# 2009 Ford Flex : 3rd row removed, 18's, etc



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Hi folks, long time no chat. 



So, long story short, I had a nice gentleman discover me from some Youtube vids I did a long while back on my Ford Flex, the one I did a build log of here. Anyway, super-nice dude, we chatted for months and after talking over many options of a build, he decided to ship the Flex to me to have me build it. This would be the 4th different Flex I've had the pleasure of tearing up and rebuilding.


So I received the vehicle on a hauler:













In addition to building a killer system, I've also been tasked with restoring the exterior and interior the best I can, via detailing processes which is another hobby of mine. This thing is from Colorado, so you know it has seen some ****!






















This build started off fairly mild:


Eric Stevens Audio components
Scanspeak center + an Eric Stevens tweeter
Sundown SD3 10's
Massive Audio BLX5 (pair) and BLX4
JBL MS-8 (I know, right?)
The plan was to emulate the back end of my Flex with a box in the spare tire well for the SD3's, and stuff all the amps and the processor under the spacious front seat area. The MS-8 was supposed to take signals from the stock head unit and Sony processor/amp and re-route from there. In all, a solid, basic setup. See how I'm talking past-tense? _Things have changed!_


As soon as I received the vehicle, I started on deadening. We are using Knu Kolosssus and it continues to be my favorite product for the job. I started with the tailgate and trunk area:


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

This is the stock head unit. I took a shot of it to go over potentially upgrading it with the owner. Reason: apparently since the last time I did a Flex, some new tech has come out that will allow an aftermarket deck to go in. This got the juices flowing for sure.













So back to the trunk, I started on the enclosure


















































So I got to this point, where the sub enclosure was ready to mount subs and such. And then discussions occurred. Talks about installing an aftermarket head unit ensued, and the decision was made to try a hybrid build of the best ADS/iDatalink and Metra have to offer. I weighed out doing a custom dash (I hate fiberglassing so much and I'm not that good at it), and in the end, Metra's Turbotouch dash offering sounded like a great solution without having to go rip apart a few factory Flex dashes to try and make a decent product. So in come the iDatalink and Metra parts:


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

And the dash bits came in

















There's a NICE finish on these, just like stock
































So, the Metra kit and the iDatalink Maestro kit both use the factory harness connections for the same jobs. This isn't too surprising, but the idea here is that we get the Metra to work as well as the Maestro RR in the head unit, which is on its way.


In the meantime, I pontificated this build over a few days and at one point, I asked a question that forever changed this build - I asked the owner if he will ever, ever use the 3rd row seat. He said never have, never will! What does any installer worth his salt do at this point? That's right, time for it to go!


First have to unclip the dohickey up front that holds the thingamajig











Then you gotta remove both side panels or at least get them out of the way










These bolts down here hold it










Magic, they are out! The reality is they are extremely heavy and cumbersome, so if you take this on, be careful










That's more like it


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Definitely interested to see how this one turns out.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Now, that's a game-changer for sure. The owner and I chatted on this for hours, now with all this space, what goes in here? I modeled close to 30 sub/enclosure combos in WinISD and we went through the pros and cons of all of them. I'll save the choice for later.


For now, I tore down the rest of the interior back here and deadened it the best I could


































Here's a section in a Flex that can rattle. This connected plastic ducting for the rear air system. This is the driver's side, behind the 2nd row


















For the D-pillar speakers, I re-wired them so they will be stereo as opposed to dual-mono (Ford cost-cutting measure to match the Taurus audio), but the factory 3.5's are good enough for ambiance speakers


























I don't know about you guys, but my discovery of the XT60 connector for use in car audio forever changed how I build cars. Great for RC applications as well!










This was a fun mod. By pulling the 3rd row seats, the 3rd row seatbelts were now useless. That meant the whole mechanism had to go, and that left a hole in the D-pillar for the seat belt. I decided to hot-glue in some black carpet to minimize what is seen back there


















Pillars wired up and ready to go


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Next on the agenda was dealing with the engine compartment. On first inspection when I got the vehicle, I noticed there was some heavy corrosion in the battery area, but I didn't think any more of it. But, wait until you see what I uncovered as I worked! 



The battery itself didn't seem too bad.










The first sign of trouble was this holding strap. It was super-brittle, and fell apart in my hands. I sensed a chemical disaster occurred here at some point.










Ooh, lookie, more corrosion on a bolt I need










Yeah, not good!










It gets worse, notice the burn mark (heat, acid?) right on the plastic channel for the main vehicle wiring:










This is where I really **** a brick, this is the intake box eaten up by acid or heat










The battery blanket is melted to the cleaner box!










The acid also hit the master cylinder, and the ABS module

























Closeup of that damage on the wiring channel










This little bolt-screw thing almost owned me




















Finally I got the battery tray out of there, and not-surprisingly, it was nasty underneath as well.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I don't know about you guys, but this is hell to me:

















So I concocted a hot baking soda and degreaser combo and started scrubbing










The damage underneath told me I needed to pull this part too










The wiring loom was super-brittle as well, and had all sorts of issues


















I pulled the battery tray mount out and reviewed it. See, this part didn't exist on my other Flexes. This is a 2009-only part!


















This is underneath the tray. Finally starting to run into good metal










We'll get back to that ugliness. In addition to repairing the damage, I of course had to upgrade the wiring. I went to 1/0 gauge where I could










This is the factory ground point, goes right from here to the battery.










I ground down the area and added my cable










And painted over the area










I decided to rip open most of the brittle loom and fix this area










I personally prefer the Techflex split-loom over the Matrix-type corrugated stuff, so that's what I used


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So next up, I pulled the wipers to run the cable through the car. For Flex (and similar vehicle owners), listen up because this is your easiest way through the car. Start with the wipers










Next, pull the cowling and break the brittle washer hose connector (j/k, try not to do this)










I just hate it when plastic breaks apart in my hands. WTF










Under the cowling on the driver's side, you'll see your target. A massive rubber boot. The silver looking rod there is the wiper transmission. It might get in the way, just slowly push it to rotate it clear.









This is your other target. I almost lost my phone in the cowling to get this pic. This little grommet thing here connects the cowling to the engine bay. On 2010+ Flex models, this is a soft rubber part that wiring just slips right through. On this 2009 model, the damn thing is hard plastic and it has to come out. 











So the trick is to run the wiring into the cowl directly first, via a small slit in the big boot. Then, slip the wire through the car into the dash area, and pull it from behind the junction box, to the left of where the brake pedal goes


















Next (and impossible to take pictures of), take that grommet that drains the cowling area and either remove it, or if it is flexible, fish your power cable through that, and into the engine bay. It will poke out in a frustratingly hard to reach area right by the ABS pump, but once it is clear you can grab the cable and slowly do a pull while you push the wire into the grommet from the cowling's side.


Here in this pic, I've also added Knu terminals (best I've found), and clean/painted the area.











I also redid the factory fuse box to battery connection in 1/0, and that somehow fit

















So, there you go! The easy way through the Flex firewall area for power.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So, let's talk about the MS-8. This particular example apparently works great, but looks horrible. The "works great" part is yet-untested for me personally, just FYI. Apparently, someone decided to paint this one










It has some deep scratches


















I was sweating bullets doing something about this. I have never taken an MS-8 apart. Turns out, it is damn easy. Four screws:




















This panel here is gross, there looks to be silicone on this painted part
















So, that will need some attention. I'll get working on that.


Also, the head unit came in! The Kenwood eXcelon DMX905S, wow what a deck


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So I set out to fix that MS-8. On with the sanding!










Ok, so question time. For anybody that has taken one of these apart and repainted, is it supposed to have this many layers and be this gross?


















The yellow-ish stuff was the worst. It literally felt like uncured Bondo










I finally started hitting aluminum or whatever metal this is










I decided to go with satin black to repaint. Not sure I'm happy with this choice, but it is a work-in-progress atm and I'll get back to this.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

After that metal battery tray proved to be hard to find on the internet, I researched some and found the 2010 and up model's all-plastic tray would probably work the same as the metal one, so we ordered one and sure enough, it does work. I installed the new Bosch Platinum AGM battery (group size 65, same as stock) and I finished my wiring. We also got a new air cleaner top, to replace the acid-eaten one.










We also got a Lloyd mat made in "3rd row stowed" sizing, and this will be my final cover for my build area. Nice mat, ordered in Ebony.









OK, so the delivery truck arrived with our subs of choice! What did we chose? Why as the subject line says, 18's!










A pair of Sundown SA-18 v3 in the D2 variety. The "D2" part is actually a mistake by the owner, who ordered them. We were supposed to use D4's. Now, to me this is a happy accident, because the BLX5 amps we planned on using were fine for the SD3, but possibly under-powered for the SA18's. So, the owner ordered up a Massive Audio BP4000.1 which I can set at 2 ohms give the SA-18's a workout. Like I said, happy mistake. 



Anyway, these subs are dope:










Hahaha its just silly in here










Well that will have to wait for a wood run, since now we're talking about a whole new thing.


Meanwhile, me and this MS-8 did some rounds of painting. I am a horrible painter and I hate doing it, so this is not my favorite of the build for sure. But it is looking better, if I do say so myself.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

The dash was next to start. The new owner, that guy is awesome and meticulously detailed, just like me. The previous owner I think was more messy. There's gross stuff everywhere, like in the vents. I'm thinking maybe it needs some internal work, maybe there's some bugs or animals in here, not sure. They are probably frozen to death anyway, being from Colorado.


















Passenger side is OK










Driver's side, not good. Not sure what this stuff is, but it creeps me out that it is inside the vents










Coffee, soda mix I think










So, this is the iDatalink Maestro RR setup screen off my laptop, while trying to dial this baby in. As you can see, I don't give two ****s about SYNC, or the factory amp, etc.










Oh this is both my heaven, and hell simultaneously. I guess I'm decent at it though. The idea from the beginning was to get both the Metra Turbotouch dash control and the Maestro RR to work properly together.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So this is the same spare tire well box I made earlier, only with the top section now cut out. The idea here is to try and use this space as part of the enclosure for the space the 18's will need. And of course, they will need plenty of space.


































Test-fit in the vehicle, it does fit but the spare tire well has a slight cant to it so the box is angled downward a bit. This will need fixing










You can just see a hint of it here, I had to cut out the bottom of the box to make way for the magnet and the pole vent of the SA-18. Also the cutout diameter of 16 3/4" is what it takes to plop one of these subs in. Astute observers will note that this cutout just barely streaks by the edge of the box on either side of the cutouts. Going 18" was a ballsy move.











I cut the top board to match, and made it slightly wider on the sides, and slightly shorter on the length to allow for other panels to fit in later. 











They do fit!










The depth is a bit sketchy






















So obviously, a single 18" would have fit under the deck height, but with a pair of them will push the deck higher. This was confirmed A-OK with the owner, who does not intend to carry much cargo. I'll make it look good in here when it is all said and done, but I did lose quite a bit of sleep over it since I'm always used to building stealthy and flat. I'll figure something out.


So I am almost all caught up here, but I did get the box braced inside and coated with rubberized sealant. This thing is approaching the "too heavy to lift into the vehicle" state, so I'll probably test the box out to make sure it is fully sealed and then install it once and forever in the car.


























Meanwhile, the effort of wiring continues inside, where it is warmer. 











So that brings us current!


Even though it will have 18's in the trunk, this is a sound quality build. After researching and modeling extensively, they produced the best bass respsonse for the approximate airspace I planned on using, and being an SA it should sound great. I've absolutely loved using the smaller ones so hopefully these big boys do fine. 



The front stage will be the Eric Stevens components run active, but I'm left to wonder if I can get a shallow midbass under the front seats now that there's no equipment going under them. Y'all let me know what you think. Do the components need midbass to finish off the bottom end? Do they run deep on their own? My basic modeling of them show they can handle an infinite baffle / free-air design just fine up to their rated power, provided they are crossed in the 75hz range. But would they benefit from midbass under the seat? Hmm I'll just have to think about it. I've got the extra sub channels from the BLX5's to use for that, if need be. 



Oh well, I guess we'll have to see!


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> Definitely interested to see how this one turns out.



Hey there! Yeah this one took a turn toward extra-awesome early on. Lots of work left to do of course.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Subscribed! 

That under-hood mess...


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

rton20s said:


> Subscribed!
> 
> That under-hood mess...


Right?! Is that how all cars end up just 9 years later in harsh environment places?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Angrywhopper said:


> Right?! Is that how all cars end up just 9 years later in harsh environment places?



I haven't experienced this level of bad in some time. But that's OK, I'm bringing it back.


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## Redliner99 (Mar 26, 2018)

Angrywhopper said:


> Right?! Is that how all cars end up just 9 years later in harsh environment places?




Colorado isn't a "harsh" environment like the east coast with rust and junk. The UV rays on paint is absolute hell here. That's just lack of maintence on the owners part


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Redliner99 said:


> Colorado isn't a "harsh" environment like the east coast with rust and junk. The UV rays on paint is absolute hell here. That's just lack of maintence on the owners part
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



(previous) owner


The new owner, the guy I'm building for, he'll take excellent care of it after I'm done, I'm certain. This vehicle means a lot to him for sentimental reasons, so I'm doing my best to make it awesome.


That snow-salt spray is all over the car though. Looks pretty harsh to me.


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## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

Nice progress, Lanson! This went from an upgrade to a total rebuild...at least you're not going all "Pimp My Ride" on it and painting over the corrosion.

Don't you love it when you can do a dual 18" stealth build?


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## Redliner99 (Mar 26, 2018)

fourthmeal said:


> (previous) owner
> 
> 
> The new owner, the guy I'm building for, he'll take excellent care of it after I'm done, I'm certain. This vehicle means a lot to him for sentimental reasons, so I'm doing my best to make it awesome.
> ...




Always have to make up for previous owners. It's not too bad if it gets washed off. No rust to ever worry about which is nice. Build looks good though!


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## unix_usr (Dec 4, 2013)

Sub’d... the SA 18 was actually my second choice, but I ended up going with two of the Fi IB3 18” instead - I feel your pain on the baffle fitment, I put mine in a 2017 Mustang (even less width/space vs a Flex). 

I will say the larger 18” woofers don’t generally like to play high - ie xover at 75hz likely not going to bode well. I’m still playing with tuning but not entirely a direct comparison given mine aren’t in an enclosure either. I find modelling drivers this large in a cabin so small doesn’t really work - I can literally change the response by rolling down windows... 











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## mtxpert (Sep 29, 2016)

Lanson! It's Bambic 
I need to come see you with my truck, the build is done but the bass is doo doo.
https://www.diymobileaudio.com/foru...tremor-regular-cab-short-bed-truck-build.html

I also need to fix some rattles and god the road noise is HORRIBLE.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

BigAl205 said:


> Nice progress, Lanson! This went from an upgrade to a total rebuild...at least you're not going all "Pimp My Ride" on it and painting over the corrosion.
> 
> 
> Don't you love it when you can do a dual 18" stealth build?


Yeah, this one definitely will be hitting for the fences. While I'm not an expert woodworker or anything special, I'll be doing my best to make it special. The deck height will be the only thing that really should raise an eyebrow, for those that know their cars. I've never used 18's before, but so far it seems like a good way to go for surface area. With the SA motor being what it is, I have a good feeling about this one. The motors are efficient, low inductance, and the suspension is ideal for a moderately-sized sealed box so it should work.






Redliner99 said:


> Always have to make up for previous owners. It's not too bad if it gets washed off. No rust to ever worry about which is nice. Build looks good though!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks! So it doesn't rust in Colorado much?




unix_usr said:


> Sub’d... the SA 18 was actually my second choice, but I ended up going with two of the Fi IB3 18” instead - I feel your pain on the baffle fitment, I put mine in a 2017 Mustang (even less width/space vs a Flex).
> 
> I will say the larger 18” woofers don’t generally like to play high - ie xover at 75hz likely not going to bode well. I’m still playing with tuning but not entirely a direct comparison given mine aren’t in an enclosure either. I find modelling drivers this large in a cabin so small doesn’t really work - I can literally change the response by rolling down windows...
> 
> ...


You know, I sent a few emails to Fi Audio (since they are local) and they never responded, not once. So they lost my biz. That said, an 18" sub should be able to play those higher frequencies fine, provided the inductance isn't too high. But I don't know how Fi built the motors on your subs. The SA's tend to have smaller coils, lower inductance, shorting rings, etc. and I expect them to play up to 150hz or so (not that I will cross them that high), but we'll have to see. I ran an SA12 in a Vette build, man that sub was amazing. 




mtxpert said:


> Lanson! It's Bambic
> I need to come see you with my truck, the build is done but the bass is doo doo.
> https://www.diymobileaudio.com/foru...tremor-regular-cab-short-bed-truck-build.html
> 
> I also need to fix some rattles and god the road noise is HORRIBLE.


You have amazing equipment, just sounds to me like you need some quality time with some MLV, neoprene foam, and more deadening. But remember, some vehicles are just noisy. My WRX is like that. But, I'd be happy to get on a project with you when the time is right. Edit: Looked deeper, man you have a super-pro doing your install, let him stay the course, his skills easily surpass mine and your truck is awesome.


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## Redliner99 (Mar 26, 2018)

Na it's too dry here. If it gets up to 20-30% humidity it's weird 


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## mtxpert (Sep 29, 2016)

I wouldn't mind working with you for a bit remotely on configuring the MS-8, this thing is super simple but also needs to be configured correctly and there's tricks that I've sort of learned but wouldn't mind you double checking me.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

What kind of enclosure volume do you have there?? Seems quite small for a pair of 18's.


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## Onyx1136 (Mar 15, 2009)

captainobvious said:


> What kind of enclosure volume do you have there?? Seems quite small for a pair of 18's.


Was thinking the same thing...


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

captainobvious said:


> What kind of enclosure volume do you have there?? Seems quite small for a pair of 18's.



Should be about 5 cubic feet. The SA-18's sit around .8 Qtc in that.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

If that Qtc ends up a bit too high...


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

lol, yeah there's that "option".


Y'all crazy.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

I'll have to pull that cowl on my Explorer this weekend. I was about to punch a hole through the firewall and install my own grommet for power. If it works out the same way I won't have to. Awesome tip.

And yeah that battery area. Damn.


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## nyquistrate (Apr 17, 2011)

fourthmeal said:


> ... But remember, some vehicles are just noisy. My WRX is like that.


Yeah, same here (2018 WRX). I've heard that the tires are the biggest issue and 2018 improved road noise over previous years. :surprised: 

Oh, and to keep this on topic, I'm following your build. Crazy big subs.


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

really liking the attention to detail on this build, nice job!



in regards to this photo, i actually asked the body shop that repaired my jeep grand cherokee about potentially fabricating something in the very area where that guy is standing. his response wasn't that it would be difficult, but he advised me not to do this because of how the vehicles are built to withstand crashes. specifically, they are either built to be rigid, or surprisingly enough, built to actually collapse in some areas. he suggested that any modification to this area would likely inhibit the vehicles ability to withstand impact, or at least in the capacity that it was designed. that being said, i am still considering it, as we all know how crazy we are at times. just thought i'd put that out there...



rton20s said:


> If that Qtc ends up a bit too high...


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Whoops, I kinda didn't keep up with this like I meant to. Let's get back up to speed!


So the plan WAS to integrate the Metra and ADS / Maestro stuff together. I wired up both to a custom harness cobbled from both systems. This didn't work. Here's the Metra during setup:












This is the heated seats, and they do not work! 











This is the rear climate control, and does not unlock!










This is the main (front) AC setup on the Metra. The temperature controls work fine, as does the the damper controls like recirc and defrost, but the power button doesn't turn the system off and on so this is a bust.


Now I can't really say this is Metra's fault. This unit was made for the NON-Nav version of the car, and of course, this is a fully-loaded one with Nav. I researched and the wiring was the same (CAN control), and I decided to take a shot. That said, it was a real bummer to realize this wasn't going to work. So, on with what does work!


Now the Maestro system does not connect to the rear AC system, so I reconnected the factory setup and unlocked the rear AC from there, and of course the rear AC controls worked. Then I plugged in the Maestro and the rear AC still worked, so that was one issue down. I couldn't locate/operate the heated seats, so that was aggravating.










I researched and figured that out, turns out there's a setting in the Kenwood that defaults to heated seats = off, so I changed that and here we go





















So, points if anybody can definitely figure these out. The pink one is most likely Sirius/XM, but the yellow one? Maybe GPS antenna? I can tell you the OEM service manual mentions nothing of it.


















Here's the back of the factory nav unit for reference










I found this doohickey in the center console area, dug around and found this is the control unit for the rear seat headrest DVD system


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So I got the box done


I bolted the subs in and decided to test the box











I rigged the sub amp to play test tones from my laptop










With that success, I took the subs out and laid vinyl down on the box on the top, and standard black carpet wrapped around the sides. I also added 1/8" neoprene foam to the underside of the box

























I got the box installed (yeah, it is heavy)










And the subs went in










I cut this panel to hide the unfinished back side 





























Next up, the top cover. I mulled over how to do this for a long time, but you know eventually you just have to get out there and start cutting wood, right? So here's how I decided to get it done










I used my saw in a precarious way, but hey still got all my fingers and such. 











I grabbed some 3/16 x 1" flat bar (Home Depot..) and it took 5 4ft bars to get this done.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I used epoxy on the bars first, to lock them to the wood. Then I used short-strand reinforced filler and got those holes patched










Two layers of the short-strand stuff, sanded down after cure, and then two layers of Bondo Gold filler











Works pretty good!










Sanded down and ready for carpet










I got the rear camera wired up. I hate soldering in the car, but I had to do it in this situation.










Works fine. Graphic quality is eh.., but I think this is as good as I can get it. 
















That's where I'm at for now. We have a surprise coming up, not going to cover that quite yet.


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## unix_usr (Dec 4, 2013)

PM me your VIN # - I might be able to help with the CAN / details on the maestro not working on this model vs one without factory nav (bonus if you have a vin for one without nav that it does work for two). You might simply be able to change the module configuration on the Ford side if things. 


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

unix_usr said:


> PM me your VIN # - I might be able to help with the CAN / details on the maestro not working on this model vs one without factory nav (bonus if you have a vin for one without nav that it does work for two). You might simply be able to change the module configuration on the Ford side if things.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Extremely appreciated! But the Maestro was the one that worked (except for rear air control, because they don't support it apparently.) It was the Metra unit that was the one not playing nice.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

A while back I mentioned a surprise coming up. This is it:


An AK7115 Spectrum Visualizer / dB meter











There's going to be a large ~2.5" x 6.5" gaping hole in the center stack because the Metra screen won't be going in. So instead, this little guy will quietly take up the space behind a tinted viewpoint.


This is 3/16" Plexi










That piece I cut perfectly, and then screwed it up by attempting to use spray tint because I had it, but I just can't get around the splotchiness. 



So I cut another one, didn't get the cut as perfect but it does fit




















This is it after tinting with window film, 20% type.










And this the look






























I'm digging the understated look, doesn't take up the whole screen space.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

This is how I'm topping the subs. 





























This is the mat we got to fit over it all.










This the the first amp rack










Toying with this layout








































Not a perfect piece, some brush bristles fell out into the contact adhesive, you can see them through the vinyl. If it must, this part will get re-covered










This was wrapped decently on the back










I added magnets as well










This is my current plan for air cooling










More on that later


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Man, this makes me want to add a Flex to the stable but great condition ones are not that easy to find.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> ...In the meantime, I pontificated this build over a few days and at one point, I asked a question that forever changed this build - I asked the owner if he will ever, ever use the 3rd row seat. He said never have, never will! What does any installer worth his salt do at this point? That's right, time for it to go!
> 
> 
> First have to unclip the dohickey up front that holds the thingamajig
> ...


I'm not sure if it will be the same for a Flex or not but when I pulled the third row from my Explorer the back end felt really loose. The third row seat acts like a bit of a strut brace and really tightens things up. I got a brace for the Explorers that goes in the police interceptor models and it was even better than the seat being in since it bolted down at 4 points. Not sure if there is anything like that for a Flex or if you can come up with something else but it's not a bad idea from a handling standpoint if you can.


----------



## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

fourthmeal said:


> I used epoxy on the bars first, to lock them to the wood. Then I used short-strand reinforced filler and got those holes patched
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I really like the flush mount protection you achieved with the recessed flat bar over the subs. I’ve been toying with the idea of putting an IB sub in my trunk in the rear seat pass-through. If I end up doing it I’ll likely steal this idea ( or at least some version of it).

Excellent work!


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

didn't know people were still using massive amps these days.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> didn't know people were still using massive amps these days.



I can't speak for these models going in this build because I haven't heard them personally, but the models in my Durango are kick-ass little units.


I've crammed 3 of them in here (my Durango build)










They've been a good brand for me for a while now. Not an SQ brand, but I don't really subscribe to amps making a lot of different to the sound assuming they are low distortion to begin with.


----------



## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

right on, i ran those exact same amps, but found them to be a little unimpressive power wise. they also ran a little hotter than i wanted, but otherwise had no isssues.

i used to run their old school rs line. kinda wish i still had them. the guts were a work of art.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Dan750iL said:


> I'm not sure if it will be the same for a Flex or not but when I pulled the third row from my Explorer the back end felt really loose. The third row seat acts like a bit of a strut brace and really tightens things up. I got a brace for the Explorers that goes in the police interceptor models and it was even better than the seat being in since it bolted down at 4 points. Not sure if there is anything like that for a Flex or if you can come up with something else but it's not a bad idea from a handling standpoint if you can.



Uh Oh... Seriously!? Goddamn. 



Not sure how this is going to pan out. Thanks for the heads up, didn't think much of it. Might have to come up with a solution out of steel, maybe see if I can do something like that.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> right on, i ran those exact same amps, but found them to be a little unimpressive power wise. they also ran a little hotter than i wanted, but otherwise had no isssues.
> 
> i used to run their old school rs line. kinda wish i still had them. the guts were a work of art.



They should make rated at 14.4v, to at least meet their CEA specs, but yeah I don't expect them to out-perform their stock ratings. However, figuring that we have this many channels, the important ones will be bridged and that should be enough juice, hopefully.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

fourthmeal said:


> Uh Oh... Seriously!? Goddamn.
> 
> 
> 
> Not sure how this is going to pan out. Thanks for the heads up, didn't think much of it. Might have to come up with a solution out of steel, maybe see if I can do something like that.



So this is the piece?

















If you have any closeups of how it mounts and all that, I could see about installing it.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> So this is the piece?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup. That's the one I have and I'll get pics tomorrow. In a nutshell it bolts down in the same place as the rear seat out near the wheel wells and where those odd brackets go under the seat.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Dan750iL said:


> Yup. That's the one I have and I'll get pics tomorrow. In a nutshell it bolts down in the same place as the rear seat out near the wheel wells and where those odd brackets go under the seat.



I looked at my sub box, if it fits it would be TIGHT but maybe it would work. I guess another option, off the wall, is to make some sort of L bracket and brace against the box itself.


Edit, dug more and found a thread


https://www.explorerforum.com/forum...3rd-row-delete-police-package-install.419317/


Damn that thing is beefy












I went and looked, I don't know if my sub enclosure will clear.


edit: found another thread
https://www.explorerforum.com/forum...3rd-row-delete-police-package-install.419317/


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> I looked at my sub box, if it fits it would be TIGHT but maybe it would work. I guess another option, off the wall, is to make some sort of L bracket and brace against the box itself.
> 
> 
> Edit, dug more and found a thread
> ...


You may want to go for a test drive with it out. It may not be as big a deal on the Flex. If you need something there may be some custom metal fab work in your future.


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## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

Lanson, I've got one of those cross-braces sitting out in my garage from the Explorer I traded this summer. If by some miracle it happens to fit the Flex, let me know and I'll send it to you.

#noflexflex


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

BigAl205 said:


> Lanson, I've got one of those cross-braces sitting out in my garage from the Explorer I traded this summer. If by some miracle it happens to fit the Flex, let me know and I'll send it to you.
> 
> #noflexflex



Al!


YES it should fit, Explorers, MKT's, Flexes, etc., they all use the same mounting points.


What would you like for it, and how much will she cost to ship? 



You saved my ass yet again, my man.


edit: owner and I talked it over, safety is paramount over everything else. I researched my ass off, didn't sleep last night, etc., and really that brace at least for Explorers is a critical path item if you pull the 3rd row out. We can safely assume that the Flex is identically prepared, given they really are the same vehicle.


My new plan is to get the brace in there, and if the box doesn't fit, then I'll either mod or make a new box. And if necessary, I'll go down to "only" one 18" sub. If I did that, I'd have more space for one sub so the Qtc will go down a bit, and the deck height for the whole build will go down. Yeah, it means some materials are used, but if nothing else, that's just the cost of doing it right. 



I want to do it right.


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

another good reason i love this site


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> another good reason i love this site



Awesome friends for life that come to your aid for no other reason than to be helpful? Yeah it is amazing, this problem just had a solution fall into my lap, that's some fate and meaning of life stuff right there. 



And it may end up saving a life if the car gets hit, who knows? Not going to ever risk it, if I'm aware of the risks.


Obviously, thanks to Al for helping, and thanks to the other Explorer guys here for the head's up on safety and handling. Important stuff, would have never thought of this being a problem otherwise.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

Glad to help. I would also suggest you and Al taking a few measurements just to be sure before shipping.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Dan750iL said:


> Glad to help. I would also suggest you and Al taking a few measurements just to be sure before shipping.



Since this part fits the MKT, it should work. Some Flex forum people also confirmed it should fit, with the mounting points lining right up. Might need to trim some of the factory panels at the very bottom where the brace meets its bolts, but that's definitely acceptable. I'm not sure any Flex owners have installed this yet, only contemplated it. So if we are the first, this should be interesting for sure.



For now, I'll focus my efforts on the dash and doors, and when the part comes in, I'll battle the trunk again. Might have to change the title of the thread some!


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

Awesome. Looking forward to the rest of the build.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Minor update while the brace is on its way,


got the front doors deadened, there's 3 sheets in the inside skin, and a couple on the outside. I'd say 75% coverage. Knocking on the door results in that oh-so satisfying sound of almost nothing. The Flex has a cup holder / map pocket area that juts into the door, so I curved the deadener as I went.























Haven't used something this thick (1/4" Neoprene) on a Flex door before, but I bet it will work.









I also started my speaker mounts. Router inside, jigsaw outside



















Wiring a Flex door is interesting. It isn't nearly as hard as it should be in one way, and then it is infuriating in another. The door molex has an extra plastic ring clipped to it that comes right off, and that holds the door wire boot. I had an easy time getting through the car itself, from the inside to the door. That just requires a quick hole in a plastic wire organizer/runner that is inside. The hard part is the door boot. It isn't hard to get free, but it is very long, and has a 180 deg turn at the top. So a lot of wrangling and you can make it eventually. Lots of wires in these doors, so there's not much room.











Tomorrow should be a big one.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Today I fully completed the doors and bolted them back together. I used a thin strip of Ensolite to serve as a gasket for the door mounts, and then used the factory mountings screws to fix this thing into position. 



























Next, the Stevens Audio woofers were wired up (easy with the push terminals on the speakers, thanks Eric! I used some 4 conductor 16 gauge here.

















And those were screwed into position. 



















I also located some FAST rings I had, and installed those.


















The door panels were also deadened










And I reused the factory "batting" or whatever you want to call it










I added a little touch of custom, took the factory "Sony" badges out and used the "Stevens Audio" badges that come stuck on the speaker grilles he includes. 











And all done (I forgot to take a pic on the other side, but it went fine.)












Next up, I'll deaden the rear doors, but I think we'll keep the stock speakers, the Sony ones aren't too bad for ambient fill.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Yesterday I completed the rear doors, routed all the wiring, and buttoned up most of the interior.


The stock door










Deadened inside and out, kept the stock speaker as it isn't too bad, a Sony speaker with rubber surround, poly cone, and a silk coaxial tweeter. 











Added neoprene










Rinse and repeat for the passenger side


















I intercepted the wiring for the rear door speakers at the B-pillar, and spliced to it. White/Green +, Brown/Yellow - on the driver's side, and Brown/White +, Brown/Blue - on passenger, and they are easily found because they are the only wires twisted together in each run.


I also ran all the wires to the back. Man, there's a lot of wire here, and this Flex, being a Limited with all the bells and whistles, has much of its wiring loom sections already filled up with wire, so it took some patience to get all this routed










That will need organized some more later, but what I have here is:


Driver's Side:
F Tweeter 16 gauge / 2 conductor (16/2)

F Woofer 16/4
R Coaxial 16/2

Power 1/0 gauge


Passenger's Side:
F Tweeter 16/2
F Woofer 16/4
R Coaxial 16/2
Center 16/4 (will be 2-way most likely, so I wired for it)
Switched power 16/4, this is a separate run of wire from the head unit area to the amp rack area, which I'll use to run my trigger wire, as well as run power from the accessory fuse block I'll be installing for a bunch of things like cooling fans and lighting.
4 ch RCA


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK, first let's update the non-brace stuff, then we'll get to that brace. So I finished the spectrum visualizer part


















This is the 12VDC to 5VDC USB converter I got from Amazon. Nice little unit I think. I added an XT60 connector to the inputs, and did some solder work to connect it to the special connector that came with the spectrum analyzer. You see, that thing uses micro-USB, however it breaks the wire apart into a micro USB and 1/8" Phono jack on another wire. The only input is the micro USB.




















Made a strain loop and heatshrunk the together. Tiny wires here.









This is the 3 wire output coming from the usb cable, for the phono jack. Even more tiny of a wire.











So this all wires then to the REAR RCA outputs of the Kenwood deck, which otherwise won't be used in the build. Figured that prevents any split-cable distortion, as the rear output will be playing anyway while the front goes to the MS-8.


OK, brace time, just finished this part a little bit ago.


This is the unit










Fits perfectly in the right spot, and all I had to do was loosen the right panel and slip the brace parts under both sides. Didn't even have to fully pull out the panel. 











A tiny notch in the plastic panel on both sides makes it fit with no issue. That's an invisible area so I just did the cut with a box cutter knife.



























Brace bolted in and ready to go. Didn't end up painting it. Looked unnecessary. Its exactly the same material as the brace in the dash, and that's not painted. It'll be fine, especially because it will never be seen or exposed to something like snow or whatever.









Old box doesn't fit, about 1.5" short. The decision was to scrap it, and build something new. I'm going down to 1 sub, and I'm probably doing a downfire, to avoid having to make a new grille. It can fire right into the spare tire well, and will give me lots of space this way.


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## BigAl205 (May 20, 2009)

I'm glad the brace fit.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

BigAl205 said:


> I'm glad the brace fit.



Me too! Now this build can proceed, and likely get some sound going before Christmas! Thanks again, Al.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK just a quick update, with the brace in and a need to fit a new box, I immediately started on that. I cut this one to fit a downfiring sub, which will save me a lot of headache with a sub grille and other stuff. This made me go down to one sub, but we're going to upgrade the power to that one, so the overall bass performance will be very similar, within 3dB or so in outright SPL. Still way, way above the originally planned pair of 10's, certainly.

Anyway, here's the box just in a test-fit situation, nothing is glued up here:









This would be with the box upside down

















The sub clears the bottom by more than the required amount for the pole vent, so this is the right size and we''re good to go. I've got some ideas in my head for securing this box more aggressively, and I'll need to create a cover board to get the desired effect, but the final deck height is exactly where I really want it, at the tailgate opening height.




More tomorrow, if the weather holds.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Update time! 

I built the box, this one I braced more aggressively

























I added a few extra sheets of deadener since I had some unexpectedly leftover even after covering the doors. Might as well make it more dead.









I added some 1/2" gym mat rubber to the bottom.









I added some mounts to the bottom, with some leftover circles (why not), and these allow the box to sit an angle which ends up making the top (bottom?) of the box parallel to the ground. 









Box installed.



























This is approximately the final deck height


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Working on the rest of the trunk









































Mock-up continues









amp rack bits









These cuts will allow the amps to drop in, but a decorative panel will go over this, so these won't be visible









These cuts get around the brace, which is tall enough to interfere with pretty much everything.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Here's the amp rack


























The brace forced a complete redesign (no surprise there), these amp "cubbies" barely fit.




























This deck height is pretty good










Addressable LED's installed


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Time for updates, yeah?


So the owner ordered up a Kenwood dash cam to connect to this marvelous head unit. 











I used split-loom to make the run from the left A-pillar to the head unit area. I picked up the satellite GPS, the dashcam, and mic cables.










On the other end, along the way I also picked up the OBD II connector wires from the iDatalink Maestro RR, and then completed the run to the head unit area.










Dash back together!










And a test fire of the spectrum visualizer. Man I love that thing.










Rear cam works










Dash cam works










Cut the amp rack to prep for some covers










testing out the lighting








































Gotta love the addressable LEDs


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Beginning the process of wiring all these amps. Should be a blast. No really, I actually enjoy this part for some reason.










The Massive E4 and Railcap are in, these are what we're going with for the sub amp, sent the Blade amp back when we went to 1 sub.










its like a disco up in here










I'm using flag labels for all the small wires


















One of the distribution blocks labeled up

























Not sure I'll end up using these exact blocks. I'm going to go shopping for the perfect ones I think. I have 18 connections to make + the sub (which will be using an XT60.)


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

everything looks awesome, love the attention to detail!

with the leds, is there some way to diffuse each diode so that it gets a more evenly distributed light coverage?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> everything looks awesome, love the attention to detail!
> 
> with the leds, is there some way to diffuse each diode so that it gets a more evenly distributed light coverage?



There are a lot of ways to do that, however in this situation I won't be using them. Of course, there are cover panels that will hide all these openings, and there will be smaller plexi panels for peeping through and seeing the colors. But Bing (Simplicity in Sound) has some awesome gallery shots of how he uses plexi to edge a build to diffuse the light. His plexi costs must be quite high though, plus he knows how to use a router far better than I do with the right bits.


If these amps were on display like he does, in a big shape fully exposed, I'd probably go for something like that. Would be pretty cool!


Also, if you love lighting, there's lights like this that are more expensive but far more dense per inch, and each single LED is a "pixel" and individually addressable. These are addressable by pixel being 3 LEDs per pixel. Still, amazing and I'm loving using them. Super-easy to solder up and wire.


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

totally understand, just curious. i have a build coming up, where do you suggest i check for leds then?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> totally understand, just curious. i have a build coming up, where do you suggest i check for leds then?



Well I bought these little guys on Amazon. They are from BTF (a Chinese company, surprise), but they are nice. They are WS2811 led strips. The controller is the SP107E, very nice little unit. I use the LED Chord app with it, and it works great.


Amazon has excellent options for LED's imo.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I got a bit more work done so far,

I decided an angled position for the front amp wouldn't help since we switched to a different amp that wasn't as tall. So here's the new design









This was my test fit, to determine the allowable spaces for wiring









Setting up the sub amp









Using XT60 connectors for the front woofers and sub. 

















This is where I'm at right now. 









Somehow my wife is OK with me using the dining room table, to stay warm.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> ...Somehow my wife is OK with me using the dining room table, to stay warm.


Great work. Greater wife!


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## ToNasty (Jan 23, 2013)

fourthmeal said:


> Beginning the process of wiring all these amps. Should be a blast. No really, I actually enjoy this part for some reason.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What distribution block is that? I need something like that


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

ToNasty said:


> What distribution block is that? I need something like that



Well that is one from Amazon. It is very nice! Let me find the link:
https://www.amazon.com/MICTUNING-6-...ive/dp/B07FT1Z4MS?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6681847011


And they have much bigger ones if you need. And there are cheaper ones, this one was on $12 sale when I snagged it.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

There is also a grommet behind the SJB. You can slide it off the mounts and have enough room to go through. But probably not anything bigger than 4ga.
Probably easier for most people.

Jay


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So hey, this build sorta went off the rails a bit. I went out of town on business, got back, and then started mucking around with the amp rack to get it set up in the car. At that point, I started running into failures of the structure! I made critical mistakes that ended up biting me in the ass, such as for some reason, laying vinyl down and then gluing panels together. The glue didn't hold, and the parts started separating. Same happened to other sections, where the MDF just gave way once the basic amp mounts failed. I also ran into issues with wiring, where the sheer amount of wires going in and through various places ended up making the rack not fit like I had hoped. Just lots going on, a little over my head.



On my business trip, I realized I need to step my game up with fabrication, and forever toss the concept of jigsawing holes and calling it "good enough", even with a pretty straight cut it just never is perfect. So over the trip, I ordered up some new bits to try and do things right from now on. I got spiral bits, rabbeting bits, extra sized bearings to over-under size panels, flush trim and pattern bits, etc. I had planned on using these for new parts, but since the amp rack failed, I guess I'll just start over from there. 



Anyway, live and learn. Car audio fab is as much an experiment as anything else. On my trip in the evenings, I watched endless hours of CAF youtube vids, and now I'll start applying the lessons learned in the real-world. Hopefully, this new rack will end up being sweet! 4 amps, a processor, distribution blocks, a railcap, etc. Lots of stuff.


----------



## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

gettin tips from the fab kitchen!


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

brett said:


> gettin tips from the fab kitchen!


 Is Mark's channel called the Fab Kitchen because his garage space looks like one? Or is there another reason? One thing is for sure, he's got great ideas and it helped me more than I could have ever thought.


On with the show, actually got some cool stuff done recently.


So as I mentioned, I had a bit of a fabricator's epiphany while on this business trip with nothing to do in the evenings except watch youtube videos. While out of town, I ordered up many things from MLCS and Amazon, and let all the things come in while I was gone. When I got back, I immediately started on amp rack v2.


This was my first ever template or guide-bearing type design, so go easy on me while I get caught up to the 21st century. Prior to this it was jigsaw or table saw where applicable. 








using a 1/4" spiral flush trim bit from MLCS, like butta in MDF.


I've not had lines this sharp ever, immediately addicting.


















Test fit, so far so good










I decided to try and use the mounting pads here on each end. I made a template of them with the tape-transfer method










Then I jigsawed one of the sides to fit the template, and smoothed it out. Then I copied that shape on the router to make two mirror imaged mounts.










Those mounts bolt up using the factory hardware










Over the course of a bit of time with the router and some template work, I made some wild-looking amp mounts










They fit in like so


















I added my main bracing, this is done in harder wood than MDF for durability's sake. MDF has been failing me lately, turns out my choice of wood glue also caused issues so I switched from Gorilla glue to Titebond (the one with the short setup time.) 





























I then started on the front mount


















This guy here will thread into the rest of the amp rack with T-nuts, so it can be taken apart separately for service










This is how the amps are going to go










Got the rack T-nutted up (lol)










And glue-screwed to the mounts




















Ferrules came in from my order, the 1/0 ones from Amazon fit like a glove. A very tight glove










This is the better way to go, I'm never doing bare wire again if I can help it


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I can only work in the evenings M-F typically, so this is a minor update for now. I've got the amps mounted and the rack is getting wired, piece by piece. With 4 amps, a railcap, a processor, and 9 speakers + sub to wire up, it is getting crowded.




















It is getting a little unwieldy, but I should make it. Once done, I'll fire it up and make sure nothing is DOA or an issue, then I'll start on the top two boards that will finish this up for the amp rack. A 3/4" board will serve as the reveal and edge-lit plexi planel locator, and above that will be a 1/2" board with protective panels. I'm hoping the protective panels will secure to the reveal panels with magnets and lots of them, and be fairly oversized just for a nice look once pulled off.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Minor update,

in-between rain showers yesterday, I managed to get the amp rack top cut. As I said before, no more jigsaw attempts at a straight line for me!









I'm pretty happy with these. I managed to copy the angle and size of the amps underneath pretty close to perfect. Certainly the best I've ever done with this type of cut.









Then I added a chamfer, which looks pretty good I think.









So this panel will get a rabbet on the inside to allow for edge-lit Plexi, then get covered in vinyl, and then a final overlay of 1/2" MDF will make up the protective panels which will be shaped and sized differently, to allow these reveal panels to show some skin. Magnets will hold them together.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

So I've been busy or at least trying, weather has been a problem the last few days. 

This is Las Vegas









So I decided to work indoors and fire up the system. I am not quite ready to install all this in its permanent place so disregard the clutter for a moment









With that, the system fired up and I was able to do some baseline tuning, albeit with the tweeters sitting on towels on the dash. I had to choose crossover points to set up the MS-8 processor, so I chose 2500 Hz for the tweeters to woofers, 70 Hz for the woofers to the subwoofer, center channel crossed at 250 Hz, and rears crossed at 100 Hz (all set at a slope of 24dB/oct.) I then calibrated the MS-8, and tried out some familiar songs to get a feel for how the system sounds. First observation, the big, bad SA-18 sub can boogie. Second observation, the Stevens Audio components are amazing. I can't get them to lose composure, even at extreme volumes, and they sound great on pretty much everything I tried to listen to. I brought my wife in after a bit of tweaking, and had her listen as well. We both agree, this setup is awesome. I officially recommend the Stevens Audio speakers if you have the scratch to buy them.

The weather improved enough to get back out and work today, so I used the time to cut a rabbet into the openings for lighting. 









I then cut plexi to fit, minding a gap for the LED strips









I then used my flush trim bit on the plexi to match the inside line









I started the vinyl process but I had to abandon after the vinyl refused to stretch enough to cover this shape properly. I'll figure out my next move, perhaps with another vinyl more stretchy, or maybe carpet. These things happen.


----------



## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I should update this! 

So after vinyl failed to work with the shape I made, I went with stretchy carpet and pulled it off. 









I then set out to get the main cover boards done. These aren't quite at their final height, but close.

















Got a good fit after using profiling tools to match these up









I then started on the front amp and railcap rack. 









I cut a rabbet out around the edge for the carpet, and then inlaid the center with vinyl. I decided on my blue-gray brushed aluminum type vinyl, which is visually interesting and has good stretch properties.


















I decided to use these brass threaded inserts to mount the front panel securely. This will allow easy removal or installation. 


















I then used some pieces of decently-strong wood (as opposed to MDF) to construct some mounting arms for my face panel to screw into. 

















This is mounted back in the car


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Something I started doing when I make "windows" is using a larger bit, say 1 3/8" flush trim style bit. It leaves a nice corner you can work with. Also, angle your openings (say 45*) makes it easier as well.

Jay


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

JayinMI said:


> Something I started doing when I make "windows" is using a larger bit, say 1 3/8" flush trim style bit. It leaves a nice corner you can work with. Also, angle your openings (say 45*) makes it easier as well.
> 
> Jay



Great idea! I was going to switch to a larger flush trim bit and hesitated, can't remember why. Yeah might as well make it easier on myself. I do love the sharp end but vinyl HATES it. I'll get better at using bits and bearings as I go on I think....far cry from attempting repeatable corners with a jigsaw though.


edit: All these are chamfered at 45 deg, probably the angles I'm shooting at doesn't show it. But I tend to run a bevel on all my parts, makes wrapping them easier. Coupled with a more gradual curve from a larger bearing/bit, I bet I'll start getting the hang of these windows.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Time for a major update to bring this current. I took the smart advice provided here and used softer corners via a larger flush trim bit.

I decided to make some changes to the amp rack display design, with some inserts, since this top panel is now carpet, instead of the vinyl it was originally going to be.










Cut a chamfer on the inside


















I worked on the shape some more, and vinyl'd them with a silver stretchy vinyl, far more stretchy than I was using before. This is some nice stuff!

















I mounted them to the big board









And installed LED's within the trim panels


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I decided that the front amp trim panel wasn't done as well as these little top amp trim panels, so I re-made this part and covered it in that stretchy silver vinyl. The remake is mostly due to the lack of sufficiently rounded corners, and this panel absolutely needs those to get the vinyl fitting nicely. So I switched to a 3/4" standard flush trim bit instead of the 1/4" up-spiral I use for templates. This added some grace to the panel too. Then came the chamfer.
https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/002047544498/media/34480595041/medium/1553479698/enhance[img]

I then cut into the panel with a rabbet for LED's
[img]https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/002047544498/media/34480594920/medium/1553479691/enhance

Turned out better than the previous one, I think!

















Gorgeous lighting









So next up, I decided to tackle the tough job of the pillars. First step was cutting into the factory ones, a point of no return! I cut them up pretty bad, specifically to rotate the tweeter without forcing the tweeter to stick out of the pillar. A few degrees of rotation to get the tweeter more on-axis is the plan here and the reason.

























I used CA glue with quick-set spray to lock it in as I went.









I used the CA glue method to create the shape, by stretching grille cloth and tacking it down.

















Done! J/K









You might be able to see the advantage of cutting in and rotating the tweeter just a bit in this shot.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I trimmed the shape, and started filling and sanding.









I also filled the backside with short strand filler









And also reinforced some in the front with the short strand









Lots more sanding and filling









































OK so you might be able to see an angle I was trying to complement here. The outside ring of the tweeter mount goes along with the bend in the A-pillar. It worked out!


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I then wrapped these in vinyl, to match the dash exactly.

























































Sweet panorama mode on my S9









This brings us current!


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## WilliamS (Oct 1, 2016)

Holy cow those are nice.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

WilliamS said:


> Holy cow those are nice.


 The pillars? I am happy with the way they turned out, as far as something that is vinyl. That means it is never perfect, but that's just the way vinyl goes. Steven's tweeters look great against the charcoal vinyl, though!


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## WilliamS (Oct 1, 2016)

fourthmeal said:


> The pillars? I am happy with the way they turned out, as far as something that is vinyl. That means it is never perfect, but that's just the way vinyl goes. Steven's tweeters look great against the charcoal vinyl, though!


No kidding they look like very good. I wish I had 50% of that talent.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

WilliamS said:


> No kidding they look like very good. I wish I had 50% of that talent.



I'm still an amateur with pillar-making. Those are my 3rd set ever. My recommendation, just get out there with some pillars and start f-ing them up, and figure out how it all goes. Always use that Weldwood HHR vinyl adhesive though, you can fudge almost anything in fabrication with different techniques, or creative workarounds but if the covering is going to be vinyl, don't skip that one. You can see my two other pillars in my 2010 Flex build and the 02 Vette build I did. they are in the build log w/ my name. Anyway, happy building!


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## ToNasty (Jan 23, 2013)

fourthmeal said:


> WilliamS said:
> 
> 
> > No kidding they look like very good. I wish I had 50% of that talent.
> ...


Im going to attempt to do pillars soon. But i had a question. The top of thr pillar where you didnt use boddy filler. All you did was sand the pillar? Did you use and adhesion promoter. Or just sanded the pillar and the filler stuck to it?


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## asianinvasion21 (Sep 24, 2012)

ToNasty said:


> Im going to attempt to do pillars soon. But i had a question. The top of thr pillar where you didnt use boddy filler. All you did was sand the pillar? Did you use and adhesion promoter. Or just sanded the pillar and the filler stuck to it?


You can drill small holes in the pillar before applying filler. This usually help a lot with the pillar cracking from sitting in the sun.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

ToNasty said:


> Im going to attempt to do pillars soon. But i had a question. The top of thr pillar where you didnt use boddy filler. All you did was sand the pillar? Did you use and adhesion promoter. Or just sanded the pillar and the filler stuck to it?


For these pillars I sanded with 80 grit, just a general scuffing. 








asianinvasion21 said:


> You can drill small holes in the pillar before applying filler. This usually help a lot with the pillar cracking from sitting in the sun.


Right, holes are a great idea, especially for large pillar builds. These seemed simple enough as-is.


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## ToNasty (Jan 23, 2013)

fourthmeal said:


> For these pillars I sanded with 80 grit, just a general scuffing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Perfect. As im going to try it out on my other vehicle just a set of tweeters. Do you ming giving me a list of what you used? The resin, body filler and speaker grill cloth?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

ToNasty said:


> Perfect. As im going to try it out on my other vehicle just a set of tweeters. Do you ming giving me a list of what you used? The resin, body filler and speaker grill cloth?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk



Sure!


I use the CA glue method, works perfectly for me. At my local Home Depot, there's this large bottle of CA glue that comes with a big ass can of activator spray, runs like 11 bucks for both. So get that if you can. I use high-grade grille cloth, the super-stretchy kind. For filler, I just use short-strand "Bondo" and for body filler, Bondo Gold. But Rage Gold would be better if you can source it. There's not much else to it, other than to cut your stock pillars, mount your replacement tweeter ring or plate or what-have-you, and then stretch the cloth over it as you dab CA to set it.


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## ToNasty (Jan 23, 2013)

fourthmeal said:


> Sure!
> 
> 
> I use the CA glue method, works perfectly for me. At my local Home Depot, there's this large bottle of CA glue that comes with a big ass can of activator spray, runs like 11 bucks for both. So get that if you can. I use high-grade grille cloth, the super-stretchy kind. For filler, I just use short-strand "Bondo" and for body filler, Bondo Gold. But Rage Gold would be better if you can source it. There's not much else to it, other than to cut your stock pillars, mount your replacement tweeter ring or plate or what-have-you, and then stretch the cloth over it as you dab CA to set it.


Perfect. And last. What brand is the vinyl as that looks exactly like my dash (im going to need that vinyl for my centerconsole build

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## txsound (Jan 22, 2014)

You should be able to go to literally any auto upholstery shop and get what you need. Chec for stretch (2 way vs 4 way) as it will determine how much you can get away with when wrapping around complex surfaces.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

ToNasty said:


> Perfect. And last. What brand is the vinyl as that looks exactly like my dash (im going to need that vinyl for my centerconsole build
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk





txsound said:


> You should be able to go to literally any auto upholstery shop and get what you need. Chec for stretch (2 way vs 4 way) as it will determine how much you can get away with when wrapping around complex surfaces.



I agree, upholstery supply stores are your best friend. Find one you like, and become their best buddy. I raid the scrap bin often, never know what you'll find. If not an upholstery supply store, a standard automotive upholstery shop or custom shop may help. They often have tons of books of vinyl to find the perfect match, and they may be able to supply you with the Weldwood HHR you need.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

OK let's update this:

I made the top cover board with some careful measurements. 









The back of the board has a 1/16" rabbet cut into it for the carpet









And I carpeted it the standard plush black I've been using for a while on this build









I built covers and used magnets to lock these parts in to the panel underneath.


















Oooh pretty



















All cleaned up and ready to go:










All that is left is to mount the center channel, the bass knob, and a few other tiny things in addition to cleaning the rest of the car as I make my way toward the center. I also will probably take a second look at the build at all angles to make sure everything looks good for the owner, any way you look. I may try to use acrylic to make rings to go with the LED's, but I'm on attempt 3 for that so we'll see. Some things are really tricky. Finally, I'll get a really solid tune from the MS-8 and run sweeps to confirm the calibration is on-point. Should be 100% complete soon!


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## mumbles (Jul 26, 2010)

Looks very nice, job well done!


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I decided to try my hand at vinyl wrapping. I've done a few small pieces and a Camaro hood before, but I'm by no means an expert at this. First up, the belt line trim. We got some black gloss Avery SW900 vinyl (about 25 ft linear), and I did a test with one.









The belt line worked out pretty good


















That turned out pretty good, so I proceeded to do more ambitious parts, like the roof sides









































I then gave the roof a go. This was quite tricky, given the massive size, the rails, and the fact that this roof has the Vista glass, which has proven hard to wrap.

































I got the D-Pillars done

















I failed to get the white background behind the D-pillars and rear glass, and there's a few segments on the roof rails that ended up showing some white too. I am going to create a few overlays/inlays to try and get these fixed, and then it should be pretty good.

Looks OK in the daylight


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

The project continues!
We ordered 3 top "Titanium" bars, I think they were $30 each.









I wrapped them all in the same gloss black

















Ripped the grille apart to get these in. Note, if you are doing 3 top bars, you'll be cutting this panel up to get them to fit.









But, damn it looks good!









Titanium headlights are part of the plan too, just not here yet.









Next up, wrapping the back panel. Gotta pull the badges first
This went OK but I ended up with a failure, caused by excess Goo Gone stuck under the panel. I used it to get all the badges and the ancient tape off the panel, but as we all know, this little guy likes to harbor liquid under it and that's what happened here... Goo Gone + vinyl film = disaster.








Right at the bottom left, where gravity fed the liquid into the vinyl


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Based on the "mostly" positive results from wrapping the roof and pillars and such, the owner decided that I can go forward and attempt to wrap the rest of the Flex. I contend, again, that I am not an expert wrapper (and really barely an amateur...this is my first whole-vehicle attempt), but we ordered Matte Blue Metallic Avery SW900 vinyl for it. I think it is 50 linear feet, came in a nice big box with end caps on the roll of material.









Just some shots as I worked it. Pardon the mess, we're gearing up to move too so my garage is not in good shape

























Hood went well, on to the first fender








Clean lines for an amateur, remember the headlights will be replaced w/ Titanium models soon.

























I fudged up the first door I tried. For some reason I thought I could do this without pulling the door handle. Silly me.









Second try at that went far better
Got a little head damage inside the pocket on the first re-try. Will figure that out later.








Started to come along nicely








































Lastly for now, been working that rear tailgate over again.









So, about 1/2 way there.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Turns out I'm not very good at wrapping. Some of it is not sticking, once being baked in the Sun. There's issues, and I let the owner know from the get-go that failure is definitely an option. Let's say that I learned a lot and played with the medium and the canvas to get experience, but I'm no Picasso with wrap.

Anyway, the Flex is about to leave me, and head back to its owner. I got the center picture done, and IMO it looks amazing. 










Here's a Youtube video of the system
https://youtu.be/vyr4NDRDMQA


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## Fro414 (Mar 29, 2018)

Sorry that the wrap wasn't working out, really liked that matte blue color. Awesome job again man!

What do you have on deck?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Fro414 said:


> Sorry that the wrap wasn't working out, really liked that matte blue color. Awesome job again man!
> 
> What do you have on deck?



Hey, thanks! 



I'm moving back to my hometown, Overland Park, KS. After I settle on a new home and move in, I'll get back in the game.


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## Fro414 (Mar 29, 2018)

fourthmeal said:


> Hey, thanks!
> 
> 
> I'm moving back to my hometown, Overland Park, KS. After I settle on a new home and move in, I'll get back in the game.


Aw man, good luck with the move! Hope your dad is still loving the vette!


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Fro414 said:


> Aw man, good luck with the move! Hope your dad is still loving the vette!



Thank you for that. He also is loving the Colorado he bought from me, after I finished its system. That was this one:
https://www.diymobileaudio.com/foru...lery/328186-2017-colorado-crew-cab-build.html


Now that I'm moving back, I'll actually be around both of those vehicles so I may try to do some upgrades to their builds while I can. Lessons learned and all that jazz.


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## diegofresco (Jun 20, 2019)

Hey, I'm running 16/4 to the doors of my 2018 Explorer Limited. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get the boot back on after the cable is run? Do I have to take the doors off? It's quite the pain in the ass.

Thanks.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

diegofresco said:


> Hey, I'm running 16/4 to the doors of my 2018 Explorer Limited. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get the boot back on after the cable is run? Do I have to take the doors off? It's quite the pain in the ass.
> 
> Thanks.





it is a pain but it is always doable. But good news, a 2018 Explorer is likely to be just like this one, and that means it doesn't require taking things apart. It will still be a pain in the ass though, these things always are.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

You’re an artist man! Great job and I’d trust you with my ride anytime. I’ll be back to Colorado next March (annual ski trip to Winter Park area)...would love to demo some of your work. Again...beautiful install. I’m sure it sounds amazing.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

saltyone said:


> You’re an artist man! Great job and I’d trust you with my ride anytime. I’ll be back to Colorado next March (annual ski trip to Winter Park area)...would love to demo some of your work. Again...beautiful install. I’m sure it sounds amazing.



Appreciated! You'll have to check with the owner for an audition. I myself moved to Overland Park, KS and I'll be settling in (picking a place to move in to, etc.) in the next few months. After that, I'll hopefully be able to pick up the hobby once more. Thanks again for the compliments!


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