# 2005 Dodge Magnum R/T build log



## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Well the pics are starting to pile up, so I figured I'd get started on the build log while the humidity outside starts flash floods. The build is almost complete; I am just waiting on a few last minute things to arrive. 

My goal for this build was high output while using relatively low power amplifiers and efficient drivers. Being the obsessed JBL fan I am, I had quite a few great pieces of equipment from which to choose. 

*The car:*



















Here is the area I had to work with. There are two false floors above the spare. The battery and rear fuse box are also located under these floors next to the spare. The first pic is with both floors in place, the second piece with the top floor lifted up, etc.




























My goal here was to have an accessible amp rack but still have some cargo space (although I don't haul much around), and be able to retain access to the spare and battery. 

*Equipment list:*

*HU:* Alpine CDA-9835
*Processor:* JBL MS-8
*TW/High:* Illusion Audio CH-1 horn lenses, JBL 2426H compression drivers
*Mid:* JBL 2118H, sealed in kicks
*Sub:* JBL 1500GTi
*Amps:* JBL PX300.4, JBL/Crown BPX1100.1

I also have a JBL W15GTi MKI (white dust cap) to play with, although the enclosure is a bit large in the hatch area. I am going to test between the 2426H and B&C DE500 to see which I prefer. The 2426 is going to be an interesting fit on the passenger side...





































The MKII in this pic belongs to Matt:










*Continued below...*


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Here are the Illusion horns with the B&C DE500:










Here they are with the 2426H. You can see how much larger the JBL is (there is also an adapter being used with these):










So there's the gear. Here's the build.

Starting with the kicks, after looking at a few different ways to do it, I decided to use the factory kicks and add onto them. This allowed for fairly easy install, plus they secure down with the factory clips. Holes were drilled through the kick portion to allow glass to seep through, then several bolts with nuts and lock washers provide additional security between the glass and the factory kick. The kicks in this car are HUGE. This was a major selling point for me as I had some ideas in mind for an install. This was my first time building a real set of kicks from scratch. Much thanks to Matt (mattyjman) for his help with the fiberglass. 

Masking/prep:



















There was a factory dead pedal on the driver's side, which was removed. Sneak peak of the horn mocked up as well:










Masked:










We layed the first few layers with chop mat, then did the majority of the build-up with Kintex. They are quite thick.



















We then propped up the MDF rings with dowel rod and stretched grill cloth over them for the contour:










*Continued below..*.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Resin added to the grill cloth:



















Both kicks, with several layers of glass:










Bondo is absolutely worthless:



















Rage Gold=sexy time:





































And a test fit with the horns in place:










*Continued below...*


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

The car has a tan and black interior. The factory kicks are tan originally as seen in the pics, and they butt right up against the black carpet. After kicking around a few ideas on what to cover the kicks with, I decided I'd try and find a matching non-backed black carpet. A local upholstery supplier had some that was perfect. I used the same carpet throughout the install to "keep the theme" as it were. Here's how the kicks turned out:




























This pic is installed, but it's a horrible pic. It was very dark so you almost can't see the kick up against the carpet. They do blend in surprisingly well, which was the point:










The grills will be custom-cut 1/4" aluminum, painted black and covered in grill cloth. They will basically be a cutout of the 2118 frame, with matching holes where the bolt holes on the driver are, and will secure down this way. I have some black bolts that will hide up against the grill cloth.

*To the rear...*

Although this won't be the enclosure I end up using most likely, it will give you an idea of what the finished product will look like. This enclosure is quite a bit larger than the one I am building for the 1500GTi, so keep that in mind. It is 4ft^3 net and utilizes a single 6" Precision Port. The enclosure for the 1500GTi will be a little under 3ft^3 net with a pair of 4" Precision Ports.





































And here it is set in place:



















*Continued below...*


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Here is what I came up with for the hatch area. I built the false floor for the enclosure separate from the amp rack. It goes up and over the small wheel well bumps and is bolted down with L-brackets. This pic shows the floor for the enclosure (uncarpeted) as well as the bottom of the amp rack:










I came up with this idea in part thanks to one of Bing's recent installs. The amps and processor are flush mounted and visible through some recessed plexi windows on top. The top piece comes off, exposing the amp controls, or the entire amp rack can be removed. A circuit breaker is installed between the battery and the CBR44 distribution block as a quick disconnect, and all speaker leads run through a barrier strip. Pics:



















Here is the amp rack test fitted with the enclosure:










A final piece of 1/4" laminate was covered in carpet for stealth mode:



















Although it hasn't been carpeted yet (and because I am most likely changing enclosures), I designed this piece to trim the sides and top of the enclosure where there are gaps:










And a few pics of the amp rack in place:




























*Continued below...*


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Some more pics of the amp rack:




























An up close of the barrier strip and distribution:










And with the "lid" on:



















The amp rack pivots up at an angle toward the front of the car for access to the spare and battery, and both amps are mounted with the controls toward the rear of the car for easy adjustment. I reversed the plexi top of the Crown amp so both logos were facing toward center.

I don't really have much left. I need to get the HU installed and a single set of RCAs and remote wire run to the rear, run the display wire up from the MS-8 to the front, and get the enclosure for the 1500GTi finished and installed. I also need to redo a few of the horn brackets so they are more sturdy. I'm sure I left some things out, so feel free to ask questions/comment.


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## Afronaut (Apr 27, 2010)

Really nice work with the kicks.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Afronaut said:


> Really nice work with the kicks.


Thanks.  If I were to do them over again, I would have trimmed down the factory carpet on the driver's side that surrounded the dead pedal. I didn't want to cut too much away and ended up not cutting enough, so it created a small bump in the bottom of the kick. Didn't end up impacting much; it was just a PITA to work around. Other than that, I am happy with how they turned out. I ended up with quite a bit of usable airspace and still have a comfortable amount of legroom.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

Afronaut said:


> Really nice work with the kicks.


agreed

on a more serious note, it looks like you'll have used more 4 GA wire than 1/0GA wire when all is said and done... must be nice to have the battery in the back... 

oh, and that 1500gti looks old as ****. that's gonna suck 

now get it done already so I can hear this bitchin' install


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## audioaddict (Mar 13, 2010)

_Looks pretty sweet!

What's your high pass gonna be for those JBL Midbass'? How much airspace do think you've got in those kicks? _


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

audioaddict said:


> _Looks pretty sweet!
> 
> What's your high pass gonna be for those JBL Midbass'? How much airspace do think you've got in those kicks? _


Thanks man! I'm not sure on the HPF yet. I ran them between 800hz and 1khz in my doors, but I should be able to run them a bit higher in this setup. I'll toy with it a bit and see what sounds best. As for the kicks, I've estimated close to half a cubic foot in each. The 2118 only displaces .05ft^3, so it's not as bad as I thought. I'm going to try them out as-is first, then play with different amounts of polyfill and see how the sound shifts. The goal is to eventually install 10" mids sealed in the doors and use the 2118 as a midrange, but I'm about done working in the Arizona summer, so the doors will get done in the fall/winter. How's the P01 working out?


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## wheelieking71 (Dec 20, 2006)

saweet! looks killer. your gonna hafta demo for me. i have yet to hear a pair of 2118s.


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## audioaddict (Mar 13, 2010)

mikey7182 said:


> Thanks man! I'm not sure on the HPF yet. I ran them between 800hz and 1khz in my doors, but I should be able to run them a bit higher in this setup. I'll toy with it a bit and see what sounds best. As for the kicks, I've estimated close to half a cubic foot in each. The 2118 only displaces .05ft^3, so it's not as bad as I thought. I'm going to try them out as-is first, then play with different amounts of polyfill and see how the sound shifts. The goal is to eventually install 10" mids sealed in the doors and use the 2118 as a midrange, but I'm about done working in the Arizona summer, so the doors will get done in the fall/winter. How's the P01 working out?


I'm liking the P01. 

Finally got the hang of the audio adjustments! Not even getting into the decks audio capabilities....I love it for it's looks and for the fact that it doesn't automatically drop it's face when the ignition key is turned off. That really annoyed me with the P9.

Well, keep us posted on the trials with the 2118's. As you know, I got a set myself but don't have them intalled yet. I'm looking forward to hearing what kind of performance you get out of them in those sealed enclosures.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

suddenly wondering why I have never considered a magnum for my next car?


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Wow! That's simply amaz-azing!


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## X-runner (Aug 7, 2010)

God, I wish I had the patience for this kind of work


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

Brian_smith06 said:


> suddenly wondering why I have never considered a magnum for my next car?


this car ha to be designed with the car audio nut in mind. large battery in the rear, a built in factory[almost]amp-rack, ginormous kicks...

very well executed build, awesome skills, Mikey


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## silent_riot (Apr 18, 2007)

If you can post pics, I'd like to see how the 2118 grilles worked out.
Also, what's your impression of the Illusion lenses against Image full bodies?

I missed out on some illusions on CA recently


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

amitaF said:


> this car ha to be designed with the car audio nut in mind. large battery in the rear, a built in factory[almost]amp-rack, ginormous kicks...
> 
> very well executed build, awesome skills, Mikey


exactly what I was thinking. Hell that rear battery looks to be the same size as my stinger spv70 or my hawker 2150 and looks to have plenty of room to do just about anything anybody could want to audiowise.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments guys. As nerdy as it may seem, I bought this car for all the reasons listed... huge kicks, flat underside of the dash, huge cargo area, large rear mounted battery, 140/160A factory alternator, plus no trunk to screw with. While deadening the hatch, I was standing up comfortably inside the car. Plus it seats 5 and has 340hp!  It really is the perfect car for an install... especially for horns. 

As for the Illusions, I personally prefer them over the ID lenses. They fire straight through as opposed to a 90° angle, which may give them an advantage. The grilles are not done yet but I will post pics as soon as I have them.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

you think you're nerdy? Try this on for size. Im not getting new car for probably 2 years however, im already looking around and trying to find a good layout for a car and already picking out all of my equipment haha. And I need a dash that will hold 3.5-4 dins worth of components


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## 89grand (Nov 23, 2006)

I'd definitely like to hear that when you have it all dialed in. Magnums are awesome for stereo installs. I have an 06 R/T and I've looked at how big and deep the kick panels are, but I really like the dead pedal. I'm thinking about removing my spare, and running a 15" there, and I'll probably just use the factory speaker locations, but I'd love to hear yours some time.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

89grand said:


> I'd definitely like to hear that when you have it all dialed in. Magnums are awesome for stereo installs. I have an 06 R/T and I've looked at how big and deep the kick panels are, but I really like the dead pedal. I'm thinking about removing my spare, and running a 15" there, and I'll probably just use the factory speaker locations, but I'd love to hear yours some time.


For sure, we can meet up sometime. I just have a few things to wrap up but hopefully it will be up and running by next weekend. I have been thinking about a FG enclosure for a 15 replacing the spare which would give me more cargo room. But not sure I want to give the spare up just yet.


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## ECM (Dec 23, 2007)

MIKEY!!!

Dude, what happened to the truck? I've been away for a while, but it seems I'm slowly making it back to DIYMA.

Anyway, the new install looks great. I'm digging all the pro audio equipment you are using. What's with the adapters on the horns? Don't the JBL drivers line up? I thought the lenses and drivers were 1"?

ECM


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

ECM said:


> MIKEY!!!
> 
> Dude, what happened to the truck? I've been away for a while, but it seems I'm slowly making it back to DIYMA.
> 
> ...


Hey buddy! Long time no see. We are expecting our second child shortly, and a single cab S-10 just wasn't cutting it anymore as a second vehicle. We needed two cars we could fit carseats in, so we bought the Passat last December, then I bought the Magnum a few months back. I still have the S-10 actually, but am probably going to sell it. It's completely dismantled as far as audio goes.

The 2426 are 1" drivers, and they have two different mounting options. They come factory with an adapter that screws to the snout and has 3 flanges on it for hanging/support, and that provides a 3 bolt mounting option. Or, the flange can be unscrewed, leaving just the compression driver and a screw-type mount. What I have are two adapters together. One converts from the 3-bolt to a screw-type, and the other one converts from a screw type to a 3-bolt or 2-bolt. The first one bolts to the JBL, and the other side bolts to the horn, and the two screw together. Since the Illusions are a 2-bolt horn, I figured I'd use the adapters rather than drilling new holes in the horn. Using both adapters plus the factory flanged adapter does create a bit of a "tunnel" between the compression driver and the horn, but several people I asked including the guys at Orange County Speaker said that although it's not ideal, any potential negative effects would most likely not be audible.


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

I see what you meant about the kicks being huge! I have to vent into the framerails to get that kind of airspace. Are you making the grills or having a shop do them?


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

funkalicious said:


> I see what you meant about the kicks being huge! I have to vent into the framerails to get that kind of airspace. Are you making the grills or having a shop do them?


A good friend of mine runs a sign shop, and they have a large computerized table router. He has helped me with several things in the past, and helped quite a bit on this install. He doesn't really do much with car audio, but he has some mean computer skills with that router and can make just about anything I can dream up. He helped with the amp rack and we used the router for all the enclosure cuts. For the grills, we are going to use 1/4" aluminum, then countersink the bolt holes and paint them black. I'm still debating whether or not to wrap them in grill cloth. I'd love to semi-display the 2118, but the two I have don't "match" as one cone is tan and sun-faded, and the other one is new and dark gray. If I could find another dark gray one, I'd show them off I think.


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

I keep coming back and studying your kicks. I think you have motivated me to try fiberglass for the first time.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Well, I got my grilles done today. They aren't painted yet but here is the basic idea:


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

Now those are phenomenal!!!


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## Sulley (Dec 8, 2008)

I'd break up with girlfriend for those kicks. How many layers of fiberglass mat?


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

stockley.rod said:


> I'd break up with girlfriend for those kicks. How many layers of fiberglass mat?


Lol thanks. Honestly I lost track of the layers. They are between 3/8" and 1/2" thick in most places. I also did the "milkshake" on the inside, which is a mixture of resin and body filler, so that added a bit more and filled in a few corners. I need to get the grilles painted or powdercoated and get this install wrapped up!


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

mikey7182 said:


> Lol thanks. Honestly I lost track of the layers. They are between 3/8" and 1/2" thick in most places. I also did the "milkshake" on the inside, which is a mixture of resin and body filler, so that added a bit more and filled in a few corners. I need to get the grilles painted or powdercoated and get this install wrapped up!


i bet you could drive over those ****ers and they wouldn't even crack or creak... they were pretty damn heavy


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## Sulley (Dec 8, 2008)

mikey7182 said:


> Lol thanks. Honestly I lost track of the layers. They are between 3/8" and 1/2" thick in most places. I also did the "milkshake" on the inside, which is a mixture of resin and body filler, so that added a bit more and filled in a few corners. I need to get the grilles painted or powdercoated and get this install wrapped up!


1/2 is pretty thick! I'm about halfway through my kickpanels, if they look a quarter as good I will be happy. What was the mix ratio you used for the "milkshake"?


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

stockley.rod said:


> 1/2 is pretty thick! I'm about halfway through my kickpanels, if they look a quarter as good I will be happy. What was the mix ratio you used for the "milkshake"?


We just did a 50/50 mix with both the resin/filler and their respective hardeners. Seemed to work out well. It took a little time to set up to the point where it wasn't dripping all over, so you may want to mix it a little hotter than normal.


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## Sulley (Dec 8, 2008)

mikey7182 said:


> We just did a 50/50 mix with both the resin/filler and their respective hardeners. Seemed to work out well. It took a little time to set up to the point where it wasn't dripping all over, so you may want to mix it a little hotter than normal.


Did you use a fiberglass reinforced bodyfiller or just normal filler? 

Sorry for the questions you just did an great job. +1


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

stockley.rod said:


> Did you use a fiberglass reinforced bodyfiller or just normal filler?
> 
> Sorry for the questions you just did an great job. +1


No worries at all.  We used regular filler- Bondo IIRC. It's absolute **** to work with and sand as a filler, but worked very well in the milkshake. The FG-reinforced fillers like Kitty Hair, etc. would probably be a bit too thick for the milkshake, although I've never tried them.


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## jonnyanalog (Nov 14, 2007)

So any other plans for the Mag? Are you gonna lower it or add some wheels to it?


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

jonnyanalog said:


> So any other plans for the Mag? Are you gonna lower it or add some wheels to it?


 I may pick up some SRT-8 wheels and do a catback or something. Probably tint as well. I am not as into modifying cars as I used to be. I figure the less it looks like it has a nice system in it, the less likely thieves are to get curious.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

I've wanted a Magnum ever since they came out for the sole reason of car audio.

I like the high efficiency & somewhat low power direction you've taken. It's actually quite a "simple" system as far as number of speakers, amps, & processing.

You said you're going to add a 10" midbass, is it the B&C's?

Looks really good Mike, makes me wish I had a Magnum.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

fish said:


> I've wanted a Magnum ever since they came out for the sole reason of car audio.
> 
> I like the high efficiency & somewhat low power direction you've taken. It's actually quite a "simple" system as far as number of speakers, amps, & processing.
> 
> ...


Thanks Fish.  If I do decide to run a dedicated midbass, they will most likely be the 10NW64. I want to see how the 2118 do first though, since I have never run them sealed or on axis before. I finished cutting out all the pieces for the 1500GTi enclosure today, so I should hopefully have it built tonight or tomorrow. Still waiting on the subwoofer grille so I can send all 3 grilles off for powdercoating, but definitely getting closer to being finished.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

I wanted to do something a little extra for the subwoofer grille. Here's what we came up with:










This and the 2118 grilles are headed off for powdercoating.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

That is & will be _sick!_

I don't know how I overlooked this thread from the beginning.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

that looks sick mike... well done


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

mikey7182 said:


> Well, I got my grilles done today. They aren't painted yet but here is the basic idea:


Those came out nice. Why so open though (ie unprotected). How high are they playing?


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## eviling (Apr 14, 2010)

i loive your gear choices, i have a w12gti mkii, they are awsome aren't they?  just wait till that thing is broken in, its amazing, took me almost 2 and a half weeks before it was really broke in and i could really let it loose. but the thumb thumps but sounds amazing. 

idk about the tube porting though doesnt they create like a tunnel vision with the sound? ive always been told to stay away from tubes


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

eviling said:


> ... like a tunnel vision ...


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Are you referring to the Precision ports? I'm not sure what you mean by tunnel vision, but there are plenty of reviews and info on Precision Ports and potential gains.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

t3sn4f2 said:


> Those came out nice. Why so open though (ie unprotected). How high are they playing?


 They'll be playing up to 1.25khz or so... I didn't design them with the large opening with that in mind per say. I was originally going to cover them in grill cloth, so I just wanted a few bars across to support the cloth. If I leave them uncovered, I may remake them with a third bar in the center.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

I got the enclosure for the 1500GTi finished today. It is quite a bit smaller than the other one, and I am happier with it cosmetically and how it integrates with the amp rack. Here are a few pics of the new enclosure:



















I used two 4" Precision ports. They are supported internally this way which also acts as bracing for the enclosure:










And here is the finished product. I used threaded inserts and black bolts for the subwoofer, and large bolts with threaded inserts in the rear to secure the enclosure down to the base with L brackets for easy removal:



















The enclosure can either be installed sub up, ports back or ports up, sub back. Definitely more flexible than the other enclosure and takes up less room.


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## cheesybass (Aug 17, 2010)

Will you do my car next? that is a really sweet set you have!


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Had a few hangups yesterday, and my grilles won't be done until the morning, but I finally got the rear all installed. The amp rack is in and secured, the enclosure is finished and secured, a new trim panel is made that covers the amp rack (since the new enclosure wasn't quite as deep as the original), and everything is wired up. Trying to take detailed pics in a dark hatch against a bright sky didn't render the greatest results, but I will get some better ones tomorrow once my grilles are installed. Here is how the rear turned out:










With the top panel removed:










And the rear of the enclosure, secured and wired up:










I picked up some polyfill today that I will stuff the kicks with, and with the grilles returning tomorrow, I should be able to get everything wrapped up and hopefully fired up!


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

It's lookin' good. Nothing too fancy. You're getting close, I'm eager to read what your first impressions are.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Got my grilles back today. Here's how they turned out:





































I am happy with how they turned out. Couple minor flaws, but nothing really noticeable from a distance, especially up against black carpet.


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## wheelieking71 (Dec 20, 2006)

your rockin' my all-time favorite sub Mikey! i have yet to hear anything that comes close to the low-distortion powerfull sound of the original gti!! most memories fade with age, but not that one.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

wheelieking71 said:


> your rockin' my all-time favorite sub Mikey! i have yet to hear anything that comes close to the low-distortion powerfull sound of the original gti!! most memories fade with age, but not that one.


I still have never heard one, although I ran that pair of 2226G you heard awhile back. I bought another one yesterday as a spare.  I keep having interruptions, but hopefully I should have this thing wrapped up today!


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

Have you listened to the midbass in that small of an enclosure?


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

bassfromspace said:


> Have you listened to the midbass in that small of an enclosure?


I have only ever had the 2118 installed in leaky sealed doors. JBL recommends .5ft^3, which I am fairly close to, and they are stuffed generously with polyfill. I am eager to see how they compare to the off-axis door install.


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

mikey7182 said:


> I have only ever had the 2118 installed in leaky sealed doors. JBL recommends .5ft^3, which I am fairly close to, and they are stuffed generously with polyfill. I am eager to see how they compare to the off-axis door install.


Ok. I'm looking to do something similar and was worried about them being too small. I guess I'll have to just see.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

bassfromspace said:


> Ok. I'm looking to do something similar and was worried about them being too small. I guess I'll have to just see.


I think it really will depend on how low you want to cross them. I am probably going to cross them around 100hz and let the 1500GTi work its magic from there. The eventual goal is to use a 10" dedicated midbass in some sealed FG pods on the doors, but that's a ways off. I think the advantages of getting the 2118 on axis will outweigh the small loss in the lower end, if there is one.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Well, the build is finally finished! I ran into a snag last night with my 4 channel amplifier, so big thanks to mattyjman for lending me one of his to troubleshoot.  Here are a few final pictures, and finally taken in some decent light!

Shot of the kicks, horns, and headunit:










Stealth mode:










Might be hard to see in the pic, but the "JBL" cutout from the subwoofer grille reflects on the plexi covering the MS-8. Thought that was pretty cool:










And a little closer-up shot of the amp rack:










I need to tweak the passenger side horn bracket a bit so it is not visible, and the horn could move up about a quarter inch, but overall everything is pretty much buttoned up. The passenger side was tough, because the glove box had to be removed to make the brackets and hang the horn, leaving me without the bottom edge as a reference point. I also had to bend the brackets around the back side of the glove box so it would retain its full range of motion. I will say that the horns are solid as a rock, with the two front brackets, and a third bracket made from 1/8" aluminum that attaches to the compression driver and up to a reinforced section of the dash. They don't move. 

First impressions:

It's been a few months since I've listened to anything but the garbage stock radio (Boston Acoustics [LOL] in the Magnum, and Monsoon in the Passat), so it's hard to do a direct A/B between this setup and my S-10, but I am very impressed so far. The MS-8 is super simple to set up, and the tuning process is the fastest and easiest I've used by far, including that of the P01. I have done nothing to EQ, etc. yet, so everything is running off the base tune right now. Even so, the stage is pretty high and deep, and like most other MS-8 users have found, very insensitive to the placement of my head.  I am going to play around with various xover points, but right now, I have the sub LPF/mid HPF at 80hz, -24db slope, and the mid LPF/horn HPF at 1250hz, -24db slope. I am not getting TONS of bottom end from the 2118, but having them on axis is nothing short of incredible. The detail present in the program material is definitely noticeable compared to running them in the doors. I will probably bump them up to 100hz along with the sub and see if my lower end midbass improves. 

This is also my first time hearing a 1500GTi. Definitely not the same woofer as its 2226G counterpart, of which I had two installed in my S-10 blowthrough. It has solid bottom end, great accuracy, and tons of output. Coming from a blowthrough with three W15GTi and a BPX2200.1, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I am actually very satisfied with the sub output. 

I will post more listening impressions as I get a chance to tweak things a bit, but for now, I am extremely happy with the finished product. I am happy to demo for anyone who'd like to listen. Thanks for looking.


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## Complacent_One (Jul 2, 2009)

What an awesome build. I have essentially the same car...exterior color and all, just have the grey interior instead of the beige.

You have me thinking alot about the potential of compression horns for mine.

Currently working on JL8IB4s in the doors, and I built some on axis pods for the stock dash locations where there are a pair of Fountek FR88EX's coupled with a pair of A/D/S tweeters orphaned from my old 320is comp set. Just picked up a DC650.6 this evening and have a 1000BK and 750BK zapco's sitting in the garage. After all the time with the sub fitting in the doors, I may have to scrap the dash pods and go with horns and on axis mids in the kicks. Coupled with a decent sub...I should have something to help with the drive home after a ****ty day at the office...

Too bad you are not closer, would love to hear a demo...


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

Mikey,

I was wondering if you could give a follow-up on your listening impressions? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought I read somewhere you didn't like the MS-8 with your horns, even though it's still in your sig.

Sorry if I confused you with someone else.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

fish said:


> Mikey,
> 
> I was wondering if you could give a follow-up on your listening impressions? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought I read somewhere you didn't like the MS-8 with your horns, even though it's still in your sig.
> 
> Sorry if I confused you with someone else.


Hey, just saw this post  I haven't updated my sig in awhile. I've bought and sold another P01 since then.  I was not impressed with the MS-8 with the horns. If you are looking to do a horn install and are in need of processing, I would pick up a P01/P99, or the new PXA-H800 or RF 3Sixty.3 when they come out. I am in the process of a rebuild, and will most likely be picking up either the Alpine or the Fosgate. I have used the W200/H701 combo with horns, and was really happy. Something about the MS-8 autotune was no bueno with horns.


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## DJSPANKY (Dec 15, 2009)

Really like the install- clean and simple. Also- kicks are really nice. The only bad comment I could come up with is the woofer grill. IMO the woofer would be better served w/o the grill- but I understand you need to protect it.

Great Job!!!!


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

always love a fellow JBL fan. i have the 660GTi's in my car. they rock. but i have a TON of the old GTI stuff too!! i am always looking for more, and my current grail is to find a set of the 404GTI's  GREAT looking work and i am sure it sounds crazy!!


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## primetime1267 (Dec 29, 2010)

I would love to talk the wife into turning our Magnum RT into a sound machine... Not gonna happen when we need the baby stroller in the back. LoL. So I guess im back to the Yukon for the stereo. Nice job bro!!


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

primetime1267 said:


> I would love to talk the wife into turning our Magnum RT into a sound machine... Not gonna happen when we need the baby stroller in the back. LoL. So I guess im back to the Yukon for the stereo. Nice job bro!!


Thanks! I actually have two kids as well, both under the age of 4, so I actually came up with a design to maintain all the cargo space, but it involved giving up the spare. The spare wheel well in there is MASSIVE, and between that and the space under the two false floors, you could easily glass in a 4-5 cube enclosure and build an amp rack. I was going to upfire the sub and the port, but underneath acoustically transparent carpet, so I could still load stuff in the car if I needed to. I am taking on another project right now though, so that is on hold.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

sweet install man. im diggin the JBL mids in the kicks. did you try at all pushing the horns as far back that you can? from what i understand having them as deep and wide is the best thing you can do install wise. 

but i was looking at a magnum a while back and was impressed with the setup for the system, i ended up with a GTi wich is just a smaller version of the magnum LOL.

great job though!


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## SQ Audi (Dec 21, 2010)

Now Mike, do you just keep the horns exposed or will you fashion some fancy trim pieces to cover them. They look rather raw just sitting there all by themselves. As far as the kicks, Holy Kickpanels Batman! Wow, and I thought my kicks were huge! Picture to follow. 

Well done sir. Well done.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

SQ Stang said:


> Now Mike, do you just keep the horns exposed or will you fashion some fancy trim pieces to cover them. They look rather raw just sitting there all by themselves. As far as the kicks, Holy Kickpanels Batman! Wow, and I thought my kicks were huge! Picture to follow.
> 
> Well done sir. Well done.


Nice kicks! For the horns, I personally like the look of the horns exposed. Despite how "obvious" they may appear in the pics, they are actually quite discrete. I don't think I've had a single person climb in my car and go "what the hell are those?" Car audio guys included. Then again, I'm not competing. I have seen guys make various grilles/covers for them that look nice as well.

As for my kicks, they are (were- I've taken them out) quite large, but I have tons of legroom in the car and they never seemed to get in the way much. They were my first stab at building kicks from scratch, and were sealed for 8" mids with 4" mounting depth, so they definitely took up some room.  The Magnum is actually on hold for the moment as I do a rebuild of my S-10. Here was the last build:

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-member-build-logs/77232-mikey7182s-build-log-2010-a.html


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

oohh boy... a rebuild!


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## BEELZEBUB 666 (Jul 9, 2014)

Did not return to post more impressions of the system. Very disappointed!


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

BEELZEBUB 666 said:


> Did not return to post more impressions of the system. Very disappointed!


I don't cater to post whores who go by fictitious names and live in nonexistent places, so... go **** yourself?  If my lack of follow up disappointed you, imagine how disappointed you'll be when nothing happens after you die.


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## enigma (Jul 5, 2008)

Cant believe I overlooked this, great build man....those kicks were awesome!


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

I can't believe someone bumped a 3 1/2 year old thread just to say they were disappointed you didn't follow up. lol


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