# Andy's 2014 Honda Accord Sport



## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I wasn't planning on posting a build because of the amount of other 9th generation Accord builds floating around, but I guess what's one more.

Hopefully it helps out another Accord owner.

This is my 3rd major build, so still learning. Luckily there are some extremely smart 9th generation owners on Drive Accord that have helped me out.

More to come.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

There's a non-defeatable HPF on the stock head unit and these can't be replaced without losing some important features of the car.

The most acceptable solution for me was to add an Alpine CDE-HD149BT in the lower dash pocket (kudos to keep_hope_alive for the idea).

I used this diagram to build a bypass harness with Metra 70-1729 and 71-1729 adaptors to avoid cutting into stock wiring.

























I've since relocated the USB cord to behind the dash so I could put a voltage meter in the 12v accessory plug.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Amp rack mounted on the rear deck.






1/4-20 threaded rivnuts to hold everything in place.




I used 1/2" MDF to create the amp rack. The rear deck is not completely flat, so you can see there are 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF spacers near the sides so that all mounting locations were solid.




Amp rack just fits Alpine PDX F4 (tweeters and midrange), F6 (bridged to mid bass), M12 (sub), Streetwires CBR44M and a Helix DSP.




A bunch of 8-32 T-nuts were used to avoid from the MDF stripping.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Not a whole lot to see as far as wiring goes... just tried to follow stock wiring runs.




Ran some 2/0 welding wire I got in a trade to power the system. Too big to fit under the side trim panels, but there is a hole at the bottom of the driver's side seat that allowed me to get it in back.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

The tin can doors needed a lot of attention.






3/4" HDPE speaker rings.






DB3 MLV from Home Depot held in with bolts. Again I used 8-32 threaded rivnuts. Installed Hertz ML1600.2 in the doors and they sounded great. 




ScanSpeak D3004 tweeters for the sail panels.






Fits perfectly!










Tried some SI TM65's for a while, but eventually put the Hertz back in and was much happier.




And then I bought a pair of AudioFrog GB60's from a DIYMA member. Although I didn't pay anywhere near retail for them, its still been the most expensive mid I've run to date... no need to explore other speakers.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Sound dampened the rear deck and covered in CCF (not pictured).

After hearing another member's sick IB install, there was no question that it needed to happen in my car.

Sealed off the stock speaker locations with MDF. Played around with my friend's table router to copy the stock speaker shape.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Test fitting an IDMAX15... its huge and heavy.




















Cut a hole in the arm rest of the back seat to allow bass to flow through.






I had to build a new floor piece to accommodate the baffle depth. I made a bone head mistake and didn't mount the sub high enough.

Because of the angle and depth of the sub, the magnet sat below the floor piece by about 1/4" inch. You can see how I accommodated for this (not very noticeable unless you're looking for it).











I eventually put an all weather trunk liner back there, so the floor looks a lot better now.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

I'm glad you did post it, it all looks really good! Good job. I'm in for further potential changes lol.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

The sub sounds amazing and has plenty of output for my needs, although getting swapped out soon.

However, there were a couple of buzzes coming from the roof that were driving me crazy.

The headliner _just_ fits out of the rear passenger door.






Added some heat barrier.









First time sound dampening a roof and was only thinking that I'd kill any rattles and reduce some wind noise up there.

I was pleasantly surprised that the bass clarity and overall sound improved! I'm a believer now.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I was planning on running a 3-way in the car, just didn't have time for a while.

Here are some A-pillars that I worked on, but ultimately ended up going a different direction.

Originally I planned for Audible Physics AR3's in the A-pillars.








Laser jig I made. I eventually made a new jig with this laser and flush mounted it (much better accuracy):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X356WZQ/




Testing to see where the stock tweeter were aimed.










Don't be an idiot like me and fiberglass to the bottom edge of your A-Pillars if you want them to fit back in your car.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

WhereAmEye? said:


> I'm glad you did post it, it all looks really good! Good job. I'm in for further potential changes lol.


Thanks! Haha, I've already determined my final changes so I can just finish up and focus on tuning.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

More bad/expensive decisions.

I found some AudioFrog GB25's for a good price.










Test fitting.




Somehow I got to this point in only a few hours (doing them twice helps ).




The additional depth of the stage was great and the stage was pillar-to-pillar, which is generally typical for these types of installs. I could've probably buried the speakers a little more into the A-Pillars due to them being bite-size.

The tweeters in the sail panels definitely helped by adding a few sound cues of additional width.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I had always wanted to try midranges in the sail panel location and because of the size and volume requirements of the GB25's, it was doable.

I contacted Andy at AudioFrog and he amazingly sent me a complete set of mounting hardware and answered my potential install questions. Awesome customer service.

Not too many pictures as I was trying to crank these out quick.








Used some SEM Texture Coating








I eventually wet sanding them with 600 grit and the final texture looks very OEM in my opinion.







Just need to find the grills...


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

And this brings us up to today.

I have 2 more planned bad decisions.

Here is one of them.

Bought a pair of AudioFrog GB10's with a minor discount off of retail from a member on here. The Scans would've worked equally as well, but the matched aesthetics of the AudioFrogs was worth a few extra dollars to me.

Started A-Pillar #3 for this build on Friday. Again, minimal pics during a speed build out.

Because I really really really want these to be the last A-Pillars I need to dink around with for this build, I did extensive testing and I think just above the dash hump and pointed a bit off access sounded best to me.









Just waiting for some grill cloth to arrive.

Hope you've enjoyed my good and bad decisions as of date.

More to come in the last stretch of the build.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Holy smokes man!!
K I'm inspired now. 
Frogs!!! Love em!


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I love everything about this build. That amp rack is a big ole win!


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Subscribed. Amy good things going on here....lol!


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Awesome install.So basically the stock HU is dead correct?


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Hey thanks guys for the kind words!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Awesome install.So basically the stock HU is dead correct?


Appreciate it.

It still runs the backup camera, active fuel gauge screen and controls the vehicle settings.

All of the audio including the bluetooth phone runs through the Alpine head unit.

There is an updated Metra dash kit available now that is suppose to _actually_ work and retain most of the features that are only available with the stock head unit installed.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

FunkPnut said:


> Appreciate it.
> 
> It still runs the backup camera, active fuel gauge screen and controls the vehicle settings.
> 
> ...


Cool but does it still illuminate?...Looks like it doesn't in the pic. I have an '11 any aftermarket radio looks like **** and the top display is useless unless you have the upper model Accord where the clock and temp is still displayed.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Cool but does it still illuminate?...Looks like it doesn't in the pic. I have an '11 any aftermarket radio looks like **** and the top display is useless unless you have the upper model Accord where the clock and temp is still displayed.


Oh gotcha.

Yes, it does illuminate if I turn the radio on, but all it does is draw power, so I just leave it off.

Really its wasted space on the dash at this point.

I am running out of time this summer, but I was going to see if I could move the radio back 2 inches into the dash and mold a removable tablet to sit in front of it flush with the vents. Could just pop out the tablet and have access to the stock radio's controls.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

FunkPnut said:


> Oh gotcha.
> 
> Yes, it does illuminate if I turn the radio on, but all it does is draw power, so I just leave it off.
> 
> ...


That's a killer idea with the tablet.Yes summer does seem to go fast ,to bad winters don't do the same.


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## edouble101 (Dec 9, 2010)

Looks great!

I am surprised you were able to remove the headliner easily.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

edouble101 said:


> Looks great!
> 
> I am surprised you were able to remove the headliner easily.


Thank you.

I talked to another Accord owner who had removed theirs, which took a lot of guess work out of it.

Its now on my "have to do" list for all future cars.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> And this brings us up to today.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Question.. What'd you use to paint/finish the pillars with? Looks like a good match. 


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Babs said:


> Question.. What'd you use to paint/finish the pillars with? Looks like a good match.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Actually its just high build primer at the moment.

Until I get around to wrapping the pillars it doesn't look too out of place (a few shades lighter than OEM).

Don't have much time to work on the car this week, so just gonna run them as is for a bit to make sure that I don't have a change of heart.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Actually its just high build primer at the moment.
> 
> Until I get around to wrapping the pillars it doesn't look too out of place (a few shades lighter than OEM).
> 
> Don't have much time to work on the car this week, so just gonna run them as is for a bit to make sure that I don't have a change of heart.


Ah it was just the lighting in the pic. Sorry. 
About how long does it take you from start to finish you think for your pillars?
I'm about to find out.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Babs said:


> Ah it was just the lighting in the pic. Sorry.
> About how long does it take you from start to finish you think for your pillars?
> I'm about to find out.


GB25's in the pillars took me about 8 hours of actual work. I already had rings and only the cloth stretched was resined. The backside was filled in with a body filler/resin/fiberglass dust milkshake, which kept the front smooth for blending.

Sanding is the enemy!

The GB10's in the pillars took 4 hours. That was just built up with a body filler/fiberglass dust mixture.

Always been jealous of the 8th get sedan owners and that little window to fiberglass speakers in (I had a coupe).


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

everything looking nice and clean. Hexagonal grill would look killer on mid/high drivers


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> GB25's in the pillars took me about 8 hours of actual work. I already had rings and only the cloth stretched was resined. The backside was filled in with a body filler/resin/fiberglass dust milkshake, which kept the front smooth for blending.
> 
> Sanding is the enemy!
> 
> ...


I know I've put off the 3-way with mids in the windows for long enough. It's gotta happen finally.  Mid placement roughly is a given, but wrestling with tweeter in front corner (easiest) or recessing it above the mid in the pillar (might be best "esssque").

I am also a bit perplexed on adhering to the low-temp-plastic flushed in type-1 PVC rings. I'm told heavy grit roughed up surface helps, and I guess your filler/resin/strand mix seems to be the way I see a lot of folks do it. I've seen Bing do the duraglas/resin "milkshake" on most his pillar builds.. Is that how you make that bond to hold the rings mainly behind the fleece/resin?

(sorry.. You obviously know your stuff so don't mean to hog your build thread but wanted to ask)


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

LBaudio said:


> everything looking nice and clean. Hexagonal grill would look killer on mid/high drivers


Thanks!

I have grills for the mids, I just haven't put them on yet (hard to get off once on).

And they match the grill pattern on the tweeters.

I will get pictures sometime this week.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Babs said:


> I know I've put off the 3-way with mids in the windows for long enough. It's gotta happen finally.  Mid placement roughly is a given, but wrestling with tweeter in front corner (easiest) or recessing it above the mid in the pillar (might be best "esssque").
> 
> I am also a bit perplexed on adhering to the low-temp-plastic flushed in type-1 PVC rings. I'm told heavy grit roughed up surface helps, and I guess your filler/resin/strand mix seems to be the way I see a lot of folks do it. I've seen Bing do the duraglas/resin "milkshake" on most his pillar builds.. Is that how you make that bond to hold the rings mainly behind the fleece/resin?
> 
> (sorry.. You obviously know your stuff so don't mean to hog your build thread but wanted to ask)


Resin will soak into wood and grip into roughed up surfaces.

The speaker rings I used were metal and were just roughed up with 36 or 60 grit. Seemed to do the trick.

Now when I dumped in the mix, I leave the wooden dowels in place (not sure if there would be a reason to take them out), so the milkshake bonds to those as well and makes everything solid.

I've only been able to do what I've done from failing mega hard in the past! 

Reading helps, but it only gets you so far, you know?


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> I've only been able to do what I've done from failing mega hard in the past!
> Reading helps, but it only gets you so far, you know?


Yep.. Just gotta do it and learn. 
I'd say you've got it figured out. Looks awesome.


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## caraudiopimps (May 4, 2016)

FunkPnut said:


> GB25's in the pillars took me about 8 hours of actual work. I already had rings and only the cloth stretched was resined. The backside was filled in with a body filler/resin/fiberglass dust milkshake, which kept the front smooth for blending.
> 
> Sanding is the enemy!
> 
> ...


Green stage sanding ftw.


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## Corradokid666 (Nov 25, 2015)

Were the gb25 mirror pods cloth pulled and then resined or something else? If so did you pull the cloth over the trim ring assembly and then trim and smooth/sand the excess or did you perhaps glue the material to the contours? I have a pair I want to do the same thing with but have never tried fibreglass in before! Can I ask also how your mirror trims are mounted to the door? One final question, is fibreglass dust as you state basically just the strands chopped up? Many thanks


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Corradokid666 said:


> Were the gb25 mirror pods cloth pulled and then resined or something else? If so did you pull the cloth over the trim ring assembly and then trim and smooth/sand the excess or did you perhaps glue the material to the contours? I have a pair I want to do the same thing with but have never tried fibreglass in before! Can I ask also how your mirror trims are mounted to the door? One final question, is fibreglass dust as you state basically just the strands chopped up? Many thanks


Wish I would've taken pictures now. 

It was basically impossible for me to find a way to pull cloth and have it work for the pods. This doesn't mean it wouldn't work in your situation.

I cut the sail panel up so it was basically the just a frame and then attached the speaker ring with CA glue and dowels at the angle I was looking for.

I actually used aluminum foil/HVAC tape on the outside instead of pulling cloth. I dumped in that milkshake and peeled it away.

What I was left with was a wrinkly looking shell that resembled a dried out hotdog. Added another milkshake for additional strength.

The rest was body filler, an incredible amount of sanding and high build primer.

This was extremely hard trying to get smoothed out and each side matching.

I was planning on using a threaded rivnut in the door to screw the pods into, but I've been using the factory Honda door clip like it was originally and it has not been an issue. I guess we'll see long term how that goes, but for now it hasn't budged after multiple door slams.

I guess if you think about it, the most force will be at the end of the door near the latch vs where the sail panel is. Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself...


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

There is a fiberglass supply shop about 15 minutes from my house.

They took remnants of strand chop mat that is ground up into a fine white powder. It looks like I have a bucket of cocaine in my garage.

Adding this to body filler with resin cures rock solid.

You can shred strand chop mat, buy it pre-shredded or just buy body filler that already has it in it like Duraglass or Everglass.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

These 3 threads helped with ideas for building my pods:

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...69976-mrs-obvious-2009-corolla-build-log.html

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...-gallery/173209-project-sail-panel-build.html

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...llery/144986-vw-passat-b5-2000-sql-build.html


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## Kazuhiro (Apr 28, 2015)

Very slick install! Could you share more about how you secured the IB baffle?


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Kazuhiro said:


> Very slick install! Could you share more about how you secured the IB baffle?


Appreciate it.



I can't remember without taking the rear deck off, but I believe I have 8 mounting points around the sides/top and 2 on the bottom.

The sides/top I drilled through the metal as shown and used 5/16" bolts with washers. On the baffle itself has 5/16" threaded T-nuts. The T-nuts have carpet covering them on the trunk side. I just bought bolts that were just the right length. I put a little CCF between the bolt head and the metal on the car to help minimize vibrations transferring into the car... not sure if that actually did anything.

For the 2 mending straps on the bottom, I believe I used 10-24 screws. Again these go into 10-24 threaded T-nuts in the baffle. They're secured to the car with 10-24 threaded rivnuts.

When I installed the baffle I got everything pretty tight to the trunk opening and used Window A/C Foam around the edges to better seal:
http://www.menards.com/main/doors-w...4447152968-c-3624.htm?tid=2279714913185704564

Then used a ratchet to get everything tight.

Once you have the sub hooked up, you can play some bass heavy music or tones at a low level and check for air leaks. Just feel around with your hand and you'll feel air pushing out.

I'm replacing the baffle in about 2 weeks, so I will take some detailed pics.


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## Kazuhiro (Apr 28, 2015)

Thanks for that. What are your new plans for the IB setup?


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

A pair of Acoustic Elegance SBP15's. Should be nice!


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## Kazuhiro (Apr 28, 2015)

Aw wicked. I think the trunk passage in this accord is bigger than the older models, I'll have to settle with 12's if I want to mount directly to the surface like you


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> A pair of Acoustic Elegance SBP15's. Should be nice!



Well done Sir! I can't to hear my 12's. 


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Interested. What do the GB60's do for you the TM65's didn't. I've got TM65's coming but they'll be rockin a 3-way 70 or 80 to 300ish hz. Understanding though the frog drivers are serious business. 


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I only tried the TM65's in a 2-way with my Scans. Ran them for about 2 weeks before dropping the Hertz back in. 

BTW at the time, I drove about 10-12 hours/week for work, so I had plenty of listening time and had put them on some pink noise overnight to help speed up the break-in.

They were probably the cleanest speaker that I had personally ran at the time. They just couldn't do the upper registers well, which was the biggest issue for me. I felt they were muted for detail up high. I know a lot of people are having success with them in a 2-way, but I just couldn't get them to sound right.

Directly compared to the Hertz, they could play lower and I liked what I heard down there a lot... was considering coming back to them for use in a 3-way. I think they'd excel there.

I still have the pair and am probably going to build some bookshelves with a large format tweeter for my office at work next winter.

The GB60's are also very low distortion drivers and they're fantastic in a 2-way. They can play low and have this snap/impact to them that just does it for me. What I really enjoy is that I can absolutely crank my system and they never sound strained... they just get louder.

In a 3-way they're equally as awesome.

Not interested in exploring other speakers... except for maybe Sinfoni one day... that'll have to wait for the next car.


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

FunkPnut said:


> I only tried the TM65's in a 2-way with my Scans. Ran them for about 2 weeks before dropping the Hertz back in.
> 
> BTW at the time, I drove about 10-12 hours/week for work, so I had plenty of listening time and had put them on some pink noise overnight to help speed up the break-in.
> 
> ...


I have a pair of tm65s as well as soms hertz hv165ls. The tm65s are the cleanest speaker ive ever heard. The hertz however destroy them in high frea extension as well detail.

Im curiously using the tm65 in a 3way for mb duty and I love it.

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## Corradokid666 (Nov 25, 2015)

FunkPnut said:


> Wish I would've taken pictures now.
> 
> It was basically impossible for me to find a way to pull cloth and have it work for the pods. This doesn't mean it wouldn't work in your situation.
> 
> ...


thanks very much mate, i had a feeling it was no where near as simple as those few pictures make it look!! I had a feeling i would run into the same trouble regarding the mirror panels as you have suggested so at least i have another idea now. cant seem to find any powdered fibreglass suppliers in the uk but can get isopon p40 which seems to be a fibreglass filler.

Build looks great by the way. is that a chain supporting the sub or just the wiring by the way?


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Just use this:
6 mm Chopped Strands - East Coast Fibreglass Supplies

Lol, no thats just the speaker cable loomed in tech flex. Sub is almost 50 lbs!


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> They were probably the cleanest speaker that I had personally ran at the time. They just couldn't do the upper registers well, which was the biggest issue for me. I felt they were muted for detail up high. I know a lot of people are having success with them in a 2-way, but I just couldn't get them to sound right.
> 
> Directly compared to the Hertz, they could play lower and I liked what I heard down there a lot... was considering coming back to them for use in a 3-way. I think they'd excel there.





Jscoyne2 said:


> I have a pair of tm65s as well as soms hertz hv165ls. The tm65s are the cleanest speaker ive ever heard. The hertz however destroy them in high frea extension as well detail.
> 
> Im curiously using the tm65 in a 3way for mb duty and I love it.


Yep I kinda got that impression they could pull off a 2-way but real strength is in a 3-way with mid-bass being their forte. Can't wait! 70-300hz duty I'm hoping will really bring the heat.


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

Great looking! I definitely dig the pillars and sail panels.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

lashlee said:


> Great looking! I definitely dig the pillars and sail panels.


Thanks man.

Did you ever finish your A-pillar 2.0's? I'd be interested in seeing them.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Quick update over lunch.

From the driver's seat... just ignore the tweeter logo orientations...







Pillars aren't wrapped yet, but still deciding if I'm going to keep them as is.

The mids are aimed just in front of the dome light and the tweeters are just behind the "oh sh*t" handles, so none of the angles match, which is a bit visually bothersome... minor OCD kicking in.

Otherwise with some basic levels, TA and a notch of EQ, it definitely has some potential.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Looks spot on mate!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

carlr said:


> Looks spot on mate!


Thanks so much!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Quick question for anyone following about finishing the pillars.

I was originally planning on wrapping them in gray grill cloth to mimmic the stock color and texture.

But I could smooth them out a bit more and finish them in either gray or black paint with a texture coating or wrap them in a black vinyl (wrapping vinyl is not my forte).

A black finish wouldn't match the stock look of the B and C pillars in the rest of the car.

Thoughts? Bueller?


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Looks good from here ,but I understand the OCD thing.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

The issue with A-pillars is that they're just right in your face everyday.

I have an extra set of used A-pillars that I might tweak and re-position the tweeter to be a bit more visually appealing. Moved closer a bit and on the same plane as the mids.

Left is proposed / Right is current


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Quick question for anyone following about finishing the pillars.
> 
> I was originally planning on wrapping them in gray grill cloth to mimmic the stock color and texture.
> 
> ...













I think if you can get vinyl with a good color match that's a 2-way stretch that can be stretched with some gentle heat over that tweet protrusion, it'd probably look best or rather most "oem" looking. 

SEM texture paint is certainly easier though I imagine, but don't know if the result could look as good.. Maybe really close to as good. Could always try that first, using SEM high-build primer first (which also is killer for filling in the last little bit of imperfections once sanded). If you didn't like the end result, you can sand it right off.

I've seen a few grill-cloth jobs and it can in some instances look pretty good as well but IMO will look like a "pillar job" more than the others.

Whatever you've got them covered with in that above pic actually looks pretty dang good I think, oddly.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Babs said:


> Whatever you've got them covered with in that above pic actually looks pretty dang good I think, oddly.


Haha, thats just SEM high build primer. Doesn't look too out of place while I'm making decisions.

I'm sure SEM's stock has soared since starting my fabrications. 

I should've just bought a spray gun system...


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Haha, thats just SEM high build primer. Doesn't look too out of place while I'm making decisions.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Heck I'd just give them a spray and call em done. 

I'll add one thing I've noticed with vinyl jobs I've seen is you have to be careful making the pillar look "thick", if that makes sense. But that can happen too with SEM paint. Usually at the top of the pillars it shows up if they weren't done with a nice thin coat. I think less is more with texture, be it paint or vinyl I guess. 


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## nstaln (Feb 11, 2009)

Outstanding work...they look great!

I'm curious what your initial settings are? I have the same equipment in basically the same mounting positions.

I have the tweet and mid crossed at 3200 @ 18db via the passive AF 2510c crossovers...but I'm more interested on how you blended the mids and midbass.

I initially went with 400hz hi/lo @ 24db...below 400hz @24db I thought the mids really got muddy....I found the mid sounded good but was a bit too in my face so I cut a bit across the midrange at 500hz, 1kz and 2kz...that helped but it still didn't sound right...I currently have it set at 800hz [email protected](mids) and 400hz [email protected] sounds pretty good to my ears at the moment.

I would like to know what you end up with for general tuning settings.

Again...very nice job on the install!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thank you.

Here's what I'm running at the moment:

GB10: 4 khz @ 24 db
GB25: 400 hz @ 24 db - 4 khz @ 24 db
GB60: 75 hz @ 24 db - 400 hz @ 24 db

I generally just stick with 24 db slopes across the board.

My sail panel pods are sealed and I think I measured around .3 - .4 liters. I filled them with water to approximate volume. They're stuffed with poly fill, but should probably go back and play around with fill amount to see how that affects the response.

The GB25's have been running great down to 400 hz. I tried down to 250 and 300 hz and they played without issue. They just sounded like a small midrange played low, but no breakup. Not the fullness you'd get with a 6.5" playing higher.

Just need to find a good compromise in this crossover range.

Still toying around with the GB10/GB25's from 4 khz - 6.3 kHz.

I'll post some REW measurements and update the tuning progress as I get deeper into that portion.

Right now the lows have authority and good impact. Bass is on the dash and sometimes on the windshield if I dial in my sub at the right volumes (I have a volume knob I haven't posted pics of).

The stage is wide and on some songs like the beginning of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel", the drums make a super wide effect.

The depth is what it is in this configuration... about halfway from the front of the dash to the windshield and sometimes seems like the windshield on certain sounds.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Babs said:


> I'll add one thing I've noticed with vinyl jobs I've seen is you have to be careful making the pillar look "thick", if that makes sense. But that can happen too with SEM paint. Usually at the top of the pillars it shows up if they weren't done with a nice thin coat. I think less is more with texture, be it paint or vinyl I guess.


I would agree about the thick look.

I was also thinking of wrapping in grill cloth and spraying something that would make the grill cloth stiff that wouldn't fill in the texture. Then re-spraying with paint and a flat clear.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> I would agree about the thick look.
> 
> I was also thinking of wrapping in grill cloth and spraying something that would make the grill cloth stiff that wouldn't fill in the texture. Then re-spraying with paint and a flat clear.



I'd definitely try just a paint, as clean as you've got them. Or test the paint on another scrap part to see what to expect. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Thanks man.
> 
> Did you ever finish your A-pillar 2.0's? I'd be interested in seeing them.


Kind of... I got them ready to vinyl with 4 way stretch vinyl. Epic fail!! My wife laughed at me saying it couldn't be done, then I showed her some of Bing's work and she asked if he was a magician! So I stripped them down and started over with finishing them in paint/texture coat. I went to install the drivers last week and messed up one of the tweeter rings so I hope to work on them again tomorrow. Like you I played with black or grey and settled on grey. Hopefully I'll get them fixed up and installed soon. Once I'm happy I'll post a full 2.0 install update.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Lol, at least you tried... I have problems doing easy shapes with vinyl. Maybe its the vinyl I've tried.

Looking forward to it.


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

Nice job on the install so far. It looks great I love how those sail mounted mids turned out. You don't see that done very often. I'm curious how the frogs sound. How about a demo sometime? pm coming your way.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thanks!

Your old G was a point of inspiration for going further than I originally envisioned for this Accord.

I really like the Audio Frogs and the size of the GB25's really made things easier.

Working through Hanatsu's AutoEQ thread to get a demo-worthy base tune.

I'll PM ya in a bit.


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

The install looks really nice. I think you've given me some inspiration on changing up my system. Now get that thing tuned!


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

I was sent over here by Babbs..... I'm glad you posted this build, and I'm glad I took the time to read through it. Excellent job! Everything is really clean - good planning throughout, and excellent 'drop back and punt' execution as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the additional posts as you fine tune things. I'm also interested in seeing / hearing the shared knowledge gleaned from your build that is utilized in Babbs build......will be getting a huge demo the weekend of the 24th of September! 

I really like the choices you made, and I can imagine the sound will be fantastic!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thank you for the kind words.

Your build is no slouch either... seems like there are a lot of great builds in the Carolinas, wish I were nearby.

Things around here have been pretty slow... weddings, cabins, summer parties... hoping to try and tackle some of my to do list this weekend:

1. re-do A-pillars (left tweeter needs to be more on-axis)
2. new baffle and subs
3. attempt to implement proper rear fill

I'm sure Scott's car is going to sound great. He's been putting a lot of effort and precision into it.


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Nice work on the pillars, they look great!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thanks!


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> hoping to try and tackle some of my to do list this weekend:
> 
> 1. re-do A-pillars (left tweeter needs to be more on-axis)
> 2. new baffle and subs
> 3. attempt to implement proper rear fill



You tackle that in a weekend and I've gotta come up there for training! Haha. I've been at my build since end of April I think. (Hanging head low in shame). LOL!!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Lol! Maybe I'll rephrase.

I'm going to try to do at least part of one thing on that list on Saturday.

Anyways most of my enjoyment is from the build portion.


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Thank you for the kind words.
> 
> Your build is no slouch either... seems like there are a lot of great builds in the Carolinas, wish I were nearby.
> 
> ...


It seems rev 2.0 pillars are the name of the game! Mine are much more on axis, even though they are much more different from side to side. OCD issues may continue!


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## keep_hope_alive (Jan 4, 2009)

Great to see your build here, you've done a great job.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I appreciate the words and for the help.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Alright small update.

Had some time yesterday to build some new A-pillars so I could have the tweeters on the same plane as the midranges. This should hopefully resolve my OCD with the previous ones.

I harvested the old AudioFrog mounting rings from my old pillars and glued them onto some PVC caps.




Sanded the pillars with 60 grit and cut some holes.




Aimed and glued the PVC caps in place. The left tweeter sounds better since its more on axis than it was before, plus I raised them up to get more clearance over the driver side dash hump.




The last pillars I just used body filler to shape them, but decided to stretch some cloth this time. I was out of my stretchy jersey mesh material I usually use for pulling cloth and being to lazy to drive to the fabric store, I literally just used the shirt off my back.




A couple layers of body filler applied and smoothed out. I'm going to texture and paint these instead of wrapping.




SEM high build primer should be here Thursday. Still need to spot putty.

Got a bachelor party over the weekend, so if not too hungover on Sunday I'll get these finished up then.


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## JWAT15 (Mar 6, 2011)

Wow great work. I have a 2014 Accord Touring and i have been following this post for some inspiration lately i havent had any motivation to finish the build.
I love how you ran a secondary source head unit instead of the factory unit. I wish i did that first time around instead of the factory unit as it sucks and the internal hardwired crossover doesnt help (40hz and below cut)
What other options are there for mounting a head unit in this car?? any way of replacing all together and RETAINING all functions? back up cam ect..


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thanks!

Tell me about it. Motivation to finish is so hard to come by.

EX-L's and up come with the premium audio system. You can tap a signal before the external factory amp. That will give you a flat 3v signal you can feed into a DSP or directly into an amp that accepts balanced differential inputs, such as most JL's. Its an ideal situation for OEM head unit integration.

Some of the guys on DriveAccord.net with EX or lower trims have buried the factory head unit into the dash without the faceplate to retain all stock functionality and then added a double din. They need to re-attach the faceplate to adjust the clock tho.

I think the premium audio head units require the faceplate to be attached so it turns on... it may not be an option for you unless you want to try soldering and extending the wires to relocate it.

Other options, but requires an external volume knob, would be to run signal directly to your DSP from your phone:
• a hardwired optical connection
• for Android phones, use a Bluetooth APTX receiver
• for iPhones, use an Apple TV 3 or Airport Express


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Dang you're gonna have like 5 pillar sets done in the time it took me to get one set started.  Looks great!


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

These are my last ones... for 2016!!!!


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

Famous last words!

I'm rebuilding my first set for a member, I hope to be finished within a couple of weeks due to my work/family schedule. Thankfully the new owner isn't ready for them just yet.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Had just enough time after work to spot putty and spray some primer.

There are a few spots on each that could use just a bit more filler and smoothed out a bit more. Maybe get to that Sunday.

Without further ado, my no frills A-pillars...


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

FunkPnut said:


> Had just enough time after work to spot putty and spray some primer.
> 
> There are a few spots on each that could use just a bit more filler and smoothed out a bit more. Maybe get to that Sunday.
> 
> Without further ado, my no frills A-pillars...


Nice!!! As usual.

What are you using for "spot putty"?

I think I'm at that stage with mine with maybe just one more rage gold smear in one spot of a pillar. My problem is I don't have a good spreader that gets it in the low spots but doesn't also fill over the smoothed over top parts well, down in the curves.. Or maybe just my skill that needs the work.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I just use these cheap spreaders from Home Depot:
HDX Plastic Spreader (3-Piece)-30123 - The Home Depot

Having a fresh clean one for your final skim coats really helps.

Sometimes you just gotta use your finger with a glove on to get into certain areas effectively and start sanding while its still curing (solidified, but still soft).

I used Bondo 907 for spot putty:
https://www.amazon.com/Bondo-907-Glazing-Spot-Putty/dp/B0002JM8PY/

Its only good for filling in pin holes and small imperfections, not building up.

A coat of primer and/or guide coat spray will help you determine areas that still need to be smoothed out.

Its just practice and a lot of patience, but you get better the more you do it and the more you become familiar with the build materials.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

BTW, I have the A-pillars in my car, so I'll try to snap a picture during the daytime when I get a chance.

I ran out of texture spray halfway through last weekend, so I gotta re-do that and paint on Saturday.

But the small adjustments to re-aiming the tweeter and bringing them up a bit in a height seems to have really helped, especially on the driver's side since its more on-axis.


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## sinister-kustoms (Jul 22, 2009)

Awesome build man. I would love to get my hands on one of those 15" Max's down here! Will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the difference the AE's make.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Thanks!

I'm not sure I have time left in the year to get the AE's in

I'm very content with a single IDMAX in IB and question whether its worth the hassle of building a new baffle.

However the thought of powering 2 15's with half the power and being able to play louder with lower distortion seems like something I'd be interested in doing.


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## dcfis (Sep 9, 2016)

Copying your baffle is much harder than I figured it would be


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Just hang in there.

What makes it difficult is that mine sits at an angle. Just gotta selectively trim until it fits.

You'll get there!


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## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

Great build. Nice work on your pillars. Excellent information in here as I consider pillar mounting gb10’s/ gb25’s.


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

Chris12 said:


> Great build. Nice work on your pillars. Excellent information in here as I consider pillar mounting gb10’s/ gb25’s.


I haven't been on here forever!

I appreciate that. Thank you.

I'm not sure what the current forum boner is, but the Frogs have been treating me very well.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

FunkPnut said:


> Thank you for the kind words.
> 
> Your build is no slouch either... seems like there are a lot of great builds in the Carolinas, wish I were nearby.
> 
> ...


I also have a single 15" IDMAX in IB through the ski pass and love it!! 

Curious why you wanted to change it and if you did already? 

Although it has crossed my mind to swap this out to something more extreme (IB of course).


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## FunkPnut (May 16, 2008)

I wanted to change them purely just to try something new. There's also that voice in the back of your head asking "would it sound better?"

If you model the two setups a pair of Acoustic Elegance SBP15's will play louder using less power than a single IDMAX15.

The guy I bought the IDMAX15 from originally had a pair of SBP15's in his car and they sounded awesome.

I had a pair of SBP15's to drop in, but due to selling my house last year I had to sell them otherwise I was going to be working on my car instead of fixing up the house.

The DIYMA upgrade sickness had been dormant for over a year, up until your post. Got me pondering again...


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

FunkPnut said:


> I wanted to change them purely just to try something new. There's also that voice in the back of your head asking "would it sound better?"
> 
> If you model the two setups a pair of Acoustic Elegance SBP15's will play louder using less power than a single IDMAX15.
> 
> ...


Sounds good, thanks for the info...


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