# My Eclipse GST Install



## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Everything except for my power wire, factory head unit, and rear speakers have been removed from my car. I am waiting on my front stage speakers and amplifier to arrive in the mail!

My first goal was to take out what I had and see what needed cleaned up or replaced. Next on the agenda is to lay down damping material. I'd like to do the whole car but the front doors are getting the full treatment for sure.

After that, I will begin work on the rear of the car, hopefully finding a creative way to build my sub enclosure and amp racks. I am leaning towards using the tire well somehow. When I get it stripped I will take some photos of the space I have to work with.

I know this isn't exactly spectacular. Here is what I did yesterday. More photos throughout the install will be added soon!

It was a rough 5 years in the back of my car, yuck!









Sanded, ready for paint









Nice gloss black


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

cool, I had a '96? GSX, coulda been a 95. That car was a blast!

Chad


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Yep, I love my car. I don't plan to ever sell it.

My previous vehicle was a '96 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. My setup was:
Alpine CDA-7949 + ERA-G320 + PXA-H600
RF Power 250.2 for front
2 x RF Power 250.1 for subs
3 x RF Power 10" (amps and subs were the chrome late 90's stuff, pre best-buy )
Quart Reference 6.5 mid and 5.25"/1" components in front


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Image uploading. Refresh page to view


















I was addicted to car audio years before I could drive. I did numerous self installs for my friends and myself. From age 18-21 I was working doing sales and then installs for Audio Express in Raleigh, NC. Long story short after all that I have kept my Eclipse almost stock for these last 8 years, lol.

Its time to do it right.


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Got my speakers from USPS today!


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## scott_fx (Mar 31, 2006)

sweet! '99 elcipse...the only eclipse worth having imho


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

So I have all my gear except the head unit and wiring/install materials.  This is the rat's nest I removed from my car last week. I don't think I will reuse any of it (yes that is an Alpine 4311 LOC, please don't laugh :blush: ).











Amps need some touch-up work where the powder coating has come off.

Here is a handy photo:


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

This is a HUGE tweeter out of my dash. It looks like the cone is made from a toilet paper roll, lol. Mitsubishi premium Infinity sound system.  

That whole thing literally dropped into a hole in my dash. Looks like I will have to take that grill piece and mount my new tweeter behind it somehow. I have a few ideas floating around already. Good to know the stock wire was 16ga and not the normal crappy wire. I don't feel like snaking wire through my dashboard anyway!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

heh, I always wanted to know what that stock tweet looked like.... now I know.

I'm also a sucker for a/d/s gear


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

Actually running speaker wire to the dash tweets on the older Eclipse is really easy. And What works Really well for tweeters size wise are those awesome Pyramid Bullets they just drop in!


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

For now I hacked together an adjustable mount. I'll be able to rotate it and find a nice angle. The factory hole is 3"


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

I say maybe texture/ dye it and call it a day, maybe try to recess it back a hair more, will probably hurt you for off-axis response but would look pretty good. Are those your only tweets up-front.


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Those tweeter mounts have already been scrapped. Somehow I am gonna fill that 3" diameter, 2.5" deep crater and put the factory grill over it. I'll have plenty of time to do that later.

Today I finished stripping out the trim panels. Hopefully going to order some damping mat next week. Not sure which kind yet. My old car was sprayed with Rockford blue and that worked good but I am not sure I want to go the liquid route this time. Hard to spray when you live in an apartment and park on the street


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

I see Snap-On Screwdrivers! 
So you ripped it apart before you had any damp to put in.
Let me guess.. sitting around the house nothing to do, just got a bug to work on something! Man after My own ritalin junkee heart.

And as far as the tweeter pods go. What about using a small section of ABS or PVC pipe. you could grind it down to the exact diameter you want, and dremel in any notches or reliefs you need. Then to mount the tweet just epoxy in an ABS or PVC disc and flush mount the tweet into it. You could dye the whole assembly and make you factory grill fit to boot. If you can't get the exact OD you need with pipe, basicly just make a toilet paper tube with some dense paper or something and pull a fiberglass mold to make your own pipe.(I'm borred at work and on some time release Concerta chit)


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Yeah anything will work for the tweets. The stock grill will cover anything I put there. Now whether it will sound like anything other than total **** firing off the windshield, we'll see.

Oh and like I read on another fourm somewhere, "Tell the Snap-On guy I'm not here!"


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

My old Snap on guy was Like a Bloodhound. I had to cross a river to get him off my scent!

Are tou goind to be running any EQ other than what is in the p880? I would think that would help alot with reflection.also maybe try angling the tweets uner the covers just a tad.


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Was hoping the 880 would do it all for me. You can see in one of those pics where my 6.5" goes in the door, and the 4" opening in my dash that fires at your kneecap. Absolutely terrible driver placement for my 3-way but we will see how it goes.


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

In most situations I think it would, but because of your tweeter placement you might need a bit more. Wjy don't you just ditch using the stock locations, mount the tweeters elsewhere and just try to make them look stock?


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

A guy i work with tried that with his 98 spyder. It just sounds weird! the sound stage feels low but the tweets in the stock location just scream at you and screw with you head. Now given he's not active but still...... Just save yourself the the truouble of trying to compensate for bad spaeker placement. Build some kicks; or A-pillar pods.you know as well as I do placement can make the difference between a speaker sounding like it cost 5 dollars vs. 500. Not to say it can't be done, but I just think it would be allot easier, and I don't know how defined your stage would be with just the 880 to tune it.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

so your dash has stock 3" holes for tweeters, huh?

....time to invest in some large format tweets


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I have a thought,...and its a random one, but would it be possible to use the large openings up in the front dash as part of a bandpass or vent for a mini-subwoofer? Up front bass! 

I'm not sure how much space you have under there, but would it be possible to install a 5" or 6" mini-sub, and use porting to vent through those openings? Maybe something like smooth 3" internal diameter tubing, flexible, maybe. I guess its just a thought.

example: Tang Band 5 1/4" subwoofer, mapped out on WinISD, shows a nice mid and low bass response with a ported enclosure, smooth output until about 35hz. This would be NICE!


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## supersaag (Feb 14, 2008)

I want the pics back!


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

supersaag said:


> I want the pics back!


No problem! Pics are back.

I haven't worked on this for 2 years, haha. I have not had time until now. Yes, I have had zero tunes in my car for two years. Hard to believe but it's the truth. I lived and breathed car audio for about 4 years straight in the late 90's so this extra long hiatus has not been painful. Sure I could have just tossed it together but I would be back re-doing it again before long. I figured I'd rather let it be on hold than half-assed. I guess I've been waiting for the price of Dynamat to drop... 

I still have the same game plan as when I started. I am stuck deciding what to do about my sub and two amps. None of the ideas I have pondered have interested me enough to materialize. I used to love having 3x10" subs and 1000w but at the moment I value my trunk space and weight of the car.

Many of these threads die after the project loses steam but I figured it was time to step in and post again since I am about to restart this.

Recent photos (taken yesterday) of the project vehicle:


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

i love these cars. I cant wait to see some build pics


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

So your ADS's are just sitting there? Get those puppies installed mang !


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

I ordered damping material last night. I hope to do some of that next week (won't need a heat gun when its 96F outside).

I am also planning the wiring and will be doing it soon also. I will get some pics. I've been Googling like crazy trying to get ideas for where to put two amps and my sub. "In the back of the car" is about as far as I have gotten. Hopefully I can decide on something before the summer is over.

I probably win the award for longest install and I've barely started. Going this long without tunes is gonna make it sound extra sweet when I get finished


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## customstevo (Aug 17, 2008)

i dont know what im going to do with my tweeters firing into the window... I dont know if its a good thing or a bad thing...


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## jeffrey (Jan 3, 2007)

Yes, I think I am going to need some time correction if I leave them in the dash. I really don't want to use kick panels or dash pods.


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## KAPendley (Nov 19, 2007)

I did a GST this time last year and used the stock provisions as well. You actually will not get that much listening fatigue with those firing off of the windshield, but the Arc 6000's were not harsh at all. Could have been the tweet, or the -3db on the crossover, I dunno, but it sounded great. Good luck and have fun.

Not hijacking, but could be helpful?

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-build-logs/39328-98-eclipse.html


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## tusk (Feb 20, 2008)

Subscribed for DSM love. Nice "old school" equipment!

I had a 91 AWD TSi: Eclipse, Boston, and SoundStream, ah the good old days


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Nice old school going on.


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