# 1997 4runner build: Morel, Massive, Alpine



## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

*I love this truck, I down sized my car payment and got into a 1997 4runner with only 40k miles on him. Its a 5 speed manual with a supercharger! WHoo hoo!! 

Here is a picture of the sweetness! LOL*










*And A pic off roading!*










*I started in with my stereo, picked up everything that i need and its going to be pretty awesome...

Simple Parts List:

Alpine W505 Deck
Alpine PXA H701 Processor
Massive Audio Nano amps, NX4 (2) and NX3 (1) 
Morel Supremo 9's 
Morel Supremo Piccolo's tweeters
Morel Ultimo 12" Sub-woofer










This whole install is going to be custom, no factory locations are going to be used at all.

Tonight I started into the Kick Panels *

*Made Rings and Routered and Camferd the edges.*











*I used low temp foamed plastic to make a sunken edge.*










*I used Hot glue and dowel rod to mock up the angles and where everything will end up sitting.*










*And here is one sitting on the drivers side.*


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

*Productive weekend for working on the car. Layered up the Kicks, Modified the rear seat to clearance for the amp rack, created the Amp rack and coated it in truck bed liner for durability and rust / short proof.

So here are the kicks... They are coming along...*



















*Here is where the amps are going under the rear seat. Originally they were going to go under the driver seat, but this spot is much better and it will fit all 3 amplifiers in one spot and conceal all the wiring as well. *



















*in order to build the seat back up and clearance the seat bottom 2 inches to clear the amps I had to fill that hole back in. I welded a piece of angle over the top of the hole and then glassed in the rest.*


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

*The next part was building a simple tiered amp rack that would hold 3 amps very securely. I off-road this truck and need everything to be really tight and installed with out compromise.*


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## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

Nice install! Just keep an eye on those amps for overheating. I haven't personally had an issue with my NX5 and NX2, but some others have. It's hard to see if there will be any ventilation under there, so maybe it will be just fine.


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## CustomAddictions (Oct 13, 2011)

Looking good so far. Are you going to weld that bracket to the truck ?


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

*^^ its going to bolt down, the bottom amp has to be secured to the rack and then the rack put in the truck, other wise I can't get it in there. I am going to weld down the spots that it will bolt to though... 

There is lots of open air in the spot where they are, more so that other spots I was looking at. The amps have open air on all 360 degrees so it should vent well.*


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

Changed up my Source unit to my older but maybe better sounding head unit....

Anyone want a W505 from alpine? Its pretty dam mint...


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

*Wrapped up the install. Still need to put down some color on the kicks but black works for now. Sounds Super awesome, but the kicks are so big that it makes the car hard to deal with on a day to day basis... might have to switch it up or move something to do the doors..


Went with my old deck and RUX controller Stuff has not been used in 4 years..
*


















*Mounted the Brain box on the under side of the passenger seat.*










*Ran power wire and hooked up distro blocks..*











*Covered the modified seat bottom for aesthetics. *











*Installed the amplifiers in their new home. Still need to make a trim piece to clean this up, but with the seat down, they can't be seen and its super stealth.*










*Wired up speakers and installed tweeters.*


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Looks good. But I can see where those kicks could pose a problem on a daily basis. At least you don't have any door rattles.


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## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Looking real good! I'm about to consider large midbass myself in my BMW, what do you have them crossed at? Are your tweeters designed to play lower down?

Gav


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

looks great...reminds me of when i decided to mold the interior of my toyota pickup about 10 years back to do 8" morels in the kicks lol. 

but yeah something that big and delicate doesnt work well with a truck that go on the occassional off roading trip. especially not with Morel grills 

not sure if those doors on those trucks are that great at holding an 8" driver thought...pretty small and not all that strong iirc.


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

GavGT said:


> Looking real good! I'm about to consider large midbass myself in my BMW, what do you have them crossed at? Are your tweeters designed to play lower down?
> 
> Gav


 Crossover points on the 9 inch morels are set from 50 to 1.4 k with 6 db slope on both ends. Tweeters are crossed at 1.4 k up with a 30 db slope..

The r g a spectral analyzer shows the speakers tailing off at 80 hertz.. this is due to be very tight and small enclosure they are in.


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## Complacent_One (Jul 2, 2009)

I am diggin' it....looks nice.

I assume it images pretty darn well?? How is the width of soundstage.

I am looking at doing pretty much the same thing with the tweeters, I just picked up a set of PX2's locally and have PVC endcaps for them in a low a-pillar install. From the looks of it, you have them pointed at the foward dome/map light, is that correct?? I was debating doing that, or crossfiring them, with about 5-10 angle back. I had a set of XT25 Ring Rad's on axis, but with such a close seating position and vertical windshield the pass side tweeter was way to "in my face" so off axis with the A/D/S PX2's should provide a better listening experience. 1995 Ford Bronco with the seat all the way back, and my head is still forward of the b-pillar...so pld's are a *****!!!

Please provide some feedback on your tweeter placement....Thanks!!!


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## draggindime (Aug 11, 2010)

Looks good I like the amp rack but so far it all looks good


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

Any pics of the sub installed...thanks


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

Complacent_One said:


> Please provide some feedback on your tweeter placement....Thanks!!!


I have terrible LPD to the speakers in the 4runner. The windshield is right where the speedo is...so not much deeper than the steering wheel really. 

At first I had the tweets more aimed right at me and there was just too much information coming right at me from that very identifiable place called the tweeter. Then I rotated them to the center more and they mellowed out a lot. The only reason they are aimed up is because that is all the flexibility I have with these adjustable pods. But it works because the tweets are below the ear level.

The car images perfect across the whole dash. Everything seems to be just below the rearview mirror at the listening level. The width is limited to with in the A pillars. not much ventures outside of them (where the tweets are) Lower frequencies appear outside of the a pillars, but that is because they are coming from the kicks and offer a better image distance from the listener. Things like kick drums and drum percussion is really wide so it gives an oara of being wider than the car is which is great. 



The A/d/S px 2's are fantastic tweeters. They hold their weight with the piccolo's and other larger tweeters. They are my favorite tied with the Piccolo's When i had my px in my last truck I had them crossed at 2.2k with a 12 db slope and they played that really well and kept the mid from beaming too much, if at all. enjoy those tweets... No reason to ever sell them. (im pissed I sold mine)


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

Here is the sub currently... Still need to build box for the ultimo... But this sounds so dam good I might build a box for this one...


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

I tried a new direction this weekend! HLCD.... Are they loud! yea.. Are they clean.. yea.. Do they offer up the awesome imaging that everyone talks about? Kind of. The right side pulls the image down so I have a sound stage that does one of these \ So im playing with my settings to see what can be done and what I can do to get around that. From what I have read, its not coupling with the Dash properly so I might move it further back under the dash if I can and see if that gets me anywhere closer to Nirvana....


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## nittanylion64 (Oct 3, 2007)

Peanut butter Cups are favorite "working" food too! Install looks great!


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## Joehs (Apr 27, 2010)

Sick truck. I love those old toyotas. I've always wanted to pick up an early-mid 4runner and turn it into a dedicated trail rig. 

Keeping an eye on this build.


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## Jonny Hotnuts (Mar 15, 2011)

I am glad to see someone that isnt afraid to do metal work and have the skills to back it up. I dont want to be someone to knock other installs but I am seeing too often installers getting ambitious and decide to weld something. While they may have skills in wood, fiberglass and filler more often then not their welding looks like an abortion, and one (*will not mention the install, and it is a build on DIYMA) could of severely compromised the vehicle on multiple levels. 

Dont get me wrong I have seen prettier welding then yours....but HOLY F- it is not bad!
LOL

BTW:
If I was to venture a guess.....I would say you were using a 110v MIG with .30 flux cored wire and no shielding gas?

Keep it up....

~JH


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

Jonny Hotnuts said:


> I am glad to see someone that isnt afraid to do metal work and have the skills to back it up. I dont want to be someone to knock other installs but I am seeing too often installers getting ambitious and decide to weld something. While they may have skills in wood, fiberglass and filler more often then not their welding looks like an abortion, and one (*will not mention the install, and it is a build on DIYMA) could of severely compromised the vehicle on multiple levels.
> 
> Dont get me wrong I have seen prettier welding then yours....but HOLY F- it is not bad!
> LOL
> ...



Ill take that as a compliment as its my first time welding! And yes, 110v MIG with Flux... Still need to get some gas and practice to make cleaner welds, but these visually don't really matter, just grind off the extra, if it sucks, ill just redo it.


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## Jonny Hotnuts (Mar 15, 2011)

> Ill take that as a compliment as its my first time welding! And yes, 110v MIG with Flux... Still need to get some gas and practice to make cleaner welds, but these visually don't really matter, just grind off the extra, if it sucks, ill just redo it.


It was intended to be a compliment. 

BTW:

Just a suggestion from observation.....
I notice in the pic of the cut out pan that there is evidence of spatter. Most people, including a few experienced welders, dont know that you MUST reverse the polarity on your welder when using flux core wire. MIG units are set up from the factory for shielding gas (even when they dont come with the tank, reg or solenoid) for neg work + whip. 
When you open the cover with the wire, you will see the lugs the whip and ground are connected to. 

If you are getting a ton of spatter its because you are running negative ground. 
Swap the lugs so your whip is - and your work is +, and your spatter will go away, you will have good penetration and no pitting. 

I cant tell from your pics for sure if you havent already done this, flux core wire has some spatter regardless and you had already cleaned up much of your welds before pics, but if you havent the next time you weld you will find its waaaaay better with them reversed! 

Send me a PM if you have any questions/problems with welding. 

~JH


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

The poles on the Welder are Reversed.... so its just a matter of flux having splatter no matter what... Upgraded to a 210MVP hobart and its tons better, thicker wire and more juice to play with means a better welding experience!!


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## ariko81 (Dec 15, 2008)

Nice work on your 4runner. 

I'm about to begin working on my 4runner as we speak. Seriously considering HLCD's. How are yours working out? which horns are you using?

I couldn't tell from the pic..what midbass did you pair with those horns?


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## ChiTownSQ (Apr 7, 2008)

The horns were the CDL Mini Horn Bodies and the Selenium Drivers. They were Ok, Could have used a super tweeter to sweeten up the sound a bit. The imaging was ok as well. Needed lots of futzin to get it to do what I wanted and even then it was a bit off. Dropped off on the right side. My kick panel 2 way set up sounded much better... 

The Door Drivers are the Phoenix Gold Ti 6 Mids. (morel made, similar to elate 6 but better mid range clarity/ less low level punch.)


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