# It Has Begun... donpisto's '06 G35 Sedan Install



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Well, the day has come sooner than expected. This build log will take quite some time since there is so much to do, and a tight budget (I can thank the local government for that ). I don't know if my plans will remain the same since I constantly change my mind, but here is a rundown of what I intend to do.

First, the equipment.

*Amps*: Zapco 9.0 for the sub and Zapco 4.0 for the mids and tweeters










*Mids and tweeters*: Zapco CK-16.2 (I won't be using the crossovers sine I will be going active).

*Sub*: One 15" oldschool JL 15w6










*Deadener*: Various Second Skin products

Head Unit: Stock.

*OEM Integration and processing*: Alpine PXE-H650

*Battery under hood*: Odyssey PC 1200

*Wires*: Kicker power, ground, and speaker. Symbilink cables made by Megalomaniac. Any RCA's that may be needed I will make myself using Canare coaxial cable and Tara Labs solderless RCA ends.

The idea:

I decided to stick with OEM integration because going with the aftermarket route is too expensive. The double din kit is roughly $250, head unit is about $400 - $800 (Alpine W200 or W505), blue tooth for compatibility is approx $200, steering wheel control is about $75, and there may be some other additional costs. Using the H650, I will only need to spend $310 for it and get a LOC. I will also be able to keep the steering wheel controls and OEM bluetooth.

The sub will be in roughly 1.25 - 2 cu. ft. sealed and wired in series at 12 ohms (no that's not a typo).

Tweeters will go in the A pillars while the mids will be on axis and I will get kick pods. I'm not putting mids in the stock location because even if I get baffles for them, I will more than likely have fitment issues and I am not going to my doors as I did with the Accord.

Sub: I chose the oldschool 15w6 because I have heard a pair of 10w6's back in high school and they have great output for such little power. I want to go with a 15" sub because I haven't seen any G35's with a 15". I would have gone with an 18w6, but it would require a slightly larger enclosure and room capacity is important. I am building this so that the sub is all the way in the back and the amps, I'm not sure where they will be mounted, but I should still have 3/4 of the trunk still available to use. I also got this at a fair deal and considering it's brand new (yes, it has not been used for nearly 11 years), it makes it a bit more special.

I have recently deadened the trunk with a layer of Damplifier Pro and I may add an additional layer. Rear doors will get a layer of Damplifier Pro. The front doors will get two layers of Damplifier Pro and Rattle Pad. Sludge will go on the wheel wells and on the fenders. I might get Motor Mat for the hood along with Firewall Sludge. I may do more, I just have to see what issues arise.

The Goal: To be able to conserve space, have a musical soundstage that blends well, no SPL or loud daily setup. Also the ability to get fairly loud (mid 30's on music around the low 30 Hz area would be nice, but I'm not sure if I would be able to achieve it. If not, oh well. And as mentioned, to get low .

And now, the vehicle. As mentioned, it is a 2006 Infiniti G35 sedan. It has all the bells and whistles minus the sport package, which I don't mind at all. I will be installing Tein Basics coilovers in about a week. Currently I have 20" MOZ Tower 5 rims, but I am selling them and going with stock 17's, but I will go back to 19's, maybe 20's. The Infiniti letter in the back has been debadged and the Mt. Fuji emblem along with the G35 emblem will be a black chrome.

I also plan to get overlays for the tail lights and the roof. I will get the head lights blacked out and also get clear corners and smoke them. I have a couple mods to the car currently, nothing major, just a 5/16" Motordyne Intake Manifold Spacer, Z tube, Pop Charger, Coupe Midpipe, and HKS rear section muffler. I might go with a turbo kit in the future, but that won't be years down the line.

Enough talk, time for pics of the vehicle.

With stock rims:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

With the current MOZ rims:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

One layer of Second Skin Damplifier Pro on the trunk lid:

Before:










After:










I was able to do the inner portion of the trunk lid and I'm sure it will help reduce vibration by alot. It made it easier to take out the tail lights and the trunk latch.










I also did the license plate. I'll be adding Rattle Pad once I find where I have my leftover pieces.










It definitely passed the knocking test . Here is a before video without deadener: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cir2oaGL7Ic and here is the after video with one layer of deadener http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hig9ZouG2IY. I will probably add another layer of Damplifier Pro and I'll see if I have to do more than that once the setup is complete.


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

About time. Glad you got things going. looking good so far.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

You can thank Ant for getting me started. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have started. Slowly there will be progress. Wish I could be crazy like you and George and do 10's in the doors though.


----------



## BLD MOVS (Sep 23, 2007)

Very nice car donpisto!! I will look forward to watching your install. I love G35's. It looks like you need a little more tire on those aftermarket rims IMO, but it sounds like you are going to be doing some switching anyway. Can't wait to watch...


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

BLD MOVS said:


> Very nice car donpisto!! I will look forward to watching your install. I love G35's. It looks like you need a little more tire on those aftermarket rims IMO, but it sounds like you are going to be doing some switching anyway. Can't wait to watch...


Thanks, and yes the tires are way too thin. I have some slightly bent rims because of it. Previous owner had them on and like the rubber band style. I think it looks nice, but safety-wise for the rims, it doesn't serve much of a purpose. They probably will be off next week.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

For some reason I can't edit my original post. Quite odd. Anyhow....

It has arrived... my 15w6 BNIB. It's sexier than I remember.














































Free air vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UNuS1gQ-I


----------



## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

there is tire on those rims?


----------



## BlackSapphire (Apr 16, 2008)

Megalomaniac said:


> there is tire on those rims?


No joke. LOL This is how the domino effect begins... now he's gotta close that fender well gap a bit. Then.... you get the idea. 

I'm looking forward to the install.


----------



## seddon (Apr 1, 2008)

Beautiful car bro. That 15w6 will sound nice I have heard it in a Tahoe. Looking forward to see another G35 install.


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

where did you get a nib w6 from


----------



## bjayjr5679 (Nov 8, 2007)

BeatsDownLow said:


> where did you get a nib w6 from


I have seen a couple floating around egay rom time to time dont really know if those are actually nib but there has been some.


----------



## Rock-G (Apr 6, 2008)

Nice car and nice rims. I agree, those old school w6 still sound great


----------



## Bradbmx1 (Aug 24, 2008)

Awesome car. Let me know if you want to sell me those OEM wheels for my Maxima


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Megalomaniac said:


> there is tire on those rims?


Hehe, yeah very stretched. I actually decided to keep the rims after all, just gonna get them repaired and buy much bigger tires, probably 245/35/20 all around or 245/35/20 in the front and 255/35/20 in the rear as opposed to 225/30/20 all around. Right now they are REALLY stretched. If I turn the wheels to one side, it actually looks like the front is sitting on rims. Looks nice, but gotta have protection... I need more rubbers! I say within the next month I should have the new tires and the drop and I'm sure people will think it looks MUCH better. Thicker tires, less gap, more protection, can't go wrong with that.



BeatsDownLow said:


> where did you get a nib w6 from


Got it from a forum member, DS-21 (forgot to leave him feedback, will do so now).



Bradbmx1 said:


> Awesome car. Let me know if you want to sell me those OEM wheels for my Maxima


Gonna keep them just in case. Such as when I get my rims repaired or if a tire goes out. But if I do decide to sell, I will let you know.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Well, I'm already deciding to change things up. Just heard James Bang's setup and it was intense. The midbass he has is what I'm looking for. So I'm going to see about getting 10" midbass drivers (Peerless SLS) in my doors. Doing so would require me to get another amp. I might sell the 9.0 and go with a 6.0 since even then it would be plenty of power for the JL 15w6.

The choices in amps would be as follows:

Option 1:An additional 4.0. I would then be able to use the 2nd 4.0 and bridge them onto the SLS 10's. More expensive, but more power for the midbass.

Option 2: An additional 2.0. I could put the mids on the 4.0 and the tweeters on the 2.0. This is a little cheaper, but the SLS's wouldn't get as much power.

I still have to see if it can be done. I may end up modding the doors after all. The SLS's are almost 5" deep, just have to do some measuring.

I kind of want to go this route, even though it is a little more expensive because the midbass, as mentioned, is what I want and I don't think the 6.5's will give me what I'm looking for. Plus, I don't know of may people running 10's in their doors and for a G35, it would be a first.


----------



## filtor1 (Apr 24, 2008)

I am loving the new ride! I look forward to seeing the build.


----------



## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

BeatsDownLow said:


> where did you get a nib w6 from


One of the problems of being around for a while and being a packrat is that one accumulates stuff. As it were, an undergrad friend of mine bought this sub for his Dodge Stealth (or maybe Mitsu 3000GT, same thing) and only when he saw the box realized it didn't fit. I traded a pair of Oz 250L's I had used for a few years for it, because I was modifying that system at the time to have two IDQ-12's up front. I had intended to use the 15W6 in a home mega-sub along with my other 15W6, which I used as a home sub in 1997-1998 and 1999-2000, but now sits in a closet. (It was replaced in 2000 with a pair of DEI 4124 12" drivers I was evaluating for John Durbin. Hate the company's founder, but those were actually really good drivers. The "synthetic granite" cones look kind of strange, though. Needless to say, I still have those, too...) But I moved to Europe shortly after acquiring this 15W6, and by the time I had gotten back I moved on to newer drivers such as the Peerless XLS line.



donpisto said:


> For some reason I can't edit my original post. Quite odd. Anyhow....
> 
> It has arrived... my 15w6 BNIB. It's sexier than I remember.
> 
> ...


Looks like FedEx took care of that thing. I'm really glad, because it would have been a shame to see it harmed.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

DS-21 said:


> Looks like FedEx took care of that thing. I'm really glad, because it would have been a shame to see it harmed.


I'm glad as well. I have always used Fed Ex and never had any issues with them. Box was in PERFECT condition when I received it.


----------



## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

great subwoofer. If you are concerned about power (doesnt seem like you are) I've run them with just over 400 watts a pop and done reasonably well in the spl lanes.... given a peak frequency of 25 Hz...

in an SQ car I'd be happy with anything over 150-200, personally.

The original small box subwoofer


----------



## lowpoke (Jun 1, 2008)

I LOVE those tires. Swapping them out in favor of something more practical doesn't sound right coming from a guy putting a 15" sub in his trunk.


----------



## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

finally, you're getting started... gear looks good... and whats with everyone and 10" mids? i guess bigger is better for you guys haha, i'll eventually start accumilating gear for my install... but good luck with yours, should sound nice and look nice, when you want to pick up parts for your g35, let me know, i'll see what discounts i can get u from work


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

lowpoke said:


> I LOVE those tires. Swapping them out in favor of something more practical doesn't sound right coming from a guy putting a 15" sub in his trunk.


A 15" sub is practical for me....since I came from running an 18" in a sedan 

I'm actually getting the new tires on tomorrow and the coilovers installed tomorrow. Alignment will be on wednesday.



Whiterabbit said:


> great subwoofer. If you are concerned about power (doesnt seem like you are) I've run them with just over 400 watts a pop and done reasonably well in the spl lanes.... given a peak frequency of 25 Hz...
> 
> in an SQ car I'd be happy with anything over 150-200, personally.
> 
> The original small box subwoofer


I'm not too worried about the power, I know I have more than plenty. Output I'm not worried about either, I just like to prepare myself by not having as high of expectations so I don't get disappointed.



fit_tuner said:


> finally, you're getting started... gear looks good... and whats with everyone and 10" mids? i guess bigger is better for you guys haha, i'll eventually start accumilating gear for my install... but good luck with yours, should sound nice and look nice, when you want to pick up parts for your g35, let me know, i'll see what discounts i can get u from work


I'm jealous of James and George and I realized 6.5's just wont cut it for the midbass I want.

You work for Nissan or Infiniti? Those bastards charged $25 for a pair of gaskets for my midpipe when I swapped it for the coupe's midpipe. I then found out Kragen sold 'em for $3 a pop 

Can't wait to see your install log...took me a second or two to figure out your the ex-camry tuner, lol.


----------



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

donpisto said:


> With the current MOZ rims:



One day on Illinois roads and those rims would be shot.


----------



## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

i dont work for nissan/infiniti, but for your aftermarket needs, i work at an aftermarket shop, and i can get you good deals. thats what i was referring to haha


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

fit_tuner said:


> i dont work for nissan/infiniti, but for your aftermarket needs, i work at an aftermarket shop, and i can get you good deals. thats what i was referring to haha


OIC. I should have contacted you before getting my Tein Basics. Oh well. I'll be needing some sway bars down the line...and maybe turbo


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

chad said:


> One day on Illinois roads and those rims would be shot.


One day in Illinois = ~ 3 weeks in California. I thought they would last a bit longer, I guess I was wrong since 3 got bent.


----------



## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

donpisto said:


> OIC. I should have contacted you before getting my Tein Basics. Oh well. I'll be needing some sway bars down the line...and maybe turbo


let me know when the time comes... got sways, struts, and turbos and everything in between haha =P

and you should've gone with the ss, or flex, or comfort sports... you dont get adjustable dampers =P


----------



## dual700 (Mar 6, 2005)

donpisto said:


> One day in Illinois = ~ 3 weeks in California. I thought they would last a bit longer, I guess I was wrong since 3 got bent.


OMG... When I saw your wheels, I got the chills, Levon. I finally did 245/40/19 from 235/40/18. I am off 3% off the diameter, but I get piece of mind. 
Too bad I didn't know that you changed tires that quick, otherwise I'd take you to my buddy's tire/wheel shop. Great prices...(He had Audi avant with 255/25/21 or 22) Looked just like riding on rims..


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

fit_tuner said:


> let me know when the time comes... got sways, struts, and turbos and everything in between haha =P
> 
> and you should've gone with the ss, or flex, or comfort sports... you dont get adjustable dampers =P


Yeah I know I can't adjust them, but I read for the G it would be the best route. Although running the EDFC would be nice.



dual700 said:


> OMG... When I saw your wheels, I got the chills, Levon. I finally did 245/40/19 from 235/40/18. I am off 3% off the diameter, but I get piece of mind.
> Too bad I didn't know that you changed tires that quick, otherwise I'd take you to my buddy's tire/wheel shop. Great prices...(He had Audi avant with 255/25/21 or 22) Looked just like riding on rims..


Darn, wish I would have known as well. I got a pretty good deal. Got the Falken FK-452 for 118 per tire (not including tax). Your friends tires are super thin, he must drive 10 mph below the speed limit huh?

One piece of advice though. Do not do business with Big O Tires, they are scandalous. I already researched their website and that's how much the tire showed up for in the Pasadena store. I stopped by the Glendale one since it was a few blocks from my work and the guy quoted me $165 each tire. I told him it's cheaper at the Pasadena one. He looks it up and says I'm right, it's $155. I said no, its $118 and he says I'm wrong. I figure maybe I was. I go home and sure enough I'm right. 

I call the Pasadena store and they quote me at $128 and I said it's cheaper on their website for their store and the guy says "Oh yeah, you're right, I see what you're talking about." Straight out liars and bad business IMO. I understand trying to make a profit, but trying to make the customer look like they don't know what they're talking about is a no no. I'll never do business with them.


----------



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

donpisto said:


> One day in Illinois = ~ 3 weeks in California. I thought they would last a bit longer, I guess I was wrong since 3 got bent.


Oh Bummer man 

Sorry to hear that.

It really is ugly here with all the freeze/thaw. But then again you have the sheer volume of traffic and road hazards to contend with.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

chad said:


> Oh Bummer man
> 
> Sorry to hear that.
> 
> It really is ugly here with all the freeze/thaw. But then again you have the sheer volume of traffic and road hazards to contend with.


Yeah, it was painful when I saw what happened. I got it looked at and it is just the lip, so it's not too bad. I'd get it fixed and repainted, but I'd also have to get it re-chromed. Instead I'll ditch the chrome and do something along the lines with matching the body paint and black. Hmm, just thought about black chrome, that might be interesting. I'll worry about the paint getting the wheels fixed later.

I personally couldn't in any cold areas. I start feezing in the high 60's after a short period of time.


----------



## slvrtsunami (Apr 18, 2008)

donpisto said:


> Yeah, it was painful when I saw what happened. I got it looked at and it is just the lip, so it's not too bad. I'd get it fixed and repainted, but I'd also have to get it re-chromed. Instead I'll ditch the chrome and do something along the lines with matching the body paint and black. Hmm, just thought about black chrome, that might be interesting. I'll worry about the paint getting the wheels fixed later.
> 
> I personally couldn't in any cold areas. I start feezing in the high 60's after a short period of time.


I had 19's on my Acura CL for a little while, and yes they got bent as well. Price to pay. I thought the newer G's had an optional upgrade stereo with a 10 in the door OEM? have you taken the door panel off yet?


----------



## atsaubrey (Jan 10, 2007)

I for sure want to hear this car when finished, you are running some of my favorite things two of which I use also  those Zapco C2K comps sounds oh so good!


----------



## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

are you going to put stock wheels on in the winter? i know it dont snow much there either but, just asking


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

slvrtsunami said:


> I had 19's on my Acura CL for a little while, and yes they got bent as well. Price to pay. I thought the newer G's had an optional upgrade stereo with a 10 in the door OEM? have you taken the door panel off yet?


I believe that is on the newer G35's (07 and 08 model). Upgraded stereo on '06 and older is the Bose package which includes the 8" sub in the rear deck....which you can't hear at all. I haven't taken my doors panels off yet, but I will soon to deaden them, maybe within the next month or two. I have seen how they look as I'm helping out a fellow G35 guy that is local.



atsaubrey said:


> I for sure want to hear this car when finished, you are running some of my favorite things two of which I use also  those Zapco C2K comps sounds oh so good!


I wish I could have made it to the Autobachs meet, I would love to hear your setup as well. James said it sounds really awesome.



Megalomaniac said:


> are you going to put stock wheels on in the winter? i know it dont snow much there either but, just asking


Nope, I'll be rolling on dubs 24/7.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Just a little teaser till I get better more and better pics. Car is dirty right now and I actually will finish painting my emblems. Turns out I just needed to let them dry a bit longer before painting over them.

Here's the ride sitting on Falken 245/35/20's all around and Tein Basic coilovers. The drop is significant. Barely enough room to get a finger in the front and impossible to a finger in the rear, maybe if an infant were to try to they might be able to. No rubbing thus far and I dont have the fear of going over bumps or potholes as I used to. I'm loving it so far.


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

holy nice car levon. keep up the good work


----------



## Mac (Aug 27, 2008)

Can't wait to see more progress on that bad boy.


----------



## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

the coilovers was exactly what the doctor ordered! that looks absolutely awesome....I was a bit apprehensive when i first saw the wheels, but now the ride height is adjusted, it looks like it belongs...... 

btw, nothing like the rear end of a de-badged G35...i love the clean look to the back of that car


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

pontiacbird said:


> the coilovers was exactly what the doctor ordered! that looks absolutely awesome....I was a bit apprehensive when i first saw the wheels, but now the ride height is adjusted, it looks like it belongs......
> 
> btw, nothing like the rear end of a de-badged G35...i love the clean look to the back of that car


It's debadged temporarily, though I do like it like that. I will be getting overlays on the tail lights so I am painting the Mt. Fuji emblem and the G35 emblem gloss black. Hopefully they turn out good, otherwise I'll be sending them to get black chromed. I will not be putting on the Infiniti lettering, I think that takes away the whole sporty look of the car.


----------



## BLD MOVS (Sep 23, 2007)

You nailed the stance. The tires look better also. x2 on the look with it 100% debadged.


----------



## tyroneshoes (Mar 21, 2006)

Car looks great.

And I also love the ck comps. Waiting on your review on them.


----------



## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

your house is pink


----------



## slvrtsunami (Apr 18, 2008)

Megalomaniac said:


> your house is pink


You notice everything!!


The coilovers look great! At lest you now have some adjustability, so if there is too much weight added, then you can raise the back if necessary. I wish I had coil-overs on my ride! My rear end is starting to sag! (please, no comments ) the camber is seiously off....oh well.. that is the price to pay. Keep 'em coming.


----------



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

What's going to happen to your drop when you put the gear in?


----------



## seddon (Apr 1, 2008)

donpisto said:


> It's debadged temporarily, though I do like it like that. I will be getting overlays on the tail lights so I am painting the Mt. Fuji emblem and the G35 emblem gloss black. Hopefully they turn out good, otherwise I'll be sending them to get black chromed. I will not be putting on the Infiniti lettering, I think that takes away the whole sporty look of the car.


Beautiful drop bro, I wish they made coils for the X. I have a set of black chrome G35 emblems if you want them, i'll dig them out.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

seddon said:


> Beautiful drop bro, I wish they made coils for the X. I have a set of black chrome G35 emblems if you want them, i'll dig them out.


Oh sweet, if you can find them, let me know. I'd be interested, though right now I am sorta digging the debadged look, although I did add the Tein emblem on it.

Are you on g35driver.com? I think you still might be able to do something suspension wise even though you have the X. May 350z springs or even Tein S. or H. techs.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

chad said:


> What's going to happen to your drop when you put the gear in?


I will raise the rear since the height is adjustable, though my equipment will not weigh all that much. The 15w6 is quite light. The enclosure will be made of Birch and will be no more than 2 cu. ft. internal volume. I'll have 3 amps and I don't think much else.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Megalomaniac said:


> your house is pink


It's not pink it's....well there's a certain name for it, but yes, I get that all the time.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

tyroneshoes said:


> Car looks great.
> 
> And I also love the ck comps. Waiting on your review on them.


I've used them in my Accord for a few months. I used to have DLS Iridiums and the Zapco's sound MUCH better. Mid bass was definitely improved, and the tweeter is amazing. It didn't require as much EQ'ing and tuning as the Iridiums and the stage seemed more centered. I had an issue with the stage being more on one side with the Iridiums and I did a direct swap, interesting how several factors changed. Don't get me wrong though, the Iridiums sounded lovely, just wasn't my type of sound. A little too laid back for me.


----------



## BlackSapphire (Apr 16, 2008)

donpisto said:


> It's not pink it's....well there's a certain name for it, but yes, I get that all the time.


You get that all the time because it's pink. Sorry. 

The car looks great!!!!!


----------



## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

Salmon.


----------



## seddon (Apr 1, 2008)

donpisto said:


> Oh sweet, if you can find them, let me know. I'd be interested, though right now I am sorta digging the debadged look, although I did add the Tein emblem on it.
> 
> Are you on g35driver.com? I think you still might be able to do something suspension wise even though you have the X. May 350z springs or even Tein S. or H. techs.


Yeah I'm on G35Driver (same screen name). I'm dropped on H&R springs but I don't have the ability like you to adjust the height. Trust me I love the debaged trunk look. I'll look for the emblems this weekened. Not to thread jack but here's a few pics.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Looks sweet....i like the rims 

Your drop looks great too...theres a couple times where I rubbed already...i gotta slow my role


----------



## slvrtsunami (Apr 18, 2008)

bassfromspace said:


> Salmon.


THANK YOU!!! I was banging my head against the wall trying to remember what that color was called....


----------



## BlackSapphire (Apr 16, 2008)

slvrtsunami said:


> THANK YOU!!! I was banging my head against the wall trying to remember what that color was called....


Guess what color salmon is....... PINK!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## seddon (Apr 1, 2008)

Any updates


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Nope. Won't be for a while since I have other priorities. As it is, I have to sell my Zapco amps at the moment, but I will be buying them again when I get my build going, probably in six months or so


----------



## Irishfocus06 (Sep 11, 2008)

Look good bud. I have been watching this over at ca.com as well. Very clean ride and looks like everything is coming together.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Thanks. The ride has gotten some updates, part of the reason why I need to sell the Zapco's :/


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

SIX MONTHS!!??!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 
but isnt selling the amps and buying it back a kind of waste in money?


----------



## Irishfocus06 (Sep 11, 2008)

donpisto said:


> Thanks. The ride has gotten some updates, part of the reason why I need to sell the Zapco's :/


Thats cool, I might have missed it, but what updates were there?


----------



## jonnyanalog (Nov 14, 2007)

great looking car! you nailed the stance!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

simplicityinsound said:


> SIX MONTHS!!??!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
> but isnt selling the amps and buying it back a kind of waste in money?


Sorta, not really. I'm looking for a second job because my current job won't make me full time (possibly) till January. If not January, then my next shot is next July.

I just don't want to owe anything on my credit card and I want to buy a beater car. I added the amount of money I spend on gas for the car and it's almost $5k for the year. If I were to get a cheap car like a Geo Metro, Toyota Tercel or something of that sort, then gas and insurance for it and gas on the weekends for the G, and the cost of the new car are about $4k, so it's about a $1k savings including the car, less wear and tear on my vehicle. As it is, I've had the car for almost 4 months and I've put on roughly 8k miles.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Irishfocus06 said:


> Thats cool, I might have missed it, but what updates were there?


Only one audio wise is the deadener on the trunk lid. Car-wise I have intake, intake manifold spacer, HKS muffler, coupe midpipe, Tein coilovers, and next week I'll be putting on the OEM front lip and possibly a roof spoiler (came with front lip I bought.


----------



## veloze (Jul 2, 2007)

Hey Levon, shoot us some pics of your upgrades. We'll love to drool over them.  We missed you at the meet. 

Jose


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I'll get updated pics of the car sometime next week. Audiowise, it's all on the first page (only got deadener so far).

I wish I could have made it to the meet, but unfortunately I was unable to. Luckily we have meets every other month so hopefully I can make it to the next one.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

It's been a while since I've been on audio forums, been hit by the performance bug and don't have any audio equipment left, other than my NIB 15w6 which isn't going anywhere. As for audio, I plan on finding an amp that does [email protected] ohms but my budget is very tight so it won't be for a while. I'd like to get at least a sub hooked up and I can slowly add mids, tweeters, and eventually, a procesor.

Here's the latest addition to my vehicle. Function & Form Type II coilovers. I'm on the stiffest setting in the front and its such a smooth ride. The rear only has the springs, still gotta put the shock mount on, but my buddy didn't have a drill on him to make one of the holes bigger for the bolt to go through, so I'm still using the old ones, that will get fixed today.

The front was sitting an inch lower before, but I couldn't get out of his garage which isn't all that steep, could barely turn the wheel too. I recently raised it just a bit, but it was too much. Front wheel is still tucked, but it needs to go down a tad more. No more going over speed bumps and gotta park on streets pretty much now.

Onto the pics:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Rear sideskirt:









Front sideskirt:


















Front lip:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I have quite a bit of mods to do, several almost being done, and others yet to come.


----------



## maytagman (Mar 10, 2009)

I would have never thought of the licence plate sound deadner. Makes sence, now I have to do mine. Thanks!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

maytagman said:


> I would have never thought of the licence plate sound deadner. Makes sence, now I have to do mine. Thanks!


If the deadener doesn't solve it, Rattle Pad surely will


----------



## seddon (Apr 1, 2008)

Saw your post on driver didn't know it was you. Car looks sick as hell bro. I wish I can get coils.


----------



## cheez80 (Sep 2, 2006)

wow, rolling slammed. kudos!


----------



## JediMentality (May 7, 2008)

Too slammed for my taste, but, nonetheless, a nice ride.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

seddon said:


> Saw your post on driver didn't know it was you. Car looks sick as hell bro. I wish I can get coils.


Same username didn't give it away? lol...

Thanks 

Don't wish, just them! Or is it because of the roads in your area?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

JediMentality said:


> Too slammed for my taste, but, nonetheless, a nice ride.


Rear is going to come up a tad, front already came up, but too much. I'll have half the tire tucked. I honestly wish I could go lower but my car wouldnt like some of the roads I have to take.


----------



## X on 22s (Oct 26, 2007)

wasup don, you're car looks sick with the stock wheels.


----------



## Dougie085 (May 2, 2006)

Yeah have to say the slammed look doesn't appeal to me but! It is a very nice car and when you changed the tires and before you slammed it was much more to my taste


----------



## 1_kLEan_tC (Aug 29, 2008)

Nice G!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

*After almost a year, I am finally on my path to start my setup. I sold pretty much everything and I'll be keeping it simple for now by running just a sub. I'll still be using the JL 15W6, but I'll be doing a false floor. As for the amp, I really don't know what I'll use...something inexpensive, maybe oldschool, and hopefully with a fairly small footprint.

I have several ideas for the car and eventually want all them to tie in together. My main concern is where to mount the amps and I can't do it where the rear seats are in the trunk since I plan to have a mini fridge there down the line....worst case scenario I'll just put the amps there and re-do the floor in the future.

As for the car itself, it's been through quite a bit. 5 different wheel setups, 3 different suspension setups, and some minor things here and there. I'll get a picture posted later today.

If anyone wants to lend ideas, I'm up for taking in ideas.*


----------



## Echo42987 (Dec 25, 2008)

So your going to start w/ just the sub and work from there. I'm confused lol.

Or are you trying to piece together a new system right now.?


----------



## dalucifer (Oct 8, 2007)

donpisto said:


> *After almost a year, I am finally on my path to start my setup. I sold pretty much everything and I'll be keeping it simple for now by running just a sub. I'll still be using the JL 15W6, but I'll be doing a false floor. As for the amp, I really don't know what I'll use...something inexpensive, maybe oldschool, and hopefully with a fairly small footprint.
> 
> I have several ideas for the car and eventually want all them to tie in together. My main concern is where to mount the amps and I can't do it where the rear seats are in the trunk since I plan to have a mini fridge there down the line....worst case scenario I'll just put the amps there and re-do the floor in the future.
> 
> ...


took you long enough you ****!!! Shoot me a txt, i have a few idea's!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Echo42987 said:


> So your going to start w/ just the sub and work from there. I'm confused lol.
> 
> Or are you trying to piece together a new system right now.?


Pretty much starting from scratch, only thing I kept was my 15w6 so I'll be using that. Plans are 8's or 10's in doors, and some mid ranges and tweeters in kick pods. Undecided as for which amps I will use down the line though, thinking about Zapco DC Ref's.

But yeah, basically start with just the sub and go from there. Money is tight working for the city and being part time, luckily I still have a job, but there's a hiring freeze.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

donpisto; Money is tight working for the city and being part time said:


> Levon bud...stop wasting money on the rims and suspension setups, and you can have your stereo finished arleady


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

I already got a false wall template and a sealed design for you to get you 1.85cuft gross (not sure what airspace that 15 needs.)


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

simplicityinsound said:


> Levon bud...stop wasting money on the rims and suspension setups, and you can have your stereo finished arleady


Lol...well two of them were just color changes which I did myself. I do need new rims for shows, but that won't be for a while since I'd rather get audio done first. Suspension is set for now, there really is no way to upgrade anymore...got myself some Impul Ohlins 

I've thought about Air Runners for bags, but $5k....that's gonna have to wait.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

James Bang said:


> I already got a false wall template and a sealed design for you to get you 1.85cuft gross (not sure what airspace that 15 needs.)


1.25 cuft  so that 1.85 is perfect.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Here's a few pics, the crappy looking pic is the most recent, only thing different are the sun visors on the sides of the car and the black roof vinyl. Tail lights will be overlayed leaving brake lights and reverse lights open in a few weeks.


----------



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Nice car, but Im definitely not digging the increaed drop. You had it perfect (IMO) before slamming it. Also, what happened to the other wheels? For some reason the blackout wheels with no chrome lip look funky on there.
Anyways, different strokes for different folks. Quit monkeying with the suspension and get that stereo done already knucklehead !


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Problem with the drop I had before is that I couldn't get into many parking structure..I actually got stuck in one and while driving my car came to a complete stop on its own and pushed the brackets somewhere back about an inch.

I had to replace my cats and y pipe as well. This bumper also sits lower than the OEM bumper with lip. I still scrape going into some driveways the way I am now. I have thought about lowering it maybe 1/4" inch but my fear is breaking the bumper in pieces.

Soon I'll get air bags, but that's going to cost quite a bit. I do miss the look though when I was slammed. People would come up to me and ask why I didn't raise my car when approaching the driveway...I tell them I don't have bags and they their jaws drop, lol.

As for the rims, the 20's I had with the polished lip got bent...3 of them, since I was running those rubber band tires. Sold them dirt cheap with new tires for 600 bucks. I'll be going with a super agressive offset with a step lip in the future.


----------



## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Is your roof now painted black?


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

so much wasted $$$ that could've went to audio in the first place!


----------



## Jayvuu (Dec 11, 2007)

welcome back.


----------



## veloze (Jul 2, 2007)

James Bang said:


> so much wasted $$$ that could've went to audio in the first place!


Hey, hey, hey, leave the man alone! If he wants to "Pimp the G Ride" he should be allowed to. 

ITOH, you should let him borrow a "Boom Box" and he'll be done with the sound system. Hehehe


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Megalomaniac said:


> Is your roof now painted black?


Vinyl....friend of mine did it...pretty good job minus the parts where he used his fingernail to get out some air bubbles....

and yes james, some money wasted, like the 20's i bought, and the 2 suspension kits i had before what i got now 

Time to do things right, like order my curtains, make a fridge, and do the audio


----------



## jonnyanalog (Nov 14, 2007)

good looking car! Staggered wheels with a deep lip look great on those Gs.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

jonnyanalog said:


> good looking car! Staggered wheels with a deep lip look great on those Gs.


Thanks! I plan to go as aggressive as possible and probably with a step lip.



veloze said:


> Hey, hey, hey, leave the man alone! If he wants to "Pimp the G Ride" he should be allowed to.
> 
> ITOH, you should let him borrow a "Boom Box" and he'll be done with the sound system. Hehehe


That works lol.


----------



## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

Very sexy G bro! Those f&f coilovers are nice indeed.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

GSlider said:


> Very sexy G bro! Those f&f coilovers are nice indeed.


I got rid of them actually...Upgraded to Impul Ohlins and they don't compare...such an improvement and I can still get super low with the new ones, but I'm actually looking to sell them so I can get Universal Air Ride


----------



## DAN137 (Jul 4, 2009)

Very nice


----------



## infiniti23 (Dec 4, 2008)

donpisto said:


> Here's a few pics, the crappy looking pic is the most recent, only thing different are the sun visors on the sides of the car and the black roof vinyl. Tail lights will be overlayed leaving brake lights and reverse lights open in a few weeks.


Wow, amazing how ****ty a sexy car can be made to look ...:mean:


----------



## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

donpisto said:


> *
> 
> As for the car itself, it's been through quite a bit. 5 different wheel setups, 3 different suspension setups, and some minor things here and there. I'll get a picture posted later today.
> 
> If anyone wants to lend ideas, I'm up for taking in ideas.*


Hey Levon, nice to see you back in the business. 

Since you seem to enjoy what me and James come up with I'm going to try to give you some advice from what I've worked though.

Starting with the car itself, you seem to be a bit of a cruiser type of guy but in case you want to get serious:

Don't go to thin on the rubber. Aside from the wheels bending it's too rough of a ride, more expensive, hard to get the right aspect etc. I find 18s to be optimum on mid to full size cars. Get something like a 245/40/18 or 245/35/18. These wheels will also be much lighter and give you less inertia losses. 

A good suspension setup for the street needs to do two things, soft while cruising yet crisp in the bends. On top of that it has to be reliable. For the first I recommend always getting progressive springs, for the second get a good brand shock like Bilstein or at the very least Koni, these are some of the few that actually bench really good and have rugged valving. A good combo is H&R with Bilstein, it absolutely kills 99.9% of the market. Yes it won't be ride adjustible, damping blah blah blah but all that stuff is junk anyway because it's highly inaccurate and ruins performance. It's like buying a wallmart bike for the Tour de France, yes it has bells and whistles but it's not good for much else.

Like most of us u seem to not have an unlimited budget. I highly suggest giving up on the Zapco amps. It's just such a minute difference in quality for so much investment. There are million more ways to get a more satisfying setup. I personally jumped on the Clarion amps that were the rage lately. It's a Robert Zeff design like the C2k for pocket change at Crutchfield.

I am stripping my car down to bare metal in a couple of days to start my summer project. I'll let you know how the amps. work out.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

infiniti23 said:


> Wow, amazing how ****ty a sexy car can be made to look ...:mean:


Meh, you have your opinions, I got mine, others have thier own. Personally I'm not liking the entire black/white (oreo) look but I wanted to see what the overlay would look like, original plan was gold rims, but now I'm going for a step lip with an aggressive offset.

I'm just curious why I get compliments from other G/Z drivers, have people take pics while I'm driving, and why I'm able to enter it in shows...beats me.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

cvjoint said:


> Hey Levon, nice to see you back in the business.
> 
> Since you seem to enjoy what me and James come up with I'm going to try to give you some advice from what I've worked though.
> 
> ...


The Zapco amps are way down the line should I decide to go that route, I'm definitely much more open to something more inexpensive and still gives me what I want.

As for the suspension, I love what I have now and they are rated up there with the ones you mentioned...the JIC Magic coilovers are known to be very good for our cars and these are better than those, but I plan to sell my coilover setup anyway..

I'm not much of a cruiser, sometimes I do go balls out, but I'm leaning more towards a show vehicle so I'm getting universal air ride. I've cracked my bumper so many times in different areas that I'm sick of it.

As for the rims, 18's look tiny on our car....people put 21's, not my taste at all, but 20's look great, but yes performance is lost. It's not really my concern much anymore since I'm going more for looks and I don't mind driving the speed limit just so that I don't mess up my wheels. Only problem is that the wheels I want, rather the style, don't come forged, which is why I like what I have now, but it's not aggressive at all.

Can't wait to see your project


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

donpisto said:


> Vinyl....friend of mine did it...pretty good job minus the parts where he used his fingernail to get out some air bubbles....
> 
> and yes james, some money wasted, like the 20's i bought, and the 2 suspension kits i had before what i got now
> *
> Time to do things right, like order my curtains, make a fridge*, and do the audio


:mean:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

^^^

Haha, hey man, gotta keep the liquor cold somehow right? Tints don't work too well for privacy either 

BTW, how'd it go with Peter's car? I didn't leave brandon's till about 3:30 and went Palmdale right after to pick up a friend and take her to work...didn't get back till about 7


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

donpisto said:


> ^^^
> 
> Haha, hey man, gotta keep the liquor cold somehow right? Tints don't work too well for privacy either
> 
> BTW, how'd it go with Peter's car? I didn't leave brandon's till about 3:30 and went Palmdale right after to pick up a friend and take her to work...didn't get back till about 7


worked on it till 12:30am....

pretty simple to work on but you wouldn't know


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Holy smokes! Tell him to post pics here or on the driver forum


----------



## James Bang (Jul 25, 2007)

damn i love g35 stock batt terminal...


----------



## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

donpisto said:


> The Zapco amps are way down the line should I decide to go that route, I'm definitely much more open to something more inexpensive and still gives me what I want.
> 
> As for the suspension, I love what I have now and they are rated up there with the ones you mentioned...the JIC Magic coilovers are known to be very good for our cars and these are better than those, but I plan to sell my coilover setup anyway..
> 
> ...


Teins are well regarded too but they are simply crap. Haven't read any on the JIC yet, so I'm no familiar. I would try KW if available on your car for adjust ability. The air rides are also non performance oriented, but yeah show life is a different world. Heck I didn't know you guys had so much trouble getting around town lol

I would worry about getting stuff forged. The only ones that make any difference are Ray's, other forged brands tend to be as dense as cast anyway, but even if you lay the cash they haven't proven any noticeable gains on the track again minute differences for lots of cash. I do like the Falken 452s you chose, hopefully I can get my hands on a set of those shoes on the next rims.

Hopefully we'll meet up from time to time in the summer, I want to see your progress. I just stripped my car today, so I'm finally at 0% completion lol


----------



## davvv (Oct 27, 2009)

enger your armenian right? i think ive seen you on glenoaks cruisin.
If it was you that thing looks lower in real life.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

davvv said:


> enger your armenian right? i think ive seen you on glenoaks cruisin.
> If it was you that thing looks lower in real life.


Damn just saw this bro... yeah...ges hye...the other is white. Dunno if you seen it at all within the last few months, but got new wheels so it looks completely different.

*UPDATE:*

After almost 2 years of having the car I'm finally putting in an audio setup. Wish I didn't have to sell my Zapco C2K amps and CK comps, but it needed to be done, so now I'm off to a start with a budget setup.

Most people stick to 10's or 12's but I like doing things a little different. Trying to find a 2nd 15W6. If not my other options are a pair of custom subs (probably tc9 based motor), and MAYBE Exodus Audio DPL 15's. I'll be going IB. Looking for suggestions as far as which subs to go with....any suggestions?

Here's a list of equipment to be used:

JBL GTO 1201.1 amplifier powering whatever two 15's I choose (currently have one JL 15W6.
JBL Px600.2 amplifier powering Crystal Mobile Sound CSC 60's
Using factory head unit and Audiocontrol LC6i

I'll be ordering some deadener this week and probably work on getting it in next week. Gonna do the trunk, front doors and probably the rear deck as well.

Pics of equipment:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

More recent pics of the ride it's going in:

Bumper is unpainted and fogs need to be put in still, completely one-off just got made not too long ago.





























Audio setup will be replacing my Jager tap machine....











And a recent vid I took showing wheel fitment. I know people haven't been a fan of it, but IMHO it's the pictures that make the camber look crazy. I've had people here see it in person and say it looks different and better in person.


----------



## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Somebody put your rims on crooked.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Quick update. I'm starting to run the wires. I figured I have plenty of wire so might as well put it to use. Rather than do a single run of power cable from batt to trunk and ground somewhere in trunk....or even do a full run of each like the occasional people do...I figured to do two full runs of each. One for each amp.

I'll also be replacing the Odyssey PC 1200 with a redtop group 35 and throwing the Odyssey in the trunk with a Yellowtop group 35. I was gonna use a Batcap 3000 up front and 2000 in the rear but I don't have that much money for batteries, even with my sponsorship pricing, so unfortunately I had to go with Optima cos I got sponsored by them as well....probably order those batteries in a couple weeks.

Here's some progress pics...

80 ft of 4 awg wire:



















Gonna run the wire on the passenger side. Grommet slit open to get all the wire in:



















Got one in and one out:



















Tinned Copper Ring terminals:










A little techflex and heat shrink to make it look all purrdy:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

All four wires in and out:




























Will update as I get more done, taking a little lunch break.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Alright...finished everything up. It was quite simple running the rest of the wire and I had no troubles with it. Just snapping on some of the last pieces was a lil difficult, but then I realized I was doing somethin wrong...after that, it was a cinch.

_Since I'm going to be swapping the battery I figured I'd leave some slack for the wires. All I could find was some latex gloves..then I found some electrical tape and wrapped it around (not pictured is the electrical tape)._ 



















_Progress of running all 4 wires_


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

_Time to head to the trunk and find that opening_










_Fed one through. Then zip-tying them and pulling through made it much easier._



















_Putting everything back together and taping off the opposite end of the wires with electrical tape._


----------



## AdamTaylor (Sep 7, 2008)

good god what are you going to be running off of 4 runs of 1/0 awg?


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

i think that was 4 runs of 4 gauge?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Yeah it's 4 awg, not 1/0....that would be insane if I ran 4 runs of 1/0, doubt I'd even get it to fit lol.


----------



## AdamTaylor (Sep 7, 2008)

ha, my bad.... thats what i was thinking, how in the hell are you going to fit 4 runs of 1/0... we have the same basic car and i dont see it happening


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

I must ask though. Why not just 2 runs of 1/0(one power one ground) You had mentioned running a battery or two in the rear and also mentioned doing a run for each amp back there from front battery so I'm a little confused?

Im not complaining and did like the work you did and have always enjoyed your work(been watching since the accord) but was just curious


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Brian_smith06 said:


> I must ask though. Why not just 2 runs of 1/0(one power one ground) You had mentioned running a battery or two in the rear and also mentioned doing a run for each amp back there from front battery so I'm a little confused?
> 
> Im not complaining and did like the work you did and have always enjoyed your work(been watching since the accord) but was just curious


I had sold my previous run of 1/0 and I already had the 80 ft of wire from quite a while ago. Didn't feel like trying to sell the wire and getting the 1/0. If I had the 1/0 then I'd def use it.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

AdamTaylor said:


> ha, my bad.... thats what i was thinking, how in the hell are you going to fit 4 runs of 1/0... we have the same basic car and i dont see it happening


The grommet that goes through the firewall needs to be cut open quite a bit. I fed the wire through and it was really easy...seems like there's tons of space...just that the ECU gets in the way but you can see the wire all clumped up. Pulling it through did take some tugging and I was trying to make sure I wasn't damaging anything else.

Running through the sides there was no problem, the carpet has quite a bit of give to it. Just getting it back on over the clips required some pulling and using a screwdriver. And putting the panels on, not too big of a problem, just smash my fist over till it finally snapped in place.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

wow, that bringts back memeories, where did you get the CSCs? i was a big time crystal fan back in the day and was a dealer for a long time, until A3 bought them and i felt they werent the same after that.

probably by far my favorite budget level speaker manufacture...i have also ran their yellow coned drivers for a bit too 

awesome!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Found them on ebay. Got em for a pretty good deal, $45 picked up.

I was actually going to PM you Bing as time came closer since you've worked on so many VQ's. Since I'm going to be using the Audiocontrol LC6i, how would I wire it up?


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

wait...why are you using the LC6?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I was going to use it as a LOC. Is there another route I should be going with? Currently OEM integration with processing is out the budget for me.


----------



## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

Wow what a thread. I just don't and will not ever understand why someone would drop a car so low you can't go anywhere with it? I'm dropping my car but damn sure not as low as this. Other than that I love the car and at one point was gonna get one. I'm interested to see how the rest of the audio goes! Good luck!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Thanks! I an actually get around quite well with the new bumper on, just need to angle more. Will be more of a challenge when I go lower (rims of fenders look) but that won't be till I get air suspension


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

donpisto said:


> Thanks! I an actually get around quite well with the new bumper on, just need to angle more. Will be more of a challenge when I go lower (rims of fenders look) but that won't be till I get *air suspension*


:guitarist:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Lol...yeah I'm a dealer for Universal Air Suspension so I get good deals, but install costs 1k and i got other things to handle...i'd actually need to customize my suspension if i go with air ride


----------



## ShakingHorizons (Feb 23, 2010)

Personally, I would never do air ride or hydraulics on a daily driven car.......

Yes, I have had both - for many years.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I've been in a G35 with air suspension, way different than hydraulics...and especially when you have coilovers on with air suspension, its a huge difference...you actually wouldn't know the difference unless you're tracking.


----------



## ShakingHorizons (Feb 23, 2010)

I was simply stating I have had both air ride AND hydraulics on vehicles. I wasn't stating I wouldn't drive them daily because of the ride, just because of reliability and maintenance that ensues.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I wasn't trying to make an argument, I guess I just assumed...usually people assume the ride is crap.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

gotcha, well you dont need the LC6 persay since you dont need summing.

tap the signal IMO bets to do it right behind the headunit at hte main harness. tap front signal and that hsould be okay for your entire system. its extremely week so i guess the LC6 is a linedriver also? is it? i cant remeber.

if it is, tap it at the headunit so you signal wire going down the length of the car is already boosted to a proper voltage by the line driver 

b


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Is that the same as tapping into it from the rear before the amp? Just like in the link below?

How To Install A Sub In A G sedan Using Stock Bose System - G35Driver

What wires exactly do I tap into? Never used OEM integration before so I'm completely clueless.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

well, my theory is this.

if you tap at the front, and run rca back, the signal cable running down the entire length of the car is already at a high voltage and less chance of noise getting into the line.

if you tap at the back, you are relying on the stock pre amp signal wire, whcih is very low voltage...so...

i guess maybe it doesnt make a difference, but i always did it that way.

b


----------



## ShakingHorizons (Feb 23, 2010)

donpisto said:


> usually people assume the ride is crap.


Not at all.....

I love the "floating" feeling you get when bagged or accumulators.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

simplicityinsound said:


> well, my theory is this.
> 
> if you tap at the front, and run rca back, the signal cable running down the entire length of the car is already at a high voltage and less chance of noise getting into the line.
> 
> ...


Hmmm, I think it'll be best then to do it your way. What wires am I working with and how exactly would I wire things up?


----------



## ChotaBoy (Feb 3, 2009)

Hey Don where did you fine the crystal comps?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Found em on eBay a few months back.


----------



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

did you have to use a stick of dynamite to set the bead on those tires?


----------



## ChotaBoy (Feb 3, 2009)

donpisto said:


> Found em on eBay a few months back.


MAn I ran those in 03 or 04. Got 'em from Sound domain when they sold stuff.
The best $119.99 I ever spent........


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Seems like you enjoyed em. I picked up em for pretty cheap, $45. I just got them because I know Crystal was a great company back in the day, figured 45 bucks isn't much to lose out and I could always make back what I paid if I didn't like em.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

chad said:


> did you have to use a stick of dynamite to set the bead on those tires?


Pretty much. The shop that mounted them use 2 cheetahs...


----------



## ChotaBoy (Feb 3, 2009)

donpisto said:


> Seems like you enjoyed em. I picked up em for pretty cheap, $45. I just got them because I know Crystal was a great company back in the day, figured 45 bucks isn't much to lose out and I could always make back what I paid if I didn't like em.



Loved them. Running in stock locations (Heavy deadening) in my 97 Grand cherokee. Run off of a JL 300/2 v1.


----------



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

well, to do it neatly, here is what i would do. get a linked harness, one end plugging into stock harness, the ohter end into radio, or just get both harnesses seperately, for into car and into oe radio.

for metra, its 70-7550 (female into oe harness) and 71-7550 (male into OE radio), now, once you plug both into their respective spots, you hook the ones that are still need together, such as power ground acc, illumination, etc, and then, you take the spekaer output wires from the 71-7550 (front left and right) and run it to your LC6. clean, no fuss, and no cutting up stock wiring. but again, it seems like a big waste to use a LC6 to take in a single pair of inputs. just a 2 channel loc/line driver would be fine.

b


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Cool. Thanks for the info Bing. I'll probably just sell the LC6 and get that 2 channel loc/line driver. Any one in particular you recommend?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

ChotaBoy said:


> Loved them. Running in stock locations (Heavy deadening) in my 97 Grand cherokee. Run off of a JL 300/2 v1.


Sweet...I'm debating on how many layers of Damp Pro I should put on my doors. I got a shop pack and planned on doing the trunk walls and floor (trunk lid already done), rear deck, and front doors.


----------



## tyroneshoes (Mar 21, 2006)

donpisto said:


> Cool. Thanks for the info Bing. I'll probably just sell the LC6 and get that 2 channel loc/line driver. Any one in particular you recommend?


Might as well keep the lc6 imo. If you ever decide to add additional amps you have the outputs and a line driver available. I used it with just one run and no summing as well. No noise, good product.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I don't plan on adding any other amps, not till I redo the system and that's when I'll go with a fully active setup. All depends on what I can get for the LC6.


----------



## Sangheili (Apr 23, 2007)

Can you post a diagram of your power wiring scheme?

Are you running those positive wires to the same destination? Or separating them? I seem to recall being taught in school that two wires to the same destination is a bad idea because the electricity will take the path of least resistance and you will only end up using one cable (and potentially overheating it).

Along those lines, why run ground all the way back to the front of the car?

I assume you have it all figured out, but just want to make sure


----------



## ChotaBoy (Feb 3, 2009)

Hey donpisto,
Did you ever get a chance to listen to the Crystals?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

No not yet. Been lagging on my install. I'm hoping to get to deadening the doors this week or next. Gonna start with the roof tomorrow and trunk if I finish in time.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Started deadening the roof today. My gosh it was a pain in the rear. I got the headliner off without much trouble, but getting it out of the car was another story. Didn't get it out till I stopped doing some work and a friend came over and helped me out. Thanks Robby 

Anyway, majority of the roof is done. Just need to finish up the driver side in the rear and do the front a little. Hopefully I'll have enough for my trunk, but I don't think I'll have anything left for my doors. Using a shop pack already. BTW, I'm using two layers and I'll be finishing this up tomorrow.
























































Here's some before and in progress videos of the difference.

Before:





In Progress:





I have plans for the headliner, might do them black, but then my pillars won't match. Not doing suede, I don't like it. But I do have some neat ideas. Some may say it's tacky but I think it'll fit the look of my car quite well. I'll be putting fiber optic lights like you would see on the roof a limousine.


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

very nice. I cant wait to do my roof in some dp. I have a lot of ss products on the way  I already have a couple gallons of spectrum/sludge. going to do my wheel wells and under carriage with that and also do the entire entior of my car. my trunk is my last concern.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Roof is completed with 2 layers. Here are some pics...




























Also a vid:


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Brian_smith06 said:


> very nice. I cant wait to do my roof in some dp. I have a lot of ss products on the way  I already have a couple gallons of spectrum/sludge. going to do my wheel wells and under carriage with that and also do the entire entior of my car. my trunk is my last concern.


Sweet....how come you're not worried about the trunk right now?


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

honestly I dont have a lot of rattle in my trunk so Im not too concerned. Plus Im going to run my idmax's ib in time so then the trunk will be isolated away from the cabin area so I wont get any noise in there from the trunk. I will in time of course do a bunch of spl tiles and probably a gallon of spectrum and sludge in certain area's but for now my main focus is creating tomb like silence in the cabin


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Started deadening my doors and I will do it as follows:

Inner part of door: 1 layer Damplifier Pro, 1 layer Overkill Pro
Inner black metal sheet: Same as above
Outer black metal sheet: 1 layer Damplifier Pro, 1 layer Luxury Liner Pro
Outer part of door: Same as above

Some areas are tough to get to so I'm using rubber undercoating (what you spray on the truck beds, and Spectrum.

Untouched door:










Black metal sheet removed and cleaned:










Starting the deadener install:











It wasn't till later that I realized I could remove the two bars to make it easier:










Rubber undercoating sprayed:



















What I have done so far:










And now back to work.


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

Nice work. I put some llp in my doors a few weeks ago and it worked wonders. The only noise that is coming from my doors would be from the windows

Second Skin FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Nice! glad to hear.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I finally got around to working on the car again. Gonna copy and paste from the G35driver forum since I'm dead beat and want to get some rest.

*UPDATES:*

- Added the Luxury Liner Pro on driver side.
- Passenger side still needs deadening.
- Wired amp through the back of the head unit for most output voltage.

Here's a couple pics, but I have more work to do. Gonna see about hooking up some mids and another amp for them. If all goes well, I'll put everything back together. Found out the cheap Kicker subs I got off craigslist are messed up, so I'm in the market for some other budget subs. Wish I hadn't sold some of my other ones 

Rather than using a small little LOC I'm using an Audiocontrol LC6i. Got it from a friend and might do some EQ/XO settings with an add on unit, but we'll see. I just need some bass right now. It's been too long without it.



















Testing out the Stinger voltage meter. Will be placed somewhere up front that is visible. Will be very useful once I get the full audio setup going on.










A comparison of the Tara Labs RCA ends I will be using as opposed to the Stinger RCA's I used to test out. Picture doesn't do these RCA ends any justice. They're black chrome with gold tips. Nice and solid. Well worth the $5 each price tag I paid several years back.










Gonna test out the front speakers tomorrow with the 2nd amp. Also gonna install a ground distribution block under the hood and in the trunk to make the install easier and cleaner. Probably will do the same for the power wire.

I will also mount the battery in a better location, just gotta figure out where exactly and see if I have enough slack for the wiring.

Long ass day. Got pretty much everything wired up. Since I need more wire I'll make baffles for the mids and mount them and the tweeters when I get wire. All that I have to do after that is mount the crossovers in the trunk, hook them up and do some quick wiring to the amps and I'll be done. Still on the search for some decent subs. Anyway, here are pics of what I got done today.

*Starting off.....with an empty trunk.*










*Mounted the battery.*










*Mounted the amps and LC6i.*










*Made some RCA's with Tara Labs RCA ends.*


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

*Mounted a ground distribution block next to the battery.*










*Mounted a power distribution block below the sub amp.*










*Moved onto the head unit and rather than twisting the wires and using electrical tape, I used butt connectors for a clean install.*










*Ran wires from the LC6i to the Stinger voltage meter and mounted it in a location that wasn't distracting to me or the outside and still visible. Batteries run at 14.5 - 14.8V *




























*Hooked up the wires coming from the battery under the hood and the ones for the amps.*


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

*Done....for now.*


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Got a little more work done on Friday....here's the progress.

*Ran the wires for the voltage meter and the amplifier remote wire from the OEM head unit to the LC6i.
*



























*Installed crossovers and hooked them up to amp.*




























*LC6i all wired up.*











Next I need to run wires through the door and to the trunk for the mids and tweeters, make some baffles for the mids, and modify the window sail for the tweeters, maybe do a little fiberglassing. Still need to deaden the passenger door. Just about done with this setup. I think I'll also get a sub gain control so I can adjust it when I don't want much bass on some of those dreadful mornings.


----------



## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

crazy, if it were me, id have got all my stuffs together, stripped the car once, and put it back together, prolly take 3-5 days straight.... done.

ive seen people report that deadening the roof, 

held road noise in !!! ??


would you say it has made yo whip quieter or no to drive?

its obvious from the vids it quieter to tap


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I can't get to working on the car all the time so I have to spready my time out. Plus I'm indecisive of what I want to run and I get lazy, hence the reason for not doing it all at once.

I haven't put everything back together yet so I really can't tell. Rear deck is out and a lot of noise comes through there so It's hard to judge. I usually roll the windows down when I drive so it'll be a bit more difficult to judge as well.


----------



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

60ndown said:


> ive seen people report that deadening the roof,
> 
> held road noise in !!! ??


I've never really heard of it holding noise IN per say, but given the design of modern cars, changing the resonant frequency of the roofline where there is wind buffeting and most likely changing negative pressure (suction) could certainly merely CHANGE the noise without reducing it.


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Finally got a sub in. 15" RE SE. Also painted the wood black so it looks a lil cleaner. Barely got the sub to fit in because of the stupid thick foam pieces the car comes with. Had to get a lil creative to get it in, but I got it. 

In the vid below I actually turned the gain down quite a bit on both the Audiocontrol LC6i and the amp. It was quite a bit louder before and the rear view mirror immediately vibrated down, and much faster. Sunroof was also flexing quite a bit earlier. Sub sounds like it's rattling but its the old digital camera I'm using. Sounds pretty good though.

*Pics*



























*Video*
YouTube - 15" Re SE on JBL GTO 1201.1


----------



## internationlriders (Nov 7, 2009)

donpisto said:


> Meh, you have your opinions, I got mine, others have thier own. Personally I'm not liking the entire black/white (oreo) look but I wanted to see what the overlay would look like, original plan was gold rims, but now I'm going for a step lip with an aggressive offset.
> 
> I'm just curious why I get compliments from other G/Z drivers, have people take pics while I'm driving, and why I'm able to enter it in shows...beats me.


Just reading through your thread and taking a few steps back here... I really like the 'low key' look and have been considering changing the look of mine similar to this.  But at the same time is it just another 'fad' that's going to die soon?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

IMO, I don't think so. The whole aggressive setup with stretched tires has been going on for over a decade, but more popular with Euro's. Now you see a bunch of other cars doing it. Even Kia's and whatnot.

I personally thing a stanced out car (nice n flush, rims poking a little) is setting a new standard. A nice lip kit with a drop and a set of wheels really changes the look of the vehicle.

I'm actually a little insane, so I'm going even more aggressive. Most recently my wheel specs were 20x9.5 -12 (F) and 20x10.5 +0 (R). Next month I'll have new rears and I'm moving the old ones to the front, so I'll be running a 20x10.5+0 and 20x11 -12. Step lip fronts, reverse lip rears. Can't wait to get them.


----------



## derickveliz (May 15, 2009)

.


.I'm sorry to jump in here, but I really enjoy reading this thread!

*Even my cheap economical 42.33 MPG Yaris sedan looks better after a few mods!*










*Great job donpisto,!!! Hey that means "mister money" where I come from!*

.
*Here is the before and after...*











.
Derick Veliz
www.aerialview.us
My Yarisworld.com


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Lol.... my mexican friends actually gave me that nickname...told me two meaning behind it. The one you mentioned and the one they were using it for. "king/boss of drinks (alcohol)". Basically making fun of me because i had just ate and then had a warm shot of sky vodka (even cold its nasty) and i threw up right after, so they're making fun of me for it.

But yeah, your Yaris looks a TON better. I was actually thinking of trading in my g35 for a yaris hatch at one point because the gas prices were getting ridiculous, but it was going to end up costing me more for my car payments with the yaris than the G.


----------



## derickveliz (May 15, 2009)

donpisto said:


> Lol.... my mexican friends actually gave me that nickname...told me two meaning behind it. The one you mentioned and the one they were using it for. "king/boss of drinks (alcohol)".


*I hear you, once I was with my mexican friends and they asked me if I wanted to go out that night and I answer "sorry I don't have pisto" That means to me I don't have money! and they laugh at me!*

I would love to own a G35, keep up the good work.




Derick Veliz
www.aerialview.us
My Yarisworld.com


----------



## moog (Apr 29, 2008)

more pics please!


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

I should have some in a few weeks. Gonna deaden the trunk and the other door and make some mounting for the tweeters and baffles for the doors.

In a month I'll have new subs, a box, beauty panel, and cover for the amps so I can have a floor again.


----------



## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

new subs?


----------



## donpisto (Jul 26, 2006)

Yup....new subs...going with a pair of 12's, because I want more cone area and have a shallower box to have more room for the amps and whatnot.


----------



## MistaYoung (Jul 8, 2010)

looks great!


----------



## GoinSleekG (Aug 27, 2010)

^^ what he said


----------



## damus (Apr 20, 2011)

any updates?


----------



## ChotaBoy (Feb 3, 2009)

Like, how did the crystals sound?


----------

