# Evolution of my Soul



## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I have been reluctant to post any kind of build thread here. I have found many of the installs here nothing short of amazing, and I lack the skill, time, money, but mostly the skill to do as good a job on my install, but everyone has to start somewhere, so here's mine.

I have never worked in the car audio trade, but have installed many car audio products over the years for friends and family, but never much of the custom type work that requires the real skill and know how. 

That being said, I learned alot since joining the site, and while I have much to learn, I have tried to make use of the vast knowledge on the site to up my game a bit. You can see in the photos, that I have progressed from a "Better than Stock" radio, to a much more SQ oriented system. 

My stock soul came with a 6 speaker system that included 4 door speakers and two dash tweeter. First thing I did was change out the fron speakers with JL C2 coaxials, add a JL 12" Stealthmod sub with a XD500/3 amp. 


































I then added a second set of C2 coaxials in the rear doors, a small kenwood amp under the pass. seat, and began doing some fatmat inside the doors, at first I only did the insdie of the doors, because I was trying to cut down on road noise more than effect SQ.



























After awhile I was still trying to cut the road noise so I started to fatmat areas that weren't to difficult to get to, or that I had apart already and figured while it was open why not. I did under the rear seat, the rear floor, the cargo area where the sub is installed, as well as the tailgate.


















more in the next post


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

It was ok like this for awhile, but I never though I had a great system, but it was way better than stock. After having a problem with the XD500/3, I got a new one under warranty and sold it to make room for a XD600/6, and got rid of the kenwood amp under the seat.










I also began to fatmat the inside of the front doors.



















I then decided to replace the weak link, the HU. While I was not too crazy about doing this because of the bluetooth, steering controls, etc. The amount of eq applied by the factory HU, and the constant bass adjustment, not to mention I did want to go active, so a new DEH-80PRS seemed like a perfect fit, that I also got at a killer price. 


































Next up was to upgrade my front soundstage with some quality speakers and tweeters. Luckily I found a good deal on both from someone (thanks bikinpunk) on the site selling a set of JL C5 6.5" mids, and a set of Scan Speak D3004/6020-00 tweeters. The tweeters looked like they would fit in the factory dash locations pretty good, so after checking the size I grabbed them. Before I installed them, I went and upgraded my wiring for the fronts with some 14g and techflex for a much cleaner install.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I am currently running the crossover points at 2.5K for the HP, as well as mid LP, and 63hz for the mid HP, and LP. Don't remember exactly what the roll off is on each one. I am still in the "getting to know you" phase of the receiver, but so far I love this thing. The face is a bit small, and the crontrols close together(I have very large hands), and the face gets washed out a bit by the sunlight, but the important stuff though is there, SQ, great control for a HU that is only a few dollars more than the HU's that provide nothing in the way of syystem control and are full of bells and whistles.

Any thoughts as to make it sound better with the equipment I have? Or anything I did wrong? Let me know what you think.


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

neat work here!! consider a small grill/cloth covering for the tweets Vs sun battle, if your concerned.

How does it stage to you, and what sort of staging are you after, if any at all/


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I was actually going to try and make some fiberglass rings to make the tweeters flush in the mount and cover the screw holes. I didn't even consider the sun, but maybe I can work some grill cloth on them. 

I haven't had enough time with it so far, i've been installing everything and just trying to get it up and running, i've only really listened to it for a few minutes so far.

I guess I'd be going for more futher out type of staging, not sure if I'm saying it right. I really don't like that in your face kind of sound, except maybe the vocals, but they sometimes sound nasally that way, so it'd be a compromise I guess. Spacious I guess is a good word to use. Make any sense?

I am new to alot of this, but I know what sounds good to me, but it might be considered wrong by other listeners, or not correctly setup I should say, but sound is a very personal thing and different for everyone I guess. For instance, I really don't care for a flat type sound, maybe I've just never been exposed to a really well tuned flat system, but the ones I've heard I didn't care for.


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

SoulMan76 said:


> Thanks, I was actually going to try and make some fiberglass rings to make the tweeters flush in the mount and cover the screw holes. I didn't even consider the sun, but maybe I can work some grill cloth on them. .



Add a acoustically transparent dash cover and call it a day....GL


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

trojan fan said:


> Add a acoustically transparent dash cover and call it a day....GL


You mean cover the whole dash with basically grill cloth??

I just got done mixing my first batch of resin, and making covers using the old grill covers as a template. We'll see how they turn out in a few hours.

I'm sure after I bondo them, I'll need a ton of sanding to get them looking decent. I'll figure out what to cover them with when they are done.


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## dmazyn (Apr 29, 2008)

Welcome to the addiction, I mean DIYMA SoulMan76. Trojan fan was talking about a normal dash mat but you could cover the dash. I have not seen any pics of dash mats on a Soul so I am not keen on buying one until I see some good pics of the fitting. 

If your fiber-glassing anyway you might want to angel the tweeters a little to keep them from firing directly into the windshield. As I said on the Kia Soul forums the tweets in this location sound ok but seems to bring the stage down and narrow it out a bit. 

It all depends on your end goal on how much work you want to do for the audio sake.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

dmazyn said:


> Welcome to the addiction, I mean DIYMA SoulMan76. Trojan fan was talking about a normal dash mat but you could cover the dash. I have not seen any pics of dash mats on a Soul so I am not keen on buying one until I see some good pics of the fitting.
> 
> If your fiber-glassing anyway you might want to angel the tweeters a little to keep them from firing directly into the windshield. As I said on the Kia Soul forums the tweets in this location sound ok but seems to bring the stage down and narrow it out a bit.
> 
> It all depends on your end goal on how much work you want to do for the audio sake.


LOL, funny meeting you here..

I see what you mean with the dash mat. I don't remember seeing one in a Soul either. I think CARID sells them, maybe they have some pics.

I'll try to see what I can come up with as far as the angle goes. I have my fingers crossed that these things will even be able to be used. It's the fun of it though, I like working on things like this, so I don't mind trying to get it right.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I messed around with the covers, turns out when I used the old tweeter grills for templates, it made them a bit to rounded, so I am remaking them flat this time. They did come out pretty good though, for my first try. I dremeled them and sanded a bit to see how it was to work with, all in all I think I can do a good job with them if I take my time. 

Should have some pics tomorrow.


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## markland556 (Dec 2, 2008)

Very nice attention to detail.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

^^^ thanks. When I started coming to this site and looked at the kind of work so many of the members here do, it opened my eyes to how much better I could actually do things.

Here's how I used to make any kind of speaker connections, and not that it's bad or anything, but the second set of photo looks like I actually took some pride in my work.


















How I do them now:


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So yesterday I tried to make some fiberglass plates for the tweeters, this was to make it seem more finished. My first and yes second attempt didn't work out quite the way I had hoped. So I pulled the vents out of the soul and taped the crap out of everything, with the tweeter mounted in place. Sprayed it with some pam, and poured the resin in. While I still not 100% sure this will be perfect or close enough to look like it wasn't made by a kid in the first grade, I'm pretty sure once it dries, it's going to be just what I wanted it to be. 

I wasn't able to cover the screw holes on the tweeter like I originally thought, but I'll bondo them, sand them smooth and level, and spray the whole set up with some plastidip, or maybe some hammered finish black.

Here's some pics, just waiting for it to dry now.


































The resin I used


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## metanium (Feb 2, 2007)

Great start/nice equipment! I love simple/stealthy layouts! Looking forward to your progress.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, slowly but surely, it's becoming a respectable system.

Once I get the tweeters all done and I'm happy with them. I want to work on making some type of fiberglass peice to finish off the head unit. I love the 80prs HU, but hate that I have this big gaping hole in my dash now. I was thinking of trying to make a plate that makes the bottom part of the install kit even with the dash bezel, and having the two usb ports built into the plate. I also want to paint the whole kit and plate a color closer to the actual grey the dash is. The black really seems to stand out.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I cut a piece of abs plastic, just to see how it'd look. I'd have to go either on an angle or set it back past the faceplate, otherwise it hits and keep the plate from opening. Something to think about before I make it out of fiberglass. Painted grey to match the dash, it might not look to bad.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

It'll give you an opportunity to tighten up the gaps on the side of the kit, too. Which kit is that?

Jay


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

It's the Scochse kit, I originally had the metra kit(which looks a little nicer IMO) but the faceplate would hit the plastic on the metra kit and wouldn't allow me to load a CD.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

After another failed attempt with the resin, it cracked when I tried to work the tweeters out..grrr. it's all a learning experience though, so it's all good. I decided to go with just some plastic cut out with a few hole saws. I painted them hammered black, but for some reason I didn't remember it being so glossy. I probably spray it with some flat clear. They came out pretty good. They aren't secured down in the pics, I just placed on top to see what they looked like for the photos.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Resin has nearly no structural strength. You could try mixing some fiberglass cloth strands in with your resin so it will have some structural value.

Jay


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

The problem was that I let the resin go over and on the top of the tweeter, i was going to try and dremel a groove to separate them, but I was too worried about hitting the tweeter and putting marks in them. I have some fiber cloth here, I did use it on the bigger pieces the first time I tried to make them, but these two were so small and narrow, I didn't think it would help much. I guess I should have, thanks for the tip.

Like I said, each mistake is a bit of an education for me.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I was wondering what to use to keep these little plastic covers on, because to take the vents out you have to remove the tweeters first, so there will be times when I'll need to take the cover on and off. I was thinking double sided tape or velcro, but then it hit me...Duct Seal. I knew it wouldn't be permanent or hard to get rid of completly if need be, so it seemed like the best thing to use. Worked out good. Holds the little covers down enough, but easily comes off. The plus is, that duct seal is rather dense, so it should keep any rattles by the tweeters to a minimum.

I shot them with a little matte clear, but it still doesn't look good to me. I have to try and find a color that's as close to the dash as possible, and then do it completely flat, so they blend in better. I saw a color in home depot that looked like it could be close, I think it was called midnight something or other, but it was only in metallic.


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## dmazyn (Apr 29, 2008)

Maybe just cover the plastic circle in a gray grill cloth would blend better.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Hmm..thats a good idea. I'll have to try that. Thanks.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So I grabbed some grill type cloth from a store today, gonna try it out tomorrow if I get the chance. 

I also got some bed liner spray to try out on them, figured it might match well with the texture, we'll see.

Next step, for me is going to be taking all the fatmat/peel and seal, asphalt based crap off the doors and floor, and replace it with some quality deadener. I also plan to seal the doors 100% with some tin, dynaliner etc. 

After that, I'll be doing something with my cargo cover. Awhile ago I built in a plexi window with some lights to show off the amp, but after living with it for awhile, I am not crazy about it and want to do something that looks a little better.
Here's what it looks like now


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So I tried the bedliner spray on the tweeter covers, it's not bad but not great either. I just got done spraying some grey plastidip on one, just to see how I like it, but I don't think it will be it.

Yesterday I stopped by a fabric store near my house to see if they had grill cloth, they didn't but the lady pointed me in the direction of a fabric that had sort of a grill pattern to it, and actually had a very similar texture to my dash, and seemed breathable enough not to skew the sound, so I grabbed a yard for 1.99$. 

Went out this morning and cut a small piece and sprayed the back of the disc with some glue, and low and behold, It's Frakkin awesome!! BTW thanks for the suggestion Dmazyn.

Here's some pics, what do you think?:


























Here's the bedliner spray, but it looks better in the photos than it does in person, I guess cause the sun isn't really out so it's too dark to tell:


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

Looks good to me. I have the same car and yea, it does match the dash texture. Thanks for starting the thread, I've enjoyed seeing what you've done. 

What is your cargo cover made of? Did you have any issues with it rattling after you installed the subwoofer?


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I glad to hear it may help a fellow soul owner.

No, I don't have any rattles, but I do keep a decent size bag in the back that weighs it down, so that may be keeping it from rattling. 

It's 1/2" MDF, I went with 1/2" because the 3/4" would stick up to high around the edge and I didn't like the way it looked, plus the sub is right under the mdf so I put a little strip on it , and it rests on the sub so it's nice and sturdy. I got a precut 2'x4' mdf piece from the home depot, and traced the factory cover on it, then cut it out with a jig saw. It turned out to be about a 1/2" short depth wise, so there is a little gap between the cover and the back seat, but you can't even notice unless you're looking for it. It's alot easier than trying to cut a 24 and 1/2 inch piece of mdf from a full sheet.

I routed out the plexi size, then built the little frame from some wood moulding and sprayed it with silver hammed spray.

Then I just spray glued it and put some black carpet on it from wally world. here's some pics of it when I was making it.


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## dmazyn (Apr 29, 2008)

The grill cloth looks good but I would suggest maybe cutting the plastic circle a little more to see if you can get it to sit further into the dash to keep from seeing the edge so much. You might also try to bevel the outside to hide the edge a little more.

I'm just nit picking it looks really good.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I actually wanted them a bit smaller, but the othe hole saws I had were either to big or to small. I can always grab one that is closer and cut out some new circles. I would try to cut it down with the dremel, but I know I'd make it look more like a jagged egg when it was done..LOL 

I could try a sanding drum on my drill press, might keep it more uniform.

If either of you soul owners want some of the cloth let me know I'll send it to ya, no charge, it was only 2$ a yard.


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

I also have an mdf cargo cover. It's 3/4" and does sit a little bit raised. 

My problem is that after I laid ccf+mlv, the interior trim went back on very tight. The trim is now slightly "swollen" and therefore the cargo cover fits too tight. That's where my rattling comes into play. I put the stock cover back on until I fix/rebuild the wood cover, but I think the bass notes sound better with the mdf.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Did you cover it with carpet? 

I'm sure you thought of this, but maybe you could just plane it, or belt sand the edges a bit, taking the carpet off and on is an easy job. Save you from having to make a whole new cover.


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

I did cover it with carpet and yes, I may just trim/sand the edges to relieve binding. I'm slowly acquiring some new gear and may just rebuild the cover if the plan calls for such. Currently waiting for outside temps to get back to the 70's; I've been a wus this summer when it comes to the heat.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

powpow2pavement said:


> I also have an mdf cargo cover. It's 3/4" and does sit a little bit raised.
> 
> My problem is that after I laid ccf+mlv, the interior trim went back on very tight. The trim is now slightly "swollen" and therefore the cargo cover fits too tight. That's where my rattling comes into play. I put the stock cover back on until I fix/rebuild the wood cover, but I think the bass notes sound better with the mdf.


How did you do the deadener? are you using mlv on top of the ccf or vice versa? My next project is probably going to be getting rid of all the ASSphalt crap I have and go with some good stuff, I'm just not 100% sure what I should do. I also want to seal the doors completely with some tin and duct seal plugging all the holes in the inner door panels.

I see some who do cld, then top it with dynaliner or dynapad, or cld with mlv on top, or just cld, and some ensolite or ocf.. etc etc. It seems like there are different schools of thought on how best to do it along with 10000 threads and posts..lol


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So today I'm hoping to try and get the factory bluetooth mic to work. I'm putting up the diagram for any other soul owners who may want to do the same. It looks like the mic's +/- pins are 1&2 on the C1 connector, so I'll get a 2.5mm pre stripped cable from radio shack and see if it'll work.

I also asked the ebay seller : gt_sound_control what their product was made out off, here's what he said.

Hi, thank you for contacting us. GT MAT is a unique, patented blend of butyl and low-odor rubberized asphalt which provides superior sound deadening and heat resistance properties. We have an excellent product for a great price! 

We are sending out samples of our product free of charge, and we only ask that you write us a short review of how our product worked for you. In order to have the sample sent out to you, I only need your full name and shipping address. If you have any other questions please let us know, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

So he's sending me 10sqft of it. It doesn't sound bad, it has the butyl rubber in it but also the asphalt, but I don't know for sure if that's normal for most deadener. Anyone ever use this stuff? Snake oil?


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

SoulMan76 said:


> How did you do the deadener? are you using mlv on top of the ccf or vice versa? My next project is probably going to be getting rid of all the ASSphalt crap I have and go with some good stuff, I'm just not 100% sure what I should do. I also want to seal the doors completely with some tin and duct seal plugging all the holes in the inner door panels.


I used Second Skin products: Damplifier Pro and Luxury Liner pro. I had no luck getting ahold of Sound Deadener Showdown but I've heard good things about his products. Spend some time reading the posts here and go to the SDS website to research deadening and CCF/MLV techniques. 

25% coverage with the deadener. The Luxury Liner Pro is CCF attached to MLV. It was a very tight fit getting interior trim panels back on. I'm a noob so it may very well have been my inexperience/impatience. Some had to do with the car itself though and it will require some pressure to keep panels in place as you reassemble them. The CCF/MLF is way thicker than the CLD tiles 

As of now I've completed all four doors, under the rear seat, and the entire hatch area. Overall it is much quieter. I found the hatch area was the noisiest (try driving with your back seats down and cargo cover removed), and this area yielded the most noticeable results for noise reduction.

Once the weather cools down, I want to do my headliner and floor. There are some nuisance squeaks and rattles I want to pinpoint as well. Let me know if you want more info specific to the Soul. I'll share any info I can that may help with your project.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I think I get the idea now, at least I'm pretty sure what not to do now. I checked out the SD showdown page, and he definetly helped clear a few things up for me. I was kind of confusing deadening with stopping sound, and there is a big difference that just didn't occur to me. I went about it the way so many noobs do, thinking that more is better, so I wound up putting way to much of that cheap asphalt deadener on the doors, about 2 layers. 

I plan to do the rest of the car the right way, but would changing the deadener inside the doors I've already done make a huge difference, basically is it worth the effort, time and money to rip off two layers of the cheap stuff, then buy better stuff and find out it made little difference in the end. I think I acomplished the goal of deadening the doors, just used a hell of alot more than I would have need to use with better stuff. 

I'm in process of getting a permanent garage to use, so this will help alot, cause now I can rip the whole car apart and not worry about weather or leaving my car apart in the driveway, so this will help alot being able to take my time and focus on getting it right. 

BTW, I had no luck getting the factory bluetooth mic to work. I had to solder a 90 degree 2.5mm connector to wire and make a little cord with some pins to stick in the harness, but no luck. I figured I'd worry about it later when I actually take the headliner down. Just figured I'd update.


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

SoulMan76 said:


> I plan to do the rest of the car the right way, but would changing the deadener inside the doors I've already done make a huge difference, basically is it worth the effort, time and money to rip off two layers of the cheap stuff, then buy better stuff and find out it made little difference in the end. I think I acomplished the goal of deadening the doors, just used a hell of alot more than I would have need to use with better stuff.


I wouldn't rip out and redo the stuff you currently have unless it's leaking asphalt fumes and making you sick lol. Way too much time and effort when, as you said, you've accomplished your goal already.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I was hoping you'd say that..LOL

I've done most of the same areas as you , just with the cheap stuff. Once I get in the garage and rip most of the interior out, then I'll use some better stuff on the floor and headliner, cause the soul really is a noisy car. My old car was a Grand Marquis, and man that was like a tomb compared to the soul.

I got some aluminum flashing to seal the bigger holes in the door as well as some duct seal for the speaker brackets/baffles. Once the bigger holes are sealed, I'll do a layer of cld on the inner doors, then top it with ccf/mlv. Good plan?


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

what id do with the tweets,

tape them off like you did the first time. get bondo-hair from the store (its a pain in the ass to sand so get it as smooth as possible). fill the gap like you did with the resin. it will not crack - it will be super tough. just flatten everything out real nice so the tweeter looks like a single piece by sanding and what not. then i would prolly wrap that whole thing with the tweeter in some cloth, or leave it as-is after some paint.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually bought this Bondo Bondo-Glass Fiberglass Reinforced Body Filler quart 272 when I picked up the resin. Do you think this will work ok?


I think I'll give it a try soon, I have everything all buttoned up right now, and I've been busy with trying to get it tuned like I want, but I will get it back apart and try it.


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## Paul1217 (Aug 12, 2007)

I have a question about your car if you don't mind me asking. I have seen the JL Stealth box for that car before but I have worked on a soul before that didn't have the same spare tire well that yours has, which means that the stealth box wont work in them. What year is yours? The one I looked at had a huge styrofoam cargo tray that came out and then the spare was on the left side of the floor, not the right. What year is yours? The one that was like that was a 2011 I think.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

It's a 2010, but they are the same. I had the styrofoam divider as well, but you have to take it out to fit the stealth box in, so you lose a little cargo space. Then the spare just moves from bottom of the well to the top right. I am almost positive the stealth box fits every year soul that has been made so far, I think they are changing them in 2014.

Here's some pics, but they don't show before hand, but hopefully you'll get what I mean.

the spare used to fit in here, the three black spots are where the stealthbox bolts to the car.










then it moves up here:










before its in, the round part goes over the ledge to make a new spare space.


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## Paul1217 (Aug 12, 2007)

Ooooh! I didn't notice that the spare moved. They didn't mention that on the JL site. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the quick reply.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

No problem.

It's a nice system, it keeps the spare and is hidden, plus you don't have to move a box out of your way all the time, but if you're looking for really hard hitting bass,, it really cant do it. It only has the W0 series sub in it, and I haven't measured the depth, but I'm not even sure I could fit a W3 series in there. I think the box is about 1.375 cft net, so I'm sure they're are other brand woofers that would work great in the box.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Never got a chance to add more information about my actual car, so I figured I'd add the other mods I've done to my 2010 Soul. Lately it's been all about the sound though.

This was before I did anything to it:









Then I started adding little things here and there,Tint, Compustar Alarm/Remote Start, Factory Fogs,Ventvisors, Side LED repeaters, Alloy Fuel Door, Rally Stripe, Mesh Grill, Spoiler.


































Some interior and under hood work, LED lights in footwells and console, Aluminum sport pedals, Painted door accents, Stillen Ram/Warm Air Intake, SSD strut bar, Engine cover, 10mm Plug wires, JETTT Silicone Hoses, etc..


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

Looks good. Did you install the sway bar yourself? If so, was it a pain to get up in the strut housing? What type of changes have you noticed in vehicle handling?


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I started to, but I have rather large hands, and it requires getting them up into the fender pretty deep. After a few busted knuckles and a little blood, I took it to a shop and had them finish it for about an hours worth of labor.

I certainly felt a difference with the front end, but there's a few on some of the soul forums that swear there couldn't possibly be a benefit. But most agree it helps. It's not like a huge difference, but noticeable. It also matters how you drive too, I'm a "Spirited" (lead foot)type of driver, so I tend to notice when I can make a turn faster or it handles better on familiar turns. If you're a Sunday driver and the tach never breaks 2500rpms, I wouldn't waste the money to be honest..lol


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

req said:


> what id do with the tweets,
> 
> tape them off like you did the first time. get bondo-hair from the store (its a pain in the ass to sand so get it as smooth as possible). fill the gap like you did with the resin. it will not crack - it will be super tough. just flatten everything out real nice so the tweeter looks like a single piece by sanding and what not. then i would prolly wrap that whole thing with the tweeter in some cloth, or leave it as-is after some paint.


Thanks for the suggestion, I did them yesterday. I am still trying to smooth them out a bit with some filler to get them flat, because it was my first time working with the bondo and it wasn't too pretty, they came out looking like a little ring of fake puke..lol

I will have to dremel/sand them a bit to get them to fit perfectly, because a little of the bondo actually seeped under the tweeters lip, but it won't take much.

I'll post some pics when they're done, see if you guys would approve of the job I did.


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

Not sure why I never checked out your thread, but nice work man.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

scooter99 said:


> Not sure why I never checked out your thread, but nice work man.


Thanks I apperciate it. The Soul is really my first serious SQ type system. Most of my old installs were always just a little better than stock kinda stuff with lower grade equipment. This forum has helped me figure out alot of things I've been doing wrong all this time, and opened my eyes to alot more options, brands, and technique. It's been alot of trial and error as well as a learning curve, but I've learned a ton of stuff over the last few months. My next ground up install will really be much better.


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

Nice. Ya it's fun to learn but also frustrating at the same time! Keep at it! Nice job!


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Brock_Landers said:


> If you ever need "grill cloth" again, just get jersey knit. It's the same thing. I used it in my entertainment center to replace the glass inserts since my speakers are inside the unit. It's the same material that is on my Atlantic Technology speakers. It's nice and stretchy, and you can attach it with contact cement to practically anything.


Good tip, thanks, I like the cloth I got here, it seems to match the texure of the dash pretty well, but if I ever decide to change it, I'll check it out. How do you think that jersey knit would work for fiberglass work? I have some older sheets I think are jersey knit, maybe I could use it for a sub box build?



Brock_Landers said:


> I still don't get the techflex obsession. There really is no reason to bling out something that no one will see. Now if you were bundling wires together, that's a whole different story. It just seems counter-intuitive to techflex one set of wires IMO.


I get what you're saying, and I know it really doesn't do that much to protect the wires, partly the reason I did them is because I had just received the techflex and wanted to try it out. Plus it makes me feel like I'm not overlooking the little details, but you're right it isn't nessesary.



Brock_Landers said:


> Nice build though, and great attention to detail. I'll be getting into my build soon, just amassing equipment right now.


Thanks. What kinda car are you going to do?


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Brock_Landers said:


> Not sure on the jersey being used for fiberglass work. It would probably be fine, but the only fiberglass work I've done was replacing the floor in my boat some years ago. It's completely different.
> 
> I didn't mean to dig on your use of techflex, I was just making an observation. I'm doing a 2012 300C.



I'll try it, what the hell, I figure I got it sitting here, why not use it if I can.

No problem, I understand what you're saying. For the most part, doing things you won't see is a bit overboard, but at the same time, I'd expect a pro installer to do stuff like techflex or similar, on things you can't really see, it's part of the measure of a good installer, IMO anyway.

Nice car btw, looking forward to seeing your build.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Nice build....I got my scanspeak tweets used on here too. They are the bees knees! I detailed my G35 build on here but I neglected to do it with my mitsu.

Maybe we should bs here vs thread jacking......I like the bs but some folks don't...

It looks like you have your stuff squared away, but if I can help let me know.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> Nice build....I got my scanspeak tweets used on here too. They are the bees knees! I detailed my G35 build on here but I neglected to do it with my mitsu.
> 
> Maybe we should bs here vs thread jacking......I like the bs but some folks don't...
> 
> It looks like you have your stuff squared away, but if I can help let me know.


Thanks, I felt kinda funny at first even putting it up here, some of the builds here are really something else. I'll definitely check yours out.

Yeah, no problem, some people get pissed off when you talk about other stuff.

I'm the type who tries to teach myself if I can, and I'm usually a very fast learner when it's something I really like,I hate feeling like I'm asking dumb questions, but I really am new to alot of this. I've installed alot of radios and subs, but it was never really SQ stuff, and the crowd I hung out with when it came to audio was more about SPL, not like dumb basshead kids, just not really ever exposed to SQ. 

This forum, you and spyke, have been great in that respect, I have learned more in a few months than I did in years of just doing speaker and HU swaps. 

The one thing I have real trouble with, but I know it's very complicated to explain in an easy way, is T/S parameters. Some of them I understand like spl, fs, ohms, RE ohms, kinda sorta qts, but all together I can't tell what is better about one speaker than another. I read threads sometimes, and it get confusing very fast for me, I've read a few books, but they were more about building certain projects than really getting the theory behind it all. And while members talk about parameters, I haven't really come across good explanations that click in my head so to speak.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I kinda had the same back ground I have built many stereos to be loud but the last 2.5 builds have been straight sq.

Somethings on here can melt your brain. I mainly look at fs, sensitivity and xmax, the rest is over my head. I go by reviews too.

I have a hoard of stereo stuff piled up...I just can't bring myself to sell it...I should and buy some subs but I am afraid I will miss it.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> I kinda had the same back ground I have built many stereos to be loud but the last 2.5 builds have been straight sq.
> 
> Somethings on here can melt your brain. I mainly look at fs, sensitivity and xmax, the rest is over my head. I go by reviews too.
> 
> I have a hoard of stereo stuff piled up...I just can't bring myself to sell it...I should and buy some subs but I am afraid I will miss it.


I'm hoping after awhile some of it will sink in and I'll get better at reading the specs.

I'm kinda that way with guitars, I have a few that really aren't worth crap, but I don't won't to get rid of them for some reason, and I hardly ever even play them.

I just traded a pair of C2 6.5 coaxs for a Vifa NE315 12" sub(in the mail) that I'm gonna try in my stealthbox. I'm hoping it will do well, it's seems like it will with the reveiws I've read. But we'll see. I wanted to go with a JL12W6 or something, but it's too big to fit, and I hate the idea of going with a new box after spending so much on the stealthbox. Are you going to try and reuse the box you have now, or go with a new one?


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Right now I have 10's in a sealed enclosure. Its from my old car. I am going to get nice fiberglass boxes built. I am looking at 12's though....either way it will be sealed. I like sealed better. The JL stealth boxes are nice but they are $$$

I have been eyeing the focal 27kx 11, the peerles xxls, the fi q and all kinds of 12s. I get good sound from the w6 10's but I want to try some 12s. I am drawn to the aliminum cones too, for no reason though...just like them.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> Right now I have 10's in a sealed enclosure. Its from my old car. I am going to get nice fiberglass boxes built. I am looking at 12's though....either way it will be sealed. I like sealed better. The JL stealth boxes are nice but they are $$$
> 
> I have been eyeing the focal 27kx 11, the peerles xxls, the fi q and all kinds of 12s. I get good sound from the w6 10's but I want to try some 12s. I am drawn to the aliminum cones too, for no reason though...just like them.


Yeah I saw the box in your other build, figutred it was the same one.I was going to try and build a box myself when I do up my wifes santa fe, just a simple box with a little curve to go around the wheel well. I'm hoping it comes out ok. 

I wouldn't mind trying some of those subs myself, they're all nice, kinda screwed with the depth of the stealthbox though. 2 of any of those subs should sound pretty killer though, and loud too. The JL I have now is good, but I'm hoping the Vifa is great, if not I still have the jl to fall back on.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I am getting a friend to help make my 'glass box. It will have to be pretty strong so it doesn't rattle or blow a part. I tryed glass once on my own and it didn't do so well. I think it was to cold.

I would love to hear some of those subs. I hate just having to buy based on reviews.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> I am getting a friend to help make my 'glass box. It will have to be pretty strong so it doesn't rattle or blow a part. I tryed glass once on my own and it didn't do so well. I think it was to cold.
> 
> I would love to hear some of those subs. I hate just having to buy based on reviews.


Yeah my first attempt at making little tweeter covers was a bust too, but I kinda learned a little with each step. I've read a bunch of different how to's on box builds, and everyone seems to have their own way of doing it, but I want to try it, half of me just wants to see if I can actually make something nice.

Yeah same here, I was worried about the mids and tweeters I got as well, because I didn't know anyone with them where I could liten to them first, but I figured if I stay with some name brand stuff that gets good reveiws most of the time, I should be ok till I can learn more about applying those t/s numbers, plus with more popular stuff it's usually easy to sell them if need be.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

With subs I just wish I could hear them......so bad!

I have bought everything based on reviews. I got into rainbow. I love rainbow stuff. I haven't heard a rainbow product that I didn't like.

Almost everything I have now I got used. My dsp was new. My tru amps, my dyn 650's and my tweets were gently used. I wouldn't have bought any of it if it was full price. It could have been new as far as quality though. The stereo I have now is better than I ever thought was possible.

What kind of sound deadening are you going to use? I like the stp name brand. I also have started using the ccf too. I got some dynaliner. I really like it. I want to order some mlv. That's supposed to make the most difference. I like the luxury liner product because its mlv and ccf together. I have 2 of the 3 now, I want to use all 3 like the way your supposed to in the "how to" articles.

My G35 really benefitted from sound deadening. My mitsubishi is sealed a little better from the factory. The G35 had very little. My doors are where I focus all of my effort. I am going to do the area by the subs too. Right now I have a piece of the dynaliner in front of where the subs hit. I makes them sound really nice. I need to get the subs in their permanent home. Then I can make a more permanent install of the dynaliner.

I love being able to do small things that make an impact on the sound. I have good results with deflex pads that go behind the mids in the doors too. Some of the little tricks like that have great pay off considering they don't cost to much.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> With subs I just wish I could hear them......so bad!
> 
> I have bought everything based on reviews. I got into rainbow. I love rainbow stuff. I haven't heard a rainbow product that I didn't like.
> 
> ...


I really never though of going used till I joined this site, I really didn't trust ebay, but on here you can usually tell who to buy from and who to avoid so it's a great way to get equipment. I've never used rainbow stuff, I'd love to be able to hear it, but there isn't any good shops anywhere near me. The one sort of good place I found that was about 50-60 miles from me, they did my alarm/remote starter, and they basically were all Hertz stuff.

The soul has to be one of the loudest cars I've owned, and when I started , I did the deadener thinking it would cut road noise, noob mistake, but now I know better. I had started with Fatmat, then someone on the kia soul forums suggested to me to use peel and seal from home depot, which really did seem the same as the fatmat. Then I came here and got educated to all the mistakes I made, but I've already done the 4 outer skin doors, the 2 front inner doors, the cargo area, and the back floor with the cheap stuff. The smell hasn't bothered me and there's about 2 layers on, so I don't want to pull any of it up. GTMat sent me a 10sqft sample of there deadener, seems just like the fatmat too, so I was going to try that out on the front floor and up the firewall cause I already have it. 

I also have about 30-40sqft of a closed cell self stick foam that I got from ebay to try out, seems like a decent enough foam. I am going to cover the inner door deadener with it, and try to do most of the front floor with it on top of the deadener. Then if I like it and it helps, I'll get some more. I really would like to get some MLV, or combo with the foam, it's just super expensive so I can't get it right now, but later down the road that's what I'd like to do.

Once I start working on my wifes santa fe, I'm gonna make sure I do it right from the start. I have been slowly buying what I need and saving it till I'm ready, and I'm hoping in the mean time I can get a good deal here and there on deadener and foam.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Home depot has legit MLV for $29 a roll. You have to order it online though. The mlv is supposed to make the most difference.

If it doesn't smell I would leave it. Matt is matt. They say the asphalt can melt but that's only if you live way down south.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> Home depot has legit MLV for $29 a roll. You have to order it online though. The mlv is supposed to make the most difference.
> 
> If it doesn't smell I would leave it. Matt is matt. They say the asphalt can melt but that's only if you live way down south.


Do you have a part number or link, 29$ is a damn good price. Plus I have a home depot gift card that has enough on it to cover it.

So far it hasn't seemed to move, made it through the summer, but it didn't seem like really hot this year around here.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Its called DB 3, its a 4ft by 8ft roll. I found it by searching home depot mlv. Just google DB 3 acoustic barrier.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Ok thanks, I'll probably order some to pick up in the store..so no UPS truck coming up to the house..lol


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Did you find it? I looked in the store and it has to be ordered. I have read about it and folks say its great.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Yep, got it, thanks. How many did you use? I guess 2 rolls should be enough.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I haven't gotten any yet. It wasn't in the store...I am going to get some at some point. I just don't want to pull my doors a part again...lol. Its our first brand new vehicle. My wife **** when I pulled it a part and decided to do my own work.....At some point I want to pull the whole interior out but I have to wait until the warranty is up. Right now it only has 10k miles on it. It sounds great though! I think of trivial reasons to ride places...lol. I love it. RF designed the tweeter placement really nice. They are in the sail panels and angle towards the center. That way the near tweet is off axis and the far is on axis. Plus it keeps them away from the glass. I am in love with my stereo. The subs don't need to be changed. I just want to make sure I have the ones I want before I make custom enclosures.....I have thought about 1 bigger woofer but I think I like the idea of a pair...


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> I haven't gotten any yet. It wasn't in the store...I am going to get some at some point. I just don't want to pull my doors a part again...lol. Its our first brand new vehicle. My wife **** when I pulled it a part and decided to do my own work.....At some point I want to pull the whole interior out but I have to wait until the warranty is up. Right now it only has 10k miles on it. It sounds great though! I think of trivial reasons to ride places...lol. I love it. RF designed the tweeter placement really nice. They are in the sail panels and angle towards the center. That way the near tweet is off axis and the far is on axis. Plus it keeps them away from the glass. I am in love with my stereo. The subs don't need to be changed. I just want to make sure I have the ones I want before I make custom enclosures.....I have thought about 1 bigger woofer but I think I like the idea of a pair...


Ohh, I thought you had used it, my mistake. For 60$ I'll give it try. 

My soul still has about 20 k left on the warranty, but I have already ripped most of the interior out at some point. I'm not as crazy doing it to hers though, it's newer and she'll never let me live down a scratch if it ends up somewhere noticeable..lol

I'd like to try a small sub under my seat, maybe like one of those shallow 8" stereo integrity..seem pretty cool, would probably make it feel like three times as much bass cause its so close.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I feel ya on the diyma thing. i have been building systems and doing back yard installs for 20 years. The system I have now is magical. listening to it is an emotional experrience.....

I am hearing things for the first time..I am in disbelief when I hear it.....It would be crap if not for the lessons Ihave learned here..


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> I feel ya on the diyma thing. i have been building systems and doing back yard installs for 20 years. The system I have now is magical. listening to it is an emotional experrience.....
> 
> I am hearing things for the first time..I am in disbelief when I hear it.....It would be crap if not for the lessons Ihave learned here..


Same here, I was always into car audio, appreciated and liked it, but I wasn't really "hearing it". It's amazing what a few good components can do for a system. Now every time I get in 
I can't help but smile. I don't really have a place to listen to music at home, and someone is usually always here, so the car has become my sanctuary. We need milk, no problem! I'll go get it, be back in an hour or two..lol

So have you picked out a sub yet, or still deciding on which one you want to get? 

I got my Vifa today, can't wait to get it in, but my garage is a mess from the move.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I have to drive 3 plus hours 1 way to go to the VA a few times a month and then 1.5 hrs once a week to another doctor......I don't mind it now. I buy cd's like mad on amazon too. I have had great luck with used.

I want the focal k2p's.......I don't know if I want 11s or 13s, or how to pay lol....I am thinking of selling my rainbow profi set and the amp that goes with them.

My garage is neat for now. I am going to pull my jeep in next week though. I need to do a lot of work to it I have been putting off.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Them focals sure look nice, and there's really no way you could go wrong with them, they make damn good stuff. If it turns out you don't like it, selling it shouldn't be a problem, as long as you're willing to part with it..lol

I try to get mine straightened out, but as soon as I do, we're bring more stuff in. Should be close to done with that this week, so by next week I should have it all good to go.

What's first on the Jeep, I don't remember if you told me, but what year/model is it?


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I have a 97 XJ cherokee, I need to replace the fuel pump, then I have rcv axles for the front and some chromoly axles for the rear. The shocks need a revalve there's a lot of rust to remove. I need to set the air bumps a little lower in the front. Then there's a but load of welding to do. I need to brace the shock hoop and tie everything together. I am going to paint it black white and gray camo.....

I have a turbo in the garage I am thinking about putting on it........Its cheaper than an engine swap. All I need is a mega squirt fuel computer. When all that's done I will beat it till it breaks, then do it again...

The focal woofers are supposed to be almost on par with the dyn esotar subs.....very close. I have heard so much good stuff about them. They are an all sq sub that can get deep and loud.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> I have a 97 XJ cherokee, I need to replace the fuel pump, then I have rcv axles for the front and some chromoly axles for the rear. The shocks need a revalve there's a lot of rust to remove. I need to set the air bumps a little lower in the front. Then there's a but load of welding to do. I need to brace the shock hoop and tie everything together. I am going to paint it black white and gray camo.....
> 
> I have a turbo in the garage I am thinking about putting on it........Its cheaper than an engine swap. All I need is a mega squirt fuel computer. When all that's done I will beat it till it breaks, then do it again...
> 
> The focal woofers are supposed to be almost on par with the dyn esotar subs.....very close. I have heard so much good stuff about them. They are an all sq sub that can get deep and loud.


That sounds like alot of work, but fun too, I miss working on that kinda stuff. It's been a LONG time since I worked on a project car/truck. The urban camo sound pretty cool.

I've got to find a place around me that actually installs some better stuff, I want to listen to some of dyn's or utopias, just to know what I'm missing..lol


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Are you close to edison Nj

I have a love hate relationship with my heep........

I like dyn better than focal for upfront.

I have those profi's just sitting.......too bad you don't live closer. LOL, I have only met a few folks on diyma from near me and they are almost 2hrs away.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I'm probably about 2.5-3 hours from edison. 

Ever run any morels they seem up there with dyns too.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Unexpected Creations is in Edison. Its worth checking out., Don, the owner/installer is the best guy I have ever dealt with.

I have heard morels, their tweets are nice. The top end comps are the only ones with a strong midbass output. Their high level sub is nice too. I prefer dyn and rainbow. Morels have a signature sound. Its a love hate thing, kind of like tube amps.

Some people knock highend stuff but IMO its worth it. I have heard all of the good and bad. I decided to get tru amps. They are worth it. They have such a clean and 3 dimensional sound. I had the tru in direct comparision to my rainbow amp. The Ipaul amps are no slouches. They are awesome but the tru is out of this world. Rainbow is excellent for the money. The germaniums and the profi lines are great. 

I haven't heard anything that I like better than my current setup. The dyn esotar 650's and scanspeak D2904 2way is out of this world. It really is out of this world. I got most of my stuff gently used and I am impressed.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> Unexpected Creations is in Edison. Its worth checking out., Don, the owner/installer is the best guy I have ever dealt with.
> 
> I have heard morels, their tweets are nice. The top end comps are the only ones with a strong midbass output. Their high level sub is nice too. I prefer dyn and rainbow. Morels have a signature sound. Its a love hate thing, kind of like tube amps.
> 
> ...


Thanks good to know, I'll have to make the trip out there one day when I have some time and money.

Them esotar are really expensive, but they seem to be well liked. Sometimes you get what you pay for ya know.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So I got up this morning and decided to pull out my HU and try to paint the install kit to match the dash a bit better.

First I wiped it down with a little denatured alcohol, then sprayed a few light coats of Duplicolor adhesion promoter, seemed to work perfectly on the plastic, as the paint went on beautifully.

I also had that piece of ABS plastic I cut awhile back just to test a little cover over the dash pocket. So I took that and I cut out little squares to fit the usb ports through, as well as a hole for the BT mic. Figured I'd take some pics, but I haven't finished painting them yet, it only shows the first coat, but it should match the dash pretty close but not perfectly, still better than flat black though. I still plan to try and do a fiberglass cover that matches it more perfectly, but thats another project on the list.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Really nice work...

Dyns are worth it. It isn't about the system, its about the music that you play on it. That's how I justify the expense.

An awesome 2way is better than a good 3way. All in all its a tit for tat. It could either way.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

chaser9478 said:


> Really nice work...
> 
> Dyns are worth it. It isn't about the system, its about the music that you play on it. That's how I justify the expense.
> 
> An awesome 2way is better than a good 3way. All in all its a tit for tat. It could either way.


Thanks, with the move, I've been doing nothing but working on getting stuff put away or sorted etc, kinda felt like I needed to do something I wanted to do, rather than something I HAD to do..lol

I know from playing guitar and having a little makeshift home studio, Dyns have a fantastic reputation for making studio monitors. 

What kind of music do you think the dyns shine on?
After reading a bunch of threads on this and other sites, I can't remember a single person saying anything bad about them, got to say something about them I think. 

I do want to try a 3 way at some point, just to see if it sounds better to me, I know there's a cheaper way to do it with my 80prs, just need a mini dsp I think, something I might do one day, but for now I'm just enjoying the hell out of my 2 way.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Between the wife and I we listen to everything.....I think they shine on everything. I really enjoy classic rock, live and acoustic stuff. Lately I have been listening to the mtv unplugged cd's. I listen to nin, rob zombie and skrillex too. Everything.

I want a 3way to, but maybe in my jeep. I don't think I could improve to much on the outlander. The only thing I may add is more deadening....

I am really blown away. I am sure someone has something better but for me it great...


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I listen to alot of classic rock too, and blues, jazz. I listen to very little popular music, metal or rap. Dr Dre's chronic is the only rap, and it's only once in a blue moon cause I remember it from high school, and it takes me back for some reason...lol 

I listen to alot of audiobooks too, usually when I'm on a long drive, it seems to make the drive fly by, and I get immersed in them, but since I did more of a SQ system it's been mostly music, cause it sounds so damn good.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

My wife listens to hip hop and pop, I only like old rap too, the outkast, the old dre and snoop. I graduated in 96, so I feel ya. I have really taken to jazz, and live stuff. DMB anything with a large band and lots of instruments...

Next time I go to rausch creek you'll have to check it out.....lol


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Ever see the movie Bullitt? It's one of my favorites, so I got the soundtrack to it about 10 years ago, I thought it was the actual music from 1968, but it turned out to be a remake of the songs, but the recording is incredible..I loved the music, but the remake is so crystal clear and sounds great. Got to make you a copy of it, if you like jazz type music and stuff it really was a surprise how good it was. There's also an acousttic version of the main movie theme..feels like he's sitting next to you with the guitar. 


Are you talking about the offroad course in PA?


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

Yeah I go wheeling there sometimes.

I ont remember the movie but I would love to hear the soundtrack.

I have a ton of cd's, I wear out the used deals on amazon.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Ok, mp3 on cd work ok for you, just pm me your address, I'll burn it tomorrow and send it out.

Never been there, but it'd be about hour and half from me. 

Yeah I buy a bunch of used cds and dvds from them, as long as the seller has at leats a 97 or better ratings, I'll buy from the cheapest seller. Some damn good deals there sometimes. I'm a prime member so once in awhile its cheaper to buy new, cause the shipping is free most of the time.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

DIG the engine compartment detail.......


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

FLYONWALL9 said:


> DIG the engine compartment detail.......



Thanks, I planned on painting the valve cover too, just haven't got to it yet. SSD , the place that made the tower brace is in the process of making a new type of metal engine cover which I might get when it comes out, should really look good compared to the plastic one on there now.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

SoulMan76 said:


> Thanks, I planned on painting the valve cover too, just haven't got to it yet. SSD , the place that made the tower brace is in the process of making a new type of metal engine cover which I might get when it comes out, should really look good compared to the plastic one on there now.


I kinda like the amount of highlights you have now. I would
almost think the valve cover would be overkill, or perhaps
an offsetting color? How about high gloss the part on the
engine you already have painted with some PPG or if you
need to rattle can, I can turn you onto some really nice
stuff.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

The red cover on the engine, is actually plasti-dip red, I did it in that cause I'm always worried I might not like it and be kinda stuck trying to get it off. The plasti-dip just peels off so it's kinda foolproof, but I like the red so I might do it in a more permanent paint, but probably just a different shade, closer to the other reds in there. So yeah if you have a good suggestion, I'd appreciate it.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

Oh heck yeah. I started using this stuff on custom race motorcycles I 
painted. The cool thing is not too many people use it or know about it
in the car audio industry, so its kinda new even though its been around
for a good many years. Spend some time and check out all the different
effects they have, If you cant find something you like with them let me
know and I'll turn you onto more.

Alsa Corp | Paint Template


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I will check it out and let you, appreciate it man.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

SoulMan76 said:


> Thanks, I will check it out and let you, appreciate it man.


Yes Sir....


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

So I finished painitng the HU kit, and the plastic cover I made. It came out OK, no spectacular or anything, but for the time being it looks better than a black hole in my dash. I used some foam to hold the usb ports onto the back, although they were pretty tight in there already, and I didn't want to use glue and have it almost impossible to get out. If I find they move to much or give me a problem, I'll glue it in a few small spots. 

When I get some free time, which may be awhile from now I'll try and make some kinda fiberglass cover to replace either the entire kit, or just the small piece to cover the pocket. Here's some pics, you can probably see all the mistakes I do, but it's not too bad.


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## dmazyn (Apr 29, 2008)

Wow that looks great matches really well.


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## scooter99 (Dec 21, 2008)

That came out well. 

How often do you remove the usb drives? That would be my only concern is the pressure of pushing them in and taking them out loosening the foam tape up. 

And why 2 out of curiosity? I don't ever use them, cause I don't really know what they're used for, but I'm curious to know.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

dmazyn said:


> Wow that looks great matches really well.


Thanks, it was a better match than I expected, cause sometimes it dries just a little off from the can, but all in all, it's kinda close.




scooter99 said:


> That came out well.
> 
> How often do you remove the usb drives? That would be my only concern is the pressure of pushing them in and taking them out loosening the foam tape up.
> 
> And why 2 out of curiosity? I don't ever use them, cause I don't really know what they're used for, but I'm curious to know.


Thanks

Well the pioneer 80prs comes with 2 usb ports in the back and I wanted easy acess to both. One drive comes out every so often to get updated, but the other stays in all the time(has most of my core albums on it). I was a little worried to, but as long as I'm not to rough with them, they seem to be holding pretty good. I just wanted a way to reach the usb cable ends without having to take the cover off the pocket, so it worked out well.

Whenever I buy a new CD, I rip right to my laptops hard drive, and turn it into an MP3 file, I try and keep them at the best resolution I can(320kbps) and then I store them on the USB drive. I'm an instant satisfication kinda guy, so when I want to hear a song I hate to wait, so it's really awesome to have a few hundred albums on a little 32gb drive in the car with me at all times. I used to sit and make copies of all my cds to bring in the car, but it takes awhile to burn a cd, and they always wind up getting scratched to hell in the car. I really do love being able to store so much music on such a small device.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

This looks REALLY sweet bro... 

Keep up the great work.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

FLYONWALL9 said:


> This looks REALLY sweet bro...
> 
> Keep up the great work.


Thanks man.


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

Well executed upgrades all around. 

I looked at one of those while car shopping one day, and I luv the layout of the dash speakers and especially that generous center channel option. I swear, I nearly bought one on impulse just for that lol.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks, I still have a bunch of stuff I plan to do, just haven't had the time, but I have some cool things I've been planning.

I could throw a center channel in mine(didn't come from factory with one) but I don't think it would really do much for better sound, unless I had a good aftermarket processesor to make it work right in a SQ setup. The factory speakers are really trash in the Soul, IMO, and the radio has a huge amount of bass bloat that drove me nuts till I put my Pioneer 80PRS in. The setup I am running now is a 1000 times better than the factory system, it was worth every penny..every cut and smashed finger etc etc..


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

I need those right angle usb cords for my car. The gf's car does not have the full boxed in HU area like my car does so hers is ok but mine, yea I would have to cut behind the deck to fit the ones that come with them. Besides that I stole one so I could tune my amps from my front seats lol.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

Socket Jack Plug Series, Mini Micro USB Cable Adapter items in shelia-ewholesale store on eBay!

This is the seller I got them from, it was overseas shipping so it took a bit to get here, but they were good cables for the cost(2-3$). I've had them for awhile now, have taken them in and out a few times, and they haven't given me any problems so far.


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

Cool. Thank you sir.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

No problem. I forgot to mention, when you order them just keep in mind which way they'll actually go in. I purchased the right angle cords thinking the cord would come out towards the right, but they actually slid in upside down so the cord ended up going towards the middle of the radio. I actually needed left angle cords, but I was lucky the wrong ones fit for me. Just match the white plstic contacts in the picture with the contacts on your device they'll slide on top of each other. I hope I'm making sense..lol. it would be easier to show with pics than writing it out, but hopefully you get what I mean. 

Oh BTW the 20cm ones just make it from the back of my radio to the front of the install kit pocket, so they aren't very long, you may want to go with the 40cm ones they sell if you need it abit longer. Good luck.


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

Same HU remember? LOL.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

07azhhr said:


> Same HU remember? LOL.



I Forgot..LOL

How has it been working out for you? I remember it was a tight fit in your dash, like mine. My rca's are bent pretty good , but luckily everything has been running like a champ for me.

I was in my wifes Santa Fe this morning and man that factory system is so bad compared to mine. It has taken me awhile to get my system together, but when I listen to her factory crap, I realize all the blood sweat and tears were worth it. The 80prs was a big help with getting it sounding so good, very happy with it.


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## SoulMan76 (Aug 20, 2012)

I have just been enjoying my system, and I do have some plans for the warmer weather, but about the only thing I've done to my Soul all winter is this. I will miss my Zeppelin plate, but the Fender looks good against the mesh grill.


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## chaser9478 (Aug 16, 2011)

I've not done anything either. I have a bunch of stuff I need to sell too. Just lazy.


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## powpow2pavement (Feb 22, 2012)

SoulMan76... PM sent. 

I'm changing my front mids/tweets again this weekend and have been kicking around the thought of upgrading the wire to my doors at the same time. If you or any other Soul owner can render advice I'd be mighty appreciative!


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