# Proper SQ newbie's E34 build...



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Hi guys and gals. First a little background info. I'm Gav and this thread is to document my install in my '95 5 series BMW. I bought the car for cheap off an uncle of my partner as a car just to run around in, but it was in surprisingly good mechanical condition and great to drive, so decided i'm going to keep it a while and throw some decent sounds in there. Plan initially was just a decent stereo and speakers plus a sub. That was until i started reading forums like this one lol.

Now i well and trully have the bug, and plan on developing and upgrading the install ready for competing in EMMA UK next year. I did an entry event last month and that gave me a good idea of what i need to improve. My budget is very very limited, and so it will stay fairly simple, and also practical. 

This is kit list as it stands at the moment:

Pioneer MEH-9100R Minidisc h/u with 6 disc changer
Diamond Audio M661 6" 2 way components, mids mounted in custom kicks, tweeters in top of dash (so far)
Rockford HX2 DVC 12" sub firing through opened up ski hatch (soon to be replaced with 2 x 12" Phoenix Gold XS124 subs)
Genesis Profile 2 running fronts passively
Phoenix Gold M100 running sub (soon to be replaced as its not in good enough condition for a show install)
Kicker RCA's, cheapo fused dist blocks, 4 & 8 gauge cables etc.
I also have a PG eq232 but this will probably get sold on to free up funds.

Silent coat has been used, covering around 50% of the panels most affected by vibrations, with a layer of 6mm CCF over the top, and then the original foam and carpets replaced. Sometime in the future i will add MLV and another layer of foam. Luckily its a pretty solid car already.

Well that's basically it so far, Pics of how it stands at the moment with amp racks/trimming etc will be posted up asap before ripping it all out to start again! It was a mad rush getting it ready for the EMMA event, finishing the fab the night before so there's lots of improvements to come. 

Any comments and constructive crit welcomed!

Gav.

PS. Pics to follow...


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

Welcome Gav.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks buddy! Hopefully won't be too long before my post count is high enough to post all the pics i have so far.

Gav


----------



## estione (Jul 24, 2009)

No comment's yet Gav but i got my eye on you..............:laugh::laugh:


----------



## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

Welcome aboard Gav.....


----------



## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

GavGT said:


> Silent coat has been used, covering around 50% of the panels most affected by vibrations, with a layer of 6mm CCF over the top, and then the original foam and carpets replaced. Sometime in the future i will add MLV and another layer of foam.
> 
> PS. Pics to follow...



So, if I am getting this right, you replaced the factory carpet and foam? What did you use? The thing with the carpet (at least USDM E34) is that the foam is nearly 2" thick and even thicker in some areas. And the carpet is backed with MLV of some sort. On my 5, the MLV backing on the carpet has begun to disintegrate. It is hard and crumbling. I want to replace the carpet in any case, but I am not sure what to do about the MLV backing. The foam is in fine shape, but I really don't know what one could replace it with even if there was an issue.

Thanks


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

ah i can see how that reads now lol. What i meant was, i removed everything, layed the silent coat followed by a layer of ccf, then refit the original mlv and carpets. I can't say I've had any problems with mine, maybe the climate makes a difference. In future i may lay another layer of mlv and foam. Hope that makes sense!

Gav


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

I thought it was perfectly clear the first time and only wishful thinking on the part of Orion525iT to interpret it that way. Sorry Orion525iT.

Orion525iT - just insert a layer of any quality MLV between OEM closed cell foam and carpet. No need to remove crumbling layer.


----------



## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

GavGT said:


> ah i can see how that reads now lol. What i meant was, i removed everything, layed the silent coat followed by a layer of ccf, then refit the original mlv and carpets. I can't say I've had any problems with mine, maybe the climate makes a difference. In future i may lay another layer of mlv and foam. Hope that makes sense!
> 
> Gav


I see. Most likely a climate thing. 18 years of long summers at 90+ F and sun will do a number, even on the best materials.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Orion525iT said:


> I see. Most likely a climate thing. 18 years of long summers at 90+ F and sun will do a number, even on the best materials.


you're not wrong there. My carpets and plastics are fine, but it does have some fading of the grey seat fabric and the rear shelf.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Time for some pictures, now i have enough posts.

I'm gonna show the basics of what i have done already, baring in mind its far from perfect and alot of it is going to be changed in the coming months.

Here's the old girl as i got her. Has some flaking paint on the rear quarter, and its in dire need of a good detail and machine polish.


































Kick builds first up, made up of mdf and fibreglass filler. It did house some cerwin vega V-Max mids but one broke, so i had to modify it for the 6" Diamonds.









































Sanding wasn't perfect on it but it was getting trimmed anyway.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Selection of pics from the sound deadening process. I have only done from the rear of the front seats back so far. Silent coat followed by 6mm CCF. In the future i will patch i with more CCF and a layer of MLV and more foam.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Cabling, RCA's run down the centre and up through the original grommet into the boot. They will be removed at some point and braided as i get ready for next seasons competitions.









Original earth upgraded to 0 gauge. 

















Ground and power distribution mounted on a simple carpeted mdf panel. This is mounted in the trough behind the rear seats, which is covered by the boot carpet.









Ski hatch panel being built from mdf and trimmed in the cheap carpet used elsewhere in the build.









































Amp rack being built from mdf


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Just realised i haven't got as many finished pics as i thought so i will grab some more tomorrow and upload them.

Tweeters in the dash with some cheap grill cloth covering them









PG sub being tested viewed through the ski hatch









Took some measurements for the new sub box, and i should have 2.6-3.1 cubic ft for the 2 subs to share. According to the PG specs they like a big box so will see how it goes.

As always comments welcomed, more pics to come tomorrow.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Got a couple more pics, not going mad with them as it will change very soon.


















Nothing else to show really, when it comes to rebuild time, i'm going to go into alot more detail, and will take alot of pics of every process. Not only to post here but also to put together a presentation log for competition use.

I think i've decided on what amps and head unit i will be using, and i'm a little closer to obtaining them budget wise. I have also decided on amp rack design more or less. Can't wait to get cracking now!

Gav


----------



## Big_Valven (Aug 20, 2008)

Looking neat man.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Big_Valven said:


> Looking neat man.


cheers dude. It would be looking so much better if i hadn't decided to rebuild it 2 weeks before a competition.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Update time: Not alot going on just yet, except a swap of head unit










Sounds pretty good, but i haven't fiddled with it too much so far. M100 and EQ232 sold last week so i will be ordering a new amp this week, and i can then start the amp rack build.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Update time:












Another piece of the puzzle ready. Currently subless, as i let my only built box go with my last Rockford, and i haven't started on a double box build for the 12's yet. Having a 10" Diamond sub collected today, so i should be able to test it out before the end of the week and at least start to decide on what subs to use. Looking at the diamond's specs (its a M3) it might work in a passive radiator build (i have two 8" radiators so should have enough cone area).

Also means i can start to plan out the new amp racks, to be honest i'm just glad i now have something to do lol.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Well, seeing as though there's an influx of BMW install related updates on here as late, time to bump mine. Plans have changed somewhat over the Christmas period.

My profile sub amp has a death wish, so is going back to be replaced with a profile4 ultra which will allow me to run the HAT imagines that i now have installed up front actively. My profile2 is staying and will power a single 12" DLS W712, giving it ~240w rms. This will allow me to keep the 4 and 8 gauge cabling i currently have installed for the time being, and upgrade this at a later date. 

Currently looking for some rivnuts locally, probably will be using M6, to tie down the mdf to the boot floor, and mount the amp racks into the sides of the boot area. Hopefully i will be cracking on with the amp racks in the next 2 weeks or so.

New kick panel builds i have planned should be a challenge. I will be getting the midbass as on-axis as possible buy utilizing some of the space inside the inner wing area, and fabricating a panel from fibreglass that will hopefully give a smooth transition of the baffle to the rest of the kick area. In my head i can see it, but it's hard to translate into words lol.

Well that's it, hopefully i will have some updates soon.

Gav


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

Sounds like a good plan Gav. Nice to hear from you on this project.

I'm going to look at those M6 rivnuts for my install too. Thanks for the idea.


----------



## darrenforeal (Jan 14, 2011)

looking forward to see what you do


----------



## estione (Jul 24, 2009)

Looking forward to seeing more Gav, Just a little tip if you haven't used them nuts before make sure you use the correct size drill bit or it will spin like mad and you wont get a good tightness on it, and it does help to dab a bit of glue on the "lip" of the rivinut


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

darrenforeal said:


> looking forward to see what you do


cheers mate, hopefully have something to show soon, the car itself is going in to have the rear quarter painted today and will get some detailing love when it comes back.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

dogsbark26 said:


> Sounds like a good plan Gav. Nice to hear from you on this project.
> 
> I'm going to look at those M6 rivnuts for my install too. Thanks for the idea.


no worries! Good luck with your install.



estione said:


> Looking forward to seeing more Gav, Just a little tip if you haven't used them nuts before make sure you use the correct size drill bit or it will spin like mad and you wont get a good tightness on it, and it does help to dab a bit of glue on the "lip" of the rivinut


hey there! Thanks for the tip. Will be my first time using them. How's yours coming along?


----------



## estione (Jul 24, 2009)

GavGT said:


> no worries! Good luck with your install.
> 
> 
> 
> hey there! Thanks for the tip. Will be my first time using them. How's yours coming along?


Oh you know......................SLOWWWWWW lol


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

I had time to do a little work today. Firstly i had a listen to the front midbass only, while positioning them more on axis. I was quite surprised that the soundstage didn't drop down as far as i imagined it would. Then i had a play to see what room i have for the new kick builds. 


Passanger side with steel baffle in approximate position:











Drivers side baffle in position, and current pods to compare angles with:




















I'm quite prepared to cut away some metal in order to position them lower, and allow room for the mdf/glass builds. The dilemma i have, is i'm not sure if i should build the baffle panel, and bolt the steel rings to the back (effectively sandwiching the mdf/glass panel between the speaker and the steel ring) then cut away as much metal as i need to get them to fit, OR should i weld the steel baffles in position (hoping they will be solid enough) and then bolt the mdf/glass panel to them. I guess i'm worried about the rings and surrounding metalwork resonating. I am planning on decoupling the speaker from the baffle and the baffle from the cars metalwork with some thin ccf foam i have. 












Looking at this pic, you can see where the ring is touching some ccf on the left hand side, there is metal behind that which could be sanded back in order to weld there and give it some strength. 


Any opinions will be appreciated, as i havent got time to redo things if they dont work out as planned. 


I also managed to strip out my amp and "ghetto" amp rack that i built last year, so will be measuring up for the boot build over the next few days and making some cardboard templates.


Awaiting words of wisdom.....


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

GavGT said:


> The dilemma i have, is i'm not sure if i should
> 
> A.) build the baffle panel, and bolt the steel rings to the back (effectively sandwiching the mdf/glass panel between the speaker and the steel ring) then cut away as much metal as i need to get them to fit, OR should i
> 
> ...


I dunno how much wisdom... just my thoughts...

I would go with plan A. This allows unlimited future alteration.

If you go with plan B, and the metal does resonate there's not much can be done to rectify. The speaker vibrations/oscillations are effectively coupled to the vehicle's frame.

I guess either way you could get back in there to add more constrained layer damping material to help alleviate vibrations.

Nice progress.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

dogsbark26 said:


> I dunno how much wisdom... just my thoughts...
> 
> I would go with plan A. This allows unlimited future alteration.
> 
> ...


Thanks mate! I could tack weld them in, then get some scrap steel to make up little triangle sections to strengthen it. The problem i have, if i dont weld them in is i might have to cut an inch or so out of the bottom section for it to clear the fram when putting them back in.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Been thinking about this some more, and i'm not confident i can get them welded in solid enough. I'm going to cut an inch or so out of the bottom section of the frame to give me better clearance instead. Just need to think of a way to hold the rings in place while i do the glassing.....


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Little bit of progress from yesterday. I stripped out all my fuseholders and 4 gauge cables, as i'm upgrading to 0/1 gauge. 










Cardboard templates of the supporting panels for the amp racks, left and right sides respectively. These will held in with M6 rivnuts/machine screws.


















Can't do any more with these untill i get some mdf, tomorrows job hopefully. I also have measured up for the new sub bix build, just need to calculate how much mdf i need.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Big thanks to Joshcoupe for a hand today. Managed to get a little bit done.

My workspace lol


































Before long i had this:










So...thats all the wood for the amp boxes cut out, the main supporting panels cut out, and most of the sub box which requires a bit more fettling as the baffle panel will be split into 3 so i can shape it around the metal supports either side of the ski-hatch. If i had remembered to pick up my screws and drill bits, i probably would have gotten a little further. Quite happy with my progress though, and another couple of hours should see more of a visual change worth showing.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Ok time for some pics.

I realised after offering up the amp rack for the Profile 4 ultra, that it would foul on the hinges due to having to angle the panel.









So i needed to change the layout. Built the P4U box as planned









I then built another box for the Profile 2, as that wouldn't need to be set at an angle to clear the hinges. This will be held in with rivnuts and M6 bolts.









I built the supports that i already cut out for the drivers side, this will now house the fuseholders etc. Again rivnuts and 6mm bolts will be used.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Just a few pics of what i've been up to this last week


















































That's all


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

You've got skills GavGT. Nice work.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

dogsbark26 said:


> You've got skills GavGT. Nice work.


Thanks man, appreciate it. Don't know about skills though, i messed up a few times, calculated cuts wrong etc but i'm getting there now.

Gav


----------



## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

That's what skills are GavGT. Many would recognize mistake and plow ahead anyway without fixing.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Been playing a little bit with some resin for the first time today 
















































Also this arrived last week:











Been thinking about tweeter pods for the sail panels, and been reading up about techniques for reducing diffraction, so picked a few 80cm polystyrene balls up from a local craft shop for 40p each. Not sure if i'm going to keep them as spheres, or blend the front of a sphere into a backing mold. 


Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

I've been enjoying the weather the past few days, and did a little more today.

Started by having a go at the passanger side kick panel. Took me quite some time to work out how i was going to accomplish what i wanted to do, build a jig to hold the baffle in place at the right angle, and staple the grill cloth neat enough for the resin.




























Forgot to get pics with the resin on, but managed a coat front and back. 2nd coat had fine chopped mat on the front, and heavier on the back. I used resin mixed with talcum powder to give the panel some more weight, and it still soaked into the matting ok. I'l probably not bother with the next few coats though and wait for the panel to stiffen up alot first. I'm also considering laminating some sound deadener in to the back of the panel, and using a few coats of a concrete and resin mix or lead shot. Anyway it here it is going off.



















While i had some resin spare, i also put a coat of mat on the rear of the smallest amp trim panel










Here's the larger one with the middle cut out to give you an idea of how it will look.










And that's about it for today! I did finish building my sub box and sealed all but the back panel. Measured it at 2 cubic ft internally not including displacement of the sub. 

Shoul have more pics by the middle of next week!

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

A few more pics

Passanger side kick panel









Drivers side









Couple of the amp rack trim

















Getting used to using the fibreglass now and gauging ambient temperature/catalyst. Finding it fun actually. 

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Thought i would update a little more to show my fibreglassing skills (or lack of lol). 


Drivers side kick baffle, trimmed down a little in preperation for laying some mat down.











Only real shot of this side so far, has a had a layer of mat, then i applied a few strips of silent coat i had lying around, and another layer of mat on top.











Passanger side after a layer or two, with some 10mm x 5mm steel bar roughly in place











After a coating of resin, bars in place, then more resin on top mixed with talc (roughly 250gm resin to 125gm talc)











I then applied a layer of mat, some silent coat, then another layer of mat. 




















At this point the panel is starting to gain some weight, and the glass sections average 5mm thickness. Just ran out of resin, so i'm going to order some more up. I was going to use concrete, but a friend of mine commented that lime in some cheap concretes can corrode metal. Once the kicks are sufficiently stiff, i will have a play around with resin/talc ratios and get as much weight into the panels as possible. Also have to cut the fronts off the original kick panels and bond them to these, and use a filler on the front face to get the correct shape. Can't wait to get these done so i can get some sound back into the car and start testing tweeter aiming.


Gav


----------



## estione (Jul 24, 2009)

Looking good there Gav, that's the same kind of thing i had in my m5 ( tis what i was trying to explain to you ) heck why am i talking to you?? you wont even answer the phone to me :laugh2::laugh2:


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

estione said:


> Looking good there Gav, that's the same kind of thing i had in my m5 ( tis what i was trying to explain to you ) heck why am i talking to you?? you wont even answer the phone to me :laugh2::laugh2:


Bugger! I knew there was something i was supposed to do! Been having software issues with my phone, i got your voicemail message but not your number. Was gonna message you to get your number so i can call you back, but alas, i forgot lol.

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Bit more filler work done, happy with the shape now, just need a couple more bouts of sand & fill, and a little fettling, until they are smooth enough for paint/covering


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Well it's been a while so about time i updated this is suppose!


Kick panels as they stand at this moment in time, the a-pillars in this pic was how it looked for EMMA round 1. The tweeter pods are now smoothed into the panel and covered.





















Boot build is all done bar some trimming issues and adding some lighting.





















Sound needs alot of tweaking, and some fettling of the install needed but considering the price level of the equipment it's quite a nice sound. 


Gav


----------



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

Nice fab work ,hope you planning on grills for the kicks that pedal looks mighty close to the speaker.


----------



## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

Looks good! Those kicks look nearly identical to the mine. I found that for my 6.5" I only had to cut a small crescent out of the sheet metal. Mounting them kinda half in half out of the kick panel opening, I could get the VCs as far and as wide as possible, and as on axis as possible in that car without major modification.

I did run into an issue where the best imaging and response ended up 3-4" in front of my head position. I am pretty tall, so me seat goes way back, but if I was shorter, the would have been dead on. So I have to re-angle. Again, it looks good!


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Nice fab work ,hope you planning on grills for the kicks that pedal looks mighty close to the speaker.


Thanks mate. No grills planned as yet, On full throttle the pedal sits about 3mm away from the speakers mounting basket, and with fuel prices what they are, i can't see me using full throttle very often lol.



Orion525iT said:


> Looks good! Those kicks look nearly identical to the mine. I found that for my 6.5" I only had to cut a small crescent out of the sheet metal. Mounting them kinda half in half out of the kick panel opening, I could get the VCs as far and as wide as possible, and as on axis as possible in that car without major modification.
> 
> I did run into an issue where the best imaging and response ended up 3-4" in front of my head position. I am pretty tall, so me seat goes way back, but if I was shorter, the would have been dead on. So I have to re-angle. Again, it looks good!


Thanks man. Yeah there wasn't much metalwork needing to be cut away really. I'm having imaging issues myself. Distance to stage is good with it starting half way between the front of the dash and the windscreen, but i'm finding certain frequencies jump around the stage, and there's quite a big difference in frequency response between left and right. I'm putting that down to the passenger side being more on axis, and the baffles leaking. How did you deal with the cars loom running around the back of the kicks? There's a crease in the frame there that is a pita to seal up. Also the midbass is very muddy and boomy, so i'm going to be venting them to inner wing behind the front wheels. 

You have any links to your build?

Gav


----------



## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

Well, as far as links go, I haven't updated anything in a long time. I plan to sit down and update the build log. I will let you know when I do that, I don't imagine I will have the time this week. Too busy with the build.

In regards to that loom. I haven't got that sorted completely. If it was just a couple of wires it wouldn't be such an issue, but that is a thick loom. I have thought about wrapping the loom with something around 1/16" thick or so, then casting fiber glass over that and the kick panel baffle. Then I can take the wrap off and have a 1/16" clearance to then use 1/4" or 1/8" foam gasket to compress around the loom against the firewall/floorboard sheet metal.

Another idea was to place a small ring of MDF or similar around the loom. The ring will be larger than the plug end of the loom. Using two half rings, you can place it over the loom and glue the two halves together to form a complete ring. Then I could glass over the ring and wires directly to make a tight seal. After that, I could cut a hole in the kickpanel/baffle that I can pass the loom through. The ring can then be mounted flush to the kickpanel/baffle and form a tight seal. Make sense?

I third option, is to cut the loom out of a car at the local pull-a-part, and use that as a junction between the stock loom. That way, I do not ruin the stock loom in anyway, and it can be returned to stock at any time. This is what I will most likely do. But if you don't have access to cheap used parts, then this may not be the best.

Also thought about spray foam for a second, but I hate that stuff.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Sounds like you pretty much have gone through the same thought process as me. My plan is to wrap the cables in that plastic cable tidy stuff you can buy, then use a P40 filler around that and against the metalwork, and kinda smooth it out so it follows the same profile as the rest of the frame. Then i will tape the whole lot up, use the same filler around the cutout, and mount the baffle. The filler will then take the shape of the metalwork and stick to the back of the baffle, and once removed, will fit back exactly where it was. Hope that makes sense lol. Would be cool to see what you've done, maybe you will get round to sorting your's first, either way i look forward to comparing results!

Gav


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Sorry for the lack of updates, been too busy to get on the forum much.

Got my first win at brands hatch at the weekend at modified live 




























I wanted a bit more processing power so i now have an Audison Bitone running between the headunit and amps. Still loads to come from it, and i'm currently in the process of RTA'ing and setting it up properly with the help of fellow team members.


----------



## jpeezy (Feb 5, 2012)

A most excellent job,congrats on your win,wish I could hear that car,the older five series are one of my favorites,I like the compound angles on the midbass baffles,having worked on many right handers, I know the pain of putting speakers near the gas pedal on euro cars.thanks for sharing.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

jpeezy said:


> A most excellent job,congrats on your win,wish I could hear that car,the older five series are one of my favorites,I like the compound angles on the midbass baffles,having worked on many right handers, I know the pain of putting speakers near the gas pedal on euro cars.thanks for sharing.


Thanks man! It sounds ok but not quite right. Soundstage is great apart from a little rainbowing, top end nice and detailed but tonally it could be better by a long way. Got some great knowledgeable guys helping me learn how to tune so hopefully it will be sounding even better for its next outing in 3 weeks time.


----------



## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

Good job!

I quick question. Did you do any acoustic treatments to the kick panels to prevent early reflections? With my panels, which are designed almost identical to yours, I did use 1/8" headliner foam and then vinyl over the foam. But, I think I may pull that up and use some sort of sound absorbing material especially in the concave section. The reason is that I was getting some blurring and the thought was that early reflections may be the cause. It may mean that I have to completely or partially rebuild the kicks again so I can get thicker absorbing material in there, but I don't know yet. 

Again, good job!


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Cheers!

tbh it only has regular trunkliner type carpet on it but i did think about some kind of foam. I might retrim them at some point and add some foam but i don't think its a problem that can be completely cured. One of the compromises of getting them on axis i guess, but hopefully theres a bigger benefit like being able to play them higher. Still have loads of tuning to do, they are low passed @ 4200 at the moment with tweeters coming in @ 5k both 12db slopes.


----------



## GavGT (Sep 5, 2011)

Wow its been a while since i updated this! Better throw in some pics.

Right first of all, we were having problems during an RTA and tuning session getting the left and right midrange to sound somewhat the same tonally. It just so happened there was an L3SE lying around so we unplugged a tweeter, connected it up and RTA'd it in a couple of locations. The decision was then made to go tweeterless and spend some money lol. 

Baffles









mounting area taped off ready for glassing









No pictures of the glassing itself but here's the back mould trimmed off









Mounted baffle 









No pics of the finishing stages as i was less than a week away from a competition at this point and needed them done, but here's the finished articles.




























Each pod is vented down into the door behind the vents, and is lined with nearly 1kg of lead shot mixed with resin. They sound really nice.Good enough for this actually










Thats the EMMA experienced 4000 euro UK league title 

Another pic from the day










So.... I have to go up to advanced next season, and it will be in a different car so a fresh build on the cards. Meanwhile, over the winter i'm going to learn how to tune, and experiment with some ribbon tweeters run passively off the mids to fill in the very highest frequencies.

Thanks for looking!


----------

