# My 1990 300ZX TT audio install



## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

I found this site while searching for an Xtant 3300c amp, and after some reading it looks like it could be a great mobile audio site for me to peruse and check out from time to time. There looks to be some pretty hardcore audioheads on here. So I guess this is my introduction thread!

This is my 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo into which all this stuff is going:



















I’m about 80% done with my stereo system, so I figured I’d post some pretty pics and show what I’ve been up to.

I’m keeping my Alpine CDA-9831 for now, because it’s a quality unit packed with great features. The only feature it doesn’t have, that I wish it did, would be HD Radio. I’ve become addicted to it since I got it in my DD.

Below is a diagram of what the finished system will look like:










Now the previous owner took the car to *Sound Systems*, on Alum Rock Avenue in San Jose California. I cannot *warn *prospective customers about this place enough. The “work” was amateur at best. Sound came from all four corners, but it was only the left channel. That’s right, left channel mono in all four speakers. I changed every configuration, swapped amps and head units. The hacked in to the stock wiring at odd points to run speaker wire, it was just an abortion. Then they put 5.25” components in the OEM Bose front enclosures. No seal whatsoever, just drilled and placed in there. And for the tweeters they just hole-sawed a GIANT hole in the door panels. Drilled a hole thru the firewall for the power wire (though that’s more common, so I’ll let it slide). So yeah, to say I was frustrated and pissed doesn’t begin to cover it.

Enough bitching  I ran Monster Cable XLN-Pro patch cables from the Alpine to the Audio Control, and from the EQQ to the amps. I ran a separate two channels from the sub output to the 3300 as well. I ran my power wire when I was doing my engine work with the bay empty and fender liner off:










Here’s what it looks like at the battery end of things:










Then I started on the speaker enclosures. My 90 has the 6.5” rear enclosures, which was greatly helpful in the planning. Miraculously, Sound Systems managed to some how *not[/b[ fcuk up the rear enclosures. I removed the Bose amps (yes, they were left in) and stuffed them with the stuffing from the front enclosures in addition to the rear stuffing that was already there.



















I ran 16 AWG JL Audio speaker wire. I got a bunch on closeout when the local Tweeter closed down. The finished product:










I used some eBay MDF baffles for the front speakers because the Focal components did not fit into the Nissan Non-Bose brackets. I drilled holes for the driver and crossover and then sprayed the back side with Plasti-Dip to make them more water resistant. I did about 5-6 coats, one can covered both panels.










Driver installed with locking stainless hardware










To reduce door noise, I sprayed the latex foam in the door, and added the carpet backing to the trim panel. I eventually had to retrim after this picture, as the woofer would hit a piece of foam.










Continued next post...*


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

I “dynamatted” the door panels, but not overkill. I just did some areas that could resonate with midbass tones being generated. I actually used a product called R-Blox. I actually liked the supplied roller better than either Dynamat roller I’ve used. The R-Blox is good stuff too, aluminum backed, sticky, just an overall much better value than Dynamat Extreme.










(I actually had to turn the crossover 90° from the position shown here so the trim panel would fit back on.)

To cover the massive (2.25” diameter) tweeter hole left by the shop in the door panel, I needed to get creative. I eventually settled on some 3.5” diameter door knob wall protectors. They were made of some generic plastic, with self adhesive on the back. They can be had at Home Depot for about $2 a piece. I drilled out the hole in the center for my Focal tweets, then sanded and sprayed with 3-4 coats of Plasti-Dip. I think the finished result came out pretty good. *NOTE FOR REFERENCE: This is FAR from an ideal tweeter location, as my post history will tell you, but there was no way for me to cost effectively replace the door panel and mount the tweeters properly.* As you can tell, I’m really sour about this whole door-panel-cutting-fiasco.










Once the speakers were done, I built the panels to mount the distribution blocks and Xtant 2140c behind the seats. I used 1/2” MDF covered by unbacked cabinet carpet, using 3M spray adhesive to secure the two.










And here’s the finished EQQ and distribution block panel:










I left room for a 1 farad cap on this panel, in case I decide I need it after I add the second amp and sub. On the Xtant panel, I’ll be adding a small fire extinguisher.










As shown here:










Oh, and I added my 300° DIN panel, which is an excellent product. Here’s how it looks with nothing turned on. I’ll take another later with the lights on.










So far, so good. It sounds great, but I still have to install the second amp and sub, then tune the whole thing.

I first posted that on my Z forum about a year ago, and since then, I've installed the 3300c. After install, I've discovered that it doesn't work, and the over-current LED comes on with nothing attached. It makes a God-awful buzzing/ticking sound and the heatsink gets warm. So I'm guessing there's something wrong with the output stage of the thing.

I'm so frustrated with the ordeal that I might scrap the Xtants all together. I'm looking for another 3300c/x or 603x, and if I can't find one this winter, I'll probably just get a few Soundstream, PPI or other classic amp(s) to do the job.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Welcome to the madness! 
You seem local - I'd love to hear your car some time! Let me know if you need some help/opinion/extra pair of hands with something.
Your Z looks super clean!
Cheers!


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

What are the black knobs holding up your panels? I like those alot. They'd come in handy for my trunk as well as other panels I'm doing. I don't like the screwed in look, but these are nice!


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## Turbo_CitrusEs (Feb 8, 2010)

Very nice install so far. I am definitely showing this to my girlfriend. She is looking for ideas for her 1992 300zx.


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## Shelbrain (Mar 1, 2008)

Wow, that car is beautiful! Good job on fixing some of the problems caused by the previous install. Welcome aboard!


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks for the welcome!

Mless5, I'm near Boston, in Somerville. Local can be a relative term, if you're on the NY border, lol.

scooter99, the black knob things are just folding screw covers I got from my local Ace hardware in the loose hardware section. I think I used a 1/4-20 screw-screw cover-panel-washer-lock nut assembly to hold the panel I made to the OEM trim panel.

Turbo_CitrusEs, feel free to PM me with any specifics. Though I'm pretty good with this audio stuff, I'm no expert. I do however, know the Z like the back of my hand. I can also recommend a Z site or two to check out.

I may have just found a 3300c to replace the bunk one I have now, so the completed install update may only be days a way!


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Looks GREAT!
The tweeter location may not be as much of a problem once things get tuned, especially so, if you decide to get something like the imprint from alpine or jbl's ms-8. Obviously there are better places, but where they are now can be overcome.
I know people do it all the time, and several never have an issue, BUT......xovers should never be mounted in doors for numerous reasons. If you have the option at some point you should think about putting them somewhere inside the car and save any chance of issues down the road.  
Really nice work though! Good luck with the new amp!


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## oldturd (Oct 31, 2009)

Beautiful car. I have always loved the Z32. Clean and simple; just the way I like it.


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> Looks GREAT!
> The tweeter location may not be as much of a problem once things get tuned, especially so, if you decide to get something like the imprint from alpine or jbl's ms-8. Obviously there are better places, but where they are now can be overcome.
> I know people do it all the time, and several never have an issue, BUT......xovers should never be mounted in doors for numerous reasons. If you have the option at some point you should think about putting them somewhere inside the car and save any chance of issues down the road.
> Really nice work though! Good luck with the new amp!


I'm hoping to tune out most of the issues with tweeters with the Alpine once I get everything set up. It does have delay corrections and a bunch of other features I need to mess with. I'm just sour they cut huge holes in the doors which are about $600 to replace with new OEM, and nearly impossible to find in good shape used.

The crossovers in the doors... are you referring to shock and vibe issues or water intrusion? I did mount them as close to the pivot as possible to reduce the magnitude of the door slam shock, but it's still not stationary and ideal by anymeans. I wanted them close to the drivers, so I opted for on door mounting. Though I can't really see how an extra 3 feet of wire would make THAT much difference if I were to mount them inside. I may consider that down the road, and did think of it at the time of initial install, thanks.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Cool, I am right around the corner from you. I work in Woburn, but my GF is in Brighton so I am back and forth all the time.


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## stangman67 (Apr 8, 2009)

Sexy car!


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## Installer4life (Jun 26, 2010)

Looks good. You got a little lucky on the rear speakers it seems most of those cars had the four inch in the back..I spent a month crawling around one of those things back in 92 or so. I remember it didn't take much of a woofer to have amazing bass..


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

Installer4life said:


> Looks good. You got a little lucky on the rear speakers it seems most of those cars had the four inch in the back..I spent a month crawling around one of those things back in 92 or so. I remember it didn't take much of a woofer to have amazing bass..


These four midwoofers sound amazing driven off just the 2140c. Very punchy and clean, but lacking the subbass.

Bose changed in 1991 to the 4.5" in all four corners. The Bose 6.5" was crap anyway, relatively speaking.


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## FSUnoles (Apr 29, 2007)

wow clean install. love the zs


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

The first Xtant 3300c I purchased ended up being bad, which made steam come out of my ears. Got it off eBay and the guy swore up and down it worked. Guess I need to invest in a DC power supply for bench testing :-/ I had already built the board for the package shelf, with t-nuts in the specific locations of the 3300c, so I needed that amp, otherwise I'd have to make a whole new mounting arrangement, which wasn't favorable. Besides, there is only one other Xtant amp that could work, the 603x, and those are just as scarce. 

Luckily I found one for sale after some searching. I found this forum, and member "bsptaco" had one for sale. He had a good trader review and positive feedback within his thread, so I got it. For the record, he packs stuff very well and ships quickly; overall a great seller, thanks Jason!

After connecting everything this afternoon and firing it up, I giggled like a mad scientist. Over the next couple of days I'll start the process of tuning everything and setting up delays etc to get it just right. 

So, on to the pics and play by play:

Starting off small, I added the fire extinguisher next to my 2140c:










Then I took a lunch break and did more work the next day. HEY, I'M UNION HERE!!! :laugh:

The panel for the 3300c:










Made the same way I did the EQQ and other amp panel; cut, drill, spray, wrap, clamp, just the basics










The newer, damn near immaculate Xtant 3300c. bsptaco even sent all the resistor packs for the on-board crossover module and the original manuals:










Running the sub wire out:










10AWG for this guy, the MB Quart PWE304, made in the USA. It's so nice I wanted to reverse mount it, but I didn't have the room:










Installed with the Parts Express grill to protect it from inadvertent objects. I bought the enclosure from a guy on TwinTurbo.net. He used to make dozens of sub enclosures for Z32 owners. Not that I can't build my own, I just have too much other stuff going on with projects and all. Plus this guy already had the template made, and the covering material matches the OEM panels perfectly, and he builds them the same way I would:










And everything installed, buttoned up:





































I may build some kind of cover/grill for the amp on the package shelf, but it's not too high on my priority list now. It's not super visible from the outside, especially with the cargo cover up and my tinted windows.

And here's a link to the whole album:

Link to stereo install album


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

VERY clean install, you should be proud of yourself!

An idea for an amp cover...

Make a frame the same size as the shelf, MDF, whatever, get a tight 
mesh black grill like what you have over your sub. It will vent, look good
and at first glance perhaps hide that shiny amp. You could cut chanels
in the frame work for some incandescent wire. I think that is what the
stuff is called. Its very thin like wire, and the light is like neon really
good price. Then again, based on your install clean and to the point
lights may not be your thing. All the same great looking car, you've kept
it up really nice for its age.


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## MTopper (Nov 4, 2009)

nice install. i really love the car and the simplicity of it all is nice. (simple as in no false floors, no stashed away under seat amps)


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## Duncan345 (Apr 30, 2010)

Man, that is slick. Nice work rehabilitating that old install. My fiancee is in Quincy for a few more months for her internship. I'll be up there around Christmas... I may have to try to listen to this thing while I'm there.


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## ReloadedSS (Aug 26, 2008)

Very cool install, and a timeless design.


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## mrstangerbanger (Jul 12, 2010)

How do you like the focal speakers?


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

Duncan345 said:


> Man, that is slick. Nice work rehabilitating that old install. My fiancee is in Quincy for a few more months for her internship. I'll be up there around Christmas... I may have to try to listen to this thing while I'm there.


Yeah, I don't drive it during the winter unless it's rained since the last time they salted the roads. The car was a Cali car with no rust, and I hope to keep it that way. But, weather permitting, definitely shoot me a PM and I'll take you for a spin.

Thanks for the compliments guys, I know it's not nearly as advanced or complicated as some installs I've seen here, but I had two major objectives with this project: Make it sound good, and keep the weight to a minimum. Also wanted to keep the spare and OEM jack location accessible for emergencies, as I tend to do some longish road trips. So I did it the only way I know how, clean. With the seats up everything is pretty well hidden, save for the 3300c. When I had the car corner balanced and aligned prior to this install, I had the shop account for the weight of the sub and enclosure in the back left corner, so now the car should be even more balanced than before.

The amp cover will probably be some 1/4" MDF frame on spacers covered in black speaker grille cloth. Probably a winter project.

The Focals are great. When I was playing the four channels off of the 2140c, they were punchy and clear. The EQ was left pretty much flat except with 45Hz being turned down about 9dB. Again, I'm expecting at least one full day of tuning to get it to sound just right. I haven't figured out a plan of attack yet. I still have an OEM test disc from my days at Bose, so I'll definitely use that in some capacity. I also have my RTA from my home DJ setup I could bring out to the garage. No clue. I've never had a system with this much flexibility and adjustment available.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Great car, great build. Those Xtants look fantastic. 

I assumed you did this already, but I have to ask since it wasn't mentioned. Did you use some sort of gasket on the back of the MDF bracket in your doors? B/c the area under that panel is not by any means a flat plane, and non-sealed vs sealed in that spot makes a HUGE difference. So be sure you build it up and/or gasket the area between the back of the baffle and your door. 

Build looks great though, I wish I wasn't selling my Z32. Every picture in your install has provoked strong nostalgia from me


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

94VG30DE said:


> Great car, great build. Those Xtants look fantastic.
> 
> I assumed you did this already, but I have to ask since it wasn't mentioned. Did you use some sort of gasket on the back of the MDF bracket in your doors?
> 
> Build looks great though, I wish I wasn't selling my Z32. Every picture in your install has provoked strong nostalgia from me


Yes, gasketed with 1/2"x1/2" closed cell foam weatherstripping. I placed the gasketing on the door and tightened the panel down to seal.

Nooooooooooooooooo!!! Don't sell it!!! Man, these cars are just amazing in so many ways; performance, aesthetics, ergonomics. If you sell, there's a good chance you'll be back


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

BigTDogg (MA) said:


> Yes, gasketed with 1/2"x1/2" closed cell foam weatherstripping. I placed the gasketing on the door and tightened the panel down to seal.
> 
> Nooooooooooooooooo!!! Don't sell it!!! Man, these cars are just amazing in so many ways; performance, aesthetics, ergonomics. If you sell, there's a good chance you'll be back


Good to hear. Yeah I bought a Lexus IS300 and love it, but it isn't the same as driving the Z obviously. You are about the 4th person to tell me "you'll be back", so I don't doubt it. Just trying to get through the right now. If the car doesn't sell in the next month I might put a new clutch in it and drive it as my winter beater


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## Blancolex300 (Dec 9, 2009)

Great work man!


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## Afronaut (Apr 27, 2010)

I like your work and that is a beautiful car too.


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## BigTDogg (MA) (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks guys, great to hear others appreciating my work. I just "tuned" it today and it does sound pretty amazing. Crystal clear while driving around with the tops off. I caught my self lowering the volume sometimes just to listen to the engine; the paranoia of driving a highly modified car.


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## bimmerman11 (Aug 27, 2009)

Sweet car and even sweeter install.


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## icarstudio (Nov 3, 2013)

Wowww


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## milburyl (Feb 23, 2014)

bimmerman11 said:


> Sweet car and even sweeter install.


No, sweet install and even sweeter car. Lol.


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