# Thunder's 2009 Camry SE build log - from the gound up..



## Thunderplains

Alright, New England weather has finally calmed down (everyone was getting a free built in pool ) SO, now comes the install.. So first thing first.. The equipment list.

Components:

Kenwood DNX9140
Hertz MLK165
Hertz HL70
Hertz ML3000 (2nd in very near future)
Audiocontrol Matrix
Audioontrol DQX & DDC (Front end)
ZED Leviathan
ZED Kronos (2nd in very near future as well)

Accessories:
ALL Stinger cables & accessories
Stinger Roadkill Expert, Dynaliner & Dynaplate
1/8 & 1/4 CCF from foamfactory
Front door speaker adpts from How do I install stereo, speakers, subwoofer, amplifier, tweeters ipod in my Tacoma Toyota
DIY interconnects (credit goes to Doitor) Canare Star Quad 8 & 4 channel with Neutrik RCAs
Optima Yellow top, dual posts
Misc accessories from SDS, PE & MarkerTec

SIGNAL PATH:

DNX9140 will cross the Front / Sub  channels
Front channel (L&R) -> Matrix -> DQX -> Leviathan -> ML28, HL70 & ML165
SUB channel (L&R) - Matrix (split into channel 2 & 3) -> C3 -> Kronos -> ML3000 (future: C2 -> Kornos -> ML3000)

DEADENING:
Phase 1: Trunk, Front doors (in & out), Rear doors (in & out), rear deck & roof (material dependent)
Phase 2: Floor (from firewall to rear deck) & Carpet pad

Security: Already done (Viper) w/ custom battery & siren modifications

Windows: Way too dark. 19% under limit

I will also be adding a Stinger AC converter (Son's Video game) and will be utilizing the av in /out on the DNX 9140. I will be adding headrest video later in the year. I am not only looking for a good SQL system, but a AV system for trips with the family as well. Nice thing about the DNX9140 is it is zoned. The front can run the music while I can zone the AV outs for the rear and play a DVD for the kids while I am listening to the Ipod and using the GPS for directions.
The 9140 will also be used for T/A and crossing the Front end and Sub (EQ flat for FE and 10 band will be used for SUB)

Front door deadening has already been done, I will post pictures of that shortly (Need to find the card I used) I have been working on the Pods for the pillars and custom cables over the past few weeks (Pics shortly)

My install plans will be suedo-stealth, The trunk will be gutted (in process now) and will be built up with a combo of MDF and Birch. Carpeting and Vinyl from R&T enterprises (Makers of Obcon) Only thing that will be seen in trunk is baskets of ML3000s (why hide a pretty SUB?) otherwise, it will be a carpeted floor and plans will also call for use of spare.
I will also be setting up the install, so that all I have to do in future is drop the second ML3000 and Kronos in trunk and off I go. (I am not a fan of rip and replace ) rather plan ahead..

Alright, I will start getting some pictures up tomorrow of what I have been working on currently, then step by step after.. 

I also have the calibrated mic from Dayton and TrueRTA (licensed) to tune system post install.

I will be starting the A-pillar fab shortly. Plan is to have the tweet and mid positioned off axis (Hertz recommended) and I have heard this type of install with a MLK2 (no mids) and it sounded fantastic

Anyways, another goal is to keep the car looking as close to stock as possible (creative A-pillar modeling ) Rear fill will be removed and holes plugged and covered. AV system will be via wireless headsets.

Working on trunk and Big "6" tomorrow  Explanations with pictures to follow.

SO, here we go..


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## strong*I*bumpin

As a 6th generation Camry owner I look forward to seeing this build ,good luck.


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## ReloadedSS

Another 6th generation Camry owner. Looking forward to the install.


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## Thunderplains

Alright, some items that have been worked on and finished..

Speaker pods for pillars..


































I am throwing in a HL70 into my MLK165 setup. after many talks with Electromedia, this is a very good alternative to the ribbon. I am looking forward to seeing how this setup sounds..

Now, DIY cables & speaker wires


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## Thunderplains

I am also going to drop a new fuse/ground panel in the car bypassing all the noise/whine, etc of the electrical system


















Now the trunk.. before and after.. notice on the lid (and soon the side panels the selected areas of dampening placement. rather than covering the whole, I covered the spots that either resonated or had vibration, sound solid as a rock now. 


































































More to come..


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## IBcivic

i like where this is going ...suscribed


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## lashlee

I'm excited to see how this turns out. I just put the HSK163's in the truck. I think they sound awesome for the price!!! The 70 is the coolest lil' guy!!!


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## Austin

subscribed for sure.


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## trevordj

amitaF said:


> i like where this is going ...suscribed


x2 (extra words so my post isn't too short)


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## scooter99

yea I'm in!!


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## Thunderplains

Alright.. More pictures tonight.. Tomorrow starting work under the hood

Also, based on some ideas Mr Bateman had, I will be doing a sealed midrange on the pillar.. more to come on that shortly.. Will be constructing sub box this weekend..


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## Kellyo77

Neato. I'ma be watchin' dis an **** an stuff.


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## Jefferson

This looks interesting. I like where your headed(and the color of your car). I'm going to be keeping an eye on this thread.
Good luck!


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## Thunderplains

Ok.. Something I learned from Patrick, I am making the pods a little bigger to accomidate, but I think you get the idea..


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## IBcivic

i have one question> is there enough volume for the driver to perform efficiently in that 1/2 sphere?


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## Thunderplains

amitaF said:


> i have one question> is there enough volume for the driver to perform efficiently in that 1/2 sphere?


Not sure.. I sent Patrick a PM , waiting on response.. from the numbers, the HL70 can operate in a VERY small enclosure. Just how small.. It is either this, which a half sphere does wonders for waves, or model one when they go on the pillars

and if my math is right, it is about .009cf in size..


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## Thunderplains

Alright.. ALMOST done with the trunk pre-work..

Ok.. Deadening done... I am not a fan of painting the walls with aluminum.. I think it is a waste.. If you look at this, there are odd ball pieces everywhere. Everywhere there was a resonance or vibration.. Now It is solid. Sounds solid in and out..


























Hmm.. a perfect 90 degree angle.. Got a job for this spot

















Ok.. Repeat after me.. "CCF does not do anything but get rid of rattles and panel vibrations" SO, with that said.. Trunk lid.. and tada, back to stock looking..


















Now, probably wondering Why is there CCF on the floor.. Think of it as a vibration barrier to the build out that will be sitting on top of it.. Notice it is also completely covering that 90 deg wall.. I want the sub to hit hard and not rattle the car. So just like your car rides on shocks so you don't feel the bumps.. Get the picture?










More to come.. more work tomorrow.. Next steps.. Carpet the plastic panel panel that covers lip area (I am going for a gray/black contrast build, it will look cool) Finish misc CCF spots, add 2nd siren & trunk pin, Start engine bay area..

Sleep time..


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## Thunderplains

ok.. more work today..

Carpeted the back panel of the trunk.. Plan is I will be trimming the lip portion off and doing a vinyl wrap.. It will look cool..
Trunk is in waiting state now, moving to front of car.. I will be cutting out the plastic hooks in the corner and replacing with a chrome loop in future


















Engine bay.. fabricated a mount out of starboard for the fuse holders.. Can still remove the factory cover with out any issues.. onto the empty engine bay.. Remove battery and all factory cables to battery..


















Now.. While on a search for a grommet to move wires thru, I noticed this "cutout" right above the e-brake in the cabin. I pulled out the fabric covering it, it was a solid "hole" Must have been intended for something at some point. Also, on the engine bay side, it is right of the master cylinder. Also, removed the cutout of firewall material..
I have a Stinger PG34, which is a 1" watertight grommet for 1/0 cable. It was REAL tight drilling, but I move from a small but up to about 3/8 bit, then the hole saw (1") using a high torque setting on the drill, was able to drill a perfect 1" hole and installed the PG34.. Nice..


































Lastly, got the yellow top in the car and replaced all the factory cables with new stinger cable (4 & 1/0 ga) wrapped in techflex. I also changed the battery type in the camry, from +/- to -/+ config with dual posts. I am running the factory connections off the side posts and the "Big 3" and rear feed off the top. I think it works better this way. More flexable if you ask me..


















Next steps, finish HID light install, finish Big 3, RUn 1/0 power to rear and aux power to new panel on drivers side.
Once power is run to back, I will go back to trunk and start next steps there..


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## Greg S

Nice and clean. BTW the cutout is the clutch plate. I'm guessing you have an automatic? Always a great place to drill through.


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## Austin

Thunderplains said:


>


I need to do this wire on my car haha. All my wires are upgraded except this one. Although it isn't necessary it will make it feel "complete"


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## Thunderplains

Greg S said:


> Nice and clean. BTW the cutout is the clutch plate. I'm guessing you have an automatic? Always a great place to drill through.


Ahhhh makes sense.. Good place to drill, pain in the #!$ to get to.. but it worked out well.. also looks like you can go about 2 inches below that in the firewall to drill out the grommet. It is a good area in the Camry if you ask me..


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## Thunderplains

Thunderplains said:


>


Ok.. I was asked, so quick explanation.. The reason for the odd cut out and place of the fuse holder/breaker is that when the hood closes, the hydraulics for the hood line up perfectly with the cut out.. Also, I wanted the fuse holder and breaker accessible, not in some hard to reach place..


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## strong*I*bumpin

Thats where my fuse sits also,keep up the good work.


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## Greg S

I hadn't thought to use starboard for the fuse mount. Think I might have to use your idea and get some instead of making one out of steel like I had planned.


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## Thunderplains

Greg S said:


> I hadn't thought to use starboard for the fuse mount. Think I might have to use your idea and get some instead of making one out of steel like I had planned.


Great stuff, resistant to everything under the sun and a VERY high temp rating..
Also makes for easy fabrication. I have fabricated a board for the Matrix to sit on where the JBL amp sits under the seat as well.


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## Thunderplains

Onward, back to the engine bay to finish.. I ran the cable from Alt to battery.. There was not a real good spot to route.. Damn bracket holding the ECU needed some work..


































Some cutting and grinding the edges work and space has been created.. Probably don't need the cable route holder on left, but what the hell..










Power cable to rear of car, small space in wire wrap for grommet in firewall to tighten down on..










Alright.. the "Big 6" is done.. I'll be putting up some more pics shortly.. Also, after paging thru the electrical diagrams from Toyota, the FACTORY charging wire to battery is pathetic. 12AWG? seriously? I'll show a picture soon..










Onto the new fuse panel..


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## Thunderplains

A Toyota WTF moment..

So, I was going thru the factory wires and ABOUT to tin the lead on the factory joke of a charge wire to the battery (it is in FACT 12awg, see picture next to 1/0)
So, I figured I would take up some slack and cut it down a bit. 










Now THIS is the part that makes me wonder.. after removing the factory fabric wrap, excess electrical tape, I come upon this heavily heat shrinked area, so I cut the HS off and I was dumb founded. It is ACTUALLY a 5-6awg cable crimped down to a 12awg (about 6 inches long) and to the battery..










This concludes my Toyota WTF moment..

More pics tomrorow..


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## scooter99

Brought to you by TOYOTAWTF RADIO!!! 

BWAHHAHAHAHA!!! Well considering all the ish that toyota's going through on what appears to be continued flaws, which really translate into corners cut, does this really surprise you? I'm surprised that you didn't have a fire with that kind of application. WOW! Well I'm assuming you're gonna address that right away? I would track it back to the source and replace the whole wire. Acutally I did do that on my civic. WOW, simply WOW!


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## Greg S

I believe that 12-ga section has the fusible link in it. That's why it is so small. On a side not it's really amazing how much your Camry engine bay looks like my Scion xB engine bay, down to where everything is mounted and run.


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## Thunderplains

Greg,

The Scion and the 4cyl Camry EXACT setup, same engine.. Only thing I did was swap the battery out for opposite +/- positions. Worked better for the fusing of everything..
I did check that 12awg wire, unless the fuse is buried in the wire, it was just a straight wire. I know in the engine bay JB that the wire to battery is fused at 75 amps.
Does not really matter anyways as I now have the Alt to battery on 1/0..


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## HondAudio

Greg S said:


> I hadn't thought to use starboard for the fuse mount. Think I might have to use your idea and get some instead of making one out of steel like I had planned.


What's starboard? I'm planning on using a black 1/4" cutting board I got at IKEA.


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## wiseman454

Its a fusable link dude. Crimped by design.


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## Shelbrain

HondAudio said:


> What's starboard? I'm planning on using a black 1/4" cutting board I got at IKEA.


1/4" X 24" X 54" WHITE KING STARBOARD POLYMER HDPE - eBay (item 260418175534 end time May-22-10 08:34:58 PDT)

It is a composite material which is found in 3/4" and 1" thickness which can be cut just like MDF. It makes for great baffles for speakers that wont be affected by wetness in the doors.

To the OP, great work on a beautiful Magentic Gray Camry. I have an 08 in the exact same color. Just a word of advice, if you are planning to get the pedal recall done to your vehicle, get it done before you install CLD, CCF and MLV. I learned that lesson the hard way when they cut away a bunch of material to install a thinner foam piece under the carpet. I am following your thread closely as I have also finished deadening, but am saving for the rest of the install. Good luck! What are you plans for the A pillars? Have you found a material that closely resembles that OEM material?


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## CranberryYumYum

scooter99 said:


> Brought to you by TOYOTAWTF RADIO!!!
> 
> BWAHHAHAHAHA!!! Well considering all the ish that toyota's going through on what appears to be continued flaws, which really translate into corners cut, does this really surprise you? I'm surprised that you didn't have a fire with that kind of application. WOW! Well I'm assuming you're gonna address that right away? I would track it back to the source and replace the whole wire. Acutally I did do that on my civic. WOW, simply WOW!


SCOOTER99WTF!

you're out of your element, donny. talking smack about toyota's cut corners and talk up honda.. toyota is miles ahead of all companies in quality. have you ever heard of delorean? gm ford and chrysler tried to do the same to toyota. if you aren't smart enough to put your foot on the brake or put your car in neutral you don't deserve to drive. hondas have had numerous recalls that weren't given anything close to the attention toyota has received. in 06-07 there were issues with the brakes locking up at 60+mph. would you rather have a car that speeds up that can be controlled by a competent individual or a car that locks up with no chance of regaining control?

yes, it's a fusible link. many car manufactures use it. it's a safety precaution. 

keep buying into what the government is feeding you. because the news is all true. especially fox news.

i'm sorry op. i had to


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## sydmonster

very nice progress...

indeed unusual step down on the charge wire, but also at that length and constant load 12wga might be technically enough to do the job for an OEM set up. (?)


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## strong*I*bumpin

Shelbrain said:


> 1/4" X 24" X 54" WHITE KING STARBOARD POLYMER HDPE - eBay (item 260418175534 end time May-22-10 08:34:58 PDT)
> 
> It is a composite material which is found in 3/4" and 1" thickness which can be cut just like MDF. It makes for great baffles for speakers that wont be affected by wetness in the doors.
> 
> To the OP, great work on a beautiful Magentic Gray Camry. I have an 08 in the exact same color. Just a word of advice, if you are planning to get the pedal recall done to your vehicle, get it done before you install CLD, CCF and MLV. I learned that lesson the hard way when they cut away a bunch of material to install a thinner foam piece under the carpet. I am following your thread closely as I have also finished deadening, but am saving for the rest of the install. Good luck! What are you plans for the A pillars? Have you found a material that closely resembles that OEM material?


Mag Grey FTW!...*Please Post Your Work Over At ''TOYONATION.COM''*....







With the SE grill...


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## JayinMI

I LOVE Starboard...I've used it throughout my install.

Jay


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## Thunderplains

Shelbrain said:


> To the OP, great work on a beautiful Magentic Gray Camry. I have an 08 in the exact same color. Just a word of advice, if you are planning to get the pedal recall done to your vehicle, get it done before you install CLD, CCF and MLV. I learned that lesson the hard way when they cut away a bunch of material to install a thinner foam piece under the carpet. I am following your thread closely as I have also finished deadening, but am saving for the rest of the install. Good luck! What are you plans for the A pillars? Have you found a material that closely resembles that OEM material?


No problem there.. I had the pedal work done awhile back and I am doing the floor absolutely last, after the install is completed.. Not a big deal for me like the doors and roof and rear of the car.. As for the color, I think the Mag Gray is the best color I have seen out there.. My Wife has a Shadow Mica 4Runner and I WISH the Camry came in that color, but I like this the best..
As far as the pillars, I made pods, but might be modding them a little.. and through COUNTLESS samples, I have finally found a match to the ash interior of the Camry. Obcon (R/T enterprises) Grill cloth in light gray.. It is scary how close the pattern of the cloth and plastic are, color is a little lighter, but the best I can find.. You will see shortly, these are next.

As a side note.. Used my favorite polish on the Wife's car this weekend (Zaino, been using it for 15 years) Stuff STILL amazes me every time.. And this is only a fraction (one coat Z5 and one of Z2 then Z6) of what I will be doing to my car on Memorial day weekend.. Love this stuff..


















Ok.. Back to install pictures... Everyone loves pictures..


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## Thunderplains

Alright, back to build..

Fusible link.. Yep. I picked up a 12ga FL wire the other day, but not sure I want to put it back into the loop. I know it serves as a safety precaution, but something REALLY BAD has to go wrong in order for this to melt.. Might just throw it in so I don't catch crap from the dealer if an issue ever arises..










Alright, the "Big 6" is done.. Every factory and Big 3 cable in place.. (You can see the cable where I cut out the FL) Side posts for factory, top for Big 3. Clean engine bay.. Might alter the starboard mount just a tad for additional clearance for the 1/0 cables..
I am also going to fab a new battery hold down with some 7075 aluminum.. This one does not work for me..


















Ok.. To the rear deck and rip out the JBL speakers..


























Cover up the large holes with Dynaplate (This stiff is like adding a steel panel in the car when applying to the back of a sheet of roadkill and adding a second layer. Solid.










Some CCF for the top, glued down by weldwood and done! Back to stock look.. I also ripped out the trunk light (absolutely useless) and I have the wires laying there. I am going to throw in a 4ft led strip to replace..


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## Thunderplains

Also put in the new fuse panel for the electronics.. I have temp screws holding it in place for the moment, they will be replaced by small bolts as soon as I can get access to the vent on the drivers side (soon) This allows me to skip the factory wiring and electrical completely. I will be powering the HU, Audio control devices and possibly some lighting from here. It is 10GA to battery (with 25amp at battery) and then anywhere from 16 to 14ga at the block out..


















Grounding strap.. best place I could find that was close to frame welds. Dremel off the paint and shine the metal.. 










Trunk wiring for power completed. Following up with speaker wire next (already tech flexed)










Started cutting the wood last night, will have some new pictures shortly.. Also, starting A-Pillar work.


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## .BNO.

subbed!

I have ot invest in some CCF when i finish doing my rolla.


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## mattyjman

are you doing an IB install for the sub? if not, you may want to consider leaving the rear deck speaker holes opened so bass has an easy path back to you. i saw that you had covered them up, so thought i would mention it.. things look good so are, keep it up


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## Bluenote

Looking good! I really liked the MLK165's very creative going to 3 way w/ HL70. 
How are you going to mount your Sub+(s)???


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## JayinMI

Shelbrain said:


> It is a composite material which is found in 3/4" and 1" thickness which can be cut just like MDF. It makes for great baffles for speakers that wont be affected by wetness in the doors.


It's available in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1 and 1.5 inches. It's also available in White, Black, and a grayish blue, IIRC.

Ebay search username "acesany"

Jay


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## Silver & Black

Why use a circuit breaker and fuse holder?


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## Thunderplains

Silver & Black said:


> Why use a circuit breaker and fuse holder?


One for Big 3 other for system.. Always need a fuse betwwen the alt and battery.. 

Quick battery mod done.. took the factory hold down, added some 7075 using jbweld, prime, match to car, clear & stinger emblem.. Not bad..
Plus holds down the YT real good..










Been working on the woodwork, going a little slow, but going..

Subs will be in .801 selaed enclosures, basket out.. More to come..


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## Silver & Black

Looks good. I've never seen someone use a circuit fuse for the big 3. What does the big 3 consist of for the power wire. I know its battery to alternator, starter, and what else?


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## sydmonster

Silver & Black said:


> What does the big 3 consist of for the power wire. I know its battery to alternator, starter, and what else?


Actually the big 3 is a generalized conundrum..
I suggest it should be more like 4
1. uprated cable from - terminal to cars ground/chassis
2. uprated cable from + terminal to cars main alternator output
3. uprated cable from - terminal to cars engine ground(s)
4. uprated cable from + terminal to starter or main fuseable link
No4 is optional, but in reality, on most modern cars the only really necessary one for SQ based system is No1. Your factory wiring for charging, running & starting circuit is already good enough on more than the majority of cars.

sorry for O/T, this is a build thread.


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## Thunderplains

No problem... It's what I did.. Cept, I got rid of the fusible link, went right to 6 ga cable..
I know, safty precaution, but the link is still fused in JB at 75amps


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## sydmonster

Thunderplains said:


> No problem... It's what I did.. Cept, I got rid of the fusible link, went right to 6 ga cable..
> I know, safty precaution, but the link is still fused in JB at 75amps


I would have done the same. In fact, I really like how this build is going. really systematic and purposeful. Thanks for sharing and keep at it.


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## Thunderplains

Alright..

Been working on the trunck woodwork, took a brake and "re-did" the front door. I had it "OK" sealed for testing my ML165s out, now I wanted to bring it to the next level, "ULTRA" sealed. Some of th epics were from last year, but a majority is from now.

Factory door crap.. time to go..









2 factory deadening mats (2x4) on entire door. Joke. good bye.

















First, Deaden the outside panel with undercoating (rubberized), add Roadkill to outside panel (again, no need to cover 100%, door is solid now) and Dynaplate all the "open" holes..

























Dynaplate. I love this stuff.. First, conforms VERY nicely to door openings, easy to work with (if you use gloves, if not, it is a murder scene, blood everywhere) and 2x the plate it actually has the same thinkness as factory metal in essence adding structure to door, not just plugging hole. One piece on inside, one on outside, cover openings with a small piece of Roadkill.. Small hole done..


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## Thunderplains

Now, unto the larger hole.. Took a little forming with the snips, but it came out good.. Size needed was 12x17, cut done.. save all the small pieces, makes good for covering screw holes. Also, Camry had square plastic screw holders in the speaker hold down (see above), used triple dynaplate pieces, I will drill holes in them and use that for screwing down the adapt.


































Cover the door in Roadkill, cut out speaker opening









Cover door in Dynaliner









Now, for the speaker adapt.. for ANY install, pick up some extruded rubber rope from SDS, this stuff is awesome and I used it in several places.. What I did here is cut the dynaliner about 1/2 inch back from inside speaker opening and lined with a stretched out piece of EBR and then mounted the adapt, once screwed down, It is bacially part of the door and sealed perfectly.


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## Thunderplains

Next, cover the adapt in Dynaliner, install a piece of Dynaxorb behind opening, cut a 1/4 ring around speaker opening (This is for extruded rubber from parts express, MUCH smaller than SDS, perfeect for mounting speaker and sealing) and Door is ready for a new speaker..

































Next, unto the door panel.. The Camry has this Poly wedge built into it, it is used for stablizing the lower glass (which is really not needed, just a precaution) when the window is down all the way.. Well.. Gone. dropped a piece or 2 of roadkill on door panel, def adds weight and takes the little vibration away.. Also, replaced the lower door light with a led.. MUCH MUCH brighter.. Very cool can see very nicely in daylight..










































Tada.. Factory door again.. I will say this, just from opening, closing the door, it is much heavier and you can tel that there is alot more mass to it. Now, it is waiting on a speaker.. This same process was done to Passenger door as well. Rear doors next.


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## Mako312

Thunderplains said:


> Also put in the new fuse panel for the electronics.. I have temp screws holding it in place for the moment, they will be replaced by small bolts as soon as I can get access to the vent on the drivers side (soon) This allows me to skip the factory wiring and electrical completely. I will be powering the HU, Audio control devices and possibly some lighting from here. It is 10GA to battery (with 25amp at battery) and then anywhere from 16 to 14ga at the block out..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grounding strap.. best place I could find that was close to frame welds. Dremel off the paint and shine the metal..


How are you able to bypass everything and just use the fusebox?
I'm confused by that.


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## MantaOwner

> How are you able to bypass everything and just use the fusebox?


He ran a new power wire from battery to the fusebox that he built for the new gear that wasn't in the car from factory, pretty simple idea and nice work I would say.

Tõnu


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## sydmonster

what great & thorough work on those doors! Nicely done, at first thought, I wouldn't that way, but the results speak for themselves! very well.


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## Thunderplains

sydmonster said:


> what great & thorough work on those doors! Nicely done, at first thought, I wouldn't that way, but the results speak for themselves! very well.


I have to tell ya, what a DIFFERENCE in the door, first, the only air holes are the drainage hole in the bottom (x3), otherwise it is sealed and good. Plus, when you open and shut the door, you can feel the difference. I had 2 small rattles in the door from god knows where, they are gone. 

I am finishing the rear doors now, then shortly either today or tomorrow, the roof is next and last. That will conclude the deadening for now, then I will get back to the trunk. Plans are already under way.


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## DAT

Nice work Thunder!


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## Mako312

MantaOwner said:


> He ran a new power wire from battery to the fusebox that he built for the new gear that wasn't in the car from factory, pretty simple idea and nice work I would say.
> 
> Tõnu


Ok I wasn't quite sure. I thought that's what happened. 

Thunder do you have any pics of you building this or a build log or something? This is something I could defiantly use.


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## Thunderplains

One quick non-audio mod..

All the "silver" plastic in the car will be wrapped in 3M DiNoc Carbon fiber wrap..
I did the handles on the doors to get an idea.. Looks damn good and blends nicely


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## trevordj

That looks awesome! Usually I don't like the look of CF wraps, but that looks damned good.


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## Thunderplains

I like the 3M stuff the best, it is not glossy, almost flat in color. I have also found it easier to work with.. I have done a bunch of wrapping in the past and I feel it is about the direction of the fiber as well as technique  It looks better in person IMO.. Plus, saves a few $$


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## Shelbrain

In my Camry (same as yours), I am planning to cut out the speaker grill from the door card and build a frame wrapped in grill cloth. I really like the door treatment and I may "borrow" your idea on sealing the doorholes.


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## .BNO.

Thunderplains said:


> One quick non-audio mod..
> 
> All the "silver" plastic in the car will be wrapped in 3M DiNoc Carbon fiber wrap..
> I did the handles on the doors to get an idea.. Looks damn good and blends nicely


i really like that, never been one to do the whole carbon wrap thing(except the case on my iphone) but besides that it looks smart.

you have given me some ideas that may work with my Corolla.


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright.. Full deadening is done, with the exception of the floor..

Rear doors (Yes I filled the holes, why not? )


























































Oh yea.. And a Brithday Present from my Wife.. I love that woman..
She does not even like car audio..


----------



## Thunderplains

And finally the roof.. Gaveme a good idea of how much plastic is in a camry.. 
Pain in the %$%#, but worth it..


































That was the weekend.. The A-pillars are out and I had enough deading product to do under the rear seat and rear wheel weels as well, so all that is left is literally the floor..
I will be running the speaker wire to all the locals as well as RCAs and some other misc cables.. I will be starting the A-pillars this week once this is done, trunk work will be completed, speakers installed and ready to go..


----------



## Thunderplains

Sorry all.. Been a little while on the pics.. In process of packing
and moving out of this hell hole to Colorado!! woohoo!!
So I will try to get the pillars done and photo'd


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, admist packing today.. Pillar work.. This is where I am at now..
Waiting for second pillar to fully cure..










































Debating if I want to use the milkshake to fill them in or not.. The mid will be sealed.. It is about .03 CF, which is almost right on... On to sanding the first one and body filler to start smoothing out.. I am trying to get these sanded out and primed today so I can install and wrap in GC..


----------



## trevordj

I like it! Are you going to strengthen with FG or just go straight to filler?


----------



## Thunderplains

In process of filling with milkshake (Credit to Bing) It is a Resin/short hair fiberglass mix.. Pour on inside and swish around to cover walls.. Done.. 
Post this is body filler..


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. Quick change before I got too far..

Redoing the tweeter aiming.. They sound good where they are pointing, but after doing some blind testing, they sound better pointing a little higher and a tad more off axis..
So I cut out the fiberglass work above the mid (left that) and in process of cutting new rings as I type. Want to try to get this done today.. PIcs to follow..


----------



## jorgegarcia

Thunderplains said:


> Redoing the tweeter aiming... they sound better pointing a little higher and a tad more off axis... So I cut out the fiberglass work above the mid (left that) and in process of cutting new rings as I type


Congratulations for knowing what needs to be done and not being afraid to do it.

Kind of curious how you went about to cutting the pods without disturbing the Mid arrangement.


----------



## Thunderplains

jorgegarcia said:


> Congratulations for knowing what needs to be done and not being afraid to do it.
> 
> Kind of curious how you went about to cutting the pods without disturbing the Mid arrangement.


Dremel.. WONDERFUL tool..


----------



## Austin

Thunderplains said:


> Dremel.. WONDERFUL tool..


And im sure it helped that the mid and tweet were in seperate sections on the pillar. If they were both in the same curvature it would have been a nightmare.


----------



## Thunderplains

yes. It was the plan all along..

reason being is that I wanted to reduce leaks to the mid. Being a sealed mid, it will produce 3x the output..  also wanted to move the stage higher and reduce reflections. The mids are slightly angled up away from the dash.. Once I finish, it will be more apparent..


----------



## silverdiesel2574

subscribed , Great Work


----------



## Tonyguy

Thunderplains said:


>


What did you use to attach the fleece to the pillar? Or is this grille cloth? Either way, how is it attached?


----------



## Thunderplains

Tonyguy said:


> What did you use to attach the fleece to the pillar? Or is this grille cloth? Either way, how is it attached?


It is GC and I found a way to make it good and tight.. I basically wrap it around and when I get it around the backside, I twist the ends to it tightens up then I simply use a binder clip and clip the knot. Done. Holds real good while dropping the Resin on it..


----------



## Thunderplains

I have to re-do the tweeter area, Ill post a pic later today or tomorrow..


----------



## Tonyguy

Thunderplains said:


> It is GC and I found a way to make it good and tight.. I basically wrap it around and when I get it around the backside, I twist the ends to it tightens up then I simply use a binder clip and clip the knot. Done. Holds real good while dropping the Resin on it..


Wow. I'm gonna try this. Thanks man.


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## zblee

subscribed, very nice, geturduunn


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. A little more work done (This week is "Overhaulin" week... i.e. Wife and Daughter are away.. 

Since I also have a AVH-P5200BT going in place, I decided that I do not want them to share any system speakers, so I fab'd some mounts to fit the tweeter area on a Toyota Camry and purchased some TB W2-803SM.. I have to say, bench test says "IMPRESSIVE little speaker" and since all I plan to do with the 5200 is Nav and DVD, it is perfect for the application.. Far better then the premimum TV speakers.. You just have to hear them..


























Painted the mounts black, ready to go.. Started work on pillars again, will finish off by Monday..


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright, some pillar work done today.. Broke a plastic ring for my ML28s.. Grr..

anyways, Milkshake in place (Thank you Bing) all I can say now is SOLID. Going to scuff up the outside next and start the filler, shooting to have these completed by tomorrow.
The Mid is now SEALED and will be when I mount the driver, this will improve performance 3x.. Soon to be seen.. Can't wait to be done with this work..
Also, the Tweets are re-aimed.. so far so good..


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright.. some gold body filler and sanding.. sanding and more sanding..
One more coat after this, then I will start finer grits of sandpaper, once done
fill little holes with spot putty, sand and prime, chk for smoothness..
Then I will wrap in fabric and place spks for pic.. (God, I hope this come out well)
Looks like I will only have time to do one side before the move..
But pics will be up..


----------



## Bluenote

That's coming along nice!


----------



## Thunderplains

Next step...

My goal is to get ONE done completely so I can have it wrapped and a picture taken BEFORE I move.. SO now, got up early and continued to sand down until I was happy. Did a second coat of gold filler, sand, now up'd the grits from 80 to 180 then 320..
Next step, clean all the dust off and apply 2 costs of primer/filler. Once this is completely dry, I will fill the pinholes with putty, give the surface a second 180/320/400 sanding and one last coat of primer filler, should be ready to wrap.. 
I know this is excessive for NOT painting them, but wrapping them, but this is giving me a chance to perfect my fiberglassing finishing techs for future projects.. 










More to come


----------



## Thunderplains

I have sanded down the primer/filler & spot putty and have coated it with a coat of primer/sealer in a lighter gray. Looks great.. Not 100% ready for custom paint, but I know what i did as there are a few minor imperfections, but it is 100% ready to be wrapped in GC..










This is where it was yesterday morning and this is where it is now..
Nice before and after..










One last picture to go, wrapped and installed with speakers (not wiried yet, but for the pur joy of knowing its done..


----------



## DAT

Excellent job, always hated when someone took the work needed to be finished to a shop. DIY for the joy! 

EXCELLENT


----------



## Thunderplains

God I love it when it all comes together..


































Now, for those that think you need Top end stuff (i.e. Evercoat Rage, SEM, etc..)
This is what I used..

Bondo Glass short hair filler
(2) Bondo fiberglass resin
Bondo Prem Gold body filler
Bondo Spot/glaze putty
Rustoleum Primer/Filler
Rustoleum Primer/sealer
Obcon Grill cloth
dowels and 1/4 MDF from Home Depot
Sandpaper, glove, etc...

All in all, to do both caost me about $50-60 in materials and just
took my time and EVEN fixed mistakes.. Mostly everthing I got from Walmart,
except the Grill cloth. And the new bondo gold sands real nice..
For what it turned out to be, which I am very pleased with, the time was worth it..

GO DIY!!

time to move..  Finishing the other side in Colorado!

I wil post a pic tomorrow when it is sunny outside of the pillar installed.


----------



## IBcivic

wow, brilliant work on the pillars...with some really sweet drivers to boot.


----------



## Thunderplains

Thanks..

And to answer a question that was posed..
The mid is at an odd angle.. 30 deg out, but not direct across at head like tweet,
more of a shot at the opposite chest. Why? First off I wanted to maintain closeness
to the pillar (Not have obnoxious speaker setup) and I needed volume. The mid is sealed in a .07 cf enclosure basically. Sealed mids give x3 the output.. as well as it actually sounds better with the mids at a slightly downward angle.. Go figure..


----------



## trevordj

Freaking brilliant! Spot on work my friend.


----------



## sydmonster

A pillars are pillaring! 


(yes, i made that sh!t up)


----------



## tmcdade

Wow! Those have to be the sexiest pillars I've seen. I love the look of those speakers, and they look great with that fabric


----------



## pionkej

Those a-pillars really do look great. I was curious what brand and color grill cloth you used? I think my Maxima is approximately the same color and I seem to remember seeing you state it took you a while to find a match. 

If you don't know off hand, I'll go back through the thread and check. Again, great job, I hope mine turn out looking as good and as clean as that.


----------



## Thunderplains

pionkej said:


> Those a-pillars really do look great. I was curious what brand and color grill cloth you used? I think my Maxima is approximately the same color and I seem to remember seeing you state it took you a while to find a match.
> 
> If you don't know off hand, I'll go back through the thread and check. Again, great job, I hope mine turn out looking as good and as clean as that.


Obcon Light grey.. Closest I could find... Go to Amazon.com (or Rtboxes.com)
although there were multiple shades of gray in the car, this matches the gray on the doors and front end plastics perfectly.. I used it in the covering as well as the molding.


----------



## pionkej

Thunderplains said:


> Obcon Light grey.. Closest I could find... Go to Amazon.com (or Rtboxes.com)
> although there were multiple shades of gray in the car, this matches the gray on the doors and front end plastics perfectly.. I used it in the covering as well as the molding.


Thanks. I have a family member that owns a Camry like yours that I will be seeing on Saturday, so I will just carry my a-pillar with me and compare the colors. If the factory gray colors are close or match, I will pull the trigger on getting some of that material.


----------



## Thunderplains

Mounted in car..


















Looks great..


----------



## Austin

Looks good. Are you happy with the angle of the mid aiming at the cluster like that?


----------



## Thunderplains

Austin said:


> Looks good. Are you happy with the angle of the mid aiming at the cluster like that?


It's not really "aimed" at the cluster.. more like a shot across the bow.. 
but in testing, they sound good.. and if you think about it, if I was to stuff the mid in the corner, I would get alot more reflection AND the whole cluster would be in the way..


----------



## Shelbrain

I was further along in the install on my Camry, but I have decided to hold off until you catch up as I love some of the work you've done and plan to replicate some of it. Hurry up and start working on the trunk already! I'm interested to see what you have planned for the amp rack and subs...great job so far!


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## mears

Nice build.


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## Nico156

Wow great job!
You treat the doors very well! And connection part too!


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## mitchjr

subscribed


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright, finally getting setteled in Colorado, Should have the build up and running in about a week again.. More to come plus some new ideas..


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## Thunderplains

Starting trunk work this weekend.. FINALLY.

Config change..

I am now running (2) Kronos amps at 4ohm bridged pushing 1000w to each of the ML3000 Subs..
I also had my uncle (cabinet maker) cut me up some oak panels (3/4) for (2) .810 cf sub boxes. I have figured out what the trunk will look like and how I want it setup.
Stay tuned.


----------



## bawazir

Hi sir,
Big fan of your work,
I do also have an 07 camry, let me tell you this! You are the reason am doing this to my car lol, You are my hero !!! I have learned a lot from ur work,
well please help me with some of the ?:

my first ? is: 1*/8 & 1/4 ccf from foamfactory* the link shows: Closed Cell Foam, Padding, Minicel, Polystyrene Foam, Styrofoam Sheet there are 5 choices: chohttp://www.closedcellfoams.com/index.htmlise can please tell me which one u have? and are they ready to stick or do i have to put glue?

my 2nd ?:
Do i have to buy Dynaplate to cover the big whole in my doors ? or can i just cover it with roadkill, and top it off with Dynaliner?

thank u sir for all ur help


----------



## Thunderplains

bawazir said:


> Hi sir,
> Big fan of your work,
> I do also have an 07 camry, let me tell you this! You are the reason am doing this to my car lol, You are my hero !!! I have learned a lot from ur work,
> well please help me with some of the ?:
> 
> my first ? is: 1*/8 & 1/4 ccf from foamfactory* the link shows: Closed Cell Foam, Padding, Minicel, Polystyrene Foam, Styrofoam Sheet there are 5 choices: chohttp://www.closedcellfoams.com/index.htmlise can please tell me which one u have? and are they ready to stick or do i have to put glue?
> 
> my 2nd ?:
> Do i have to buy Dynaplate to cover the big whole in my doors ? or can i just cover it with roadkill, and top it off with Dynaliner?
> 
> thank u sir for all ur help



Hey.. Thanks.. I can't wait to get the trunk up and running, I think it will impress some camry owners at WHAT can be done with that trunk.. AND still use the spare.. keep tuned..

Anyways, your first question.. Polyvinyl Chloride Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
or in the "car auto sound deadening world" PVC/NBR..
But at foam factory it is known as Gymnastic rubber.
They are not ready stick, you need to glue them. This is what I did..
I cut the basic design in the car (ALMOST a good fit) then took it out and
sprayed it down with 3M 77 good. ESP the edges.. wait about 5 mins
now, the not so easy part, you need to get the foam in place without it
touching other services (do your best), lay it down in position and then from
the center outward, press down. When you get to the edges, trim off with a sharp razor. Good to go. sticks well. Then once all matted down, cut out the areas you need (i.e. wire connections, seat belts, etc..)
77 gets REAL sticky after 5 mins of tack time, so that is the part you have to pay attention to the most.. I was going to use DAP HHR, but once that stuff sticks, you're done. and FYI, for the doors, I used 1/8 and for everything else (except floor) I used 1/4. I plan to drop Stinger carper mat on the floor one day soon..
(I used dynaliner for the front doors and FF for the rears.. save $$ 

Ok, second..
Alright.. Here's the deal with the doors.. I went all the way.. You will see that a lot of people used MDF, Plexi, etc. to "seal" the doors. It helps alot with response big time.
Now, the deal with dynaplate is this. IF you use 2 sheets (one inside and one outside face to face and "seal the hole" the dynaplate actually becomes like a solid panel with the same thickness as the door steel. Two reason I used it were.. One, I covered ALL the holes (screwholes, misc openings etc..) something you can not do with MDF or plexi and to add ridgedness.
and second, it allows for a more custom coverup and alot cleaner than sealant and MDF or plexi. Plus if it ever need to come out, a simple cut with a blade and tin snips and it is out. One box did the entire car, openings in rear and all doors with alot left over.. (I thought I would need 2)
You COULD use just roadkill and then throw the foam over it, but I think you will notice alot of flex. I would cover the hole with something, either way. Do it once, do it right.. I know dynaplate is not the cheapest stuff, but alot easier than taking hours to cut and fit mdf or plexi, esp in a panel that is not flat top to bottom. If you do choose DP, WEAR GLOVES!!! like Mechanix gloves or you will need alot of bandaids.. 

Ask anytime, always willing to help..


----------



## bawazir

Thunderplains said:


> Hey.. Thanks.. I can't wait to get the trunk up and running, I think it will impress some camry owners at WHAT can be done with that trunk.. AND still use the spare.. keep tuned..
> 
> Anyways, your first question.. Polyvinyl Chloride Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
> or in the "car auto sound deadening world" PVC/NBR..
> But at foam factory it is known as Gymnastic rubber.
> They are not ready stick, you need to glue them. This is what I did..
> I cut the basic design in the car (ALMOST a good fit) then took it out and
> sprayed it down with 3M 77 good. ESP the edges.. wait about 5 mins
> now, the not so easy part, you need to get the foam in place without it
> touching other services (do your best), lay it down in position and then from
> the center outward, press down. When you get to the edges, trim off with a sharp razor. Good to go. sticks well. Then once all matted down, cut out the areas you need (i.e. wire connections, seat belts, etc..)
> 77 gets REAL sticky after 5 mins of tack time, so that is the part you have to pay attention to the most.. I was going to use DAP HHR, but once that stuff sticks, you're done. and FYI, for the doors, I used 1/8 and for everything else (except floor) I used 1/4. I plan to drop Stinger carper mat on the floor one day soon..
> (I used dynaliner for the front doors and FF for the rears.. save $$
> 
> Ok, second..
> Alright.. Here's the deal with the doors.. I went all the way.. You will see that a lot of people used MDF, Plexi, etc. to "seal" the doors. It helps alot with response big time.
> Now, the deal with dynaplate is this. IF you use 2 sheets (one inside and one outside face to face and "seal the hole" the dynaplate actually becomes like a solid panel with the same thickness as the door steel. Two reason I used it were.. One, I covered ALL the holes (screwholes, misc openings etc..) something you can not do with MDF or plexi and to add ridgedness.
> and second, it allows for a more custom coverup and alot cleaner than sealant and MDF or plexi. Plus if it ever need to come out, a simple cut with a blade and tin snips and it is out. One box did the entire car, openings in rear and all doors with alot left over.. (I thought I would need 2)
> You COULD use just roadkill and then throw the foam over it, but I think you will notice alot of flex. I would cover the hole with something, either way. Do it once, do it right.. I know dynaplate is not the cheapest stuff, but alot easier than taking hours to cut and fit mdf or plexi, esp in a panel that is not flat top to bottom. If you do choose DP, WEAR GLOVES!!! like Mechanix gloves or you will need alot of bandaids..
> 
> Ask anytime, always willing to help..



You got that right about the bandaids parts I mean DAMN! THOSE ROAD KILL have some sharp edges, 
i just covered the 2 holes on the doors with road kill, its a tight fit i hope they'll not come out , what do u think?, i know its too late now , should i re-do them  $$$$$, i am not planning doing big speakers no a sound system anyways, just doing this to keep my TRD muffler down in noise,,
doing the rear doors tomorrow, will do it right and will take photos ,,
thanks for all ur help, i will order those foam, How much i need & how much the foam cost u,,?

ones again thanks for your help


----------



## Thunderplains

bawazir said:


> You got that right about the bandaids parts I mean DAMN! THOSE ROAD KILL have some sharp edges,
> i just covered the 2 holes on the doors with road kill, its a tight fit i hope they'll not come out , what do u think?, i know its too late now , should i re-do them  $$$$$, i am not planning doing big speakers no a sound system anyways, just doing this to keep my TRD muffler down in noise,,
> doing the rear doors tomorrow, will do it right and will take photos ,,
> thanks for all ur help, i will order those foam, How much i need & how much the foam cost u,,?
> 
> ones again thanks for your help


Keep it.. for your application it will work.. I can help with the TRD as well..
If you REALLY want to hear a BIG difference, remove the front and rear seats, take up the carpet. Clean the floor up, cover from where the floor and rear seat meet up to about where the gas pedal hits the fire wall with roadkill. EVERYWHERE. Then, do either of these.. purchase a roll or 2 of Stinger carpet pad or Lux liner pro and drop it on the floor and as much as the mid section as possible. You need a MLV (mass loaded vinyl) barrier to make a difference in exhaust noise and it will.
The foam is cheap, I got 1 sheet of 1/4 and 1 of 1/8 and that was more than enough..


----------



## bawazir

Well almost done:


















































Yours look much better than mine, dose mine look good? did i do it right?
Need to do the rear doors and the trunk, ran out so i ordered more











TRD LOUD as lawn mower :furious:


----------



## ReloadedSS

You're doing great work, keep it up! 

My Camry's the same color, though I have an LE. I hope you don't mind, but when I start my install I will probably "borrow" a lot of your ideas.


----------



## lucipha

Awesome build so far, keep up the great work!


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## Thunderplains

Wait to you see the plans for the trunk..


----------



## bawazir

Thunderplains said:


> Wait to you see the plans for the trunk..


Cant wait to see ur set up, so i could copy u


----------



## bawazir

Do you guys recommend to do the hood? is it worth it ?
Hood liner which item should i use 

thanks


----------



## .BNO.

dude im digging your build, i just bought a 2010 Aurion and will be doing my system over the next few months...

its a bit of an inspiration this build!


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## .BNO.

dble post.


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## Thunderplains

I played around with the trunk all day, and I finally have a design..
Trick is to have the spare tire utilized WHILE stuffing a Leviathan, (2) Kronos amps and (2) ML3000 subs, basket out..
I CAN'T wait to see how this will look.. 

And with all that power, I am really hoping the Class D amps live up to their name..
The big 3 and a YT HOPEFULLY will do it.. I would rather not put in a alt..
Sometimes this hobby kills me.. 

stay tuned..


----------



## .BNO.

Thunderplains said:


> I played around with the trunk all day, and I finally have a design..
> Trick is to have the spare tire utilized WHILE stuffing a Leviathan, (2) Kronos amps and (2) ML3000 subs, basket out..
> I CAN'T wait to see how this will look..
> 
> And with all that power, I am really hoping the Class D amps live up to their name..
> The big 3 and a YT HOPEFULLY will do it.. I would rather not put in a alt..
> Sometimes this hobby kills me..
> 
> stay tuned..


any updates bro!


----------



## sydmonster

he's building up the suspence deliberately.


----------



## bawazir

any update


----------



## Thunderplains

Spent the last week WIRING.. (yuk) If I was not such a nut about making it perfect, would have been done in three days. 

I actually went thru and re-did ALL the factory wiring in the car to suit my needs. Took a while, BUT in the end, a LOT LESS CLUTTER. ALOT. 

I will have some pics up in the next days or so of the work.. Still getting prepped for the trunk. Got my carbon fiber in today.


----------



## Blancolex300

That's some awesome work man. Great attention to detail!


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, factory wiring completed. now I have custom factory harnesses in the car and removal of about 100 ft of wire not needed..


----------



## Thunderplains

Going in tonight...

TOP: AVH-P5200BT w/AVIC-U220 Nav
BOTTOM: DEX-P99RS










Also, I have a TON of pictures that I will be uploading to PB tonight, but here is a glimpse..

This is under the passenger seat, it is the AVIC U220 unit and the CD-SB10 (Sirius). I use a dock of the sirius (I have a stilletto 100)









This is the rear wall. When tha back seat is in, you open the pass through and this will be the scene..









More to come..


----------



## t3sn4f2

Thunderplains said:


> Grounding strap.. best place I could find that was close to frame welds. Dremel off the paint and shine the metal..


Hope its not too late but I'd pick another ground point. That metal piece comes in contact with the bulk of the sheet metal only at those few weld points and half of that piece doesn't even weld onto a solid continous piece itself. It spot welds to another spot welded piece. 

The best place to put it is on the floor pan where the sheet metal is as large a single piece as possible. This will allow the current carrying potential of the sheet metal to grow and spread the current out before it is interrupted again by a joining.


----------



## Thunderplains

t3sn4f2 said:


> Hope its not too late but I'd pick another ground point. That metal piece comes in contact with the bulk of the sheet metal only at those few weld points and half of that piece doesn't even weld onto a solid continous piece itself. It spot welds to another spot welded piece.
> 
> The best place to put it is on the floor pan where the sheet metal is as large a single piece as possible. This will allow the current carrying potential of the sheet metal to grow and spread the current out before it is interrupted again by a joining.


Good point and No, not too late. Let me look around


----------



## ReloadedSS

You, sir, are quite awesome. When I do my build this winter, don't laugh at me, okay? 

The 99RS deck looks amazing. In fact, that combo makes me want to start saving to re-plan my entire system source. What kit are you using (sorry if you have already mentioned it).


----------



## Thunderplains

ReloadedSS said:


> You, sir, are quite awesome. When I do my build this winter, don't laugh at me, okay?
> 
> The 99RS deck looks amazing. In fact, that combo makes me want to start saving to re-plan my entire system source. What kit are you using (sorry if you have already mentioned it).


As far as the combo goes, it all depends on what you are looking for. I just did a custom install of a Stinger SGP150 into the rear of the armrest (Pic soon) it has input for audio, video, power and an off/on switch (for SGP150)
I plan in the future to put in 2 headrest monitors for the kids. This is where the P5200 will come in. I will also use it for phone and Nav now and for a DVD on long trips. The P99 is all about the music. CD, Sirius and iPod. I needed a unit that had Nav capabilities but with a fold down screen (not easy to find), then pioneer released the AVH series this year with the AVIC-U220 Nav add on. Golden.

Anyways, if you are looking for the same direction, save and do it once right. I have alot of exp in car electrical systems, so I removed a boat load of wires from the factory. REALLY REALLY cut down on the excess wires.

Finally, it is the Metra kit, I tried 2 others (Best kits and something else) Metra had the closest color match. go with it, good kit.

AND I might add, the P99 is all you will need. amazing HU


----------



## ReloadedSS

Thunderplains said:


> As far as the combo goes, it all depends on what you are looking for. I just did a custom install of a Stinger SGP150 into the rear of the armrest (Pic soon) it has input for audio, video, power and an off/on switch (for SGP150)
> I plan in the future to put in 2 headrest monitors for the kids. This is where the P5200 will come in. I will also use it for phone and Nav now and for a DVD on long trips. The P99 is all about the music. CD, Sirius and iPod. I needed a unit that had Nav capabilities but with a fold down screen (not easy to find), then pioneer released the AVH series this year with the AVIC-U220 Nav add on. Golden.
> 
> Anyways, if you are looking for the same direction, save and do it once right. I have alot of exp in car electrical systems, so I removed a boat load of wires from the factory. REALLY REALLY cut down on the excess wires.
> 
> Finally, it is the Metra kit, I tried 2 others (Best kits and something else) Metra had the closest color match. go with it, good kit.
> 
> AND I might add, the P99 is all you will need. amazing HU


I meant the P99/AVH combo, but yeah, now that you mention it, power distribution is something I am gathering intel on as well. I lifted the carpet in the trunk awhile back to scope things out. As shown in your pictures, it's a very roomy trunk. 

I enjoy following along on your build, because it's clear you know what you're doing, particularly with the wiring. I am not so confident about taking out factory wiring unless I'm 100% it's useless (i.e., I can see both ends and they aren't doing anything).

Right now the deck I'd be using doesn't control an iPod, so that's one reason to upgrade to the P99 (well, that and the sonic nirvana). Even still, I'm on the phone a bit in the car so it would be handy to have a Bluetooth option with an easily readable screen (to distinguish between different callers). So, yeah, it sounds like this combo would be money. Wouldn't have to upgrade for SQ in the future, and the P99 might be the last of the great SQ units (with factory integration and the focus on mobile music players).

I will take a look at the Metra kit -- it's the one I probably would have gone with as I like their kits generally, thanks for the advice! I've seen the American International kit in person and the color didn't match at all.


----------



## Brian_smith06

Ok well I think I just found my new indash combo 

I currently have the alpine w200/h701 combo, however, really want that pioneer deck. I bought my current combo so could still have indash video.


I have a question for you though. How do they connect to each other? do you just use the aux out on the flip to get sound to the p99 for videos or is there something im missing? I tend to over think a lot of stuff.


And INCREDIBLE BUILD!


----------



## Thunderplains

Brian_smith06 said:


> Ok well I think I just found my new indash combo
> 
> I currently have the alpine w200/h701 combo, however, really want that pioneer deck. I bought my current combo so could still have indash video.
> 
> 
> I have a question for you though. How do they connect to each other? do you just use the aux out on the flip to get sound to the p99 for videos or is there something im missing? I tend to over think a lot of stuff.
> 
> 
> And INCREDIBLE BUILD!


Well, They don't 

What I did (since I will be using the P5200 for Rear seat DVD, NAV & BT), I installed a set of tang band speakers in the tweeter mounting holes up on top of the dash. (Look earlier in my build for the spks specs) They fit and SOUND great being the size they are. But that is for my use.
Since the DVD will end up playing in back most of the time, I am not worried about great sound up front since the head rest monitors will have wireless headphones.. For me, it will be mostly NAV & BT which is what I was lookng for. It is impossible to find a audiophile deck with Nav, BT & DVD, etc...
Thus my combo setup..


----------



## Brian_smith06

well very nice. I feel that might be the same combo I'll be running when I get a new deck


thanks for taking the time to explain :thumbsup:


----------



## NoelSibs

Great thread!!! Any updates? I'm on the edge of my seat here...

Great work so far. Good luck with the rest of your build.


----------



## Thunderplains

updates coming.. uploading pictures tonight


----------



## sydmonster

and were waiting...


----------



## Thunderplains

God the peer pressure.. 

Alright, here we go..


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. First the rear trunk wall..

I am using this as the anchor per say. The factory opening is *almost* at a perfect 90 deg with the trunck base, so a few bolts and it is solid like part of the car. I also lined the inside portion of the factory opening with dynaliner, giving it a layer of padding to tighten up against..

I decided to put the power gear (fuses and dist blocks) on the inside of the car and make it Pretty when looking thru the pass thru door on the camry (pic to come)

Alright, basic outline completed ready for vinyl application

















What I did here is take a block of poplar cut it to size and wrapped it in carbon fiber.
The effect it gave with the Hertz sticker is amazing, 3D.. This is not the DiNoc CF
wrap, but a little thicker glossy based CF vinyl, much closeer to the real thing..
Also, looking for blue leds? Found this guy in Hong Kong on eBay, .99 a 15" strip.
Good deal rather than paying stateside prices...









Finished product..









installed and lit up...

















Very simple "oooo ahhh" addition and I like the way it came out..

Onto the crap portion.. wiring... yuk.


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright Wiring..

I am NOT a fan of clutter.. ESP when it comes to factory wiring harnesses.. For some reason, Toyota needs 10 plugs and 20 miles of wire to hook up the deck to the JBL amp that was under the seat.

Has to go.. First, the factory harness..

















Factory harness naked.. WAY WAY too much wires.. time for clippers..
(And yes, I am fully 12v trained and have done this in a few installs.. )









And the final product? Bottom 2 wires were from JBL amp (constant and grnd), these will power the Nav and Sirius units, top wires are illumination and accessory as well as factory tweeter locations (I will be using for P5200 spks), everything else was either removed or cut and capped and taped out of the way.. MUCH cleaner and I have alot of space now..

















Also ran the RCAs from the deck opening (Yes, 8 total, the P99 is greedy  ) under the capet and up along the bath wall.. trying to keep eveything as seperate as possible while retaining as much "factory" look as possible.

























Ok.. Next..


----------



## Thunderplains

Now for under the seat.. great place for misc items, esp now that the amp is gone..
Under the passenger side is the Sirius interface and the U220 nav and under the driver side is a stinger SGP150 inverter (more to come on this)

a sheet of roadkill under the placement









again, piece of poplar wrapped in CF, screwed down to floor (screws were dremeled on other side and tapped off with a little silicon)









up front, wiring harness complete and wrapped, fuses accessable.









Finished product on passenger and driver side.. (GPS receiver is on rear deck of car)

















Next..


----------



## Thunderplains

ok little things..

aftermarket harness (with relay for parking brake defeat on P5200) and cleaned up and ready to install as well as install of Tang Band spks into factory dash tweeter openings..


----------



## Thunderplains

Now.. wiring and completing the doors..

On the camry, REMOVE THE FACTORY DOOR GROMMET. This will make your running the wires 10x easier

















I ran the spks on the left side (drv) down the lower part of the bath tub, away from power.
Ran across the bottom of the rear seat, up into the trunk (pic to come)

















Used streetwires spades (dont know why, hand them on hand, any spade would work.. you are just tranferring current, not paris hilton..)









Now for a little DIY magic.. How to keep the rain off the cones. Face it, its a car door, water gets it and unless you own a bentley, it happens.. SO rather than buying a baffle, I gave it a shield.. 
PS. I know there is CA in the picture.. don't use.. dries quick and falls off.. use hot glue.

1) Steal plastic cutting board from Wife
2) Cut into pieces to half moon the opening, extending in by 1"
3) scor the speaker baffle and plastic
4) hot glue in place. tada. DIY magic..


































Next..


----------



## Thunderplains

Installing Hertz Magic..

Sealing tape from parts express, better for doors than the stuff from SDS

















Beautiful..

































And finally the completion on the pillars..


----------



## DAT

You know the install is looking good but without some real subs like the Soundstream XxX 15's I have for sale how can you say your THUNDER?

j/k Keep up the good work..


----------



## Thunderplains

The drivers pillar..

wires for tweet in place and tapped..









All hooked up, mid wire was ran directly into enclosure and sealed with silicone.









Filled with polyfill to grow the size of the enclosure and rid of any boominess..









Also used the same sealing tape from parts express here on mids as well.
Anyways, Ill skip redundancy, passenger spk wire and pillar done the same..
I'll take a few last pics when I finish getting it all back together with the decks in place..
Basically, at this point, all that is left is the trunk. everything in the cabin is ready to go..

Any questions, please feel free to ask..


----------



## Thunderplains

DAT said:


> You know the install is looking good but without some real subs like the Soundstream XxX 15's I have for sale how can you say your THUNDER?
> 
> j/k Keep up the good work..


Nahh to big.. have (2) ML3000's going place each driven by a Kronos.. lots of boom..


----------



## quality_sound

The only thing I'd suggest is making the terminals on the speakers face downward. That was if any water does happen to get on the wire it'll run away from the terminal and not towards it. Everything else looks great!


----------



## Niebur3

I love this build so far!!!


----------



## Thunderplains

quality_sound said:


> The only thing I'd suggest is making the terminals on the speakers face downward. That was if any water does happen to get on the wire it'll run away from the terminal and not towards it. Everything else looks great!


Already done my friend.. Simply turned up for a photo op..


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright, wiring and pillars and all the front end stuff is completed.. Trunk is FINALLY here..

Taking a brake form the build this weekend, install this in my Wife's car..










Toyota Nav (E7008) is such a piece o crap.. Nice thing is that I sold it on ebay and got this as a wash.. nice.. Great unit.. Good SQ, average tuning abilities.
I am going to throw in a XR-5S and the TS series speakers in the future to give her a little loud.. 

I'll take some pictures over the weekend of the completed front end...


----------



## Bluenote

I'd like to hear how that z120bt turns out as it is on my short list for my install!


----------



## Thunderplains

Hey guys.. Issues with Photobucket.. No worries.. Fix in process.


----------



## Thunderplains

Interior of the car is completely finished.. Some pics up by end of weekend. AS WELL AS fixed pictures from photobucket.

Trunk work start tomorrow. Finally, almost done.


----------



## NoelSibs

Great!!! Ive been itching to see what the progress has been like. Great job so far. I'm getting a bag of chips and a beer and I'll be going over the posts like I'm watching a movie


----------



## Maglite

Great work so far.

Very impressive


----------



## GSlider

This is gettin good! Nice work so far.


----------



## Shelbrain

Bump for updates...going through withdrawal since my Camry install is going nowhere...


----------



## Thunderplains

Sorry guys, been stalemate on the trunk.. RIght when I was getting started installing, my Wife decided to go off and have our second daughter. So, I will be getting back to it in about 1-2 weeks..

Hang in there..


----------



## ReloadedSS

Thunderplains said:


> Sorry guys, been stalemate on the trunk.. RIght when I was getting started installing, my Wife decided to go off and have our second daughter. So, I will be getting back to it in about 1-2 weeks..
> 
> Hang in there..


The nerve of some people! 

Seriously, congratulations. I think everyone understands if you're not back to the project, given the new child.


----------



## Shelbrain

Thunderplains said:


> Sorry guys, been stalemate on the trunk.. RIght when I was getting started installing, my Wife decided to go off and have our second daughter. So, I will be getting back to it in about 1-2 weeks..
> 
> Hang in there..



Congratulations! I've got two girls as well. Good luck finding time to finish!


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright guys.. FINALLY, all the baby stuff behind me (Including cutting out and replacing some of my basement ceiling due to a sprinkler system blowout)

This weekend I will FINALLY get back to finishing this off.. WOOHOO!! Router and jigsaw are ready to go and SO AM I! Tired of looking at a trunk full of wires.


----------



## Thunderplains

And, once this is done.. I'll give it some kind of review..  Probably will end up changing it anyways..


----------



## bertholomey

sub'd - looking forward to the results - great work so far!


----------



## NoelSibs

Hey Thunder, any updates? 

Congrats on the Baby Girl!!! She's gonna love playing baby tunes in your new ride with the system fully revamped. :laugh: hehehe 

Hope you get some free time to show us what's been going on. Your clean and precise work is inspiring. 

Thanks and again, congrats!


----------



## BigBadBakken

Another great build provided by a DIYMA member, to give my lazy butt motivation to do some work on my car. Looks great!


----------



## Thunderplains

Almost done guys.. I should have some preliminary pics up in about a week.. I am mounting amps and tuning now, then followed by covers, etc..


----------



## NoelSibs

Hope your wife and new born are doing well... Can't wait for the install pics!!! 

Cheers!


----------



## n_olympios

I've only just spotted this, you've got some impressive work done. Looking forward to next updates. 

Oh, and congrats on the second daughter. Have courage, you'll need it as they grow.


----------



## Thunderplains

New updates right after Xmas.. Project has been completed. I have about 50-60 pictures to put up..


----------



## NHXRUNNER

Can't wait to see them.


----------



## NoelSibs

Thunderplains said:


> New updates right after Xmas.. Project has been completed. I have about 50-60 pictures to put up..


Just in time for Christmas! hehehe That's a nice gift for us here on this forum waiting for the install pics... Thanks!!!


----------



## Irishfocus06

Awesome build for sure! 

Good luck with the rest, cant wait to see more pics. 

Congrads on the baby as well. I have 4! Let me know if you want a 13 and 14 year old....


----------



## itskoji

Thunder - WOW thats a truly inspirational build and write up, thanks for being so detailed with the sound dampening portion, I think you really nailed some key concepts and gave me some more guidance for my 2 upcoming installs this month! thanks! subscribed! (obviously)


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright guys, pictures *should* be up over the weekend. I am re-doing the finishing panels, so I will not put up the previous shots as they are not what I envisioned.

Also, in the garage, with the system on, there is Zero (dead silence) noise. I attribute that to having the separate fuse panel put in place for the audio system and separation of wiring. I have run the auto setup on the P99 and with a little tweaking to the Sub (HP/LP overs) and without any EQ work yet, I have to say, it is amazing. The Kronos/Leviathan setup is unbelieveable. Clean & powerful. Also, with just the addition of a Yellow Top battery, I have driven the amps to their max voltage and 0, ZERO dimming, electrical issues, nothing. Class D rocks.

More to come.


----------



## aV8ter

So no problems with the Leviathan? Cool beans with the no dimming deal. I am jealous.


I have been meaning to run 12v to my 9887 straight from the batt so you have officially convinced me. No more dinky stock Integra radio harness for headunit power for me...


Great work btw. Looks fantastic. Can't wait for the next wave of pics...


----------



## Thunderplains

aV8ter said:


> So no problems with the Leviathan? Cool beans with the no dimming deal. I am jealous.
> 
> 
> I have been meaning to run 12v to my 9887 straight from the batt so you have officially convinced me. No more dinky stock Integra radio harness for headunit power for me...
> 
> 
> Great work btw. Looks fantastic. Can't wait for the next wave of pics...



I avoided the whole electrical system of the car.. Make dealing with issues much easier..

Still getting photo together (I took like 200, so just figuring out which ones to post) and the Leviathan runs like a charm. solid and clean. I am in the process of moving the ground for the amps as well as grounding the HUs chassis to resolve a bizarre issue I had.. once.


----------



## BowDown

Sweet! Looking forward to this. Running a dedicated electrical setup makes a great sense. Good job man.


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. time to pick up and finish this..

This is going to cover the trunk, then I will do finishing photos of the interior / trunk in about 2 weeks (Finishing that off now, but it has been in the 2-3 deg range outside, so a tad cold..)

I left off finishing off the pillars and cleaning up the interior electrical, so here is the last of the wiring..

Running the RCAs down it's own line. I used the floorpan close to the doors and the wire tray under the scuff tray to give me 4 separate paths for keeping things apart. worked out well..









Now, what to do here.. hmm..

Goals -
- Keep spare tire usable (even if I have to take out some finishing trim to do so. Being without a spare is not an option.
- In the great words of Chad "Where do you guys put groceries and ****?" leave a good amount of usable space to accommodate food & ****.

So let's get this going.. Been long enough..

Trunk pics (start)

















Frame to fit the tire well (important as everything else will involve working around this piece)
Glue and screw everything.









I put a 1x2 piece on the bottom of the rear, this will sit on the lip
of the tire well and make the platform dead level on all sides. I want the mount
to be SOLID.


----------



## Thunderplains

Next, work with some MDF (Later to be replaced by Birch ply, 3/4) and figure out placement of the sub amps.

























I want to make it as workable as possible, without cutting of my ability to adjust levels and gains, even if I have to use a small screwdriver 
Plus getting 3 amps, 2 subs and having the spare and **** space in a Camry was quite a challenge.

































But it came together without an 1/2 to spare.. I'll make a note here
I used 2x4 instead of 1x3 simply due to the amount of screws I drove into this
stuff. I built it like a tank.
There is a 1x3 lip now added to the main frame (over the tire) - You will see why shortly.


----------



## Thunderplains

Next on to the sub box..

First, I wanted to do an inverted setup as I do not feel one should hide 
nice looking baskets AND I wanted complete, separate airspace for each sub, not 2 subs in one enclosure.
each box is EXACTLY .8010 airspace










2 boxes glued and bolted together

















covered with body filler









Sanded down smooth









This tool is the greatest way to install tornado nuts and make them solid.


----------



## Thunderplains

Next, Covered in carpet and tried a sheet of carbon fiber vinyl (smooth, glossy)

















Did not like the way it looked, plus I wanted to do some cool stuf with finishing trim, so I tore off the carpet on the front of the box and put a sheet of dry look carbon fiber vinyl on.. MUCH better.









Now onto making the tray for the Leviathan amp.. This is the one that will flip up to access the spare.

















Dynaliner on top of rear deck. This is where sub box will sit.
put it there to prevent any wood to wood contact.


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, cleaned up the wiring and added (2) small pieces of hardwood
for supports on each side of the trunk. The Kronos amps will sit directly above these. I also covered them in 1/8 dynaliner as well.
If you noticed, I also carpeted the spare tire well also.

























Techflex and shrink wrap and added amp turn on leads.

























Added a new trunk light to illuminate "groceries and ****"
Light still turns on when trunk is open. I added switch to defeat 
so one can see the light show once it is in place (more to come on that)


----------



## Thunderplains

Next unto a small side project..

I wanted to put some fill BEHIND the subs and make it look good.
It started out with a piece of 3/8 plexi and I dropped some NO-WRAP carbon fiber vinyl on back (It actually had a cool silver CF look and a Hertz sticker on front. I lined the edges with blue LED strips.


































Cut out a piece of MDF 1/2 to fit the bill and wrapped in same dry CF vinyl as sub box. Mounted the plexi to the opening.. Turned out REAL nice and as you will see a little later on, fit the bill perfectly.


----------



## n_olympios

Great job! 










This is nice, I like that the lines are the other way round under the plexi.


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright.. I needed to make an extention RCA so that I could get one connection from the right to the left and I also added the remaining wiring for the trunk lighting


















Ok, base in trunk, ends replaced with hardwood.









It might not look like much room, but the spare come out easily
and I am mounting velcro strips under the rack to the left and right of tire to hold the jack & gear.

















Alright, lets get the sub box & amps in place and bolted down (the pictures here are BEFORE I changed the CF wrap on the sub box)
The small wires you see in the amp areas are for the trim panel lighting

























Notice I wrapped the rear seat belt catch in CF wrap also..


----------



## Thunderplains

Amp wired (RCAs not quite yet) and acoustic fill inplace (70% of required fill for .801 box volume)
Also, notice the trunk lip is covered in CF vinyl as well to match sub box.


















Finally.. trim plate in place and subs mounted with light effect on..

















Everything past this point is trim and I will have pics up of that shortly, just been to damn cold outside..

Also, some tech notes:
Subs are wired IN phase (+ to +, - to -)
I used monster coax and compression connectors to make RCA extension
Sub wiring is 10ga.

When the trim is done, Ill post the how to as well.. as the finish is the first impression of any install


----------



## m0sdef

this is an awesome build!!!


----------



## IBcivic




----------



## Thunderplains

amitaF said:


>


Once the trim is done, it will look alot better.. Hard to see the Tree through the forest..


----------



## IBcivic

Thunderplains said:


> Once the trim is done, it will look alot better.. Hard to see the Tree through the forest..


I SEE IT


----------



## IBcivic

Thunderplains said:


> This tool is the greatest way to install tornado nuts and make them solid.


 sweet! where can i get one?


----------



## OSN

Your trunk looks very fast. 

Seriously, well done! Look forward to reading about how much you enjoy the sound of it all.


----------



## Thunderplains

amitaF said:


> sweet! where can i get one?


I got that one at Home Depot I think? about $7.. When not in use doing this, it is used for compressing brake calipers..


----------



## Thunderplains

OSN said:


> Your trunk looks very fast.
> 
> Seriously, well done! Look forward to reading about how much you enjoy the sound of it all.


Not that the trim matters, but the sound is amazing.. I have been tuning it post running the P99 auto tune feature and so far I am very pleased with the results. I have the gains set about 1/3, which i KNOW can go higher. After I get done with the trim and clean up an interior thing or 2, I will get the gains set with the scope, then I should be good to go. But for now, the clarity and sound that the hertz speakers put out is absolutely amazing.. as well as deafening..  Go class D!!


----------



## mr.metoo

Absolutely amazing, your attention to detail is incredible.

I was anxious for you to post pics of the progress.


----------



## NoelSibs

Great looking and I'm sure great sounding system as well. Your attention to detail is amazing and that idea for the CF vinyl is awesome as well. 

It looks like you had a lot of fun building and designing the system. I hope it sounds better than you expect. Great job! 

It's a lot of fun reading your build log.


----------



## Shelbrain

Thanks for the updated pictures, I now have some ideas to finish the install in my 08 Camry. Have fun with the girls...


----------



## wink1969

That is one of the best installs that I have seen in awhile. I hope you put up a vid so we can get a feel of how it sounds. I no vids don't do SQ that much justice but it can give a idea. Great work and looking forward to the pics and maybe a vid.


----------



## dtm337

looks great...


----------



## Thunderplains

Oh yea.. Forgot to add.. A thanks to Salad Fingers for helping me out at the last minute when I lost a invereted gasket for one of my subs..

Good guy and good to buy from..


----------



## aV8ter

How is the Leviathan treating you?


----------



## Thunderplains

aV8ter said:


> How is the Leviathan treating you?


First off, besides a ground issue, which I hoped I fixed this weekend, when I am playing lossless from the Ipod, there is ZERO noise. Second, I tested the amps again the other day, and pushing them hard, I ran it for about an hour, went back to see how warm the amp was and amazingly, I could put the flats of my hands on both heat sinks and JUST feel warmth.. And it is LOUD.
My impression, now that I am running them full bore, I was going to get a Audison 5.1k, but I am so very glad I went this route. Worth every .01 in my book.

If you are considering a Leviathan, I would not hesitate.


----------



## aV8ter

Oh I am not considerig one, just waiting like a kid on x mas eve for mine lol.


----------



## Thunderplains

Interior update.. 

I ripped out all of the vinyl CF wrap and I am now going to re-do the inside with Neffy wrap, it looks MUCH better and it does not bubble, but breathes.


----------



## Thunderplains

aV8ter said:


> Oh I am not considerig one, just waiting like a kid on x mas eve for mine lol.


It will be worth the wait.. And if you are going to run 4Ohm off all the channels, use a 30amp fuse, no need to go any bigger.


----------



## iknowphritter

that is an awesome build. great work


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright some update.. Finally got the scope out and I will be setting gains and levels this weekend.. I'm going to post up some pics. It will be interesting to see what the P99 / ZED setup will do before clipping.

More to come..


----------



## jstoner22

yaaa post them! i'm very interested in the results!


----------



## Allan74

Any pics of the finished front stage ?


----------



## Thunderplains

Allan74 said:


> Any pics of the finished front stage ?


Yes, but I am re-doing some of the Car's interior at the moment, Il take some pics as soon as I am done..


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright guys, quick update..

It has been DAMN DAMN DAMN cold (last night it was about -32 with the wind)
So the trim work is on hold until i get back into the 50's (Looks like next week! woohoo)
Anyways, I have been working on the interior and I ripped out all
the CF vinyl wrap. I am currently in process of of redoing all the "Silver" surfaces (Camry owners will know what I am talking about) in Neffy wrap.
Out of all the wraps i have done in CF, this stuff is by far the best
I have worked with and the results speak for themselves..

I will have some pics up shortly..


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright guys, here is some of the new interior pics..
Like I said, I switched over to Neffy Wrap and the more I use this stuff the better I like it..
It matches 100% the dry CF from BMW (took to dealer and compared)
I was using DiNoc before and m500 from metrorestyling, but are excellent vinyl wraps, but here is what I did NOT like..
* Vinyl would recede when it was very hot outside leaving exposed plastic anf glue residue on surfaces that were not wrapped around.
* it LOOKED like plastic, just a CF pattern. and you either had a matte finish and a gloss CF look was not available in any wraps due to manufacture process
* IT BUBBLED and it was a pain in the ass to get them out, looked unprofessional.

The Neffy wrap is far superior, esp for those looking for a lasting wrap that LOOKS like CF.
* Wraps beautiful.. sharp corner, bends, everything..
* LOOKS like dry CF, not plastic
* ZERO bubbles. flat and breathes
* EASY and permanent, will not recede 
* only 5/100 thicker than vinyl making it easy to get in factory tolerances..

Key to making it look professional is Exacto knife & hot glue and masking off areas you do not want covered in 77.
I used 77 and once dried, it did not MOVE. period. hot glus was from wrapping around and the X knife was for cutting precise edges.., remember it is a fabric, not plastic.

So with that being said, take a look.. I am finishing the center console now, so more pictures of that soon.


----------



## DAT

Thunder you always do a excellent job, just just probably save users quite a bit of money for doing all this testing of the wraps.

So Thank You Very Much. If I ever do any CF wraps I will use this as a reference.


:thumbsup:


----------



## n_olympios

I like this wrap. I like it a lot.


----------



## Shelbrain

Looks great! Where did you get the material from?


----------



## Thunderplains

DAT said:


> Thunder you always do a excellent job, just just probably save users quite a bit of money for doing all this testing of the wraps.
> 
> So Thank You Very Much. If I ever do any CF wraps I will use this as a reference.
> 
> 
> :thumbsup:


I like to do things ONCE and have it look good. I tried 4 different CF vinyl wraps and even with the 3m, when it got real hot, the vinyl would shrink and expose edges in some cases. Not acceptable to me and I wanted permanent, not a pull and restick. Nice thing is if you screw up with the Neffy wrap, pull it off, spray a little goo gone on the surface and back to square one. The feel of the neffy is much much more REAL and professional as the DiNoc just felt like plastic.
Short of spending $600+ on real CF pieces, this is the next best. And the Neffy stretches VERY well in all directions and once the 77 gets good and tacky, works like a charm.



Shelbrain said:


> Looks great! Where did you get the material from?


www.neffywrap.com


----------



## derickveliz

Awesome build, a must!

Subscribed!


.


----------



## ReloadedSS

Thunderplains said:


> I like to do things ONCE and have it look good. I tried 4 different CF vinyl wraps and even with the 3m, when it got real hot, the vinyl would shrink and expose edges in some cases. Not acceptable to me and I wanted permanent, not a pull and restick. Nice thing is if you screw up with the Neffy wrap, pull it off, spray a little goo gone on the surface and back to square one. The feel of the neffy is much much more REAL and professional as the DiNoc just felt like plastic.
> Short of spending $600+ on real CF pieces, this is the next best. And the Neffy stretches VERY well in all directions and once the 77 gets good and tacky, works like a charm.
> 
> Neffywrap.com, Home of the Original Neffy Carbon Fiber Wrap


That is really cool stuff. I was considering some kind of wrap for interior pieces, but the cost was prohibitive. This material is a great solution, and can be put anywhere. Thanks for the info!


----------



## will_6o4

Thunderplains said:


>


How did you wrap it so neatly around the rounded edge?


----------



## BigEasy

The devil is in the details. And wow, its everywhere! Nice job on everything. Truly jealous. The CF wrap on the steering wheel is a real nice touch. Can't wait for the next update!


----------



## chtaylor71

Great build...the attention to detail is top notch...


----------



## Thunderplains

will_6o4 said:


> How did you wrap it so neatly around the rounded edge?


When you spray the piece with 77 (clean it good with alcohol first), let it tack for about 5 mins. When you wrap the corners, pull it tight and press
down in the cornersafter it adhears to the sides, trim with Xacto. Then to seal the corners down, dab with hot glue and press with thumb and pull inwards (away from edge). This will adhere the wrap flat to the surface on the corners. (remove hot glue from thumb after..  )

A note here.. The Neffy IS thicker than vinyl, so on the tray that have a flip up top by pressing it, you need to shave down the outside edges with a little sand paper about 1/16 of an inch just so it does not rub and still enables the flip up top to open without assistance.


----------



## Kellyo77

Just went through this whole thread. Fantastic. All aspects are amazingly well done. The trunk is awesome. Really great job!


----------



## h1-vltg

WOW...very nice build, I can only imagine how good it will sound. And your attention to detail is outstanding!!!


----------



## req

i might try that dry wrap on my volkswagen stuff, its got some soft touch rubber stuff that peels away, looks like a solid alternative to buying new stuff


----------



## mine4118

nice attention to detail....great job..


----------



## Thunderplains

More pics coming soon... Interior completed.


----------



## h1-vltg

Thunderplains said:


> More pics coming soon... Interior completed.


That is just plain wrong...teasing us like this, can't wait to see them!


----------



## Chaos

That is some phenomenal work. The wiring job is among the best I have ever seen, and all the detail work with the cf wrap and logos really compliments your attention to detail nicely.

I'm really impressed that you went through the trouble of keeping the spare accessible, and those subs look sweet inverted like that.


----------



## Thunderplains

Well guys.. A new update..

I recently moved into a new home and due to some stuff that needs to be done, I will be downgrading my system for now (soon you will see the Hertz, Zed and P99 deck up for sale)

I know, sucks mucho, BUT, this is only temporary.. Right now I have a Kenwood XR-5S that will power my system (P5200BT deck) and i am looking for some suggestions for a "nicely" priced 2/3 way set & sub.

Once all the house stuff gets done and some stuff my my kids, ill be back (I plan to keep the work I did in the trunk, so it could be put back)

On another note, the interior looks real good.. and i will put some pictures up soon..


----------



## Thunderplains

Well.. New Update...

I am not going to sell anything YET, so I am in process of re-doing my trunk.. again..


----------



## eighty5iv

Pics! You owe us pics from last time. lol. atleast tease us into the new updates.


----------



## hough73

the build looks the dog [email protected]


----------



## bmwproboi05

man. makes me want to do my sister car.... but that be on a tight budget/ handy downs.lol


----------



## tonyd219

Wheres the finished trunk pics?


----------



## Thunderplains

I'm getting there.. Trying to balance life stuff and working on the car.. A little bit more time..


----------



## sq_guru

I'd like to see some pics of the finished & installed A-pillars. Nice work. Did you move that ground?


----------



## Thunderplains

sq_guru said:


> I'd like to see some pics of the finished & installed A-pillars. Nice work. Did you move that ground?


Actually.. after doing some seperation of the power and signal even further away, it got alot better.. I have not heard the feedback in quite some time,
BUT I still plan to move the ground..


Update: I have gutted the trunk and decided to go with one Sub and one amp..
This is to make some more space and also to fun an upgrade to the front end to the MLK series speakers.. I am going all fiberglass in the trunk, I have perfected my skills over the past few months..
I am also redoing the A-pillars to move the mids down and out a tad more for imaging and, IF POSSIBLE, I am going to try to do a mold and the A-pillars in CF

More to come..


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok back to drawing board..

Here is the new plan..

Previous was the follwing (head unit not changing)

(2) ZED Kronos Amps (Sub duty)

(1) ZED Levithan (front end)

(2, then 1) ML 3000
MLK165 with HL70 mids for front end.

New setup..

(1) Kronos (MidBass) est. 300wx2 at 4ohm
(1) Levithan (tweets, Mids, SUB) 170x4 & 600x1 at 4ohm (Gotta love these amps)
ML3000 for sub duty
ML280,ML700 & ML1600 (MLK 3 PA setup minus the X-overs) for front end

Re-doing pillars completely (same setup roughly, different angles)
Trunk will be maximized for space and I will be getting away from using wood as medium and puting alot more time into glassing.

This time around and based on various input, I am putting more focus on the mid-bass rather than the Sub duty. The MLK165 has great midbass, the ML1600 (new) has fricken mind blowing mid-bass. and all those who know Hertz know that they LOVE power. I am dedicating a Kronos amp for Midbass duty and will be driving close to 300w to each side. The doors on my car (if you have seen the BL) have been sealed beyond the needed, so the Midbass should bring me to tears.. The more I have been doing the re-design, the more I have been leaning more towards having superior mid-bass response then having a powerful low end. I am tempted at crossing at 50Hz once I get the new ML1600 in place, we'll see.

Also, the difference volume wise on the sub between the 1000x1 on the Kronos and the 600x1 on the Levithan is close to not noticeable. 

So some items will be up for sale shortly, including the barely used, purchaszed new ML3000 (2 ML3000s both running 1000w each were a tad too much, esp since the ML165s are amazing when it comes to mid bass.. I had them crossed at 60Hz.

So, the build will start a-new, ready for spring showing (local area) and HOPEFULLY some sort of comps. but mostly for my satisfaction from DIYMA.. 

And for all you new comers to this arena, yes, this is a sickness without a cure and you will never be satisfied with what you purchased thinking you will be satisfied with it especially if you are a member here. Never.


----------



## bertholomey

Nice update! I went from 160 watts per midbass to 300+ per midbass, and I believe I saw real gains with my Seas drivers.


----------



## NoelSibs

Can't wait for the build pics! 300watts for mid bass, man that's awesome power! I'm sure those things will sound great! Good luck with your new plan... I'm sure you'll be happier with it once it's done


----------



## Thunderplains

Hiatis is over.. Time to rip her apart..


----------



## IBcivic

woot!


----------



## eighty5iv

Thunderplains said:


> Hiatis is over.. Time to rip her apart..


hell yeah!


----------



## Thunderplains

Version 2 under way


----------



## oilman

Sub'd 


Damn auto correct


----------



## Thunderplains

Everything up for sale! with pictures..

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/car-audio-classifieds/135436-massive-huge-sale-hertz-zed-pioneer-lots-o-misc-2.html

Round 2 is coming shortly..


----------



## Thunderplains

Current work..

The floor from top of rear seat to pedals is being covered in Stinger RoadKill
Apply roadkill to inside of various plastic parts in car that do not yet have it (remaining vibrations found from first build)
Factory carpet pads are being replaced with Stinger Carpet pad (today)

Pictures to come.

Next step, run new RG6 based RCA cables from deck area to rear. (Complete overkill)
Re-assemble car so wife can get her parking space back.


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright.. SO the new equipment list..

Kenwood DNX6990HD (I was going to do the 9990HD, but the differences to ME were not worth the extra $400)
Audison Bit One
Hertz ML3000 (1)
Hertz ML280
Hertz ML700
Hertz ML1600

Amps are in the Air at the moment.. but one of the goals with this build is 
Stealth.. I need 3 amps, so, they will have to be small and powerful.

The top 2 I am looking at right now is The Kenwood XR series and the JL HD
series.. Also looking around for others, but I do not want the cost to get out of control.

RCAs will be custom this time. I am using Monster MVquad RG6 (complete and utter overkill) and monster quicklock RCA compression connectors.

Current plan calls for the tweets to be in the dash, aimed and the mids in the sail panels, aimed and hidden. Then everything else will be hidden between the trunk and backseat. When you open the trunk, you will not see much. 

So my primary goal is a ton of power and sonic clarity while making the install clean and as minimal as possible. So it is all going to be about placement..

This is requiring a LOT more planning and use of dead space in the car.

More to come.


----------



## Mako312

What made you choose from those 2 headunits?

I'm trying to figure out if I want to buy the Clarion NX702 for my DD.


----------



## Thunderplains

The kenwood unts had the most bang for the buck.. Plus they both have a Garmin nav system built into it which puts all other to shame..
The primary factor in the 6990HD and 9990HD is that the 9990HD has somewhat of a DSP built into it and now has a pretty good EQ as well..
SO, since I am going external processing, that was not a factor. The screen is a little smaller on the 6990HD, not an issue either and the 6990 does not have a motorized face, I'm ok with that. The Kenwood system layout and menus and everything are great And "I" actually like a knob for volume.. so rather than paying for audio I am not going to use and a tilt face & and a tad smaller screen, I still get all the functionality of the 9990HD (O yea, if you have a backup camera, it does some other magic as well..I don't)


----------



## Mako312

Thanks for that. I might be changing my head unit choice note.

The Kenwood does look super nice.


----------



## lbp775

Sub'd.

From another 6gen SE owner, I'm interested to see how this turns out. :thumbsup:


----------



## Thunderplains

I have this crazy idea for a setup on the mid/tweet side.. and it actually seems at it might work.. So, I am replacing the pillars with nice clean ones and I am going to do some glass work for new spots for the mids tweets

More to come >

God, I love this stuff.. Too Bad it renders you completely broke.


----------



## Mako312

Glass work?? 

I wish I had a time machine so I wouldn't have to wait to see.


----------



## Thunderplains

fiberglass.. What great things are made of.. But at least this time around, it will be smaller in scale, so much easier to finish.


----------



## quality_sound

Thunderplains said:


> The kenwood unts had the most bang for the buck.. Plus they both have a Garmin nav system built into it which puts all other to shame..
> The primary factor in the 6990HD and 9990HD is that the 9990HD has somewhat of a DSP built into it and now has a pretty good EQ as well..
> SO, since I am going external processing, that was not a factor. The screen is a little smaller on the 6990HD, not an issue either and the 6990 does not have a motorized face, I'm ok with that. The Kenwood system layout and menus and everything are great And "I" actually like a knob for volume.. so rather than paying for audio I am not going to use and a tilt face & and a tad smaller screen, I still get all the functionality of the 9990HD (O yea, if you have a backup camera, it does some other magic as well..I don't)


The 9990 will also run dual iPods, if that matters to you.


----------



## Thunderplains

quality_sound said:


> The 9990 will also run dual iPods, if that matters to you.


I know.. but no matter.. I went thru this a thousand times, my MAIN considerations are the Garmin setup the unit has, which blows all the other navs out of the water.. Built in traffic, re-routes automatic and now from what I understand actual sat images for intersections as well as I did not need all the Audio tuning that the 9990HD has. I am using a bit one


----------



## Thunderplains

lbp775 said:


> Sub'd.
> 
> From another 6gen SE owner, I'm interested to see how this turns out. :thumbsup:


THIS is the round-about plan.. Jtaudioacc did this in one of his installs and I think it is genius..










So, if I can come up with the right aiming and get the HL280 mounted there and have the HL700 mids in the sail panel, I will be good to go..

I am also considering flipping them around, tweet in sail and mid on dash..


----------



## derickveliz

What if the HL-70 goes in *the kick area?
*
.


----------



## Thunderplains

derickveliz said:


> What if the HL-70 goes in *the kick area?
> *
> .


Everyone has their opinions, but sense the mids do most of the work, I want them up and aimed. Plus I am not a huge fan of putting things in the kick area esp. since I get bad winters where i am and don't want to worry about the snow/water affecting the speaker..


----------



## quality_sound

Thunderplains said:


> I know.. but no matter.. I went thru this a thousand times, my MAIN considerations are the Garmin setup the unit has, which blows all the other navs out of the water.. Built in traffic, re-routes automatic and now from what I understand actual sat images for intersections as well as I did not need all the Audio tuning that the 9990HD has. I am using a bit one


Oh, I agree. I'd have done the 6990 as well. I need a knob too.


----------



## derickveliz

Thunderplains said:


> Everyone has their opinions, but sense the mids do most of the work, I want them up and aimed. Plus I am not a huge fan of putting things in the kick area esp. since I get bad winters where i am and don't want to worry about the snow/water affecting the speaker..


*Fair enough, I hear you... just trying to help! your build was a big inspiration when I started mine.*

I went through this many times with my HL-70 
I Know Toyota's very well and it's not my opinion, just my experience.

Yes Mids do most of the work "Point Source" that is why location is so important, unless you are not into SQ, center image and sound-stage.

*My HL-70 start at 200 Hz all the way up to 12.5 kHz* and they are in the kick area off-axis, partially parallel to the frame, *after been in the a-pillars twice! *and Mids are away from my feet no obstruction at all, winter here is not shabby either. 

Why are they down there... *Wider stage, better depth, PLDs and stage, it's all about SQ.*

*Just my 2 cts but I understand your worries about winter.*

Looking forward in your install I'm a big fan of Camry's 

.


----------



## Mako312

Thunderplains said:


> I know.. but no matter.. I went thru this a thousand times, my MAIN considerations are the Garmin setup the unit has, which blows all the other navs out of the water.. Built in traffic, re-routes automatic and now from what I understand actual sat images for intersections as well as I did not need all the Audio tuning that the 9990HD has. I am using a bit one


So you think that if you going to do a external processing that it's better to go with the 6990? 

My plans are to eventually go with a active 3 way with a processing unit.


----------



## Thunderplains

quality_sound said:


> Oh, I agree. I'd have done the 6990 as well. I need a knob too.


Right on, Brother..


----------



## Thunderplains

derickveliz said:


> *Fair enough, I hear you... just trying to help! your build was a big inspiration when I started mine.*
> 
> I went through this many times with my HL-70
> I Know Toyota's very well and it's not my opinion, just my experience.
> 
> Yes Mids do most of the work "Point Source" that is why location is so important, unless you are not into SQ, center image and sound-stage.
> 
> *My HL-70 start at 200 Hz all the way up to 12.5 kHz* and they are in the kick area off-axis, partially parallel to the frame, *after been in the a-pillars twice! *and Mids are away from my feet no obstruction at all, winter here is not shabby either.
> 
> Why are they down there... *Wider stage, better depth, PLDs and stage, it's all about SQ.*
> 
> *Just my 2 cts but I understand your worries about winter.*
> 
> Looking forward in your install I'm a big fan of Camry's
> 
> .


Well said and Done might I add.. My previous was the HL70s and they rock as mids.. Personally I just can not do the kicks, simply due to the weather here.. It rains like God is trying to extinguish hell.. And since I'll be running the new ML series, I REALLY don't want to take a chance with water and paper cones.. 

And I have to say, damn, 200 to 12.5?? That is quite a range for a mid..
I think was I was running mine, I got the best sound from 24db slope and 500 to 6.5k with the HT28 taking over from there
I can't wait to see what the ML280 can do with the ML700.. And I will be powering the ML1600s with 300w per side.. I want to see if the Hertz can live up to it's high end name.. I ran the MLK165s at about 250 or so and they kicked amazing butt.. almost to the point where a sub really was just there for look see..


----------



## Thunderplains

Mako312 said:


> So you think that if you going to do a external processing that it's better to go with the 6990?
> 
> My plans are to eventually go with a active 3 way with a processing unit.


I had the P99, although a great HU, I just did not have the time to sit there and tune.. drove me nuts..
I want to be able to tune sitting with a laptop and be able to adjust 31 bands with my eyes and ears seeing the feedback..
I think the bit one gives me more flexibility the way I want.. 

Besides, I want a all in one unit that has great ratings and the Kenwood top end units are the best out there.. And although the 9990HD HAS some DSP stuff to a point, I want alot more control, so the 6990HD it is and the Bit One 

Also, Kenwood has been very good in the high end units in driving 5v out the pre-outs unlike other models that are alot less..


----------



## Thunderplains

Update.

Just finished doing the entire interior in roadkill.. Car looks like an alien transport vechicle now.. (pictures to come..)

I am now working on the Stinger carpet mat, then I start putting the front end of the car back together. (waiting on HU) All said, it should be as quiet as a mouse..

EDIT: In total, I have been through 4 stinger roadkill bulk packs or 144 sq feet of dampening material, 8 sheets of Dynaliner 1/4, 4 sheets of Dynaliner 1/8, 1 pack of Dynaplate and a pack of Carpet mat..

I think I just added 200lbs to my car.


----------



## Thunderplains

Right now, I am shampooing the rugs, running the RG6 RCAs and adding roadkill to remaining plastic items I did not get to the first time around.. Getting 80% put back together today

pictures as of last night after cabin work.


----------



## Thunderplains

NEW RCA's.. custom length and absolute and utter overkill.


















Interior is almost back together.. pics to come.. (like it never happened..)


----------



## n_olympios

I love overkill.


----------



## Thunderplains

Yep


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. next Interior is back together cept for rear seat.. I had to get it done and move it out of my Wife's drive bay or she was going to have it towed.. 

Soooo. Next comes the re-fab of the trunk. the idea is this. Get the Biit one, audison dist block, 3 amps and the ML3000 in there and STILL be able to put my stroller for the girls (double, front back) have some bag space AND be able to use the spare..

Impossible.. Maybe.. But I have a plan..


----------



## eighty5iv

Thunderplains said:


> Ok.. next Interior is back together cept for rear seat.. I had to get it done and move it out of my Wife's drive bay or she was going to have it towed..
> 
> Soooo. Next comes the re-fab of the trunk. the idea is this. Get the Biit one, audison dist block, 3 amps and the ML3000 in there and STILL be able to put my stroller for the girls (double, front back) have some bag space AND be able to use the spare..
> 
> Impossible.. Maybe.. But I have a plan..


Can't wait to see what you gave planned. I would love to see a stealth build from you.


----------



## Thunderplains

JUST ripped apart the a-pillars.. I was going to buy new ones, but $200 for new apillars is a tad steep. Pictures coming shortly.. I am working on the speaker setup now..


----------



## MacLeod

Hit up a local junk yard brother. Ive done that several time. Usually runs me $15-20 per pillar. I trade cars so often that I needed a cheap way to cover the gaping holes I had in all my trim panels.


----------



## Thunderplains

MacLeod said:


> Hit up a local junk yard brother. Ive done that several time. Usually runs me $15-20 per pillar. I trade cars so often that I needed a cheap way to cover the gaping holes I had in all my trim panels.


Yep, been there.. I am actually making good headway with what I have.. It amazing how "flexible" plastic is and how rigid cured fiberglass is


----------



## Thunderplains

New pods for the pillars just arrived.. And I have to say they are amazing..










CNC machined.. No router. PERFECT diameter right down to the mm specs I gave him.

So, without doubt, I will be getting additional stuff made by him and his prices are excellent.

AVpriority (516-847-5AVP) [email protected]


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. 
Re-doing the console area.. I ripped off any remaining 3m Di-noc wrap and started re-wrappnig from the top down. I now use neffy wrap pretty much across the board..
It IS a fabric, but easy to work with (Takes PRACTICE) and does not look like "plastic" looks much more like dry carbon fiber..

Here's the new upper conosle I did last night..


----------



## lbp775

Thunderplains said:


> Ok..
> Re-doing the console area.. I ripped off any remaining 3m Di-noc wrap and started re-wrappnig from the top down. I now use neffy wrap pretty much across the board..
> It IS a fabric, but easy to work with (Takes PRACTICE) and does not look like "plastic" looks much more like dry carbon fiber..
> 
> Here's the new upper conosle I did last night..


Nice! Is that a metra dash kit?


----------



## Thunderplains

lbp775 said:


> Nice! Is that a metra dash kit?


Metra kit had a "ring" bezel.. Drove me nuts (that was the one I had before)

This is the kit by Best kits.. MUCH cleaner.


----------



## lbp775

Thunderplains said:


> Metra kit had a "ring" bezel.. Drove me nuts (that was the one I had before)
> 
> This is the kit by Best kits.. MUCH cleaner.


I have both the Scosche and the Metra and I'm not happy with either. I guess i'll give this one a try.

Thanks!


----------



## Mako312

Are the custom RCAs easy?


----------



## Thunderplains

Mako312 said:


> Are the custom RCAs easy?


Depends..

So, here is my thought. I had the stinger HPM3 (top of the line) interconnects and when you break it down, you have (2) small gauge 
wire with a foil braid protecting them. I had some noise issues early on, so instead of getting the status quo, I decided to go overkill.

I am basically using Monster MVquad RG6 (solid 18ga copper core, 2 foil sheilds, 2 braided copper sheilds) and Monster quick lock RG6Q RCA tips..
As far as RCAs go, this would be comparable to high end home theater RCAs..

They are pretty easy, the trick is to make sure you don't have any extreme bends, other wise the monster cable is flexible enough to work with.


----------



## eighty5iv

Thunderplains said:


> Ok..
> Re-doing the console area.. I ripped off any remaining 3m Di-noc wrap and started re-wrappnig from the top down. I now use neffy wrap pretty much across the board..
> It IS a fabric, but easy to work with (Takes PRACTICE) and does not look like "plastic" looks much more like dry carbon fiber..
> 
> Here's the new upper conosle I did last night..


Looks amazing. have you thought about wrapping the dials on the ac unit? Is it even possible?


----------



## markland556

problem with wrapping the dials is that it might start to peel off after some use..


----------



## Thunderplains

eighty5iv said:


> Looks amazing. have you thought about wrapping the dials on the ac unit? Is it even possible?


I did.. BUT 2 issues. One is about clearence. adding a layer of the neffy to the dials would make them hard to turn and as the othe poster suggested, it would come off after time and use.
I would never wrap anything that gets alot in the car or touched continously, it is good for surface cover and asthestics, but in the end, it is still glued on fabric. whats great about this stuff opposed to Di_noc is that it IS a fabric, not vinyl. if i accidently jab it with a corner of something, it will not just tear off and I would have to redo.


----------



## Thunderplains

THIS is why I like Neffy wrap opposed to Di-Noc..


















The camry is full of crazy angles and odd ball patterns and this works works flawlessly.


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, back to audio land..

Getting the console finished up and put back together today.. Will post some pics shortly. Next pillars, trunk & tune


----------



## eighty5iv

markland556 said:


> problem with wrapping the dials is that it might start to peel off after some use..


i didn't think of that. thanks for the heads up.



Thunderplains said:


> I did.. BUT 2 issues. One is about clearence. adding a layer of the neffy to the dials would make them hard to turn and as the othe poster suggested, it would come off after time and use.
> I would never wrap anything that gets alot in the car or touched continously, it is good for surface cover and asthestics, but in the end, it is still glued on fabric. whats great about this stuff opposed to Di_noc is that it IS a fabric, not vinyl. if i accidently jab it with a corner of something, it will not just tear off and I would have to redo.


I see what you are saying. I figured clearance might be an issue but I didn't think about the peeling after continuous use. I guess I'll consider picking up a second set and just painting it a matte black to make it more uniform for mine.

btw you are a camry pioneer, keep up the great work.


----------



## Thunderplains

eighty5iv said:


> btw you are a camry pioneer, keep up the great work.


I like that title.. I have the SE, I like the way it looks, I just wish Toyota would get it and build like a SE RS or something.. carbon interior, 350+hp v6 19 wheels.. Give it some go.


----------



## derickveliz

Thunderplains said:


> I like that title.. I have the SE, I like the way it looks, I just wish Toyota would get it and build like a SE RS or something.. carbon interior, 350+hp v6 19 wheels.. Give it some go.


*x 2! and add AWD for a wish list!*


.


----------



## Mako312

I was planning on doing some wrapping myself in my Altima so I think I will go what you suggest. 

I might steal a couple things you do


----------



## Thunderplains

Mako312 said:


> I was planning on doing some wrapping myself in my Altima so I think I will go what you suggest.
> 
> I might steal a couple things you do


Anytime  If you need help with the neffy, just let me know.. I have mastered that stuff.. It's real nice, being a fabric, it just does not have the "Plastic" look like Di-Noc
The *KEY* is prep and the stuff will stick forever. I'll give you my step by step when you are ready..


----------



## eighty5iv

Thunderplains said:


> I like that title.. I have the SE, I like the way it looks, I just wish Toyota would get it and build like a SE RS or something.. carbon interior, 350+hp v6 19 wheels.. Give it some go.


I agree. I have the SE too, and a lot of the things I dreamed of, you have already implemented so I have a good idea of how it looks. and It looks amazing. I also will be borrowing a lot of your work for future ideas.


----------



## Thunderplains

Front end completed sans pillars (next) and all detailed as well as carpets were shampooed and leather treated..

Overkill RCAs









Interior eye candy..


















Next.. OIL CHANGE.. Seriously.. overdue.. as well as HID fog lights. >

To the trunk! start making templates tomorrow.


----------



## Mako312

Did you wrap your steering wheel?!?!


----------



## oilman

Nice, very classy


----------



## Thunderplains

Mako312 said:


> Did you wrap your steering wheel?!?!


Just where the controls are, not the whole thing


----------



## eighty5iv

Amazing wrap work.


----------



## Thunderplains

eighty5iv said:


> Amazing wrap work.


Wait till you see the pillars.. They are coming out amazing


----------



## oilman

Thunderplains said:


> Wait till you see the pillars.. They are coming out amazing


You want to come hang out in Houston for a weekend? I have enough miles to bring you down here. I'll buy 6 cases of red bull and we can hang out in my shop.


----------



## ross.cottrill

in for pics


----------



## Thunderplains

Just finished maintenance and now the headlights, high beams and fogs are all Hid Xenon.


----------



## bradknob

Thunderplains said:


> Wait till you see the pillars.. They are coming out amazing



Dash looks badass


After reading through this, I was going to ask you how flexible the neffy wrap was bc i was thinking of wrapping my pillars....... hurry wit the pics.


----------



## n_olympios

Very good progress! I've used similar MC Turbine RCA's, they're nice and tight.


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. Taking a brake on the pillars.. Been having migraines and for eveyone's knowledge, migraines and resin vapors are a bad combo.

So TRUNK TIME!
I promised my wife I would not be doing this again for a long time, so she pulled the contract she had out on me.. anyways..

Goals:
Usable spare
Usable trunk (To actually set heavy things on and not worry about amps and cones)
semi-stealth install (But cool enough for local shows)
move ground to underside and attach directly to frame


So, starting pictures will be up later today or tomorrow..


----------



## SoulMan76

Really nice work man. Nice equipment too. I hope one day I'll be able to do this level of work on my car, till then I'll keep trying.


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. Work has been nuts
I have a inch of trunk pics to upload, they will come shortly. Right now I am doing the second most important project, reframing my hot tub


----------



## chevyrider96

Can't wait to see this finished. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Thunderplains

chevyrider96 said:


> Can't wait to see this finished. Thanks for sharing!


Me too.. It will be nice not to think of the next cool thing for awahile.. Probably only kidding myself there..


----------



## oilman

Thunderplains said:


> Me too.. It will be nice not to think of the next cool thing for awahile.. Probably only kidding myself there..


Trying to hold down a job/wife/kids is a job in its self.


----------



## cornholio

Awesome install! Cant wait to see what you do with the trunk! just wondering, how many square feet of road kill have you used on the car? have you got rid of all the annoying resonances? Again, amazing work!


----------



## Thunderplains

cornholio said:


> Awesome install! Cant wait to see what you do with the trunk! just wondering, how many square feet of road kill have you used on the car? have you got rid of all the annoying resonances? Again, amazing work!


O man.. 140sq feet of road kill and probably 20 linear yards of 1/8 & 1/4 CCF and Stinger dynaplate & carpet mat as well as deadening spray.

The Doors FEEL like they are 50lbs heavier.. and you can tell when they close, it is solid.


----------



## DAT

Thunderplains said:


> O man.. 140sq feet of road kill and probably 20 linear yards of 1/8 & 1/4 CCF and Stinger dynaplate & carpet mat as well as deadening spray.
> 
> The Doors FEEL like they are 50lbs heavier.. and you can tell when they close, it is solid.



Haha , anything over 49lbs is a waste. 

Great job!


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok..

Doing some minor change in the trunk.. The backboard and sub enclosure built out of MDF weighed in at too much, so i chnaged some things out and went with select pine and birch ply to replace to reduce weight.. I should have some pics up shortly of the 1st stages of the trunk rebuild.


----------



## Thunderplains

Update.

Had to pause the build, -8 deg last night about 20 tomorrow. Yes, I live in the colorado mountains.
On the other hand Did some testing with the bit-one and the ML1600 and ML3000, They blend beautifully.. X'd at 63 hertz and the 1600 is getting X'd at 500 hz to the ML700
So far so good. Once I get everything all done, tune time. (coffe, laptop, coffee)


----------



## MonopolyMan

I love the detail you put into your wiring. It's truly an art.


----------



## TheHulk9er

I am using a lot of the same equipment - Hertz ML1600 + ML700 +ML280. I had the "new" set of the ML1600 + ML280 but was able to find the prior generation. I currently have the ML1600 in my doors and have been moving the ML280 around. I am curious to see how you use yours. Great build so far!


----------



## speakerpimp

Some of the best wrapping I've EVER seen, great job! The detail is great!


----------



## Thunderplains

Updates.. Some pics today.
Trunk layout is done and in place.. Full access to spare.. fake wall in with front facing led light Hertz logo.. Also did a new direct to frame based ground.. Right now it is 18 outside, sooo.. it's cold..


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. some pictures.. more to come.. Not in any order..


----------



## Thunderplains




----------



## spoonsports86

wow man loving the build cant wait to see the new set up done


----------



## Thunderplains

Completed trunk floor. going in today


----------



## Thunderplains

Sigh..
Been so busy that I forgot to make a run to the Salvage yard for a rear trim panel (goes over the lower part of the trunk where the latch receiver is (plastic lip to floor)
Need this before I get thr trunk ready for amps and such..

More to come.


----------



## req

sweet! love the hinge and false floor


----------



## Thunderplains

During my first build, I had a bunch of great ideas, but without doing the homework to make sure it would work, some things got botched.. One of the CAR PLASTICS..
I can not stand this stuff.. One, they are expensive as heck to buy if you need replacement (from dealer) and two, in the salvage market, it is VERY difficult to find a late model car to pull parts from..

So, this is my $10 fix to a $170 problem...

This is the rear strike plate/panel for the camry in the trunk. My first build used way too much wood and big wood as well (2x4) so I had to hack out areas in the trunk to make it fit, hacking the back panel was one fo them.. Problem is, this is no salvage market for this piece and new it is about $160 or so plus shipping.. This one was cut uneven, backside carpet and topside 3M DiNoc.. A mess.. so after I pulled everything off and cleaned it a bit, this is what I was left with.. 









How to fix? Neffy wrap and 1/8 MDF & black CAP screws.. and walla.. not 100% but much much better and amazingly enough,, it actually lines up with the door for the spare in the false floor.. win/win and it looks much better.. (install pics shortly)


----------



## Thunderplains

Stage 3 finished, trunk setup & flooring..


















































On the backside of the sub enclosure, I re-used a piece from my old setup and framed out and lit the hertz logo with 2 types of CF wrap. Makes so if you look into the passthru port, you just don't see the back side of a piece of MDF









Stage 4 next (rear electronics and finsh), then the final stage, finishing off the A-pillars..


----------



## Voorttimies

Just read through the whole thread. Very nice work altogether, sir!


----------



## Thunderplains

Pillar work..

I had old pillars from the original build, trashed em.. start work on a second, no go..
SO here is the third..










































More to come.. it is -9 outside.. sooo.. waiting for fiberglass warmth


----------



## Thunderplains

woohoo! Pods still in process.. 45 deg outside, back to the trunk! (bout time)


----------



## NAZTLT1

Very nice! Getting a lot of ideas from your build. Subscribed!


----------



## Thunderplains

The plan is coming together.. Just been so damn cold


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, got a day of 50deg weather.. (and bought a heater for the garage  )

More pictures..


----------



## Thunderplains

Last phase in process (amp rack) and lower trunk being finished off today.. (Thank god for 50+ deg weather) Some more pics.. Might not make sense yet, but it will come together at end of day (more pics later)


















Amp rack - more pics later


----------



## oilman

Looking good.


----------



## Thunderplains

oilman said:


> Looking good.


Getting there.. Should see a "good" idea of what it is going to look like later today..

My Goal is to maximize trunk space and have a usable spare.. so trying to compact everything in a small space is quite the challenge


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. I had to re-fab a piece to get the sub to fit properly.. So, did not get as much done as I wanted.. Also to answer an earlier question I got.. I am using a lot of high grade pine and oak ply for as much as possible.. Last build was mostly out of 3/4 MDF and weighed a ton (rear car sag) sooo.. Weight reduction here as well.. 1/2 MDF is the thickest I am going..


----------



## Noobdelux

did not read the whole thread but looks darn good. i wish i could make trunk builds like that. yours looks as good as bing`s i would say. 
even though iv used heluva lot of time on mine it dont look half as good as this.


----------



## D-Bass

Thunderplains said:


> Last phase in process (amp rack) and lower trunk being finished off today.. (Thank god for 50+ deg weather) Some more pics.. Might not make sense yet, but it will come together at end of day (more pics later)




I used those same wire holders all over my build. They work out very nice. I used the same wire and processor as well, so this thread is D-Bass Approved. Stamp it!


----------



## oilman

You're rubbing it.


----------



## D-Bass

quality_sound said:


> The 9990 will also run dual iPods, if that matters to you.


I don't think it will do two ipods. I'm pretty sure it's dual usb, one for ipod, one for usb & charging


----------



## Thunderplains

D-Bass said:


> I don't think it will do two ipods. I'm pretty sure it's dual usb, one for ipod, one for usb & charging


Correct. If you use the kenwood cable, you can only run 1 Ipod.. 2 USB and 1 IPod input (mini) on the back of the unit.

I am in process of picking up a 9990HD for my Wife.. Great audio section, no need for a processor (For her tastes..)


----------



## Thunderplains

Noobdelux said:


> did not read the whole thread but looks darn good. i wish i could make trunk builds like that. yours looks as good as bing`s i would say.
> even though iv used heluva lot of time on mine it dont look half as good as this.


I appreciate that.. Lots of time went into this to make it compact as possible, But as far as Bing, Not close in my book.. He has helped me quite a bit and credit for the things I have learned go to him..


----------



## Thunderplains

Some more random photos..


----------



## SciPunk

Looking great man, that hertz sub looks like a black hole ...lol


----------



## knowledge

man very nice


----------



## Thunderplains

My new and most favorite tool. ever.










Talk about how much time I wasted trying to do things with my "compact" driver.
Lifesaver.. Every person wanting to accomplish a good install needs one of these..


----------



## JayinMI

Right angle drills are awesome. Skewdriver's are pretty hand too...it's always fun to whip one out in front of a customer and have them go "Wow, where can I get one?" Tell them $20 at Home depot and they're all "I'm stopping on the way home."

I get by pretty good without my RA Drill, but sometimes I miss it. When it comes time to buy new drills again, I might look for a set with one.

Jay


----------



## Thunderplains

Well, had to put the project on hold for a few days as my 12 yr old hot water heater decided to end it's life by sharing its water with my basement. Not too bad, but enough. So I decided it was time to re-pipe everything and put in a top of the line water filter for the house and a new expansion tank. Came out pretty good and I think my sweating skills are not bad.. About 2 gallons of mud came out of the old water heater when I went to go drain it. Not happening again. 










Now back to our regularly scheduled program..


----------



## Thunderplains

Amp rack build


----------



## darkhart

I've been in and out of this trend and I love the Zed amps so I was surprised to see that you switched to the Kenwood XR's. So many people overlook them but they are awesome amps, I completed an install back in Dec using the XR-1s and XR-4s for a customer. Keep up the incredible job you're doing.....


----------



## HondAudio

Thunderplains said:


> About 2 gallons of mud came out of the old water heater when I went to go drain it. Not happening again.


Do you have a well or something? I don't understand how that much dirt can be in a reasonably "sterile" municipal water system. I know it might take years to accumulate... but it shouldn't be there at all


----------



## req

dude, a little tip before you tear your hair out - do NOT use hot glue with fiberglass. i learned this the hard way - it does not like to be painted, resin does not stick to it, it peels off, it is not sandable - just do not use it.

i guarantee you will regret it. get yourself CA glue. its worth its weight in gold. i can be sanded, it can be painted, resin sticks to it and it sticks to resin - it dries super fast. buy the biggest bottle you can on amazon - i recommend getting some thick type gel stuff instead of the thin watery stuff so you can fill gaps and what not. make sure you get some catalyst too.

E-Z Bond CA Instant Glue Thick Big Gap Filling Viscosity (700 cps) 16 OZ - Amazon.com

FastCap 12-Ounce Activator - Amazon.com

you will seriously thank me.


----------



## mklett33

Nice little amp rack, those amps have a pretty small foot print.


----------



## Thunderplains

req said:


> dude, a little tip before you tear your hair out - do NOT use hot glue with fiberglass. i learned this the hard way - it does not like to be painted, resin does not stick to it, it peels off, it is not sandable - just do not use it.
> 
> i guarantee you will regret it. get yourself CA glue. its worth its weight in gold. i can be sanded, it can be painted, resin sticks to it and it sticks to resin - it dries super fast. buy the biggest bottle you can on amazon - i recommend getting some thick type gel stuff instead of the thin watery stuff so you can fill gaps and what not. make sure you get some catalyst too.
> 
> E-Z Bond CA Instant Glue Thick Big Gap Filling Viscosity (700 cps) 16 OZ - Amazon.com
> 
> FastCap 12-Ounce Activator - Amazon.com
> 
> you will seriously thank me.


Ok.. I give up.. Where did you see this? Am I missing something?


----------



## vwjmkv

been looking into getting Hertz Milles, and i realy like this ongoing build SUBed


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok.. AMP rack fitting.. RIGHT ON the MONEY with the tension bars for the trunk and spacing.. tight fit, but that is the way it was designed. 

More to come..


----------



## Thunderplains

It has been crazy stupid cold outside.. So only one or two more..











These RCA cables are complete and utter overkill.. Rather than paying for something that *MIGHT* be well sheilded, I deceided to build my own.. And these cables are sheilded to the max.. 










First attempt.. Pretty good, but need to correct a few small things..

Next attempt in progress..


----------



## oilman

Looking good, and from a power standpoint you have headroom covered. Those amps spaced out nicely.


----------



## RandyJ75

Wow, I'm very glad I found this thread. You are doing some beautiful work. I have a '07 Solara, which is just a two door Camry. I have been gathering equipment for my build, which will start in April or so. You have given me many ideas.
My question is about the wrap you used; you stated that you had a procedure for installing the wrap; would you care to share it? I was also wondering were you got those clips to hold 0/1 cable. Very sharp looking.

Thanks, Randy


----------



## DAT

Yep, lots of room left and in the trunk and plenty of power.


----------



## Thunderplains

oilman said:


> Looking good, and from a power standpoint you have headroom covered. Those amps spaced out nicely.


and they are damn small.. my goal is this.. I have preplanned this system ahead into the future.. down the road, I want to swap out the Hertz for either Thesis or Matrix speakers.. AND upgrade the amps to the JL HD 900/5 (2) and a 750/1 (which the amp rack was built to accomidate in the future)
I will use the 5 channel amps to drive the front end L/R at 150w to the tweet and the mid and 500w to the mid-bass (The Thesis can handle it :coolgleamA: ) But for now, 120/120/300 will have to do.. 

It was mostly about how much crap can I get crammed into a small space and be functional? I still have my spare (with storage space under the fake floor) and finding amps that have power and are SMALL is no easy task.. Wish I had the room to get a bigger footprint amp.. But.. no..
It took a bunch of planning to cram everything in that space, but so far, it is working well..


----------



## Thunderplains

DAT said:


> Yep, lots of room left and in the trunk and plenty of power.


That was the idea.. in the words of the great Chad.. "Where do you guys put Groceries and Sh*t?" and being threated by my wife, I needed to have a trunk and I did not want to worry about stuff getting beat up (cones, etc)


----------



## req

Thunderplains said:


>


my bad. i thought that was hot-glue holding the baffles on. if it is CA glue - then you are a pro


----------



## Thunderplains

req said:


> my bad. i thought that was hot-glue holding the baffles on. if it is CA glue - then you are a pro


It actually a combo..used the hot glue to tack them in place then used max thick CA to bind them..

(Hot glue is great for just fitting and aiming cause it drys so fast.


----------



## MattB101

Could it possibly be a fusible link? Do they still use them. Not sure but I sure would check before removing it. Just a suggestion.



Thunderplains said:


> A Toyota WTF moment..
> 
> So, I was going thru the factory wires and ABOUT to tin the lead on the factory joke of a charge wire to the battery (it is in FACT 12awg, see picture next to 1/0)
> So, I figured I would take up some slack and cut it down a bit.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now THIS is the part that makes me wonder.. after removing the factory fabric wrap, excess electrical tape, I come upon this heavily heat shrinked area, so I cut the HS off and I was dumb founded. It is ACTUALLY a 5-6awg cable crimped down to a 12awg (about 6 inches long) and to the battery..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This concludes my Toyota WTF moment..
> 
> More pics tomrorow..


----------



## MattB101

Ignore that last post. I should have read ahead and looked at the date. Sorry bout that folks.


----------



## quality_sound

Thunderplains said:


> and they are damn small.. my goal is this.. I have preplanned this system ahead into the future.. down the road, I want to swap out the Hertz for either Thesis or Matrix speakers.. AND upgrade the amps to the JL HD 900/5 (2) and a 750/1 (which the amp rack was built to accomidate in the future)
> I will use the 5 channel amps to drive the front end L/R at 150w to the tweet and the mid and 500w to the mid-bass (The Thesis can handle it :coolgleamA: ) But for now, 120/120/300 will have to do..
> 
> It was mostly about how much crap can I get crammed into a small space and be functional? I still have my spare (with storage space under the fake floor) and finding amps that have power and are SMALL is no easy task.. Wish I had the room to get a bigger footprint amp.. But.. no..
> It took a bunch of planning to cram everything in that space, but so far, it is working well..


You'll only be giving the mids/tweeters 100 Watts in this configuration. Not a huge difference but it sounded like you wanted this change to be a power upgrade and it won't be for all the drivers. A suggestion, go for the 1200/1. Since it's the same size as the 750/1 you might as well get the extra power.


----------



## Thunderplains

quality_sound said:


> You'll only be giving the mids/tweeters 100 Watts in this configuration. Not a huge difference but it sounded like you wanted this change to be a power upgrade and it won't be for all the drivers. A suggestion, go for the 1200/1. Since it's the same size as the 750/1 you might as well get the extra power.


True. So the 1200/1 it is.. But.. From the JL site, the 900/5 has this config..


Main Channels - Bridged @ 4 Ω

150 W RMS x 2 

Subwoofer Channel @ 4 Ω

500 W RMS x 1 

Am I missing something?


----------



## Thunderplains

quality_sound said:


> You'll only be giving the mids/tweeters 100 Watts in this configuration. Not a huge difference but it sounded like you wanted this change to be a power upgrade and it won't be for all the drivers. A suggestion, go for the 1200/1. Since it's the same size as the 750/1 you might as well get the extra power.


Did you happen to go to the Academy?


----------



## Thunderplains

Ok, final lower panel build pics




























And finally, in car lower panel shots..





































And presenting the Hertz Halo..










I am finishing up the upper panel that covers the amps now and should have the trunk done by the weekend. Then I'll be finishing up the pillars and some misc wrapping.

More to come..


----------



## sinister-kustoms

Nailed it! Looks f'n awesome, nice work!


----------



## TexZen

Holy Schneikes that looks vera vera nice-ah!


Great job!


----------



## bbfoto

VERY nice work, dude! Looks great...wish I could hear it! I'll be looking forward to the finishing touches.


----------



## RandyJ75

Very impressive, especially the use of space.


----------



## Thunderplains

RandyJ75 said:


> Very impressive, especially the use of space.


Hey randy, I owe you a "how to" I'll email it to you today. Also, those clips are actually for 4ga, but they make them for 0/1 as well. They are made by stinger, best place to find them is on eBay from Darvex (bagboy)


----------



## Thunderplains

MattB101 said:


> Ignore that last post. I should have read ahead and looked at the date. Sorry bout that folks.


All good.. replaced the fusable link with a new one awhile back.. JUST to be safe.. All of the audio equipment is bypassing "factory" power/ground everything, so, it really will not make a difference.. But.. never know


----------



## Thunderplains

Alright, amp cover cut and routed



















I have to say, I have become crazy efficient using a Bosch jigsaw.
I cut this piece completely freehand and the lines are straight as an arrow. Matter of fact, all I have used for this whole project is my jigsaw and router.

Alright, next is dressing this up and fitting, more to come


----------



## RandyJ75

Thunderplains said:


> Hey randy, I owe you a "how to" I'll email it to you today. Also, those clips are actually for 4ga, but they make them for 0/1 as well. They are made by stinger, best place to find them is on eBay from Darvex (bagboy)


Perhaps a better idea would a separate writeup how-to on the wrapping procedure posted over in the how to section (when you have the time). If you have more pictures of the wrapped pieces, that would be a big help to me, as I am wondering if the glue will affect the chrome on the console door and around the climate control.

Thanks in advance.

Randy


----------



## Thunderplains

Finished all wiring and custom RCAs.. I am working on finishing all trunk panels & light work now





































More to come shortly..


----------



## Thunderplains

Trunk is completed. Pictures going up in about an hour.


----------



## Gadget01

Post up a video tour of the car if you're feeling froggy enough.


----------



## Thunderplains

Trunk Done! Minus some small not really seen trim panels..


































































Now off to finish the pillars (for the 4th time)


















And then this.. (Toyota magic trick for factory diversity antenna)









More to come..


----------



## eighty5iv

ooh very nice. more on the diversity antenna trick please.


----------



## oilman

Solid build and thanks!


----------



## Thunderplains

OK.. FINISHED Trunk.. Put the upper end caps on.. Much better..


































Small covering for lower panel.. Need some shiny cap screws (tomorrow)










Now for the Toyota diversity antenna fix.. VERY simple. Use the "ANT CONT" (Antenna control) from your deck and tie it into the orange wire that is hanging off the end of the two antenna leads. The Ant Cont wire from the deck has exactly enough mA to power the amplifier at the rear of the car. Now reception is PERFECT. Works like a charm.


----------



## Thunderplains

oilman said:


> Solid build and thanks!


Hey Rick..

Ever get that noise issue creep back up on you again?


----------



## oilman

Thunderplains said:


> Hey Rick..
> 
> Ever get that noise issue creep back up on you again?


It comes and goes slowly. I plan to tackle it this weekend like we talked about. Bringing the master volume up and the input volume down helps but I run out volume regardless as a end result. unplugging the inputs RCA's coming from the 7990 and replacing them with RCA's from my iPhone and there is no noise at all. There was no noise before the (8) ether. I will isolate the entire system from the cars electrical system.


----------



## Thunderplains

oilman said:


> It comes and goes slowly. I plan to tackle it this weekend like we talked about. Bringing the master volume up and the input volume down helps but I run out volume regardless as a end result. unplugging the inputs RCA's coming from the 7990 and replacing them with RCA's from my iPhone and there is no noise at all. There was no noise before the (8) ether. I will isolate the entire system from the cars electrical system.


Cool..

I'll be ripping out more factory wiring this weekend.. (If I don't need it, out it goes) If I come across anything that might help, I'll throw it your way


----------



## Thunderplains

One thing I need to do here is I want to show where I started and due to the knowledge and the help of several members on this forum, where I ended up..

Where I started about 3 years back.. No trunk (barely), completely made out of 3/4 MDF and 2x4s (rear of car sagged bad), could barely get the spare tire out and a real bad use of available space never mind so-so fab skills..



















Today.. Completely redesigned from the ground up, use of much much lighter woods (rear of car has ZERO sag), optimized use of all available space in trunk, able to get to spare and storage space under fake floor with no issues and with the future in mind, Amp rack space is "universal" to allow upgrades to amps (JL HD 1200/1 & (2) 900/5) without changing setup, just amp rack



















My skills with a JS, router and fiberglass have come MILES.. esp. with CF wrapping.. as well as the level of audio knowledge I had then vs. now.. And I really have to thank Bing, jtaudioacc, bikinpunk and a few others for either answering my questions or having really detailed posts and how toos AND Chad for coining the phrase "Where do you guys put groceries and sh*t?" and making it my overall goal.


----------



## quality_sound

That is REALLY odd. You replaced one piece but that piece isn't what's causing the noise. I have NEVER seen that before.


----------



## oilman

quality_sound said:


> That is REALLY odd. You replaced one piece but that piece isn't what's causing the noise. I have NEVER seen that before.


The kind of stuff that makes you want to pull your hair out. My guess is the (8) could be more sensitive or it just doesn't like the 7990 converter. Paul, you know everything I've done from a troubleshoot standpoint along with the hoops Arc had me jump through.


----------



## quality_sound

Oh I know, Ricky and it could absolutely be just an incompatibility but it's still just...weird.


----------



## Thunderplains

oilman said:


> The kind of stuff that makes you want to pull your hair out. My guess is the (8) could be more sensitive or it just doesn't like the 7990 converter. Paul, you know everything I've done from a troubleshoot standpoint along with the hoops Arc had me jump through.


I fricken hate noise.. That is why I took the time and ripped out as much factory wiring as I possibly could and grounded everything to the max as well as went straight to battery for everything audio related..


----------



## mattyjman

great job man... i've been watching this throughout the time... looks like something you can be really proud of now... i know i would be. i really like how clean the trunk looks now, and you did a great job blending everything in and making it look factory. 

now finish those pillars


----------



## Thunderplains

mattyjman said:


> great job man... i've been watching this throughout the time... looks like something you can be really proud of now... i know i would be. i really like how clean the trunk looks now, and you did a great job blending everything in and making it look factory.
> 
> now finish those pillars


Tell me about it.. I've been working on them daily, I should have some pictures up by the weekend.


----------



## Thunderplains

Off to the land of resin and filler..


----------



## Thunderplains

Off to the land of resin and filler..


----------



## Thunderplains

Catching some sun..


----------



## EditTim

Looking good! I've got to get started on mine... thanks for the inspiration!


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## Thunderplains

EditTim said:


> Looking good! I've got to get started on mine... thanks for the inspiration!


Last piece. Been without audio way way too long.. Working the milkshake right now, then I'll give them a few hours and start the first batch of filler.. I'm hoping by Sunday eve I'll have a primed, sanded ready to do something with set of pillars


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## mattyjman

Thunderplains said:


> Last piece. Been without audio way way too long..


this is the bane of anyone in this hobby... we go without music as much as we listen to it... damn projects always take too long. It's always been something i've tried to figure out, how to not go without tunes as long as possible... something always screws that up though


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## EditTim

mattyjman said:


> this is the bane of anyone in this hobby... we go without music as much as we listen to it... damn projects always take too long. It's always been something i've tried to figure out, how to not go without tunes as long as possible... something always screws that up though


:laugh: I'm trying my damndest to avoid exactly this! While I'm working on my IB subs, the front sub is still hooked up. Next up are the pillars for the 3.5" mids, where no drivers are at the moment. Current mids are in the doors, which will stay until the 8" mid bass go in. So far, so good... :juggle:


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## Thunderplains

Milkshaken.. So far so good



















Gold filler next


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## Thunderplains

mattyjman said:


> this is the bane of anyone in this hobby... we go without music as much as we listen to it... damn projects always take too long. It's always been something i've tried to figure out, how to not go without tunes as long as possible... something always screws that up though


I promised my wife this is it for awhile, only thing I will do in the future is upgrade the amps.. More power


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## EditTim

Thunderplains said:


> Milkshaken.. So far so good
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Nice!

So, what's _your_ milkshake recipe?

I just ordered up some Rage Gold, and some CA glue...


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## Thunderplains

EditTim said:


> So, what's _your_ milkshake recipe?


I do about 60% short hair filler and 40% resin.. I like it thick so it covers everything with a good coat and does not run everywhere..

Now about 2 hours later, it is solid. Tomorrow AM, I'll sand some of the course parts and edges then start the filler..

If you plan to do the same, use short hair filler for the inside.. does a damn good job of reinforcement without using matting or cloth

Rage Gold is good stuff.. Good time to sand is when it is about 60-70 hardened.


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## EditTim

Thank you, sir! Keep up the excellent work!


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## Thunderplains

ok, I think I am going to go the route of flocking these pillars.. There is simply too much curve to wrap and if I want to go the route of having them upholstered, the cost is way too high to have done around here.. so.. I am in process of sanding to perfection, pictures will be up shortly.. (waiting for flocking material to show up)


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## Thunderplains

? Needed to "redo" one of the pillars due to human error (mine) so, more pictures coming shortly


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## mpednault

I own a 2010 SE. I just got my Tundra build 95% complete and the wife took it to work today. I received a text this morning asking when her car gets "one"! (meaning an upgraded stereo system) She hates the long hours it takes me to do stuff, but LOVES the end product. I read this ENTIRE thread, front to back and then it came to a DEAD stop... I didn't search to see if you posted elsewhere, but have you finished those pods!?! You've inspired me to go a bit more custom with her car but since we'll be selling it withing a few years I certainly won't go as far and as AMAZING as you did. Incredible work. Now, please tell me you've finished it and have been enjoying it so much that you forgot to post up final pics................!


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## Thunderplains

Well... Not yet.. The weather up here has been off and on strange, but this weekend is supposed to be nice and I have time to finally finishing the glassing and sanding.. So after the holiday, I should have new pics to put up

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk 2


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## Thunderplains

Alright, just got done with a major work project that has taken me a few weeks and now this.. 









Welcome to wildfires 2013.. It's about 4 miles from my house, but thankfully the wind is blowing eastward (away) but tomorrow the wind is shifting.. Just when I was going to fill and sand my pillars and then get them flocked..










More pictures on friday


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## eighty5iv

be safe.


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## Shod

loving the re-build, very creative with how you mounted the amps. And I hope all is ok with the stuff on around you.


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## MantaOwner

Thunderplains said:


> Off to the land of resin and filler..
> 
> http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/29/7era8u3a.jpg


What about aiming of the midrange & tweeter, how did you find those angles?

Tõnu


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## Thunderplains

Hey everyone.. After a few months of fires and floods (which is happening now) I am finally getting back to finishing this off.. I'll have some pictures up hopefully this weekend as I want to get the pillars prep'd for flocking..


More to come..


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## Thunderplains

And then work gets in the way.. (Self - Need a different Job) 

Well spent about 3 hours on Saturday sanding, filling, glazing, painting, refining, priming, sanding, priming again to get a VERY nice smooth surface ready for flocking.

I will have some updated pictures tomorrow.. This has been a long time coming


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## Thunderplains

Ready for flocking.. I wanted these to be as perfect as could be before they get flocked..

What do you think?


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## BowDown

Very nice work man. Almost looks like you could just paint them .


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## Thunderplains

BowDown said:


> Very nice work man. Almost looks like you could just paint them .


You could.. There is not a pin hole of imperfection AND they are solid as a rock. I probably went way way overboard. but hell, The flocking will look good.


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## sinister-kustoms

They look pretty good to me!:2thumbsup:


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## ecbmxer

Looks great! After my latest venture with 4way stretch vinyl, I almost bet you could get it to work as well. But with a surface that nice, the flock will be perfect!


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## slpery

Looking great. Preparation is the key. Are you flocking them yourself?


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## Thunderplains

slpery said:


> Looking great. Preparation is the key. Are you flocking them yourself?


Yes.. I have the Donjer setup.. The second one is *ALMOST done, some imperfections I am cleaning up.. Should have it primed and ready by tomorrow.
I want to get the flocking on by Thursday with the intention of getting them installed on Sunday (it's been a long wait)


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## Thunderplains

Ready for flocking (this afternoon)










I'll have the finished results up in about a day..


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## IBcivic

Beautiful work!


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## Thunderplains

Pillars are flocked. I went nuts with the flocking material to ensure they were fully covered. Pictures will be up tomorrow afternoon of the finished pillars..

*I do have to say this, this is, by far, the easiest part in the process.. I was a little apprehensive, but having the tube filled and ready to go helped a bunch..
From start to finish (applying glue, flocking, re-filling the tube, finish flocking and then examining it and dropping extra suede-tex on various spots) took about 7 mins. I know there is alot of extra flock on there, but thats OK..

Can't wait to knock off the extra and take pictures tomorrow..


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## knever3

Great work! I like your well documented pictures.


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## req

we cant either


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## Thunderplains

Flocked.. About 98%, I have one or two "shiny spots", but not too bad for my first time, might not even notice in the pictures.. Take a look





































Next pics, in car..


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## MattB101

Thunderplains said:


> ok, I think I am going to go the route of flocking these pillars.. There is simply too much curve to wrap and if I want to go the route of having them upholstered, the cost is way too high to have done around here.. so.. I am in process of sanding to perfection, pictures will be up shortly.. (waiting for flocking material to show up)


If you don't mind me asking, where do you get flocking stuff?

Sent with my arthritic thumbs with proofreading help from the hound!


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## leepersc

Hey MattB, search ebay for a flocking kit. Here is one: 3oz Mini Flocking Kit for Wood Boxes Jewelry Boxes Crafts and More Dark Blue | eBay


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## IBcivic

Flock It! Flocking Fibers Adhesives Applicators Supplies and Equipment


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## Thunderplains

IBcivic said:


> Flock It! Flocking Fibers Adhesives Applicators Supplies and Equipment


That's the place.. Used to be donjer.com.. Best flocking out there..


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## Black Rain

I have reviewed your build once again, and still amazed as to all the work you put into this build. Everything from the wiring to the A-pillars were so meticulously taken care of. Hope this is not the end of your journey?

Keep it going.


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## Bluenote

Thunderplains said:


> Flocked.. About 98%, I have one or two "shiny spots", but not too bad for my first time, might not even notice in the pictures.. Take a look
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Man...those look elegant!


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## Thunderplains

Done. Completed. Tuning now..


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## sydmonster

any pics??? (there's people watching


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## Thunderplains

Quick update..

Swapped out the BitOne.1 for a Mosconi 6to8v8 and replaced all interconnects with a custom setup from WestCo.

Pictures to follow.

The 6to8v8 has a built in line driver for the outputs up to 8v.. Hoping to keep my gains at a min if none.


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## knever3

Sounds like a great upgrade, hopefully you will notice a big difference.


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## Thunderplains

HUGE difference.. Got the mosconi in yesterday and also swapped out the current cables I had with new completely custom RCAs from WestCo. 

With the V8 edition, at this point, I have not had the need to touch the gains on the amps.. it is impressive.The built in line driver makes a huge difference as it drives the clean, processed signal up to 8V on the outputs.. 
I was originally looking at dropping a TRU line driver after the processor (old one), but was talked into this model. Glad I listened..

In the very near future, I will have a set of pictures up and call my install DONE.. Well, almost..

Some minor future enhancements..

sand & reflock the pillars for a PANTONE match of the dash mat..

Upgrade amps to Mosconi ONE amps or JL HD amps.. (leaning towards Mosconi) - IN THE FUTURE as I would like to listen to Music in my car for awhile..

re-arrange some of the LED lighting in the trunk

fix some of the Neffy wrap issues (alignment, bubble)

And as soon as it gets warm, full, major detail job make show ready.


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## Thunderplains

Tuning starts tomorrow.. Finally..


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## eighty5iv

looks so sexy.


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## fahrfrompuken

Very nice install. What are your overall impressions of the 6to8v8?


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## Thunderplains

fahrfrompuken said:


> What are your overall impressions of the 6to8v8?


It lack the pretty interface of the BitOne, so it is not for someone who is just getting started with DSPs, you NEED to know what you are doing..
BUT, FAR FAR better than the Bitone..
Noise I had before, Gone
You can tell right away that the unit is putting out higher voltage (built in line driver)
BlueTooth option is awesome.. NO WIRES
Would not think twice about getting this unit over the Bit or any other honestly, simply due to the fact that it has a built in line driver on the amp side. Like having a bit with a tru SSLD8i combined.


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## Thunderplains

Hey all.. I've been on the work world tour for a bit, but I am back..

Still perfecting my tune, but I think I am almost there.. Finally.


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## Bluenote

I'd like to hear your impressions of the ML700's


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## Thunderplains

Bluenote said:


> I'd like to hear your impressions of the ML700's


Now that they are broken in, they sound amazing.. even when I isolate them from the rest of the speakers, the tone is great.. At first I was not sure, but after almost a year of running them, they pair very well with the rest of the system..

Just wish Hertz would put out a new ML3000


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## Bluenote

Great to here this, I'm reconsider Hertz again. I contacted Hertz about the Mille subs and they'll only offer a 10".


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