# 2009 chevy HHR panel build



## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

have been checking out all the great ideas with the builds.
motivated me to show mine. in true DIY fashion its a work in progress as i use the car for work and lugging my hockey goalie bag to games.

the plan is to never go without. do quick easy one day projects, keep it fun and worry about appearance later. plan to keep the stock hu for as long as possible.

stock headunit
alpine 701
ppi pcx 4125
ppi pcx 4125
hiquiphon ow- tweter
rs 125 - 5" full range
extremis - 6" mid front door
anarchy - 6" mid rear door
ppi pcx 4200
rockford T1 - 10" rear woofer
epicenter 160
ppi pcx 4200
jbl gti mk11 - 15" subwoofer


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

started with the back end with the subs and 6's. plan to deaden in the summer.
heres where im at currently. tapped into the stock signal wires to power up the epicenter for the 15 and use rear out signal for the 2 10's so fade of the head controls subs only. the sub amps have their own remote switch.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

building the 15 box. originally had an L7 but found it too boomy, switched it to a jbl gti and noticed a big difference. alot easier to dial in with the epicenter.









































































































built the box like a snail shell in case i wanted to port. everything i read says sealed will give a flatter response. plan to cross it over at 40hz.the bottom is glassed to sides are mdf with bracing and glass. 3.5 cu ft box


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

2 tens fit snug into the floor where the bottom is glassed then built up. the 701 will go between the 2 boxs as the amps will be right behind for short rca lengths. the boxes are just over a cubic foot


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

2 6" in the rear door in a sealed 600 sq inch box stuffed


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

amp rack. 4 precision power pcx usa made amplifiers.
2 2400
2 4125








































as mentioned car is used for work so i slapped in a board for now


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

plan to add the tweeter and upgrade the front door 6. for now i put in the rs 125 and have it playing full range.
































the drivers converge about one foot centered behind the seats. the pillars are copies and will need a final sand and shape then i plan to flock them. the grills were from another project, so i plan on making some new ones


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## knever3 (Mar 9, 2009)

Wow great work, those amps are huge!


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

yah!! Look inside the box... that's like Horseshoe Falls style!! Very good details and very nice!!


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

diy.phil said:


> yah!! Look inside the box... that's like Horseshoe Falls style!! Very good details and very nice!!


i am from Niagara falls so it works perfect.
did the doors this weekend and installed an alpine 701.
as I have read its a very noisy processor , a lot of hiss.
put in a temporary tweeter and upgraded the 6 inch door. will need to make a pod for the tweet and a proper enclosure for the 6. pics to come.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Looks really good! Maybe I missed it, but could you explain why you decided to do the single W15GTi AND the pair of T1 10" subs? Are you alternating between the two based on listening preferences, or are you bandpassing the T1s as some sort of midbass? You have the 6" sealed in the rears too, so I figured those would be your midbass so I am a bit confused. I love that GTi enclosure. Great work so far!


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

used a kicker L7 15inch all summer and found it boomy and hard to dial in. switched to the jbl and noticed a big difference, with ease of tuneability. these are my guestamates for x over settings. will adjust them once i finish the doors and do some tuning
stock headunit=
alpine 701 =
ppi pcx 4125 = tweeter.........20Khz-2800hz
...................= midrange 5".....2800hz-80hz
ppi pcx 4125 = midbass 6".......180hz-60hz front 
..............................................180hz-60hz rear fill 
ppi pcx 4200 = bass 10"..........110hz-40hz
epic160 =
ppi pcx 4200 = sub bass 15"........40hz-0hz

front 6 is for kick, the rear 6 is for fill and room ambience 

with the epicenter i have been able to adjust the the bass per cd. every recording is different especially the bass. each driver can play a specific range, as with subs i figured less taxing and more accurate. the 15 just cant play quick and the 10 and 6 dont play strong low end. less likely to overheat a driver when your asking it to do very little. 

that was my thinking Mikey


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

did the front end this weekend to allow the 701 to be wired up.
getting the door off was easy . fishing the 2 speaker wires through the frame was the hardest part.

the 6 is an extremis. made only a mounting plate out of 1" mdf. it sits back quite a bit. will build it out and angle it up, say 15 degrees. if i have the space will make a box for it or use a aperiodic membrane at the back of the enclosure









the second set of wires is for the tweeter. just velcroed it in place so i could cross the 5 and have a tweeter to make use of the 701
















the tweeter i will be using can handle 200w has a huge magnet and can play low. need to make a pod molded to the door on the same plane as the 5. like a bookshelf speaker.








i have seen all the new 8 channel processors, very nice but u need a pc and $800. so i opened up the shoebox and used my old 701 to get the job done. tune on the fly and gives u all the basics to solve any acoustic problem. just wired it up. still need to mount.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

want to add 4 buttons to turn on each amp independently and mount the epic and bass boost








panel cutout








who doesnt like buttons








wood holder then puddy then sand then resin and paint. if i was competing sure i could wrap in vinyl or texture spray or sand some more and puddy. looks fine and works. while i had the epic in the back i did keep looking down to see volts or db. just after one day i was missing it. every cd plays different especially the bass


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## momax_powers (Oct 26, 2013)

good work man, how you liking the anarchys...and will you be using the other two?

also im sure you can find a single/pair of sub bass drivers to play upto 80-100 instead of having it split between two stages. For most it works quite well. I know a few people using the gti mkii who are pleased with it LP'd around 80hz -12db


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

have yet to tune, plan to move the anarchy to the front doors and the extremis to the rear for fill. i had the tens sitting around, and really wanted a fifteen. so we will see how it tunes out. having competed, its 2 different worlds in the parking lot and on the road. i plan to tune with the car on the highway rather than in the garage..

spent the weekend wiring up my buttons to control each amp separately and redo a temporary accessory board until i mount everything permanent.

simple easy to make any changes









remote turn on. sometimes talk radio doesnt need a sub, i can control each amp individually








lights and buttons


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

just updated the 6 inch drivers. mounted the rear door on all 4 sides and cut the panel. also made an extension for the front door to get it out from behind the doorskin. in the future will make some oak trim rings and protection bars


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

finally settled on the tweeter and placement. once again will make oak trim ring and plan to use the styro foam ball for around the tweet to disperse waves































































[


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

future plans are a 6 in the dash and a 6 in the middle behind the seats between the 2 tens. read the midbass array and am going to try and master that. currently using the 6 in the rear doors as fill. they widen the stage and add some depth.
also made a backing for the front door mount and going to play with an aperoidic chamber , currently IB


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

just a few updates.
going to keep both tweeter and midrange on the same plane. mounting the tweeter to the door seemed like to much abuse. hope to have them finished by spring. plan on flocking... looks elegant in a plastic interior.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

in the back end i had a square 15 inch hole using an L7.
went with the jbl. so i sealed over the square with a 1 inch thick oak baffle board to mount the round 15. also cleaned up my power wires and boxed them in. added the original tie down loops to better secure my goalie bag with a strap.
added a upgraded board. over the winter hope to start working on the amp covers. my dream is carbon fibre but its 50 bucks a yard i think and it would be my first time , but was told no different than glass unless its structural then pressure is needed when curing. it would look awesome. i could make removable shells that would cover all my current look


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## Kazuhiro (Apr 28, 2015)

My favorite thing about this build is the little rca jacks you made, and the spade terminals haha. Nice work. Sick enclosures all round.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

this is all my left over equipment. i prefer to cheap out when ever possible.

i like seeing what others do as well to problem solve

made some oak grill covers for my rear 6inch. using my 701 centre mono as rear fill adds a bit of ambience . need to use black security screws on the driver. i should probably add another oak ring under the grill to raise it up.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

added a second battery. made a oak tray to mount a 200a fuse a battery isolator and a shunt to view volts and amp draw. the main battery powers the front stage and doors. the second battery which i placed under the passenger seat powers the 3 subs. will paint and flextec later.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

wired up and under the seat. just need to figure out best way to mount. it weights 40lbs . also got the digital gauge to work. will mount later.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

all the amp wiring is done. the system has been running for 2 years and not a single issue. will flextec and zip another time.

























enough with fabricating. in the mood to tune. going old school with the audio control rta


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

made a simple t line to make sure front stage is pointing correctly.
for me both 5 inch drivers converge between the headrests









time to tune. read that sticky post just to confirm i am not missing anything








just a few other pics of the system


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

going to try to master the mid bass array. here is the centre rear and the centre front. as well switched out the rear doors. doors are anarchy and the centre is the extremis.








































































































flocking is such a great finish ,you just want to touch.
just have to dry out then i can put in the dash and try and tune


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

This build is awesome. So much diy. I'm in.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

made a foam gasket and grill with magnets.wrapped in speaker cloth. when i competed it was the first thing to remove, your metal grills, so i won't be using any.
installed in the dash fits perfect, blends in nice and doesn't stand out. the flock and cloth have a smooth transition. this centre channel is a finished piece, motivates me to finish the A pillars. for now time to tune in a centre channel


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## asianinvasion21 (Sep 24, 2012)

Nobody commenting on this sick build! Good job man im digging this one.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

asianinvasion21 said:


> Nobody commenting on this sick build! Good job man im digging this one.


Thanks. Im not using the latest gear and the hhr isnt the most popular vehicle. None of the install is show finish quality yet. More carbon fiber and lights will get the ball rolling. Lol. I like similar builds that evolve and are done by the owner of the car

Spent 30 minutes tunning in the front stage last night. The center channel brings up the bass, firms up the vocals and adds depth.
I believe I am getting frequency steering on the right side as vocals slide to the right off center. Looks like I will pull out the IASCA Disc where I know all the sounds are supposed to be mapped out and redo my tune


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## asianinvasion21 (Sep 24, 2012)

canuck said:


> Thanks. Im not using the latest gear and the hhr isnt the most popular vehicle. None of the install is show finish quality yet. More carbon fiber and lights will get the ball rolling. Lol. I like similar builds that evolve and are done by the owner of the car
> 
> Spent 30 minutes tunning in the front stage last night. The center channel brings up the bass, firms up the vocals and adds depth.
> I believe I am getting frequency steering on the right side as vocals slide to the right off center. Looks like I will pull out the IASCA Disc where I know all the sounds are supposed to be mapped out and redo my tune


I prefer old school gear anyway lol. Complicates the install which is half the fun. Glad your tuning is going good il be keeping my eye on this build log.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

after finishing my centre channel i was motivated to redo and finish the a pillars.
most everyone cuts into the oem plastic. one of my install goals is to have all drivers in a sealed cabinet and have all speaker wires run from amp to speaker with no use of connectors which in some cases makes install more challenging.

i used the oem as a pattern and made my own cast, added the driver ring. already had the position worked out from my other set which i released where not identical. so the choice was made to replace them.
once position was set i then filled in the front and rear of the pillar. many layers of resin fibreglass and filler. 3 times the work of what everyone else does by just tapping into the oe plastic which resonates badly. the piece i finished with is a rock solid enclosure. 

by the 3rd day of sanding i had physically adjusted and didn't mind. i used the styrofoam ball trick for the tweeter and boost gauge, then finished with flocking. 
a rouge guess of time spent ...16hrs. from fabrication to fitment and finsh to install.the hardest part was waiting for layers to dry. i would do an hour in the morning and a few at night. everything revolved around drying time. i did scrape a few spots of flocking installing, pretty sure i can repair the finish. the downside is flocking is a delicate finish. but it does give a very soft and detailed look and contours are limitless. very pleased with the look after living with a ghetto unfinished dash for 2 years.

the front half is almost done. need to make 4 anarchy grills for the 4 doors and figure out how to incorporate a sealed enclosure for the front doors to complete the theme once things warm up. i can do the grills in the shop and will start with making my amp covers . i will once again use the oe plastic and make my own cast for these covers and have them shaped to go over the amps, since all my resin stuff is out and am in the groove with fiberglassing.
this forum is making the difference in getting me motivated through the winter. thanks


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

the finished product. reused my old grills. pretty much a uv protector. when i do the door cabinet in the spring i will address the sail which needs a recessed cup,,, to compliment the tweeter pod which pushes into the the door skin


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

reading on here about rounded surfaces and sound waves. so my speaker grilles will be made out of oak with a big radius and a few bars for protection


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

to make my amp covers i will use the oem panels to make my casts. the bottom of the mold is taken up by the sub, so i just need the front and back of the side panel. the other piece is the striker plate for the rear hatch
















the actual cover will be this shape that contours the amps. a few pieces of pink styrofoam glued then shaped, wrapped in foil, sealer. ready for resin.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

these pieces are the back hatch weatherstripping panels and the larger pieces are the panels before the rear door. between them is the long 35 inch clamshell cover for the amps which will go between the 2 remade sections and i will figure out how to transition the 3 pieces.


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## KrautNotRice (Nov 2, 2015)

Most impressive diy / wood / glass work, Sir!
Very inspirational and great for people who're looking to learn these kind of skills.
Thanks for sharing.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

Thanks. The forum is always a full circle of enlightenment. 
Tips when fiberglassing.
. Save all your plastic type yougurt containers
. Buy your brushes and gloves in bulk
. Spend the extra for odorless resin
. Make a list of things either for your project or repair stuff around the house that you need to glass or epoxy. You can use the container and brush a bunch of times countinously
. Mix your A B parts in small batches . Things Happen and before you know it your 15 mins is up and the epoxy is coagulating in the container and you just wasted a brush.
. I use a oversize seringe one for A and B to measure. Easier to mix up small batches
. Use the sun to speed up the cure time
. Plan your work around your drying times. The worst thing you can do is start removing your cast from its mold too soon as it will warp and not maintain the shape

I am sure there are 100 other ways to enjoy fiberglassing these are the basics I use. Once you get the hang of it your mind will race with the ability to create practically anything. The only downside is the sanding but the end result is one of a kind spectacular


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

most of my casts are done. they just need a few more coats to stiffen them up.
starting to check and see what is best for fitment and functionality. starting with the left side as its the longest. back hatch and clamshell pieces.


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)

starting to combine the cover and the moulding transition. just need to fill and resin.
the top lip has a grove where the cover will be hung on.
the strike plate for the rear hatch ,just need to fill in the gaps. will redo my amp wiring and have a tool tray under the rear strike plate cover. also cleaned up the wiring on the other end.


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## Aerodynamic (Dec 6, 2015)

Wow, came out a nice build sirrr!  I'm keeping my eye on this for sure


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## canuck (Jan 10, 2014)




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## Razz2o4 (Jan 23, 2011)

Very Nice build. I had a 2008 HHR SS with a GM Stg 1 tune and 5spd. I traded it for a WRX Sti, but it was a fun little car.


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