# 2000 4runner install - kicks, doorpods and deadening



## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I received some friendly advice here on what drivers to buy to put together a 2-way and then a 3-way frontstage.
(advice on 1st attempt at active 3-way )

Also, some excellent recommendations were made on how to mount my 7" midbass drivers in the front doors of my 4runner
(Choose the best method of installing a 7" driver in this door)

Building off of this information, i proceeded to begin the installation on my 4runner. Thanks to everyone so far!!!!! Please continue to make recommendations as you see fit!!



I picked up a couple of components from users here for a good price as well as a DIYMA12 off ebay.

As with most of my projects, this one has grown well past my original intentions and budget

current specs

head unit:

alpine 9830

amps:

- alpine mrv-f345 (75x4, tweeters and midrange)
- mbquart raa4200 on the way (100x2 for midbass and 400x1 for sub)...thanks atsaubrey

drivers:

- subwoofer: DIYMA 12
- midbass: RS180-4
- midrange: vifa mg10
- tweeter: seas neo (will probably be replaced by either LPG or xt19)

crossover:

audiocontrol 4xs - thanks to stormtrooper for this


sound deadening:

- mat: 100ft edead v1-2 (butyl)
- foam: 6 yards ensolite MLC from raamaudio


Pics to follow- most aspects of the install are not completed, so I will post what i have as I work on it.

For the kickpanels, you can also check out my post on fiberglassforums.com for more detailed pics
(1st glass attempt - 4runner kickpanels)


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

deadening the doors and floor with butyl mat - i have not finished with the ensolite yet


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

kickpanel construction - factory kicks modified and built on


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)




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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)




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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

doorpods - so far. first are pics of the baffle and then pics of the part to hold the grill


















i used the first part as a template to create the final adapters for the doors


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## demon2091tb (May 30, 2005)

Very nice work........if i ever redo my kickpanels with drivers that need enclosures, that'll be the way i'll go, using the stock panel, cutting it out as a base, the glass back into the hole. Ingenious.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

doorpod baffles continued - the top ring is attached by 10-24 screws into t-nuts and can be removed and replaced for a different driver. the rs180-4 will be attached by by 10-32 screws into t-nuts


















weatherproofing with rubber undercoating and black rustoleum spray paint

















mounted on doors!!!!!


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

fiberglass for doorpods so far. i am using a similar method as Amish did here for attachment of the fiberglass to the plastic door panel


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thats it so far. I hope to finish up the fiberglass for the doors by this weekend and get the ensolite finished by then as well.

let me know what you think so far


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

demon2091tb said:


> Very nice work........if i ever redo my kickpanels with drivers that need enclosures, that'll be the way i'll go, using the stock panel, cutting it out as a base, the glass back into the hole. Ingenious.


thanks 

i really didn't like the amount of space i would lose by putting the drivers outside the kickpanel. my 4runner has a surprisingly small amount of leg room width wise for a SUV. 

it did take a while to figure out how to put it all together. i ended up using rivets to attach the glassed pocket to the factory panel - i am sure there is an easier way. that was followed up with fiberglass cloth to reinforce the factory panel


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## scott_fx (Mar 31, 2006)

that looks great, you have me a lot of ideas too. 

quick question, where did you get the sem color sample sheet?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

^^^^^

i ordered it from yourautotrim.com for 1.00. 

after a little more research, I found a local dealer as well; so i ended up purchasing the SEM paint locally for similar prices.


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

awesome work......like it was said above, great ideas all around....i personally am looking foward to how you are going to finish off the door.....

you can work on my car anytime...


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Looking good thus far. Can't wait to see the final results.


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

Kicks look badass! Eager to see the door panels finished.


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## Amish (Oct 2, 2006)

Awesome, I did something worth use to other people  . I used 1/4-20 bolts, they did a great job. I only used 4 for my pods, I think one more would be better. I don't get any rattling, but if I pull on the pod a bit the one long section that's "free" can move away from the panel. We're talking 1/16 of in or so, but the other areas it's held on tight! I also used the gasket material (as shown in the one pic of your door with the spacer sticking out) only around the hole opening on the pods. I tried around the circumference of the pod and it didn't allow the pod to sit flush, around the hole though there was enough pressure from the bolts to pull it tight.

Looks great! We finally got a cold snap up here in the northeast, I want to do wrap up my a-pillars and I just can't get motivated. Take pics, it'll hold me over till the thaw


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

more pics of work on the doorpods from yesterday and today

i cut matching dowels to support the rings so they would be as close to a mirror image as possible. also, the circular part was marked off for cutting with a circle cut out of 1/4" mdf because i wasn't even close before that.

i used a different material than last time - i bought 
this stuff on ebay. it is much better in that it does not not sag at all after adding resin. i really had to fight with the material i used on the kickpanels.


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## Mike Troll (Dec 14, 2006)

Looks good!! 

That gives me a ton of ideas for my door pods!!


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Wow you do great work!!! Keep the pictures coming. That arcade game you made is impressive also!


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## jisturm (Feb 4, 2006)

Wow. Man, that is one awesome build there. I love all the time you have put into it.

Can't wait to see the end result.


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## evan (Dec 2, 2006)

Did you have to move anything from behind the kick panels to get all that space for fiber glassing?

Looks great! I think a 4Runner is going to be my next vehicle, so this will definitely help me.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

^^

No, i taped off the area and fiberglassed around the wires and clips. I added some extra space around the wires so that i could install and remove the kickpanels without any trouble. That also gives me room to run new wires for the door speakers.

The driver's side kick panel actually has a little less space behind it and more wires to work around, so I did that one first and then tried to match the speaker mounting depth on the passenger side so that they would look similar.


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## FoxPro5 (Feb 14, 2006)

That is some seriously very nice work!! Very impressive. What's your hourly rate? Do house calls? 

Subscribed for the final fitment.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

I am interested to see how these door pods go together. So you built up the baffle mounted to the door so it extended past the door panel (through a cutout). But the next step you post you are fiberglassing over the outside of the door panels. So how is this all going together?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i am going to cut out the back of the fiberglassed pod once the front part is finished. 

right now, if i cut out the back, there would be almost nothing left on one side. everything is already marked off with a sharpie so that later i just have to cut it.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2007)

Looks good! Keep the pictures coming. Makes me want to do some work to my tacoma.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i added a couple of layers of fiberglass cloth to the pods. they probably need one more layer and some mat










also, i closed up the larger holes in the driver door with some plexiglass i cut a few days ago after putting in some ensolite (3 layers behing the speakers)

it took a couple of tries to get the plexi to stay in place. i am going to add more sealant to the edges after it dries










also, i ran some 12 gauge cable through the door grommets and mounted the rs180-4 drivers on the baffles


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

WOW those kicks are pretty impressive, gosh I miss having and install "finished" lol


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## shinjohn (Feb 8, 2006)

Nice work. I am dying to see what those kicks look like installed. Looks like you'll have an awesome setup!


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## vwtoby (Oct 28, 2005)

ahh, so the door pods are really only going to be used to mount the grills to? as the speakers are mounted to the doors?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

that is correct

they were originally planned to hold the drivers, but several people recommended against that, so I changed the design a little and am using the same grills i would have used otherwise.

maybe it is not correct to call them doorpods now? 

i will post more pics later tonight, install pics of the kickpanels and doorpods will be up in a couple of days if all goes well


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

if you could get into some detail with the fabrication of the grills for your doors, that would be great...

i'm thinking of doing this to give my self a little bit more clearance, but am still unsure of how i want to go about doing it...and i saw how meticulous you are with your install, it'd be stupid for me not to ask  

thanks man....


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i previously purchased some scan speak 7" grills for the rs180 drivers from madisound as recommended in another thread.

i decided to just use those instead of having something else to worry about.

i have a picture in one of the pictures to follow


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

ok more pictures

1st, i had to modify the inside upper corner of each doorpod so they would not hit the bottom part of the dash

i use cardboard hot-glued into place to fill the hole and covered that with 5 layers of fiberglass cloth


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

next, i added a mixture of bondo glass and resin to the inside of the pod to reinforce the joint between the base and the front


















then time for rage gold and lots of sanding


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i trimmed most of the excess around the ring with the dremel and a sanding drum and then finished it off by hand to make sure the shape of the circle was not affected. 

The grill is a perfect fit for the inside of the circle.










once i was convinced it was safe to cut out the back, i went ahead with the dremel and diamond cut off wheel


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

3 coats of duplicolor high build primer with sanding in between (i need to get SEM high build primer)


























then i spray painted the inside of the ring with black spray paint so it would not be apparent inside of the grill


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

finished pics tomorrow, installation in a couple of days.

for now, here is a pic of the kickpanel with test fitting of the midrange grill and tweeter. 










i need to sand a little bit of paint off the inside of the tweeter ring for a good press fit. the tweeters will be secured with threaded rod and thumb nuts from behind


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## sqkev (Mar 7, 2005)

really nice work
I can't imagine how the grill/doorpods look like on the panels, but they look very interesting

not sure if you've mentioned this, but how would you attach the grill/doorpods to the door panel? 
and did you use any texture on the kickpanels? they almost look like vinyl wrapped.


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## vwtoby (Oct 28, 2005)

what grit are you using on your final primer set? you like the durebloks?

awsome work, you obviouslytake a lot of pride in it


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

sqkev said:


> really nice work
> I can't imagine how the grill/doorpods look like on the panels, but they look very interesting
> 
> not sure if you've mentioned this, but how would you attach the grill/doorpods to the door panel?
> and did you use any texture on the kickpanels? they almost look like vinyl wrapped.


they will be attached with 6 8-32 bolts that are already glassed into the panel, you can see them in some of the pics

the texture is SEM texture coating. it looks great, but the cans have been giving me all kinds of problems clogging up. my current solution is to use the tip from a duplicolor truckbed liner can (sprays much faster so it doesn't clog as easy) and to clean it with acetone as soon as I am finished)




vwtoby said:


> what grit are you using on your final primer set? you like the durebloks?
> 
> awsome work, you obviously take a lot of pride in it



thanks

i am using 180 to sand the primer between coats, then 400 when it is ready to add the texture coating. then i lightly sand the SEM texture coating with 400 to give a more uniform texture as recommended by the manufacturer.

i really like the round durablock in the picture for sanding curves. for a couple of the tighter curves i used a small diameter dowel


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

here are the finished pictures of the door pods!!!

sem texture coating and a taped ring to prevent the color coat from getting on the inside of the rings where it would be visible through the grills










plus sem color coat










and with the grills in place


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

kickpanel plus doorpod as they will be installed


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## M-Dub (Nov 29, 2006)

oh no! Photobucket.com bandwidth exceeded.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

should be fixed now


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## evan (Dec 2, 2006)

Very impressive!


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

where does one get this SEM texture coat and color to match?


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## ArcL100 (Jun 17, 2005)

That's a lot of nuts.

Looks retarded good. So OEM.

-aaron


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## sqkev (Mar 7, 2005)

bobditts said:


> where does one get this SEM texture coat and color to match?


search the local upholstery places, most of them carry SEM or can order for you


Great looking panels!!
Looks more pro than 90% of the glasswork i've seen.


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## Amish (Oct 2, 2006)

Ok - what is the p/n for the SEM paint? I used their light texture bumper guard for my door pods and it doesn't look like that. It was the only "texture" paint the guy at the store knew about. I will be doing my a-pillars this spring and I really want to use the good stuff!  

By the way, AWESOME work! Can't wait to see it in the car. I love the way the black and beige contrast, I think it looks slick.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

the SEM texture coating is part #39853. #40853 looks to be the same, only in clear, but i haven't tried that one

i purchased it from a local automotive paint store, but it is available online from several places as well, such as this one  where i got my SEM color chart from

as i mentioned before, the SEM texture coating cans clog very easily because the stuff is really thick, so make sure to follow the directions and clear the can by spraying it upside down until only air comes out when you are finished.

be careful and clean the tip with some laquer thinner/acetone after that or as soon as it clogs up to the point where it will not spray anymore.


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## VaVroom1 (Dec 2, 2005)

Oh man that is awesomeee!!


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## vwtoby (Oct 28, 2005)

apart from the clogging issues, were there any other tricks you found with spraying the SEM? continuous spray or a dust from high?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

the further away you are, the finer the texture will be. i tried spraying from different distances onto some newspaper first to see what it would look like.

you can also try sanding lightly afterwards with some 400 grit to flatten the bumps and make the pattern more uniform

continuous is better to get a more uniform pattern. i put several light coats on a few minutes apart until i got the texture how i wanted it to be. 

try not to spray from above the work piece so that the bigger drops don't fall on it.

i am probably making it sound too complicated...the texture will really hide most small imperfections. i got drips and all kinds of stuff on mine at first, and it ended up coming out fine


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

DOORPODS ARE INSTALLED!!!!!!!!! finally something is actually finished. they are attached to the door panel by 6 bolts as you can see in the third picture


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2007)

Looks good!
Do you have any pictures of the kickpanels installed, curious to see the match between the door pods and kickpanels.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks, the kickpanels are going in tomorrow as long as it doesn't rain and i will post pics


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Those are awesome! We have had some great door panel pods made on the site lately. I would love to see the kickpanels in combination with these.


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## MinTze (Sep 27, 2005)

they are nice man!!but i wonder will the doorpod give u phasing issues due to the space between speaker n doorpod?


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

OMG that is exactly what I'm trying to do on my Tacoma. Great work.


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

That came out great!


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

kickpanels are in...frontstage is complete!!!! 

time for a break now


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

That looks awesome. I cant wait to get some SEM spray and try it out myself. How does it SOUND though? any stage height issues?


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

the kicks look awesome.....although i'm not a big fan of door pods, i think you did them as tastefully as they could be.....that said, they look great also....

the work you have done is great, i must say, and you're quick too.....

i've got to say thanks for your attention to detail with the update process too...


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

bobditts said:


> That looks awesome. I cant wait to get some SEM spray and try it out myself. How does it SOUND though? any stage height issues?


i really wouldn't know the difference. this is my first speaker setup that was not purchased from circuit city or something. it sounds great so far, although i have only listened for like 20 minutes. 

right now, i am using the alpine amp to power the midbass directly (80-400Hz), with the midrange and tweeter coming off a mbquart crossover (400-2600Hz for the midrange; 2600Hz and up for the tweeter).

i still have some work to do on getting the second amp installed and the audiocontrol crossover configured. i need to build a sealed box for the DIYMA 12 to see how it should sound. and then i will try to build a fiberglass enclosure that will not take up too much space in the cargo area. 

i am going to play with the left-right time delay on the head unit tomorrow and see if i can tell the difference.

suggestions are welcome on getting the rest set up properly

thanks to everyone for the advice and info on this site so far. i really would not have known where to start otherwise.


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

for stage height you should be able to sit in your seat, close your eyes, and visualize a stage. it should sound like the stage is in front of you and at a high level. if it sounds like the stage is down at your legs or chest area, thats a low stage. if it sounds like its above your head, thats too high. if its at your neck, thats just about right.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

I don't know the specs on your mid but 400Hz seems a bit high. I can do 400Hz on my domes so with a cone you should be able to get 200-300Hz without trouble, maybe even 150Hz. Many cars have peaks around 150-200Hz so sometimes you can combat them by leaving a gap in the crossover (hp woofers at 150 and lp mids at 200 for example). If you have access to an RTA you'll be able to fully take advantage of your new setup.

Excellent work. It looks very professional and is a good inspiration for myself and others.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the info

the mids are vifa MG10MD09-04

it looks like they would be good down to at least 200. i'll try that out a little later. is it better to minimize the range that the midbass drivers are playing? or do midranges just usually play 200-400Hz more effectively?


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

The goal in a 3-way front stage is to get the midrange to play as much of the frequency range as possible without being overdriven on the low-end or breaking up on the high-end. Having the majority of your midrange come from one driver improves the imaging. You also have better path lengths and angling for your mids opposed to your midbasses so you can widen and raise the sound stage by giving a larger bandwidth to the mids.


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

so how good of a job does the texture spray do of hiding little imperfections in the bodyfiller/FG? does it need to be prepped as if I was going to paint it, or as if I was going to carpet it?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

- maybe in between carpet and paint prep. this project is the only fiberglass work i have ever tried, so i am just assuming from what i have read on here and fiberglassforums.com. i can tell you what i did though:

doorpods - 4 light coats
kickpanels - 2 light coats before the can clogged

i thought the door pods came out a little more uniform. on both, i used 180 grit on the primer until it was smooth and shaped the way i wanted. then i lightly sanded with 400 and cleaned off the dust before adding the texture coat. 

more light coats of texture spray = better coverage of small holes. 

you can see on the driver's side kickpanel, around the tweeter, there are a few imperfections left. 

i would say the texture spray does a pretty good job of disguising and filling pinholes but not bigger flaws or defects in shape. 

those a-pillars and kicks are looking nice BTW. i can't wait to see them finished!!!


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

Thanks for the info. Ive been fine sanding the a-pillars for a few days now and they are near perfect. I think they are good to go for the texture spray. I hope they turn out as nice as your pods.


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Very nice job. How does it sound?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

it sounds great so far, but i still need to get the DIYMA 12" and second amp installed, so for now the low end is cut at 80 Hz. 

i have been listening to a couple of reference/setup disks i found (IASCA, burmester, chesky) just to see, and the center of the sound stage is slightly to the right of the driver. 

i picked up a m-audio mobilepre (for use w/ ECM8000) on ebay for when the sub, amps, and crossover are all installed. 

i am planning on seeing what kind of results i can get just using the output level settings from the crossover, along with the T/A and 4-band parametric equalizer on the CDA-9830.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p106/jmelan/kickpanels/4runner_0215.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p106/jmelan/Doorpods/4runner_0203.jpg

your map pocket looks significantly cut up, and your homemade grille overlaps the mappocket boundary.

I have a fast approaching project that is going to directly interferre with the mappocket as well, and I an interested in information concerning what you did inside the map pocket as well as behind your bolt on grillepod.

Do you have any pictures of the inside of the map pocket?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i haven't finished that part yet. right now, the map pocket is just cut up. most of what is cut up does not affect what is visible from inside the car. there is a 1"x2" part that i had to cut out and the baffle was visible through that.

it's covered with some tape i sprayed with texture spray, painted to match and then put into place. you don't really notice it unless you really look for it, so I am going to work on that when i figure out where to put the DIYMA 12.

i am planning to tape the map pocket off and put a piece of cloth or tape with a small amount of some kind of combination of rage and bondo glass to take the shape that i need. then i will reinforce it with a layer of fiberglass cloth and finish it the same as the rest. i will probably just use hot glue to keep it in place as it should not be exposed to any kind of stress.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

here is a picture from before the doorpod was installed where you can see the hole i had to cut in the map pocket. 

if i had it to do over again, when i made the mold of the door, i would have extended it into the map pocket. at the time, i did not realize the inside of the map pocket would have to be cut to accomodate the baffle

i hope this helps you with your project


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

ok, time to make a place for the DIYMA 12. I decided to recess the box into the storage compartment in the right side of the cargo area.

here is what i have so far.

deadening









taped off and marked up









testing the sub placement









mold made and curing









it took about an hour to get this thing out


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

some reinforcement









MDF rings in the process of being made









i added some rings to make a terminal cup, then sealed them to the box with bondo glass. then i added some bondo glass with a little bit of resin to help make sure the back of the box was sealed


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i haven't decided what to cover the box with yet.

i can either go with:

-the same texture coating and paint as the kickpanels and doorpods 

-or carpet to match what is already there

I am a little worried that the paint would get easily damaged by stuff sliding around in the cargo area, so i am kind of leaning towards the carpet.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

--double post deleted--


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

I cant see the photos yet, but I'll give you more concrete opinions when I can.

However, I will say that if its a box sitting in an all carpet area, then vinyl invariably looks tacky. thick boxcarpets are very, very, very durable and when they aesthetically match stock carpeting the whole assembly looks much more OEM than any sort of customized tacky solution.

I would go to great lengths to match the existing area, and if that means carpet, then so be it!


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks, the walls are plastic and the floor is carpet, so I can pick to match either one.

i think the carpet is a more durable option

i was going to order the carpet from Auto Custom Carpets, Inc.

it is ~22.00/yard plus shipping, and you can match the color according to your car model, so it should be a pretty good match.


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## unpredictableacts (Aug 16, 2006)

did you not spray your tape with PAM?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

yeah, i sprayed it with pam. i guess i just didn't use enough. i hadn't tried to make a mold of anything that size before.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

Got the pics. Definitely match the sides. If that means use texture paint, so be it. If that means vinyl, Definitely use vinyl.

Unless the other side of the area is carpeted (like a suburban)

Then carpet is essential!


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## shinjohn (Feb 8, 2006)

Lookin' good. Keep up the great work!

It's going to be a mighty fine system when it's all done.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the comments

well, i checked out the back area again. there are actually two different colors of plastic for different parts of the car. 

i think i would go with the one that matches the stuff i have already made - a little darker than the sides, but matching the doors and trim pieces

here is a picture of the jl stealthbox that comes carpeted for comparison. my box placement should end up being relatively similar

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_stealthbox_detail.php?fit_id=1421


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

I can't speak for duability. but as far as looks go, I'd Paint it to match the outside of the truck; an actual base/clear then just burry ir in clear coat to protect it from chips; and use a little flex agent and it should hold up pretty good, and man would it POP when you looked at it. But I own three cars so obviously not the most practical guy in the world.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the ideas

that sounds like it would look pretty nice, but i am trying to keep it so it is not very noticeable from the outside due to where i park every day. so matching the inside is important.

here are some more pics:

MDF baffle mounted to the sub for test placement in the box









rings attached with dowels to the sub box according to the test fitting

















now for a preview of the final shape: material stretched, glued and stapled and then with the ring part cut off

















excess material trimmed off the back - you can see where the CA glue is holding also


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

Nice box and sub you got there! Great job.


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## Fozz (Dec 16, 2005)

If you worried about the area you park you might want to put a fake spare tire over you sub. That way everything looks toally stock. Easy to build and adds that extra security.


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## Loudtaco (Dec 7, 2006)

also what about the roll-up cover that the truck comes with.


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

Fozz said:


> If you worried about the area you park you might want to put a fake spare tire over you sub. That way everything looks toally stock. Easy to build and adds that extra security.



Requires totally redoing the baffle, assuming he wet it out. The backplate would still be reusable...

I only really replied and quoted to say oh _man_ what a GREAT idea! So many SUV's have the spare tire internal, sitting in that wheel well space.

And how easy would it be if you were too lazy to fab up a spare tire like looking thing to simply put a plate of MDF (baffle) over you spare or someones donut spare and glass over the whole thing? its brilliant.

To put the final aesthetic touches you could ask a friend/mother/friends mother to sew a cover made from non stretchy cloth to truly simulate the look of the in-cargo-area spare tire.

you'd have the DIYMA flush mounted or recessed .75 inches below the enclosure face. Then you would use a standard waffle grille to protect the driver. Then you'd slip on the upholstery like a couch slip cover. Then youd fit the enclosure in place and fasten it.

or slipcover last if you need to have the driver out for fastening the enclosure.

or dont the in-cabin covers unzipper? that would be great too.

Brilliant idea, Fozz, I love it!


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

the roll up cover should be fine. i made sure that it would be able to go over the top of the box without a problem.

i just didn't want anything that would be obvious to someone walking by. 

i'm probably just being paranoid about it, but i have had my car broken into before for much less, so i would rather be more careful. 

i really appreciate the ideas though, i can see how nice it would look to match the paint on the outside. it would provide a nice contrast to the rest of the interior.

the spare tire idea would be interesting as well - i guess it depends on how obvious the sub is after the final install.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

a little bit of progress...

i added resin to the material and had a couple of small wrinkles pop up because i obviously hadn't pulled it tight enough before

so i fixed that with some bondo glass/rage gold mixed 2:1 

then i got to use my new non-bondo resin and biaxial mat from the local shop.

the new resin is 10x better than the bondo garbage. i can't believe i used it for that long. the mat is nice as well. i managed to get 3 layers put on today

here are the pics:


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

also, some new stuff came in recently that should give me some incentive to get finished


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## JMichaels (Nov 17, 2006)

Great work!

Cant say it enough that the crap resin is totally different to work with as compared to good quality stuff. 

Hey how are you using the USB preamp?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks

i was going to try a few free programs first - freeprobe and the room eq wizard.

i can tell i need to make some adjustments to the levels and EQ for the frontstage, but i really don't have enough experience to figure it out without a way of checking things

i have a 4band PEQ on my 9830, so i was hoping that will be enough. if not, i will have to look for other options


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

here is a great link i've gotten from a member of SD

http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php

this should be a nice starting point for you....


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the link! it does a great job of explaining the reasoning behind equalization. i bookmarked it for use again in a few weeks.

i was planning on trying to flatten out the frequency response of my setup as a starting point, like in npdang's tutorial:

Tuning your car using a pc based measurement setup

after that, i would guess that the link you provided could also help fine tune the system for a partcular type of music?

at this point, i can't really identify what exactly needs to be corrected, i just know when something doesn't sound right


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## evan (Dec 2, 2006)

Where did you buy the measuring gear? I'm guessing at least part of it is from PE.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

yeah, the ecm8000 and the mic cable were from parts express

the m-audio mobilepre was from ebay, i paid $90

also, i picked up a radio shack 33-4050 SPL meter off ebay in order to get a calibration measurement for sound level.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

one more piece i needed for the measurement setup was an rca adapter (kca-121b) for the back of my alpine HU. alpine really doesn't give you much to work with for the ai-net. i was sure the ipod adapter had an extra ai-net plug on it - nope. so i have to get behind the HU every time i want to calibrate the sound.

i made some more progress on the sub box also :

i added another 2 layers of glass, then sanded it down and coated it with dynaglass to smooth things out









sanded that down and mounted the grill ring with a couple of screws just to see how it would look. eventually i am going to round over the grill ring and recess the screws.









another view without the grill ring - you can see how i started to fill in the rabbeted area









and the last pic for today, 2 layers of rage gold. i tried sanding in the "green stage" this time - made things much easier. 15 minutes vs forever to sand the whole thing.


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## minitruck_freq (Mar 27, 2005)

very nice work! you've given me some ideas for my truck.


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## ///MJay (Aug 22, 2006)

This is truely amazing. I only wish I had the time, skill and patience to try some thing like this on my own.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks to everyone for the comments

i am almost finished with the sub box, i still need to add the clear coat, but that's about it!

the SEM primer really made a difference versus the duplicolor i had used before - dried faster, leveled better, sanded easier.

sanded the glazing, added primer, SEM texture coating, then SEM color coat to finish


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

here is a small update

i added 3 coats or sem clear coat and some dynaglass:resin (2:1) to coat the inside and make sure things are airtight.

i am currently working on getting the sub box securely fastened for installation. everything is finished, so hopefully i will be able to post some installed pics very soon!!

for now


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## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

that looks pretty good! good job man


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

thanks for the comments!!

i added a few finishing touches and completed the installation all i am missing now is the grill from parts express.

first, the connectors for my makeshift terminal cup

















next is my method of attachment - rivet nuts through a metal bracket for 1/4" bolts to mount to

















anti-rattle measures - industrial velcro and speaker gasket


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

sub box bolted into place









a sheet of sound deadening foam from parts express installed









and FINALLY, the sub is connected and mounted in place!!!!!!!!!!!!! 









also, here is a pic with the grill ring (minus grill) to give you an idea of how everything will look


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

unfortunately, the amp i picked up to run the sub is about 1/4" too tall on one side to fit under my passenger seat where i wanted it to go, so it will probably be another month before everything is finished.

i'm going to have to sell it and save up a little bit for the replacement


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## K2merckx (Mar 2, 2007)

That Sub looks great and it doesn't seem to take up all that much room in the cargo area. How is the sound?


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i haven't had a chance to listen to it yet 

i'll probably hook up the other amp tomorrow just to get to listen to the sub, but after that it will probably be a little while


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## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

what amp were u planning on running for the sub?


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Whiterabbit said:


> Requires totally redoing the baffle, assuming he wet it out. The backplate would still be reusable...
> 
> I only really replied and quoted to say oh _man_ what a GREAT idea! So many SUV's have the spare tire internal, sitting in that wheel well space.
> 
> ...


I've always thought it would be cool to hide a subwoofer inside a fake "gym bag" or "bag of groceries"


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

PS that enclosure looks wonderful. Did you figure out how big the volume is? We're all waiting to see how it sounds


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

camry_tuner said:


> what amp were u planning on running for the sub?


i was planning on using the mbquart raa4200 i picked up from atsaubrey on the forum.

100x2 for the midbass (RS180-4)

400x1 bridged for the sub (DIYMA 12)

i tested it out with the midbass and it really sounds good, so i was dissappointed i couldn't get it to fit (2.375" x 11.5" x 16.75")

the problem is the way the metal rail under the seat slopes to the floor mounting bracket. a trunk would definitely make things easier. i really do not want to put the second amp in the cargo area

i need an amp either 2" to 3" shorter (not likely with those specs)

or with 1" to 2" less depth or 1/2" less in thickness.

The alpine mrv-f545 would seem to fit those specs (16.5" x *9" * x 2.35") (125x2, 500x1), but i do not think i will find one for under $300 +shipping


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

HondAudio said:


> PS that enclosure looks wonderful. Did you figure out how big the volume is? We're all waiting to see how it sounds


i tried using styrofoam peanuts, but with all the tight corners i don't think i was getting an accurate measure. based on measurements of a bunch of small areas, i would say that it is between .6 and .7 ft3, which should be just about right for the DIYMA 12 with .15 ft3 volume displacement.


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## tr0y_audi0 (Feb 13, 2007)

you can fit the amp on the opiset side of your Sub.. I did a Land crouser with a steath setup that was a rush job but fit nice behind the plastics..
Love your work man..
peace troy


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

there is an air intake vent on the other side that takes up all of the available space behind the plastic. in addition, the fuel tank on the other side limits the space in the cargo area itself.

i pretty much dissassembled most of the car looking for another location to put the second amp. 

even a fiberglass amp rack on the other side would not be very practical, so I really am looking at under the passenger seat.

i checked out all of the 4runner forums i could find as well. most amps seem to go best under the seats in the 3rd gen 4runner unless you build a large enclosure in the cargo area to hold everything. i am just not willing to give up the space in the cargo area.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

ok, so i hooked the sub up to my other amp (mrv-f345) bridged at 300W.

i had to disconnect the midbass, so the mids are HP at 200Hz and the sub is LP at 100Hz

I will probably listen to it like this for a few days. 

After listening for like 15 minutes, i think the sub sounds great. No rattles!!!!(i was worried due to all the plastic around the mounting location)

thanks to npdang for making these available!!!

*but*, i really don't have much experience with high end audio, so i probably wouldn't know if it didn't sound right. my friend has a image dynamics idq 12" in the back of his 4runner, so i am going to listen for a comparison to his.

for now, i am happy. i can tell the midbass is missing, and things don't quite sound right, but things are progressing well, and the finish line is in sight.

i am going to put the mbquart amp for sale in the forum in the next few days, to give someone else a chance to pick it up a great amp at a low price like i did, and then i am going to look for a replacement.

thanks to everyone on the forum for your advice and comments on my project!!


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## MiniVanMan (Jun 28, 2005)

You know, this is now the one thread that I look forward to seeing updates on the most. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work, and keep the pictures coming.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

Thanks, I will be happy when I get everything finished

a little update on my sub SQ comparison. also, i changed the amp crossover to LP at 80Hz.

i got my friend to listen to my sub using a track off an IASCA cd and compare to his image dynamics IDMAX 12" at 1000W. he was really impressed with the SQ from the DIYMA 12" at 300W. I think it can only get better once i have everything hooked up properly with a second amp!!

also, i put the mbquart raa4200 amp up for sale on the forum for a good price, and it sold pretty quickly, so I am going to look at picking up a second amp that will fit under my passenger seat.

I am planning on picking up an alpine MRV-F545 from millionbuy on ebay, but I am taking some time to look at other options as well.


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## Jboogie (Mar 13, 2007)

jmelan said:


> Thanks, I will be happy when I get everything finished
> 
> a little update on my sub SQ comparison. also, i changed the amp crossover to LP at 80Hz.
> 
> ...


I have a 06 Tacoma X-Runner and just reading this thread has really helped me with my install. I have decided to go with JL audio amps and have a MRD-m1005 that is about the exact same size as the 345 avail. If you would like to trade for this amp for some kick panel work please pm me.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

well, i thought it was time to update my install thread.

i purchased a mrv-f545 as my second amp to accompany my mrv-f345










that is powering a DIYMA12, dayton rs-180, vifa mg-10 , and seas neo aluminum 4 way setup

i am using an audiocontrol 4xs to crossover at 72/268/3.3K

pictures of the final install are coming later tonight.

for now, i am going to post some details of the sound calibration i have been doing.

i am using the Digital Room Correction Program (documentation for DRC here) program - more details atDuffRoomCorrection)

It is the same software package that was used by the guy (DigitalCorrect) in the "Digital room correction - in a car" thread

to start here are a couple graphs. These show the left and right frequency response along with two different correction filters i tried out. The pictures were taken out of adobe audition. 

With these graphs, you can see how DRC creates filters to flatten out the frequency response. 

my interpretation is that Optimized.drc is calibrated for maximal correction without artifacts, while erb.drc is calibrated to correct only so far as is needed when taking into account the psychoacoustic spectrum.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i thought that the erb.drc settings ended up sounding better and i am going to use that to batch filter my music collection using foobar into apple lossless audio codec format for use in my ipod.

to assist in this process, i also picked up a plextor px-premium usb cd-rw on closeout that should be able to get all of my cd's onto the computer without any data loss. this is supposed to be one of the best drives for digital audio extraction ever made and should work well with EAC for its purpose.










since i thought i was going to use the optimized.drc codec, i generated a full set of graphs showing how DRC completely flattened the frequency respose of my setup

so for those of you who know how to interpret all of these, please *click on the graphs below* if you would like to see the complete analysis of each channel. 

these are 1/3 octave smoothed graphs of the frequency response


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

ok, here are the rest of the pics of my install

first, i had to run all the wires for the second amp (alpine MRV-545) and the audiocontrol 4xs crossover, so i picked up a streetwires distribution block and found a good place to mount it to the car frame on the side of the rear seat on the drivers side.

i used some rivet nuts to make a place for it to mount:










after wiring everything up, it hides nicely under the carpet out of sight.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

next was the 4xs crossover. i decided to mount it under the rear seat on the passenger side. the nice thing is that the rear seats flip up, so it is easy to access even though it is completely out of sight


















after that was time to finalize the location of both of the amps. I was able to fit them both underneath the front seats where they are not visible from outside the car. The seats are able to move freely and have at least a couple of inches of free space for the amps to breathe.

although you can't really see it, both amps are mounted to plywood that is under the carpet with security screws into t-nuts, so they should not be going anywhere


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

and FINALLY here is a view with the seats installed and most of the car back to normal and functional 










and I also put the finishing touches on the install of the sub box in the cargo area with the grill i received form parts express


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## fit_tuner (Aug 14, 2006)

daaaang, that looks frickin pimp, good job with everything, looks amazing!


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## blacklabel (Jan 26, 2006)

great stuff! looks like it came from the factory like that.


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## dkmesa (Apr 19, 2007)

awesome work man!


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## caohyde (Sep 27, 2005)

if i didn't read the post from the start, i'd think that it was done by a pro. good work! very impressed with it. :thumbsup:


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## FoxPro5 (Feb 14, 2006)

caohyde said:


> if i didn't read the post from the start, i'd think that it was done by a pro. good work! very impressed with it. :thumbsup:


I did....and boy am I glad! Very well documented with a ton of great ideas. 

Thanks for all the pics and for the info on the RTA. I have the same MobilePre and mic and will definitely use those links when it's time to get it up and running. 

Your time and dedication paid off man, congrats!


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## lotusing (Mar 8, 2007)

I was going to post my install but after that install I am going to have to make some improvements


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## DonovanM (Nov 1, 2006)

(Semi) old thread... but DANG that is a nice install!


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## ghart999 (Feb 8, 2006)

Yeah this thread is my inspiration for doing my door pods. I will be starting them tomorrow night and have no wife and kids around for 10 days. Can't wait.

I will be doing an exact replica of his door pods.


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## boarder124 (Mar 16, 2006)

amazing work for being a first project. It makes me wish i had those skills and patience.


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## CaliforniaBoy5 (Apr 4, 2007)

my god that is amazing work. looks just like OEM!


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## jankins (Jul 7, 2007)

CaliforniaBoy5 said:


> my god that is amazing work. looks just like OEM!


Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I only wish I could do work as tightly as that in my hatchback.


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## fuzzyping (Jul 25, 2007)

Incredible work, this is like audio pr0n for me and my 2002 4Runner. 

P.S. Jmelan, please PM me. I've been trying to get in touch with you but no response yet.


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## nelsondog (May 10, 2006)

Can someone tell me what kind of adhesive was used to attach the stretch fabric to the frame before laying the matting? How do you get it to stick while under tension?


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

nelsondog said:


> Can someone tell me what kind of adhesive was used to attach the stretch fabric to the frame before laying the matting? How do you get it to stick while under tension?


Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue or super glue. The ones with the adhesion promoter work the best. There is a guy on the fiberglass forums that I just bought some from (people over there swear by it). I haven't gotten the chance to use it yet but I'll let you know.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

I staples where possible or hotglue where staples won't work. It holds just fine.


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## aneonrider (Apr 28, 2007)

I use loctite glue, stuff that doesn't need setup time.


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

i used super glue from home depot. loctite professional i think . but i would strongly recommend getting some from the guy on fiberglass forums. it took forever using the stuff i had.



nelsondog said:


> How do you get it to stick while under tension?


it is not really under tension while i was using the glue. the fabric was stretched how i wanted it and secured from behind with whatever i had lying around first (eg rubber bands, safety pins, etc..). then i glued it in place. after the glue sat for an hour or so i would cut off the excess fabric


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## jmelan (Dec 17, 2006)

fuzzyping said:


> Incredible work, this is like audio pr0n for me and my 2002 4Runner.
> 
> P.S. Jmelan, please PM me. I've been trying to get in touch with you but no response yet.


hi fuzzyping 

i sent you a PM a while back and haven't heard from you since. i would be happy to answer any questions you have!! i just don't get around to checking my email every day


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## aneonrider (Apr 28, 2007)

fuzzy had a family emergency, so he might be a while to get back.


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## 2kchevy (Aug 8, 2007)

I never post on this board, ever....but this work is just simply amazing and everything is just on point. It looks amazing dude, simply amazing.


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## hoamic11 (May 7, 2007)

Wow, your works looks amazing, that install job is tight.


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## fuzzyping (Jul 25, 2007)

I had to go back and re-read the entire thread again. I still can't get over how professional each modification looks. I might have to try glassing the door panels and sub enclosure in my own 4Runner. 

-fp


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## bctrsts (Mar 4, 2009)

Awesome work and great read. My son has the same 4-runner that he has been working on. He is going to be bummed when I show him this thread. GREAT JOB!!!


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## velomatt (May 11, 2009)

What is the color # of SEM paint that you used for this project? I am about to start a similar project on my 98 4-runner.
Thanks


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## Notloudenuf (Sep 14, 2008)

Great work! Love the sub box. I wonder if this guy is still on here and still has this set-up 2 years later.


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## falkenbd (Aug 16, 2008)

fail, the thread is like 2 years old...


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## adhumston (Mar 1, 2009)

falkenbd said:


> fail, the thread is like 2 years old...



I'm glad it was revived, it's given me some great ideas. Props to the OP if he ends up reading this... Good Job!!


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Whiterabbit said:


> I cant see the photos yet, but I'll give you more concrete opinions when I can.
> 
> However, I will say that if its a box sitting in an all carpet area, then vinyl invariably looks tacky. thick boxcarpets are very, very, very durable and when they aesthetically match stock carpeting the whole assembly looks much more OEM than any sort of customized tacky solution.
> 
> I would go to great lengths to match the existing area, and if that means carpet, then so be it!


I cannot agree more. If the trunk is carpeted, the sub should be as well. For an extra bit of stealth, you could make a grill out of metal mesh covered with carpet that press-fits over the sub.


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## timberwolf223 (May 28, 2009)

velomatt said:


> What is the color # of SEM paint that you used for this project? I am about to start a similar project on my 98 4-runner.
> Thanks


I just read about a year ago. I have the same color interior in my 2002 4runner. Now how do I get the color right? in the light outside the color is different then when you go indoors. its a trip to me... Can you tell me or refer me to a site where I can find out?


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## Cerberus2k7 (Jun 6, 2009)

I'm with the 2 above about the color. How long did it take you to find a shade that was close to OEM?


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## akanoon (Aug 12, 2008)

Glad you guys brought up this old thread - it was a really nice install.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Indeed. My first time seeing it as well. Excellent fabrication.


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## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

I love the way everything turned out. I am a fiberglass nut, so to speak. I love to create different things using fiberglass and I completely commend you for the amazing attention to detail you used.


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## rkb993 (Apr 10, 2009)

Wow. Great work!


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## schmiddr2 (Aug 10, 2009)

The things you find when searching.  This is great!


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## keep_hope_alive (Jan 4, 2009)

Agreed. Even 3 years later it's still a worthy thread. 

DIYMA should take threads like this, remove the comments, and place it in a special section for well done build logs. Stuff like this gives people encouragement, ideas, and motivation.


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