# mad89's SQ Install



## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

*mad89's SQ Install - 56k bake a cake! lol*

Hi guys.

My name is Rick, and im from New South Wales Australia.

A bit about me, im a pretty active member over on our Australian Car Audio forum, Mobile Electronics Australia, with over 4,500 posts, and the 18th highest poster on the site. Yeah im a bit of a forum whore. lol.

Anyways, just turned 20 years old a couple of weeks ago, but ive been into car audio for about 4 or so years now. Starting at only ~16, i was researching, building, installing and tuning my own SQ stereo, and competing in our national SQ format over here since 2006 with pleasing results.

Just thought id sign up here and post some pics of my install, now that its in its final stages of completion. Its been through about 6 different 'phases' or 'stages' if you like, so im glad to have it almost finally finished, to get some other perspectives/opinions/comments/criticisms/etc from different people around the world.

But as always with Car Audio, the bug has bitten me again and im ready to upgrade some components  lol

Ill post some pics up of my install here, however it will be very abbreviated compared to the original thread. My build thread can be viewed here in its entirety, 50+ pages and over 300 pics, documenting the build of the car over about 3 or so years.
Board Message

But anyways, heres my thread for now. Keep in mind this was a 3 year continuous build of 'doing up my car' i guess you could say, so its pretty bland at the start 

The car is a 1994 Holden Nova SLX Limited (same as a Toyota Corolla). 

Heres a pic of the car wen i first got it, while still on my Learners Permit.


















When i first got the car, not knowing much about stereos, i chucked in some pretty basic gear that i had stockpiled in the shed from buying bits and pieces 2nd hand. Dont need any pics of these early setups, it was just old crappy gear to get me some sound, but hey, it all worked!

This is what i started with as what i now call 'Stage I'. lol
- Sony CDX-C7500 CD Tuner
- Alpine SPS-100A Type S 4" in stock locations under the dash
- Sony XS-GF1630 6" 3 way Coaxials in the parcel shelf
- Alpine 3553 4x35wrms 4ch amp (under passenger seat, powering 6" rears, and sub)
- Alpine 3522S 2x35wrms 2ch amp (under drivers seat, powering 4" fronts)
- Sony XS-L121 12" Sub (in ported 18mm MDF, 2.0cu/ft box, tuned to 35hz)
- Aerpro 4ga Wiring > Distro > 8ga > amps

That lasted about a month or so. lol

In addition to Stage I, came the following:

- Sony XM-4520 2x45wrms 2ch amp (to run rears)
- Sony CDX-505RF 10disc Stacker
- RCA switch box which feeds stacker, and switches to iPod (manipulating the 'Audio Bus In' on the HU)
- Sony XS-HF77 6.5" splits (+ Alpine 4" from above) to make 3 way front stage
- Custom door pods for 3way setup
- Sound deadening front doors
- Custom crossovers built for 3way setup

This was my first attempt at fibreglass door pods, but got it all wrong. Without knowledge, just whacked more speakers in the doors and replaced the map pockets in the door trims. Bare in mind i was 16 years old and still learning, but was keen to try something different with some fibreglass etc. The pods were built by me, and painted professionally with 2 pack paint, by my dad, and i used some spray on sound deadener in my doors.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

'Stage II' lasted about 3 months, then came 'Stage III', which is as Per "Stage II", with the addition of:
- Precision Power FRX-456 6 way Active crossover
- 14 pairs of custom hand made, double shielded RCAs
- Temporary 3-point 0ga + 4ga earth kit
- Stinger 2x0ga in > 3x 4ga out Distro
- New Battery, Exide E370C

Custom RCAs









Precision Power active crossover installed infront of the passenger seat









Custom RCAs again









And upgraded the battery and factory earths with some 4ga.

Car wise, I got some new wheels for my car. 17", to replace the 14" stockies and lowered it a little.









Stayed like that for a bit, then changed again.

"Stage IV", is the same as "Stage III" with the addition of:
- Pioneer GM-6100F 4x60wrms 4ch Amp
- JBL P80.4 4x40wrms 4ch Amp
- Fire Extinguisher




























With this setup, i began competing in SQ for some feedback.

Came 4th in my first event and got an 'Encouragement Award' and then won at the 2nd event i attended.









Now i was well and truly bitten by the bug...


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Next on the list was Dynamatting the doors.



















With that completed, it was off to National Finals of CAASQ in 2006, where i came 2nd overall in my class.










After finals, there was another SQ event, in which i won again.










Annnnnd... My net just got capped. LOL 

But stay tuned... More to come, and it gets a bit better lol... Thanks for looking so far. 

Rick.


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## phantomtides (Nov 11, 2008)

Yeah, it appears you're sticking to the very first principle: HAVE FUN! Nice going!


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Thanks...

Continuing on...

All trophies and awards from 2006...










Anywho, after being well and truly bitten by the bug, i started to get more serious with where i wanted the stereo to go, and how i wanted it to sound.

This meant starting to drop some more cash (inevitable really) and start to source and collect some 'nicer' gear, to replace my older stuff.

I started with a new HU. Needed something with crossovers, time allignment and some form of EQ to replace my basic Sony HU. Came across a nice Alpine CDA-9835 second hand, for a good price so i snapped that up, and it suited my needs perfectly with BassEnginePro.










Also decided on some new amps. Selected from the Alpine V12 range, i bought an MRV-F545 and an MRV-F345.

The 545 ran the sub in bridged mode (1x500wrms rated) and the front channels ran the 6.5" midbasses (2x125wrms rated), while the 345 would run the 4" midrange (2x75wrms rated) and the tweeters (2x75wrms rated).

And i would be making the move to active, making use of the inbuilt crossovers in the 9835, and the amps, therefore eliminating the need for the Precision Power active crossover. (4" and tweeter are on the same preout/TA channel however).


























This also meant some power upgrades were needed. Removed my old 4ga > 8ga runs.

Dropped some more cash on Aerpro 0ga and 4ga, and a crapload of Stinger HPM Series Platinum accessories. (Battery terminals, ANL fuse holder, fuses, ring terminals, distro blocks, etc).

At the battery side, this meant relocating a factory fuse box that was built into the factory battery terminal, in order to suit the new battery terminals, and bigger 0ga cabling.

A bracket was made up to attach a 0ga run to the fuse box.










And attached to the fusebox.










A second 0ga run for the amps was ran through the engine bay and neatly secured to keep it away from moving parts etc.










Into the cabin via a rubber grommet, then cable tied securely again.










And then into the new distro block. 0ga > 4ga for the new amps, and fused relay for switching the amps on.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Now with some decent power cable in place, it was time to sort out mounting of the fuseholder and some better earthing methods aswell...

So out came the aluminium and the metal fab skills.

2 custom brackets were fabricated to hold the fuse holder mount in place, seen at the top of the pic. And a new battery strap also fabricated to securely hold the battery. (You can also see my old battery terminals there).










My stuff all polished up nice.










And installed. With the prime concern of SAFETY in mind, some rubber was also used, to insulate this small area of the aluminium plate (roughly 50mm long), to prevent possible shorting out on the positive battery terminal.










Positive side overview, with battery terminal, and Fuseholder... (also note rubber grommets used for 0ga to pass through the aluminium).

One 0ga run goes to the now relocated factory fusebox, and the other 0ga run goes through the fuse holder and into the car obviously.










Heres what it looks like overall... shiny shiny! (note the attention to detail, by using ALL Dome Head Stainless Steel Phillips Head screws/bolts to secure the plate, fuseholder, and battery strap etc)


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

As for the negative side, note the dual 0ga runs. These run to the back of the firewall to a bus bar, and then to a 5 point 4ga earth kit.

Heres all the wiring bolted to the buss bar. YES, they are solid copper bolts, and copper washers, however, theyre a little dirty/unpolished... 2x0ga into the bar, 5x4ga out...










Polished up the copper bolts.










The Stinger 0ga and 4ga Cable Clips FINALLY arrived! Woo!


























Finished Product...









About a year later, i replaced the standard battery with an Exide Orbital Deep Cycle battery, which meant relocating the radiator overflow bottle (seen in the above pic, infront of the battery), and swapping the positive and negative terminals around, as well as making a new battery strap to hold it in place. It now bolts straight through the middle of the battery.

Orbital in place. Positive and negative swapped. New battery holder. The rest is the same as above. (Yeah its a bit dirty. Sue me.  )









YES all of the above was completed by me, with the help of my friend Jono. The only thing outsourced was the polishing of the aluminium.

Stay tuned for more 

Comments welcome, and thanks for looking!

Cheers,
Rick.


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## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

Subscribed.

Awesome job on the wiring. Looks great.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Shortly after that, i sold my MRV-F345, and invested in another one of its bigger brothers, the MRV-F545, so now i have two. lol.

Once installed, it was setup like this:
First 545:
CH 1 + 2 = 6.5" midbass (2x125wrms rated)
CH 3 + 4 = 12" sub (1x500wrms rated)

Second 545:
CH 1 + 2 = 4" midrange (2x125wrms rated)
CH 3 + 4 = tweeters (2x125wrms rated)

This is the only shot i have of it, without the top plate. The top plate was installed later obviously.










Macro shot of the custom RCAs again.










After this i was having some low-ish staging problems. I fiddled around with some ambient tweeters on the dash to try and help bring the stage height up a little (keep in mind i was still using my 3 way door pods with poorly placed speakers). Wont worry about pics of those because they didnt last long at all. I was trying to band-aid fix the problem, rather than doing it properly and repositioning the speakers. I learnt my lesson fast.

Competed in a 2 rounds of SQ comps with a couple of 4ths and 5ths. Not a great start to the 07 season, but there was lots of changes from 06. Was getting disappointed with my results and my existing pods letting me down with their poor speaker placement.

Anyways, more on that later.

I then started on the first of my cosmetic upgrades.

First on the list was finally deleting my rear speakers, so i sourced an uncut parcel tray with no holes in it. The factory parcel shelf carpet was looking old and tattered after many years in the sun, so i stripped it off and gave it a bit of an overhaul before installing it.

Firstly, painted the bottom of the shelf black, and gave it a coat of fibre glass resin.










Then the time came to whip out the carpet and carpet it. I was happy with the factory downwards slope of the parcel shelf, which meant 'things' could be hidden there to help with the cosmetic upgrades. I had a chat with my mate Jono, and we decided that if we mounted some 300mm CCFLs under there it would light up the boot nicely to show off the boot install (if - i mean when - it gets done).

I decided on plain white CCFLs, as they add 'class' to the car, i dont want the 'fully sick bro' blue or green or red, i just want it to light up better than factory, and be nice... so white was the go. It also matches the car too. WOO! haha

So i had to extend the wiring on one of the lights, so it could reach over to the corner of the shelf. The light was then secured and the wiring ran under the carpet...










The trimming was completed, and the rails reattached.










A 2 pin Molex style plug was used to interface the lights into the car, and the factory bootlight wiring was used.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Then to improve the audio side of things, i decided to move the 4" + Tweeters to the kick panels. This was for a few reasons.
1. They are on the same preout channel, which means Time Allignment affects them simultaneously. Having them seperate in the door pods (~25cm apart) meant that i could not get a perfect stage or image.
2. 4" was behind the 6.5" mid in the pods, which meant that stage was getting dragged down and back to the pods.
3. The 4" was firing almost directly into the seat. Which is a bad idea.

Only option was either the kick panels, or in the very front of the door (which meant new door pods).

After some inspection of the bare kickpanels, we decided that there was adequate room to fit them in, so Jono came round to help out, and we got started!

Made some cardboard templates, then cut them out onto some 3mm MDF for the baseplates. 9mm MDF was used for the baffles.

Test fitting and listening to try and get the placement right.



















When we got the angles right, made some spacers and secured them with some Liquid Nails, then fleeced over the frames and started with the fibreglass.










Trimmed off all the excess glass etc, and then dynamatted the inside of them.



















So now theyre ready to install. A few pics are missing here, i was too excited, cause i just wanted them in. So, a few things to note are:
1. Kick panels/cavities filled with Dacron/Fibre Fill
2. Small tweeter from the Alpine Coaxial is disconnected
3. Total Recoil Tweeters coaxially mounted over the top of the cheapo coaxial ones. This was done since the tweeter and 4" are Time Alligned together, and it also retains the on axis response with the 4".
4. Kicks sealed to the metal kick panel via closed cell foam
5. 4" sealed to the kicks via closed cell foam
6. Metal piece of wire was taped to the speaker wire of the tweeter to allow it to stay 'airborn' and not impede on the 4".

Just to clear up, the tweeters im using are a brand called 'Total Recoil'. Down here in Australia we have a bloke/company who hand makes his own speakers. My tweeters were originally part of a custom set of 3 way splits built by Total Recoil, including an 8" Kevlar midbass, 6.5" Kevlar midrange, and my tweeters. As far as im aware, this set was originally purchased for $1599AUD, but then later split up and sold as individual components. I bought the Kevlar dome tweeters.

The tweeters on the Alpine coaxials were always disconnected in every part of the 3 way build up, and ive been using these tweeters ever since.










The excess plastic covering the 4" was trimmed after this pic.










Then i got some Stinger grey speaker cloth and trimmed the kick panel plastics, to cover the speakers.

Theres some pics of the grills in the following posts.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

So next on the list to update/upgrade was the 6.5" Mids.

Unfortunately i didnt have in excess of $1000 to spend on the 3 way splits that i *really* wanted, so i am just going to use what i have. I figured that i have reasonably good quality 4", very nice tweeters in the TR's (they came from a $1500 custom/hand made 3 way set im told), so the only thing that was holding me back was the Sony mids.

Being that they were/are about ~8-9 years old (and still kicking strong - a testament to the good quality Sony gear of old), they were just getting a little long in the tooth, and werent really handling the power that i have on tap (Gains on minimum still saw them bottoming out on certain tracks).

Anyways, i set out looking for a reasonably priced 2nd hand set of 6.5" mids and was able to score a set of Alpine Type X Midbasses. These arent from the normal SPX-177R 2 way set, these are the optional add-on "Midbass Kit", he SPX-17MB. They came at the right time, and at the right price so i bought them (complete with the very elegant passive crossover networks - even though they wont be used).

Old vs New



















These were installed into my existing pods for now, and since the 4" and tweeter were removed, i blocked up the holes.










After that it was off to another SQ comp (Round 3), where im pretty sure i came 4th from memory. Tuning started from scratch with the new positioning, so it was good to get some feedback

A month later was the next round of SQ competition (Round 4), and with a bit more tuning etc, i managed to win that event!  Things were starting to sound good again!










Along comes Round 5 and be and my best mate are the first cars judged and get exactly the same score, so we are sitting in 1st and 2nd the whole day, until the very last car to be judged on the day comes along and blows us all our of the water with a score 10 odd points clear of the rest of the field. This bumps me down to 3rd place on 'countback'. Not a bad result, though no trophy.

More tuning before Round 6 and i make a bad decision with my crossover selection and my midbass/subbass integration horrifies the judges and i drop down to 5th or 6th place.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

In between rounds i fiddled with another cosmetic mod to the car.

I decided to add a Voltmeter display in the vacant space above my HU. In other Corolla models, there is usually a clock that sits in there. Initially i was going to just source one of those, but then decided against it, as the HU has a clock in it anyways, so there was no point having 2.

So i started by removing the panel from the dash surround, tracing it and cutting it out of some 4mm tinted perspex. I opted for tinted perspex to slightly dull/dim down the display, rather than hook it upto a dimmer circuit. It worked perfectly as its not too bright at all.










Then painted the back of the perspex with a few coats of Black. With the cutout for the display left see through still.

Sourced a voltmeter gauge and then made a 'strap' for it out of some stainless steel strip that i had laying around.










Neatened up the wiring and added some heatshrink to hold it and a plug in the end to be able to connect and disconnect it when the dash panel needs to be removed.










This is in the car. The voltmeter is wired down into the distribution block under the centre console to give me a direct reading from the battery, and tell me how much voltage is at the amps/distro. The plug is there to allow me to connect and disconnect it all when that panel has to come out.










All installed. It sits about 2mm recessed into the dash. I have the illumination on the HU to match the green of the display. Looks hot i reckon  And when switched off, you wouldnt even know it was there. 










Night Shot










And some more Dynamat, but in the boot this time.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Since we were nearing the end of the 2007 season, with 1 round left to go before National Finals, i thought it was time to get my car more presentable for Finals, and also do something about my current pod situation.

And so it began.

I changed door trims to those from another Corolla model that do not have the map pocket holes, so i could cut my own holes for my new pods.

Beginning with the basic frame, and getting the angles as close to 100% perfect as possible, to ensure they are on axis with the respective driver and passenger, and also to match the angles of the 4” and tweeters in the kick panels.










All fibreglassed up, and this is them after a quick scuff over with sandpaper.










Skipped a few pics here, but basically it was bog, then sand, then sand, then sand again, then fine filler, then sand, then sand again, 2 pack primer, then sand, then sand again, then 2 pack grey paint, which was eye matched to be as close as possible to the factory grey vinyl. Thanks again to my old man for painting them for me!

Resulting in this.










I cut out some of the kickpanels and made them into grills so that the speakers in the kickpanels would be uber stealth. The kicks are covered with grey Stinger speaker cloth, and look almost factory. (Thanks to Marty/Fhrx).

Doors closed, all speakers fire basically all at the same angle for best possible speaker integration and blending, which has also solved some of the drifting image issues I was having.

Due to the flash, you can just see the outlines of the 4” mid and tweeter in the kickpanels. Its not as noticeable in real life though, which adds to the stealthness. That’s the door pods finished with 2 pack paint, painted by my old man. All drivers side speakers face/point at the passenger.

Passenger side. All passenger side speakers face/point at the driver.










Doors closed, looks this.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

So with this setup now, it was off to Round 7, the final round of the season before Finals. I came first at that event, and also won the Judges Choice award! 












After the finish of the NSW 2007 Season, and a reasonable performance throughout the year, i ended up with 3rd in NSW State Series. Off to National Finals in Wagga, and i ended up coming 5th Place.

First place (Alan/Sierra) ended up with a score of 119, then there were 3 equal seconds on 118 (Jono/Poisoner, Antony/SStealth, Adam/~Spyne~), then it was me in third place on 116. But due to their being 3 equal seconds, the scores get divided up on 'countback', to fill out 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, which then pushed me down to 5th place. So technically i came third, but really i came 5th. 

Still got a certificate/plaque for it, and im still stoked to only be 3 points behind a National Champions car (for the 2nd year running!), considering my whole install and tune was done by me, an 18 year old kid with no shop experience or history. Its a good feeling to be right up there with the pro shop built cars, knowing you have done it all yourself, and can still compete with some of the most elite cars in the country. Massive congrats also to the rest of the NSW crew who made the trip, with a solid performance across the board in Am Street. 6 out of the top 10 from NSW was awesome. And congrats to other winners and runners up. I also won the Ainslee Duff Memorial Award which was a great honour.










A few weeks after finals there was an SQ comp in conjunction with 'Wollongong Show N Shine' car show, which i also won.










Thats enough for now. More to come 

Any comments/criticism/etc very welcome and encouraged.

Cheers,
Rick.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Next came another mod to the car itself, my old man promised me from day one that hed respray my car, so finally after owning it for a few years, it got resprayed! lol

My dad being an ex panel beater and spray painter, did all the repairs for me and prepped it all.

Heres some pics.










The day of painting, ready to drive down to the panel shop.










The car getting painted in the booth.










And the finished products, heres a list of things we did to it in the process:

Changes/Mods are as follows:
* Colour coding:
- Respray in Factory Essex White
- Colour coded door handles, with rear set on front (deleting key barrels)
- Side strips removed
- Debadged and destickered
- Strips in bumper bars colour coded (including chrome strip)
- Clear indicator rubbers colour coded
- Bonnet window washer jets colour coded
- Antennae housing colour coded
- White stripes from rear taillights and garnish removed
- Rear taillights and garnish colour coded
- Rear number plate light colour coded (including rubber)
- Tow hook colour coded
- Rear window washer jet colour coded
- Sill panels colour coded

* Satin black:
- Wipers repainted
- Mirrors
- Door frames
- Front windscreen trim strips (that run down the A-Pillar)
- Door window guide strips
- Front windscreen vent thing

* Silver:
- Front grill painted silver to match Rims. Its actually the silver off an AE112R Corolla, which is a very close match.

* Numberplates:
- Factory numberplates remade from Yellow to 'White Bordered'. (I did this to avoid annual fees, and the yellow plates just looked horrible on the car)

Also lowered it a little more in the rear, though the springs have settled to be even lower now (after these pics).

On with the pics...



















Went to an SQ comp last year (July 08) and came first, and for kicks competed Street A of the SPL comp. The car ran 137.7db (from memory). Came first in that too.

First place plaques.










Then unfortunately had a small accident but had a stupidly hard time finding a Series 2 replacement front bar. Finally found one and now the car is back as good as new. Bonnet repaired and resprayed, brand new Genuine Toyota Series 2 front bar, and replaced my silver Series 2 grill with a white Series 1 grill.

This is how it was. Series 2 front bar, Series 2 grill (in silver). Then i crashed it (only a light hit) which damaged the bar and dented the bonnet.










Then this is how it is now, Series 2 front bar, Series 1 grill (in white obviously) which is actually the same grill as the FX-GT, which is the import 2 door version of the Corolla/Nova. I like it better.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Continuing on with the stereo build now.

I finally decided upon a decent sub and monoblock. Bought a Boston Acoustics G5-12 (DVC 4ohm) and bought an Alpine V12 MRD-M1005 monoblock to run it. 1000wrms @ 2ohms (rated) should be enough! 

After starting a fibreglass subbox project way back in March 08, i finally finished it in January 09. lol. The box is finished, i just need to do a replacement false/flat floor for the boot. One day... lol.

Design features 
- 24mm MDF sides, base and top.
- 18mm MDF sub ring, amp rack and backplate
- D shaped cutout for access to spare tyre
- Angled to the angle of the back seat to save space
- Fits between shock towers
- Contours (kinda) to the plastic trimmings in the boot (note the sides are different shapes)
- Amp rack to hold the monoblock
- Concealed wiring
- T-nuts for easy removal of the sub without stripping thread. Means i can easily invert it etc.
- 1.75cu/ft internal volume
- 4ga power and earth for the monoblock (red and blue, consistent with rest of the install)
- 8ga positive and negative for the sub (again, red and blue)

Anyways, i dont have many build up pics of it, so heres what i do have...

Laminated 12mm MDF into 24mm for the frame, so sides, base, and top are all 24mm thick MDF. Sub ring and amp rack are 18mm MDF. Fibreglassed fleece, then 5 layers of standard fibreglass matting (450gsm i think?), then 3 layers of thicker matting (which i think was 750gsm). 










Test fitting in the car...










Fibreglass sanded, and pipe installed...










You can see how narrow it is at the top. Saves heaps of room compared to my old 'temp' box, which stayed for like 3 years. LOL.










All bogged up and sanded.










Test fitting. Normal mounting










More coming... Damn 10 pic limit on posts!


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Sub inverted...










All carpeted up. Chose to carpet it in the same carpet thats on my parcel tray (the keen followers will remember me retrimming that  which was for this reason). If i ever get around to making the floor, lol, it will be trimmed in the same carpet, for the neat and factory look. I was going to 2-pack it in the same grey as my pods, but it would have required a shedload more sanding which i wasnt prepared to do.










Installed... Inverted... But i didnt like it. 










Installed normally. I reckon it looks heaps better. The cone on the G5 and the heatsink on the monoblock are almost the same colour, so tie in really well together, and then add to that the silver of the dustcap and top plate, it just all looks awesome together. 










The amp is spaced off the rack about ~15mm allowing the wiring to tuck underneath it. Im still debating whether to add some subtle white lighting behind the amp to light it up. Some might remember the 2 white 300mm CCFL tubes that i have under the parcel tray, which subtly light up the boot to display the box. It looks really neat though and i dont think the night shots do it justice. Its not all 'fully sick bro' lighting, just lights up the boot nicely. But anyways a few more shots...


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Couple of night shots. Taken in a pitch black garage. You can see how subtle the lighting is. Makes it look nice and neat.



















And thats my car/build/stereo as it stands today. Last week i also did some brake upgrades from the upper model Corolla. Bigger discs and calipers up front, and disc brakes out back (replacing my drum brakes). And slotted disc rotors all round, but i doubt most of you stereo guys would be interested in those pics. lol.

I only have some basic plans for it now, finish the false floor, so its one big flat floor, trimmed in matching carpet, and i have since bought some Rainbow Profi Vanadium MR100 4" mids to install (theyve been sitting on my shelf for months waiting!), and im currently considering upgrading my Alpine Type X midbasses to revamp my front stage. I want more midbass!  lol. Thats all i want to do to it i think, then start tuning again and getting back into the SQ comp scene and competing again. I miss the old days of sitting in my pitch black garage tuning with My Disc and Chesky 10 Best, and all the rest of them, etc. haha.

Hope you enjoyed the build and stories etc. As mentioned in the beginning, i started this slowly when i was only 16, and now its developed into this, and ive learnt so much and had a heap of fun along the way, meeting new people via SQ comps over here and discussing stereos with like minded people.

Its been mad fun, and look forward to any comments and/or criticisms, etc. 

Cheers, and thanks for looking!

- Rick.


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## 98RedGT (Jan 11, 2009)

Looks like you've had a blast and it's cool to see the car chronicled from day one to present!


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## Big_Valven (Aug 20, 2008)

Great to see you on here mad... car looks fantastic as always, it's the fit and finish of installs like this that really stand out.


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## Irishfocus06 (Sep 11, 2008)

very nice job! To think you are so young and have accomplished so much over there in the SQ side of things is very impressive! 

Love the new look of the car and that Boston sub is a very nice sub! Overall was fun to watch the process of the car over the years and read about the process. Might check your build over at the other forum. 

Cheers/


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Thanks guys for the feedback so far. 

The thread on the other forum has 3 times as many pics lol. This thread has 98 pics, the other one currently has 311 pics and is a little more detailed about what else i have done to the car (more progress pics with Stages I, II, III, and IV, progress pics of the earth kit, the kick panel pods and door pods build ups, respray, aftermarket exhaust, and a few other things here and there).

I appreciate the kind words and the feedback and look forward to getting out there soon to demo some new midbasses.

Regards,
Rick.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

That's pretty impressive work. I really like the clean & thorough job under the hood. Also like the angled door pods & the RCA's.


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## Shod (Oct 6, 2008)

I really do like the way that you did those custom brackets and the install but one question, what is the thickness of that aluminum that you are using?


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Shod said:


> I really do like the way that you did those custom brackets and the install but one question, what is the thickness of that aluminum that you are using?


All aluminium is 3mm thick


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## BZinn1 (Sep 25, 2008)

really like how you ran the wires to the buss under the hood........great attention to the details,love the build from basic install to how it sits now.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Thanks! Months of planning and fiddling around with dummy cables etc went into that. Then i made the fuse holder mount from scratch and cut and filed it to fit perfectly in that area.

It really looks trick when the aluminium is polished up and on show.

Thanks for the replies, any further feedback is welcomed! 

Rick.


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## Shod (Oct 6, 2008)

I would like to see more pics especially of the earth kit, what other forum are you talking about that your on


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

The link is in the first post  Or if theres anything in particular you want to see or ask about then let me know, as i have heaps more pics that arent posted.


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## Shod (Oct 6, 2008)

let me start out by saying that this is a really good install with great attention to detail. I found that other forum that was discussed above and my question is in the picture it looks like you have two earth buss bars, did you use both of them and where did you mount that bar at?


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Hmm, im not exactly sure what you mean? Do you mean the pic showing all the polished up aluminium, and theres 2 there?

It is 2 pieces, however both being L brackets, they mount on top of each other, to form 1 bus bar, if that makes sense. The lower half covers the bottom of the bolts so that they are hidden from view. Not sure if that makes any sense, but any further questions, just ask. 

Thanks for the kind words by the way, really appreciate the feedback.


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## AristoPra (Apr 10, 2009)

all i can say is "that's a thing of beauty!" :shocked2: WOW, i can only wish i can do such masterpiece of work. . .


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## syd-monster (Jan 7, 2008)

yeah! rick, way to rep your machine on DIY! see you at ACT?


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Hahaha. Thanks Chris. Yeah im hoping to make it down if i can drag someone down for the trip. 

Thanks to the others for the kind feedback, makes it all worthwhile when people appreciate the hard work and effort that went into it.

Keep it coming!  

Cheers


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## freemind (Sep 11, 2008)

Nice man. Very nice 'Rolla.

Thank you for bringing one of my favorite terms "earths" here to the board.


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## Stel (Mar 11, 2008)

Very nice install! Impressive that you were able to win an SQ and SPL comp at the same event!


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## Shod (Oct 6, 2008)

Yeah, that explained everything thank you and as I said before keep up the good work.


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Will do. Thanks heaps everyone for the kind feedback. Any constructive criticism is also welcome, always pushes me to go that one step better.

Currently looking at some new midbasses to chuck into it. Probably going to go with DDMB6.5"s and then chuck in my Rainbow Profi Vanadium MR100 4" into the kicks aswell.

Then off to an SQ comp at the end of the month. Time permitting, damn exams and University!  haha


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## mad89 (May 25, 2009)

Just an update on this, tried fitting my Rainbow Profi Vanadium MR100 4" midranges into my kick panel pods, and they do not fit!  I think in the holidays ill need to remake the pods, or sell the Rainbows and buy something else suitable.

Also using a set of Precision Power 356CS mids as a temporary trial replacement for my Alpine Type X's. Im impressed so far, but still considering my options for new mids. I think ill run these at the next competition and see how we go.

Pics to come...


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## rkb993 (Apr 10, 2009)

Nicely done and nice write-up of your progression.


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

kudos mate


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