# Nissan Versa Rebuild - Carrozzeria, Scanspeak, Zapco, Seas



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Maybe 5 years ago, I saw that there was a car audio competition only 3 hours away from me (thats reasonable for NY). This is back when i first started helping at a shop and didnt know to much so this was all very new to me and i was pretty shy and nervous when i went. Fortunately, i was introduced to Josh, who is the owner of this Nissan Versa. At the time he had a Kia with a badass install that sounded killer. He actually won MECA's Best of Best of Show that year at World Finals. Josh and the installers Tom and Steve were more than happy to talk about the car, as well as give me a demo. I was absolutely floored. I've never in my life until then heard something like it. I think that was the moment that got me to where i am now in this hobby/business. Fast forward 5 years, and i get a message from Josh wanting to update the install in his Nissan Versa. It was a pretty good feeling considering the story above. First, i must say the original install was awesome, and sounded incredible. But, Josh is a competitor. He wasnt ok with knowing he will go to world finals this year and not take first (there were a few cars in his class that were just better, even if it was only by a hair. But at this level, every little bit matters). He told me what he wanted to do, and i told him its on. At first he had a few Zapco Z-150.2LX amps for the front speakers (Morel Elate Ti 6.5 and morel hybrid integra 4), a Z-150.2 for the sub, and a ST-2X for rear fill. This was all controlled by an Alpine radio with optical out to a Helix Pro DSP. Many know that the Helix, and the other equipment is about as good as it gets in their respective categories, but josh wanted more. In comes a Carrozzeria ODR RS-D7xIII CD transport with the ODR RS-P99 processor, and an all scanspeak front stage, with 4 of the Z-150.2LX amps for the front stage, and some new speaker locations. Kick panels for midbass, and custom sail panels for the tweeters.

***NOTE***
Unfortunately, i wasnt very good this time around in terms of staying on top of photos of progress. I pretty much only have starting and finishing photos and not much detail in between. After a while you kinda just forget :/




Here is the trunk and a-pillars when it came to me. Done by one of the best when it comes to high end, sound quality car audio.
























The Carrozzeria ODR Combo, and one of the Zapco Z-150.2LX amps






























After the install was done by the initial shop, Josh had other shops do some work like adding rear fill. After a bunch of installers were in and out of this car, the wiring had kinda gone south and needed a good amount of going through and reorganization.















First up was the "sail panels". In this car, there is no sail panel from the factory. So i decided to make one. First mold was made of the door frame, door panel, and window. The next mold was with the door closed and mated up to the A pillar.































And here we have the finished product. (like i said, im short on photos :/ ). They are secured to the car with riv nuts and Stainless security screws. The window still fully functions with these in place.























The a pillars flush mount needed to be widened to accept the new, and slightly larger mids. The Scanspeak Revelator 12m.















Like all of my installs, each driver got XT60 quick disconnects, solder, and heatshrink.















Wiring for the relay to power the amps and LED's















Scanspeak Discovery 22W 8" midbass with xt60 connector soldered and heatshrunk on its pigtail. Do not sleep on these midbass. Very efficient, can play high, can dig low, only needs 0.5 cubic feet.















Mold of the kick panel was made, pulled, then strengthened with a layer of carbon fiber, more layers of fiberglass, and another couple layers of carbon fiber. The baffle is made out of 2 pieces of 3/4" Birch















The new amp rack wired up for testing and tuning.















Some teasers of the (almost) finished product.























The midbass enclosures with grills. The grill was made out of a negative of the birch baffle, and protects the driver with a steel grill which is all wrapped in grill cloth for aesthetics and to keep out dirt. These were vented from the back into the frame rail of the car to keep it in the MECA modified class. The pillars with the new mids wrapped in matching headliner, and the sails were wrapped with matching vinyl on the front, and black suede on the back sides where it meets the a-pillar as well as the window. 

































The ODR transport. Just beautiful.
























the trunks finished product. (excuse the finger smudges on the acrylic. forgot to clean them before photos. oops)


----------



## tnaudio (Mar 4, 2012)

Really nice job. Makes me wanna do something nice in the rear like that. 

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


----------



## Lycancatt (Apr 11, 2010)

I so much approve its scary! good equipment choice and I'm sure, a good install! wonder how it'd sound with some tru billets, weirdly, I'm not a fan of the zapco lx..figure that one out lol.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Lycancatt said:


> I so much approve its scary! good equipment choice and I'm sure, a good install! wonder how it'd sound with some tru billets, weirdly, I'm not a fan of the zapco lx..figure that one out lol.


i guess it would sound "tru" to the source?  the zapcos really do great though. at this level, choosing between amps is silly. 

side note.. why did those amps suddenly become not so popular. well, not "not popular", but not even used at all? those things loot freakin sweet









tnaudio said:


> Really nice job. Makes me wanna do something nice in the rear like that.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk



Thank you


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Great Job on the new install Nick, I’m hopeful to display my Zapco when it comes to my newest build. Congrats to the owner and I wish him well in competition.


----------



## OCD66 (Apr 2, 2017)

Top notch work. Very clean.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Coppertone said:


> Great Job on the new install Nick, I’m hopeful to display my Zapco when it comes to my newest build. Congrats to the owner and I wish him well in competition.


Thanks Ben. Sent you a text.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

OCD66 said:


> Top notch work. Very clean.


Thank you sir


----------



## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Once again damn Skizer killed it !

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

quickaudi07 said:


> Once again damn Skizer killed it !
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk


Thank you mr quick audi lol


----------



## quickaudi07 (May 19, 2010)

Welcome bro, if you were closer I would let you do my pillars . But I might have you wrap them for me.. we talk more later.... 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk


----------



## Weightless (May 5, 2005)

That's awful man. You might as well give up now and go find another career flippin burgers or something...i hear they can make something like $15 a hour or something?

Kidding aside, stellar work Nick. Love the wiring detail. I used to build racks for commercial AV installations and seeing good wiring habbits gives me the goose bumps. Beautiful work my friend.

Giggity

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Weightless said:


> That's awful man. You might as well give up now and go find another career flippin burgers or something...i hear they can make something like $15 a hour or something?
> 
> Kidding aside, stellar work Nick. Love the wiring detail. I used to build racks for commercial AV installations and seeing good wiring habbits gives me the goose bumps. Beautiful work my friend.
> 
> ...


Thank you, thank you lol


----------



## High Resolution Audio (Sep 12, 2014)

For all the back and forth we do, I do have to give you credit where credit is due. Dude, your fabrication skills are phenomenal. Great work. Very impressive. Some of the best custom work I've seen. Very on point!

Congratulations.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

High Resolution Audio said:


> For all the back and forth we do, I do have to give you credit where credit is due. Dude, your fabrication skills are phenomenal. Great work. Very impressive. Some of the best custom work I've seen. Very on point!
> 
> Congratulations.


Thank you Gerald


----------



## sq2k1 (Oct 31, 2015)

Really like the set-up and presentation of the install Nick. Damn nice job and seriously makes any of the shops down here look like pure amateurs in my book. As soon as the weather cools down, I will be taking on a replanning of my trunk, but I know very well it will look nothing like this.... :laugh:


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

sq2k1 said:


> Really like the set-up and presentation of the install Nick. Damn nice job and seriously makes any of the shops down here look like pure amateurs in my book. As soon as the weather cools down, I will be taking on a replanning of my trunk, but I know very well it will look nothing like this.... :laugh:


Thanks! you can do it though.


----------



## sq2k1 (Oct 31, 2015)

That ODR headunit reminds me of my Pioneer Premier DEX-P9 I owned at one time in a galaxy far far away..... loved that thing, can only imagine that the ODR is super sweet.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

sq2k1 said:


> That ODR headunit reminds me of my Pioneer Premier DEX-P9 I owned at one time in a galaxy far far away..... loved that thing, can only imagine that the ODR is super sweet.


similar setup and menu layout, totally updated looks lol


----------



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

Nicely done sir,the equipment probably cost more than the car...lol!


----------



## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Very nice install.


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Nicely done sir,*the equipment probably cost more than the car...lol!*


That sir is close lol


----------



## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

I'm in love with those pillars. I might even like them more than the set you built in the Chevy Cruz!!! Great job!

Matt


----------



## 20to20 (Mar 3, 2017)

Skizer, what was the name of the shop u went to in NY that u mentioned?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

20to20 said:


> Skizer, what was the name of the shop u went to in NY that u mentioned?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Where I met Josh? Syracuse customs.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

mrichard89 said:


> I'm in love with those pillars. I might even like them more than the set you built in the Chevy Cruz!!! Great job!
> 
> Matt


The pillars in this car I did not do. Tbh, they were just a standard design. Fleece stretched over a ring style

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## 20to20 (Mar 3, 2017)

SkizeR said:


> Where I met Josh? Syracuse customs.
> 
> Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk




Right on.. I grew up in the Elmira/Corning area..(bout an hour south of there) I wasn't sure if u were referring to benchmark audio.. u mentioned a guy named tom also, wasn't sure if it was the Tom from benchmark.. he was also heavily involved in Sq comp 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

20to20 said:


> Right on.. I grew up in the Elmira/Corning area..(bout an hour south of there) I wasn't sure if u were referring to benchmark audio.. u mentioned a guy named tom also, wasn't sure if it was the Tom from benchmark.. he was also heavily involved in Sq comp
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


could have been the same tom. im not sure though


----------



## UncleHungry (Jul 18, 2017)

Where the hell can you even get that ODR new?


----------



## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

What's the subwoofer setup? I see it in the pictures, but didn't see any mention of it? Thanks!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I was solely under the impression that you could not. Although I have seen (2)offered via EBay .


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

UncleHungry said:


> Where the hell can you even get that ODR new?


Import it from Japan. Pioneer atcually has a ton of high end stuff...just not in the US where there is little to no high end market.


----------



## sq2k1 (Oct 31, 2015)

Yeah the ODR stuff is just pure awesomeness, I may have to do some investigating on this one...


----------



## Timelessr1 (Feb 12, 2010)

Awesome work Nick! After using my router table i'm more and more jealous of your set up ;-)


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

UncleHungry said:


> Where the hell can you even get that ODR new?


new, i dont THINK you can. but im not sure All of the ODR stuff is sold in asia and i think europe. this was bought used from the person that did the original install



mrichard89 said:


> What's the subwoofer setup? I see it in the pictures, but didn't see any mention of it? Thanks!


seas L26ROY in a sealed enclosure. awesome sub. 



Timelessr1 said:


> Awesome work Nick! After using my router table i'm more and more jealous of your set up ;-)


Thank you John. and its not all that great once you see it in person. its actually pretty ****ty lol. cant wait to get something proper built


----------



## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Looks freaking great! Love how that amps are all tied in. And those tweeter pods are beautiful!


----------



## MB2008LTZ (Oct 13, 2012)

WoW, Nick, really stepping up your skills, Fanfrickingtastick...!!! This build has come a long way from what you showed me when I dropped off my Cruze. Hopefully you, I, and Josh can get together someday. I would love to listen to this system...for a few hours...lol.
Outstanding work my friend, and good luck with your future as a premium car audio artist!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

MB2008LTZ said:


> WoW, Nick, really stepping up your skills, Fanfrickingtastick...!!! This build has come a long way from what you showed me when I dropped off my Cruze. Hopefully you, I, and Josh can get together someday. I would love to listen to this system...for a few hours...lol.
> Outstanding work my friend, and good luck with your future as a premium car audio artist!


thanks mike!


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Nice work Nick! 

Looking forward to seeing this one in person.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

captainobvious said:


> Nice work Nick!
> 
> Looking forward to seeing this one in person.


Sounds like you be seeing it by the end of the week lol. Maybe I'll come down and we can tag team some tuning and work on the other Nissan?

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

****ING SWEET NICK!!! JUST ****ING SWEET!! WILL BE PM'ING U SOON ABOUT THOSE PILLARS; ME AND THE OLD MAN FELL A LITTLE BEHIND ON OUR REBUILD THATS WHY I DIDNT CONTACT U THIS WEEKEND. JUST INCREDIBLE WORK THOUGH BROTHER!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

gumbeelee said:


> ****ING SWEET NICK!!! JUST ****ING SWEET!! WILL BE PM'ING U SOON ABOUT THOSE PILLARS; ME AND THE OLD MAN FELL A LITTLE BEHIND ON OUR REBUILD THATS WHY I DIDNT CONTACT U THIS WEEKEND. JUST INCREDIBLE WORK THOUGH BROTHER!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


thank you, and no problem


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Hes baaaaaaack...


Josh, as some of you may know, doesnt just leave things along. Hes a stage 5 swapper. This time is was the head unit, the dsp, and the tweeters. On top of that, we also blacked out the whole interior, and deadened the roof while we were in there. In some cars everything below the window line is black, and everything above is tan. In my opinion, this is just silly and cheap looking. I have not a god damn clue why any car manufacturer does this, yet almost all mainstream brands do. Heres a before.















First thing we did was loosen the a-pillars, remove the visors, dome light, grab handles, and b-pillars. From there we were able to slip the headliner right out of the hatch.















Roof deadened with SDS Tiles. Only the best.















From there, we used DAP weldwood landau top adhesive to secure 1" thick open cell foam supplied from Madisound over the entire roof.















The headliner was re-wrapped, and all plastics were done in satin black, which matched the oem door panels very well. Pictures do this ZERO justice. This is by far the best interior upgrade you can do if your car uses the colorway that he had (tan up top, black on the bottom). Its a whole new car now.
























Even the visors were done and the oem warning labels were fully retained















The Carozzerria ODR transport and processor were swapped out for a Sony RSX-GS9, and a Helix DSP Pro MK2 (which is what i told him to stick with in the first place, but josh doesnt like to listen to me.. go figure lol). We also had to fabricate a new beauty panel to cover the spaces between the helix and amps.















The scanspeak d2904 tweeters were swapped for these Mundorf tweeters. Both sound very good.















The Sony is being fed music from an iPad mini 4. which is being held in place with a The Joy Factory mount. It works well. As you can see the old director panel (from his original install was put back into place. The iPad goes to the Apple camera kit which supplies the ipad power while also passing data to the Sonys USB-DAC input. We opted to use the Onkyo High Res app, and i am personally loving it. I had a very strong feeling that Josh wouldnt considering his tastes and how he carries around maybe 200+ CD's in his car at all times and claims to not be up to snuff on current technology. I even bet Banny Z 50 bucks that it would be uninstalled before mid march.. Plot twist, he loves it as well.















My only complaint is that the USB-DAC input requires a cable to come out of the front.


----------



## BlueAc (May 19, 2007)

The all black looks so much better... great attention to detail!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Weightless (May 5, 2005)

Wow, what a difference the black makes. I really dislike the color mismatch combo. 

I remember reading somewhere that the design concept was supposed to reflect the horizon line. 

Either way, nice job. 

*personally, if it were me, I would have gotten rid of those awful labels on the visors. It takes awqy from the aesthetic of the interior.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


----------



## Blu (Nov 3, 2008)

Looks great!

Was there a specific reason that you went with the open cel foam vs the Hydrophobic Melamine foam from SDS for the roof?


----------



## BrainMach1 (Jun 19, 2014)

The black looks great. The dumb warning labels mandated by the federal government on the visors are a shame. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Weightless said:


> Wow, what a difference the black makes. I really dislike the color mismatch combo.
> 
> I remember reading somewhere that the design concept was supposed to reflect the horizon line.
> 
> ...


You can't get rid of them without destroying the fabric. I also don't have a sewing machine to reupholster those. I'm also not 100% sure that it's legal to get rid of them.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Blu said:


> Looks great!
> 
> Was there a specific reason that you went with the open cel foam vs the Hydrophobic Melamine foam from SDS for the roof?


Thanks, and because that's what Josh gave me

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

Hi my name is Josh and I am a full stage 5 swapper.......

LOL

its pretty much true HOWEVER I really cant begin to tell you all how much I love these latest changes the car has undergone...it really does look like a new car just from the color changes, I would add to anyone that has a similar tutone color scheme to under go this change immediately...the added deadening has to me improved the road noise to a good degree (rain hitting the roof) and well I had the stuff laying around (well nick did, I have my own space in the garage lol) and the headliner was coming out so why not 

yes I should have listened to you way back when nick lol (I say that often don't I)...steve w is included here as well as he stated the same....as well as the sony (dude gets a commission from them I think)

the ipad mini and sony save me so much time and as nick mentioned I no longer have to carry around 200 plus cds (now I just have to rip them :worried making changing anything a breeze...even being technologically challenged this has been pretty easy to use so far...I agree with nick the lone complaint is the wire sticking out of the front but its really not that bad 

benny z don't forget to collect that 50 bux cuz its staying............wait for it............wait for it.........wait for it.................for a while lol

the tweeter swap was nothing more than trying something different AND above all trying something that you don't see in the comp scene much if at all and the mundorf AMT fit the bill beautifully (steve W gets credit for this)...the sound is similar...scan was a little more efficient...AMT more directional...ill need more listening and ill come back with more details 

guys if you are considering mounting a tablet in the vehicle then look no further then this company Joyfactory and there brand magconnect, the mount is awesome..it is fully movable in many ways as there is a ball joint at the base and also at the very top...in the middle there is an adjustment for height and when not in use you can fold it all up...its made out of carbon fiber so it looks cool...for me the best part is how the tablet mounts to the ummmm mount it is first magnetic so it slides into place no problem and secondly it screws down so it isn't going anywhere...the mount the tablet goes in acts as a case which is made from metal so that is a huge bonus and my ipad mini4 stays in that case at all times....credit to steve w for recommending this product 


ill close with this, guys if you don't know already nick is stand up with his work, his customer service, and his tuning...the dude has serious skill in all areas...the tuning is new for me with him as last time around was a base tune and this go around I was blown away...im still really enjoying just listening to everything....don't hesitate to get a hold of him for any of your audio or car needs...above all hes a stand up guy...case in point I got a call from him letting me know he was paying for my meca membership this season, I was floored it wasn't something we talked about or ever mentioned...sorry if that was supposed to be a hush hush thing but I think it just adds to the business character you are building......and all should know!!

a huge thank you !


----------



## SQram (Aug 17, 2007)

SkizeR said:


>


Really nice work, wouldn't hesitate to bring my vehicle to you for work if I were closer.

Quick question/suggestion, maybe a black USB cable wouldn't stick out quite as much as the white one (in a black interior)?


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Unfortunately the only sub cables that fit that I had on hand were white (white cables easily get dirty), or orange. I opted for whatever one fit the best and covered in the only techflex I had on hand. Time constraint. I wanted a black braided one, but couldn't find one in time. Luckily I know he's coming back for more stuff and it's a very quick swap

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## SQram (Aug 17, 2007)

Figured there was a logical reason for it. 

Again, top shelf work!


----------



## benny z (Mar 17, 2008)

josh - very nice. it turned out great...hope you are happy with the sony/onkyo app combo.

nick - good work buddy! you owe me $50. 

i agree that a black lower half of the car with tan or light grey upper half is...annoying. i suspect the manufacturers do this to create a more open sense of space. the lighter color up top helps to keep the cabin more open feeling... having converted mine to black also, i noticed immediately it creates a more enclosed, tomb-like feeling in the car - something manufacturers probably want to avoid for normal consumer sales in an econo car. but - i love it. very nice.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Josh, nice upgrades, man!





benny z said:


> i agree that a black lower half of the car with tan or light grey upper half is...annoying. i suspect the manufacturers do this to create a more open sense of space. the lighter color up top helps to keep the cabin more open feeling... having converted mine to black also, i noticed immediately it creates a more enclosed, tomb-like feeling in the car


ditto. Though, I don't like that "tomb-like" feeling, personally. But, I'm not pulling my headliner out to reupholster it, either. So it'll stay. 





As for the cable coming out the Sony, just disassemble the unit and hardwire a connection through the back. Without a CD mech being there, it's so much easier to take apart that unit. I cracked mine open and was either going to do it myself or have a buddy do it for me but then I decided to not keep the gs9 so I didn't bother to finish the job.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Great job Nick.

And those Mundorf AMT tweeters are pretty killer. That's a nice upgrade.


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

ErinH said:


> Josh, nice upgrades, man!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


the most important part of the whole statement

I foresee far less Sony GS9 in cars this year than last


----------



## benny z (Mar 17, 2008)

Mic10is said:


> I foresee far less Sony GS9 in cars this year than last



If Zapco gets their file player and new DSP right, I agree.


----------



## Weightless (May 5, 2005)

SkizeR said:


> You can't get rid of them without destroying the fabric. I also don't have a sewing machine to reupholster those. I'm also not 100% sure that it's legal to get rid of them.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Of course it is legal. It is only required by the manufacturer to be there or they get fined.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Weightless said:


> Of course it is legal. It is only required by the manufacturer to be there or they get fined.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


Haven't you ever read the stickers on mattresses?! 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Weightless (May 5, 2005)

Don't talk to me about mattress stickers, son. I served hard time for removing mine. 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk


----------



## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

Mic10is said:


> the most important part of the whole statement
> 
> 
> 
> I foresee far less Sony GS9 in cars this year than last




I can’t imagine not having my gs9, I absolutely love it!!! I agree with Nick about the usb-dac on the front of the unit, I can’t stand that either or any other of the connections on the front. Lucky for me my ipad mini soundman kit completely hides my gs9 so I dont have to see the cables. Oh yeah, BTW beautiful work as normal Nick. Your fab and install skills really makes my fab skills that I thank is descent look like a damn welfare case, LOL!! Nice work !!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

somehow i didnt see a lot of these later replys.. thanks guys. I actually thought i would hate the GS9. I'm now planning on doing one in my own car.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

gumbeelee said:


> I can’t imagine not having my gs9, I absolutely love it!!! I agree with Nick about the usb-dac on the front of the unit, I can’t stand that either or any other of the connections on the front. Lucky for me my ipad mini soundman kit completely hides my gs9 so I dont have to see the cables.


I'm the opposite. But I also didn't have an iPad as my source control, which I'm certain would help alleviate *some of* my concerns. Still, there were other issues which I've discussed but I don't see the point of derailing the thread with a topic that Josh couldn't care less about. As long as you guys are happy with what you're using then it doesn't matter what I think. 




And x2 on Nick's craftsmanship. His work looks great, indeed. I have told him as much privately on more than one occasion.


----------



## cmusic (Nov 16, 2006)

What is the model number of the Mundorf tweeter that was used?


----------



## TerryGreen5986 (Jun 23, 2017)

Did you use the seat bolt mount one? (Joy iPad mount) 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

cmusic said:


> What is the model number of the Mundorf tweeter that was used?


I forget the model number, but it's the one with a 104mm outer diameter


TerryGreen5986 said:


> Did you use the seat bolt mount one? (Joy iPad mount)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, it's not bad, but since its on a long rod that bolts down low, it wobbles and eiggles around while driving. Kinda annoying. But another member who came here for a tune used another one that doesn't wobble around. Just doesn't seem as solid overall but he hasn't had any issues with it. I ordered one to play with it in another car that's here right now. Will report back on it.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

cmusic said:


> What is the model number of the Mundorf tweeter that was used?


https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...rf-amt21cm2.1-c-air-motion-tweeter-amt-4-ohm/

That one


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

D34dl1fter said:


> https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...rf-amt21cm2.1-c-air-motion-tweeter-amt-4-ohm/
> 
> That one



Told ya those things were pretty sweet, eh?


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

And I have one of the cupholder mount "Joy" ipad mounts. Very high quality.


----------



## Tsmith (Dec 17, 2008)

I like the upgrades Josh. Can't wait to see and hear it again


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

captainobvious said:


> Told ya those things were pretty sweet, eh?


Just don't tell him Raal ribbons are sweet.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Another update. Amp swap..

Josh is back again, this time to swap amplifiers. He went from the Z150.2LX to the new Z150.2AP. First thing we noticed is that they look much better than the old LX. Most of the online photos dont do them justice (and make them look a weird gold color for some reason). The second thing that we noticed was that the noise floor disappeared even though we had the gains high enough for plenty of headroom with the volume knob (ps, the gain knobs on these amps are not the same as the LX amps. The gains on these need to be turned up more vs the LX). The second thing that Josh noticed was that the sound was more detailed than the previous amps. I reserve my thoughts on that as im not as familiar with the cars sound as the owner.


----------



## adrianp89 (Oct 14, 2007)

Great work as always... the only thing I can't get past is the kicks. Everything blends so seamless and the kicks don't. As always this isn't a knock just constructive feedback. I think maybe if the finish was the same as trim piece in the door seal it would flow better, or maybe just a break so that piece still has a transition and looks factory.


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Looks great!


Josh, you can single-handedly keep Nick in business with all your upgrades! LOL


----------



## sq2k1 (Oct 31, 2015)

Not surprising the noise floor is much lower considering the APs have a SNR of 110db when the LX only has 90db.... very nice looking install though and the lighting on the amps makes for nice viewing.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

adrianp89 said:


> Great work as always... the only thing I can't get past is the kicks. Everything blends so seamless and the kicks don't. As always this isn't a knock just constructive feedback. I think maybe if the finish was the same as trim piece in the door seal it would flow better, or maybe just a break so that piece still has a transition and looks factory.


Oh i know. Blame the clutch and lack of space in the kick location. There wasn't much we could do without cutting structural metal or blocking the clutch. 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## casey (Dec 4, 2006)

Love the look of the new AP. Maybe ill get the itch to do a major upgrade on my ST-X at some point for one haha


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

So what did the OP do with his other Zapco amps Nick ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Coppertone said:


> So what did the OP do with his other Zapco amps Nick ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Sold em to s friend of mine.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Nice to see deals happening like that so quickly. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

First the AP do like very nice in the install.

Next, Josh is correct the AP are more detial and/open sounding vs the LX on reason OP-275 in the LX vs LME49720 in the AP's which spec out much better vs. The older OP-275 units. That is just one of the most notable upgrades in the AP's

The gians need to be turn up a bit more on the AP vs LX do to the AP's needing 9volts at min. gain to hit full power vs the LX needing 8 volts


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Melodic Acoustic said:


> First the AP do like very nice in the install.
> 
> Next, Josh is correct the AP are more detial and/open sounding vs the LX on reason OP-275 in the LX vs LME49720 in the AP's which spec out much better vs. The older OP-275 units. That is just one of the most notable upgrades in the AP's
> 
> The gians need to be turn up a bit more on the AP vs LX do to the AP's needing 9volts at min. gain to hit full power vs the LX needing 8 volts


The 9v vs 8v is what u thought at first, but they needed the gain turned up about twice as much vs the lx. 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

adrianp89 said:


> Great work as always... the only thing I can't get past is the kicks. Everything blends so seamless and the kicks don't. As always this isn't a knock just constructive feedback. I think maybe if the finish was the same as trim piece in the door seal it would flow better, or maybe just a break so that piece still has a transition and looks factory.


Nick see ^ we gotta do 10's! Lol


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

ErinH said:


> Looks great!
> 
> 
> *Josh, you can single-handedly keep Nick in business with all your upgrades! LOL*




Yes Erin I sure can lol...that or have bought a brand new car out right by now....but what fun is that 

Speaking of which...nick we need 10's in the kicks!


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

SkizeR said:


> Oh i know. Blame the clutch and lack of space in the kick location. There wasn't much we could do without cutting structural metal or blocking the clutch.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Let's get to cutting!


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

Coppertone said:


> Nice to see deals happening like that so quickly.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Silly pricing is what does it brother, my thought is as long as what im selling pays for most of the new stuff then I'm good...even if in reality I lost money overall  yes sometimes I don't even understand myself lol


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

Melodic Acoustic said:


> First the AP do like very nice in the install.
> 
> Next, Josh is correct the AP are more detial and/open sounding vs the LX on reason OP-275 in the LX vs LME49720 in the AP's which spec out much better vs. The older OP-275 units. That is just one of the most notable upgrades in the AP's
> 
> The gians need to be turn up a bit more on the AP vs LX do to the AP's needing 9volts at min. gain to hit full power vs the LX needing 8 volts


Mark im very happy with these amps...just an added layer of detail has come out..most noticeable in bela fleck live art 2, amazing Grace improv with the girls talking in the audience...I now know they were talking about where they were sitting in the beginning of their convo while Victor Wooten is playing..lol...now the lx amps were still very good so let's put that out there but these ap amps are definitely a step up


----------



## Rainstar (May 22, 2017)

D34dl1fter said:


> Silly pricing is what does it brother, my thought is as long as what im selling pays for most of the new stuff then I'm good...even if in reality I lost money overall  yes sometimes I don't even understand myself lol


its never a loss. just think of it as a lease. you got good use out of it, and helped another person get good use out of it. win win and more win, Trading up.


----------



## audionutz (Dec 22, 2005)

I guess I've been sleeping on the thread-browsing lately...glad I saw this :surprised:

Nick, great job sir (as you know) very elegant.

Josh, first time seeing your install, looks fantastic man. I am a little perplexed on the choice to pull the ODR combo...I know you like having a ****-ton of files at your figertips tho. Hope to run into you this season and get some seat time


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

audionutz said:


> I guess I've been sleeping on the thread-browsing lately...glad I saw this :surprised:
> 
> Nick, great job sir (as you know) very elegant.
> 
> Josh, first time seeing your install, looks fantastic man. I am a little perplexed on the choice to pull the ODR combo...I know you like having a ****-ton of files at your figertips tho. Hope to run into you this season and get some seat time


Thanks steve!

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## tnaudio (Mar 4, 2012)

Looks really nice man. I hope I get to hear it this year. Always cool to see another Versa in the lanes. 

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

audionutz said:


> I guess I've been sleeping on the thread-browsing lately...glad I saw this :surprised:
> 
> Nick, great job sir (as you know) very elegant.
> 
> Josh, first time seeing your install, looks fantastic man. I am a little perplexed on the choice to pull the ODR combo...I know you like having a ****-ton of files at your figertips tho. Hope to run into you this season and get some seat time


Thanks Steve, im happy with where the car has progressed to at this stage...as for the ODR you mentioned 1 reason HUGE reason...i no longer carry around 200 plus cds in my tiny car lol....the other was nothing more than just a little bit more processing capability as I run rear fill (l-r)...the odr was at the time my unicorn so it was hard to see it go...

as for seat time I would love to get you in there and get your feedback so we will have to make that happen!


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

tnaudio said:


> Looks really nice man. I hope I get to hear it this year. Always cool to see another Versa in the lanes.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk


thanks brother...ill def get you in there at finals...we were both at finals last year and neither listened to the others car...versa to versa LOL!


----------



## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

D34dl1fter said:


> Mark im very happy with these amps...just an added layer of detail has come out..most noticeable in bela fleck live art 2, amazing Grace improv with the girls talking in the audience...I now know they were talking about where they were sitting in the beginning of their convo while Victor Wooten is playing..lol...now the lx amps were still very good so let's put that out there but these ap amps are definitely a step up


I agree totally. The level of transparency the AP amps have is outstanding. With the lower noise floor layer is much better represented.

I look forward to getting another listen with the new upgrades sir. With new amps, processor and the new tweeters i have no doubt she is level. Great job on the install Nick. Looks great.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

More updates.. 

As you guys know, Josh doesnt stop. The changes and upgrades do not end. Its a vicious cycle. But, as usual we did some changes not to long ago, but i never got finished pictures. He came back for some tuning before SVR and i figured i'd take the finished pictures while i have a chance and upload a build log for it.

Updated equipment list:

Sony RSX-GS9 with iPad mini
APL1 (currently bypassed as it will not connect to my potato of a laptop, new laptop incoming)
Helix DSP Pro Mk2 with Director
(5) Zapco Z-150.2AP Amps
Zapco ST-2X
Mundorf AMT19CM2.1-C
Audio Technology 15H
Dynaudio MW182
Tangband 2" Fullranges for rear fill
Acoustic Elegance SBP 15" with Apollo motor upgrade

2 problems though. 

1) I cannot find my second SD card that has some of the pics on it. I am missing most of the pillar build, the subwoofer install, most of the kick panel build, and the amp rack under the beauty panel with the amps finally mounted and wired. 

2) i really do not feel like going through every photo and describing what each one is right now. Will do that at a later date. 

The TLDR is: The car was built to fit MECA Modex class rules. The dash was cut to accommodate a large enough enclosure to house and give proper airspace to the Audio Technology midranges. We ended up at 3 liters. The tweeters were moved to the pillars directly over the pillars and overhang them to get the acoustic center as close as possible. I decided on doing them in a vertical orientation. Aesthetics were second to sound quality, so we decided to mount them in this fashion to combat horizontal crossover lobing. We arent so much concerned about vertical because our vertical position in the car doesnt really change, but our horizontal does, even if it only is a few inches. Theoretically, with them mounted the way they are vs before, there will be better cohesion between the tweeter and midrange while moving your head around the little bit you do while driving. Another reason, which relates to the previous, is we want to have a crack at 2 seat competition formats. Like i said, this orientation will provide us a more predictable and usable system response from multiple locations along the horizontal plane. We also mounted the subwoofer infinite baffle in the floor. What we did was take a big, thick fiberglass mold of the entire trunk floor (7+ layers of 1708 Biaxial mat), cut out the diameter of the sub in the mold and the bottom of the spare tire well, made a baffle for the sub and glassed it to the mold. Before attaching the mold to the car, we used 2 layers of aluminum grill, 2 layers of hydrophobic mesh, and a thin layer of fiberglass insulation to prevent the mesh and grill from resonating against each other. We did something very similar with the kick panels. Made a very dense housing for the MW182, secured it over the cutout, and made a beauty panel. We also had to move the clutch pedal over about an inch. Seats were also relocated further back to further lower path length differences. In the end, it resulted in probably the best sounding car thats come out of my shop.


For descriptions of each photo, view the album on my facebook page. Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ApicellaAutoSound/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2056318808030389


----------



## Mlarson67 (Jan 9, 2015)

Sick install! Those a pillars are incredible as well as the kicks. Bet it sounds amazing!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Mlarson67 said:


> Sick install! Those a pillars are incredible as well as the kicks. Bet it sounds amazing!


Thank you!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

You sir have taken it to a level beyond commenting on lol.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Coppertone said:


> You sir have taken it to a level beyond commenting on lol.


----------



## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

very nice install

whats your thoughts on the tang band driver


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Porsche said:


> very nice install
> 
> whats your thoughts on the tang band driver


They are good. Good enough for rear fill

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## 01LSi (Jul 27, 2012)

Looks awesome thanks for sharing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)




----------



## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

I would just like to have your install skills for one damn day. I meant the **** u do just amazes me. I can set around and talk SQ all day, but when it comes to the actual installs I am just average if that. I personally cant wait for the RAINSTAR BUILD LOG PICS!!! Looking forward to it.


Sent from my iPhone X using Tapatalk


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

I really enjoyed this car with the ODR set up - that might be the last time I heard it. I’m really looking forward to a demo at SVR! 

Great job Nick - I love the install! I can’t wait to see it in person!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

bertholomey said:


> I really enjoyed this car with the ODR set up - that might be the last time I heard it. I’m really looking forward to a demo at SVR!
> 
> Great job Nick - I love the install! I can’t wait to see it in person!
> 
> ...


Ayyyy so I FIIIIINNALLYYY get to hear the brz! Woooo! Thank you though. Itll be open for demos all day

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Red Saber (Jul 5, 2018)

Don’t burn out. I’ll need you one day. Wishful thinking on my part.


----------



## Rainstar (May 22, 2017)

Red Saber said:


> Don’t burn out. I’ll need you one day. Wishful thinking on my part.


I might push that out of him, Volcanic levels of heat, nuclear powerhouse, dehydration from sweating.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Just got back from finals last night. I'm pleased to say that in my first year building and tuning competition cars wemanged to get third out of the very stacked MECA Modex class for finals, and 1st in the 2x event that counts towards next year. Big thanks to Josh for putting his faith in me, and steve weigner for tag teaming the tuning side of things. Cant lie and say i wouldnt be happier if it took first, but hey, this was the current iterations second event, and my first time going for something to compete against guys who have been doing this as long as ive been alive. We're going for a bigger trophy next year. Stand by


----------



## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

Congrats, Nick. Awesome work!


----------



## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

This. Thing. Is. Sick. 

I loved it. One of my favorite cars at finals this weekend. Great work, Nick and Josh (aka: Dad lifter).


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

ErinH said:


> This. Thing. Is. Sick.
> 
> I loved it. One of my favorite cars at finals this weekend. Great work, Nick and Josh (aka: Dad lifter).


Lmfao, dadlifter! 

You sir are a funny ass dude, cant wait to hang again...

Thanks brother that means a lot, we have similar tastes car gotta be above all FUN...loud...dynamic...

The plan moving forward is more cosmetic than anything just tighten a few things up...for once there are no driver or amp changes on the horizon...maybe...


----------



## Tsmith (Dec 17, 2008)

Josh it was great to see you again. The car sounded great. Congrats!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

ErinH said:


> This. Thing. Is. Sick.
> 
> I loved it. One of my favorite cars at finals this weekend. Great work, Nick and Josh (aka: Dad lifter).


Thanks Erin. Means a lot coming from someone like yourself. 




Tsmith said:


> Josh it was great to see you again. The car sounded great. Congrats!


dude, i wanted to hear your car so badly. ive been secretly admiring it from afar (facebook) all year. unfortunately it slipped away from me. maybe next year.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

D34dl1fter said:


> Lmfao, dadlifter!
> 
> You sir are a funny ass dude, cant wait to hang again...
> 
> ...


Holy crap. I totally never thought to ask you if you were on here or what your screenname was. Oops. lol

Jay


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

SkizeR said:


> dude, i wanted to hear your car so badly. ive been secretly admiring it from afar (facebook) all year. unfortunately it slipped away from me. maybe next year.


Are you talking about the Sequoia? Dude, that thing sounded amazing. Winfred and I got to listen to it right after each other and I was standing outside when he was in it. COULD. NOT. HEAR. A. THING. It's didn't squeak, rattle, vibrate or anything. You could beat on it while the car next to it was being judged and no one would know.

The install was kinda pretty too. lol

Jay


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Rainstar said:


> I might push that out of him, Volcanic levels of heat, nuclear powerhouse, dehydration from sweating.


Out of curiosity, do you have the Nissan Cima?

Jay


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

JayinMI said:


> Holy crap. I totally never thought to ask you if you were on here or what your screenname was. Oops. lol
> 
> Jay


Lol all good Jay! It wasnt till after finals I figured out this was you !


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

JayinMI said:


> Out of curiosity, do you have the Nissan Cima?
> 
> Jay


That's not him

He has an audi


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

D34dl1fter said:


> That's not him
> 
> He has an audi


Saw the Sinfoni logo in his avatar and was wondering. I'm still waiting for that build. I like that car more than I should.

Is that the Audi that's already in the shop?

Jay


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

D34dl1fter said:


> That's not him
> 
> He has an audi


wrong again. Rainstar has the MDX. Audi guy isnt on here


----------



## D34dl1fter (Jun 23, 2016)

SkizeR said:


> wrong again. Rainstar has the MDX. Audi guy isnt on here


Damn it !:mean:


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

D34dl1fter said:


> Damn it !:mean:


Dont be so upset! you did finally have a good idea today! :laugh:

PS guys, if said idea pulls through stand by.. ****s about to get interesting for me.


----------

