# New install for me TA...



## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

*New install for my TA...*

Well guys, I ended up going off the deep-end and decided I would leave this installation 'to the professionals' and dropped the car off at a high-end custom shop... Besides the audio install I am also having them cover everything in leather and suede as well as 'finishing off' some other details as well...

For an overview of the audio setup, here is the equipment:

Headunit: Alpine IVA-D900
Nav unit: Alpine NVE-852a
Processor: Alpine PXA-H701
Proc Controller: Alpine RUX-C701
Front Tweeter/Center Amp: ESX Q1204 (150x4 realworld)
Front Midbass Amp: ESX Q2752 (325x2 realworld)
Rear Component Amp: ESX 1752 (200x2 realworld)
Subwoofer Amp: ESX Q4751 (1100x1 into 2 ohms measured)
Balanced line drivers: ESX
Front Tweeters: SEAS Neo Aluminum
Front Midbass: CDT Audio M6
Rear Components: CDT HD-62 w/560i crossovers
Center Channel: 2 CDT HD-4 mids w/SEAS Neo Al Tweeters and 560i crossovers
Subwoofers: 2 TCSounds TC2+ 12" single 4 ohm drivers (parallel for 2 ohm load)
Wiring: Kicker S-Series 0/1 gauge, 4 gauge, 12 gauge and 16 gauge
Fuseholders: Kicker
Extra Battery: Exide Orbital 34XCD
Battery Isolator: Stinger 200amp
Subwoofer enclosure: 1.1cu/ft sealed per sub

Front stage will be fully active, center channel passive, rear fill passive...

Now I dropped off the car with the following already done:

-Headunit installed
-Nav unit installed
-Headunit brain installed
-all wiring already run
-sub enclosure in 'rough form'

For the install here is what they are doing:

- Building a metal amp-rack that will allow 3 of the 4 amplifiers to 'float'
- Building a false floor under the amprack to hide the wiring
- Mounting all fuse holders, distro blocks, passive crossovers
- Mounting of the processor and balanced line drivers
- Installation of the rear components
- Installation of front components, including custom door pods
- Installation of tweeters in dash
- Installation of center channel in dash
- Smoothing and covering of all plastic interior panels with leather/suede
- Smoothing and covering of subwoofer enclosure
- Custom upholstery including recovering of seats, door panels, upper dash pad, shift boot, center console lid, etc in leather and Alcantera suede 
- Dying of dash to match
ie, a complete custom interior for the most part, much more than just the stereo installation...

You guys REALLY don't want to know the pricetag of the work being done, but suffice to say that after having spent well in excess of $60k-70k on modifications to the car over the past 10 years (and yes, before this work the car has never had anyone but me doing any work on it, so that is all in parts) I figure spending another 10-15% on some truely excellent work (the place doing the work are true craftsman with amazing attention to details) it is worth it to be 'done' with the car... I should also mention that I am going for SQ first and foremost but with the ability to get disgustingly loud and stay clean if I really want it to... The car has over 1000hp being a 383 with supercharger, aftercooler and a programmable fully auto progressive nitrous system as well, so the idea of 'plenty of excess' is appropriate... So I guess it would be considered a SQL setup then?

After all this is done it goes in for paint and I should be ready...

I will get some pics of the installation progress put up ASAP...

If anyone has any feedback in driver selection and design I would greatly appreciate it... 

Since there is so much being spent already on everything, if anyone has any ideas on improvements to the drivers I would more than welcome the input (the amps/headunit/processor are staying no matter what)... At the moment I am leaning towards trying to find a shallow midrange and making the front stage an active (midbass to midrange/tweeter)
/ passive (midrange to tweeter) hybrid setup... I just don't know if a midbass with limited upper range (plays to 3-4k) is going to blend well with the Seas Neo tweeters and remain clean and clear at high volume levels...


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## agentk98 (Oct 31, 2006)

*Re: New install for my TA...*

Wow! What's the car?


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## Xander (Mar 20, 2007)

*Re: New install for my TA...*

Awesome, I'm excited about this and it's not even my car! So...can you tell us what kind of car it is, or are you gonna make us guess?

I'd love to see some pictures, maybe it will inspire me. Thanks for starting the thread, I like reading stuff like this


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

sounds like it will be a very nice setup. cant wait to see some pics. few questions though:

1. will the D900 not control the h701?
2. if you are using the h701, why is you center channel and rear channels going to be passive?
3. what kind of car is all this going into?
4. is the shop going to spend any timeaiming and tuning your front stage or are they just doing a generic install?


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## dewi1219 (Nov 16, 2006)

*Re: New install for my TA...*



Xander said:


> Awesome, I'm excited about this and it's not even my car! So...can you tell us what kind of car it is, or are you gonna make us guess?
> 
> I'd love to see some pictures, maybe it will inspire me. Thanks for starting the thread, I like reading stuff like this


I believe TA = Trans Am


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Sorry guys, yes the car is a 1995 Pontiac Trans-Am, specs of the car itself:

43k original miles (I ordered the car new and took delivery after 3 months of waiting)
Black Exterior
Graphite cloth interior (which was converted to leather before custom work)
T-Tops
6-speed manual transmission
Originally a 5.7l V8 from the factory


Now, as for what has been done to the car (quick overview):

383 ci stroker motor, fully forged, parts list is over 2 pages itself
Custom fuel system to support over 1000hp
Vortech SQ Trim supercharger
Vortech Aftercooler
Northstar ignition system conversion
Street Twin dual disc clutch setup w/billet aluminum flywheel
NX Maximizer 2 nitrous setup
Innovate LC-1 wideband
Strange Dana60 rear end w/3.55 gears
S&W Racecars subframe/crossmember/torque arm setup
Boyd Coddington Fury wheels on Signature series hoops, 17x9.5" front, 17x11" rear w/315 Nitto drag radials
VIS carbon fiber cowl hood (to get heat out of the engine compartment)

I don't want to bore you guys with the extended list, which is about 8 pages long, but needless to say the only thing that hasn't been replaced with aftermarket parts is the stock transmission, I mean all the details have been attended to, such as shocks/springs/fuel cooler/wiring upgrades/etc...

The car has been one of those 'passion' things since I bought it in '95... You know, 5 different motor setups, 4 different supercharger setups, literally 3000-4000 of hours spent wrenching/fabbing/tuning/etc... But it has been built from a 'ultimate street car' ideal with function over form where applicable, such as the cowl hood, as it was chosen because of the ability to get heat out of the engine compartment more than it was for looks (I may well end up painting the entire thing black if I can't find a classy way of showing off a carbon fiber accent or two, as I can't really stand an all-carbon fiber look)...

I'll have a set of links for pictures posted later today...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

bobditts said:


> sounds like it will be a very nice setup. cant wait to see some pics. few questions though:
> 
> 1. will the D900 not control the h701?
> 2. if you are using the h701, why is you center channel and rear channels going to be passive?
> ...


1. The D900 can control the H701, except for a couple of options that are only available via the faceplate, thus I want all options available...

2. The H701 only has single channel outputs for center, rear left and rear right, thus I have to run passive networks for those channels (of course I could add yet 2 more amplifiers with built-in crossovers and run active for those channels with the amplifier crossovers, but don't really think it is necessary)

3. '95 Pontiac Trans-Am

4. They are going to determine best tweeter placement for the front stage (outside of the center channel) once it is finished to the point of listening to it...

Like I mentioned, they seem to think the robust center channel will suffice and that I should leave the front stage as a simple 2-way setup with the M6s and Seas Neo tweeters, but I am still leaning towards adding a dedicated midrange driver and passively crossing the mid/tweeter at around 5k-6k or so... I mean maybe the 2-way setup will work just fine and I am being too apprehensive, but my concern is that they will 'proceed as planned' and once they modify the dash top I will be stuck with what is done...

In my case I am the 'anal retentive' type that questions just about anything and everything and want to be involved in every step of the way... And for the first few weeks I was there pretty much every day or other day... Now I try to keep it to 1 or 2 visits a week...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Oh, I forgot to mention the Alpine alarm system that was already installed prior as well as the Alpine CHA-S634 6-disc CD changer/mp3 player I custom mounted in the glovebox as well (the RUX-C701 controller will mount below the CD changer in the glovebox, but will be removeable so it can be useful for tuning)...


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## STI<>GTO (Aug 8, 2005)

Don't be afraid to let them know what you expect - without becoming annoying. It's your car, your equipment, and your money. I do hope that you (or they, for that matter) have not placed any unrealistic deadlines on the install, as custom installs almost always take longer than planned. Also, depending on how the installers are paid, big custom jobs are not the money makers. They need time to bang out a deck-and-two, remote start, etc... now and again. As long as you both have realistic expectations, it _should_ be a relatively pain-free process.


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

STI<>GTO said:


> Don't be afraid to let them know what you expect - without becoming annoying. It's your car, your equipment, and your money. I do hope that you (or they, for that matter) have not placed any unrealistic deadlines on the install, as custom installs almost always take longer than planned. Also, depending on how the installers are paid, big custom jobs are not the money makers. They need time to bang out a deck-and-two, remote start, etc... now and again. As long as you both have realistic expectations, it _should_ be a relatively pain-free process.


Yeah, they have had the car since late February and originally planned to have it back by now, but with teh change of scope and budget it will look like they will be done by the end of this month so I can get teh car in for paint and have it ready by the weekend of the 12-13th of May, so it is well planned out time-wise... And you are right, they have been taking care of plenty of other vehicles while mine is there... Actually with the windshield out now and it as torn apart as it is, it is the 'big project' they get to show off to customers on walk-throughs...

I just want to have decisions made and 'know' the given direction before it is 'too late' or 'money is already spent' on getting things to a point where it is decided they need to change...

I mean hell, I am almost at the point cost wise, I am ready to say 'f-it', what is the best sounding tweeter/midbass component set that money can buy with a full active crossover setup and mounting of the midbass in the doors and tweeters in the a-pillars or dash and just buying it and knowing I won't have to mess with it and I don't even have to consider a seperate midrange... But alas I have yet to find that 'nirvana' setup and usually will either end up with a setup that can really get loud but just doesn't have the best acoustics, or a setup that is great sounding at low to moderate volumes, but when pushed just falls apart...

Again, any suggestions are more than welcome...


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## CaliforniaBoy5 (Apr 4, 2007)

WOW> i cant wait to see this.. . I have a camaro and i'd love to see what you do with it.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Ok, if you are asking for opinons...

I had a 97 T/A Ram Air, so I know the car well enough.

You need a ton of sound deadener on it. Everywhere. Leave no place undone. Ensolite everything. 
I'd probably remove CDT from my list of speakers worth installing in such a high end job. Scan-Speak, SEAS, or Peerless Exclusives would be my suggestion.
Do it with a 3-way setup. If you want to keep it brand-name, go with Alpine F1 status, thats Scan-speak.
Ditch the rears. Seriously. A 2 seater car won't need them. Hell my 5 door hatch doesn't.
I'm not sure about center, but do what you want there. I think you'd be fine whichever way you go.
I think thats all. I cant think of much else. Bad-ass car. I wouldn't want to come up against you on the streets, thats for sure.


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Yeah, that is one thing I forgot to mention, was the sound deadening...

I put about 125 sq/ft of Second Skin Damplifier on the car (including 2+ layers on the doors themselves), as well as a gallon of Spectrum Sludge in the rear sidepanels/quarters... I finished off with a layer of eD V4 (basically 1/4" thick ensolite with a pre-applied adhesive) on everything including the inner door skins... So, I think I got the sound deadening covered well enough, especially for this car...  

Considering that all the CDT Audio drivers I have used are OEM'd Vifa PL series drivers, I think they are solid choices, and thier crossovers are actually very well designed with high-quality parts, so again I feel they are a solid solution used where needed...

Plus, with the H701 I am certain I have enough flexibility to take care of any issues I may end up running into sound-wise...

In regards to the 3-way up front, I have come to a 'real-world' realization, in that if you use Pro Logic II Music setting on the processor you end up with a VERY enjoyable experience that steers the majority of the midrange to the center channel and allows for a solid solution considering the fidelity and power going to the center channel itself... In other words it may not be pure 100% stereo unprocessed, but from the 'enjoyment' standpoint it should make excellent acoustical impact... I got feedback from quite a few experts in the industry, including some head-techs from Alpine and Tymphany, and they pretty much feel the same way, that for the vehicle, the setup and the end goal it will work out great with a solid center channel solution, compared to 90+% of the center channels that are wimpy and underpowered, and that a 3-way for the front left/right would be 'ideal' it may not be 'necessary' to make the install and end-product a 100% success... Same goes for the 'rear-fill' in that it is there to allow for real 5.1 for theatre use, as well as for 'fill' with the t-tops off... Hell I will probably end up switching the rear components to M6 and Seas Neos just to match everything else...

Fact of the matter is I am building the car for ME to enjoy, not to win sound-off competitions in SQ or SPL... It WILL sound phenomenal and blow anyone away that is rowing through the gears while driving the car, which is the ultimate end-result, enjoying the car while driving it...

Ideally I would have a vendor decide to to 'sponser' the car and drop all new drivers on me for nothing, in which case I would be happy to pimp thier products, but for my dime I picked the product line I felt had the accoustics and design that would allow for the best result cost-effectively... Could I have spent more on drivers, sure... Would they give me a better overall sonic experience, I can't be certain... Can I work with the decision made with a fairly high degree of confidence that with the options available I can get it 'tuned in' to the point I am giddy with delight, yes...

I appreciate the feedback, so in no way am I trying to start an argument, more or less just reaffirming my position... Like I said, if you guys can give me some ideas for better front-end drivers that have completely solid midbass and excellent fidelity in a 2-way with high power, active crossover, all the better... At this point another $1k on drivers in a non-issue...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Also, thanks on the props for the car... It is great when others can appreciate the amount of time/effort/blood/sweat that goes into our 'passions'...


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

absolutely! People take offense sometimes when they ask for suggestions or ideas, and they actually get them. Silly. But it sounds like you really did your homework, so I doubt there's anything much else to be said except TAKE LOTS OF PICS! and show them to us. And enjoy.


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

Sounds like a winner imo, i do have a question though, where did u find the balance line processor for the amps? i'm a true fan of ESX amps have almost all of their line except for maybe 2 amps. So I want to use the balance inputs just dont know how to go about doin this.Any info u can provide would be very helpful and highly appreciated.


thanks,


Micheal


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

sqguy said:


> Sounds like a winner imo, i do have a question though, where did u find the balance line processor for the amps? i'm a true fan of ESX amps have almost all of their line except for maybe 2 amps. So I want to use the balance inputs just dont know how to go about doin this.Any info u can provide would be very helpful and highly appreciated.


Well, back when Zed Audio liquidated the ESX amps from thier stock (was back in 1998-99 I believe), I decided on a Q4751 and as well as a Q1204, and while I had Steve on the line I inquired about the Balanced Line Drivers (BLD-1 as they are modeled) and picked up 4 of them... Turns out I got serial # 0101, 0102, 0105 and 0108 I believe, and since they didn't sell too many I beleive they are within the first 10 produced (ie the 01 prefix pertains to the production run)...

Anyways, from everything I gathered about the BLDs they are the 'industry standard' for mini-din balanced drivers, in that the Pheonix Gold BLDs should work, the Zapco BLDs should work and there is another BLD out there that should work as well... 

In the pinout the major difference between the Zed Audio design is that the amplifiers supply the operating voltage for the BLDs themselves via the connection cable, where-as the rest of the designs have the BLDs powered independantly of the amplifiers... I really like the Zed Audio design as there is only a set of RCAs and a mini-din cable running to the BLDs...

I can get you pictures of the BLDs if you so desire as well as the pinout for the standard BLD cables (non-powered), as I should have a picture/description on one of my systems...

For my install, it is almost a crime to use the BLDs, as the cable run length is all of 3-4 feet at most (the cables are 18 ft), and I had to modify one of the cable to make it a y-cable for the sub amplifier... Really, the only reason I used the BLDs was for asthetics, as the wiring to the amps are exposed, thus I felt a simple black mini-din cable was nicer looking than most RCA cables (I am pretty picky and have yet to find any nice gun-metal or platinum or even acceptable gold RCA cables with black cable that I really liked, outside of maybe the Dayton Audio ones, but they have that fugly red/white strip on the interconnect )... Actually the Q1752 that is hidden in the trunk well does not use a BLD at all since I used all 4 on the 3 amps that will be seen... But on like the Q4751 if I don't have the 2 mini-din cables running into it I would have to have 4 RCA interconnects... I almost considered modifying the input board and bridging all the inputs internally to allow for a single cable hookup at one point to get around that requirement...


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## ACRucrazy (Mar 13, 2007)

*Re: New install for my TA...*

1000+hp small block?

When was it dynoed?

Nice list you have there


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

Oh ok man thanks, iwant to get the best sound i can get from these amps, and just didnt know how to get it done, so the only down fall u see is the the bld cables are short? Well i'm sure if i asked around nicely one of the DIY guys hers could make some longer ones up for me or instruct me on how to do it myself. ccant wait to see your completed install. i own Q475, Q1204, Q275, 2-Q604 and lastly 2-Q75



Mike


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

Alos i saw that some guy sugested that u not use rear fill but arent u building a 5.1 surround system? if so then the rear speakers would be needed right? unless someone has found a way to doin it without using rear surround speakers
.



Mike


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

sqguy said:


> Oh ok man thanks, iwant to get the best sound i can get from these amps, and just didnt know how to get it done, so the only down fall u see is the the bld cables are short? Well i'm sure if i asked around nicely one of the DIY guys hers could make some longer ones up for me or instruct me on how to do it myself. ccant wait to see your completed install. i own Q475, Q1204, Q275, 2-Q604 and lastly 2-Q75


Actually the BLD cables I have are extremely long, 18 feet... They just wrapped up the excess...

As far as SQ is concerned, the BLD won't really improve that, all it does is guranteee that no noise gets into the signal path between the rca inputs of the BLD and the amplifiers themselves... In my installation the BLDs are within a foot or so of the processor with no power wires or other noise radiating equipment near it, thus no noise can enter the signal path before the BLD... From the BLD to the amps the cables run next to, over and a bunch of different ways around all the different power/ground cables, next to the fuel pump wiring, nitrous and air-bag system wiring, a nitrous bottle heater, electric bottle opener, etc, all without worrying about noise entering the signal path...

The only amplifier that is not BLD driven is the rear-fill amplifier, but that is also mounted by itself in the hatch well, with care taken so that no extra wiring is run next to the RCA cables that drive it...

In regards to the 5.1 setup, yes you need the rear channels for that... It is not only for 5.1 that I desire the rear channels, as I feel something is 'missing' if rear-fill is not there... The rears cannot over-power the fronts, but at the same time they do provide a sense of 'ambience' to the experience...

With the H701 processor, unless you are running one of the 'stereo enhancement' modes (such as prologic II music) with a stereo signal you will not normally get rear channel output, thus they have a rear-mix and a rear fill mode to produce the rear signal from a composite of the front signals...

I have a nice home theatre setup as well (major budget setup compared to the cars, but nice none-the-less with all satellite speakers having ribbon tweeters and about 1000watts available), I have on it all the various sound processing technologies (DTS, DTS Neo 6, Prologic II, DSP modes, etc) and I must say I pretty much prefer Prologic II Music mode over any of the others for stereo signal enhancement as it doesn't seem to 'color' the music, just pretty much steer it from just the 2 front speakers+sub in stereo to all 5.1 drivers in the setup (for reference the front two channels in PIIMusic are untouched, it just extrapolates the center channel and rear channels as well as enhanced LFE steering)... I have found DTS Neo 6 Music tends to do 'too much' in the way of modifying the source and it tends to sound quite different from the source material, so much so that some music sounds overpowering while others sound thin... At least that is my observation, so I am glad the H701 has Prologic II Music mode...


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

oh ok thanks for the insight, are u running any type of video sourse in ya car or just strickly audio?, i have the alpines pxa h510 that i'm thinkin about hookin up cause i want some video in my car, so i'll be good with just a good set of rcas for these amps huh? well like i said before cant wait to see the pics of ya system and if u have any ESx amps layin around that u not goin to use hit me up i'll take them off ya hands..........................lol


later dude,


Mike


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

'Extra' ESX amps???  

Actually, I used all 4 of mine on this install...

As far as sources, yes I have the Alpine IVA-D900 headunit which is a dvd source with fiber-optic output... It boasts the highest resolution of any display used in a flip-out headunit to date... It is a beautiful and clear display...

I am still trying to figure out a way to mount a 20-22" LCD monitor somewhere to watch while parked...  

I did go take pictures earlier today and will put together a webpage and provide a link, or does everyone prefer in-line photos? (I don't have a high-speed host for pictures, so if anyone has a link to a decent 'free' one, let me know)


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

oh ok yeah i know what u are saytin extra esx amps, well i tried good to hear about u takin the pics i've never posted pics on here so i dont know how its done. cant wait to see them.



Mike


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## 6APPEAL (Apr 5, 2007)

Big horsepower, with a clean system. Sweet! Same going in here, except in a GN. But you have a big headstart.
John


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok, here are some links to some pics...

These are on a cablemodem-based server, so please be patient...

The previous setup (Alpine CDA-7949, PXA-H600, CHA-S605, Proton Amps), as well as pics of the car before:

http://www.darklogic.net/MiscStuff/

Installation of sound deadening:

http://www.darklogic.net/SoundDeadening/

Current Installation:

http://www.darklogic.net/NewInteriorInstallPart12/

Pics of the new hood/wheels:

http://www.darklogic.net/VISCowlFirebirdHoodInstalled/

Enjoy...


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## birdie2000 (Jan 27, 2007)

Wow, looks great so far. Especially like the dash modification for the center channels. But by far the coolest thing there is the two guage pods molded into the gauge bezel. I've been involved in the f-body community for a number of years now and that is definitely one of the most unique interior modifications I've seen pulled off properly. Sounds like you'll have a hell of a nice ride!

Where are you located at anyways, and what shop is performing the installation?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Here was mine:










All stock '97 Ram Air. My father sold it to me when I was 22, and it had 14,000 miles on it. I would have installed a system in it but I felt keeping it dead stock would be better, since I have a habit of destroying an interior to build a system and I believed that since this was once my dad's favorite toy (he replaced it with a C5), if I cut into it he'd kill me....LOL. So it stayed stock.

BTW, try using Zaino Bros polishes on the black T/A, you can see from my pic that it worked well. I used to go to local shows and blow the judges away with how "wet" the paint looked.


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

birdie2000 said:


> Wow, looks great so far. Especially like the dash modification for the center channels. But by far the coolest thing there is the two guage pods molded into the gauge bezel. I've been involved in the f-body community for a number of years now and that is definitely one of the most unique interior modifications I've seen pulled off properly. Sounds like you'll have a hell of a nice ride!
> 
> Where are you located at anyways, and what shop is performing the installation?


Thanks for the kind words...

The gauge pods where one of the things I have been thinking about for the past 6-7 years, and when I decided to get the interior done properly it was one of the items high on the priority list... I originally wanted them pushed out further and further across, but as it turned out there really wasn't enough room to get the bezel back in place if done that way, so they figured out the best way to accomplish what I wanted... I may have them make a small additional modification of a shift light at the 12:00 position and maybe even integrate a radar detector set of indicators into the cluster itself... Depends on how much additional as I am still trying to keep some sort of budget here...

As far as the shop, they are Project Two Customs in Waukesha, WI... I am personally located in Greenfield, WI...


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

Wow! What a great ride. How hard is it to hear the audio system over the engine? 

You mentioned that you can get a picture of the "...pinout for the standard BLD cables (non-powered)." I would appreciate it if you could post that information. Also, can you post a mini write up on how you modified the BLD cable into a y-cable?

Thanks! Oh, if you want to go active on the rear, I have a Q75.2 that I am going to sell. I also have a Q175.2 but I need to find a Q275.2 or Q475.1 before I sell that one (sub amp).


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

omarmipi said:


> Wow! What a great ride. How hard is it to hear the audio system over the engine?
> 
> You mentioned that you can get a picture of the "...pinout for the standard BLD cables (non-powered)." I would appreciate it if you could post that information. Also, can you post a mini write up on how you modified the BLD cable into a y-cable?
> 
> Thanks! Oh, if you want to go active on the rear, I have a Q75.2 that I am going to sell. I also have a Q175.2 but I need to find a Q275.2 or Q475.1 before I sell that one (sub amp).


Actually, when the exhaust is configured to go through the muffler it is pretty darn quiet... Now stock quiet, of course, but nowhere near as bad as a vast majority of performance cars out there, especially f-bodies...

Here is the pinout I mentioned:










Please note that is the industry standard BLD cable, not the Zed one, as it does not list the phantom power supplied from the amp to the BLD...

As far as making a 'regular' cable into a y-cable, that is pretty simple... If you use a VOM and continuity check the pinout, you will notice the cables are straight through with pin1 male going to pin1 male, pin 2 male to pin2 male, etc... So, to make a y-cable, get a PS2 keyboard cable that has all 6 pins present (here is a tip, the only cables I could find that had all 6 were KVM cable sets), then cut the original cable in two, cut the PS2 cable end off, map the right colors to the right pins and then join pin 1 to 1 to 1 and so forth... Worked like a charm for my Q475.1 (which is what I assume you are doing this for)...

Also, I wouldn't mind picking up another ESX amp, PM me details and we'll talk...


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## sqguy (Oct 19, 2005)

Hey Omarmipi, how much u sellin the Q75.2 for? i wouldnt mind taking it off ya hand its good to see some Fellow ESX amp Guys on here. let me know k


Micheal


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

Thank you for the information dbphelps. I'm getting married next week so I will not have time to sell and buy stuff until next month. But I will give you guys the heads up before I list them.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

dbphelps said:


> Sorry guys, yes the car is a 1995 Pontiac Trans-Am, specs of the car itself:
> 
> 43k original miles (I ordered the car new and took delivery after 3 months of waiting)
> Black Exterior
> ...


Have you weighed the audio equipment? Is the suspension set up for a balance after the audio is added? I've never figured out why someone would build an engine/car such as this then ADD weight to it    

Is the rig removable in minutes to be able to make it track ready?

Chad


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## JRHAWK9 (Mar 9, 2007)

nice setup! Nice to see some fellow fbody guys here  

Here's my 2000 Firehawk:


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## Hi There (Mar 16, 2007)

That install's looking good...I wish I could do something like that with my JL amps, but the wiring is such that facing it toward the floor of the trunk would put the gain adjustments and such out of reach...which conflicts with my insatiable need to tweak settings.


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

chad said:


> Have you weighed the audio equipment? Is the suspension set up for a balance after the audio is added? I've never figured out why someone would build an engine/car such as this then ADD weight to it
> 
> Is the rig removable in minutes to be able to make it track ready?
> 
> Chad


The audio equipment and various stuff should weigh in around 175-200lbs total, with about 100lbs of that removeable (the extra battery is on industrial quick-disconnects and the sub box comes out)....

I originally planned to have the amp rack removeable as well, but it did not play out that way... Just too much 'stuff' to mess with to get it out without pulling amplifiers individually and the such... I did have a plan (and all the connectors) to have the amprack basically lock into place and everything connect below the rack, but alas it would be cost-prohibitive to let the shop take care of something so complex, so we shall see what ends up happening later this year... Who knows, I may still convert things to allow the amprack to come out as well, but for now it is being treated as a permanent fixture...

In regards to 'adding weight', I alwasy had a mantra that I don't want to give up features/options, thus you must always keep adding HP to offset the weight... That is how it got to where it is power-wise...

Overall the car shoudl weigh in around 4100-4200lbs total... I may be estimating high, but considering the car weighed in at 3920lbs about 7 years ago, and since then I have added a heavy rear-end, aftercoolr setup, wastespark ignition system, big brakes, rear airbag system and a very bigly radiator, I am fairly certain with the stereo offset above and beyond the previous setup (4 amplifiers, 10" stealthbox, etc) I am probably in the 4200lb range... Not light, but quite fast considering the power on tap (for reference the car produces to the wheels 325 ft/lbs of torque at 1500 rpm, 440 ft/lbs at 2500rpm, and >550 ft/lbs from 3500rpm up past 6500rpm, so torque and HP are in abundance)...

Oh, and the suspension (springs, shocks, sway bars, control arms, etc) are all chosen and tuned for the car, it's weight and the desired stance... That is what makes it liveable is that I can adjust the rear airbag pressures depending on if I want to launch hard (high pressure), if I want to roll through the twisties (low pressure) and even if I want people to sit in back and enjoy the ride (middle pressure)... I also have some 'tricks' built in so that it all isn't just a ton of buttons/switches all over the place as well...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

JRHAWK9 said:


> nice setup! Nice to see some fellow fbody guys here


Hey there, nice to see not only another f-body guy, but also a real 'local'... I see you all the time on the MFBA site and even the local BCM site at times... You are located in Janesville, right?


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## JRHAWK9 (Mar 9, 2007)

dbphelps said:


> Hey there, nice to see not only another f-body guy, but also a real 'local'... I see you all the time on the MFBA site and even the local BCM site at times... You are located in Janesville, right?


yep, that's me.

Dennis??? holy crap, it never clicked....lol I'm used to seeing your old screen name that you have on the other boards.

heck, I believe I will be attending the Project Two Customs show next month along with a bunch of other locals that Joel rounded up.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

dbphelps said:


> The audio equipment and various stuff should weigh in around 175-200lbs total, with about 100lbs of that removeable (the extra battery is on industrial quick-disconnects and the sub box comes out)....
> 
> I originally planned to have the amp rack removeable as well, but it did not play out that way... Just too much 'stuff' to mess with to get it out without pulling amplifiers individually and the such... I did have a plan (and all the connectors) to have the amprack basically lock into place and everything connect below the rack, but alas it would be cost-prohibitive to let the shop take care of something so complex, so we shall see what ends up happening later this year... Who knows, I may still convert things to allow the amprack to come out as well, but for now it is being treated as a permanent fixture...
> 
> ...


Juss wonderin. The rig in my truck is removable for that reason, comes out quick. I'm also making the rig in the Civic removable due to the fact that it will reside over the spare tire. I plan to do this with an EDAC/Elco connector for signal/remote. Neutrik NL8 for speakers, and a big-ol forklift disconnect for the power.

Did not know if you considered the same, you know, like if if you were a 1/4 track type of guy.

Chad


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## DonutHands (Jan 27, 2006)

hey chad, could you post links to where to buy those things you will be using to make your rig removeable?

i was looking into doing this but became discouraged as i didnt know what to look for or where to look for it.

thanks.


btw, those RCA connectors should be there any day now.


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## transaman98 (Feb 7, 2007)

Your TA sounds pretty sick. I just got done having heads, cam, longtubes, and nitrous installed on my '98 TA. Engine volume pretty much kills my stereo that I have in there now. I just got done pricing out 84sq. ft. of ensolite and 120sq. ft. of RAAMAT BXT. I think it will be well worth the money. Be sure to post up some pictures of your ride when it is done!!!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

internecine said:


> hey chad, could you post links to where to buy those things you will be using to make your rig removeable?
> 
> i was looking into doing this but became discouraged as i didnt know what to look for or where to look for it.
> 
> ...


I'll do that tomorrow hopefully. Got the connectors yesteday and got them soldered up. They will probably go back out tomorrow


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## OldOneEye (Jun 16, 2005)

dbphelps said:


> Anyways, from everything I gathered about the BLDs they are the 'industry standard' for mini-din balanced drivers, in that the Pheonix Gold BLDs should work, the Zapco BLDs should work and there is another BLD out there that should work as well...
> 
> In the pinout the major difference between the Zed Audio design is that the amplifiers supply the operating voltage for the BLDs themselves via the connection cable, where-as the rest of the designs have the BLDs powered independantly of the amplifiers... I really like the Zed Audio design as there is only a set of RCAs and a mini-din cable running to the BLDs...


Soundstream and Rockford used it as well. The BLT for the EPX2 (and the RFX-8250 as well). Zapcos have that nice locking sleeve, the others do not.

Juan


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## PolishDude (Oct 19, 2006)

JRHAWK9 said:


> nice setup! Nice to see some fellow fbody guys here
> 
> Here's my 2000 Firehawk:


nice wheels, i got the same ones


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## Scott Dodge (Nov 6, 2006)

Wow, a bunch of people in WI... I'll start a thread. We should get together sometime.


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## JRHAWK9 (Mar 9, 2007)

PolishDude said:


> nice wheels, i got the same ones


killer car! I am planning on adding a C5Z to my collection in the next few years. It will be between a C5Z and a C6, depending on what I can find used in good shape. I would love a C6Z, but I don't think they will quite be affordable enough for me, but who knows. The longer I wait the better chance I have at getting one


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok, a few more pics to add...


















































































The pods here will be covered with black suede and utilize grills that give the same rounded profile the rest of the speaker grills have... As a side note the openings for the speakers are MUCH larger than the stock speaker openings...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok, the dash got done so it is back in:

http://www.darklogic.net/NewInteriorInstallPart5/

Turned out quite nice for a complete dash recover...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Dash, instrument cluster, trim and everything else completely re-installed, along with the Alcantera suede headliner, a-pillars, t-top trim, as well as the door panels minus suede wrapped pods:

http://www.darklogic.net/NewInteriorInstallPart6/

Next week the windshield will get tinted and then reinstalled, the steering wheel will be recovered in black leather and color changed to match the dash, the door pods will be done and go on, and the leather seating will hopefully be finished up...


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok, final update before it is finished...

http://www.darklogic.net/NewInteriorInstallPart7/

Ok, this is the entire hatch area done, center console finished, suede shifter and e-brake boots, recovered/recolored steering wheel, tinted windshield is back in (50% tint), door panels are done, kickpanels covered, a-pillars back in and the rear seat back needing to be assembled with black carpet...

I must say, the front midbasses have so much bass output, without them high-passed they sound like an additional sub or two are turned on, they have that much bass output overall...

Also, all of the sound deadening was a HUGE success, as there are no rattles anywhere, the car is solid, and there are no rattles in or out of the car... With the windows up the other guys outside the car said all fo the sound they could hear (which wasn't much they said, which is suprising considering I had it pretty loud inside) was coming from sound be transmitted through the glass, not the body... Pretty cool overall...


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## stormtrooper (Dec 10, 2005)

Looks good, with your listed HP, be carefull hitting that gas pedal...you may have an amp or 2 slapping your subs


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

stormtrooper said:


> Looks good, with your listed HP, be carefull hitting that gas pedal...you may have an amp or 2 slapping your subs


Worse yet would be hitting the binders too hard, as I could get one sailing at me!  

Everything is secured down and fabbed well so I am not too worried in either case...


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

dbphelps said:


> SVIS carbon fiber cowl hood (to get heat out of the engine compartment)
> 
> I don't want to bore you guys with the extended list...


Do you plan to have this painted when you have the whole car done?


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## dbphelps (Jun 30, 2006)

Whiterabbit said:


> Do you plan to have this painted when you have the whole car done?


Yes, the hood will be painted black along with the front end of the car...

Actaully, I am going to have them mask the sides of the cowl to see how I like the look of them in carbon fiber after the first couple of coats of black, then if I don't like them in carbon fiber I'll have them shoot the whole thing black before they clear coat...


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## Nathan P (Jun 9, 2007)

Looking great, and I must say, great last name you got there


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