Xmas Ghetto Install

[neckto]

good day audio tuners

i dunno if any of u are following my pick-up build (suzie) but soon i am going to be putting in the upholstery etc, the pick-up cabin is totally bare right now and i would like to install come music afterwards but i would like to run the wiring etc for it now

firstly i know very little auto audio wise so please go easy

basically i want to place speakers on the four doors (2 in front in the oem locations at first, then two in the rear doors later on to balance out the sound a bit. i would also welcome suggestions on different speaker placements in terms of sound quality and balance etc as now it would be easy to do the prep work.
i see spaces in the kick panel area (front) and rear door post/ vertical sections (to the side of the back-seat)on which speakers might placed too.

i also want the amp/s etc to go behind the seat (unless a better location is suggested, like roof or under front seat?)

and i want the sub woofers to be in an enclosure built to go under the seat (again subject to change)

im not into the speaker and music being on the seat or out the window or blasting someone ear off from a headrest enclosure. i think music, unlike children, should be more heard than seen, not saying that i am against a little show or bling if its tasteful and does not take from the functionality or practicality of the vehicle.

i need for right now:

WIRING: what kind of wiring do i need, ( type and gauge etc) and best placement so i can start measuring, sourcing and installing the wiring myself before the carpet etc goes in.

so i welcome all suggestions and advice. check my sig for the link to my project if u not familiar. i may also post more specific pics here to deal with the audio part....thanks in advance

[nervewrecker]

Ah yes, I have been following your build and I must say you have real patience and you are doing an excellent job!

Under the seat might not be so ideal of an area for subs but it has been done before. You might be limited to only a pair of 6" subs there though and its only so much thsoe can do.

I not familiar with your kind of pick up and how much space it has behind the seat but you can mount a flat sub there (or maybe a full sized sub / s like what firewall did in a pick up) and the amp as well.

You have a budget to work with?

Budget bang for buck is powerbass, a good 5 channel will do you fine and will run your whole system.
Its up to you if you want to dampen the doors for better midbass response (after you just went through all that trouble to remove dampening ).
I'd say start with a good head unit too. With a good one you need no more processing as some already have high pass and low pass crossovers built in as well as an equaliser.
Some 6.5 coaxial speakers will work for the door.

Powercable wise, I not familiar with 4awg prices but thats what you will need for that amp and an inline fuse for under the hood.
Apart from that you will need rca's to carry the signal from head unit to amps, speaker wire (16 awg should work for the door speakers and maybe 14 for the sub), ring terminals and a piece of remote wire.

I will hold on saying what sub can work until you leme know how much space you have behind the seat.

If its just a normal install for everyday use forget the kick panels. Unless you wan to get intp path length differences, depth, stage width, imaging, staging, tonal accuracy and yadda yadda yadda.

I may have missed where you from in the build thread but the powerseller here on tuner (rovin) located central, chaguanas and sells just about everything on that list.

[neckto]

Ah yes, I have been following your build and I must say you have real patience and you are doing an excellent job! - thanks

Under the seat might not be so ideal of an area for subs but it has been done before. You might be limited to only a pair of 6" subs there though and its only so much thsoe can do.
the shitty thing is as i see it, there so NO room whatsoever, which is why i was thinking to build the enclosure and then make brackets to raise the seat after. the seat bolts directly onto a raised floor panel. if i had more time tho i wouldve actually cut off that panel and make it flat cause i dont see the purpose of it besides to raise the seat. i will post pics showing the panel. the back of the seat also has very little to no room. i will have to place the seat on to see what room there is behind there. the seats wernt bolted on when i got the van so thats y i dont know offhand
I not familiar with your kind of pick up and how much space it has behind the seat but you can mount a flat sub there (or maybe a full sized sub / s like what firewall did in a pick up) and the amp as well.

You have a budget to work with? - no budget. don't mind taking longer to complete the install or system if it means good quality components. does not have to be high end but must be durable and have good performance

Budget bang for buck is powerbass, a good 5 channel will do you fine and will run your whole system. so one amp is good enough? i always assumed u needed a separate one for bass. thanks thats a cost saver lol
Its up to you if you want to dampen the doors for better midbass response (after you just went through all that trouble to remove dampening ). yes i would, afterwards probably

I'd say start with a good head unit too. With a good one you need no more processing as some already have high pass and low pass crossovers built in as well as an equaliser.
Some 6.5 coaxial speakers will work for the door.

Powercable wise, I not familiar with 4awg prices but thats what you will need for that amp and an inline fuse for under the hood. so one length of this from battery area to where the amp has to be correct?
Apart from that you will need rca's to carry the signal from head unit to amps, speaker wire (16 awg should work for the door speakers and maybe 14 for the sub), ring terminals and a piece of remote wire. how many pairs of RCAs should i run?, whats remote wire?

I will hold on saying what sub can work until you leme know how much space you have behind the seat.

If its just a normal install for everyday use forget the kick panels. Unless you wan to get intp path length differences, depth, stage width, imaging, staging, tonal accuracy and yadda yadda yadda. yes normal everyday use n the occasional beach lime lol. dont want is sounding like sheit when i turn up the volume or damaging etc

I may have missed where you from in the build thread but the powerseller here on tuner (rovin) located central, chaguanas and sells just about everything on that list.

yes im familiar with him, once i have a materials list finalized i will beging checking and asking for quotes


i've been following your builds too, nice work

[- Rovin's car audio -]

yes i have been looking at ur build - good stuff

not too familiar with d space behind d seat but most ppl fit a flat sub there , may have to move d seat back rest forward a little bit




it seems like this will be a good basic system for u , just add 2 more speakers to d front 1\2 of d amp so u have a speaker in each door

for door speakers get speakers made for cars (coax\coaxials) which wud be 4ohms (in most cases) & u wire those speakers in parallel which wud be + on + & - on - , do this for each side of ur van .... car speakers range from $200-1000\pair

for sub - most flat subs are single coil 4ohms which is exactly what u need for ur case , pioneer 12" is commonly used since it offers decent performance for price which will be around $900-1000

box - seeing d kind of work u capable of doing i bet u can easily make this ur self with a sheet or less of 1\2" ply\mdf to save on space

power wire : depends on where u put d amp if its behind d backseat or under front seat so that will determine d length of 4g wire .... 4g wire is around $30-35\yard

4g fuse holder & fuse near battery pole - about $40

remote wire : same as above , it depends on where u put d amp ..... its very cheap $3\yd

RCA - same again , can run u between $20-50 depending on if its 6ft\12\17\21ft , u need 2 lengths here

deck - i wud advise something like pioneer 3400ub that has 2 sets of rcas (& usb too) , 1 set is for full range & 2nd set is for bass .... around $1000


u can do this install urself too since its very basic ...

[nervewrecker]

I was looking at the seat and cant tell how much space it has behind there.

The pioneer subs can do the job fine, would have been nice to still have the elemental designs subs around though.

The PB amps working great so far for me. Very clean and puts out some good power , very good value for $$$!

Yup, one amp, the 5 channel is like a class d mono block (bass amp) and 4 channel (mids amp) built into one. I think you might need 3 sets of rca's though (front rear and sub). Ytup it saves costs in teh fact that its less stress to mount and no distribution block neded.

Cable length again depends on where you putting it as rovin rightfully said. The only excess you will need is maybe about a foot (or two) and a ring terminal for ground.

For everyday listening coaxials and a flat sub will do fine, even for beach if you chilling close and not looking to deafen people. But these days men with small system cant hear themselves on the beach with those noise makers that lurk the shores.

The remote wire is a thin wire that runs from your deck to the amp, its a turn on signal.

Feel free to ask anything when you need to.

Didnt know so many people looked at my install, I better get my lazy arse up and finish it 0.o

[neckto]

thanks for all the responses guys.......

questions

does amp placement matter? where is the best place in terms of cooling, protection from dust etc.

from the looks of it, i may be needing all the limited space behind the backseat for the enclosure. so can i roof mount the amp?

whats the implications of mounting it there?

does it do any damage to the roof or roof ribs in the short or long term?

im thinking its a place that unused, centralized so it would require less wire than if it were in the back and don't get dust or damage like from being under the seat........

i see coaxial mentioned. are component sets better? is the price plenty higher?

apart from gauge of wire, what else i need to know? good brands or ratings? special materials etc?

Rovin...... i don't mind building the enclosure myself at all. but how do i get or figure ou the dimensions or how to build the box to work in the space?

nervewrecker........yea that project going on a lil while now aye....lol


ohh i forgot......most important........where is the best place to run wires under the carpet? around center hump? corners of floor? inside the panels? i dont want wires getting damaged or causing damage either

[- Rovin's car audio -]

amp location mainly depends on where it can fit & without being choked up too much so it gets some air circulating around it

decent 4g like i said above is around $30-35 like say stinger or bluewave wire ,,,,, just look at a cross section of d wire & thickness of d rubber insulation around it

mounting on d celiing sounds like alot of work & extra wire , dust will go on any amp no matter where u put it so dont study that too much

yes components generally sound better than coax but to me it seems u want simplicity of install so thats why i said coax instead of comps which will be more work , doesnt seem u want d loud DJ 8ohm mids like what alot of side d road out-stallers wud recommend , there are some car speakers that can give those DJ speakers a run for their $ in loudness & sound considerably better too

use this to figure out box design : http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/boxcalcs.asp

easiest convenient place to run wires is usually around sides of any vehicle under d carpet , u can run it along d hump under d carpet if u want to too

to run speaker wires into d doors u will have to fish it thru d stock rubber tube that connects d door to d frame , u know what i mean ........or d easier lazy man way is if d stock speaker wires are still there & it runs up into d dash then just connect d wires from d amp to d speaker wires in d dash ......

[neckto]

thanks bro.


i don't mind the extra work or challenge once it means doing it the correct way and properly. this project is for my learning experience so im up for whatever tasks involved

[- Rovin's car audio -]

youtube has a ton of videos u can watch on how to install car stereo stuff

some may not be d most accurate way to do something but at least u will get a idea ...

[neckto]

yea bro i've n looking a them. and i have a little experience from previous DIY basic installs, but with the amount of experts and professionals on tuner better to ask for help upfront

[neckto]

hey guys, what's the cheapest, effective sound dampeners available and who selling it?

[neckto]

hey i got this amp for free today.........i guess somebody was hearing i want music lol



this is the actual amp lol







one 25Amp fuse i beleive it said, couldnt see too good

i supposed to get a deck, preamp and equalizer too. so i going to use it for now until i finish the other more important aspects and upgrade my audio after

so with that in mind, does anyone havr any experience with this amp or brand?

what could this amp be used for? i beleive it was powering a pair of 6X9s before and one 10" poineer IMPP. (dont know the wattage yet).


please give me some advise on this thanks

[MonsterPower]

that amp can power a set of 6.5 on the doors up front..
or you can power a slim line pioneer in the back

[SR]

http://www.jlaudio.com/cp208lg-w3v3-car ... tems-93295

you will be amazed at the response of this enclosure

however you will need 500rms at 2ohm

recomend selling that amp and putting money towards a full range 5 channel class d amp instead

[nervewrecker]

Firewall literally piping a jl audio system.

[dsstt]

audiologic works quite fine, knew sum1 who used that exact amp on a pioneer 12" also on an 8" mtx

[neckto]

i got the wires today

3 X 17ft RCA


15ft of 4 Gauge power


3ft 12 gauge - since sub would be right in the back of the seat as the amp



18 yards of 16 gauge speaker wire for 4 doors



15 ft of Remote wire


thanks for the advice thus far guys.

question: can i run thes wires in the cavity of the side panels? would this be better or worse? i saw the openings today and realize it is possible to do so im just wondering

[nervewrecker]

Thats where I run mines.

just dont run rca's near power wires.

[neckto]

Thats where I run mines.

just dont run rca's near power wires.

reason?

signal interferrence?

........so then i could run power in one panel and RCAs in the other panel?.........

tips and tricks from any installers?

[neckto]

that amp can power a set of 6.5 on the doors up front..
or you can power a slim line pioneer in the back

so i can add a 2nd small amp to drive the sub?

would i need to run a next set of 4 gauge wire for that or can they share the power cable?

[neckto]

http://www.jlaudio.com/cp208lg-w3v3-car-audio-microsub-subwoofer-systems-93295

you will be amazed at the response of this enclosure

however you will need 500rms at 2ohm

recomend selling that amp and putting money towards a full range 5 channel class d amp instead

those JLs looking good indeed.......what about the new MTX FPR subs on the market? what are your thoughts on those?.........saw them on YouTube lol

not going to sell the amp as $200-$300 not going to offset anything really. also it was a gift so that would be disrespectful. i will keep it and use it even if only temporarily and give it so someone else after

[neckto]

audiologic works quite fine, knew sum1 who used that exact amp on a pioneer 12" also on an 8" mtx

does ur friend know the specs of the amp? im trying to find them on-line but no luck yet

[kurpal_v2]

Thats where I run mines.

just dont run rca's near power wires.

reason?

signal interferrence?

........so then i could run power in one panel and RCAs in the other panel?.........

tips and tricks from any installers?

General approach, run power down the side your battery on and all other source wires on the opposite sides. Use zip ties (or tape)if you have to keep wires secure and to make things easier when routing them. Also label your rca's at the ends (tape and paper works) (highs, mids, bass) so you could identify them easily.

that amp can power a set of 6.5 on the doors up front..
or you can power a slim line pioneer in the back

so i can add a 2nd small amp to drive the sub?

would i need to run a next set of 4 gauge wire for that or can they share the power cable?

Yes you can or just bridge the rear channels on the amp to power a small sub.

No they could share the power cable, you just need a distribution block, where you located? I might have an extra one I could give you.

[neckto]

Thats where I run mines.

just dont run rca's near power wires.

reason?

signal interferrence?

........so then i could run power in one panel and RCAs in the other panel?.........

tips and tricks from any installers?

General approach, run power down the side your battery on and all other source wires on the opposite sides. Use zip ties (or tape)if you have to keep wires secure and to make things easier when routing them. Also label your rca's at the ends (tape and paper works) (highs, mids, bass) so you could identify them easily.

that amp can power a set of 6.5 on the doors up front..
or you can power a slim line pioneer in the back

so i can add a 2nd small amp to drive the sub?

would i need to run a next set of 4 gauge wire for that or can they share the power cable?

Yes you can or just bridge the rear channels on the amp to power a small sub.

No they could share the power cable, you just need a distribution block, where you located? I might have an extra one I could give you.

thanks for the advice,

trying to find the specs for the amp to be able to determine proper spec speakers and or sub

anything specific to ask for when sourcing a distribution block?.........i located in P Town

Question: in-line fuse holder and fuse........... what's the correct/recommended/ required fuse Amp rating to be used. was going to buy the holder but didn't know what fuse to get so i held bk. wouldn't the size be dependant on the system you running or is it wire gauge specific?

[kurpal_v2]

The inline fuse IMO is to protect the wire so I'd use a 90amp or 100amp at most for 4awg


Typically 90% of your max current draw should be your fuse value so to ensure your fuse blows before the wire ignites.


I'm from debe ill message you tomorrow if I find the distro.

[neckto]

The inline fuse IMO is to protect the wire so I'd use a 90amp or 100amp at most for 4awg


Typically 90% of your max current draw should be your fuse value so to ensure your fuse blows before the wire ignites.


I'm from debe ill message you tomorrow if I find the distro.

check this site

http://www.bcae1.com/wire.htm

i think a 100A fuse would be good correct?

[kurpal_v2]

Yes, 100 or 120, I mixed up some numbers there on that same site you posted.

Hard lucks there.

[neckto]

Yes, 100 or 120, I mixed up some numbers there on that same site you posted.

Hard lucks there.

no scene........ bought the fuse and holder today, went with the move conservative 100A fuse to be on the safe side

[neckto]

hey fellas,

i got to test fit and measure the back seat today

this is the lower half of the back seat on the space killing hump..sigh





2 inches of clearance on top



seats could move out a little at the bottom using spacers and longer bolts to give a lil more room on the bottom, to move the top too would take more doing



so this is the overall space to work with without moving or adjusting anything



so those JL 8's enclosure would fit nicely in the back there..................... SR..who have those locally?

only prob is, with a enclosure in the bk there it have no room for the amp/s unless is small ones and they might get squeezed by the enclosure.....so that would cause a air flow and cooling problem?
another reason to consider mounting sub or even amps under the back seat


also i started to rough run the wiring today ( i may lay the heat proof and then sandwich the wires between that and the carpet to help protect them.





















so that's where and how i want to run the wiring, speaker wires would go along RCAs as well, so once you all say this is proper or don't suggest changes then i will start installing the heat proof and the rest of wiring............thanks

[kurpal_v2]

Looking good so far man.



I ain't forget the block eh, it's just time boy, I only home one day for the week so things gets hectic fast lol.