a great guy and always there to keep up the enthusiasm.

thanks for hitting them on LS1tech =)
I have that template for your buddies when they are ready =)))))


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## jadon087 (May 26, 2007)

Looking Great man! Car is the sex lets see some vids!


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Glad I work for him too...yikes, that might cause more damage than benefits.

Looking good. Those Platinums are supposed to be a pretty nice speaker.


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

I can't wait to get my router into the Hatch area =)


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

jadon087 said:


> Looking Great man! Car is the sex lets see some vids!



Thank you sir! I need to work on some vids. I made one when I first put the headers on and after 4 or 5 tries of posting it on my cardomain site, I gave up 



thehatedguy said:


> Glad I work for him too...yikes, that might cause more damage than benefits.
> 
> Looking good. Those Platinums are supposed to be a pretty nice speaker.


Nah, I hear you are the man I need to see about some tint issues 
I don't believe I would ever pay retail for the 'Bows but they do kick some major ass! 



g0a said:


> I can't wait to get my router into the Hatch area =)


Ha Ha me too! 

I added a page of pics and Audio Illusion pimping to my cardomain page :http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2884795/2

Thanks everyone 

Jman


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## TREOSOLS (Jun 19, 2009)

Joey and i have a few ideas for the hatch... we may even use the world famous Perfect Circle


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Mark, I have some ideas for welding rod and argon...


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## KAPendley (Nov 19, 2007)

Great job on the baffles Joey. Looks better than OEM for sure!! Wish I could have stuck around, I like learning!!! lol.

J, hope that my son did NOT scratch your bumper BTW. Dirty paint + hands rubbing paint = scratches. I did not see him doing it for a second there.


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

Andy Thanks Bro you know you are welcome to hang anytime you want.. Ill put you to work though =)))))
you can come help me on Johns trunk if you like =)

Broc can sweep .






j.k Broccoli =0)


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

KAPendley said:


> Great job on the baffles Joey. Looks better than OEM for sure!! Wish I could have stuck around, I like learning!!! lol.
> 
> J, hope that my son did NOT scratch your bumper BTW. Dirty paint + hands rubbing paint = scratches. I did not see him doing it for a second there.


Ha ha Not a problem Andy!  He did not do any harm at all. No worries my friend.

I am used to that when I am around my 2 1/2 year old niece. She is all girl so she won't do it when your car is dirty but when it is clean look out :laugh:
My Pop is 70 and you should see him jump when she gets near his Vette or Moms Caddy!! :laugh:

Jman


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## Drifticon (Nov 20, 2007)

g0a said:


> Andy Thanks Bro you know you are welcome to hang anytime you want.. Ill put you to work though =)))))
> you can come help me on Johns trunk if you like =)
> 
> Broc can sweep .
> ...


I'll sweep after I help on the install haha!

Maybe we can talk Mark into bringing a grill and we'll get some steaks and rock out on the trunk!


Oh and you can have post 7 too!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Drifticon said:


> I'll sweep after I help on the install haha!
> 
> Maybe we can talk Mark into bringing a grill and we'll get some steaks and rock out on the trunk!
> 
> ...


Ha Ha Nice :laugh:

So you rollin on into High Point Sat? If yes, see ya there. If not, next time then  

Jman


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## Drifticon (Nov 20, 2007)

We're gonna desperately try and make it. I know we have a semi-quick install to knock out and we're gonna roll out and try and make it!


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

This looks great man! It's good to see you making progress. Can't wait to see the hatch done!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks Mike 

Yeah, my resolve to stop spending money on the audio part of my modifications has had its *****-ass kicked Hatch and other changes coming along shortly 

Jman


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

mmmm sounds fun! I cant wait to make my nice clean shop all messy for your car again. =)


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ha Ha 

Yeah, it's coming 

If we find out my dumb ass has messed up that mid, we may have to deal on a Hi Energy 3 way  Maybe I can sweep floors for Broc or something??


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

I am sure we can work something out
=)

are we gonna do a pillars for the mid and tweet now?


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

Ill find something for Broc to do while you are sweeping =)


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

g0a said:


> are we gonna do a pillars for the mid and tweet now?


Thinking about it After hearing John's X3 and Drakes 3 way I was extremely impressed! I would however, like to keep the Rainbow tweets, maybe have a bastard 3 way set up  

We'll discuss 

Jman


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

Hey J-man how have you been bro.
I still have your Secondskin, IM sure you havent forgotten it.
Hit me up sometime .
Joey


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Joey!! 

Sorry I haven't stayed in touch. Just been busy with holidays, couple of trips down to FL, bought a set of heads for the Bird, etc. etc. I wasn't worried about the second skin  I started to call to set up an appointment to come over there in Nov. but things kinda snow-balled on me. 

I need some major help man! I will send ya a pm later cause I don't want everyone to know how big a dumb-ass I am  

Great to hear from ya and hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are off to a great start this new year and decade!! Not only Joey, but all my boys on this site! (Jason, Ryan, Mike, Broc, Winslow, Andy, Mark, just to name a few  ) Really, Happy New Year to everyone!! 

Jman


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Thanks J-Man!

It is good to see you back - give me a shout sometime - I would love to hear what it is that can't be mentioned publicly 

BTW - I still need to get that cd back to ya.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

What's up J!

I will hit ya up with a pm 

Hope ya liked the cd. You know it is not my normal genre but I thought it good. 

See ya 

Jman


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## angelspeedfreak (Oct 5, 2009)

One of my favorite cars of all time and a very nice install.

Good job, it looks great...


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## 03z-71 (Nov 11, 2008)

j-man said:


> Time for a couple of shout outs! This is my boy Clint, he put this pic on my camera cause he is always threatening to steal my American Racing Torque Thrust wheels for his SS
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I KNOW THOSE GUYS ...LOL They are x circuit city guys from Rocky Mount, but yeah they do some good work. The one guys was the Manager of the ROAD SHOP at CC... Mr.Jon eatmon does good too


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## KAPendley (Nov 19, 2007)

j-man said:


> Great to hear from ya and hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are off to a great start this new year and decade!! Not only Joey, but all my boys on this site! (Jason, Ryan, Mike, Broc, Winslow, Andy, Mark, just to name a few, But mainly Andy , cuz hes fackin AWESOME.  ) Really, Happy New Year to everyone!!
> 
> Jman


Fixed it for ya. LOL

Glad youre doing well bro.


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## 03z-71 (Nov 11, 2008)

yeah i have know them all for a while and i even went to high school with Jon Eatmon! They will take car of you...


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Wow! I totally missed notifications on these last few posts  

Yep, CC is where I worked with the guys. They were out in the roadshop and I was inside selling TVs and home entertainment. Good group of guys. 

Thanks for catching that for me Andy


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Well, unfortunately I have come to a turning point in the life of my Bird. On Saturday I picked up a set of Hertz MLK165s and then on Tuesday this happened:










































Car is at body shop to get repaired and all the equipment from the hatch has been removed. The amp rack imploded and the sub box will probably have to be destroyed, even if not damaged already, just to get it out of the hatch. The subs, amps, distro blocks, and MLK crossovers are all sitting here in my living room  Was planning on going back down to one sub and now it will happen sooner  I tried to tell myself in the beginning I was happy with how it was before but never really was. So now is my chance to get it done and done right 

Jman


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## Se7en (Mar 28, 2007)

Man! I'm sorry to see this. 

Two most important things: 
1. You're okay 
2. Upgrade!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks man  

Definitely will be upgrading the hatch area! Who knows how long I would have been pimpin my ghetto setup if this hadn't happened 

Jman


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## KAPendley (Nov 19, 2007)

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN dude that sucks. Glad noone was hurt!

Great attitude about it J. Hope it comes out better than before!!


I guess if my son DID rub any scratches in the bumper, its not so bad now. I wont let him near your new paint job bro.

Take care man, and drive defensive!


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## ungo4 (Jun 5, 2009)

So the insurance decided to fix it and not total it? Hate to hear about the system but at least you didn't get hurt. Cars and stereos can be replaced, people can't.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ha ha Thanks Andy 

Your son is welcome around my car anytime. I am trying to stay positive that the body work will be seamless. Last time ('99) after the paint cured it was so obviously repainted I couldn't stand it. He may be surprised how scrutinizing I will be when I pick it up  

Jman


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Do that J..... Silvers are among the hardest to match right


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Glad to see that the bird will be put back to tip top shape. Made me cringe a little just looking at these pictures. The other pictures had it looking pretty bad, but not as bad as these.

Definitely keep us updated on the progress of the repairs and the new build!


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## ellocojorge (Sep 30, 2009)

that will buff right put 

what did you do with the memphis amp?


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Daniel! The Qs are sittin here in the living room 


Unfortunately, I sold the Belle back when I took it out.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Damn J, sorry to see your ride got nailed. What happened exactly? Glad you're okay and have an excuse to rebuild.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks Mike

I was making a right hand turn and someone slammed into the left rear of my car  Never took her foot off the gas. Young girl, late for a test or something. Pretty hard lick, broke the drivers seat and sent the head rest flying off of it. My hat that was on my head was sitting on top of one of the subs in the hatch 

Nobody died and could have been worse. Really bummed about my car at first but hopefully will be back to normal soon 

Jman


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

we will get you back rocking J
no worries bro
glad you are safe thats what really matters.


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## dodgeman70592 (Jun 16, 2009)

Every time I look at these pics I cringe! Once again, sorry about the accident, but like mentioned before, everyone is ok (most important). Looking forward to the new 2010 build for the T/A. I'm sure it will be the best yet.


Jared


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

If I have anything to do with it , hopefully it will =)))))))))))))

Jman is the man 
his name even says so


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks guys 

I am over the initial shock of my baby getting smashed, now if my back would stop hurting (without the hydrocodone ) I would be better!

Oh yeah, we will be rockin again! Live and Loud! 

Jman


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Just a quick update: I just got off the phone with AllState (her ins) and was told the damages are now up to $9000! I assumed he was going to tell me they were totalling it out, well I was wrong. He said they are pretty certain that will cover everything without additional costs and that my car has a value of $15,800???? I wanted to ask how or if when it is fixed will they give me $15000 for it  All my research says $8-10 grand for it, not counting the 5-6 grand in after market parts I have installed(I know, can never re-coup all of that)not sure where they get 15 grand from. The body shop showed me that my after market suspension parts saved me from being hurt much worse and from the car being DOA at the scene. Those UMI sub frame connectors and trailing arms made of solid steel were the best $300 I have spent 

That is all for now, the audio rebuild shall commence in a few weeks  I still can't believe I only got to here my Hertz Mile for 3 days!! Gotta get em broke in 

Jman


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Well that is kind of good news. What kind of audio rebuild are we talking about?


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Daniel! 

Mostly re-doing the hatch. Go down to one sub and get the amps down out of the rear window so nothing can be seen by people walking by and looking in. 

Those Q's still have your name on them 

Jman


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## 12vTools (Jan 15, 2009)

And hopefully that Hatch Has my name on it =)))))))))))
Glad to see you are winning an insurance battle Jman


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

I am really looking forward to them too! 

Just ordered a basket and cone to finish up a subwoofer project so I can sell it and buy those!!!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Joey! I need to get over to Hickory for a visit 

Just let me know Daniel, I am not actively trying to sell them so they aren't going anywhere 

Jman


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

You got it bossman. Should be an interesting project. Planning to mate a 21" Incriminator Audio Death Penalty cone and basket onto a 12W7 motor. Using an 8-layer 3" coil and pretty nice spider. Just have to get a cool dustcap and tinsel wire, then see what kind of damage it will do.

Anyone in need of a sub that requires 8.15 cu.ft. of box with 130 sq.in. of port?


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Sounds like quite the project! I would have to strap it between the front seats and use the entire cabin for the box and roll the passenger window down for the port


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Just tell them to cut you a check for $12k and go find one in cherry condition that hasn't been in a $9k rear end accident..... They can fix it and sell it for $15k and come out ahead


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Right on Ryan!! If they would fall for that I would be set! All kinds of low miles fbodys out there for $12000 and less. I even found a mint 2000 over in GA for $5000 just needs motor/trans/ECM/harness. I could transfer eveything over scrap the rest and come out ahead.


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Ask them, maybe they'll go for it.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Lookie what I got back (finally!!!) on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!! 


































I was really really pleased with the outcome! I was really worried about the paint matching/blending but that concern was take away about halfway thru the process. I went to the shop and we were talking about the roof panel behind the ttops that had paint blistering. This was a GM problem that they sent out a recall on this model car (before I bought it) to fix it. GM instructions said not to sand and paint but to replace with a new piece. New piece however is over $700 plus prep and paint. I asked him to try sanding and painting and while he was at it to hit the front bumper cover (curb rash from sitting so low) and the hood(some very light scratches). He called me a few days later and told me since I was paying to do all that outta pocket, he would go ahead and paint the whole car at no extra charge  So that left me to only worry about it being straight when it was done. As you can see in the pics, it turned out very well. The only things I am not 100% happy with, and can easily be fixed(will probably do it myself) are the hatch is just a smidge off. The drivers side at the rear corner sits just a touch higher than the passenger side. It opens and closes just fine, actually opens better than when new. These cars are notorious for the spring not releasing the hatch when you hit the button, usually have to hit it again, not any longer, first time everytime now. The other is the center panel on the rear. He relayed to me that he went thru 12 center panels trying to find one that matched the one I had on the car. I just smiled and told him that was because mine was custom made The best one of the bunch was the one on the car now which looks just fine. The problem is, it is off of a NHRA special edition Trans Am, which mine is not. When I told him, he said the insurance company told him mine was a special edition, which is true, it is a WS6, but not an NHRA. I am not one to be a poser so while it looks fine, it bothers me. I will just get another custom one made and sell this one so really no biggie. The only other thing is the roof panel. Apparently the General knew what he was talking about because in the time it sat in the sun Friday before I picked it up, it started to blister already :mean: It is very faint but it is there and will just get worse. Wayne(the painter) was so disappointed about it, he subtracted the charge for sanding and painting it. I thanked him and assurred him at some time in the future we will order one from GM and fix it right. Like I said, other than those things it is like a brand new car again


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Ok, so I spent the first day and a half with no tunes. The wreck had destroyed the sub box and the amp rack(no great loss there ) and I wasn't comfortable leaving all of it in the car so the day it got to the body shop I pulled everything out except the new Hertz MLKs and the head unit. I decided to go simple (in accordance with my install skillz) and brought my PG X200.4, my Hertz crossovers, my ground and power distro blocks, and my D6 12 and sub box over here to Pops to tinker with. I mounted the PG down on the floor of the well, put the crossovers on each side of the amp (not really mounted but not going anywhere) and then slid the D6 box above it. It goes down far enough to close the hatch and still have about 8" of open air between it and the amp. Both ends are open as well so in addition to the built in fans it should have plenty of air. I have the Hertz running off of chanels 1&2 and bridged 3&4 for the sub(sorry Ryan, I don't think it is enough for me won't be getting rid of the X1200.1) It sounds really really well and can't be seen through the rear window so not as likely for a snatch and grab! 

















I have a JBL GTI MKII 15 on the way to take over sub duty and that will be down the road. This should hold me over for now (yeah right  ) and give me time to do the hatch properly. 

All I can say is, it is so freaking great to have my car back!!!  I have put over 400 miles on it since Friday just driving around, first day listening to the v8 rumble and late last night and earlier today listening to tunes  

Thanks for checking out my build


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Awesome! Glad to hear she is back safe and sound. 

Can't wait to the GTI 15 installed!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thank you Daniel


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Glad you got it back! Lookin good.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks man 

I was so tired of pimping the Cobalt!!


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Fantastic news - the Bird is back! I need to get a listen to your new set up. Hopefully see you in Raleigh.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

I will be there  

I responded to Drakes pm but forgot to send it to everyone 

Thanks Jason


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Glad you finally got it back- and are happy with the work.

The box being ported does surprise me that it isn't enough... guess that exhaust can be quite intrusive.


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks Ryan 

Ya know, I was kinda already thinking along those lines. I am going to take one of the Qs back with me to see how it sounds with that ammount of power but your point about the ported box got me thinking (yikes ) I have a small sealed (.975 cu.ft total) that I had built for the diamond but was not enough air space(forgot to account for the sub displacement almslap: ) It may work better with the Q? I could even add some poyfil to it to help. I am off all week so I will do some spearamenting 

Jman


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## KrizWS6 (Jul 3, 2010)

I was wondering...how hard is it to install the CD player/head unit? I have a 2001 WS6, and I would like to install the unit myself. However, I have literally no experience at doing things of this nature. What are the odds that I will completely screw something up? Don't you have to remove the dash for the installation?

Nice ride, by the way!


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

KrizWS6 said:


> I was wondering...how hard is it to install the CD player/head unit? I have a 2001 WS6, and I would like to install the unit myself. However, I have literally no experience at doing things of this nature. What are the odds that I will completely screw something up? Don't you have to remove the dash for the installation?
> 
> Nice ride, by the way!


Hey Kriz  

Installing a head unit in our cars is not difficult at all. You will need a dash kit to install a single din unit. They are not that expensive and can be gotten about anywhere. I went to head unit mount.com (I believe it is humount.com) and ordered one of theirs. These are a little more expensive but look really nice. Other than getting one of these it is just a matter of popping the trim bezel from the dash, take out a couple of screws, oh and get a wire harness. I personally knew I would never go back to stock because I am NEVER sell this car so just spliced the wires and soldered them to the Eclipse. And no. you do not need to remove the dash or anything major like that. 

If you have any other questions just holler  

Thanks for the compliment on the ride  You will have to post up some pics of yours, especially during and after the install you do. What part of TN are ya from? I was actually raised in TN, McMinnville to be exact and all my ancestors settled in East TN around Erwin-Johnson City area. 

Welcome to the board. There is tons of info here so enjoy reading and learning 

Jman


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## KrizWS6 (Jul 3, 2010)

j-man said:


> Hey Kriz
> 
> Installing a head unit in our cars is not difficult at all. You will need a dash kit to install a single din unit. They are not that expensive and can be gotten about anywhere. I went to head unit mount.com (I believe it is humount.com) and ordered one of theirs. These are a little more expensive but look really nice. Other than getting one of these it is just a matter of popping the trim bezel from the dash, take out a couple of screws, oh and get a wire harness. I personally knew I would never go back to stock because I am NEVER sell this car so just spliced the wires and soldered them to the Eclipse. And no. you do not need to remove the dash or anything major like that.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info! I'm so glad you told me where you got the Trans Am dash kit. I was just going to use a cheaper plain one, but I love how the custom one looks, and I ordered it today. 

By the way, I'm from Lexington in West TN, half way between Memphis and Nashville.

Also, I included a pic of my car.


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

My buddy at work as the orange version of that car.
The SLP exhaust sound causes permagrin


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## j-man (Jan 5, 2009)

KrizWS6 said:


> Thanks for the info! I'm so glad you told me where you got the Trans Am dash kit. I was just going to use a cheaper plain one, but I love how the custom one looks, and I ordered it today.
> 
> By the way, I'm from Lexington in West TN, half way between Memphis and Nashville.
> 
> Also, I included a pic of my car.


You are very welcome  They are nice pieces for sure. I often get asked where I got it from. 

Nice Bird ya got there! Looks great 

Notloudenuf: Your buddy must have the SLP Loudmouth set up  They are almost as obnoxious as my GMMG chambered set-up


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## transaman98 (Feb 7, 2007)

Magnaflow with a 4" electric cutout. Closed=not obnoxious Open= very obnoxious:laugh:
Good looking cars btw(j-man & KrizWS6)


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## KrizWS6 (Jul 3, 2010)

Here are the before and after pictures of my head unit install. 

Before:












After:



















Thanks again for the information, j-man!


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## MTopper (Nov 4, 2009)

that looks like a really nice area. good job.


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