# 2000 Acura Integra Coupe Install Log



## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Here we go. This will be my 2nd real system, not counting a few basic ones i did in high school. This won't be too fancy (compared to some of the masterpieces I've seen here). I just want a good sounding system that will get plenty loud for non-competition use. I also want some usable hatch space leftover like in my last setup.

My last setup... http://www.cardomain.com/ride/362376

I'm saving the Alpine unit but everything else is gone by now. Here is what I'm proposing, I have everything but the DQXS and components right now.










Using all Knukoncepts stuff for electrical. I got a shipment of stuff today. The FLEX cable is _really_ flexible.










That's about a 3" diameter, maybe that's normal these days but the last time I ran 1/0 ga it was _much_ stiffer.

Also one of my RE subs. These better hit louder than my old setup, if not for the fact I'll have 3x the power running to them.










Unfortunately I'm going to have to rip out all my old FATMAT. I have Damplifier ready to go in. I hope I can use something like Goo-Gone to get rid of the residual stuff I've noticed as I pulled a few pieces off.

I have an XS Power D5100R as a replacement for my main battery and going to be ordering a Mechman 150A alt. Tomorrow I go get a 1/0 ga crimper from Harbor Freight and I'll begin removing all my FATMAT. Battery will be swapped out too. Really hope I dont need another battery in the back but I won't know till it's all hooked up and I can test voltages.

I'm open for any suggestions you guys may have.


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## freemind (Sep 11, 2008)

Looks like some good thinking there.

Try some WD-40 on the FatMat. It might work. But, you'd have to clean the hell out of it afterwards.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

slow work today however harborfrieght didnt have the crimper. i would rather wait for the proper tool to do my wire connections

Crimper


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## bkjay (Jul 7, 2009)

Why can't you just put the Damplifier over the Fatmat?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

a good bit of the fatmat has started peeling off, i could try to reapply it first but i dont know if i should.


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

looks like it will be one sweet setup!! tegs are magical with tweets and mids in the kickpanels. and they're pretty easy to make. go for it!!


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

Cool little instal! Well chosen budget minded gear.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks. i think w/o getting exotic and redoing door panels and such, this is all i can pull off. it's my first 3-amp system tho =)

in the future i might go with an alpine W505 unit for show =) but for now my 9815 is still kickin

what i really want to focus on this time is getting a good EQ curve and overall system response and PROPER gain setting using real theory and not just guessing.

is it worth stepping up to the germaniums given the goal of my system? i think i could get by with the SAC 6.5" system (which i think is better than the SLC line)

worth 200$ more? i dont know


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## Aznattic (Jul 4, 2007)

Cool. Nearly 4 years ago i got my integra and i went with Rainbow components, KNU power wiring, and an Alpine HU as well. lol Just different stuff. Rainbow Profi Kickbass, KNU 1/0 (no flex back then) and a 9855. 

Few days ago I heard a Integra with kickpanels aimed 45 degrees and tweeters in top a/c vents. Diamond Hex old school. He managed to build the kicks without interfering with the clutch pedal.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Lotsa nasty bumps and stuff to deal with. Should I try to fill some in with bondo to make the surfaces more even before I apply my damplifier?

Also, aside from water (and I live in Arizona so i'm not really worried about it) i dont see why i couldnt route all that stock wiring behind the door panel and just have the 3 or so necessary leads come out where they need to. I could always wrap the molex plugs in electrical tape...

The only hole I dont think I can fully seal is the one where the door lock rods come out.

skin is almost ripped right off the pads of my thumbs from pulling this fatmat off. i wonder if i should use a heat gun to help it become softer and easier to remove. I'll try to get the other door done tomorrow.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Ok the heat gun worked pretty well to make the stuff easier to peel however it also made the pieces hot as $hit so I had to use paper towel to grab.

2nd door is done in about 1/2 the time with much less pulling.

What is the best way to cover the larger holes, i've seen people cut objects (cardboard, plexi) to shape and then deaden over it. i'm assuming just putting mat over the opening is not the best solution...

anyways i'm going to try to clean up the 2nd door a bit better tomorrow and then apply my damplifier. probably 2 layers to any place i can get it to stick.

still working on the best way to go about buying my fronts. i think i've now decided to go with Profi Kickbass 6.5" and the matching tweet but I gotta find them at a good price.


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

eXcelon969 said:


> is it worth stepping up to the germaniums given the goal of my system? i think i could get by with the SAC 6.5" system (which i think is better than the SLC line)
> 
> worth 200$ more? i dont know


not if you are not looking to get the best out of them. the doors work reasonably well in integras to get you ok sound, but it will never image properly if you use anything near the factory locations. should be a solid system though in terms of output as well as clarity. keep the kick panel option open though, they;re easy to do in the integra and easily fit a 7 and tweeter. works like a charm. cheers!


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## Goindef154 (Apr 26, 2008)

Loos pretty good man, can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Ordered the Audiocontrol DQXS today and I finally decided to go with the Rainbow SLC 265.25 NG KICK comps. This was intended to be a better than average system with no 'name brand' pieces (cept for the HU which you really cant avoid) and everything at reasonable prices. This led me back to a 300 to 350$ range and I wound up at the SLCs. GIMME MIDBASS PLZ.

Got some ensolite coming too!!! Also a few more RCA cables coming too now that i need some short ones coming out of the audiocontrol. And a distro block (4ga to 4-8ga) to replace my old one (gotta keep it all matching) since cutting the stock battery cable connector left 3 8ga wires exposed. A nice 4ga from the battery to the distro block helps maintain an easy connection to the stock wires without stretching the wires back to the battery terminal.

Also ordered my 8-ton hydraulic cable crimper from harbor frieght but that might take some time to get here. I want clean crimps and I'm all about buying the proper tool for the job.

Gonna clean out the other door some more and work on ripping out the carpet and pulling off all that mat in the next couple days but it's my bday tomorrow so dont expect much to happen =)


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

seats out

carpet out

forgot i put TWO layers of fatmat down, and i was actually able to roll it on pretty good. i still want to pull it off but it's a nightmare

pics tomorrow

system diagram updated

looks like my tweets are gonna be silver. not sure how much i like that or if it can be changed to black.


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## Starlet-SQ (Apr 19, 2008)

dont know if u said it already but why u wanna take out the fatmat?
isnt it the same as the other product u want to apply?
just askin


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

it's asphalt based, not butyl based

while it would probably still be ok on the floor, parts of it have 'leaked' i guess is the best way to put it. i'll take pics tomorrow.

i just want everything to still be in place when i redo this again in another 5 years =) (or sooner lol)

i also know i rushed the job last time so i want to start over fresh. gonna be more work than i planned however

EDIT: This is where the stuff kinda "leaked"



















Here is a gutted pic (mostly gutted)










I got most of the passenger side fatmat off. there is a pretty thick rubber matting under it (factory) probably for heat absorption and it definitely adds mass for sound deadening. I think i'm only going to put one layer of damplifier down and then the ensolite on top


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Passenger door cleaned, wires unclipped and wrapped (i'm not techflexing anything) I didnt undo the wiring liek this last time so this should make it a lot easier to lay the damplifier. Still not sure if i need to cover the holes in the door.

Passenger side pretty much cleaned up. I think I ripped off some heatshield mat on the side of the console, the same stuff that is on the floor. Not sure how important it is that i replace it, or if it's even heatshield mat to begin with.

Bad news, the crimper is on back order till 8/14 at the earliest, i gotta find a new one.

EDIT: Bought one of those hammer-style crimpers on ebay. Should be here by Friday.


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## rockinridgeline (Feb 2, 2009)

To answer your question on the doors. You can put the mass loader over the large openings. My experience is that the pressure from the midbass can make the mass loader vibrate, which you don't want. Also, I found with my car that the metal around the large holes is pretty thin and easy to move by hand. When I put the large midbass in the doors, I got a lot of vibration. Through a lot of trial and error I found that it was best to screw in a panel over the large holes. This ties the different panels together and can help with different parts of the panel vibrating at different frequencies. Last but not least, having a panel over the large hole gives the mass loader something to stick to. This will keep it from vibrating and also help tie the whole door together. This makes the whole panel less likely to vibrate.

You definitely want to put the majority of your mass loader on the door skin (in other words, on the inside of the outer door panel. Do that first before you seal up the inner skin next to the door card.

Before you do the inner door skin, install your midranges and run some test tones. The IASCA disc has a few that start around 40hz and rise up from. These will help you find parts and pieces that will resonate and figure out ways to stop the vibrations.

IME a lot of extra attention spent on deadening the doors made the single greatest sound improvement of anything that I had done so far.

Good luck with your install and have fun doing it. That is what it is all about.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks for the advice, i gotta get an amp hooked up i guess!


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

yay!


















































































gonna paint the mount black but leave the tweet alone. it looks sick!

woofer not quite as beefy as my crystals but it's only moving a paper cone this time. i also like that it's 3/8" shallower. hopefully i can get by with a 1/4" mounting ring.

the passive xovers are big! no pics cause they're not much to look at until i can get the tops off.


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

Cool, Rainbow. Nicely done.

Earlier you asked about using bondo to smooth out the doors. Dont bother, it will just shake loose eventually. Your better off getting the matt to sit in properly into all the little gaps. (unless someone already advised that)


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## capnxtreme (Feb 5, 2008)

eXcelon969 said:


> Still not sure if i need to cover the holes in the door.


Absolutely. It is the most important door treatment you can do.

rockinridgeline,

For the most part, I agree with your approach.



rockinridgeline said:


> You definitely want to put the majority of your mass loader on the door skin (in other words, on the inside of the outer door panel. Do that first before you seal up the inner skin next to the door card.


But to clarify, viscoelastic dampers are not mass loaders, and it's confusing to call them that.

Also, I don't really agree with the above quote. I think you should put just enough damper on the outer skin to stop it from ringing/resonating, and that if there is any place you should go crazy with the stuff, it's on the inner skin, which is effectively the speaker baffle. If there's one surface that needs to be rock solid, it's that one.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

capnxtreme said:


> Absolutely. It is the most important door treatment you can do.
> 
> rockinridgeline,
> 
> ...


so i can just get a few pieces of sheet metal and some screws?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Teardown still going slow. Cut my finger pretty good while taking clips out of the door panel so that stopped me for a day. Anyways, got some goodies.

Audiocontrol DQXS, Cable crimper (it's spring-loaded so it'll help keep the wire and lug still), power inverter 150w which i'm going to mod some how and then hardwire to battery, using a switch in the dash to turn it on and a relay so it will only run when vehicle turned on (no draining battery), and a Honda S2000 antenna to replace my motorized one. This takes some modding too but there are guides. Not too hard










Closeup of DQXS










It's going to be cooler in the evenings here this weekend so hopefully i get a bit more done


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Looking good
What kind of box plans do you have on the RE's
What are you thinking on speaker placement?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

I want to port this time, I really do, but I also want some hatch space available like my last setup (link in op)

I really dont mind doing sealed like i had last time if I have to. Speaker placement will be factory but i'm going to try to angle the tweets a bit while still using the flush mount, the surface mount is too bulky for a door mount.

Inverter pics... the panel with the plugs comes off clean and would make a remote mount very easy. These things make some noise so if i can tuck it away in the hatch that would be sweet.


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

dont forget to play with phase when you are testing your tweeters.

How far are you going to extend the inverter wires? Make sure you account for voltage drop and wire size


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

8675309 said:


> dont forget to play with phase when you are testing your tweeters.
> 
> How far are you going to extend the inverter wires? Make sure you account for voltage drop and wire size


i'd only extend them about 10feet at most, i have some 12ga or 14ga hookup wire i can use, i hope the voltage drop isnt too much to worry about.

the inverter doesnt have a fan but maybe like a transformer it hums? idk i have no cig lighter atm so maybe i'll test it on a buddies car in a few.

for tweeter phase you mean just check if reversing one side polarity gives better result?


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

you could always put a small 2 inch fan on it. A little air moving on it will make a big dif





eXcelon969 said:


> i'd only extend them about 10feet at most, i have some 12ga or 14ga hookup wire i can use, i hope the voltage drop isnt too much to worry about.
> 
> the inverter doesnt have a fan but maybe like a transformer it hums? idk i have no cig lighter atm so maybe i'll test it on a buddies car in a few.
> 
> for tweeter phase you mean just check if reversing one side polarity gives better result?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

8675309 said:


> you could always put a small 2 inch fan on it. A little air moving on it will make a big dif


i'm not complaining about no fan, i'm acutally glad there isnt one. this would rarely be used anyways and is just an 'in case i ever ever ever need it' type thing


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

You are not guaranteed good results but it could give you the results you need. Try the driver in phase and pass out of phase. Then try driver out and pass in. It is worth a try. 



eXcelon969 said:


> for tweeter phase you mean just check if reversing one side polarity gives better result?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

8675309 said:


> You are not guaranteed good results but it could give you the results you need. Try the driver in phase and pass out of phase. Then try driver out and pass in. It is worth a try.


i have no problem admitting i dont understand in the slightest what you are referring to.

all i can do is swap the +/- on the speaker leads...


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Sorry if I am comming off wrong. The +/- is worth a try.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

8675309 said:


> Sorry if I am comming off wrong. The +/- is worth a try.


what was your other suggestion? maybe i just need better explanation. by 'pass' you mean passive xover? i'm using active


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Sorry pass I mean Passenger
Try 
Driver +/- and Passenger -/+
Then try 
Driver -/+ and Passenger +/-
You may put both out of phase
Driver -/+ and Passenger -/+
Just things to try.

Your ears will let you know.



eXcelon969 said:


> what was your other suggestion? maybe i just need better explanation. by 'pass' you mean passive xover? i'm using active


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

8675309 said:


> Sorry pass I mean Passenger
> Try
> Driver +/- and Passenger -/+
> Then try
> ...


perfect. thanks.


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

A tip on the inverter, yes they are noisy, but so is the A/C power they make so if you don extend the point and cabling make sure its not near any speaker wire/RCA etc.

Good work though!


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

the one i got makes no physical noise. but i'll make sure to keep it away from RCAs


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

ok, floor matting is done. i have two layers over the floor, two on the sides of the console in the rear and 4 layers on the sides of the console up front. there was some factory matting there that was coming off so i just ripped it all off. i can only assume it helped with heat so i went crazy with the damplifier there. seems to keep things cool now.

next steps (not sure what order) are
- pop out alpine unit (dont have keys, hopefully bestbuy will do it for me)
- run RCAs down the driver side of the console
- wire relay to remote wire then run remote down passenger side of console
- wire inverter to battery, keep all wiring on passenger side of console
- wire relay to inverter power, using the 12v ignition wire as the relay (so it wont run when car is off) i think i can tap the cig lighter for this
- run speaker wire into doors, run each set down the side of the car (one will be next to the power cable run)
- run power cable to hatch
- lay ensolite

i'm starting to think i could lay the ensolite first, then wires on top.

- deep clean carpet
- detail console pieces
- reassemble interior

this all should get my car driveable again with at least the front seats in


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

eXcelon969 said:


> the one i got makes no physical noise. but i'll make sure to keep it away from RCAs


Sorry, should have made myself clear. I wasn't talking about physical noise.
The voltage any inverter makes is by nature noisy (in audio terms). Its an A/C with a rising/falling emw that could be stray & picked up by speaker/RCA's cables that could cause a low frequency humm. Its unlikey, hence just a tip.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Got the battery swapped. All ground points were sanded down to shiny metal with my dremel.

Old wiring (can see mess of cables near battery and 4ga ground from engine to chassis) Old main power run was black also since I ripped out the old stereo and just needed a quick wire. Also, boo engine paint coming off =(


















New engine to chassis 0ga









Battery Wiring. 0ga to chassis, 4ga to a dist block that runs 3 stock 8ga wires for the car. Haven't done main power wire run yet. Just had to get the car running. (those stock wires get shorter each time i do this...) Dist block just kinda sits there as the stock wiring is really stiff.









Knu "advertising" face up on power cable =)









My dual cig/usb power adapter came in and it's a nice unit however the face doesn't detach but i think i can mount it somewhere and make it look good.

Tomorrow i'm gonna run some power wire into the cabin. I'm also putting in a big order for replacement trim parts and such that i've broken or lost over the years. Also getting a new battery tiedown since mine was rusted and looked awful.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Slow day. Got old speaker wire pulled from the doors. I have no idea how I got it into the driver side door last time, as I had to pull off the cruise control unit and still couldn't see the entry point to the door jamb.

Also got the radio out and OCD'd the wiring harness. Pulled unused pins and shortened unused wires. I still have hookup for rear speakers so when I'm working on this I can still have those great rear stock speakers playing =)

Old mess









New mess, all wires soldered and heatshrunk, then a large heatshrink wrap over the bunch. No more unused pins


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

I really like that work on the harness. Hardly anyone will ever see it, but its those details between a rush job and a proper job.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Update 8/15/09

Made a fuse box for all my accessories. It'll have 8ga coming into it from the last port on my distro block. Everything is connected using ring terminals atop a "coupling nut" (basically just a 1" long nut) super glued to the box and then i have a bolt that secures all the ring terminals. 7 different circuits running
- 2A xover
- 2A remote relay (can go higher amps if needed)
- 20A radio
- 20A cig/usb
- 20A inverter
- 20A hatch accessory (whatever i plan on putting back there)
- 30A new horns!!! (yet to come)










Also dropped the hoodliner and sunroof to get at the sunroof panel. I'm redoing the both pieces in silver suede (over the top of existing material).




























Lighting is bad but both roof pieces are dingy gray right now, the silver is much brighter like my paint.

Hopefully I get the roof matted and enso'd and wrapped by tomorrow and start putting that stuff back on. My hatch shocks came and I think they were the wrong ones =(

This is turning more into a restoration project of sorts than just a stereo install


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

Just wanted to let you know that the ground on the valve cover isn't doing a thing. You need to move it to the stud.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i'm assuming you mean the one to the left... i take it i need it there because the bolt actually touches the engine itself? even tho it goes through the valve cover

thanks for pointing this out. i ran it in this config for a long time before.


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

Yeah, don't use the bolt. Use the stud that holds the valve cover down. It's not actually grounding anything with the bolt because their is rubber under the washer's. Glad I could help.


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## jadon087 (May 26, 2007)

looking good man.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

You still active with this build? Any updates?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

this has been going on for months. i'm lazy.

but yes, it's starting to come together. what's taking time is this is also a restoration project now that i'm out of the michigan winters and living in arizona. time to get all the rust and stuff off the car too.

i'm almost done ripping out the old fatmat. once i get that out i can start making good progress.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

eXcelon969 said:


> this has been going on for months. i'm lazy.
> 
> but yes, it's starting to come together. what's taking time is this is also a restoration project now that i'm out of the michigan winters and living in arizona. time to get all the rust and stuff off the car too.
> 
> i'm almost done ripping out the old fatmat. once i get that out i can start making good progress.


Good stuff. I am going to make some kicks for my 99 ls so I can throw the mids in them and get some 8'' midbass in the doors.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

good stuff! i havent really seen any pics of tegs with kickpanels so if/when you get it done i want to see.

i might even consider paying you for a set if you save the initial mold.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

4-23-10 UPDATE!!!

Yes, I exist. I got really lazy with the whole project and then the "Arizona winter" hit but now I'm working on it again.

All the old sound mat is out and new stuff is laid in the front and rear seat areas. I also have the ensolite laid in those areas.

Side project was a dome light dimmer circuit so my dome light will fade out instead of insta-off. I will have pics later.

Working on the engine bay right now. Got my new air intake put in as I was doing this since I needed to know where my wiring could go.

Remember I'm slowly replacing stuff on this car to get it 'un-rusted' from years of Michigan weather. I've ripped out a lot of the car so far.

PICS!!

Battery out and fuse box out for cleaning and bolt replacement. Can barely see the 0ga entering firewall at top right of battery tray. I ran the 0ga under the tray this time (kinda had to...)









ABS fuse box out









Good of time as ever to put on my new "Icebox" intake. Redid the transmission ground with 4ga.









You can see here my Harbor Freight hydraulic cable crimper (goes to 00ga). It's a beast for $60. Check out the crimps it makes. 8 tons force. Pics are on 8ga wire but trust me it is effortless to crimp 0ga. Will get pics of that later

















Redid all the main 8ga wires I could (battery to starter, battery to fuse box, battery to ABS fuse box) except for the alternator to fusebox since it goes thru about 4 different bunches of loomed wires and under the engine. Maybe I can find some blue techflex or heatshrink. 0ga is run thru stock firewall grommet along with 2 12ga and 3 18ga for accessory items. You can sorta see the 4ga to 4x8ga distro block i'm using so i dont have to run a bunch of ring terminals on the battery post. It will be secured to firewall.









Aftermarket battery is a bit higher than stock (I think, dont have it anymore) and i cant fit the ANL fuse holder on top like i had before so i had to make some brackets from ghetto Ace hardware corner/angle braces. Also made one for my accessory fusebox.

































I'm trying to take pics as I go but I get in the zone and sometimes forget. I plan on getting everything done (interior put back together) and all odds and ends done before the end of the month. Then I'll start on the hatch build.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Looks good. seeing your battery there reminds me how badly I need to upgrade my electrical.

You draw up/build a box yet? I can design you one if you need help.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Could you also shoot me a link to your dash kit/ mounting piece? I have tries 2 already that don't even fit so my 9887 is just kinda chillin in the dash on top of the stock pocket... Pretty sad lol.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i have not thought much about the hatch. i've kinda given up on keeping it functional at this point.

sorry i do not know about the mounting kit for the cd deck, i got that stuff 6 years ago

more pics coming tomorrow.

all the wiring is done in the engine bay. just need to zip tie a few wires. got my 'custom' accessory fuse box completed and it barely has room to fit.

before anyone goes out and gets that cable crimper, the statement i made before about 0ga was made after doing a recrimp on an already (****ty) 0ga crimp.

i had to actually take the 00ga die and grind one of them down to accomodate the knukonceptz 0ga ring terminal but after that it worked great


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

basically redid all the engine wiring now that everything is in place. made sure all 8ga wires were cut to proper length. relocated my accessory fuse box (AFB from now on) since it was interfering with my new (stock) strut bar.

big accomplishment was my Hella Supertone horns. holy god they are deafening. no i didnt run them off a seperate relay, the stock circuit was 20A so i figure i'm ok. a quick test confirmed that i dont blow any fuses. I also got to use a tap for the first time. Hard to see in the pics but there were a bunch of holes that looked ready for an 8mm bolt but needed to be threaded (couldn't get a nut on the backside). So i tapped the holes and it gave me a few threads to work with and voila I got my horns mounted!

PICS!

0ga crimp. had to alter the 00ga crimping die to allow for the thick 0ga ring terminals i had but it was good in the end. 4pt pinch is solid

























AFB relocation. looks like it kinda belongs there. 3 anble brackets just let it float there.









Finished wiring pics. tried to show as much lettering on the cable jacket as possible. Yes the battery is ziptied sideways to the main fusebox to prevent shifting. it really doesnt fit the stock battery tray so this is really all i can do without going super custom.

















Bumper removal and stock horn.

















Hella Supertones and a bad pic of my intake. It's not AEM style, its a Comptech Icebox. Resists hydrolocking and retains stock airbox look


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

got my ground cables done and my bumper hardware from acura arrived so i got that put back on.










took off the exhaust header cover and polished it down with my dremel and it's ready to paint with some VHT 2000 degree aluminum paint. too bad it was too windy today. clearly this is the before pic










pulled the fender liners and cleaned one of them and hit it with some Mother's Back to Black. pretty damn good i'd say. better than 110$ for new liners from the dealer










got my dome light dimmer circuit wired up and tucked underneath the dash. i get a nice 1.5sec delay and then a 2 sec fade when the doors shut. no pics sorry


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## Duncan345 (Apr 30, 2010)

Solid progress! It is coming along nicely.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Build looks great. You say that Ace-fabbed angle bracket mount for the fuse holder is ghetto, but I think it is fabulous  Functional, and is in the exact right spot. Whole build looks good, with good attention to detail. Looks like you are thinking ahead of time.  

I would suggest labeling that custom fuse panel "aftermarket" or something, just in case someone other than you starts messing with stuff while working on your car and can't figure out why that wiring isn't in the OEM wiring diagram


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

94VG30DE said:


> Build looks great. You say that Ace-fabbed angle bracket mount for the fuse holder is ghetto, but I think it is fabulous  Functional, and is in the exact right spot. Whole build looks good, with good attention to detail. Looks like you are thinking ahead of time.
> 
> I would suggest labeling that custom fuse panel "aftermarket" or something, just in case someone other than you starts messing with stuff while working on your car and can't figure out why that wiring isn't in the OEM wiring diagram


dont worry, no one else will ever work on my car at this point. i've found too much stuff that previous body shops / repair shops have just flat out left out or damaged

now that i have a garage i buy tools instead of paying for labor


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

eXcelon969 said:


> dont worry, no one else will ever work on my car at this point. i've found too much stuff that previous body shops / repair shops have just flat out left out or damaged
> 
> now that i have a garage i buy tools instead of paying for labor


 That's the answer I was hoping for (and kind of expected after reading your build). Keep up the good work.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

finished the two fender liners and also the tray below the engine. i was damn near ready to order new ones due to all the freaking overspray i was dealing with but i got a brass bristle brush and it helped get the paint off. 

took off the passenger sideskirt too and cleaned it and hit it with the Back to Black. soooo nice. no pics =(

painted the exhaust header shield. lovely! (rusted out pic in previous post) can also see my engine to chassis ground cable

















battery to ground (side of shock tower.









an otherwise boring day. just a lot of cleaning. still waiting on a few parts from the dealer.

ordered the belkin cigarette lighter usb thingy... 








(not the cable tho) and the PAC in-dash 3.5mm audio jack









i also got the ipod dock connector with 3.5mm audio and usb charger output on it from monoprice (4$ win)

will all get wired up in the center console armrest so i can run direct to my aux input on my alpine. unfortunately i have the last model before they started true ipod integration. wont replace head unit until it dies tho.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

haha oh man that header cover is saweet! Mine is so nasty and rusted off, I think it just got tossed.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks! i also just pulled that rusty bracket to the right of the cover... it's the upper power steering mount but there is a lower one and it holds the pulley/pump in place while i pulled the upper so i dont have to readjust the belt when i put this back on. just have to get some more carbon dremel wheels and i'll hit it with the silver paint too i think.

edit: black is stock. i think it's just cast in black metal whatever it is. i have leftover black caliper paint.

btw these are my rear brakes... gonna do front at some point. stock brakes yeah but painted so no rust.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

You lowered at all? Those kinda look like tein springs in the back.

You car is going to be slick when you're done with all the work you have been putting in.


Reminds me that I have to get off my ass and work on mine lol...


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## mitchjr (Mar 8, 2010)

I strongly agree with your shop blanket. thats about the only use I can see for a Cowboys blanket. I guess maybe if I ran out tp it could come in handy.

great build. (I just wanted to subscribe)


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

aV8ter said:


> You lowered at all? Those kinda look like tein springs in the back.
> 
> You car is going to be slick when you're done with all the work you have been putting in.
> 
> ...


those are oem replacements while i decide what to do. i redid my whole rear suspension (oem parts) and holy **** was there tons of rusted on bolts.

everything is new except the trailing arms and the trailing arm bushing (but i have new bushings)

i did get an ASR subframe brace in silver and the ITR sway bar so that should be nice once i get it on.

5/2/02...

small update. stupid install shop several years ago did my alarm and to get the siren in the engine bay they took one of my main wire harness grommets at the firewall and just jammed the top half IN TO THE CAR and ran the wire out so that the wire is against metal. now i've had no bad luck with this but i finally fixed it and now that grommet is sealed properly and the alarm wire is going thru the grommet for the rear window sprayer tube. i dont have it anymore since i'm removing the rear wiper and i've already yanked all the tubing and disconnected the rear wiper sprayer motor.

other than that just still doing engine cleanup. got the big rusty bracket "cleaned" but i wont spray it. it's now a very dark brown due to it being black with still some ingrained rust but it's not orange! if it really starts to piss me off it's only 60$ from the dealer. i did replace all the bolts.

i think i'm finally done under the hood until i get my alternator. i'm gonna start on the interior and run speaker wires tomorrow.

pics to come


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

5-3-10 update

guys i swear i'm gonna get to audio related stuff soon enough. got the rest of my acura parts today so everything in my engine (within reason) is de-rusted and cleaned.

OH EXCEPT FOR MY GOD AWFUL VALVE COVER.










notice the power steering bracket is now a dark brown (black plus the leftover rust that would not come off... not worth painting or $60 at the dealer)

pulled the valve cover and hit it with aircraft stripper. bubbled the paint right off










for some reason the aluminum is spotted and whatnot. probably from salt and just oxidation. this is after a full sanding with 220 and then 400 grit. pretty smooth. i'm gonna leave it at this and paint tomorrow. same color as my calipers










engine pics =) not bad for 145k miles.



















so yeah, spraying that thing tomorrow, adjusting my valve lash and then reinstalling. new dizzy and spark plugs too =)

then i swear i'm gonna run speaker wire and mat my doors.

oh yeah, got all my ipod hookup gear and the only issue is some faint hissing when navigating the ipod. this of course is with the car off and it being dead silent. wont worry about it.

also... this is what i had to fix... no "before" pic but a local install shop had done my alarm and the fat wire harness grommet you see going into the firewall... they had pushed the top half of it THRU the firewall and then just pulled the siren +/- thru that hole. against bare metal!! i was able to fix the grommet and then i ran the +/- wires thru what was the rear window sprayer tube grommet. siliconed it so no leaks when i spray my engine bay.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Looks good. Subscribed for audio updates  haha. GET TO IT!


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

good work, you fixing this car up well!


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## Jefferson (Jan 15, 2010)

Its so nice to see you bring back this Integra to stock/restored form. 
They are so damn hard to find not all hacked up and beat down.

It looks like its coming along rather well :thumbsup:


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

eXcelon969 said:


> i also got the ipod dock connector with 3.5mm audio and usb charger output on it from monoprice (4$ win)


Link please!!!! I need the same thing for my 9855 in my s2000! I already bought the alpine aux in adapter and have been using the just the headphone jack of my ipod/iphone and that is getting old always having to fool with the volume.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

3.5mm only

For only $1.52 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Audio Out Cable for iPhone/iPod (Apple Connector to Audio 3.5mm Connector) | iPod Cables

3.5mm plus usb

For only $2.60 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Audio and Sync Cable for iPhone / iPod (Apple Dock Connector to USB / 3.5mm Audio) | iPod Cables

HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

search ipod


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

=)

gonna sand off the lettering later today


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## rhystard (Apr 15, 2010)

what, after it's been painted? :surprised:


and why, don't want people to know its a honda? stealthy!


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

this


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## rhystard (Apr 15, 2010)

OH haha, sand off the paint! i get it. :laugh:

looks really good.


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## 2167 (Dec 5, 2007)

That came out GREAT 

Good Job:thumbsup:


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

eXcelon969 said:


> 3.5mm only
> 
> For only $1.52 each when QTY 50+ purchased - Audio Out Cable for iPhone/iPod (Apple Connector to Audio 3.5mm Connector) | iPod Cables
> 
> ...


Incase u want either of those pieces right away instead of having to ship best buy sells both of those pieces, I use them damned near every day

Edit I meant the flush mount usb and flush mount 3.5mm


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

done till tonight. havent fired her up yet but i will do so soon.

old mess...



















new hotness =)



















was gonna try to make a custom spark plug cover plate but after seeing this i really dont want to cover anything up


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Looking good.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

I have the official tool for the rear trailing arm bushing if you want it. This: SP Tools 65100 Honda/Acura Bushing X-Tractor - Removal and Installation Tool - HermansCentral.com 

PM me if you want it, I only used it once. Works really well.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

matted the passenger door. dont feel like attaching plates to the open areas since i'm gonna put the ensolite foam over everything.










ran speaker wires... damn molex plug in the door frame... popped the fender liner and the grommet for the door jamb boot. fished the wires in. thru the molex plug (holes were from my last install) and into the door plug. a little vasoline helped out a lot. stealth look ftw


































and thru...










should i mat the door more? i guess i can wait and see. it's a pain since there are so many ridges and whatnot.


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## rhystard (Apr 15, 2010)

if it doesn't resonate when you bang on it, it's usually good.


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

no need for more mat, but think about how solidly the driver will mount and how to avoid vibrations between two surfaces, in particular the door cards.
Also, on a simila integra I did here, I adjusted the door striker so it would shut that much more snug. It helped significantly as the ol glass against rubber seal can shake about pretty badly.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

sydmonster said:


> no need for more mat, but think about how solidly the driver will mount and how to avoid vibrations between two surfaces, in particular the door cards.
> Also, on a simila integra I did here, I adjusted the door striker so it would shut that much more snug. It helped significantly as the ol glass against rubber seal can shake about pretty badly.


what exactly did you do to the door striker? these doors are real loud if someone slams them. if the window is down it sounds worse.

thx


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

^^^ the strike & latch should have some adjustability on them, as is (well it was for an earler integra) But on the one similar model to yours, we carefully die grinded the strikers mounting holes just 3-4mm bigger (on the horizontal, toward the outside of the jamb), put a small cut-off in the gap left by off-setting the striker, before puting the bolts back on, cheap and worked. All this did was make the door have to close that much harder/more tighter agains the seals.
If yours is already a very snug shut, then perhaps there's not much to gain?


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

eXcelon969 said:


> ]
> 
> should i mat the door more? i guess i can wait and see. it's a pain since there are so many ridges and whatnot.


you should at least attempt to fill up all the holes with mat. it will help your mid do a better job in that door


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

started putting the interior back together.

new factory kickpanels and footrest. got my manual swap done lol (ok it's obv just a suede shift boot but much better than stock)










3.5mm audio and belkin usb power in the center console pocket


















remote power inverter faceplate in back of console


















just need some small machine screws to mount it securely and then i can wire it all up and get the console fully put back together


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

ha I like the remote inverter plate. No ground on those plugs?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

update

got my console wired. gonna put in the seats tomorrow after a good cleaning and then my interior will be done. i'm gonna put the door panels back on for now and start building the hatch out. no sense mounting door speakers if i have nothing to power them yet.

i did this on my motorcycle and figured i'd do it in my car too. basically take 12v down to 3v and send that to the garage door opener pcb. run it off a switch and now no unsightly garage door opener clipped on the visor. you could just run it off the remote's battery but replacing it in my setup would be too much effort (when it died). this way has no battery so no need to worry about that.

jumpered the button









wired with voltage reducer









in radioshack box ready for boxtop and mount









here is the underside of my armrest console piece. everything is sorta wire-loomed and molex plug'd except for the 3.5mm audio lead.









here are the plugs in the car to match up with









here is everything loosely in place. black utton in switch panel (near e-brake) on driver side is the garage door opener button. the other button is the alarm valet switch which had the button it came with already drilled into one of those switch plates so i just replaced it to match.









cig/usb combo ports under the glovebox









the cig/usb is on a constant feed from my fuse box as it only draws like 2ma at idle. the power inverter is switched at the top of the rear of the console (no pic sorry) i figure this will never really get used but it needs a switch since it draws .2 amps at idle

it was easiest to just tap into the +/- of my center console usb power plug (for the ipod) for my garage door opener. i will only be able to use the button when the car is on but that is fine. easier than running more wires up front to find a constant power source.

so yeah. seats in tomorrow. i also get new wheels and tires tomorrow or thursday whenever they arrive.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

resumed!!!

need help with final layout. as i am not a master installer i see no way of fitting my 3 amps, DQXS, and 2 12" subs in the hatch, while making everything visible to show off.

i have conceded to keep the component amps and crossover hidden between the rear seat and the back of the sub box. only the sub amp will be recessed into the spare tire well.

can i mount the component amps to the backs of the rear seat (on a mounting board i'll create)? they will be about 10 degrees past vertical but they also dont get very hot. i have had one of these actually running thru the passive crossovers now for a year to my components and it doesnt break a sweat.

but i'd like opinions.

here is the hatch









here is the angle roughly of the amps if i do it this way









i can mount one amp to the back of each rear seat and i might just connect the mounting board so it all has to fold down at once

thoughts?

i also need to make a floor and then recess the sub amp. i have a decent cutout right now using 1/2" MDF but i'm thinking about just building the sub box first and getting it in place (under the rear deck, nothing fancy, subs facing backwards) and then building the new floor in front of it only.

the front of the sub box will have a 1/4" trim panel that will reach the sides of the hatch and the rear deck so it should hide all the uglyness behind it.

my other option is to face the subs upward, and the amps to the rear of the hatch. i still want to retain the hatch cover though. would aiming the subs up into the hatch cover have any issues? how much clearance would i want if i did it this way?


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

I would keep both amps on a common board that stretches across both seats. It keeps your wiring from having to move in too many different directions, and there is no situation where it would be helpful to move only one down I think. 

I don't see any major issues with having the amps mounted on the seat backs. I have amps mounted to seat backs and amp backs for a while. One of the risks is someone slamming the seatbacks down and smashing your amps. 

Also, subs facing up will make the hatch cover vibrate more than normal. It might vibrate anyway, but forced air directly on it makes the problem worse. I'm not saying it's not fixable, I'm just saying that's what you have to work around.


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## bloobb (Apr 14, 2011)

my sub in my 95 teg is mounted facing up and is all the way back. you will get the cleanest sound out of it mounted firing up. math on the possible reflection vs initial wavelengths show the least cancelation in that position. all you have to do to kill the hatch panel vibration is put a peice of foam in between it and the metal. 

also, my amp is mounted similar to how you show yours, except i took my rear seat backs out and modified the internal seat to hold my 1 amp. the wiring allows my seat to fold forward. I only have 1 jl 6 channel amp, it might be a lot harder with 3.

and, seal your door holes up. you will be so glad you did. you can do it real simple with some 1/4" dense board and silicone.


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Wow. Love the attention to detail. Great work man.


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## PottersField (Mar 18, 2011)

I particularly like the attention to detail, especially with the things that have absolutely nothing to do with the install. Good work, friend.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks for the feedback

1) only the two small amps will go across the back seat. i will make it one solid board 1/2" thick, they will be able to fold down but really never will be except for troubleshooting. i rarely have anyone sitting back there either

2) i'd like to keep the hatch somewhat useful so subs up and to the rear is not gonna work, maybe if i were doing pure SQ i'd go that way. I think I'm gonna face them back

3) i still have no idea where to put my DQXS. given the orientation of the RCA connectors it just makes zero sense in any position that i would mount it in terms of accessability. i already have the long RCAs run to the back so i'd rather not tear stuff out to relocate this say up front. I think i'm just gonna have to put it behind the sub box, get it set up decently at first (more just bought it for the line driver and crossover) and then i guess plug in the DDC (do not have yet) whenever i want to start messing with the EQ

4) i know my doors have a lot of work, i dont even think i have my passenger door matted yet. i'm considering bringing my woofers out a bit onto the door card and fiberglassing a little mount. but this is way down the road. i looked at it today and there is really no room to angle the woofers unless i cut away a lot of door card, which i'm not willing to do right now

pics after the 2 amps are mounted, then on to sub box i think


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Why can't you just stack the DQXS on top of one of the amps? Are your amp controls on the top?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i can place it there but if i put the rca's facing UP, then when i fold down the rear seats for access to the DQXS it'll be facing me, but i'll have to wrap the RCAs back down and under the DQXS

if i face the rca's down, then when i fold down the rear seat the DQXS is upside down.

i'd rather not spend the 200 on the DDC if i can find a good way to orient the DQXS but i'm not finding that to be possible

furthermore when the seats to do fold down, the seat back never makes it perfectly horizontal so the amps and even the DQXS (if i mount it above the amps) will be sloping away from me.

probably overthinking it.... once i get it set up i dont think i'll ever touch it


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## PottersField (Mar 18, 2011)

If it were me, I'd just reroute the wiring and use every available space possible. The crossover might be small enough to fit behind/above the glovebox. I'm still in the "figure out where to put ****" phase on my 96 Accord and there's a lot of room back there if you get creative. Then there's the room under each seat. I know you already have wires ran but if it means keeping a bit of sanity, consider moving things around.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

either way (glove box or under seat) its still not accessable so i'd rather just keep it unaccessable in the hatch sinec my wires are ran.

i think i just need to start building and then i'll figure it out

if i can make my sub box shallow enough i might be able to recess both the amp and the crossover in the floor

how much room (minimum) should i leave between the back of the sub magnet and the back wall of the box?


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Idea for the amps:


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

thanks for the pics! (your car?) that is what i was thinking of but it seems the sheet metal is not strong enough for my two amps and a 1/2" piece of MDF to span both seats... (i dont have my carpet anymore)

but it look slike it would work. i was deciding against this setup earlier today but now i might at least see how it will work

if that is in fact your car, did you screw right into the metal or do you have wood behind there? and how thick if so?

thanks


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Yep. My car. That setup was many moons ago. I eventually swapped the hifonics mono to a Alpine 2ch v12(matching gen to the driver side amp), and just ran my big 2kw mono block on my box when I had the sub box in.

I did in fact mount right to the seat's sheet metal. My car was the go to ride for all my friends back in the day and the mounting system worked fine through all the abuse it saw. 

The driver side came a little too close to the quarter plastic. It etched it a little after awhile but nothing noticeable.

Would be a great mounting solution assuming your amps aren't too heavy. Could leave your whole spare tire well open for the sub box.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

so you had two of the alpine amps mounted there? what model? maybe i can look up the weight and compare

i'm gonna recess the sub amp into the wheel well but the box will not be. (still want hatch floor space)


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

I know it's a different year but when I had my 93 Integra. I had a 3/4" piece of MDF mounted to the seat backs with a McIntosh MC440 mounted to the drivers side and it had no problem, and it's close to a 30lbs. amp.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Great success!

1/4" roundover on the board for aesthetics and it helped pull the carpet around the corners i think

1/4" spacers behind the 10 mounting points and 1-1/2" self tapping screws.

I lose not even a 1/4" depth (how far back in can place the sub box)


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

very neat! does the job well.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

new plan...

i want to mount the DQXS along the driver side panel in the hatch, all the way to the back, facing inwards

i want to mount my power/ground distro blocks along the passenger side panel in the hatch, all the way to the back, facing inwards

the subs will still go right in front of the two mounted amps, facing rearward and will have a front trim panel that will go all the way to both sides of the hatch and up to the hatch cover

this however will introduce some pretty long ground cables as i plan to ground do the spare tire mounting location, it's threaded for a nice M10 bolt i think (maybe M8). the two mounted amps will have roughly 7 feet of ground cable and the sub amp will have about 5 feet. is that gonna be a problem?

HORRIBLE MSPAINT MOCKUP









the other issue is that the sub trim panel wont meet up with the side trim panels for the xover/distro so there will be some of the stock plastic panel between the two trim panels. i plan on carpeting the sub trim panel but maybe i could do a vinyl on the side ones. this keeps the original theme of the hatch, carpet up the middle and plastic (or some smooth surface) on the sides


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

eXcelon969 said:


> this however will introduce some pretty long ground cables as i plan to ground do the spare tire mounting location, it's threaded for a nice M10 bolt i think (maybe M8). the two mounted amps will have roughly 7 feet of ground cable and the sub amp will have about 5 feet. is that gonna be a problem?


5' and 7' grounding is a little bit long compared to normal, so make sure that grounding location is good. I don't think the 2' difference in length will make too much of a different, provided you are running all grounds to the same grounding point. As long as that is satisfied I don't think you will have ground potential difference issues. 

PS I really like your MSPaint mockup. That is one of the most useful quick sketches I have seen recently. No reason to do everything in 3D when you can draw perspective wire-frame over an existing picture. Brilliant.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

well the heat is well into the triple digits here and that really limits the amount of time i can work on this ****. i refuse to cut any wood in my garage so i gotta move my tools to the porch but it's in direct sunlight from noon till 6...

new plan is to not display the power/ground blocks. they'll remain behind sub box, accessable by folding down the rear seat if needed. this also means i have enough power wire w/o ordering more. it'll also make my gronnd cables only about 2 feet long.

i'm gonna put the crossover on the passenger side since there is a larger recessed area there. the driver side also has the 'hatch light' which might prove useful on occasion. my 6m rcas will reach around the hatch panels so i dont even have to cross power wire.

i got templates of the hatch sides traced and cut onto posterboard and ready to cut in the morning. i'm gonna make two flat sides with 1/2" MDF and go from there.

after that i'm gonna have to make a cage of some sort in the spare tire well to bring everything up and level. this will take the most time. i think i have 4 good spots to start from but i'm assuming they are all on the same plane

i've debated trying to light up stuff with led ribbon strips but decided that it's gonna be too much effort for no real benefit

i also picked up some of those zip tie mounts so hopefully i can bundle my wires in a decent manner

i really want to start on the sub box soon. given the subs and power that i'm running should i go 1.5" on the face of the box even if i brace it a bit on the inside?


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

eXcelon969 said:


> thanks for the feedback
> 
> 
> 4) i know my doors have a lot of work, i dont even think i have my passenger door matted yet. i'm considering bringing my woofers out a bit onto the door card and fiberglassing a little mount. but this is way down the road. i looked at it today and there is really no room to angle the woofers unless i cut away a lot of door card, which i'm not willing to do right now


if you're gonna do all that, ditch the doors and put the mids and tweets in custom kicks. pretty easy in the teg and a TON of room down there!!


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i cant give up my dead pedal =/

although i do want to learn to glass so i might just try for the hell of it


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

see above for horrid cable mess... about 15 feet of extra speaker wire per speaker and 2 long runs of RCA just making the hatch too much a hassle to work in, fitting wood and whatnot

spent a few hours and wound up with some pretty good progress i think. speaker wires ziptied in a few places and attached to mounts. allows for full seat laydown. rca's also ziptied together, still not exactly sure how i'm gonna run them but it'll probably be in the spare tire well somehow to the rear of the passenger side. i'm trying to not cross any power wires except for one time which i dont think i can avoid



















have 5 of the 7 sub box sides cut (doubling the front face). i'll get to it next week. still gotta figure out how to secure it to the car but i think i found a decent way tonight.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

eXcelon969 said:


> rca's also ziptied together, still not exactly sure how i'm gonna run them but it'll probably be in the spare tire well somehow to the rear of the passenger side. i'm trying to not cross any power wires except for one time which i dont think i can avoid


If you can, cross at a 90 deg angle. If not I wouldn't sweat it too much.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

tiny update... so hot outside...

mounted distro block, has about 1/4" clearance or less to the amp. just needed to make sure i have access to fuses. ground distro block will go underneath everything (if i even use it)

i might just try to get a new distro block that is just 2 4ga > 1 4ga for the grounds of my two pictured amps. then just ground that wire and the 0ga from the amp both to the same spot. idk


























ordered the remaining clips and whatnot missing from the hatch after the teardown, should be here tomorrow, then i need to size the box and finish cutting

progress slowly but surely. i also got in my tree-lok fasteners for my trim panels.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Where are you grounding to in the trunk?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

spare tire mounting bolt, i had one of the 125's hooked up like that for several month running my components.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Careful with that mounting spot, I have seen those rust because of the placement at the bottom of a spot that likes to collect water. That being said, you live in dry sunny AZ, so you probably don't have to worry about rust, so screw you


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

actually i had installed some altezzas and didnt put the gasket on right (over a year ago) and one day during monsoon season i got all this water back there

thank god nothing was installed. i've gone through carwashes since i fixed it and tried hosing it down from all angles and i get no leaks

there is one other spot i could mount to on that fake strut bar going over the gas tank electrical lines, where it bolts to the car on each end.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

no worries. If you've tested it and it works, don't "fix" it  I just know it's a Honda, and I've seen more than one of those rust out to where the bolt was still shiny, but the mount was completely rusted off the body pan.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

update...

heat, heat, heat...

anyways i got my relay wired up for my remote turn-on leads and tucked it inside the wheel well cover to minimize the clicking noise. ordered some more stuff from knukonceptz that i needed still

been hardware shopping too, gonna use m4 bolts and tee nuts for sub mounting. also got two thick metal braces to secure the bottom board of the sub box to the car. it'll only be attached in the rear but it should prevent any major movement.

i really regret mounting the amps on the rear seat cause the wires want to pinch every time i fold the seat. i know i'll never need to fold them down unless i blow a fuse in the distro block but it still is irritating. i should have just built the sub box and mounted them to the back of the box...

anyways i got my box size down and the wood cut. i'll assemble tomorrow. outer dimensions are 16x29.5x10.5 (1.25" face (_maybe_)). this gives almost exactly 2 cubes which is 1.7 after sub displacement. RE recommends .75-1.0 cuft per sub so this is middle of the road. i'll use a bit of polyfill but it'll be recessed nicely under the hatch cover. i really just want it recessed as far as possible.

pics tomorrow of sub box size and position. i'm gonna leave the front face off for the time being cause i'm gonna need to know what the level of the rest of the floor is before i decide how high to mount the subs.


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## bloobb (Apr 14, 2011)

i used a stretched out spring and some heat shrink tube where my wires like to pinch when i move the seats. works like a charm


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

pics?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

had a little utility knife accident so i didnt get much done but i got ground cables ran...

damn ground distro block has a few swappable compression fittings that are reducers (4 to 8 or 0 to 4) and for some reason it doesnt have two full size 0 ga fittings... pretty irritating. gonna have to try to get hold of one










































gonna let my cut on my thumb heal overnight then run the two power cables


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

knife cuts suck...
I know that feeling.

Lookin neat though.


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## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

Looks good bud. Givin' me some ideas for my install. I've got a 90' DA9 thats my daily and I'm thinking Sundown 1200D running a pair of DC lvl3 12's sealed. Still trying to decide on the front stage.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

power wire run... remote wire to both amps run off relay... box mounting brackets bent and in decent shape














































amps run fine and have 14.05v from amp+ to my ground point. still no rca's hooked up, gotta work on that tomorrow

you can see the mending braces bent and how it'll hold down the rear of the sub box... that piece of wood will end up being the bottom panel and extend back a few inches from the rear of the box so the brackets can bolt to it with t-nuts installed from the bottom. it'll keep it from sliding around i hope


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

ok i've been thinking about my crossover placement and i've spent 140$ on fiberglass materials (including 40$ respirator) to try to make a nice housing for it on the passenger side of the hatch.

i can get the DDC for 200$ (cheaper if used), hide the crossover, and just hook up the DDC when needed. this also eliminates the need to glass, which i've never done.

i'd probably just mount it to the back of the sub box or something


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

crossover sorta mounted. the board is secured to the car, just havent screwed in the crossover yet cause it's gonna keep getting in the way until sub box is installed. crossover will be pretty unusable after initial tuning. i'll run a phone cable for a future DDC










box cut, still gotta figure out the depth of the bottom board but that will be easy tomorrow










with top










jasper jig arrives tomorrow so i'll get holes cut soon

perfect cuts thanks to my new friend named Bosch (yeah it folds up for storage)










On a mechanical note I sent my fuel injectors in to get a deep cleaning. Hopefully I get back the MPG I've been slowly losing. Also another chance to replace some rusty nuts and bolts under the hood.

KnuKonceptz sells the compression fittings for 99c plus postage so i had them send the one i need.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

a week of mechanical issues including sending fuel injectors to get cleaned as well as replacing coolant lines cause of leaks at the inlets on the engine block...

once i pulled the hoses off i found out why...



















yay michigan winters, when i first pulled the hoses off there was no recess on the fittings where you clamp, it was just flat, filled up with hardened coolant and stuff, after i chiseled it off i decided just to get new fittings.

should resume sub box today or tomorrow

returned all my fiberglass stuff i was gonna use to build an enclosure for my crossover and spent another 40$ and ordered the DDC.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

starting up again. summers are way too hot to do anything major. i did replace some trim pieces and moldings. also replaces my parking brake cables since they were somehow stretched and really not working properly. also took care of some more rust by replacing my gas tank straps. maybe i was just looking for a small project idk

minor engine mod, removed my Fast Idle Thermo Valve which only aids in warming up the engine on cold starts but i dont live in the mountains. plus it operates with this stupid ass wax ball which interacts with the coolant and i was getting wax deposits in my overflow tank from this breaking down. ANYWAYS....

removal of it from the throttle body (yeah more part cleaning and new bolts/nuts) and "custom" blockoff plate i created to basically bypass this useless part

FITV - outer holes are air passages and the middle hole is a coolant passage. BYE BYE









mating surface on throttle body. coolant outlet will be unused









1/4" thick aluminum bar cut to size by some metal supplier. $3









drilled pretty damn close









cardboard gasket









sandwiched









installed with flange bolts









-------------
spent some time with the front suspension, i really need an alignment as my tires are getting chewed up. got a camber kit up front (pic soon) and new bushings for the upper arms. these were only bushings up front that i didnt replace last year. gave myself a 'eyeball' garage alignment before i take it in. had to also replace a torn ball joint boot and some boots at the end of my steering rack. also replaced two motor mounts that had all but fallen apart

after re-torquing the front suspension i eliminated a 'pop' i have had for a long time when turning at slow speeds so i'm pretty happy about that

now onto the rear. two final pieces i never installed the first time due to super rusted bolts and fear of snapping them off and turning the job into $$$$$$$$

thanks to an impact gun i was able to remove the two mega rusted bolts holding on the compensator arm on the driver side (adjusts rear toe) and finally got the trailing arm off the car. i can now FINALLY use the damn trailing arm bushing extractor tool i bought from someone on here a year and a half ago on page 4 of this thread. i know i didn't have to remove the trailing arm but i figured i better cause you never know. i ended up needing a 2ft breaker bar to finally get the bushing moving.

setup









success









=================================================
here is the plan going forward is to finish up the rear end and get an alignment. at that point my entire suspension (bushings / shocks) will be new and i can put it to rest. it's finally cool enough to put in longer hours in the garage. sub box is next. it's all cut but i gotta assemble. then i'll hook up my crossover and mount a jack for my DDC so i can plug it in when necessary. wire up my sub amp and see how much current this is actually gonna draw.

at that point i'm gonna order my mechman 220a and then the fun begins. gonna rip off my intake manifold i think. this will give me better access to the alternator, also the rear engine mount which is most likely shot, and i can get the the remaining coolant hoses and replace them.

next project is a new brake setup. the paint on the rear calipers has held up nicely so i'm gonna get reman'd ones from the dealer and paint them the same. getting new pads, rotors will come with a black hub so i wont have to paint them, and new stainless brake lines

last on the list is a full exhaust swap/upgrade. this should remove the last major piece of 'michigan rust' (aside from some suspension arms) and maybe give me a few HP too

at that point i'll have cleaned or replaced or upgraded nearly every piece on the car except for the transmission and the internals of the engine block

pretty good learning experience in all


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

pressed in the driver side trailing arm bushing rotated about 7 degrees to account for the 2" drop. put it all back on with new hardware and new compensator arm (toe adjustment)

























the passenger side was much harder. the compensator arm bushing on the car frame end was shot so the impact gun just basically ripped the metal sleeve from the rubber. plus the sleeve was seized to the bolt. torched the rubber, leaving the arm just dangling around the seized bolt/sleeve. luckily it wasnt seized to the car since you cant get to the nut.

bought a dewalt angle grinder and after about an hour of work with that and the dremel i finally got the arm off and the bolt free without damaging the subframe.

old hacked up arm vs. new arm









this is sorta where it sits.... had to avoid cutting into that forward flange. you can kinda see how the rear nut is completely inaccessible. that bolt/nut assembly slides sideways to adjust rear toe angle to the trailing arm / wheel









bushing pushed in (with old bushing sitting there)









all threads cleaned up with tap/die set. ready for reassembly tomorrow finally.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Looks good! I have been meaning to do all the bushing on mine. I am about to cross 110k on my 99 and the rear trailing arm bushing have been out for a good 25k miles.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

if you want the TA bushing tool, PM me for a price. else i'm ebaying it soon


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

eXcelon969 said:


> i can now FINALLY use the damn trailing arm bushing extractor tool i bought from someone on here a year and a half ago on page 4 of this thread. i know i didn't have to remove the trailing arm but i figured i better cause you never know. i ended up needing a 2ft breaker bar to finally get the bushing moving.


Glad you were able to use my bushing extractor tool  I would love to see it go to another member on here to keep it away from those Honduh forums  (I kid, I kid). 

It is a special experience for sure to be able to _know_ every piece of your car because you have completely disassembled it. Be forewarned, it makes them hard to sell


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

aV8ter said:


> Looks good! I have been meaning to do all the bushing on mine. I am about to cross 110k on my 99 and the rear trailing arm bushing have been out for a good 25k miles.


Do it. You will be _amazed_ how much more steady the car feels with new RTA bushings. It was like night and day on our GS-R


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## Jonny Hotnuts (Mar 15, 2011)

Love the 'toilet bowl cleaner' gasket, however I have seen instances where glycol breaks down the pulp and will create leaks. I do recommend you use a gasket made from gasket material as apposed to cardboard (available at any auto parts store). Empty bullet shells made great punches to make perfect holes. 

Also.... G12 coolant will significantly reduce pitting and corrosion on aluminum motors and is what I ran in all my race engines until they (SCTA) ruled that all glycol based coolants were safety concern (fire). 

These are just suggestions, and good luck with your car. 

~JH


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

eXcelon969 said:


> if you want the TA bushing tool, PM me for a price. else i'm ebaying it soon


Shoot me a PM with a price.



94VG30DE said:


> Do it. You will be _amazed_ how much more steady the car feels with new RTA bushings. It was like night and day on our GS-R


I need to. I am planning on going with Hardrace bushings for the whole car.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Johnny Hotnuts: there is no coolant running through there anymore, it's just blocking air

90vg30de: not selling the car ever. i'd rather keep it as a spare car than take the 3k or whatever i'd get for it. i love the new TA bushings, no more squeak when i back out of my driveway down the curb.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

sub box progress

top and sides countersunk and glued with liquid nails









ready for holes









liquid nails + countersunk holes









eventual box placement, have to cut the bottom panel to size since it'll extend back past the back edge of the box and bolt to a couple brackets, gotta figure out final depth









amps behind









front face doesnt actually sit like that, i'll be the entire face, not sitting on the bottom panel, this is mock-up. front face was glued together 1-1/4" thick, i was gonna try to countersink the subs into the 1/2" piece but i dont know now. i still may try









there will be a 1/4":trim panel over the face of the box, extending up to the hatch cover and to the sides of the hatch.

i got t-nuts and stainless machine screws today for sub mounting (8-32)


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

looks like you do good work my friend. As always, the screws are overkill if you are using Liquid Nail, but they do help look super sweet


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

mainly used for overkill clamping. i messed up one of the sides when i was trying to align my middle brace. i'm gonna shave the bottom edges of the sides and back about 1/16" to even it out on the table saw


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

alternator is ordered, prepping for it's arrival. removing the stock alternator is a hassle from below the car and this new one is a larger case (so it says) so i'm not confident i could just slide it back in there. now i can finally tackle the rest of the engine bay cleanup... main goal here was to finally get the intake manifold off and all the hoses so i can work on the alternator from above.

removed distributor, all coolant hoses/pipes (replacing), intake manifold, fuel rail / injectors, and rear engine mount (replacing, since i'll never be able to get to it again)

current state:



















have a new intake gasket but i gotta get that one off.... it's on there pretty good.

more crap in the damn coolant loop, this thermostat housing is being replaced... can also barely see up top where a hose fitting is all corroded with coolant like my other two pieces in previous pictures...


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Comptech Ice Box........ Very nice! Always wanted to pick one of those up but would have not use for it as I am planning on a k24a2 swap.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

long weekend of prep is done. mechman 220a arrives tomorrow. had to get the intake manifold gasket scraped clean. took 5 hours. that thing was on there hard.

while i was at it i finally got rid of the ghetto ziptie holding my battery and made the stock hold-down work. i had to basically make longer rods for the sides (XS battery is taller) and use 5mm rod instead of the 6mm (XS battery is like 3/16" deeper)

factory rod on the bottom









can see where the battery is just a bit too wide...









fitted









installed









after the gasket scraping and final cleaning i installed my new water pipe and thermostat housing

















and then finally the new rear engine mount is in









now i just gotta wait for UPS...


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Very nice and detailed build! Michigan winters wreak havoc on vehicles.


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## MTopper (Nov 4, 2009)

cnut334 said:


> Very nice and detailed build! Michigan winters wreak havoc on vehicles.




yes and no, i have a 2004 blazer with minimal surface rust underneath. i just wash it at least once a week. most people are just too lazy which is what causes all the problems with rusting. 


love the car and product choices man. keep going strong with the work, it all pays off in the end.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

mechman 220a finally (next to stock 90a)

















you can see the black adapter bracket since this is much larger. well after finally figuring out that my alternator mount has a steel bushing that needed to be pressed out a tad, i finally got this in place.

too bad i tightened the bolt going through the adapter bracket (thru the alternator case) too tight and stripped the welded nut.

of course it's the holiday so i probably wouldnt get a replacement for a week. i think i'll just grind it off and use a new nut

then, despite several emails ensuring me this was "direct bolt-in" i come to find out i have to modify my top alternator mount bracket. they suggest "elongating" the mounting holes so you can slide the bracket up a tad and get your clearance. i dont have the machinery to elongate those holes without just cutting a full channel.










my options are to shave under the adjustment slot, or just cut two channels all the way through. you can see this bracket is solid steel (or cast iron) and is about 3/16" thick so i'm really not worried about it warping

i think i'm just gonna cut the channels in blue

i also realized i dont have any matching knukonceptz 1/0 ring terminals for my alt-to-battery cables so i'm probably going to end up waiting.

if i can at least get the alternator installed i can get the car on the ground in the meantime and just fish the 1/0 thru when i get to it.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i can not get this damn alternator to line up properly. working with mechman to get this resolved but it's now been 2 weeks since delivery and it still wont fit right.

ripping my hair out.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

You get the alternator issue resolved?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

yes! after sending the unit back the first week of december (maybe 2nd week), they made a completely new design for me at no extra charge

it's a small case. the same physical size as the stock alt but all different internals. still 220a output, no adapter bracket. i'm basically the guinea pig since they didnt have a civig/teg to test fit it on.

it lines up perfect and my engine bay is reassembled and car is running. got my 1/0 power and ground from the alternator routed neatly up to the battery

we are having an issue with the adjustable voltage regulator right now not going below 15v but they are getting me a fix.

even though this has dragged on for 3 months i cant say enough about their customer service.

basically spent the last few months cleaning the engine bay, replacing more gaskets and stuff that i now had access to. painted a lot of rusted brackets, powercoated some others, brand new oem valve cover (long story dont ask) but i like the look of it in black

i'll resume the build this weekend and update with pics.


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## aV8ter (Sep 4, 2009)

Glad they were able to make some headway on the issue. So Honda's ELD alternator regulatory system is no longer active, correct? 

I went in different direction with my stereo, a more minimalist approach only using one efficient amp to run everything. No longer needed the extra capacity of the 5100r so I sold it to a buddy and ordered up a d375 to be my one and only batt. Got it in the mail today and was shocked by its size. I must say I am shocked by its performance, rather incredible.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i have no wires from the alternator to the ecu, just to the battery light in the dash

i still have the stock alt+ wire hooked up as well as the 1/0ga run.

good to hear about the d375. if i start voltage dropping i'm gonna add one of those where teh abs motor is and do an abs delete.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

need to add terminals somehow to sub box...

looking at some builds here it looks like people are just using bolts through the sub box and then using ring terminals on the outside of the box with nuts. am i correct there? would i just make sure to silicone around the bolt so no air leaks out? i kinda want to go this route.

if so do i just use generic zinc bolts or do i need stainless?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

goddammit the product manual for the RE subs says 11" mounting hole so i cut an 11" mounting hole with the jasper jig.

sub wont fit. check reaudio.com and it says 11.2... back to lowes

at least i can now easily do a recessed face since i'll cut both panels separately before i glue them together


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

ok status update...

alternator is in and working fine. it charges at 14.9v and can't go any lower, mechman says this is ok so i'm rolling with it

finally got my dqxs wired up and all rca's ran. components get crazy loud. just for the sheer power and the ability to balance the woofers against the tweeters makes me glad i went active.

i spent some time cleaning up rca's in the hatch, as my main ones from head unit were about 6 feet too long. so i cut them to length and resoldered the rca ends. i come to find out this is really ****ty rca cable so i have ordered 150ft of Gepco EZ and redco rrca plugs. not sure if i'm gonna bother with techflex since none of this will be seen.

as it sits now, the front amps are hooked up, audiocontrol is set up (quickly, no tuning yet). crossed over the tweets at 3500hz (stock xover is set at 3600). my head unit doesnt put out **** for voltage even tho it says 4v. you gotta have the sub control at +15 for it to output that on the sub channel.

really want a new head unit that has true 4v outs, hd radio, sat radio (pref built-in). must be single din. i was gonna wait till the new alpines come out but if something else works i'll spring for it. problem is my dqxs will be buried so i gotta set the input/output levels before i build on top of it.

i think i'm gonna take the damplifier off the driver door (havent done passenger yet) and get the spray-on stuff. at this point i dont care. i would also like to spray on the hatch lid too. just sick of cutting and laying mat.

sub box baffle is gonna be tricky. i have the base 3/4" layer, followed by a 1/2" layer to recess teh subs in. i have given this recess a 1/4" roundover on the front face and filled in everything with wood putty and primed it 4 times to a pretty good finish.

there will be a further 1/4" trim panel over the whole thing going from side to side in the hatch. the cutouts for this will give about 3/4" around each sub so you'll see part of the 1/2" outer baffle which is now primed. i want to paint this but i might just put material on it to give it a two-tone look.

furthermore i bought tree-lok fasteners to give the 1/4" panel a pressure fit to the 1/2" panel and i think lining all this **** up is gonna be a nightmare.

as an aside, i've been rolling around in the gf's mazda3 for a few months now since my car was up on blocks and i got sick of the stock system so i ordered her some stuff. my original intention on this car was to soundproof it and put in as best i could audio-wise for around 600$. comps, one sub, good amp. As you can see that got out of hand. but now i'm doing the same for her car.

she already has some alpine HU from around 2006 with preouts. so for 450 I have...
- ppi s580 4 channel (100x2 + 290x1)
- jl 10w0v3
- new factory tweeter panels w/o tweets so i can install new holes
- replacement led lighting for trunk
- metra speaker wire harnesses so this is removeable
- all the connection ****
-- battery terminals
-- 4 ga power/ground + doing big 3
-- 16 ga speaker wire
-- 12 ga sub wire (overkill yeah)
-- fuse holders
-- 4 channel interconnect
-- lots of carbon techflex =)

now i need components. no sound deadening except for what i have lying around.

anyways i'll start a new thread when this begins soon


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

for anyone with a hatchback and a removeable rear deck like mine....

firing the subs upward, will it cause the rear deck to move with all the air being pushed? there is no way for me to secure it aside from glue/screws so it doesnt move.

i'm thinking i might want to face the subs up so i have the front of the sub box to play with for amp mounting as my current setup is beginning to irritate me. but i still need a rear deck for protection from the AZ sun and theives


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## bfrance (Oct 6, 2005)

Loving this build! I just made a deal on a '94 ls teg today and I'm watching your build feverishly to get ideas for how to set mine up. 

-Ben


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

Changing a few things layout-wise in the next couple weeks. Enjoy the "new" car


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

back from the dead... summer is now over and the temps are becoming bearable so now i can keep working.

i have built a new sub box much better this time, just need to do the face.

i have removed the front amps from the rear seats. i wasnt thrilled about this setup after wiring them up and having to deal with slack/no slack in the wires when folding the rear seats.

the sub amp now will be mounted to the back of the sub box, which will also be a nice spot for my distro block. i have purchased barrier strips for speaker leads and also anything related to the remote-turn on and my relay for this.

i'm in 'screw it' mode and i just want this stuff in finally. not gonna sacrifice quality but i'm not going to go over the top with some of the ideas i once had

pics soon


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## metalball (Sep 8, 2010)

Great attitude! Can't wait to see more.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

rebuilt sub box. ledge on back is for my accessories. first time using terminal strips. love em










everything is mounted with threaded inserts and 8-32 machine screws. except for sub amp board.... that will just be glued in place. i'm not thrilled about the angular mounting but i think it is better for heat dissapation than a vertical mount. there is over an inch from the amp to the rear seat and it will not be enclosed in any way.

if heat dissapation will not be a problem with a vertical mount i'd much rather do that so let me know =)

sub baffle getting glued for double thickness, will route holes tomorrow.


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

sub cutouts routed. found out the hard way my MDF is 11/16 not 3/4 so the mounting surface thickness is 5/8" not 3/4. oh well. i also made the larger cutout slightly too big (had to guess how much larger to make hole to accomodate snug fitting carpet) so i grabbed some leftover veneer/edge banding and ran two layers on the inside to help close the circle a little. carpet going over it anyways, i just wanted a snug fit.

8/32 t-nuts inserted with sledge and superglue.










still unsure of amp mounting. right now i'd have to glue the whole thing up and i'm not keen on that. i think i'm gonna find another way to build an inclined amp mount board that attaches to the base behind the box and in no way touches the back of the box.










you can see (in pic in above post) i have the bottom of my sub box that extends a few inches to serve as a platform. on top of that i have another piece bolted to it. my terminal strips and sub amp mount will sit on this upper board. 

the way it looks now i will have 1.25" between the top (where the logo is) of the amp and the rear seat back, and nothing will be enclosed, heat can rise up to under the rear deck and flow out from the topside of the sub box.

given that i'm not enclosed, could i just mount the amp completely vertical and be ok with heat? it would make the mount much easier, i hate angled boards, they're impossible to clamp

i also have 1/4" bolts/nuts for wire terminals on the box. need to make another run tomorrow for more mounting hardware.

once this is all positioned in the car i need to build side panels to reach out and mate to my interior car panels. i think i'm gonna do something with a threaded insert into the side of the base layer of MDF on the face of the box and build from there. i cant really visualize a good way to attach these panels.


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

amp can be vertical... I don't see an issue!!  
Great to read your still on this build!!! keep going, at your own pace!


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

test fit is wow

got my brackets on top and sides for beauty panels that i need to make tomorrow


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

finally all bolted in and wired up. i have no midbass since my rears suck and i dont have fronts amped up yet. also my processor is not in yet




























i'll get pics of my custom RCAs too.... i used gepco cables and redco ends, however i used leftover knukonceptz barrels since they fit and had a much tighter fitting opening in the back. techflexed.

i wish i techflexed everything but it's a pain


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

Nice build.

Are you buying your terminal blocks local or online?


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## eXcelon969 (Jul 6, 2009)

i get em at frys electronics but radio shack has em (only a few configs)

otherwise online i suppose


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

I'll try the my local owned Radio Shack, the other corp store doesn't 
stock crap but phones. They didn't even have rabit ears. SUCK!

i really like the idea of using those blocks, its kinda a newis thing these
days. Sure makes it easier being able to prewire an amp rack ouside the
car. 

Your end result turned out really sweet! really like how the hatch area
turned out, it paneled in quite nice. Kind of reminds me of installs back in the day.


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## damonryoung (Mar 23, 2012)

Great attention to detail! Do you have any updates? I am about to help a friend out on his '93 Integra and I've got some pretty good ideas from here!


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## kizz (Jun 22, 2009)

you are going to love the rainbow components


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