# My 2003 Civic Install



## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

I have ripped out my current system and am in the works of building a 3-way front stage. This past week I ordered a pair of RS52AN-8 2" Dome Midranges, a pair of Seas 27TAFNC/G (H1397) 1" aluminum dome tweeter, and last but not least, a pair of L18RNX/P (H1224) 7" Aluminum Cone midbass woofers. I am planning on installing the midrange and tweets in my a-pilliars, and the L18's in my doors. So far I have applied a ton of deadening to my doors ( edead V1 followed by several thick coats of edead V3 Liquid ) and will possibly start building my a-pilliars up tommorrow when the rest of my speakers are delivered from Madisound. I have infinity coax 6.5's in the rear deck, but considering removing them, just depends on how good this front stage turns out. As far as the trunk, it's been edeaded with V1 and V3, still need to apply another think coat of V3 soon. I currently have a pair of Rockford HE2 12's in a sealed box, just to hold me over until my 13av.2 comes in........in Novemeber To push the sub will be a Nine.1 running at 1 ohm, and I have an infinty 4 channel to push the a-pilliars, and a audioemotions next 2 channel for the midbass. My head unit is an Alpine, can't remember the model, but I have been extremely happy with it so far, due to the fact that I can hardwire my Ipod to the glove box and have 80 gigs of sound show up on the Alpine. Looking into getting an H701 and controller, unless anyone else has any other alternatives. This install is being headed up by req, I started working with req a few months ago and he has a vast knowledge of everything I could ever want to know about sound and car audio, there will be some challenges, but after listening and riding in his GTi, I'm sure this Civic will be everything I envision it to be. This is my first post, so take it easy on me, I'm new to this forum lifestyle, but have learned more in the last month than the previous 10 years installing my own crap.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

req said:


> here are some fun pictures - i am helping him do the install, and iirc, its a alpine 9850 or something akin to that.
> 
> passanger door, ~2 layers of matt, and a nice thick coat of liquid
> 
> ...


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

very nice job.

it's funny that Honda still uses the same little bars to open the doors as they did on my 96 Civic.


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## hh47 (Jan 17, 2007)

For those door handle rods, you could go to Autozone and just buy a random heater hose with a small ID, slice it longways, and place it around the rod. Either mat or duct tape it down to your door if you want. The hose will act as a conduit, so the rod is still movable, but held down, and should help with any rattling. Just something I tried on my '01 that seemed to work pretty good.


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

or just use wire loom


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Wil try to seal up the small holes with some type of rubber grommet i suppose. Thanks for the advice


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

i slid a piece of 4 gauge heatsink around mine where it came through the door, then siliconed that against the cutout hole for it. worked like a charm.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

yea, we planned on going to autozone or something and getting some rubber hose or accordian gromett like they use in the door jamb and sliding it down the bar, then gluing the base to the door\deadening, and then the top edge to the sliding door bar, other than the top jamb where the plastic panel slides to meet the window and the door clips, the door should be completly sealed!

i could not find me jigsaw today. i think i may have left it outside for somone to steal (crap), so it looks like we are going to have to find an alternate means for cutting the speaker baffles for the door.

that kinda sucks!


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

lost the jig saw, better checks your faux floor again


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

Dtour said:


> lost the jig saw, better checks your faux floor again


lol, what's that rattling?


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

are those aftermarket seats?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

No just some 30$ seat covers from Walmart, I'm just trying to protect the seats until I can find a better alternative, but so far I'm happy with the covers, they almost perfectly match the interior


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Recieved my 0/1 enetic wire today, 35 feet, got extra so I can upgrade the big three and I want to have a little more than enough in case I crash this ride and have to reinstall everyhting in a different car 

Tomorrow req and i are wiring this puppy up, plus my parts express order with all my fuses, distrubution blocks, 100 feet of 14 guage, and ring terminals will be here tomorrow, so far this has been the only thing holding us back from moving ahead. 

My GPS came in last night, bad ass, I should have gotten one years ago, coolest gadget for driving, i'll never be lost again, looking into hardwiring the charger to the back of my HU, and keeping the cable outta sight


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

the beggining of my pile, it only grew after this










ran new 0 guage power wire to trunk









applying liquid deadner to bottom of rear deck









after 1st coat of mud









req soldering my gps power cable so we can hide it inside the console, genius


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

good stuff. next in line is fabbing up the A pillars with the dayton mids and seas tweets.

i played around with a few different mounting options, and i think you all are going to like what im planning on making if i can find the right freggin material to build this out of


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## azbass (Aug 8, 2007)

i see you soldering on your ib baffle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Today was definitly a day of experimentation, req used his favorite tool "the router" to make lots of different rings, some fancy, some not, and in the end he conviced me that we should have the option of removing the speakers from the a pilliars, I hadn't thought of the possibility of the speaakers ever blowing, so he had a good point, yet in order to do this we will need a new design to pull this off. The daytons are huge, it's whats causing the delay, definitly the biggest obstacle I've faced in car stereo land, hopefully parts express come through tomm. with all my dist blocks and speaker wire, till next time


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Started building hidden floor for amps, 2 amps and h701 will be hidden, and the 2 
nine.1 sub amps will be hanging from rear deck in trunk in mid air, a suspended amp rack i suppose. Still not sure about the plans for the 2 13av.2 subs, most likely sealed either in one box or 2 seperate boxes opposing each other, they will be too heavy to move in and out if mounted together, something like 60 pounds a piece, plus whatever the box ends up weighing, pics coming soon


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

C701 came in last night, would like to mount it under my 9851 but not sure if it will fit, any suggestions?


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

can you post some pics of the amps floor and pics of in air amp mount. ive got a 2005 that i want to do an install on but am not very creative nor crafty lol trying to show my amps but keep some usable trunk space and that sounds pretty sweet.

if you dont want to post em could you email me some? [email protected]

sounds like it will look great.


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

ha ha sorry didnt read that you said you would be posting pics carry on....ha ha

if there are any extra ones you dont want to post i could use all the help i can get lol


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

Dtour said:


> C701 came in last night, would like to mount it under my 9851 but not sure if it will fit, any suggestions?


oh yes I do. I have two suggestions.

#1, yes it will fit. you can buy a 2din dashkit.

#2 cut a hole in the back of your cd pocket. About 2 inches wide from top to bottom. find or make a box that will fit on the back that will extend the depth of the pocket for that section. There is space in the dash, I promise.

why do that?

so that the faceplate fits sideways allowing the door to close. then stuff threefeet of cable into the remianing space. This would also eliminate your use of the cd pocket for nayhting but the faceplate.

to tune, you would open the door and pull out the controller which would sit in your lap or hand, like a wired remote. When you were done tuning for the time, youd slip the controller into the cd-pocket, stuff the remainng cable in the remaining space, then close the door. out of sight, out of mind.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Still working on my a pillaiars, will post complete set of pics from beggining to end of fabrication soon, their on reqs computer right now, but i did these pics tonight








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Also got some new rims I've been saving up for, tell me whatcha think....








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heres another angle of the stock exterior, except for the tinted windows








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and on to the new rims, 17" Kobe Race-10 in Hyper Black with 215/45/17 tires, not lowered yet, might do it when i get some free time, just an inch or so, nothing crazy








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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

Well to be honest im not a fan of the hyper black color, its like a dark chrome IMO and i would get a fatter tires or lower the car like you said. Not knocking you just giving my opinion since you asked  I like the pillars though, what are they coated with?


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## Pseudonym (Apr 17, 2006)

smaller wheels look better on these cars with them slammed to the floor. are u having any issues with the amount of power youre using off what im assuming is the stock alternator?


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

your suspension 

I wish mine looked like that. I think something in my suspension is shot. are you on factory suspension? I hear the rear suspension is stiffer on the sedans than the coupes. would replacement suspension parts from a sedan cost me less than an aftermarket solution?

actually, if you lower your car, can I have the old parts?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

well i don't know jack about lowering a car, i might lower it 1 inch if i could get a good deal on some springs/ advice on what i should do. I coated these pillars with a paint called stone touch, i got a charcoal color called manhattan mist, real easy to use, then this morning I have to spray it with a clear coat that is intended to be the last coat, right now the paint feels real soft, i'm thinking that that clear coat will make it more durable, more pics tonight, this time in car


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## DejaWiz (Sep 20, 2007)

Dtour said:


> well i don't know jack about lowering a car, i might lower it 1 inch if i could get a good deal on some springs/ advice on what i should do.


$210+/set 1.4-1.6" drop.

About $200/set here.

$100/set 2" drop.


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## Pseudonym (Apr 17, 2006)

Pseudonym said:


> are u having any issues with the amount of power youre using off what im assuming is the stock alternator?


what he said...


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

absolutely do not go more than 1.5 lowering on your civic. unless you are going to buy 2000 dollar struts it will ride horribly!!!! my 01 civic was lowered 2.25/2.5 and it was horrible!!!

my 05 civic i have now has the factory performance(i think it lowers it 1.25) and it look good and rides just as good as my girlfriends civic that isnt lowered. steering gets a little stiffer though.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

is factory performance something offered through honda?


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## jisturm (Feb 4, 2006)

Nice little car you got there.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

thanks, trying to make do with what a civc has to offer, atleast fabrication and sq wise, performance wise it's slow, but it gets good gas mileage


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

Dtour said:


> is factory performance something offered through honda?


yeah, its something you can upgrade if buying the car new. gives the car a body kit, lowers it 1.5" and they put a couple "factory performance" badges on it. nothing that enhances "performance" just makes the car look a bit better..... heres a link to my soundomain page to show you what im talking about.

http://www.sounddomain.com/ride/2366047


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Making kicks finally, my midbass L18's were just rattling my doors despite using lots of deadener on the front doors, specifically the locking mechanisms, thanks to req and jonesy for helping me out again, enjoy the pics









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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Also ordered a IDA-X001 to replace my cda-9851, love the new HU, so fast to browse for songs on the ipod now. CDA-9851 and kca-420 up for sale, pm me if your interested


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

so what do ya think so far?


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## bdubs767 (Apr 4, 2006)

nice...but will you be venting those through the kicks right?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

nope, they will be completely sealed


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## bdubs767 (Apr 4, 2006)

Dtour said:


> nope, they will be completely sealed



thats a very very very small airspace for those drivers. I would suggest venting them into the frame of the car.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

i'll look into it, going to do some testing in the next few days


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

Dtour said:


> i'll look into it, going to do some testing in the next few days


yea, i think you will find that your midbass will be missing, i had sealed kicks about two years ago, although i did not have the setup long enough to experiment venting the kicks, but i remember not having any midbass whatsoever.....

looks awesome though


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

heres some new pics from today, applied a coat of bondo gold then ran out, went to store and found bondo ultimate, supposed to be a little lighter weight and easier to sand, hence the different colors, the lighter blue is the ultimate, definitly worth the extra 2 bucks, more sanding to come tomorrow, and probably the next day.....

















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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Did alot of sanding and a little more bondo last night, also hit them up with one coat of high build primer, today I will continue sanding, going to start sanding with 80, 120, 160, ect... so far it's only been sanded with 40 grit.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Alright, the right (passenger kick) has a small gap that runs beneath it and the carpet, I'm using bondo shortstrand glass to fill in that gap, then more sanding, some light weight filler, priming, you get the idea, heres some pics from a few minutes ago, letting this thing dry before i go any further....









this is the gap I mentioned above



















heres after a couple of layers of the green stuff, hopefully it releases from the tape fairly easy


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

looking good.

as for venting the speakers, i'm thinking have it vent into that trim panel that runs the length of the car. there's a lot of area there. maybe open the back of the kick up along that section so air can escape into the side panels too.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

way too early for the primer stage. Looks like great progress otherwise!

This is still at the 80 grit shaping stage. Maybe even 60 grit. If you dont get rid of the bumps, the lighter stuff is just gonna smooth them out, not eliminate them.

Do your speakers have an integrated grille?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

looking for a grill, i have a pair of l18rnx from seas, I'm sure i can find some nice grills if I look, you have any suggestions rabbit?


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

not anymore. I believe grilles should be planned for an integrated from step #1, not added afterward.

So when I screw up and dont plan for a grille, I'm lost. I usually have to start all over. simply adding one on top of the baffle typically doesnt meet my aesthetic standards.


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## adrianp89 (Oct 14, 2007)

Sweet log.

How well do you like the midranges?


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

Whiterabbit said:


> not anymore. I believe grilles should be planned for an integrated from step #1, not added afterward.
> 
> So when I screw up and dont plan for a grille, I'm lost. I usually have to start all over. simply adding one on top of the baffle typically doesnt meet my aesthetic standards.


definitely a good point....a nicely integrated grill is the icing on the cake with these kickpanel installs...i made the same mistake when i made my first set of kicks....looked halfway decent with the grill, but far from clean....

it's definitely possible to make a clean looking grill to post on top, maybe drill some holes and use some plastic grill guides, or even some of the neo magnets from PE to hold it in place....

looks really good so far...i'm sure you fixed that gap too, it should look fine once it's sanded....


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

the midranges are quite nice, they sound great off axis, i have them crossed over to play from 500 to about 5k on the h701, and i havn't eq'd them yet.

I did fix that gap yesterday and have sanded them done with a few light coats of bondo ultimate in between, they fit like a dream, i can't wait to hear them, I'm currently waiting for one more L18rnx in the mail from madisound, I have 2 of them, but one took a crap maybe 2 weeks ago, not blown, just heavily distorted, I examined the speaker with some friends, couldn't find anything wrong except the distortion coming from it, even tried switching it on other channels of amplification, still distorted, contacted madisound, they tested it and can't find anything wrong with it either, yet the are sending a brand new one out, i love their customer service, top notch IMO


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

It's official, I ordered 2 Aura 15's, will have only a couple of inches to spare when I do the IB install, also tried out the kicks for the last couple of day, their all done except for painting and little details, even found some nice grills to go over them, talk about a huge difference in sound compared to having them in the doors, I am definitly keeping them sealed, the power handling is much better than I imagined and they are very tight and accurate, I have them crossed to play 56 to 710 hz, very happy with the kicks so far. Also played with an RTA for 2 hours today, got a very nice flat graph after an hour of playing with it, more to come in a few weeks.


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## Kahooli (Oct 17, 2007)

Nice setup. Also nice to see someone else that rows their own gears XD.


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## beemer740 (Dec 21, 2006)

very nice job


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Dtour said:


> Alright, the right (passenger kick) has a small gap that runs beneath it and the carpet, I'm using bondo shortstrand glass to fill in that gap, then more sanding, some light weight filler, priming, you get the idea, heres some pics from a few minutes ago, letting this thing dry before i go any further....


Do yourself a favor and get rid of the bondo brand stuff.. You will not regret it. 

heres a list....actually, heres a link to specific brands of stuff that will make things easier. http://www.fiberglassforums.com/showthread.php?t=3509

Bondo may be available everywhere, but in my experiences, the "good stuff" works out to be cheaper in the long run and lasts longer because you do less work to achieve the same results.

I used to use Bondo brand and did so for a very long time. I will never go back again. It is not worth it.

Hope this helps.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

thanks, will check out some other brands, it's just so easy to find bondo everywhere, in town it feels like the only brand available.


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Dtour said:


> is factory performance something offered through honda?


No, you have to add stickers to get extra horsepower


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## AzGrower (May 30, 2005)

Holy Hannah...you really could use...

a steadier hand...
or
a better jigsaw with a thinner blade and a higher tooth count...
or
a circle jig and a router...


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Thumper26 said:


> very nice job.
> 
> it's funny that Honda still uses the same little bars to open the doors as they did on my 96 Civic.


I'm pretty sure my 1989 Civic had those too


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Dtour said:


> thanks, will check out some other brands, it's just so easy to find bondo everywhere, in town it feels like the only brand available.


I understand. I used to be the same way. But finally, I switched to B440 resin and it was like heaven....it soaked into all the things I needed it to..I was in heaven. It is thinner than bondo stuff more water like so it penetrates into fabric and mdf better and faster...You will also get a longer working time before it hardens.
Then I tried rage gold and rage extreme....OMG...it sanded like chalk...

You will save money and time in the longrun by using the good stuff. That premium and ultimate bondo is more expensive than the rage stuff...

Try the evercoat liteweight or ZGrip...they are both very cheap at autobody depot and sand WAYYYYYYYbetter than anything bondo makes....The Rage extreme is heaven sent too...its like a miklshake and sands very easy.

I dont require the use of rage extreme anymore because I use evercoat featherfill primer....But it is worth every penny. You will have alot left over because its easier to work with. You dont need much.

Oh and Duraglass is reinfoced filler and it is very creamy....it is the only reinforced fiberglass I use now.its like spreading regular bondo.

So preorder your supplies and get the good stuff.....You will thank yourself. I do projects much faster since I made the switch.

Good luck. and remember, once you have used the good stuff, you will never go back!


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

just wrapped up installing a pair of aura 15's IB, took two days and well worth the 50 bucks in supplies (wood, wood glue, various screws, and expanding foam)

These subs are rated at 800 watts a pop, I have maybe 300-400 going to each one and it is just plain ridiculous, I can't imagine 800 watts, my ears and chest just couldn't take it. I will post pictures as soon as I can, I have a million things going on tonight


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

trunk before infinite baffle










cardboard template











heres a double piece of 3/4" mdf board 











time for some router action











pre drilling holes and getting the subs lined up











Jonesy before he puked


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Req and i being proud for a moment











REQ getting pissed off











heres after using some expanding foam












grey carpet for front side












front side complete











dark grey carpet for backside












the two beast


n a few weeks we'll get the false floor done and do some finishing touches to the kickpanels and a pilliars, other than that this install is very close to being complete, big shout out to Req and Jonsey for all their work this weekend, couldn't have done it without em


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

I am jealous. I have the coupe and the trunk doesnt nearly square off so well, though I too have the same stabilizer bars to stiffen the rear deck. Good call keeping htem in there.

FYI a pumpkin carver and similar tools are really good for shaving down the expanding foam.

I recommend carpet on the trunklid. Makes it look a little more finished  got any spare?


wish I could hear it. I'd be nice and local to lexnbinner too, could go knocking on his door!


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

when it comes to the design of the false floor:

it looks like the subwoofer motors will impede the ability to remove a one-piece center panel, so I recommend cutting the floor into four pieces. dividing the center (as defined from wheelwell to wheelwell) from the sides. the sides will form two "wings" that fold up and allow the center to slip in and out unimpeded.

Then I believe the center will require one horizontal cut, just pas the motor slugs. This will let it hinge up to pull the floor. The procedure would go like this: Fold the wings up, then pick u pthe floor and start sliding it out. The second cut gives it hte flexibility to come out.


There is one major problem with this route. It is very easy to have a non-flat floor when cut like this. If that doesnt bother you great, but it does me. So here is what you can do to prevent issue.

you can go to home depot or lowes and purchase some steel barstock 1 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick by three feet long, you can buy two of them. Installed just outside the spare tire well, they would create a flat rail that will prevent the floor from sitting unflat. They can be siliconed in and will go nowhere.

the side wings will probably need support near the rails to make sure the seams sit flush, but the far ends will be just fine as the carpet will roll under to support the very edges.

Dont forget to do just what you did with your baffle and carpet both sides so it still looks good when you fold up the floor to showoff the amprack.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

if that description didnt make any sense, you can see it clearly here:

http://semi.noobing.com/DSCF0018.JPG

where the floor is bent halfway between the liscence plate and the rear seats. That is no good, aesthetically! two rails would solve all the problems.

I dunno about you, but I'll be cutting my next floor out of a 5'x5' sheet of 1/2 inch thick baltic birch . Light, and strong.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

oh, and post pics of the trunk with the side carpet in place


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

Whiterabbit said:


> oh, and post pics of the trunk with the side carpet in place


im his tech. just fyi  



anywho, at the moment, we have a piece that is cut right where the wheel humps stop, little more than half way. its 1\2" MDF and should fit right up under the sub to mate right under the seat backs. theres about 1~1.5" under the motor to the flat part of the floor. so we should be able to fit the whole thing in there with zero problems. we were talking about relocating the h701 to the fenderwell and putting the 9.1 in its place for simplicity of installation.

but we shall see how that goes in the next few weeks.


i have to trim the trunk carpet up to get it to mate with the new baffle, but it should fit in quite nice. then we gotta figure out where the 9.1 is gonna go, rewire the subs so they look nice (right now its just in there so that we could audition) we need to work on the finish for the kicks and the A pillars. just minor tuch ups on everything, but currently, its all in working order 

those subs definatly do not need two of those 9.1s though. they have more than enough output as it is now with only 800w to the pair. awesome.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Props to Reg & Jonesy  
Looks very nice


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

re*Q* did the install.

dtour paid for all the equipments, helped, and learnerd.

jonsey helped with the install, drank some beers, had a few smokes, and did some wiring. this is the third install he has done with me and he is getting more and more adept at it.


hopefully this weekend will be nice so i can eaither finish the trunk, or the kicks\a pillars.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Whiterabbit said:


> .
> 
> FYI a pumpkin carver and similar tools are really good for shaving down the expanding foam.


Electric knife, then a hacksaw blade in one of those "staright hand type holders" then sandpaper


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Heres a pic from the rear seats folded down


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Been working on finishing up the kick panels this past week, lots of bondo for little pit holes and tons of sanding, priming, and a few coats of this charcoal colored paint, let me know what you think....









driver side kick













passenger side


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Heres without grills, I prefer them without the grills yet I am tired of risking them being kicked again...


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

Here with grill, car is dirty, will clean later


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

here is a finished preview 










i got more pictures but i gotta run for the moment. we will make a whole new thread with all the pics in it with a description. 




and ignore the rag in the rear deck panel. that panel is flexing like woah (the plastic part) and we just gotta put some window foam around the edge that comes close to the rear glass to stop an annoying vibration. aside from that and a few very small things **including the wiring for the subs and the 9.1** the car is pretty much finished.


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## theothermike (Dec 20, 2006)

amazing job guys


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

that amp has to go, find another spot.

there is space behind the passenger side trunk side between the frame and skin. There is space on the rear deck. There is space under the floor if youve not used it yet. There is space behind the interior quarter panels if its a coupe (I forgot).

Also, the sub wiring needs to be fixed. the wiring needs to be techflexed and run STRAIGHT down so its hdden under the floor. then it can run across then poke back up to the other subwoofer. No good to have it draped across the way it is.

Little things like that enhance the attention to detail


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

Also, here is a good way to eliminate unwanted reardeck rattles:


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## flakko (Mar 11, 2006)

looks nice...yea agreed with hiding that amp. if the amp disapears that would be one clean setup.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

Some quick help needed : From battery to main fuse, how long the power wire should be?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

usually 18 inches or shorter, mine is about 6 inches


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Overall very nice.

Amp has to go somewhere else. It effectivly make the trunk unusable. Fix that wiring up.

The only thing that bothers me is the fact that you didn't use a router on those kick rings. or at least make smoother cuts with your jigsaw.

They're not visible with the speaker installed...but still. Those are the details that make the install shine.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

another reason to never show in progress pics  Folks would still be staring at those subwoofer motors if there were not install pics!


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Whiterabbit said:


> another reason to never show in progress pics  Folks would still be staring at those subwoofer motors if there were not install pics!



Well I'm not too picky but I think many of us expect certain things to be as close to perfect as possible.

Making a perfect woofer cutout isn't asking too much. I would obsess about that beaver tooth cut hole until I tore the kick panels out smashed them into 200 pieces and started over. 

Maybe I missed it but what subs are those?


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

GlasSman said:


> Well I'm not too picky but I think many of us expect certain things to be as close to perfect as possible.
> 
> Making a perfect woofer cutout isn't asking too much. I would obsess about that beaver tooth cut hole until I tore the kick panels out smashed them into 200 pieces and started over.
> 
> Maybe I missed it but what subs are those?


NS15-992-4A
http://www.aurasound.com/public/speakercomponents/body.html
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/pr...id=81&osCsid=8e371c375f20a81928f71d2ea5ff3edd

as far as the midbass cut outs, my router was not accessable for whatever reason, i forget. maybe i didnt have a jig at the time and i had no place to get one (we ended up finding one). its not like i have a garage or anything to work in. we did this entire install in parking lots with a drill, a jigsaw, and latter a router running off a power inverter.

one other thing was when we measureed the hole for the speaker, it seemed that it was a tiny bit small, and we had to notch out the wood (what little we had we couldnt waste any) with the jig to make the basket spokes fit in place. we had to work around weather and time constraints so extra time spent (as he is moving to arizona next month) arent really permissable.

i figure the edge of the kick will never be seen again, its no hinder to performance or practicality, so it works in this case. as far as the A pillars go, it seems he lost the trim rings i made for the dayton midranges - along with the machiene screws. so ill prolly try and make some trim rings out of some aluminum and get some new screws for it. paint the aluminum and call it a day.

but i think the install - with what crappy conditions we had to work on it (as we were on different work schedules, time was running short, weather was getting colder and days were getting shorter - not to mention we did not have an area inside to work and limited tools) went fairly smooth and turned out quite well.




Whiterabbit said:


> that amp has to go, find another spot.
> 
> there is space behind the passenger side trunk side between the frame and skin. There is space on the rear deck. There is space under the floor if youve not used it yet. There is space behind the interior quarter panels if its a coupe (I forgot).
> 
> ...


 



req before you didnt read said:


> ... **including the wiring for the subs and the 9.1 [location]**...


we are most likely going to hang the 9.1 from the rear deck, but due to limitations on wiring that we did not have access to longer pieces, that was the only spot to put it at the time. we only had fragments left of the speaker wire - wich later will be replaced with some stealthy black wire. so yes, i agree. we had already discussed all those options 

but thank you for the constructive critism!

and rabbitman, what kind of carpet is that? it looks like some great 4-way stretchy kind! would you mind a link to where it was purchased? i think that is just what he needs for that rear deck issue!!


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

req, i have the screws for the daytons, just no rings


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

if youve seen the carpet thread in general, you know my feelings about partsexpress carpet (it sucks!!)

but its called "trunkliner", and that word alone will get you very far with a local automotive upholstery shop.

"hey, do you carry black trunkliner?"

thats all it takes 

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-768

(dont be surprised when it costs $13-15 a yard locally. its worth it.)


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

the trunkliner i have come to use - weather it be from PE, walmart, or locally, has never been stretchy enough to conform well to corners like the tail light area above... there is not any 4 way stretch type carpet avaialble?

hmm. well we will have to see if its a possibility then.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

the PE carpet is more than stretchy enough to do the rear deck. It stretches in 2 dimensions. Up/down, and Left/right. all the stretch needed to conform to compound corners.

All trunkliner is.

can even do 5 sides of any MDF box with no seams whatsoever if you pull hard enough


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

Damn those are some expensive subs. That car have an alarm with the flame thrower attachment?


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

no need. no thief could take those. too large, too heavy.

And expensive enough to make it worth sending back for a recone after the thief puts his screwdriver through the cone in frustration.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Whiterabbit said:


> http://semi.noobing.com/DSCF0018.JPG


holy ****! is that a SNES?!


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

does look like an snes. but not in my car, looks like another civic. I do have a good alarm just in case someone wants to get greedy and try and snatch these subs or anything else, also got it wired to do remote start, not too often will you see a manual transmission doing remote start, it works well for the summer/winter months


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

I thought that looked like a SNES.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

GlasSman said:


> I thought that looked like a SNES.


That _is_ a SNES! I'm calling it!

haha. I put one in my car early this year but it didn't last. I didn't ever "install" it so wires were all over the place. If I bought a wireless remote then I could install it in my false floor... now that would be cool.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

yea its a snes in Whiterabbits car.

nothing to do with dtours install tho


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Great tread fellows!!! I wish you all were in the Atlanta area to help me out. I have an 02 civic that I need to install my system in.


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## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

How do those Aura subs work for you? I'm thinking of using a single 18 with 500w on tap in IB.


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

The aura subs are amazing, some of lowest things I've ever heard or should I say felt. In an IB setup they like to get real low, after almost 6 months I still have only about 350-400 watts on each driver, and it PLENTY enough bass for my needs. I can't comment on testing them in various enclosures but i can only imagine the output would be much greater, as far as SQ I can only say that you can't go wrong putting these IB, I can only imagine the 18 your talking about, if I could have fit 2 18's, I would have done it, but that just be overkill the more I think about it.


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## khanhfat (Feb 4, 2008)

u got the sickest civic i'vve ever seen.... 2 of those in the back is over kill already.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

hows the joint between your windshield and roof? I bet it flexes like CRAZY


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## KennyT (Mar 14, 2008)

very nice install thread man.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

actually, nothing really flexes at all.

it is kind of dumbfounding to say so, but for some reason ib does not yield the kind of flex that a sealed or ported box does, and i dont understand it. when i had my IDQ15's in a 3.2cf sealed box my roof and all kinds of crap flexed in my GTi. but now with the IB things barely move and i dont get any rattles. its the same with his car. when he had his two RF HE2's and 9.1 - his trunk made all kinds of noise and everything vibrated, but going up on cone area and excursion but to ib, things are quiet but the bass is extreme.


id love to do some experiments with this and see if my findings are true.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

interesting. When I had the three 15's in my car in 30 cubic feet, the boundaries between the roof and both windshields flexed more than any part of the car. was insane.

I peaked at 25 or 30 Hz. where is yours?


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

honestly i have not gotten my RTA in my car because of other things and time. ill look around and find out where i peak in my gti


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

Double checking the original poster, you are not him.

I was asking Dtour. Both post 104 and 107.


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

Nice install lads! Its in true DIYMA fashion!

ps, who got the shocker!


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

Whiterabbit said:


> Double checking the original poster, you are not him.
> 
> I was asking Dtour. Both post 104 and 107.


double rechecking the whiterabbit - i did the install for dtour! 



and thanks for the comment, jonsey got it


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## Powers (Apr 10, 2008)

No pics on this page = fail


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

req said:


> double rechecking the whiterabbit - i did the install for dtour!


:blush:


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

hows this do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYanaMl9IzE


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

req said:


> hows this do?
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYanaMl9IzE


Didnt see that coming


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

lawl.

nobody does


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

hhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaa!


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

I'll take some new pics of the newer tweets


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## Tonyguy (Nov 15, 2007)

req said:


> lawl.
> 
> nobody does


wow, you guy are some fools. I didn't see that coming either.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Tonyguy said:


> wow, you guy are some fools. I didn't see that coming either.


That empty case of Miller Lite explains all


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

I'm bringing this back from the dead. I'm about to do some install work on my wife's civic. Nothing major at all. Utilizing stock locations sense she doesn't want to see anything and I honestly don't want to spend money doing pods.

So, I noticed you said the doors were giving you trouble. Was it the door card (panel) or the sheet metal itself? What did you do to the doors to treat them before, or did you just skip that and go straight for the kicks?


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## Dtour (Aug 8, 2007)

I put an insane amount of deadening in the doors, first with edead V1, then the liquid edead. After putting the seas rnx-l18's in the doors, they sounded great, except the door locks would rattle when turned up, I couldn't find a way to deaden the door locks, so a few weeks later we started building kicks, which also sound amazing mostly because the imaging is dead on compared to a door speaker. The doors were deeper sounding, yet with rattle, the kicks are very focused, not as deep, the only problem is from turbulent air coming thru the speakers phase plug when turned up to high levels, the kicks were more for show, they are definitely a pain in the ass when it comes to being careful, I accidently kicked one of them once, costed me 80 bucks to fix. If you decide on the doors, you'll have to cut the stock holes larger to fit a 7 inch speaker, you'll need a saw


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

I've been looking to replace my mids in the doors of my 03 civic. I know the mounting depth is just shy of 2", but what about the distance between mounting surface and door panel? Would 3/4" baffles work without any interference?


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## SRim23 (May 24, 2007)

kfish323 said:


> I've been looking to replace my mids in the doors of my 03 civic. I know the mounting depth is just shy of 2", but what about the distance between mounting surface and door panel? Would 3/4" baffles work without any interference?


yes they will


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## *Extreme1/StangGT* (Sep 14, 2008)

azngotskills said:


> or just use wire loom


******************======****************
I used Vacuum Tubing in my 1989/Stang many moons ago.Works great too/.
Regards/


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## backotruck (Jul 18, 2008)

Another idea is using a cut up cheap plastic trash can to cover those gigantic holes in the front doors. There are trash cans that have flat sides about that size....$5 and works great cauz there are 2 sides to that trash can and 2 holes (front doors). Very nice!


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## Irishfocus06 (Sep 11, 2008)

Man, this was a nice ass install. Clean, clean........clean! Love the kicks and the IB with those Auras. You have some money tied up in this setup. 

Sounds like it was beating pretty good as well. I wish I could use my savings for something like this, but house first, then car audio goodness. My budget system will have to suffice for now.


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