# Chevy Cruze A-Pillar Build



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

I first met Mike about 5 or so years ago at a car audio event in Syracuse where he was kind enough to give me a demo of his truck. This is when i was still very new to this hobby and had pretty much zero experience with a proper sounding car (i still listen to the first song he used to demo the truck). I loved it. His truck, along with a few other vehicles that day got me hooked on the pursuit of accurate reproduction of music in a car.. which brings us here. Years later he, a man i by now almost completely forgot contacted me to do some work in his Chevy Cruze. He has a full Pioneer Stage 4 speaker and head unit set up. He just wanted me to add the 2 5/8" midrange to the A-Pillars and to wrap them in matching black material, as well as tune the car via the Pioneer P99RS he installed. Two other requirements.. the pillars cannot block the inspection stickers, and build them to be on the same horizontal axis as the tweeters.


Unfortunately i didnt get as detailed with the photos after making the baffles. sorry 
















Heres the stock pillars before anything was done.















First things first.. Baffles















Sized perfectly to account for the spacing of the fabric between the speakers outer edge and the flush mounts (shown below) outer edge. After doing the flush mounts, the rear of the baffle was chamfered to promote better airflow.



















































After the baffles were made, i trimmed out the pillars, masked off the dash, and took a mold.















The mold was trimmed, and the baffles were aimed via laser pointer. Mike wanted them to be on the same axis as the tweeters, so this is what we ended up with. It happened to work out perfectly in the end. After the first one was aimed, i measured down and across to find where the laser should be pointing on the second one. Hit the nail on the head.
























Like i said before, i kinda missed photos of some steps. Fleece was pulled in a certain way to achieve this shape. The shape i went for was to match the shape/design of the cloth trim panels that wrap around the inside of the car. It was reinforced with glass mat and smoothed with body filler.
























As with all of my builds, XT60 connectors were used for quick and hassle free serviceability. Threaded inserts and cap head machine screws were also used to secure the mid to the baffle, which you can see below in the finished pictures..















All wrapped up and ready for install.















Installed and ready for tuning! (side note, time for a new polarizing filter. its making some weird sploches on the glass and fabric at certain filter angles :/ )









































After the install, i did some tuning via the left/Right 31 band graphic eq in the Pioneer P99RS. I set up a couple that he can choose from since the P99RS has 5 eq presets. The measurements lowest in volume are left and right sides. i got them to match so well i can hardly see that theres 2 measurements and not 1. The dark green measurement is a base tune. Something flat after 180hz to give him a good baseline. i also copied this to presets 4 and 5 so he can do mono eq adjustments on either to adjust to his liking. The Red measurement were a few adjustments i made by ear to my preference. Overall, the car sounded phenomenal and reminded me what can be achieved with a simple left/right graphic eq. On top of that, these pillars are some of my favorite so far. Thanks again Mike!!


----------



## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

Nailed it!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

dcfis said:


> Nailed it!


Thanks!


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

Really nice job SkizeR and thanks for sharing the pictures of the process. Really quality work.

But what's up with the stair step graph in REW? Don't think I've seen that before. Why did you do that and is it just a setting? Just curious.

Oh yeah, what brand/type of material is that you used to upholster the pillars. Really looks top notch!


----------



## HardCoreDore (Apr 30, 2014)

Great looking pillars! 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

dgage said:


> Really nice job SkizeR and thanks for sharing the pictures of the process. Really quality work.





HardCoreDore said:


> Great looking pillars!
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk



Thanks guys!





dgage said:


> But what's up with the stair step graph in REW? Don't think I've seen that before. Why did you do that and is it just a setting? Just curious.


when measuring in the RTA window in REW, you can click settings and either choose to use bars, or not use bars. for this situation i decided to use bars since i was only tuning with a 31 band left/right eq and made things easier to "see"



dgage said:


> Oh yeah, what brand/type of material is that you used to upholster the pillars. Really looks top notch!


depends on the car. i forget the part number off hand for this fabric but i have a box fulll of various books, packets, binders, swatches, etc etc of various samples of various types of fabrics from various suppliers. This way i can match within reason essentially any fabric i'll be working with. This one i just happened to have in stock (i think it was from another GM car, which may explain why it was a match). Mike actually saw this roll of vinyl in my garage and said "yeah i like this one lets use this" before i could even go out with my samples to go get a match. i guess he has a good eye :laugh:


----------



## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Those pillars came out awesome!


----------



## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

Damn why can't I get my tune or my **** to look half that good. Thats soom damn sweet work nick!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ziggyrama (Jan 17, 2016)

Great job. Looks really good and the tune looks good too.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Very nice. I like how flush they are on/in the panel...


----------



## Ziggyrama (Jan 17, 2016)

SkizeR said:


> I first met Mike about 5 or so years ago at a car audio event in Syracuse where he was kind enough to give me a demo of his truck. This is when i was still very new to this hobby and had pretty much zero experience with a proper sounding car (i still listen to the first song he used to demo the truck). I loved it. His truck, along with a few other vehicles that day got me hooked on the pursuit of accurate reproduction of music in a car.. which brings us here. Years later he, a man i by now almost completely forgot contacted me to do some work in his Chevy Cruze. He has a full Pioneer Stage 4 speaker and head unit set up. He just wanted me to add the 2 5/8" midrange to the A-Pillars and to wrap them in matching black material, as well as tune the car via the Pioneer P99RS he installed. Two other requirements.. the pillars cannot block the inspection stickers, and build them to be on the same horizontal axis as the tweeters.
> 
> 
> Unfortunately i didnt get as detailed with the photos after making the baffles. sorry
> ...


Question on your curve, why such a up bump in mid range? To add presence to the vocals?

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Ziggyrama said:


> Question on your curve, why such a up bump in mid range? To add presence to the vocals?
> 
> Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


I just did it by ear them measured for the hell of it.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Looks okay, If guess, if you like a gorgeous install.  

Very Nicely done!!!!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

As usual you've knocked it out of the box Nick.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Ziggyrama said:


> Great job. Looks really good and the tune looks good too.
> 
> Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk





DavidRam said:


> Very nice. I like how flush they are on/in the panel...





Niebur3 said:


> Looks okay, If guess, if you like a gorgeous install.
> 
> Very Nicely done!!!!





Coppertone said:


> As usual you've knocked it out of the box Nick.


Thanks guys!


----------



## 20to20 (Mar 3, 2017)

Slider, what is that white flat stuff u wrapped around the mdf ring? I know what ur using it for, but what is it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 20to20 (Mar 3, 2017)

20to20 said:


> Slider, what is that white flat stuff u wrapped around the mdf ring? I know what ur using it for, but what is it?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Skizer * haha damn autocorrect 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Expanded pic that was heat molded

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Damn nick those came out of oven cooked to perfection!! I love how they flow right with the tweet!


----------



## nineball76 (Mar 13, 2010)

Ugh. Making me not want to send my pillars to you to do for me. 

Sent from my LG-V20 using Tapatalk


----------



## nineball76 (Mar 13, 2010)

Just because I'd really like to get better at making them. You inspired me. 
Those look great!
Sent from my LG-V20 using Tapatalk


----------



## MB2008LTZ (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, and a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to NICK for putting such beautiful pieces of Audio Art in my car. The sound is incredible, there is so much more midrange presence now verses just having the mid bass and tweeter. The combination of the P99rs deck along with the rest of the Pioneer Stage 4 speakers (subs, mid bass, midrange and tweeter) have been combined to create a completely blissful sonic experience that needs to heard to truly appreciate. Thanks again!


----------



## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

Nice work! 

I like the new pillar color vs the old. Looks more assertive.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

crackinhedz said:


> Nice work!
> 
> I like the new pillar color vs the old. Looks more assertive.


Thanks

Just gotta do a full color change on the rest of the tan interior and it would look even better 

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## grtpumpkin (Nov 24, 2016)

SkizeR said:


> Expanded pic that was heat molded


Expanded pic ????????


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

grtpumpkin said:


> Expanded pic ????????


Sorry, auto correct. *expanded pvc

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## grtpumpkin (Nov 24, 2016)

Those are some sweet looking pillars.
Dare I ask what it would cost if one were to send you a pair of pillars for you to work your magic on? Same car " Chevy Cruze"

Rich.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

grtpumpkin said:


> Those are some sweet looking pillars.
> Dare I ask what it would cost if one were to send you a pair of pillars for you to work your magic on? Same car " Chevy Cruze"
> 
> Rich.


Unfortunately the way I made these I would need the car here. 

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

Top notch work!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

crackinhedz said:


> Top notch work!


Thanks

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

Those pillars look goood. your work speaks for itself.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

gregerst22 said:


> Those pillars look goood. your work speaks for itself.


Thanks Greg. 

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## audiokid1 (Jul 2, 2014)

20to20 said:


> Slider, what is that white flat stuff u wrapped around the mdf ring? I know what ur using it for, but what is it?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Just an FYI... If you're ever looking to purchase this material; it is licensed/sold as Komatex and Sintra. Sheets in 1/8" thickness are fairly inexpensive.


----------



## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

How are you liking those Pioneer stage 4 components? I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a set a few years back. Any chance you would be able to post a short video of how the vehicle sounds?


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Why do people always ask this? Watching a video on your phone or laptop isn't going to be anywhere near actually hearing it. Unless you're hooked up into a very good 2.1 or 4.1 system. lol

Jay


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

mrichard89 said:


> How are you liking those Pioneer stage 4 components? I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a set a few years back. Any chance you would be able to post a short video of how the vehicle sounds?


Its not my car and its long gone and in PA with its owner now. and I did a quick tune on it and listened to maybe 45 mins. It did sound good and I was honestly surprised by How good it sounded with a baseline tune. One more thing, and I cannot stress this enough... a video of a system is ZERO way to get an idea of how it, or its equipment sounds. I repeat, ZERO way.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

What does the rest of the system include? Source unit, dsp, subs, etc? Thanks again and great work.


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

mrichard89 said:


> What does the rest of the system include? Source unit, dsp, subs, etc? Thanks again and great work.


P99rs, old school planet audio amps (not sure what models), pioneer stage 4 subs, woofers, mids, and tweeters

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## customtronic (Jul 7, 2007)

Great looking pillars Bro. I really like the detailed shape.


----------



## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

I had a chance to check this car out in person this past weekend. Awesome fab work by Nick on these pillars. The midrange out of these 062prs mids was just ridiculously accurate & out of this world dynamic like I had never heard before. Wish they were still readily available at a decent price.


----------



## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

*PVC


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

JayinMI said:


> *PVC


**PCP

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## mumbles (Jul 26, 2010)

Late to the game, but also wanted to say I'm impressed by your work! Particularly like the beveling on the back side of the baffle, nice touch!


----------



## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

mumbles said:


> Late to the game, but also wanted to say I'm impressed by your work! Particularly like the beveling on the back side of the baffle, nice touch!


Thanks!

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk


----------



## MB2008LTZ (Oct 13, 2012)

These pillars AMAZE ME every time I get in my car and drive IT.....or just sit in the driveway and listen. I'm digging deep into the days of old music just to enjoy the new found sound my system has to offer thanks to Nick and his fantastic skills!


----------

