# Revitalization of a E46 BMW 330i :) (lots of pics)



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey guys,

Just spent the last three weeks doing a SQ install in a 2004 BMW 330i. Well, I should say I spent 2 1/4 weeks doing the install, the remaining 5 days or so was devoted to removing the previous install and "reconditioning" the car to somewhat clean slate status hehe...

Over the past few years, I have run into my share of bad installs, and for the most part, I don’t give them much thought. But once in a while, I meet one that is appalling enough that I wanna share it with you. I think over the past 5 years, I have shown maybe 3 or 4 out of dozens, this one, definitely ranks up there. I think it is the combination of things that went wrong, along with the fact that high quality equipment was involved, as well as actually being a pretty expensive job.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the before photos.

It should be noted that after I put a HUGE gash in my finger from one of their random extruding screws and started bleeding like a stuck pig, I gave up on taking pictures lol so these prolly tell only half the story.

Let’s start with the front stage...which is a set of Dynaudio Esotech 6.5" two ways. The pillar job shown below says all that it needs to say. And I saw the car not that long after the install, and they were pretty much in similar shape, just progressed worse as time went:




























Here is what was done to the midbass to fit in the door, not so sure on resale value on them after this. 










Now for the trunk…because so much was hidden out of view, I don’t think the pictures do this install justice…but here it is anyway, note the led tube secured with electrical tape, the panel gaps…etc etc










The system had a P9 combo in it, so the DEX p9 was painted to match the Earthquake sub amp.










Here is the side wall to see into the battery, the press fit piece of plexi never stayed in place, more on the battery later.










Another view of the front wall:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Here is how the P9 was secured and wired up:










And the DD amp behind it and its accompanied wiring:










Now back to the battery. Since it was taller than the stock, the battery was left in place with ZERO mounting or security. Meaning it just hops up and down as the car goes over bumps! Coupled with the bare battery terminal and no fusing within 18”, this was a fire hazard waiting to happen.










But I guess a piece of board with suede on it, jammed against the battery, kills two birds with one stone, it holds the battery in place and provides cosmetic trim when you look into the panel.










Now for the subbox, which houses a single 12” DD 3000 series subwoofer. I couldn’t get any more pics of it because I think they may have built this box INSIDE the trunk. Because even with all the trim panels removed, I couldn’t find an angle to remove the box. The other interesting part was the design. The box is in the trunk, and two ports come from inside the car on the rear deck, and goes into the box. Here is a glimpse of the ports:










So on the rear deck, they built a platform panel with the two port flanges,










Closer examination reveals cracked port flange and it’s just a flat board when the stock rear deck cover has a dip in the middle:




















How I think they did this box was like this. They cut two holes in the top of the box, slide the port tubes into them. Then cut two holes in the rear deck, and dropped the port flange down, and then slide the port tubes up until they met the flange. That joint, along with where the tubes go into the box, was coated with epoxy. 

During the removal process, what I found was the epoxy never held where the tubes go into the box, so the box was vey leak around the tubes, but, where the port joins the flange, the glue held, making it next to impossible to remove the port and therefore, the box….I had to take a handheld hacksaw, stick it between the box and the metal rear deck, and hacked them apart…

The thing that really annoyed me though, was the huge amount of white caulk that was put around the edges where the box meets metal. I am not quite sure what the purpose of this was since the rest of the trunk is very leaky (rear speakers removed so they are open ports), not to mention caulk is almost useless on metal. But here it is:




















As soon as I moved the box, all the caulk broke apart, well most of it was crumbling anyway. 

I then started the 4 hours long process of scraping all the caulk residue off with my finger nails, no way was I going to do an install with that showing.

It was during that process that I cut a deep gash in my index finger, and stopped all picture taking. But beyond what you see here, other stuff included the Earthquake amp on the floor wasn’t secured at all (no screws, no screw holes to suggest there was any screws ever), no wiring harness was used for the HU install, flying wires, broken clips, missing screws etc etc etc…


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Anyway…so…I hope you can feel my pain…both figuratively and literally.
So that’s that, let’s get on with the new build.

The goals:

1.	Remove the old install and repair as much of the car as possible
2.	To build an install that is classy and clean, and also as stealthy and durable as possible
3.	Given the above criteria, to achieve a high level of SQ, and the car will be occasionally competing in MECA
4.	To utilize the subwoofer the customer provided

Let’s get started.

The signal starts with an alpine 9887 Headunit, supplied by the owner. It is installed in the usual location:










As usual with Zapco DSP, a laptop can be used to tune the entire system without ever having to leave the front seat:










The front stage consists of a set of Seas Lotus Reference 6.5” two way drivers, as well as a Phass DTM25 dome midrange. After some deliberations, 
I decided to build kick panels to house the midbass drivers.

The main requirement for the kicks was that they be as durable, stealthy and as out of the way as possible. After it was done, it actually blended into the interior really well that I had a hard time taking pics of it, in normal lighting they wouldn’t show up, but when I turned the brightness up, it got to be looking a bit weird. These are the best pics I got, but in reality, the blend into the black interior much better. 



















As you can see, they protrude very little into the foot well area, as the stock driver side carpet mat still fits perfect. But this doesn’t mean they are short on airspace. I would say these are some of the actually larger kicks I have built. 

Here are some build pics. What I did was to trim a lot of the stock carpet and foam in the area, so I can gain the extra 2-4” or so down to the bare metal floor. Also, I trimmed the driver side kick panel cover so that I can access the area behind the plastic. This allowed me to build enclosures that go very deep into the foot well area without being too protrusive.

Here are the initial molds:



















Once they were cured, they were removed and trimmed to proper shape, I cut slots into them so they can breathe into the space behind the kick panel.










Then a layer of second skin sound proofing was laid on:










Then the ring baffles were attached. I made them into this shape to gain more air space for the enclosure, and also to break up the lines a bit. 

Learning from experience, I wanted to push the drivers as far forward as possible against the firewall, and when I tried just having a ring all the way at the top of the kick, it looked really off balance. The ring was calculated so that after it’s trimmed, the grilles that came with the Seas drivers can be pressure fitted into the kick panel and remain flush.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Then mold cloth was pulled and resin applied. Once that cured, they cloth was reinforced from the inside with chop strand and duraglass. The shape was then sanded down:










Then on the interior went a layer of modeling clay to reduce resonance:










And an additional layer of second skin to add more mass and also to hold the 
clay in place during hot temperatures:










They were then wrapped in black suede:



















And installed into the vehicle. The Seas Lotus midbasses were then wired up



















The grilles were pressed in, and the result is what you saw earlier.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

The Phass midrange and the Seas tweeter were mounted into molded A pillars. They were done off axis to be more stealthy and also yield IMO better depths. the pillar was wrapped in black grille cloth closely matching the stock finish. The lotus tweeters sits upfront, and the Phass midrange right behind it, a setup dictated by the mounting depths and the space available behind the pillar.





































A quick shot of the entire front stage:










Now build pics for the pillars. 

First the rings were aimed and attached to the stock pillar. I used a thin strip of laminated card stock to form a small flush mounting wall around the ring for the DTM25, which has a thick flange versus the tapered Lotus.










Then grille cloth was pulled, resin applied, and then a mixture of duraglass and resin was poured into the interior of the pod to reinforce it. Because I used lighter colored grille cloth this time, you can clearly see the area where this milkshake took hold by the dark area on the pillar mold.










Some sound proofing was applied to the backside of the pillar:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

And the two pods were then sanded smooth and blended in after a few applications of filler.




























I then sprayed a coat of black primer on the pillar so that no lighter colored patches will show through the black grille cloth:










And finally, both pillars were wrapped in black grille cloth:



















The tweeter and the midrange were then installed:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Moving on, here are a few pics of the wiring process, showing the bundles going down the length of the car and into the trunk, secured to the stock looms:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

To cover up the big holes left on the rear deck from the previous install, I did a quick covering panel. My suggestion is to eventually find a stock rear deck panel from a junkyard and replace this one. 










Here are a few quick pics of that part. First is the stock rear deck cover in sad shape:










Masking tape was applied and fiberglass cloth laid down to follow the curvature of the deck 



















I cut a top panel out of mdf and routed it, cutting two holes where the two holes were in the rear deck:










After the fiberglass mold dried, I cut it into a ring and mated it to the MDF piece. This ensures that the curve follows the rear deck where it has that dip. Maybe a bit too much effort for such a small and temporary piece hehe










Then the entire shape was wrapped in grille cloth, the edges got resin and duraglass to form one single shape:



















And then it was wrapped in black suede, and a piece of grille mesh covered in black grille cloth was secured to the backside. This was then secured to the rear deck cover.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

So that’s it for the interior. Moving onto the trunk. The idea was for the install to be stealthy. And here is the normal view. I made a custom rubber floor mat using a piece of material given to me by the customer. So everything is completely hidden. Still have about 85 percent of the trunk space left.










Remove the cargo mat and here is what you see. A new fake floor setup trimmed in Titanium alcantara, there is a cutout in the middle which features a vented grill covered in black breathable carpet. I started using breathable carpet instead of grille cloth in some applications a while back for fake floor vents because it is more durable. On the driver side, the storage cubby pocket is still retained so small objects can be put there. (there is a vertical side wall on that side so no objects can go from the storage bin into the area under the fake floor. 



















Once you pop the cover off and here is what you see.

The center section is done in black CF vinyl, and the trim around the amps and the sub is done again using titanium alcantara. The amp borders, which have a slight kick to them on one side, shows off two Zapco DC reference amps. A 650.6 sends 180 watts to each midbass and 100 watts to each tweeter, while a 1000.4 sends 150 watts to each midrange, and 500 watts bridged to the sub. All the trim rings have a slant rout on them. 

The subwoofer is a dynaudio Esotar 1200 12” subwoofer. It sits below the floor, with a ring of alcantara trim on it, and is topped by a cosmetic trim that juts over the center of the sub, with a black and silver carbon fiber BMW emblem. With its notched sides, the Esotar sub is hard to flush mount cleanly, so I came up with this system to hide the flange. After getting some reference from Dyn, the sub is mounted in a HUGE 2.25 cubic foot net sealed enclosure. The sub is optimized for IB, but that was not an option here from the get go.

I guess this is hard to describe into the words so here are the pics:




























A shot from behind the car:










I wanted to highlight the install in the dark, and also basically wanted more light in the trunk beyond what the two dinky lights at the back of the trunk can provide, so I built a LED dome light on the underside of the rear deck:










Basically, it’s a little square routed piece of MDF, coated in black truck bed liner, with a square multi LED dome light element in the middle:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Here are some close up shots of the trim around the amps and the sub.




























The little LED dome light is quite bright…and casts a very nice glow in the trunk in the dark, so here are three night time pics:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

So that the finished trunk 

Here come the build pics

Here is the trunk after all the caulk was scraped off and cleaned up:










I think wrangled the twisted stock metal bracket housing back into shape and bolted it back in. Thank god the customer kept all the stock parts in relatively good shape. 










To gain as much room as possible for the subbox, I cut out the notch in the spare tire well, placed a mesh on it for strength and fiberglassed over the top of it to seal it from the elements:



















Once that was done, the entire center floor section of covered with Second Skin matting










And the entire spare tire well masked and marked out:










About a dozen layers of mat and cloth was laid into the well, and allowed to cure:










The tub was pulled out, trimmed to shape, and a layer of undercoating went in:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

A top baffle plate was made, secured to the floor mold, and then fleece was pulled to for the overall shape. The hole for the subwoofer was cut. This is probably the biggest single sub sealed enclosure I have ever molded. 




























Here is the box fitted into the spare tire well:










Here is the spacer piece that sits on top of the box and provides the foundational structure for the entire install. 



















Here are the two spacer rings that sit on top of the subwoofer, they are cut to the exact diameter so they hide the flange of the sub, but don’t interfere with the 
subwoofer operation: they are also done so that when stacked, the trim piece above 
them will clear the surround even at max excursion.










Wrapped in alcantara:










And stacked together:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Here is the Esotar 1200, and you can see what I mean by the notched flange:










Back of the sub:










This is the spacer portion that places the subwoofer at the precise height in reference to the amps. The sub is seen here, bolted to the piece, which was then secured to the top of the subbox main section.










Onto some wiring pics. Here is the battery redone. I modified the stock mounting position to accommodate the new, taller battery, so now it’s extremely secure in the car and going nowhere. 










To replace the old loose terminals, a pair of my favorite JL audio XB-BTU battery terminals went in, and the wires, both factory and aftermarket, was redone.










Now the main wiring pics. You can see the sub secured to the box, the stack of rings secured in its precise location. As well as all the close ups of the wiring:




























I fabricated a little platform that houses the Stinger 150 amp circuit breaker with 18” of the battery, props up the side panel, and is secured using the stock bolt that tied down factory battery.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Here is the cosmetic floor, before and after being trimmed in black CF vinyl:



















Here are the three border trim pieces, before alcantara:










Once they are covered, they were joined with the main trim piece:










And the black CF BMW emblem installed:



















Here is the little battery platform before and after coating with truck bed liner:


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

The top fake floor before and after alcantara:



















The center vent cover:



















The previous install had horrible alternator whine, after I finished the install and did some rewiring, I was pretty sure the noise was gone. But I think my head was playing tricks with me, and I thought sometimes I heard a whirling sound, which may or may not have come from the engine bay. So I decided to add a MSD ignition noise filter to the car to make sure every step was taken to eliminate noise. This is so called capping the alternator as taught to me by a fellow installer.



















So that’s it, the customer just came and pick up the car, so I will let him chime in later.

I am pretty psyched about how it sounds, the depth is very very good, good width and high stage. Tonally quite nice to begin with as well. With more tuning, I can see this car being pretty competitive in MECA.

Okay, time to relax finally for a few days, rest my sore muscles and head out on vacation! Woot!


----------



## trevordj (Feb 22, 2009)

Wow! That original install is... interesting. 

Great job with the revitalization! I am always impressed with your work. 

Is that panel over the sub (with the BMW logo) made entirely of MDF? I would just be concerned with it breaking if it were to ever see any heavy item thrown into the trunk.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

it is, but it doesnt bear any load.  note that the main cover:










sits on top of the alcantara trimming, and is hollow in the middle with HD mesh so no load is placed on the emblem portion


----------



## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

good god, that install was horrible. not your's bing

because of the gear i have a hard time thinking it was a best buy install or something like that, what's the name of the shop? 

it never ceases to amaze me how poorly installs are slapped together. DIY or bing for life


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

I am not going to divulge the previous shop's name  no need for that here hehe

its not best buy.


----------



## beerdrnkr (Apr 18, 2007)

Geez, I wish I had the money to have you fix the mangled install that was done to my vehicle. Great attention to detail and very smart layouts. It looks like you go above and beyond for your clients. Maybe I should just start saving now! lol


----------



## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

Trucknuts!!!


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Bing, this is beautiful! How does the Esotar 1200 perform in the spare well? The install is so nice that the sound seams almost irrelevant!  Just kidding but it's that good IMO.


----------



## Afronaut (Apr 27, 2010)

You do great work...that first install was a disaster.


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

What was used to wrap the pillars and how did you get the grill cloth to "Stay" when wrapping was done?

Thanks


----------



## bigabe (May 1, 2007)

I finally got the car home after several stops on the way to show the thing off to friends!

Basically, I could not pick my jaw up out of my lap the entire drive back home. Bing is an absolute miracle worker! This setup is still un-tuned for the most part, and all of the drivers still need to be broken in - but it still sounds AMAZING. Depth out to the hood ornament, and width past my mirrors... I LOVE it!

As far as the looks of the install, these photos do it absolutely no justice. I stopped in Sacramento to see a fellow installer friend and show him the setup and his first words upon seeing the front stage we, "I thought you were getting kick panels!" I told him to look closer and his jaw hit the floor. The kicks look absolutely factory. And they are so unobtrusive, my size 15EEE feet can operate the clutch pedal without coming near the kicks. I didn't have to change any of my driving habits on the drive back. It's like they weren't there.

And the trunk. I almost fell over when Bing showed it to me. Somehow, he made EXACTLY what I have always dreamed of without any real input from me design-wise. It's a totally usable trunk when it needs to be, and it's showy, yet classy when it's time to show it off.

Bing - I cannot thank you enough! You haven't just improved my stereo, this literally improved my entire life - as the previous install was a source of honest to god depression for me. Yes - I am that insane of a stereo fanatic.

And I cannot WAIT to start going to some comps!


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Thunderplains said:


> What was used to wrap the pillars and how did you get the grill cloth to "Stay" when wrapping was done?
> 
> Thanks


i have tried a few different techniques when wrapping pillars with grille cloth, and my current way is a combo of my own experience and what i learned here on diyma.

basically, i spray a light coat of DAP HHR contact cement out of a gun onto the pillar only, let flash for about 5 mins, and then put the cloth over, it doesnt stick completely but it helps to hold it in place around t he tight curves.

then around the edges i use ca glue to glue down the joints, and then trim any excess material off 

some shapes i think can be perfectly done without any glue on the pillar itself.

b


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

bigabe said:


> I finally got the car home after several stops on the way to show the thing off to friends!
> 
> Basically, I could not pick my jaw up out of my lap the entire drive back home. Bing is an absolute miracle worker! This setup is still un-tuned for the most part, and all of the drivers still need to be broken in - but it still sounds AMAZING. Depth out to the hood ornament, and width past my mirrors... I LOVE it!
> 
> ...


your words are too kind abe  

the fact that you were so enthusiastic from the beginning about the project really helped to motivate me as well. 

it was an absolute pleasure working wtih you, too bad you live so far away or else we would be hanging out more for sure, keep buying faster cars, maybe eventually you can make it down in under 1 hour! :O hahaha

b


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Congratulations! 

You have something to be very proud of! 

I just wanted some comments from you on the Esotar, and how it performs in the spare well? I know it must be amazing.

Bluenote


----------



## bigabe (May 1, 2007)

I can't really give the sub a thorough review until it's good and broken in, and the system is fully tuned - but initial impressions are VERY good. It reproduces bass exactly how a subwoofer should. Clean, balanced, and completely uncolored. It's designed for IB enclosures, but it still manages to get plenty low and loud enough to make my hair tickle now and then.


----------



## kwhitelaw (Sep 4, 2007)

Bing,

first, install looks great. care to share who did the original install?

second, got a link to the led that you used on the underside of the rear deck?

third, unrelated, but got any links to work you've done on newer VW golf/jettas?

keep up the good work!


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

bigabe,

thanks for the precursor on the Esotar, I am confident that you will have more too elaborate on in the days to come! And, I am certain I am not the "only" one that wants to know 

take care...


----------



## bkjay (Jul 7, 2009)

Sick as always. I learn so much watching your installs


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

kwhitelaw said:


> Bing,
> 
> first, install looks great. care to share who did the original install?
> 
> ...


1. nah, i dont wanna talk about hte old shop, learned from experience 

2. LEDs - underbody kits, cathodes, flexible LED strips, dome lights go under led dome lights, you will see it, its the most expensive version iirc

3. just go to my site, there are a few MKV gtis in there  in gallery 4 mainly.

Bing


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Bluenote said:


> bigabe,
> 
> thanks for the precursor on the Esotar, I am confident that you will have more too elaborate on in the days to come! And, I am certain I am not the "only" one that wants to know
> 
> take care...


less reading Thomas! hahaha...you already got the good stuff


----------



## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Bing, you're supposed to be on VACATION! Leave me alone!


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Looking good Bing! Nice clean work as always bro.

Abe, I look forward to hearing your car soon. I actually got to see your car in person after you dropped it off to Bing and that original install was pretty scary.  I'm very glad to see that you now have a system that is something ANYONE could be proud of. 

Zach


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey Z, you back in country?


----------



## slvrtsunami (Apr 18, 2008)

God I love your work...


----------



## .BNO. (Nov 8, 2009)

big as always epic work!

Love your installs, they are so clean and go wiith the style of the vehicle.

The first install would make baby jesus cry.... 

Top work bud!

Cheers

Dan


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

simplicityinsound said:


> Hey Z, you back in country?


Nope, not yet Bing. I get back to Sac around lunch on Monday. Just let me know when I can be of help.


----------



## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

bing your the man as usual! 

so does that 1200 mop the floor with the ultimo?


----------



## BlueAc (May 19, 2007)

simplicityinsound said:


> 1. nah, i dont wanna talk about hte old shop, *learned from experience*
> 
> 2. LEDs - underbody kits, cathodes, flexible LED strips, dome lights go under led dome lights, you will see it, its the most expensive version iirc
> 
> ...


:laugh: Yeah that Acura thread turned into a disaster...

Good work as usual.... Any ETA on your east coast arrival??? :worried:


----------



## Duncan345 (Apr 30, 2010)

The pictures of the original install made my blood pressure go up, then I felt it go back down while looking at the progress of your new install. That previous install would have stressed me out too, bigabe.


----------



## pankrok (Jan 1, 2010)

"original" install (or maybe original "install"???) was at least crappy
so good devices WASTED!
I think that some things must not be sold to some people.

that a pillar... how is it possible to have this @#@%$ before your eyes everyday you use the car ?

and the dynaudio woofer? I have never cut woofer basket - always cutting something else, door, card window but never the basket!

thank god this thing is past!


----------



## honza440 (Aug 22, 2009)

Perfect install, as usual. I hope authors of previous install will see this thread


----------



## BZinn1 (Sep 25, 2008)

Wow that original install was to say the least horrible......

I have my self only been doing installs for a year and am a super rookie and my installs look better than that.

I really enjoy reading Bing's threads,I have learned a lot by reading them and model from them when i do my own.

That BMW is very nice nice now and not in need of hiding in the garage.....very nice.


----------



## mmiller (Mar 7, 2008)

Nice Work Bing.......


----------



## DonutHands (Jan 27, 2006)

you coated a few pieces in undercoating and bedliner. how did you do this? do you have a compressor and gun or did you use spray cans?


----------



## poochieone (Aug 25, 2005)

Wow, very nice work! I've done alot of the same work on mine, such as removing the foam on the driver's side to sink the kicks as much as possible. It really helps your driving if your car is manual and you have large feet. I don't think most people will appreciate how important that little detail is for the persond driving the car! That is trully a nice customer centric job. You've nailed alot of the little challenges the E46 offers bang on!! 
Wondering if the car same with A-pillar air bags? its what kept me frmo installing dash speakers. Once again, awesme install!


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Well, I just had a chance to see this car in person. The pictures don't do this install justice by a LONG SHOT! Beautiful car both audio install wise and just in general. Abe is a really cool cat and I enjoyed hanging out with him and listening to some good music! This car has some serious potential and I'm honestly not happy about the fact that I have to compete against it in MECA!! 

Thanks again for swinging by Abe. Come by again anytime bro.

Zach


----------



## m3gunner (Aug 6, 2008)

Awesome, Bing...

Can't wait to get my next car so it can get the "Bing" treatment...


----------



## bigabe (May 1, 2007)

Boostedrex said:


> Well, I just had a chance to see this car in person. The pictures don't do this install justice by a LONG SHOT! Beautiful car both audio install wise and just in general. Abe is a really cool cat and I enjoyed hanging out with him and listening to some good music! This car has some serious potential and I'm honestly not happy about the fact that I have to compete against it in MECA!!
> 
> Thanks again for swinging by Abe. Come by again anytime bro.
> 
> Zach



Thank YOU Zach! You worked wonders for the car! I can't thank you enough. I sat in the car at home for a good hour before I went inside. I'm still totally blown away by the "short bus" though. I can't wait for the Visalia show... I'm gonna learn tons from everybody!


----------



## benny z (Mar 17, 2008)

bing - any pics of the airspace behind the kicks that you utilized? your pics show cutouts in the back of them, and your description mentions utilizing the space behind them - just curious how they mate up to the space.

thanks!
ben


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

bigabe said:


> Thank YOU Zach! You worked wonders for the car! I can't thank you enough. I sat in the car at home for a good hour before I went inside. I'm still totally blown away by the "short bus" though. I can't wait for the Visalia show... I'm gonna learn tons from everybody!


So you like how the tune is coming along then Abe? I totally forgot to have you listen to it before you left last night. LOL! We still have some work to do, but you've got such a great foundation to work with that I know it will end up AMAZING!


----------



## bigabe (May 1, 2007)

I love how the tune is coming along. The realism and detail in that car is freaky. I was listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Little Wing and I could hear his amp buzzing, and I could hear him hitting the pickup selector switch and stomping on his pedals. INSANE.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

good to hear you guys are hooking up  i am stilo enjoying my rainy weather up here in seattle, though things are going awesome beside the weather hehe

b


----------



## snap88 (May 23, 2010)

nice job , i`m sory that i can`t listen your configuration i`m realy to far from u


----------



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

bigabe said:


> I love how the tune is coming along. The realism and detail in that car is freaky. I was listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Little Wing and I could hear his amp buzzing, and I could hear him hitting the pickup selector switch and stomping on his pedals. INSANE.


Nice! I know I'll be able to improve on the rough tune. Hopefully we can get together one evening this coming week before the Visalia show. 



simplicityinsound said:


> good to hear you guys are hooking up  i am stilo enjoying my rainy weather up here in seattle, though things are going awesome beside the weather hehe
> 
> b


Yeah, it helps when we only live 30-40 minutes away from each other. Just so you know though Bing. You are NOT allowed to build any other cars that would compete in Modified. ROFL!!!


----------



## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

More Simplicity In Sound installation goodness! Your willingness to share your work and dedication to your profession speak volumes about your character and ethics. Thanks for showing another great false floor setup as this is currently the sticking point in my own install. Hope your vacation is truly restful and rejuvenating!


----------



## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

Saw the car this past weekend in Visalia, pictures don't do it justice, it is a sweet ride with an even sweeter install...oh, and Zac..knock off the tuning, I need to have an edge somewhere. Abe it was awesome meeting you man, I do hope to see you again soon. As for me, I will be posting my own "new" build log shortly...stay tuned! (no pun intended..lol)


----------



## Gearhead Greg (Jul 1, 2009)

Hey Abe, glad you like it. That really is an awesome install, as are all of Bing's! I'm sorry I couldn't get over to listen to it before you left, I hope to meet up with you at another sound off soon, so I can hear it!

Later,

Greg


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Just found this one Bing - incredible job as usual!

I really like how the kick panels turned out, and I love the trunk. 

I'm interested in Ben's question about the 'opening' in the back of the kicks, if that is what we are seeing. 

Anyway, love your work!


----------



## madweazl (Nov 7, 2010)

Beautiful rebuild!


----------



## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Maybe you mentioned it but did the customer go back to the original place (can't call it a shop) that did the install and curbstomp those nuts?


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

hey guys, as far as the space behind it...for me i always try to make a hole somewhere for the speakres to vent if building kicks, most speakers seem to really have a nasty midbass build up if the kicks are sealed. I think originally, i started doing this after reading steve head's tutorial about how he always cuts a hole in the kicks he build just to provide some venting.

the lotus really dont like sealed pods, and when i look at the area that the kicks reside, i realized there is a lot of empty space under the carpeting, whcih is where these kicks are vented into. there is some foam spacing up the carpet, but when i made the cut to mold these kicks, it opened up some free space underneath. 

Jason, you remember listening to my kicks? they have a hole cut in them too but really no much space behind it...as a result, 175hz and 250 hz is 13-14db cut  hehe


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Cool - thanks Bing for the explanation. 

Well, you certainly did what was needed in your car - I really liked the sound of the Seas in your kicks.

Mine are working well in the doors - just fighting those resonance issues while listening to solo Stand Up Bass tracks  Sometimes it makes me want to try something different....


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Jason, are your door pods fully sealed?


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

simplicityinsound said:


> Jason, are your door pods fully sealed?


No - they are pretty much playing IB into the inner portion of the door. The door isn't completely sealed by any stretch, but we closed up the large hole beside the driver. It is mainly the door card and the fiberglass 'beauty panel' that are doing a little dancing, but Ryan is going to take care of that soon I believe.


----------



## odj23 (Jul 13, 2010)

Thanks for sharing this build, as well as the others you've posted. Lots to learn from looking and reading.

I have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind answering:

1. what sort of bedliner are you using, and how are you applying it?

2. did you play with any other alignments of the midrange and tweeter in the a pillar pods, or did you just know to aim them as such per experience?


----------



## SVOEO (Nov 2, 2009)

Dang- love the work. Wish my 335i had a spare well.


----------



## dangit (Jun 1, 2010)

I was just wondering why the Dyns were swapped out for the Seas? Which Dyns were they?


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

they were the Esotecs, and they were quite beat up.  and Seas is my favorite brand of speakers to use.


----------



## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

It truely amazes me that some people will take the time to do an install, then literally half-a$$ it. The entire thing, from what I can see was poor planning and execution. To much of a "rush" per say. Glad to see it was done right the second time around Bing.


----------



## hrv (Mar 21, 2009)

great job on that bmw, another great job, congratulations to the person who did the Job and for the lucky owner of bmw


----------



## will_6o4 (Dec 29, 2009)

simplicityinsound said:


> good to hear you guys are hooking up  i am stilo enjoying my rainy weather up here in seattle, though things are going awesome beside the weather hehe
> 
> b


You're in Seattle now? I should find you next time I'm down there!

Anyways, that uninstall might have been harder than the install itself! I love the LED dome light. So simple, yet awesome


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

lo Will, nah i wrote that while i took my little trip up to seattle and vancouver, remember?


----------



## yogujuhere (Oct 8, 2009)

UNBELIEVABLE. You wouldn't happen to do some work on the north east coast or know anyone out here would you? Sigh. All the great car guys are in Cali


----------



## internationlriders (Nov 7, 2009)

I was in shock after the first few photos but I continued reading and was rewarded by a beautiful, stealthy install. Great job!


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

yogujuhere said:


> UNBELIEVABLE. You wouldn't happen to do some work on the north east coast or know anyone out here would you? Sigh. All the great car guys are in Cali


jeremy katz and the crew over at advanced audio designs in sharon MA does some of the best work in the world...if i can have anyone build a system in my own car it would be them


----------



## vladdyv (Oct 16, 2014)

Hello,

Sorry to ring up an old thread, however I am new here and would like to ask a question. Can you please explain how you installed the MSD ignition noise filter, I have a 2 door 330ci and I am getting unbelievable engine noise and whine from everything in the world. AC will cause it to go alternator will cause a whine. Steps i have taken;
group loop isolator
ground the antenna (radio gets ground power from the antenna... strange)
run a ground wire from my battery to my radio
noise line filters (helped lightly)
extra ground the amps

I will be tearing out the interior to run the RCA's down the middle of the car and the speakerwires on the sides, however for now I would like to also add MSD ignition noise filter to eliminate all issues.


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Wow! It appears that you have done a lot - frustrating to have those issues with noise. I put a small CAP at the jumper connections under the hood, and that helped in my E46 325. Good luck with your next steps.


----------



## vladdyv (Oct 16, 2014)

OK, I am assuming that thats just connecting the positive and negative leads to the MSD? Can you attach a picture?


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Once I get to my mac


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

go on summitracing.com and get the msd ignition filter, its just a small cap with terminals. go upfront, and hook that up to the jumping posts, see if that helps


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

This is the man who knows, because I got mine from him ?. I will try to get that picture once I get a chance, driving to Nashville now


----------



## vladdyv (Oct 16, 2014)

Yes understood. However the question is how. Do I just run one side to the positive jump terminal and one to the negative?


----------



## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

vladdyv said:


> Yes understood. However the question is how. Do I just run one side to the positive jump terminal and one to the negative?


Well, not a single picture from that (June, 2011) install in my car. 

Yes - you are correct. Basically, under the hood, where the two posts are for jumping the car - we mounted the cap in that opening near the posts - positive to the positive on the cap back to the positive on the post and same on the negative......basically put the cap before the two jumping posts.


----------



## rxonmymind (Sep 7, 2010)

Looking at those first photos....hurt. Crazy how something like that would ever pass QC. Lol. I can see how that first job would have been depressing for the owner. You did much more than an install. You also helped his state of mind. Bravo on a great install.


----------



## req (Aug 4, 2007)

very cool bing! im gladd you took his disaster and brought it to life like it should have been in the first place. this could be a freggin reality tv show!!!

congrats Bigabe


----------

