# 2020 Explorer ST…Helix - Mosconi - Focal - Illusion Audio



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I guess I haven’t been around since 2014ish when I sold my Ram R/T I competed with. I always planned to play again but other truck builds were sold before I got to the audio. I picked up this Explorer ST a little over a year ago and after selling yet another custom truck the funds magically appeared to do the audio I had in mind.
The ST is fairly modded…lowered, forged wheels, big brakes, runs mid-11’s…basically everything an Explorer shouldn’t have or do.
I've already completed an extensive deadening job on it. Right at 3 bulk packs of Stinger Roadkill Expert plus several rolls of 1/4 and 1/2” Dynaliner and Dynapad. I did that a while back just killing time. I also have Black Hole Tiles to add to the front doors when I install the drivers.
I picked up all of my gear at MTI since they’re local to me. The list is:
Nav TV Zen A2B
Helix DSP.3 with the Director
Mosconi Pro 1/10, 2/10 and 4/10 amps
Focal ES 165KX3 front
Illusion C12XL sub
All power and speaker wiring is Stinger HPE with Stinger 8000 series RCA’s and Stinger X series Toslink cables.
I also grabbed all the speaker mounting rings from MTI…those are very nice products.
I don’t plan to run any rear fill and I’m going to start by using all the oem door locations. Everything will be under a false floor with the sub using the spare tire well. I have a couple of business trips to get done and I hope to start fabricating in 2 weeks. Thought I’d get a build thread started now.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I know…I went overboard with the CLD but I had the stuff and I was already in that deep so this is what happened.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)




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## Evanski9 (May 20, 2021)

Idk about the mid 11's lol But lets roll with it


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Evanski9 said:


> Idk about the mid 11's lol But lets roll with it


All day every day. Welcome to the future.


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## Bobby_Jones (Apr 9, 2020)

Nice ST.


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## JohnnyOhh (Feb 19, 2015)

you running an engine tune?
i had 2.7L TT Taurus that was stock 325hp, 380tq.
there were tunes avail for 400hp, i did not do.
also my car had a stupid plastic oil pan + leaky oil pan seal, errrrgh Ford!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

JohnnyOhh said:


> you running an engine tune?
> i had 2.7L TT Taurus that was stock 325hp, 380tq.
> there were tunes avail for 400hp, i did not do.
> also my car had a stupid plastic oil pan + leaky oil pan seal, errrrgh Ford!


I run an E50 tune daily.


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## JohnnyOhh (Feb 19, 2015)

ohhh baby.


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## JohnnyOhh (Feb 19, 2015)

nice start to the install, btw.
i'm curious how the A2B works for you.
i also had, but did not get to using..... an A2B for the Ford/Sony system in my departed 2017 Taurus.

it was this piece.
AX-DSP-A2B1 | Axxess Integrate (axxessinterfaces.com)


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## FAUEE (Jul 22, 2010)

Nice setup. I looked at those, actually had a deal setup for one, but the dealer sold the car out from under me before I could get over to buy it. All for the best, I got my tbss instead. Have they fixed the stupid layout for the 360 camera yet? 

Interested to see what you do with this. If I don't end up in a trackhawk/Durango hellcat, whatever mid cycle refresh comes out might be an option. Assuming they fix the cheapness. That big slit in the passenger carpet was a big turn off for me. But I'm apparently difficult to please.


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## Muu (Jan 22, 2020)

Looks an amazing set of ingredients, and work so far looks great


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## Evanski9 (May 20, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> All day every day. Welcome to the future.


Lol I know all about them. I have been developing on the platform since gen 1 3.5 

Low 12's more realistic on that setup. Any meth? e85?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Evanski9 said:


> Lol I know all about them. I have been developing on the platform since gen 1 3.5
> 
> Low 12's more realistic on that setup. Any meth? e85?


First, this isn’t a 3.5. I was running 12.0’s on 93 and went deep into the 11s on E50. My guess is you actually don’t know all about the new 3.0 and 10R60 combo. There are many of us into the 11s with several running low 11s and one guy has broken into the high 10’s. You can question whatever you want but maybe you need to look deeper into the new ST’s before you call someone a liar.


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## FAUEE (Jul 22, 2010)

UNBROKEN said:


> First, this isn’t a 3.5. I was running 12.0’s on 93 and went deep into the 11s on E50. My guess is you actually don’t know all about the new 3.0 and 10R60 combo. There are many of us into the 11s with several running low 11s and one guy has broken into the high 10’s. You can question whatever you want but maybe you need to look deeper into the new ST’s before you call someone a liar.


You're a brave man for sure, the new 3.0 definitely makes some power but I'm terrified of its reliability. If Ford was gonna be so cheap to put a plastic drain pan in, I can't imagine they're gonna hold up to aftermarket boost levels. 

I suppose time will tell, but all I could convince myself was safe was an upgraded intercooler and better exhaust. 

Speaking of which, how will your system with with the FENG?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

FAUEE said:


> You're a brave man for sure, the new 3.0 definitely makes some power but I'm terrified of its reliability. If Ford was gonna be so cheap to put a plastic drain pan in, I can't imagine they're gonna hold up to aftermarket boost levels.
> 
> I suppose time will tell, but all I could convince myself was safe was an upgraded intercooler and better exhaust.
> 
> Speaking of which, how will your system with with the FENG?


The plastic oil pans are fine…I have zero concerns with it. I have almost 30K on the car with 25+ of that at 500+ whp…it’s been dead reliable. Zero issues at all actually. As for the FENG that annoying crap was disabled a long time ago. lol


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## THX0849 (Sep 24, 2019)

I'll agree with the plastic oil pan not being an issue. The 6.7L diesel has had a plastic pan since 2011 and it's not a "week point"by any means. We've not seen a single engine related issue of the ST so far.

Build is looking sick by the way. 

I actually borrowed a lesser level Explorer for a weekend and was really impressed with the sound, at least as far as the staging. I could visually see where the tweeters we located but if i ignored they're locations i could swear they were up on the dash and very wide apart. Even more interesting was the change by simply turning my head to say look at a blind spot or something. 

Can't wait to see the rest of this!

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk


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## Evanski9 (May 20, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> First, this isn’t a 3.5. I was running 12.0’s on 93 and went deep into the 11s on E50. My guess is you actually don’t know all about the new 3.0 and 10R60 combo. There are many of us into the 11s with several running low 11s and one guy has broken into the high 10’s. You can question whatever you want but maybe you need to look deeper into the new ST’s before you call someone a liar.


I didn't say it was a 3.5, I said I have been developing performance parts for the Eco Platform since the Gen 1 3.5. You know I helped the first ST to get tuned.

I will let you think what you want. See ya on the other side.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Evanski9 said:


> I didn't say it was a 3.5, I said I have been developing performance parts for the Eco Platform since the Gen 1 3.5. You know I helped the first ST to get tuned.
> 
> I will let you think what you want. See ya on the other side.


If you know anything about them then you know what I’m saying is 100% possible. The tuner I work with holds the ST record and probably the next 10 quickest times after that…mine is somewhere in that mix. Believe what you want…the numbers are what they are. I said it runs mid-11’s and it runs mid 11’s. Catch a lane any time you wanna find out…or join my High Performance Explorer ST group on FB and educate yourself. 
Now back to the audio portion of this program.


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## FAUEE (Jul 22, 2010)

I feel like I'd be the guy who gets the plastic oil pan that didn't have enough plastisizer, or gets punctured by road debris or something and smokes the engine.

To me, it's just unacceptable at the price point. It might be "fine", but it's not like it's some amazing value, it's priced pretty competitively in its segment, but with some random places they really cut corners.

If they were MSRP like 10k cheaper, I guess I could be OK with it.. The one I had a deal on was 62k, fully loaded. The chassis on it is fantastic, but that's still a lot of money to spend IMO.

Either way, looks like it's gonna be an awesome build.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I hope you found something that works for you. This works for me.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

If these were your only 2 options which do you choose? The yellow circle is where the midrange will be. Midbass will be in the oem lower door location.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

It took a lot of searching and several phone calls but I finally secured the 1/2” and 3/4” 13 ply Baltic Burch for the enclosure, trim panels and false floor. I was starting to get nervous.
I have the 1/2” and 1” square tubing to weld up the floating amp rack on hand. This weekend will be fun….it’s play time.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

My office floor is filling up. Almost all the wiring, RCA’s and other install supplies are here. Waiting on some magnets for trim panels and 15 uF caps for tweeter protection which are on the way then I think I’m done.


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## Aarvix (Jun 14, 2021)

Not sure where in TX you are but Altex has nonpolar caps.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Aarvix said:


> Not sure where in TX you are but Altex has nonpolar caps.


Thanks but they’ll be here by the end of the week.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

3/4” 13 ply Baltic Birch for the sub floor and enclosure and 1/2” 10 ply for the trim panels.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Got the last things I was waiting on…the DSP.3 and Black Hole tiles.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Complete and total overkill…but I like it so it’s going in. Stinger HPM 12 gauge for the front stage and HPM 8 gauge for the sub.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Had some fun today even though it’s about a million degrees around here. Thank god for our Big Ass Fans shop fans…I had a 6’ diameter one aimed at me all day. lol
Got the enclosure done…it bolts in from the inside where the oem Jack and spare would bolt down. It’s solid. I always wanted a floating amp rack…so I built myself one. lol
The enclosure is several inches longer than needed…I built a 4” deep pocket hidden on the back for a place to stash any excess wire and mount the distribution blocks. The rack bolts to the side of that with 1/2” bolts and big fender washers. I’ll try to get the trim panel for the enclosure done tomorrow…then on to wiring next weekend. It feels good to be back in the game.

Enclosure is glued and screwed…it’s a tank. 









T-nuts in place and trimmed. 









Test fit just to make sure I did my math right. 









And the final mock up with the amps just sitting in place. I really like how it’s turning out. There’s 1.25” between the surround and rack…should have no issues.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

1st trim panel complete. The amps will be flipped and all wiring will run straight into the oem trim panel behind them. Virtually no wires will be seen. This panel is held in place with neo magnets. The final trim panel will be press fit where the factory piece goes. I’ll order new Mosconi badges so I can flip them the right way.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Final trim panel. I’m waiting for the mesh to flush into it then I can seal and cover it.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Got the tweeters ready today. I wanted to add caps for back-up protection…didn’t even have to figure it out myself…looked up the formula on Google and found a video a guy made using these exact TKMX tweeters…so I copied. They’re 15uF 100V Electrolytic Non-Polarized Crossover Capacitor’s.
And forgive the soldering…I may touch that iron twice a decade. I’ll add some Tessa tape to keep them from rattling around later


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## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

Lookin good!

Just a heads up - if you end up with turn on pop, it’s being caused by those caps. There are some fairly easy fixes, but I just wanted to let you know.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Chris12 said:


> Lookin good!
> 
> Just a heads up - if you end up with turn on pop, it’s being caused by those caps. There are some fairly easy fixes, but I just wanted to let you know.


Do you mean that particular cap or a cap in general? I’ve used caps like this in the past with no issues but likely not this exact part.


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## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

Caps in general. It typically only happens with class D amps. 

I just wanted to mention it because I scratched my head for a long time trying to figure it out. 









preventing turn on pop caused by capacitors to protect...


Im at my whits end with my freaking tweeters popping when turning on. They only do it when i have an in line capacitor (ive tried multiple values and voltages) but Im not going to remove the capacitor I dont want to risk it with a set of Audiofrog GB15's. They are too expensive and I've already...




www.diymobileaudio.com


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Chris12 said:


> Caps in general. It typically only happens with class D amps.
> 
> I just wanted to mention it because I scratched my head for a long time trying to figure it out.


Gotcha. The front stage is AB power like I’ve always done.


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## FAUEE (Jul 22, 2010)

Looks awesome. Did you decide on a tweeter location yet? I'd personally put it in the stock location. But I hate stuff that looks non stock.


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## Slow Cruiser (Aug 21, 2016)

Chris12 said:


> Caps in general. It typically only happens with class D amps.
> 
> I just wanted to mention it because I scratched my head for a long time trying to figure it out.
> 
> ...


Thanx for this info


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

FAUEE said:


> Looks awesome. Did you decide on a tweeter location yet? I'd personally put it in the stock location. But I hate stuff that looks non stock.


I’m gonna start with the stock locations and see where that takes me.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

So the midrange mounting to the inner door panel has had me scratching my head on how to add mass without a ton of bulk…looking through my pile of old crap I found a bag of stick on wheel weights. 1.5lbs per panel around the midrange should do the trick. lol


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Now that’s what you call being creative lol.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Coppertone said:


> Now that’s what you call being creative lol.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I was kinda proud of myself. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Ordered up an XS Power D4800 to replace the stock battery with. The oem alternator is 220amp and there’s another oem 250amp unit available if I need a little more in the future. I think I’ll be fine though.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Today’s progress. Put carpet on the top of the enclosure only just to decouple the trim panels a bit. The magnets still hold them just fine. Got the enclosure bolted in using the oem hole for the Jack and spare but it wasn’t solid enough for my liking so I went through the floor pan with another 1/2” bolt and now it’s not moving. There’s 1/8” CCF on the bottom of the enclosure to decouple from the floor.









The Amp rack is bolted in, trim panels all covered and fit including the new floor panel. The amps are just sitting in place right now…I’m about to mark the oem trim piece in front of them and drill the holes for the wiring to pass through then that’s it for today. Tomorrow I’ll pull the main 0 gauge power run and pull the speaker wire to both front doors.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Oem trim panel drilled and snap grommets in place for the wiring. I’ll add some butyl around the back of those so they don’t make any noise.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Running cables today. Fitting 0ga power and three runs of 12ga speaker wire was a little tight on the passenger side but everything fit inside the OEM channels and under the 3rd row seat to aim at the amp rack. I also got the measurements for the main fuse holder I need to weld up this week…I’ll add that and finish the under hood wiring when I swap in the new battery.




































And the ground. It’s a unibody car so I went straight through the floor pan. Ground the paint off on both sides, star washer under the lug and bolted in tight with a 10mm bolt and nylock nut with fender washers on the bottom side and sealed after with silicone.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Knocked out a bracket to mount the main fuse at lunch today. It will mount using oem bolts next to the battery.

















Also got the stand off base made for the distro blocks. I need 3 each +/- for the amps but I also need to pull power for the DSP and lighting so I added another block for those and anything else I may need.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Had a few minutes to spare so I pre-wired the distro blocks. I thought I had some 16g wire for the DSP and LED wiring but I’ll have to grab some and add that tomorrow then mount it in place.


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## AAlberti13 (Sep 18, 2016)

Subscribed to this thread! 

Looking good man, I'm definitely taking notes! I'm currently in the planning stages for my 2016 Focus ST and would be happy if it turns out half as clean as your install. 😍


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Mount for the Director built today. I’ll cut and cover it with 1/8” ABS tomorrow so it’ll look like it was always there. Still have access to the USB and power ports behind it…barely.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

ABS plastic laminated to the frame for the DSP controller mount. I don’t think I like it much…gonna wrap it with factory match vinyl instead.


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## AAlberti13 (Sep 18, 2016)

It doesn't look bad as is, but I agree that factory matched vinyl would look wayy better!


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

vinyl's got some give, so it would also help press-fit into place  

JT did the hard work making the director mount and making it pretty. I switched to a ps8pro+psc. worked w/ a buddy to cut an aluminum adapter.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I don’t have JT in my back yard anymore though…I’m stuck with myself. lol
At any rate…wrapping it was the right call. Much better.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> I don’t have JT in my back yard anymore though…I’m stuck with myself. lol
> At any rate…wrapping it was the right call. Much better.
> View attachment 310296


Looks much better, so did you stash a usb somewhere for programming the dsp or is this just easily removable?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

clange2485 said:


> Looks much better, so did you stash a usb somewhere for programming the dsp or is this just easily removable?


It’s just sitting in there right now to test fit. I’ll leave the usb hooked up and stashed in there.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

Makes sense, wish my truck had a spot like that. I’ll probably end up with a conductor at some point.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

i had a small hole in my ashtray holder for the tuning cord, disappeared into the center console. usb extension cord and tuning cord out under the center console next to the driver's seat.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

nadams5755 said:


> i had a small hole in my ashtray holder for the tuning cord, disappeared into the center console. usb extension cord and tuning cord out under the center console next to the driver's seat.


Ashtray holder? What is this!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Stopping point for today. Mounted the NavTV interface, the power/ground blocks and got the amps wired in and ready for power. All wiring in the back is complete. Battery and main fuse tomorrow and start on the front doors.
New Mosconi stickers for the amps are printed and on the way.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Busy day today. I somehow got all three runs of 12ga wire through and into the doors. Black Hole Tiles added to the inner door, solid behind the midbass then spread out throughout the door. 20 tiles per door. Then I added lead wheel weights and more CLD to the speaker mount and screwed on the 1/2” ABS mounting rings from MTI…after I put on some 1/8” CCF to decouple and seal it. One midbass is mounted and the Fast Ring in place. I moved on to the midranges and mounted them in the flange of the OEM speaker…after some serious modifications. That flange WAS the OEM speaker. They’re mounted to the inner door panel with lead and CLD added for mass and I also cut my own rings from CCF to both decouple and act as a fast ring. Tweeters are glued in as well but I’ll let that dry overnight. Should be making noise tomorrow.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

Gonna have to ditch that B&O logo! Those factory grills look pretty open and i like the design, no big restriction issues there. Awesome work so far!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

clange2485 said:


> Gonna have to ditch that B&O logo! Those factory grills look pretty open and i like the design, no big restriction issues there. Awesome work so far!


I was kinda pissed when I took the OEM midranges out. The door card covered about 1/3 of the driver on the bottom side and it’s mounted low and not centered. I cut out the part on bottom that was covering the driver but I was kinda stuck with the off center part. It looks like it’ll be ok though. And thanks…it’s literally a garage floor build. I don’t even have a table to work on in there. lol


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> I was kinda pissed when I took the OEM midranges out. The door card covered about 1/3 of the driver on the bottom side and it’s mounted low and not centered. I cut out the part on bottom that was covering the driver but I was kinda stuck with the off center part. It looks like it’ll be ok though. And thanks…it’s literally a garage floor build. I don’t even have a table to work on in there. lol


Trust me i know the garage floor feeling and any kind of work bench would make things 100x easier, mine has been my tailgate most of the time. I spent most of the day finally putting my truck back together. Ive Been driving around without a back seat for close to 2 months now and spent plenty of time sitting in the grass working on things.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Finished the install and fired it off today with some very conservative XO settings. I’ll rough in the time alignment tomorrow then just get some break in hours on it before it gets turned over to Christerfer Pate on the 14th to start dialing it in.
Unfortunately the terminals for my XS Power battery didn’t make it so it’ll be Tuesday before I can install that. The main fuse holder dropped right in like I meant for it to do. I’ll make up a bit longer cable too…it’s a little short as it sits.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

And the only flashy thing I added to the whole build.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Battery and wiring allllmost done. I ran out of heat shrink that’ll fit 0 gauge wire but I’ll get that tape on the wires fixed. Nothing to see with the hood open but the plug for the CTek charger.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Down to some finishing touches. A friend with a sign shop printed me some new Mosconi stickers so the badges aren’t upside down.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

The deadening and decoupling continues. I will not have rattles…period. The rear spoiler is multiple pieces clipped and screwed together…damn thing sounded like a can of marbles outside.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

More detailing stuff. Dug out an old trick JOey Knapp showed me years ago for the Director knob. Pull it off and screw it tight to a drill bit or whatever you have that fits inside then spin it on sandpaper…I used 120 then 600 to smooth it out then spin it on a rag with a little aluminum polish on it and in less than 5 minutes the knob matches the others in the car…we’ll close enough anyway.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

When I installed the midbass’ in the doors I didn’t think to measure how far behind the door panel they sit. They’re back almost 2”. Since the general consensus was the closer the better and with a combination of adapters from MTI for 8” drivers and 6.5-8” aluminum adapters from EBay I’ll push them out 1.5” closer. I have to leave some space for excursion. I’m also replacing the OCF Stinger Fast Rings that seal the driver to the door with CCF rings from Sound Skins. 
The MTI 8” adapter and beveled aluminum adapter will open up behind the driver so I’m not sticking it in a tunnel and choking it off. The aluminum rings will be deadened with 1lb of stick on wheel weights plus some CLD so they don’t ring or make any noises I don’t want made. Will it make a difference? I dunno…but I’ll sleep better.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well…didn’t go exactly as planned. Got one side together with the aluminum adapter and it was too close to the inner door for my comfort…so I stacked both adapters and moved it out an inch instead which is fine because I was off in my original measurement anyway. It’s still in about the same place I thought it would be. Having a little tune touch up done at Tam Nguyen’s shop in Houston now to reset the TA.


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## JohnnyOhh (Feb 19, 2015)

did you use disc calipers to mount your speakers?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Upgrades coming next week.








Next will be a 2nd C12XL and swap the Pro 1/10 for a Zero 3.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

two c12xls and 900w each should be a good time. it's neat having eq cuts at 20-25hz


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## papasin (Jan 24, 2011)

UNBROKEN said:


> Next will be a 2nd C12XL and swap the Pro 1/10 for a Zero 3.


That’s what is in the white RAM.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

papasin said:


> That’s what is in the white RAM.


I half expected you to say you had a pair of 8WM’s in the attic. lol


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Loved the Ram - love what you have done with the Explorer - beautiful vehicle! Looking forward to seeing the upgrades. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

bertholomey said:


> Loved the Ram - love what you have done with the Explorer - beautiful vehicle! Looking forward to seeing the upgrades.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Thanks man…I’m having a blast with this stuff again. Can’t believe I waited so long so do another build.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Had a nice afternoon swapping things out…and decided to swap the midranges while I was in there. One thing that surprised me was no gaskets supplied with the Utopia stuff…for the price that seems trivial to leave out. Luckily I had plenty of thin CCF to cut my own. The midbass’ are mounted on MTI adapters and they cut me some smaller mounting plates for the midranges that I trimmed down as needed. I also used SoundSkins CCF speaker rings on the midbass’ and cut my own from 1/4” CCF for the midranges. I used more wheel weights to add mass to the midrange baffle and some CLD over that to make sure they stay put. You can’t see anything with the door panels on so I tried to use a flashlight with limited success.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)




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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I don’t know why…because I basically don’t understand any of the science behind this stuff…but my stage is several inches higher…like way up from before where it was basically at the top of the dash. I can’t wait to get these broken in and a retune done.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

midbass levels relative to midrange could be different based on driver sensitivity, maybe lowering the midbass output (so it doesn't pull down as much). new midbass maybe doesn't have hot spots to pull the stage down. not having a phase plug on the midrange means a bit more cone area, which means the midrange can play lower frequencies a bit easier thus essentially raising the stage height.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

nadams5755 said:


> midbass levels relative to midrange could be different based on driver sensitivity, maybe lowering the midbass output (so it doesn't pull down as much). new midbass maybe doesn't have hot spots to pull the stage down. not having a phase plug on the midrange means a bit more cone area, which means the midrange can play lower frequencies a bit easier thus essentially raising the stage height.


3.5 vs the old 3” can’t hurt either.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

My buddy with a sign shop came through again…B&O delete.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

So the 8’s exposed some serious rattles in the outer lower door cladding…that’s about to go away.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> So the 8’s exposed some serious rattles in the outer lower door cladding…that’s about to go away.
> View attachment 314758


Someone looks ready for battle to kill them
Rattles! 🤪 

They drive me nuts to.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

First door done and it’s dead. My neighbors weren’t amused when I tested it. lol
Added some CLD for mass. Put Tessa tape along all the ridges that touch the door skin, CCF around the locating pins and butyl rope behind the snap in trim piece and around all 16 clips. She’s quiet now…3 more to go.


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## Jheitt142 (Dec 7, 2011)

I love how with single 12 and the current amp setup, the amps are the perfect size to make it look like the sub surround is in the amp spacing channel . If that makes any sense? ha


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice install!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks. I’m having fun with it.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Your install looks awesome, I love the stealthy look of it. Those Utopia 8-inchers in the doors must just pound the bass, and the Utopia mids I'm sure are awesome too.

My only question, and I don't mean for it to sound negative, is why you did not also go with the Focal Berrylium tweeters?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I was actually gonna buy a pair of TBM’s this week but I just stumbled across a minty C12XL for a good price so I’m gonna grab that instead. I planned to add the second sub and a second Pro 1/10 anyway so I may as well jump on that sub. I’ll definitely be adding the TBM’s though…just unsure of pillars or sails for them. I already bought a pair of pillars just in case.


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Great build and it looks great.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well…guess there’s 2 now.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Basshead approved!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Picked up some power for that 2nd sub. Guess I need to plan the rebuild now.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice!!!!


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Sweet build man , how do u like the Kevlar tweeter ..... it’s one of my favs .

it’s crazy how good a Kevlar tweeter sounds.... of all materials to use ....


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

oabeieo said:


> Sweet build man , how do u like the Kevlar tweeter ..... it’s one of my favs .
> 
> it’s crazy how good a Kevlar tweeter sounds.... of all materials to use ....


I don’t dislike it at all but I’m going with TBM’s in the sails anyway. I gotta know how they sound.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Can't wait to see and hear how the Beryllium's sound (in the system) mounted higher up...!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Can't wait to see and hear how the Beryllium's sound (in the system) mounted higher up...!


You and me both. I was gone to CA on business the 2 weeks before a Christmas, then I got Covid and I just got back from a business trip to GA last night. I’d kill for some time to work on this thing.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> You and me both. I was gone to CA on business the 2 weeks before a Christmas, then I got Covid and I just got back from a business trip to GA last night. I’d kill for some time to work on this thing.


Sorry to hear that..

Where in Cali?

That's where I am...


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Sorry to hear that..
> 
> Where in Cali?
> 
> That's where I am...


I have a project out in Stockton I had to get off the ground. Not my favorite part of CA. lol


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Cool, yeah, I'm in So. Cal., if you are ever out this way...


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Cool, yeah, I'm in So. Cal., if you are ever out this way...


I lived in Hermosa Beach back in 2013/14….loved that place.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

UNBROKEN said:


> I have a project out in Stockton I had to get off the ground. Not my favorite part of CA. lol


i'm over in the san jose area. if you're back in the area, let me know


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Ahhh…finally.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Been busy at work but my weekends are about to be filled with audio again. I wanted to flush the tweeters into the a-pillars but I wasn’t sure exactly how to accomplish that cleanly. Tam Nguyen here in Houston suggested this and Christerfer Pate made it happen today. I needed a little motivation…I think this is it.


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> Been busy at work but my weekends are about to be filled with audio again. I wanted to flush the tweeters into the a-pillars but I wasn’t sure exactly how to accomplish that cleanly. Tam Nguyen here in Houston suggested this and Christerfer Pate made it happen today. I needed a little motivation…I think this is it.
> View attachment 324751
> 
> View attachment 324750


Good stuff! Tam and Pate are great motivators!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Tam is always a big help…I was surprised to catch Chris alone at the shop today. Got to shoot the **** for a good 45 minutes solving all the worlds problems. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

$283 worth of Baltic Birch. WTF has happened to wood prices? Geez…


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> $283 worth of Baltic Birch. WTF has happened to wood prices? Geez…
> View attachment 325178


I work in commercial construction. $9 million, 40,000 SF, 4 story wood framed building we put up from Jan 2020 to April 2021. The framing and finish carpentry was worth about $1.7 million. In 12 months we had $1.1 million in escalation costs on wood materials and fabrication, alone. We will never see wood prices return to anything close to what pre-COVID was, we will be lucky to be within 50% of the pre surge pricing. The mills have and probably will never operate at the same labor capacities.

With that said - this build is damn gorgeous.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Gutted the whole back end and started running some wiring…not exactly what I had planned for it but it’s out of the way and works. The small distro blocks are to pull power for the DSP and lighting.


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## LinkyPwns (Nov 5, 2019)

Nice build!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Enclosure with top panel built and everything mocked up in place. I don’t love it but I only have so much real estate to work with. Trim panels, wiring and upholstery tomorrow.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Those subs deserve a plexiglass cover.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Tam made me change my mind.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

JT did a build w/ mosconi amps floating over a c12xl sub (or two). they were on edge-lit plexi.



https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153211735354142&type=3


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I had blue LED’s under the amps in the last version…never even turned them on after the first couple of times. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

All I wanted to get done today was everything in and functioning. I’ll have to build something for cable management later. I have some ideas just ran out of time. Gotta pull it out again anyway…I guess when I dropped one of the subs in the speaker wire is close to the cone…that makes a nice noise. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I’m happy with how the oem panel fit to the top face of the enclosure came out…especially since you only get 1 shot at that.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Drawing up an amp mounting plate today to be cut out of 1/8” aluminum then the amps will be on 1/2” spacers so the wires can turn and run straight in under them. That should clean it up nice. I’ll sleeve all the wires and I think it’ll be presentable.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I’m surprised nobody noticed the one Phillips head screw on the right sub. I wound up with one #10-32 t-nut where the rest are #10-24…luckily it’s a quick fix.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Had to wait on a tiny M3 x 0.5 tap but slow progress is still progress. And damn I hate drilling acrylic.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

3/16” aluminum plate to mount the amps on courtesy of a buddy with a waterjet.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

My techflex and shrink wrap didn’t make it this week but I still wanted to see it closer to complete. I think it’ll work just fine once all the wires are sleeved black.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Did some hacking and got the mounting cups epoxied into place. Next weekend will be fiberglass, bondo and lots of sanding….maybe some paint. They’re aimed at opposite headrests…they look weird in the pics.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Rome wasted built in a day....


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Rome wasted built in a day....


As long as it’s built by June…gonna need a good stereo to listen to on Hot Rod Power Tour.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Did some hacking and got the mounting cups epoxied into place. Next weekend will be fiberglass, bondo and lots of sanding….maybe some paint. They’re aimed at opposite headrests…they look weird in the pics.
> View attachment 326542
> 
> View attachment 326539
> ...


Im sure these will turn out great like everything else so far, defroster might suffer a bit but that’s a small price to pay for audio bliss. Keep up the good work!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Cloth stretched and coated in resin. No going back now. Fiberglass tomorrow night then sore arms on Saturday….lots of sanding to do.


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## edouble101 (Dec 9, 2010)

Looking great, very clean install!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

For things I put together with exposed hardware I always use taper head titanium…so I had to order bolts for the subs and tweeters. I’ll have to turn the heads myself for the sub bolts…I could only find parallel head.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

UNBROKEN said:


> For things I put together with exposed hardware I always use taper head titanium…so I had to order bolts for the subs and tweeters. I’ll have to turn the heads myself for the sub bolts…I could only find parallel head.
> View attachment 326879


Mcmaster?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

slowride said:


> Mcmaster?


Generally either ProBolt or Ti64.com. These are all from ProBolt.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

3 layers of chop mat…so much fun.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Time to milkshake the back side and filler tomorrow.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Got sidetracked with Techflex…guess I’ll get back on the sails tomorrow.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Guide coat is on…final sanding this week then texture coat and paint. Using all SEM products.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

That amp rack/enclosure is sexy man! I’m about a week behind you on tech flex 🤓 Great work on the pillars too!


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## Mike Lang (Apr 6, 2021)

Love this build. My days of doing all this are behind me so I just pretend I'm involved in it now. Keep up the great work!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I guess this will be a wrap for now minus some tuning sometime soon. The texture is a little heavier than I’d like but it’s not terrible. I couldn’t match the factory texture so I did the whole damn thing. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Better pic with the door closed.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Looks great brother! Love the P3 gauge too! I had one of those in my S4. 👽


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

mikey7182 said:


> Looks great brother! Love the P3 gauge too! I had one of those in my S4. 👽


Those things are great. I added the ethanol content sensor for my big tune but I like having the ability to spot check so much stuff without a bunch of gauges everywhere.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Glamour shot! I’m pretty stoked with how this turned out.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Love that tweeter, wish I could hear your system...!


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## Myface (May 21, 2021)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Love that tweeter, wish I could hear your system...!


More than u love the thesis?


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Myface said:


> More than u love the thesis?


The Berylium's were crisp, sharp and accurate, the Viliolino's are clear, accurate and realistic...

I'm reasonably sure I would have been just has happy with a 3-way Utopia set up...


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> The Berylium's were crisp, sharp and accurate, the Viliolino's are clear, accurate and realistic...
> 
> I'm reasonably sure I would have been just has happy with a 3-way Utopia set up...


With no tuning changes the TBM’s are light years ahead of the TKMX’s I replaced…and I liked those. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Better side shot.


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## Mike Lang (Apr 6, 2021)

Great job...those look amazing!


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Amazing install all around. Kudos


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## Mike Lang (Apr 6, 2021)

I'm considering a 21-22 Explorer ST once I tire of my Lincoln MKX. How do you like it so far?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Mike Lang said:


> I'm considering a 21-22 Explorer ST once I tire of my Lincoln MKX. How do you like it so far?


I love it. It’s nowhere near stock in looks or performance but it’s a blast to drive…it’ll be even better once I wrap up tuning and can really enjoy this install.


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

Those sail panels look great. I can get fiberglass to be smooth but never OEM like that. Could you break it down for me a little on his you did that and exactly what products you used. 

Sent from my LM-Q730 using Tapatalk


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I thought I could live with wires showing but I couldn’t. Pulled everything out, disassembled the pair of Pro amps and flipped their emblems then gently heated up and pulled the Zero 3 sticker off to flip that too. I’m having an acrylic emblem made to mimic the style on the Pros to cover the carved in letters on the Z3.
This is sooo much better.
I was also able to lower the amps 1/2” since I didn’t need them up to run wires under and now my new false floor top can be the same height as oem instead of raising it. That makes me happy too.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Jscoyne2 said:


> Those sail panels look great. I can get fiberglass to be smooth but never OEM like that. Could you break it down for me a little on his you did that and exactly what products you used.
> 
> Sent from my LM-Q730 using Tapatalk


Honestly I just watched this video about 20 times. I used all SEM products for primer, texture and paint and just basic auto parts store fiberglass stuff. I used Evercoat filler.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Yours look way better than Marks. Just say'n. I too watched that video a few times and then went out and made some pillar pods. Again yours turned out way better. Fantastic job on everything.


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

pillars turned out great!


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

This is a really top notch build you have going. Way out of my league.


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## SPAZ (Jan 7, 2009)

Looking great!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Plugging along. Finished cleaning up the wiring today. Maybe not as good as the pros but it’s not going anywhere. Plus some old pics so cable management stuff is all in one post.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

One of the final puzzle pieces.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> I guess this will be a wrap for now minus some tuning sometime soon. The texture is a little heavier than I’d like but it’s not terrible. I couldn’t match the factory texture so I did the whole damn thing. lol
> View attachment 327851
> 
> View attachment 327849
> ...


That looks great! Let me give you a little thing I learned years ago using SEM texture. 
1. If you are using cans, you can get a finer texture buy letting them sit inside a put of warm water for a bit before you spray.
2. You can achieve a really vinyl like texture by lightly hitting the fully cured texture with something like 400-600 grit sandpaper before you spray the color coat. It lightly flattens the "peaks" of the texture stipples. You could test the outcome on a sample part if you have any leftover supplies. I did an enclosure in 2005ish using this method and if I can find the photos I will post later.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

That’s why this stuff is still fun…everything is a learning experience.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Much better. Jim Rogers made the new emblem for me.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Vented cover is done. The bottom looks rough but I’m the only one that’ll ever see it so screw it. lol
The top looks good at least. lol


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Looks about like mine with the freehanded rabbet groove!  Haha great work man. It cleaned up nicely. My carpet arrived finally so I should have the floor all buttoned up this week. I got the system up and running the other night and it is quite adventurous to say the least! The impact is killer!! Got a few things to dial in with the RTA but it's off to a great start.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Operation stereo system is complete. Now to continue operation kill as much road noise as possible. 
CLD and 1/2” Dynaliner going on the front wheel wells. 1” 3M Thinsulate lining the whole car next weekend.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

[email protected], Brembos on a Ford SUV!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BP1Fanatic said:


> [email protected], Brembos on a Ford SUV!


There’s only a few of us for sure. lol


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## mumbles (Jul 26, 2010)

UNBROKEN said:


> I thought I could live with wires showing but I couldn’t. Pulled everything out, disassembled the pair of Pro amps and flipped their emblems then gently heated up and pulled the Zero 3 sticker off to flip that too. I’m having an acrylic emblem made to mimic the style on the Pros to cover the carved in letters on the Z3.
> This is sooo much better.
> I was also able to lower the amps 1/2” since I didn’t need them up to run wires under and now my new false floor top can be the same height as oem instead of raising it. That makes me happy too.
> View attachment 328279


The pillars are outstanding for sure, but the wireless amp rack is sexy AF!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Shoot I just read a story about a guy with a 10 second version of this, dang that’s impressive. Even in stock form these seem to be on beast mode….


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Coppertone said:


> Shoot I just read a story about a guy with a 10 second version of this, dang that’s impressive. Even in stock form these seem to be on beast mode….
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That’s my friend Kevin. I’m happy with mid-11’s in mine…I bought it to do audio in from the beginning. For what’s in this stereo I could be running 10’s too…and probably have some money left in the bank. lol


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

11's and audio beats 10's and no audio EVERY time!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

That's the REAL fast & loud!


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## nrh6.7 (Mar 16, 2016)

UNBROKEN said:


> Operation stereo system is complete. Now to continue operation kill as much road noise as possible.
> CLD and 1/2” Dynaliner going on the front wheel wells. 1” 3M Thinsulate lining the whole car next weekend.
> View attachment 329357


Did the dynaliner make a noticeable difference? If so, I may have to give it a try.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

nrh6.7 said:


> Did the dynaliner make a noticeable difference? If so, I may have to give it a try.


Don’t know yet and I won’t be trying it out alone. I don’t drive this thing much at all…it won’t leave the garage again until the Thinsulate goes in the whole interior and the rear wheel wells are done. I’m just doing rubberized undercoating on the outside under the fender liner then I’m stuffing a huge void between the inner and outer skins with Thinsulate as well. I hope it makes a difference considering this will be about the 4th time I’ve had all of the interior panels out of this damn thing.


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Sounds like me with the Audi as I only take it out to be detailed or add mods to.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## nrh6.7 (Mar 16, 2016)

UNBROKEN said:


> Don’t know yet and I won’t be trying it out alone. I don’t drive this thing much at all…it won’t leave the garage again until the Thinsulate goes in the whole interior and the rear wheel wells are done. I’m just doing rubberized undercoating on the outside under the fender liner then I’m stuffing a huge void between the inner and outer skins with Thinsulate as well. I hope it makes a difference considering this will be about the 4th time I’ve had all of the interior panels out of this damn thing.


Good times, think I'll have to give it a go anyways. That's about the only place left to deaden. 

Where did you buy the dynaliner?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

nrh6.7 said:


> Good times, think I'll have to give it a go anyways. That's about the only place left to deaden.
> 
> Where did you buy the dynaliner?


Probably eBay but I don’t even know how long I’ve had it. I found it shoved in a corner of my shop at work full of cobwebs. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Coppertone said:


> Sounds like me with the Audi as I only take it out to be detailed or add mods to.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Cruises and road trips for me…it’s definitely just a toy now.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I wanted external charging posts since my battery is buried under a panel under the hood. This will give easy access for a charger…mostly for long stereo tuning sessions on the car but I guess they’ll save me if the battery goes dead too since I have no locks in the doors. The piece they’re mounted to is thin aluminum so I used a mounting plate for a backer to stiffen it up.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Plowing through **** today….rubberized undercoat for more sound deadening in the rear wheel wells.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Sound and noise treatments are done…finally.
I filled all the large voids behind the rear panels with 1” closed cell rubber foam then covered everything with 1” Thinsulate. I didn’t get a pic but I also dropped the headliner again and put Thinsulate everywhere possible up there too as well as a layer of 1/4” Dynaliner from the back of the pano roof to the rear of the car. All of the AC ducting in the back is insulated with 1/8” Dynaliner…that air is COLD.
I also stuffed the B, C and D pillars everywhere I could with Thinsulate. 


































All of the interior panels were already deadened. Some with CLD and some with Soundshield. I added CCF in a few places and Thinsulate over the larger panels. 

















The door panels had a partial sheet of something like Thinsulate…the rear doors didn’t have much though. All are now 100% covered.


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## mikey7182 (Jan 16, 2008)

Noticeable difference? I am considering doing something similar in the Cherokee.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Those doors got filled the h3ll up!


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

Sooooo much work 

Sent from my LM-Q730 using Tapatalk


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Jscoyne2 said:


> Sooooo much work
> 
> Sent from my LM-Q730 using Tapatalk


It is…and I’m glad it’s over.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Man, great job all around (and thank you for taking care of the wires showing on the front of the amp rack, that bugged me for a few pages 😄). 
I just got a 2022 Explorer and am planning out my build and while I'm not going as extreme as you are I'm planning on having a similar set up with my subs in the back storage area. 
How hard was running wire into the doors? That's always a PITA, at least to me and my fat hands.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

2016XLT said:


> Man, great job all around (and thank you for taking care of the wires showing on the front of the amp rack, that bugged me for a few pages 😄).
> I just got a 2022 Explorer and am planning out my build and while I'm not going as extreme as you are I'm planning on having a similar set up with my subs in the back storage area.
> How hard was running wire into the doors? That's always a PITA, at least to me and my fat hands.


Not gonna lie…that was the worst part of the whole build. There’s a ton of room for wiring in the oem channels along the bottom of the cab though. I have 2 runs of 0 gauge and 3 runs of 12 gauge in the passenger side and it still closes with a little help from some zip ties. lol
Honestly…if it had used smaller speaker wire it might not have been as bad but I got a deal on it so I used the 12 gauge.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

I'm sure smaller wire will be "easier" but going through doors at all is just a freaking nightmare anymore.

Maybe I missed it, but where did you mount your DSP.3? The Director looks awesome but didn't see where you put the brains.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

2016XLT said:


> I'm sure smaller wire will be "easier" but going through doors at all is just a freaking nightmare anymore.
> 
> Maybe I missed it, but where did you mount your DSP.3? The Director looks awesome but didn't see where you put the brains.


The DSP and the Nav TV interface are behind the left side cover where the oem sub was.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Sorry for all the questions, but if you don't mind answering, could you tell me generally how much room is behind the front door 6.5"s? Looks like a good bit from your photos because you put the black hole tiles and the Focals you had have a much deeper mounting depth than what is the recommended max mounting depth on Crutchfield. I'm just wondering if I can get a decent 6x9 in there without worrying about hitting any moving parts that may be nearby.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

There’s a 6x9 already. The adapter plates I used are 1” thick so if you need a little more room you could just cut some spacers. I never measured the depth though since my 8WM’s are pretty shallow. They don’t even protrude into the inner door…which means they’ll never have water dripping on them.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

You're right, brain fart on my end.
With a 1" spacer I should be able to use just about anything I've been looking at, thanks!


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Got another question for you, it looks like there's plenty of room for a 2-3" mid range in the circled area below if I cut a hole in my door panel, you see any issues with that or am I missing something? I don't have the midrange speaker above the pull handle like in yours and am not a fan of mids in the pillar/dash area.


















Thanks for all the info so far, it's been a big help.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

That spot meets the dash when the door is closed.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

May have drawn the circle a little big, but here's the area in my Explorer that I'm talking about with the door closed.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I personally wouldn’t. Seems like a reflection nightmare.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Gotcha, I won't clutter up your thread with further questions. Appreciate it.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

The final piece of the puzzle…tuning. Went to MTI last Friday for Jeffery Hald to put his JL Audio MAX system to work. Christerfer Pate and Nick Wingate were there touching buttons as well. I didn’t know Jeff needed an input to the DSP and it’s mounted behind a trim panel that requires quite a bit of disassembly to get to. So…I got him an RCA ran this weekend and went back today for the icing on the cake and holy hell is it awesome. That JL MAX is the real deal…I’ve never had a car image or stage like this…ever. If I told you the subs were in the dash I guarantee you’d believe me…that’s how up front the bass is. I can’t say enough about the help everyone at MTI has given me from gear to advice to small parts that probably weren’t worth their time…they came through every time. 
So….it’s off to SQOLOGY this weekend to see how it stacks up and get some judging input to start fine tuning tunes for MECA, IASCA and EMMA. I know I’ll be in MECA Street because that’s what I built for…the others I have no idea. 
I’ll post results after the show.


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## nadams5755 (Jun 8, 2012)

For EMMA, get a leg up on your classmates by preparing your install log book. Otherwise you’re leaving points on the table. Make sure your 12v under hood stuff can’t be touched. Electrical tape covers over terminals are acceptable. Make sure the stereo related stuff under the hood is clean. The whole under hood stuff doesn’t have to be detailed but the related stereo stuff should be.

good luck!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Time for some updates and cleaning up a few things I don’t like. Got the mesh in from CustomCarGrilles.com to tidy up the false floor cover panel.









On Friday I’m heading up to MTI to laser scan the dash then they’ll 3D print dash pods for the 3.5WM’s to tuck into the outer dash corners. I’m doing this for 2 reasons…the main one being an attempt at a deeper stage. It’s currently to the base of the windshield for drums but vocals are at the rear view mirror. I forgot how much I like a deep stage until I listened to a few cars in Dallas a while back. The second is I plan to compete whenever I can and I learned in Dallas that when I move a shorter judge up to my listening position their legs cover the midrange in the door…so that won’t work. I got better scores from taller judges so moving the drivers to eliminate that issue is easy. I’ll update on Friday with some pics of the scan process.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Scanning underway…cool things will appear soon.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

UNBROKEN said:


> Scanning underway…cool things will appear soon.
> View attachment 337869
> 
> View attachment 337868
> ...


that's so freaking cool. the ability to take a tool and make it work for you. i've enjoyed this build and this can take it to another level, even for their online store. can't wait to see the dash pods for your vehicle.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

That is awesome. Are they going to be selling pods to the public for the new Explorers once they get everything scanned and designed for you?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Will_D said:


> That is awesome. Are they going to be selling pods to the public for the new Explorers once they get everything scanned and designed for you?


While I can’t say positively yes, I know they do pillars and other parts for people all over the country after using this process on local vehicles so I can’t see why it wouldn’t open it up for other remote stuff.


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Gotcha, can't wait to see how yours turn out.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Will_D said:


> Gotcha, can't wait to see how yours turn out.


Kinda curious about that myself. lol
I gave MTI carte blanche for the most part…I just picked the grille I wanna use and the covering for the enclosure after it’s done.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

You doing something like this?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> You doing something like this?


As far as how the speaker and grille are showing, yes. As far as shape…it’ll be tucked in more and fit to one of the existing lines in the dash. The tweeter will stay in the sail panels where it is now.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> As far as how the speaker and grille are showing, yes. As far as shape…it’ll be tucked in more and fit to one of the existing lines in the dash. The tweeter will stay in the sail panels where it is now.


How close are these pillars to say the f150 pillars ? 2018 limited Pilar’s to be exact


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

optimaprime said:


> How close are these pillars to say the f150 pillars ? 2018 limited Pilar’s to be exact


Not even remotely close. The Explorer pillars absolutely suck to build off of…terrible shape plus a vent inside that takes up the bottom several inches.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> Finished the install and fired it off today with some very conservative XO settings. I’ll rough in the time alignment tomorrow then just get some break in hours on it before it gets turned over to Christerfer Pate on the 14th to start dialing it in.
> Unfortunately the terminals for my XS Power battery didn’t make it so it’ll be Tuesday before I can install that. The main fuse holder dropped right in like I meant for it to do. I’ll make up a bit longer cable too…it’s a little short as it sits.
> 
> View attachment 310524
> ...


Did you have any voltage issues with the new batt? I know with my truck I have ford do it to reprogram the computer for voltage change


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Any update on the pods?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Will_D said:


> Any update on the pods?


No really…just patiently waiting. I’ll be at the shop on the 6th…should be test fitting the raw pods then. If they fit it’ll be a short wait for upholstery. If not…changes will be made to dial them in. I knew there would be a wait going in but I sure am ready to see them myself. lol


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## Will_D (Oct 19, 2016)

Nice. Had no idea how long something like this took to go from dots on your dash and laser scanning to a finished product. That’s not too bad. I’m definitely waiting impatiently, so can only imagine what you’re going through 😂.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Haven’t changed a single thing yet…but I still went to the MTI comp this weekend just to support the show and the Orgs that were there. I definitely didn’t expect to place…so I was surprised to hear my name called not once but twice. Hell I don’t even know what classes I was in. lol
The feedback from everyone just confirms what I’ve been thinking and the changes underway should address the issues I have. Shouldn’t be long now and I’ll know for sure.
I did get my new XS Power PSC60 out of the box the fired up…it’s a nice power supply. I’m working on a custom base and mount for the display now.
So…a long day ended with some nice surprises…I can’t complain about that.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Congrats on the placings. My battery s**t the bed at my last competition. That looks like a nice battery supply. Something like this will be in my near future. Can you give some more information about it. Does the display come with it? How much does it cost? Can it be hooked up for all day use? Looks like a nice unit. I replaced my battery with an AGM. I still managed to do good at the competition but looking back at the score sheets its easy to tell what judges the bass amp turned off. Some judges said "fantastic sub bass" while other said "are there even subs in this car".


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Stycker said:


> Congrats on the placings. My battery s**t the bed at my last competition. That looks like a nice battery supply. Something like this will be in my near future. Can you give some more information about it. Does the display come with it? How much does it cost? Can it be hooked up for all day use? Looks like a nice unit. I replaced my battery with an AGM. I still managed to do good at the competition but looking back at the score sheets its easy to tell what judges the bass amp turned off. Some judges said "fantastic sub bass" while other said "are there even subs in this car".


Check out the XS Power website…they have several models and yes, the display was included. Not sure exactly what it cost…it was wrapped up in a bunch of stuff I paid for all at once.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

My buddy with a water jet company knocked out a base and bracket to mount the display for the power supply today out of 3/16” aluminum. I’ll anneal the bracket so I can bend it and it should be pretty solid when it’s done. Just waiting on the rubber feet to show up.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Working on my power supply base…need to weld aluminum and of course the argon bottle is basically empty. So…today I was a grinder more than I was a welder. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

The boredom project continues. 
Everything test fit with stainless cap screws and female threaded rubber feet for the base. Once my bigger Anderson plugs and 4 gauge wiring get here I’ll shorten the wires up and mount a plug to the base as shown. And I had to get a carry bag for my extension cord and the wiring from the supply to the car.
I’ll have a 7’ extension with Anderson plugs on both ends then a 3’ extension with jumper cables ends when it’s all said and done.


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## audionow (Oct 29, 2021)

Nice work!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Stupid and pointless but I didn’t like my cap screws and their Phillips head screws…so now they all match. lol


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## Willbo (Mar 23, 2014)

UNBROKEN said:


> Stupid and pointless but I didn’t like my cap screws and their Phillips head screws…so now they all match. lol
> View attachment 343592
> 
> View attachment 343593


Not pointless…. Details matter! Looks great!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Paint is drying on the base now then I’ll put it back together for the last time. Nice and compact…no loose wires hanging


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

The boredom project is done.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I was going to order a Brax DSP but wound up with Brakex instead. The Brax would have been cheaper. lol


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

those are bad ass


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

those will stop a bus. WOW!!!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

[email protected]!!!!!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

A little progress.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

which 3m epoxy is in the background ??? pods look great


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

optimaprime said:


> which 3m epoxy is in the background ??? pods look great


Not sure. MTI is doing these for me.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Ready to wrap. Hope to have them in hand this weekend.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Are they going to wrap it with the cloth that similar to what's on the factory pillars? I might need some of these in my life.  (Eventually)


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Are they going to wrap it with the cloth that similar to what's on the factory pillars? I might need some of these in my life.  (Eventually)


Yes


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Looks like I have work to do on Sunday.


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## SNCTMPL (Nov 23, 2014)

Those are going to look great. This is one of my favorite builds on here. Thanks for sharing it.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

The hardest part of this whole thing was pulling the damn speaker wires back out of the doors…everything else just dropped in place and I’m pretty happy with how it came out. I never wanted pillars…or sail panels for that matter. I wanted to use all oem locations…but once that bug bites and you start down the rabbit hole you just gotta go until you find the bottom I guess. lol

























And so nobody has to dig to see what else is going on here’s an old pic of the back.


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## doitor (Aug 16, 2007)

Looks insane.
Sign me up for a demo next time at Aggieland.

J.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Those A pillars came out nice as h3ll!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Love the symmetry on the sub floor too!


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Beautiful install all around. I'm sure it sounds insane also.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Finished up my power supply wiring while I’m out of town this week. Complete overkill with Stinger HPM 4 gauge all covered in TechFlex with 1000 amp dual live clamps. Made a short 3’ lead to hit my charging posts under the car with a 7' lead in case I need to extend it to a battery.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

One spelling error to correct then I’m gonna have this printed on a hard board with some kind of small stand for competitions and stuff. Trying to look semi-professional. lol


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

If you need some help with system diagram pm me


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Seeing the silver part of the flange behind the grilles really bugged me…so I reached out to a few folks to see how they took care of it and wound up hand cutting some rings from 1/8” neoprene and sticking them on.
And yes I clocked the grille better after I took this pic. lol


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Question: 

Do you put up a Windshield Screen when you vehicle is outside/in the sun to reduce direct sun hitting your Mids?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Question:
> 
> Do you put up a Windshield Screen when you vehicle is outside/in the sun to reduce direct sun hitting your Mids?


Not really…but I also don’t drive it much. It’s just a weekend toy. I do have ceramic tint on the windshield though.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I went to finals expecting nothing but a learning experience so I was pretty happy with a 1st in IASCA Amateur and 3rd in MECA Modified for the 2023 kick-off portions and tied for 4th in MASQ Modified for 2022 Finals.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Congrats, man! 👍

You obviously put a lot of thought, time, and effort into this install, and It paid off...

Errrr, well maybe "paid off" was the wrong term to use  as I'm sure that all said and done you've probably got 5 figures into this build! 

But you picked up some nice trophies and your efforts were acknowledged and confirmed in the best possible way.


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

Congrats....all the hard work payed off


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Those are great results for just recently wrapping this instal up - Congrats! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## doitor (Aug 16, 2007)

Congrats.
Someone made a FB live from the awards last night and your surprised face was priceless.
Save me some seat time at Aggieland next year.

J.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Congrats. Nice victories.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

doitor said:


> Congrats.
> Someone made a FB live from the awards last night and your surprised face was priceless.
> Save me some seat time at Aggieland next year.
> 
> J.


Pure shock.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

That's awesome...! BIG CONGRATS....!


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

doitor said:


> Congrats.
> Someone made a FB live from the awards last night and your surprised face was priceless.
> Save me some seat time at Aggieland next year.
> 
> J.


Im pretty lost on how to use Facebook is there a way to rewatch the event?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

clange2485 said:


> Im pretty lost on how to use Facebook is there a way to rewatch the event?


Kinda wanna see it myself. I’m thinking it was Klifton…I know he had his phone on a stand for the awards.


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## doitor (Aug 16, 2007)

clange2485 said:


> Im pretty lost on how to use Facebook is there a way to rewatch the event?


In Facebook, search a group called "Sound Quality Competitors".

J.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Yep…I looked just as shocked as I thought I did. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Finals was just two days ago, so I guess it’s time to dig back in. A pillars are on deck first…on the way to Tam’s shop now to hash out a few things.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Give me a few days to get caught up , i’m guessing this is a second or third build in this car


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

UNBROKEN said:


> The final piece of the puzzle…tuning. Went to MTI last Friday for Jeffery Hald to put his JL Audio MAX system to work. Christerfer Pate and Nick Wingate were there touching buttons as well. I didn’t know Jeff needed an input to the DSP and it’s mounted behind a trim panel that requires quite a bit of disassembly to get to. So…I got him an RCA ran this weekend and went back today for the icing on the cake and holy hell is it awesome. That JL MAX is the real deal…I’ve never had a car image or stage like this…ever. If I told you the subs were in the dash I guarantee you’d believe me…that’s how up front the bass is. I can’t say enough about the help everyone at MTI has given me from gear to advice to small parts that probably weren’t worth their time…they came through every time.
> So….it’s off to SQOLOGY this weekend to see how it stacks up and get some judging input to start fine tuning tunes for MECA, IASCA and EMMA. I know I’ll be in MECA Street because that’s what I built for…the others I have no idea.
> I’ll post results after the show.
> 
> ...


I heard a car he tuned and it was pretty dam good….


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

More supplies.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

New midbass mounting rings. 1.5” water jet cut HDPE plastic. They’re going to Tam Nguyen for some machine work to angle the midbass 10° for some experimenting I wanna do.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> New midbass mounting rings. 1.5” water jet cut HDPE plastic. They’re going to Tam Nguyen for some machine work to angle the midbass 10° for some experimenting I wanna do.
> View attachment 350228


Highly curious if you net any results with this. I assume this is to point MB up and towards the back of vehicle withing the door card? I was curious to try this in my truck as well.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Curious and want to learn something. What would be the reasoning for angling the midbass? What are you trying to achieve?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

So it’s just an experiment at this point but when Jeff Hald was tuning it before finals there was an issue he saw so we started stuffing a shipping blanket into various places in the front. Firewall, front of the seat, along the center console, etc. Along the console smoothed things out some so these rings will let me first try aiming them at the floor but switching sides will also aim them up….and all it cost me is some time to play with it. If it works, cool. If it doesn’t…back to the drawing board.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> So it’s just an experiment at this point but when Jeff Hald was tuning it before finals there was an issue he saw so we started stuffing a shipping blanket into various places in the front. Firewall, front of the seat, along the center console, etc. Along the console smoothed things out some so these rings will let me first try aiming them at the floor but switching sides will also aim them up….and all it cost me is some time to play with it. If it works, cool. If it doesn’t…back to the drawing board.


Nick had me measure in a few places. The biggest change we noticed (in driver's midbass) was to open the passenger door, immediately gained way more output from 55-70hz and my -15db dip @180 hz reduced down to about -7 db. We mostly settled on that I would need to find a new mounting location for the MB, period. It's my only gripe left with owning a truck (relative to SQ).


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Nick had me measure in a few places. The biggest change we noticed (in driver's midbass) was to open the passenger door, immediately gained way more output from 55-70hz and my -15db dip @180 hz reduced down to about -7 db. We mostly settled on that I would need to find a new mounting location for the MB, period. It's my only gripe left with owning a truck (relative to SQ).


That’s why this is just an experiment. lol
My buddy has the water jet and the material was left over scrap from another job. It cost me a burger. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

And just to share…my plans for the pillars will push the midranges further out and further into the corner of the windshield and aimed just behind the rear view mirror. Aesthetically I’m working off this idea which I’m pretty sure is from one of Nick’s builds…found the pic online a while back. Just the way the mid is trimmed…not the pillar shape. The mounting ring for the pillars is as small as Tam could cut them and the beauty ring to cover the speaker flange will be machined then polished black acrylic.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Are you going to move your TBMs also or are they staying int the sail panels?


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

Dat's what I did:


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Are you going to move your TBMs also or are they staying int the sail panels?


Those are staying as is for now. I don’t want to change too many things at once…after the midranges and midbass I’ll start addressing 1 thing at a time as needed to make sure I’m not causing more issues than I fix.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

MythosDreamLab said:


> Dat's what I did:
> 
> View attachment 350247


Dat is f ing sexy !


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

After some digging, a lot of thought and some texting back and forth with a few folks….here’s a hint.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> After some digging, a lot of thought and some texting back and forth with a few folks….here’s a hint.
> View attachment 350316


Well then….🤤🤤. Going IB maybe?


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> After some digging, a lot of thought and some texting back and forth with a few folks….here’s a hint.
> View attachment 350316


I have dreams about doing the same. You planning on using the 8wm or something else?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Well then….🤤🤤. Going IB maybe?


Vented into the huge subframe. I can probably fit my leg in there. lol


clange2485 said:


> I have dreams about doing the same. You planning on using the 8wm or something else?


Definitely the 8WM’s. I know they’ll shine down there.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Vented into the huge subframe. I can probably fit my leg in there. lol
> 
> Definitely the 8WM’s. I know they’ll shine down there.


You are gonna have me peeling up my carpet and liner tomorrow night looking at mine.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> You are gonna have me peeling up my carpet and liner tomorrow night looking at mine.


Honestly I thought the dead pedal in mine would be a deal breaker…turns out is a damn piece of styrofoam under the carpet. lol
Tons of room on both sides and only a couple of wiring harness to slide out of the way…plenty of slack in those too. You can also see the piece of oem CLD looking material that covers a hole to vent through on both sides…I’ll just open that up larger.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

UNBROKEN said:


> Honestly I thought the dead pedal in mine would be a deal breaker…turns out is a damn piece of styrofoam under the carpet. lol
> Tons of room on both sides and only a couple of wiring harness to slide out of the way…plenty of slack in those too. You can also see the piece of oem CLD looking material that covers a hole to vent through on both sides…I’ll just open that up larger.
> View attachment 350320
> 
> View attachment 350321


yeah that should do it !

8wm loves big space , man that will be nice


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

UNBROKEN said:


> Sound and noise treatments are done…finally.
> I filled all the large voids behind the rear panels with 1” closed cell rubber foam then covered everything with 1” Thinsulate. I didn’t get a pic but I also dropped the headliner again and put Thinsulate everywhere possible up there too as well as a layer of 1/4” Dynaliner from the back of the pano roof to the rear of the car. All of the AC ducting in the back is insulated with 1/8” Dynaliner…that air is COLD.
> I also stuffed the B, C and D pillars everywhere I could with Thinsulate.
> View attachment 329995
> ...


That thinsulate is good stuff 

I still have a huge roll of it left from a huge sound deadener showdown buy ….. it made my roof super quiet.

What’s crazy , is I did all the same stuff you did , cld ccf thinsulate, and all of that combined didn’t quiet my car down as much as just doing cld on my fender housings…. Just that made road noise disappear.

I pulled my plastic fender housings and did a bulk pack in all 4 , highly recommended it , especially with big tires ;-)


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Test fits. The ring will be sunk into the pillar to move the driver out further but it gives me something to think about. Tam beveled the back of the ring to let the back side breath. I can’t wait to start cutting.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

UNBROKEN said:


> Test fits. The ring will be sunk into the pillar to move the driver out further but it gives me something to think about. Tam beveled the back of the ring to let the back side breath. I can’t wait to start cutting.
> View attachment 350465
> View attachment 350466


that looks good

you should hook up them mids just like resting on the dash with no baffle just for fun 

let’s us know what you think! It’s almost impossible and I didn’t believe it either…


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Test fits. The ring will be sunk into the pillar to move the driver out further but it gives me something to think about. Tam beveled the back of the ring to let the back side breath. I can’t wait to start cutting.


You planning to aim the driver's side speaker at the drivers (seat) and the passenger side speaker at the passenger (seat) or cross-fire them?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> You planning to aim the driver's side speaker at the drivers (seat) and the passenger side speaker at the passenger (seat) or cross-fire them?


Gonna do some testing but I’m thinking either at the dome light or possibly opposite headrests.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Zero progress but I’m stocked up on supplies at least. Gonna do the kicks first then a-pillars and since I can see playing with rear fill and maybe a front sub at some point I have a Helix Ultra on deck…so I’m finalizing the order for some custom RSD Ultra RCA’s tomorrow….then I’m gonna start shopping for a nice tent to live in. lol
I need the car intact for a car show I help put on next weekend…then I’ll tear into it.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Zero progress but I’m stocked up on supplies at least. Gonna do the kicks first then a-pillars and since I can see playing with rear fill and maybe a front sub at some point I have a Helix Ultra on deck…so I’m finalizing the order for some custom RSD Ultra RCA’s tomorrow….then I’m gonna start shopping for a nice tent to live in. lol
> I need the car intact for a car show I help put on next weekend…then I’ll tear into it.
> View attachment 352755


I gotta shoot you a DM for what supplies you ended up getting before I get into mine this winter.

very excited to see your results


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

RickWilson said:


> I gotta shoot you a DM for what supplies you ended up getting before I get into mine this winter.
> 
> very excited to see your results


no no ... POST the supplies you got so we ALL can learn!!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Jim Rogers keeps making me amp badges to play with. So I keep playing with them.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

i met this guy recently... good/ sad i dont think that he will ever give up!
AND what a kind hearted person after 30+ min. of being around him!!!!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Got the last thing I needed thanks to a buddy. #8 chilled lead shot to mix with resin and coat inside the kick panel pods and new pillar pods. He gave me a 25lb bag and I’ll have plenty extra if anyone needs some. It’s hard to find and expensive right now….just pay for the ride. The wife is out of town all next weekend…I can’t wait to start slinging some fiberglass.


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## stelloy (Oct 13, 2018)

Man, I'm in Houston and would love to hear your setup!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

stelloy said:


> Man, I'm in Houston and would love to hear your setup!


I’m starting the winter rebuild this weekend but come springtime we’re planning to have a pretty good sized meet around here. Kind of a warm-up before Aggieland so maybe March.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Super duper technical alignment tools. Scrap wood and a $10 .308 bore sight off eBay. lol
Already had the 12mm drill bit.


----------



## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Inventive. Should be relatively accurate as long as your hole is straight.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Inventive. Should be relatively accurate as long as your hole is straight.


Pretty sure my drill press is square. lol


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

You weren't lying when you told me that you were getting shot


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Don THOTS said:


> You weren't lying when you told me that you were getting shot


A buddy came through with a whole bag. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well ****…50° and raining this weekend. Looks like my fiberglass plans are shot to hell.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

Unbroken... plus the cold!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Hey, I have a question. What size posts did you go with when you got the XSPower? Did you do the Short 580 posts or the Tall 586?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

For my car I did the short posts.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> For my car I did the short posts.


Thanks, we have the same vehicle, only mine is red and a 2022. Figured what ever worked in your would work in mine.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I have the next 5 days off and the weather looks pretty good so here we go. Moving wiring and getting a basic plan in place today along with deadening and have it taped up and ready for glass tomorrow or Friday.


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## M_Mark28 (Mar 11, 2021)

Nice, looking forward to your kick build


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I’m just gonna post pics of the passenger side as I go. Wiring harnesses are shifted out of the way…luckily there was plenty of slack and all I had to do was zip tie them where I needed them. Floors cleaned and CLD added.









And I know everyone has their own opinions and some say this doesn’t do anything…and they may be right…but I want these floors as dead as I can possibly make them and wheel weights add lbs of mass quickly and don’t take up any space so my thinking is a little overkill never hurt anything. 









Now to get everything taped up and hopefully lay some glass tomorrow.


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## Bushwacker (Dec 23, 2017)

Never thought of the wheel weights but I think you're right! It definitely want hurt. I'm going to give them a try next time. You're not going to lay glass tomorrow you're going to be to full of turkey! Lol Happy Thanksgiving. It's looking good. 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Stoppppp - I literally just got settled enjoying my current build - this makes want to tear things open. Looks like some S Tier prep for the kicks man. 

Ironically, I was chatting with Nick about how much more energy from my subs and midbass I had been feeling in my feet since I swapped subs and added power to my midbass. A lot of it was resonance translating through my door which my block off plates cleaned up a ton but the wheel weights looks like a great insurance policy against any rattles or resonances.

Very excited to see how they turn out.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

1/8” CCF in place and everything taped up. I need to make a template to mark each side so they’re shaped the same at the floor but that’s enough for today. I’m too old for this ****. lol


----------



## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)




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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Seriously…on my knees all day working on a lowered car…I feel all of my 52 years tonight. lol
I’ll do one more layer of painters tape tomorrow and top it off with packing tape and hopefully the weather cooperates for glass but it’s looking like rain all day.
Got my overlap drawn out on both sides so I kinda know what the edge shape will be.


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## Myface (May 21, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Seriously…on my knees all day working on a lowered car…I feel all of my 52 years tonight. lol
> I’ll do one more layer of painters tape tomorrow and top it off with packing tape and hopefully the weather cooperates for glass but it’s looking like rain all day.
> Got my overlap drawn out on both sides so I kinda know what the edge shape will be.
> View attachment 355502


Are you still doing the utopia 8s in the kicks? If so, I have them and and they pound! You'll love them!
Tom


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Yep…I’ve done all I can with them in the doors. Time to move on.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well…the forecast went from some rain today then a nice sunny Fri-Sun at 70° to absolute ****. No glass today but I’m gonna grab a big space heater tomorrow to warm up the garage so I can hopefully make some progress Sat and Sun.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

I can't believe it's 61* in Columbus, Ohio today.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Layer #1 is down. Gonna add 3 more over the next couple of days.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

3 overlapped layers of 1.5 oz mat. I might call that good enough. I’ll decide in the morning after it lays up all night.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I couldn’t resist…added one more layer this morning. I’ll let it cure until tomorrow then trim, cap the tops with birch to follow the bottom of the dash and clear the airbags and hopefully get the speaker rings mounted and fleece stretched and soaked in resin.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

First test fit is a success. My old school Pam “mold release” didn’t work so well but I can live with some tape left over that I’ll never see.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

OK…here’s both sides. The left is taller because the dash is higher there. I added a block to anchor the speaker ring to so both sides will be 1.25” off the floor. Tops are capped and I need to glass that in today then I’m taking a break until next weekend. 
I need to lay out and cut the hole for the IB part then I can mount the rings next weekend and start glassing. 

Right side. 

























Left side.


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

Looks awesome


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Another ugly pic. 3 layers of chop mat tying the inside together. 2 layers outside just because.
Now it sits until next weekend.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RSD Ultras almost ready to ship.


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## dsquared (Aug 10, 2016)

How big of a hole do you anticipate making ?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

dsquared said:


> How big of a hole do you anticipate making ?


5”x6”
There’s 50.25 square inches of cone area and that hole will be 30 sq/in so right at 60%. Anything 50% or more I’m told is fine.


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## dsquared (Aug 10, 2016)

Thanks for the reply .
Looking forward to your results .


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Back at it. Hole is just shy of 30 sq/in.
Need to drill holes for rivnuts and get the speaker ring set in place, cloth stretched and resin applied today. I’ll glass it out tomorrow.


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## abbispa (Feb 24, 2015)

You did a great job.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Rings mounted and aimed.


















Glass in a few hours…I mixed this resin hot AF so I can get some glass laid today.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Stopping here today. Tomorrow will be 2 layers of mat inside and one more outside. Next weekend I’ll start finish work on the outside and milkshake/lead shot the inside.


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

nice work!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Lots of glass on the kick panel pods today and while that’s curing I started the new a-pillars. Aimed just behind the rear view mirror then attached the rings and made a plastic insert to blend in above the rings. That’s it for this week.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

This is one of the better sounding systems I have heard , and that was with the 8's in the doors. I can only imagine once he finishes these in the floors!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Things that make me happy. RSD Custom
Cables Ultras.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Those are nice. How long did you have to wait for them?


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

UNBROKEN said:


> Things that make me happy. RSD Custom
> Cables Ultras.
> View attachment 356925


those are beautiful!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Those are nice. How long did you have to wait for them?


Maybe 3ish weeks? I didn’t really keep track. I knew he was waiting on some parts to come in so I just paid and waited. It’ll be Jan before I even use them…if even by then.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

slowride said:


> those are beautiful!


I’m gonna have to take pics because they’ll never be seen again after they’re installed.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Killed a few minutes pulling cloth and getting resin on the a-pillars. Glass tomorrow so I can start sanding and getting filler on these and the kick panels this weekend.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Never mind, I’ll never catch up. Fantastic work.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Lookin good brotha , very nice


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

Looking good and clean!

If it is not too late - I would make that dent above the speaker ring a bit wider where it meets with speaker ring, and a lot longer - further up the pillar and in same direction as lenght of the pillar - It will look better at the end....


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Starting to take shape now…and I’m starting to get excited. I can even cut the floor mats to fit and get them out to upholstery tomorrow to get the border sewn back on.


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

Looks real nice for sure. I just made similar ones. Very time consuming work.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Fitting trim panels.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Almost ready to wrap…I’m gonna use some factory match carpet I got from Tam Nguyen a while back. Still need to milkshake the inside but that’s a project for the weekend. Oh and I need to drill and install the threaded inserts to bolt in the speakers too. Gotta say I’m pretty stoked to get this far and have them come out this well.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Man these things are coming out so mint. I would love to chat on the phone sometime after the holidays about the build process. This is exactly what I am looking to do in my truck.

I need to spend some time learning the glass and filler process before I waste any of your time on the phone.

S tier work.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Man these things are coming out so mint. I would love to chat on the phone sometime after the holidays about the build process. This is exactly what I am looking to do in my truck.
> 
> I need to spend some time learning the glass and filler process before I waste any of your time on the phone.
> 
> S tier work.


I watched tons of videos from PSSound and Car Audio Fabrication on YouTube….that’s where I figured out how to fumble my way through this crap. lol


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

Excellent work. Rick. You will pick up quickly on glass work. I actually really enjoyed the couple projected I’ve done using it. Definitely pays to use the better stuff though. Us composites, dura glass, and rage gold, then that glazing compound. Perfect


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Definitely turning out really nice especially for first time.
Curious why you didn't follow the kick panels body line on passenger side?
Driver side follows the panel but passenger doesn't follow the straight edge.
Imo would have better integration if followed the body lines.

Nonetheless. Nice job. Can't wait to see the final result


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Mic10is said:


> Definitely turning out really nice especially for first time.
> Curious why you didn't follow the kick panels body line on passenger side?
> Driver side follows the panel but passenger doesn't follow the straight edge.
> Imo would have better integration if followed the body lines.
> ...


Body lines? Both panels were cut to fit the pods where they would naturally lay.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> Body lines? Both panels were cut to fit the pods where they would naturally lay.


Where the kick panels comes down from the dash. It's flat before it curves into the rocker panel.

Driver side you molded around the hood release which integrate better. 
Passenger side looks like a completely separate piece as opposed to part of interior.
Maybe it will change when finished.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Mic10is said:


> Where the kick panels comes down from the dash. It's flat before it curves into the rocker panel.
> 
> Driver side you molded around the hood release which integrate better.
> Passenger side looks like a completely separate piece as opposed to part of interior.
> Maybe it will change when finished.


Not much I can do about that. One side has a hood release and the other is smooth…the pods are basically the same size and the panels were cut to fit them.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

I would have molded it to include this area to integrate better


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

Mic10is said:


> Where the kick panels comes down from the dash. It's flat before it curves into the rocker panel.
> 
> Driver side you molded around the hood release which integrate better.
> Passenger side looks like a completely separate piece as opposed to part of interior.
> Maybe it will change when finished.


Look closer at the passenger side. I believe what you’re seeing is an optical illusion. It is actually just as “seamless” as the driver’s side.



https://www.diymobileaudio.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.diymobileaudio.com/attachments/c6ee05cc-031d-4136-8522-632d61352df0-jpeg.357204/


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

@ UNBROKEN - if this is your first FG project it turned out great,...clean work!


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## M_Mark28 (Mar 11, 2021)

Excellent work


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

LBaudio said:


> @ UNBROKEN - if this is your first FG project it turned out great,...clean work!


I guess technically it’s my 2nd but it’s a much larger scale than the little sail panels I did for my tweeters. It’s a little daunting to commit to something this big for the first time. lol


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I didn’t take many pic of the process…because who cares about multiple layers of fiberglass and filler, right? lol
I am at this point though…all machine sanded. Hand sanding tomorrow to look for high/low spots, pinholes and do some final shaping. These will be covered in non-backed headliner material so they need to be pretty damn close to perfect. 
I also need to cut the back behind the speaker out and milkshake the back. All in all…I’m getting pretty excited to see it all finished.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Here’s the ugly part…the milkshake.









I only took this pic…this was the first of 3 rounds with high build primer today. Doing one last sanding now then a coat of flat black paint so nothing shows through the headliner material I’m gonna wrap them in. And the last test fit. 

















And that’s where it’ll sit for a couple of weeks. Busy week at work then the wife and I are headed to Mexico for a while. We might come back before Christmas but we may stay till New Years…haven’t decided yet. lol


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Looks excellent man


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

Nice, very nice especially for a 2nd try at glass... FYI sent ya a text


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## abbispa (Feb 24, 2015)

Man you've done great work, and knocked it out quickly. 

I do question using headliner material in a place that will get scuffed by shoes.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

abbispa said:


> Man you've done great work, and knocked it out quickly.
> 
> I do question using headliner material in a place that will get scuffed by shoes.


Pillars will get headliner material. Kicks will get factory match carpet.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Had to go see how my paint was doing. A few little nibs to sand out and a few more little spots for spot putty but they’re basically ready to wrap.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

Damn man…those are looking sweet! Yeah…I’m not jealous at all. 😂


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

This has been a hell of a learning experience…not real sure I wanna do it again anytime soon though. lol


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## Gill (Sep 26, 2007)

Those are coming out really good. Did you face any cracks post drying up of resin? Fantastic work! Got skills.


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

fantastic work right there. This is not easy work


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Gill said:


> Those are coming out really good. Did you face any cracks post drying up of resin? Fantastic work! Got skills.


No cracks. On my sail panels I built I did have a small crack on one of them. Shot it full of CA glue and haven’t had any issues since.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Yay…finally shipped.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Didn’t need it…but I needed it.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Didn’t need it…but I needed it.
> 
> View attachment 358114
> 
> ...


Nice gains in functionality, dac and channels. Thinking of adding rears at any point?


----------



## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

It's a need you didn't know you needed. What are your plans for the extra channels? I know you have ideas just rolling around in that brain.


----------



## Dgan21 (Mar 25, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Didn’t need it…but I needed it.
> 
> View attachment 358114
> 
> ...


Thought you had that in ur build already?


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Dgan21 said:


> Thought you had that in ur build already?


DSP.3 currently


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Nice gains in functionality, dac and channels. Thinking of adding rears at any point?


In the future I may play with some light rear fill….like Illusion C3CX’s back in the D pillars. More immediate plans are using the coax input for a DAP of some sort when I have time to look into those more.


----------



## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)




----------



## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> In the future I may play with some light rear fill….like Illusion C3CX’s back in the D pillars. More immediate plans are using the coax input for a DAP of some sort when I have time to look into those more.


I’m contemplating exploring coax/dap as well but I feel optical is still solid and I was lazy to run another cable.

and was it regular dsp3 or 3s? If you are gaining ACO/virtual channels - that’s a big quality of life improvement for input routing and gaining 30 more bands of tuning.

you are getting every box checked on this build. Love it.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I have the original DSP.3 in it now…not the S. 
It’s a first iteration remnant that did everything I needed at first but I’m leaving some stuff on the table now so it was time to upgrade.


----------



## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> I have the original DSP.3 in it now…not the S.
> It’s a first iteration remnant that did everything I needed at first but I’m leaving some stuff on the table now so it was time to upgrade.


you are in for a treat. The ACO platform offers so many more bells and whistles to work with. Virtual channels and the Conductor being at the top of my list.


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> you are in for a treat. The ACO platform offers so many more bells and whistles to work with. Virtual channels and the Conductor being at the top of my list.


I’ve had the Director installed since the beginning. I like the screen over the Conductor even if the thing was hard to find a home for.


----------



## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> I’ve had the Director installed since the beginning. I like the screen over the Conductor even if the thing was hard to find a home for.


Good to think about


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

So the wife and I are heading to Isla Mujeres in the morning. First class flights…VRBO on the beach on the Caribbean side and a whole weeks worth of adventures planned including a whale shark dive. Sounds fantastic…is it bad that I’d rather stay home and work on my stereo? lol


----------



## doitor (Aug 16, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> is it bad that I’d rather stay home and work on my stereo? lol


Not unless she finds out. LOL.

J.


----------



## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

UNBROKEN said:


> So the wife and I are heading to Isla Mujeres in the morning. First class flights…VRBO on the beach on the Caribbean side and a whole weeks worth of adventures planned including a whale shark dive. Sounds fantastic…is it bad that I’d rather stay home and work on my stereo? lol


Stayed at the Zoetry Resort on Isla Mujeres several years ago for an anniversary and absolutely had a fantastic time! Casa Rolandi is one of their restaurants and had the best seared tuna ever. The island is kinda small though but is perfect for relaxation! Rent a golf cart and see some of the local sites, shopping, and churches one day... it was fun. We'd go back in a minute! Enjoy!


----------



## Freakquency (8 mo ago)

Man...I did life wrong.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Freakquency said:


> Man...I did life wrong.


Nah…when you live in Houston, Isla is a super cheap vacation. Flights are cheap and off season house rental was less than $100 a day.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

And only a 2-1/2 hr. flight


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I guess I’ll suffer. Bonus for the golf cart having Bluetooth and some sweet Kenwood 5 1/4” coax’s. lol


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

@UNBROKEN

Nice!

Haven't been to Isla Mujeres in years but it's one of my favorites as far as small tropical islands go, along with Rarotonga (Cook Islands). The fine white sand is almost like bleached baking flour or baking soda.

If you are keen on an easy snorkel dive on a fantastic local tropical reef just off the beach, definitely try Garrafon Natural Reef Park (El Parque Natural Garrafón). The huge iguanas will keep you company as they sun bathe on the nearby rocks, too.

The whale sharks are a surreal experience, and if you scuba, dive the "sleeping sharks caves" in the channel as well (it's mostly harmless nurse sharks). The Brochetas de Camarón are sublime and some of the best I've had. Fresh Ceviche and Langosta are excellent as well. Enjoy!


----------



## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

So far New Zealand has been my favorite


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Don THOTS said:


> So far New Zealand has been my favorite


I’ve been very fortunate to visit so far 46 countries on 4 continents along with over 30 Caribbean islands…including Cuba which I snuck into from the Dominican Republic by boat. lol
Nothing so far beats Japan. I got to spend 2 months there in 2019 and it’s hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. My wife literally cried when we were road tripping around there. lol


----------



## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Went to Japan for 3 weeks in 2019. I completely agree. It’s impossible to express in photos.

Did a week each in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

it’s such a unique place.


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Went to Japan for 3 weeks in 2019. I completely agree. It’s impossible to express in photos.
> 
> Did a week each in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
> 
> it’s such a unique place.


I oversaw a project for Sumitomo and stayed in Imabari…about 500 southwest of Tokyo. You were closest in Kyoto. I did that road trip one weekend then rode BMX bikes all over Tokyo at night with a local BMX group. I had a blast. My bike goes with me on all my extended work trips.


----------



## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

UNBROKEN said:


> I oversaw a project for Sumitomo and stayed in Imabari…about 500 southwest of Tokyo. You were closest in Kyoto. I did that road trip one weekend then rode BMX bikes all over Tokyo at night with a local BMX group. I had a blast. My bike goes with me on all my extended work trips.
> View attachment 358475


Nice! I rode nothing but GTs way back in my day. They gifted me a Pro Freestyle Tour Team model around 1990. Traveled all over the southeast doing freestyle competitions and shows. I was convinced that I’d make my living around bikes and freestyle…then I fell in love with car audio. Sold my last GT to buy an Alpine CD player and a Punch 75. 😊

I’ve been in 96 countries and every continent, to include Antarctica. I really wanted to surpass 100 countries, but still working on it. There aren’t many places left worth visiting. A large number of places I’ve been, you wouldn’t want to visit…at least not at the time I was there. Easiest way to summit 100 would be to find a way back to Africa. I’ve been everywhere there is to go in Europe and Asia already. I’ve climbed all over the Himalayas, Swiss Alps, Julian Alps, French Alps, and North America. My last five years in the Corps were primarily spent doing mountain warfare. Mostly two-party cliff assault. There’s nothing like sleeping on the side of a cliff, 1,500 feet off the ground, with another 1,500 foot climb waiting on you at daybreak. Those were great days!


----------



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> I’ve been very fortunate to visit so far 46 countries on 4 continents along with over 30 Caribbean islands…including Cuba which I snuck into from the Dominican Republic by boat. lol
> Nothing so far beats Japan. I got to spend 2 months there in 2019 and it’s hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. My wife literally cried when we were road tripping around there. lol


I took my wife to Japan for our honeymoon, she also cried when we left. She said even the dirt in Japan is cleaner than the US  .

We are hoping to go back next year for my daughter's senior trip.

All our time is spent around Tokyo since my mom lived in Chiba prefecture. So hoping to make it to Kyoto and Osaka next time.


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Mic10is said:


> I took my wife to Japan for our honeymoon, she also cried when we left. She said even the dirt in Japan is cleaner than the US  .
> 
> We are hoping to go back next year for my daughter's senior trip.
> 
> All our time is spent around Tokyo since my mom lived in Chiba prefecture. So hoping to make it to Kyoto and Osaka next time.


Your wife wasn’t wrong. lol
I was in a very “country” part of Japan…just small back roads and 2 lanes up and down mountains. I’d go back tomorrow if I could.


----------



## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

saltyone said:


> Nice! I rode nothing but GTs way back in my day. They gifted me a Pro Freestyle Tour Team model around 1990. Traveled all over the southeast doing freestyle competitions and shows. I was convinced that I’d make my living around bikes and freestyle…then I fell in love with car audio. Sold my last GT to buy an Alpine CD player and a Punch 75. 😊
> 
> I’ve been in 96 countries and every continent, to include Antarctica. I really wanted to surpass 100 countries, but still working on it. There aren’t many places left worth visiting. A large number of places I’ve been, you wouldn’t want to visit…at least not at the time I was there. Easiest way to summit 100 would be to find a way back to Africa. I’ve been everywhere there is to go in Europe and Asia already. I’ve climbed all over the Himalayas, Swiss Alps, Julian Alps, French Alps, and North America. My last five years in the Corps were primarily spent doing mountain warfare. Mostly two-party cliff assault. There’s nothing like sleeping on the side of a cliff, 1,500 feet off the ground, with another 1,500 foot climb waiting on you at daybreak. Those were great days!


That’s a custom 29” version of the 1993 model GT build by Craig Turner…Gary Turners son…they still make bikes under the Gary Turner name. I just had some old school decals on it for a while. This was the first disc brake Turner ever made…I love everything about it…especially the hydraulic 4 piston brake.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> Your wife wasn’t wrong. lol
> I was in a very “country” part of Japan…just small back roads and 2 lanes up and down mountains. I’d go back tomorrow if I could.


Not to detail your build log but once when visiting my mom with my brother we were walking around Tokyo and stopped at Wendy's to eat. I typically always have something to drink with me so when we went to leave, I just grabbed my cup of coke and got ready to go.
My mom kept telling me I need to finish it and throw it away. But I insisted I needed something to drink since we had more walking to do.

So anyways, I ended up carrying around a damn empty Wendy's cup for like 2hrs bc there are no trash cans anywhere..


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Mic10is said:


> Not to detail your build log but once when visiting my mom with my brother we were walking around Tokyo and stopped at Wendy's to eat. I typically always have something to drink with me so when we went to leave, I just grabbed my cup of coke and got ready to go.
> My mom kept telling me I need to finish it and throw it away. But I insisted I needed something to drink since we had more walking to do.
> 
> So anyways, I ended up carrying around a damn empty Wendy's cup for like 2hrs bc there are no trash cans anywhere..


it took me a couple days to realize that most vending machines had them (small but usually easy to toss a few things) and those are on every corner.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

South Korea is also amazing


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

I used to race HARO GT


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## preston (Dec 10, 2007)

Car Audio and BMX. Must be a connection. We all know about BikinPunk of course, one of the grandfathers of this forum (Erin Harding). I grew up on BMX bikes although I was never any good at 'em, fully hardcore MTB'er myself.


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## Don THOTS (Dec 31, 2021)

Zamn


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## Freakquency (8 mo ago)

Again I'll repeat. I haven't done this life thing correctly. Great stories to read.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> I oversaw a project for Sumitomo and stayed in Imabari…about 500 southwest of Tokyo. You were closest in Kyoto. I did that road trip one weekend then rode BMX bikes all over Tokyo at night with a local BMX group. I had a blast. My bike goes with me on all my extended work trips.
> View attachment 358475


Man next time - this sounds like a blast. 

I actually started my trip going to find my old college roommate living in the Shiga Prefecture which was a bit of an adventure because after I hit the 3rd unique train/subway/bus system, there aren't anymore translations on any of the signage nor do you find any locals that know Engligh at all but I scraped my way through it. I enjoyed being able to see the more rural side of Japan for a couple days - he lived in a small town with that housed a Panasonic factory and flower farming.

When in the cities, I lived on his stuff on the days when we were walking 30,000+ steps in the humidity no ones tells you about. What I would give to have this stuff state side. If you know, you know.










Mic10is said:


> I took my wife to Japan for our honeymoon, she also cried when we left. She said even the dirt in Japan is cleaner than the US  .
> 
> We are hoping to go back next year for my daughter's senior trip.
> 
> All our time is spent around Tokyo since my mom lived in Chiba prefecture. So hoping to make it to Kyoto and Osaka next time.


Yeah the cleanliness and respect for keeping it that way is truly universal - I love it. The toilets in the airports were 10x cleaner than any public restroom you will experience in the states. No exaggeration.

Kyoto I feel can be covered in a few days but offers so much of the cultural side of Japan. I was visiting my old college roommate, who had been in southern Japan for a couple of years at that point, who was able to show me around the outskirts of Kyoto which has tons amazing temples and outpost to visit.

Osaka had my favorite food scene of anywhere - especially for seafood. Also had amazing shopping. 

Dotonbori was a really cool place for street food and to walk around for a day and is within striking distance of Osaka. Try the octopus in that area, so good.
















The fiance and I are strongly leaning having our honeymoon in Japan in a couple of year. This time I want to explore some of the extremities - go skiiing/boarding on Hokkaido and go visit Hiroshima as well as some of the southern islands.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> Man next time - this sounds like a blast.
> 
> I actually started my trip going to find my old college roommate living in the Shiga Prefecture which was a bit of an adventure because after I hit the 3rd unique train/subway/bus system, there aren't anymore translations on any of the signage nor do you find any locals that know Engligh at all but I scraped my way through it. I enjoyed being able to see the more rural side of Japan for a couple days - he lived in a small town with that housed a Panasonic factory and flower farming.
> 
> ...


I drank my weight in Pocari Sweat. lol
If you’re considering the southern islands to visit I can’t recommend Ehime Prefecture enough. Easy connecting flight to Matsuyama from Tokyo and every direction you go is mind blowing. The small towns are so much cooler than the cities.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> I drank my weight in Pocari Sweat. lol
> If you’re considering the southern islands to visit I can’t recommend Ehime Prefecture enough. Easy connecting flight to Matsuyama from Tokyo and every direction you go is mind blowing. The small towns are so much cooler than the cities.
> View attachment 358563
> 
> ...


I'm sold.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

RickWilson said:


> Man next time - this sounds like a blast.
> 
> I actually started my trip going to find my old college roommate living in the Shiga Prefecture which was a bit of an adventure because after I hit the 3rd unique train/subway/bus system, there aren't anymore translations on any of the signage nor do you find any locals that know Engligh at all but I scraped my way through it. I enjoyed being able to see the more rural side of Japan for a couple days - he lived in a small town with that housed a Panasonic factory and flower farming.
> 
> ...


I can get Pocari Sweat locally here at our Asian stores. One even has packets so you can mix your own. If you want, Id be happy to pick you up some next time I am there.
I actually have a 1L bottle and some small bottles in our pantry right now.
I prefer Aquarius. similar enough taste but usually cheaper, but I havent found that in US


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Like the hood release you followed that , the passanger doesn’t have that, so the curve in door shape perhaps ,


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

UNBROKEN said:


> I guess technically it’s my 2nd but it’s a much larger scale than the little sail panels I did for my tweeters. It’s a little daunting to commit to something this big for the first time. lol


thats your 2nd set of panels (wow) nice!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

oabeieo said:


> Like the hood release you followed that , the passanger doesn’t have that, so the curve in door shape perhaps ,


Yea…it’s not perfect around the hood release indention but the carpet will hide that. I think I’m gonna lay some 1/8” CCF in that spot to make sure the carpet fits nice and tight. It’s hard to see in the pics but the passenger side is spot on with no gaps. Cutting both of those was the most nerve wracking part of the whole process so far.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well…I’m home but it appears I drug the flu with me from Mexico. I tried to piddle with it today but I just don’t have the energy yet. I lined the inside with the “deflex” type pads that come with SoundSkins speaker rings. Will they help? Dunno…but I don’t see them hurting. I’m gonna put them on the a-pillar itself behind the speakers as well.
That and a final sanding and test fit was all I had the gas to do today. Hopefully I’ll have more energy tomorrow. 
The upholstery shop called while I was gone…my floor mats are done and I also had them add matching white stitching around my dash mat. I’ll pick that stuff up Tuesday.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Those look good, where do you have them pointing? Looks like you are shooting for them to pointing pretty high.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Those look good, where do you have them pointing? Looks like you are shooting for them to pointing pretty high.


They’re aimed a bit behind the rear view mirror…I wanna say 6” but I honestly can’t remember. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

What is the expected benefit of that location? Legitimately curious.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> What is the expected benefit of that location? Legitimately curious.


I just liked the way they sounded when I test fired them in multiple directions.


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## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Merry Christmas. 🎁🎄 

hope your having a good day…


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Powering through still being sick today….got the lead shot milkshake done and both pods carpeted along with the rivnuts in place. Tomorrows list:
Finish CLD inside floor. 
CCF back side of pods. 
Blackhole Tiles in pods and floor. 
Run speaker wire. 
Water shield in place. 
Bolt pods in place. 
Install speakers.

And that should wrap these up minus the grilles. I still couldn’t resist a look at what’s to come.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Looks fantastic man. So close!


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

@UNBROKEN, looks great but, how are you going to keep your left foot off that? (lol)


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Those look great. Can’t wait to hear your updates on the sound!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> @UNBROKEN, looks great but, how are you going to keep your left foot off that? (lol)


I have back issues so my left foot stays back by the seat…has for decades.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

And they will have grills over them???


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> And they will have grills over them???


Absolutely. As soon as I wrap everything up with these and the pillars I’ll take care of grilles and trim rings for both.


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## Flygts (Aug 17, 2021)

Those look great!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Ran by and grabbed my stuff from the upholstery shop. They sewed the border back on after I cut the mats to fit and matched the oem white stitching then I had them do the same stitching on my dash mat.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

Man! That looks so nice!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Yeah it does!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Ok…making real progress today.
got the inner floor deadened and Blackhole tiles in place. Driver side pod is 18lbs. Passenger side is 17.5lbs. They’re solid AF.









Weathershield in place.










Blackhole tiles in the pod wherever I could.









I had some leftover SoundSkins speaker rings so I used them to make sure the pod is sealed to the floor. There’s a small hole (3 sq/in) on the side that vents down into the subframe so I have the pod opened up there as well. Also added 1/8” CCF on the back of the pod to decouple them.









Speaker connections nice and tidy.









And the speaker mounted for good. Nothing left but build the grilles.


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## Dgan21 (Mar 25, 2021)

Looks great wow


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

20 lbs pods. God damn I love it. Can’t wait to hear your impressions once you get them tuned. Would love to know where you end up crossing them and how low they go.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

RickWilson said:


> 20 lbs pods. God damn I love it. Can’t wait to hear your impressions once you get them tuned. Would love to know where you end up crossing them and how low they go.


That’s for Jeffery Hald to figure out. lol
Hopefully be tuned by mid-Jan.

I also have about 10lbs of #8 lead shot left over I’d be happy to send to anyone that needs it.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> That’s for Jeffery Hald to figure out. lol
> Hopefully be tuned by mid-Jan.
> 
> I also have about 10lbs of #8 lead shot left over I’d be happy to send to anyone that needs it.


I’ll PM you my shipping address


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

A-pillars are done. Wrapped in suede, “deflex” pad behind midrange and CLD on back side.
Tomorrow I’ll wrap up the whole front stage and dive into the DSP and RCA swap.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

those came out great!


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

That looks awesome


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

How does that suade blend compared with the original? My installer is having trouble finding a match. The ebony he is finding is too dark by comparison.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

It’ll blend in with the black suede dash mat…so close enough. I found a headliner material that’s really close but it didn’t have enough stretch to work around the curves so I threw it away and grabbed the suede. If I stumble across an exact match one day then recovering the pillars is pretty easy.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Please let me know if you find a match and I'll do the same. I don't have a dash mat, so it may stand out more on mine. Like you said though, it's easy enough to recover.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Front end is back together and everything plays. Not retuned and TA is off for sure but it all works. Now to tackle the back end with wiring, RCA’s and new DSP.


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## Sam b (Oct 10, 2020)

That looks absolutely ridiculous. I love it


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

That  is bad a$$. I would be terrified of putting my foot through that driver though. Grill or no grill. One of my original builds had crappy qlogic kicks back in the late 90s, and my grill had scuffs all over it.


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## MythosDreamLab (Nov 28, 2020)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> That  is bad a$$. I would be terrified of putting my foot through that driver though. Grill or no grill. One of my original builds had crappy qlogic kicks back in the late 90s, and my grill had scuffs all over it.


SAME HERE, you take your truck to the dealer and it raining and the "Lot Boy" puts his foot thru a $1200 woofer.. or your driving a sick relative to the doctor and a high-heel pokes out the passenger side woofer, or at a car wash, a vallet, a mechanic does the same thing..............no thanks, I'd GRILL them...


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

MythosDreamLab said:


> SAME HERE, you take your truck to the dealer and it raining and the "Lot Boy" puts his foot thru a $1200 woofer.. or your driving a sick relative to the doctor and a high-heel pokes out the passenger side woofer, or at a car wash, a vallet, a mechanic does the same thing..............no thanks, I'd GRILL them...


I’ve said numerous times that they will have grilles. I need to finish all my work on it so I can get it over to Tam Nguyen’s shop to measure and cut the rings to make them. I don’t have a router table like he does and it needs to be too precise to even try a hand cut with a jig saw for the midrange trim ring.


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## Gurpreet (Sep 6, 2011)

That looks amazing! I'm working on the same setup for my front. I'm curious to see what your impressions will be going to IB.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Today was a pain in the ass. I disassembled the entire false floor and gutted the back of the car. The Ultra just barely fit where the DSP.3 was. I gave up on trying to get the tiny screws in to mount it and went medieval with some 2.5” wood screws. Then I moved and re-ran all of the power and grounds just because EMMA’s damn install rule says you need access to the fuses within 3 minutes…we’ll now it’s down to about 30 seconds. I used every inch of space on both sides. The enclosure and subs are back in…I’ll remount the amps and finish off the rest of the wiring tomorrow. I’m beat after 8 straight hours on it today. The +/- wiring isn’t as straight as it was before but it’s safe, functional and won’t lose me points again for lack of access


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Time to fire it back up. This is as good as it gets while I’m still fighting off the flu.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Well…that’ll rip your face off if you want it to. I loaded my old tune, dropped the midbass to 60 and did a very rudimentary reset on the midbass TA. Jeff Hald will wrap up the tune but I can safely say it’s gonna be ridiculous.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

My buddy is gonna waterjet the grille inserts tomorrow from 3/16” stainless with a 1” hexagon pattern. Those will be inset flush into Birch rings then wrapped in grille cloth to keep small particles off the speakers. They’ll be plenty strong for the occasional foot whacking them and still fit into EMMA’s install specs.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I suck at CAD so this took way longer than it should but here’s the grille I came up with. Again…3/16” thick stainless with 1/8” between all the hexagons. It should be pretty damn stout after it’s epoxied into a birch ring.


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## Freakquency (8 mo ago)

I really wish I could do kick panels. I just cannot sacrifice the leg room. You did a great job with these


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Freakquency said:


> I really wish I could do kick panels. I just cannot sacrifice the leg room. You did a great job with these


I didn’t particularly want to…but I couldn’t see accomplishing what I’m trying to any other way.


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## Freakquency (8 mo ago)

UNBROKEN said:


> I didn’t particularly want to…but I couldn’t see accomplishing what I’m trying to any other way.


It's funny....I'm running w800 neos in my doors and actually experienced a little tactile feedback in the floor of all places on a particular song. Let me know that i'm getting some solid impact going with my drivers but know that they are in a far than ideal location and that I also need to deaden my floor lol.

If I had the option (and skillset) like you, I would have done the same.

Question for you....what is your Zero 3 powering in this build?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Freakquency said:


> It's funny....I'm running w800 neos in my doors and actually experienced a little tactile feedback in the floor of all places on a particular song. Let me know that i'm getting some solid impact going with my drivers but know that they are in a far than ideal location and that I also need to deaden my floor lol.
> 
> If I had the option (and skillset) like you, I would have done the same.
> 
> Question for you....what is your Zero 3 powering in this build?


The pair of C12XL’s


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## Freakquency (8 mo ago)

UNBROKEN said:


> The pair of C12XL’s


copy that.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Picking these up at lunch.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Those are nice and look pretty thick.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Those are nice and look pretty thick.


He was out of 3/16”…wound up using 1/4”. They’ll still fit where I need…they’ll just be even stronger.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

Nobody's putting a foot through those


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Stycker said:


> Nobody's putting a foot through those


Right. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Even my concerns would be alleviated. The enclosure will break or bend before the grill. I like 'em.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

These are way more stout than even I thought. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

You did say you like to overdue things. 😁


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Oh yea…I spent 3 hours last night stripping the suede off the pillars and cleaning off all the glue. I decided I just didn’t love the look. Batting around ideas but definitely gonna do something else.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Have you thought of vinyl or leather? Do you know where and what MTI sourced for your pillars they did?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Have you thought of vinyl or leather? Do you know where and what MTI sourced for your pillars they did?


Those were headliner material with the foam still on it. I hate squishy pillars. I think I'm
gonna try this roll of grille cloth I have sitting here.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Closer by the day. Spent a few hours with Tam Nguyen today. Had him cover my a-pillars since I just plain suck at upholstery then he cut the rings for my midbass grilles. We also made a test piece for the midrange trim ring and he’s gonna grab the right thickness black acryllic and make those for me asap. And of course now I have a different idea for the grilles so these will be my daily beater grilles. lol
The new ones will have a polished black acrylic ring to match the midrange and I’m having new grilles cut to match the Focal grille shape…those will be the “show” grilles. 

















I’m doing the finished grilles with cap screws so they match the subs and tweeters…kind of a theme I suppose. 









The midranges are clocked off level to get the speaker connections where I need them…they’ll be 100% covered anyway with the trim rings. 









And just as a reminder the trim rings will be similar to these which I believe Nick did a while back.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Did you windup using the headliner material for the pillars. Looks good.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Did you windup using the headliner material for the pillars. Looks good.


No…that’s some heavy grille cloth Tam had at the shop.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Looks nice, looks almost like the factory material in the pick. I'm gonna go check on pillars, I really didn't want suede.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Looks nice, looks almost like the factory material in the pick. I'm gonna go check on pillars, I really didn't want suede.


Yea I liked it but I didn’t love it…I think I love this new stuff. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I'll see if I can find the material, and if he did mine in suede and just hasn't called me yet, I'll see if I can't source some from somewhere.


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

UNBROKEN said:


> Closer by the day. Spent a few hours with Tam Nguyen today. Had him cover my a-pillars since I just plain suck at upholstery then he cut the rings for my midbass grilles. We also made a test piece for the midrange trim ring and he’s gonna grab the right thickness black acryllic and make those for me asap. And of course now I have a different idea for the grilles so these will be my daily beater grilles. lol
> The new ones will have a polished black acrylic ring to match the midrange and I’m having new grilles cut to match the Focal grille shape…those will be the “show” grilles.
> View attachment 360482
> 
> ...


Tam is a great dude! Very nice job on those pillars - my installer was going to do Alcantara / Vinyl on the pillars in the BRZ - due to timing / availability - he put black grill cloth as a temp solution that became a permanent solution - just looked good. My current pillars weren’t covered for a year - looking at smooth, grey slick sand - we finally flocked them, and they look incredible (had no previous experience with that). Those Focal drivers look incredible. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

Nice looking pillars!


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

New midbass grilles are in the works…but my addiction to taper head titanium cap screws got the best of me. $95 for 16 M3x10mm…bastards!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I almost copied you and tried titanium. Then I saw the cost and said NOPE! I've probably spent that much on SS HEX Head screws, but I every size from 1mm to 10mm and probably have well over 2,000 screws. Hey, we like what we like though.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> I almost copied you and tried titanium. Then I saw the cost and said NOPE! I've probably spent that much on SS HEX Head screws, but I every size from 1mm to 10mm and probably have well over 2,000 screws. Hey, we like what we like though.


Ti is not a rabbit hole I would recommend going down. It all started with one of my BMX bikes…wish I had never started. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

When I was in the Army, I had some tools made of titanium such as a mine probe and a couple other things. Then we got a titanium PAN Disrupter for renderting IEDs safe, that thing was super lite and way better than what we had. It's cool stuff, but stupid expensive.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> Ti is not a rabbit hole I would recommend going down. It all started with one of my BMX bikes…wish I had never started. lol


I recently watched a small documentary on the Boeing 787 design and manufacturing process and they spend heavy time on the material breakdown of the plane which notably had 50% composites (this is primarily the impregnated carbon fiber that replaces the typical aluminum used for the wings and fuselage) and 15% Titanium. I know the primary choice for using Ti was because it's closest readily available alloy to carbon in alkalinity to reduce corrosion when fastening pieces of carbon together, but, willy expensive.

Boeing's primary focus after getting the plane into production was to reduce use or find an alternate approach to Titanium as it was biggest pain point financially. They ended up finding a company that could actually 3D print Titanium with alloy wire. I can't even imagine what that process cost to develop.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

New grille file that went to the Fine Line Cutting…I like these better. I really like that they’ll be set into polished black acrylic rings instead of wrapped.


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## Stycker (Jan 31, 2018)

UNBROKEN said:


> New grille file that went to the Fine Line Cutting…I like these better. I really like that they’ll be set into polished black acrylic rings instead of wrapped.
> View attachment 361522


Me too


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## doitor (Aug 16, 2007)

Wainting for version 75 of the grille when you put the Focal logo in the middle. lol.








It was a joke but found them on Crutchfield.









J.


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