My car audio install

MattBennett · Dec 21, 2008

Been meaning to make a thread on for a while about my ongoing car audio install. This thread has been compiled from another forum that I use. I started this install in July 2006 has been going slowly since then.

Using my standard Ibiza head unit, using the preouts on the back to feed a crossover which then feeds an amp with front rear and subwoofer out puts.

Started last year with the standard speakers beening changed for Infinity reference components front and back. Few pics of the speakers and tweeters installed. Need to go back and sound proof the whole car and secure all wires and the crossovers into place.

Mids installed in to the door in MDF baffle

Using the existing speaker wire to the door so have run wires down the middle of the car from the amp to this plug which plugs into the car wiring harness

Power cable through the gromet into the car

Close up of a speaker mounted, need to tidy up the wires and secure them

Cross overs in place, need securing properly as closing the door has made them come unstuck.

Mids installed into the rear pannel, this was all ready there, just held the speakers in place with nuts and bots with locking washers

Crossovers mounted in the rear quarter, guess that these have come unstuck as well, wil probably need to resecure thse.

Tweeters glued in place into the original tweeter housing. Just needed easing slightly to make them fit properly

Rear passenger side waiting for the door card to go back on

Passanger door finished and waiting for the door card

MattBennett · Dec 21, 2008

Started a fiberglass subwoofer build in the passenger side of the boot. MK1 was complete disaster for a number of reasons lack of patience being the biggest factor. So have started a new build. Have read around the net looking for tutorials in building fiberglass enclosures. I intend to make this enclosure so that its flush in the boot, will just have a grill for the sound to pass though. Going to construct a false floor for the amp, cross over and to hide the wires.

Started off wrapping the area concerned with foil becuase it will hold its shape and should pull out of the car fairly easily. Also saves getting the car in to much of a state. Masking tape came next most areas had about 2 layers. This adds a fairly base that the fiberglass can bond to, but will also peel away from the fiberglass when dry. I learnt from MK1 that the strand mat I had was to thick and didnt want to mould around corners to well. So bought some fiberglass tissue, seems to mould around things better. Put about 3 layers of glass mat and resined it all up. Is stiff enough to hold its shape now. Will start soon building up the thickness of the enclosure layer by layer to make sure that there is no air between the layers. A problem that I had in the first build.

Masking tape inplace over the tinfoil

After some fiberglass with the foil and most of the masking tape removed. Just strong enough to hold its shape, need to spend some time getting the rest of the tape off

MK1 in bits in the trailer of death (Trailer full of crap going to the tip this weekend!)

The subwoofer, all good things come in small packages! 6" JL audio, my Dad has one of these in a 5 litre sealed box in his car and it does make some noise! Im hoping to port my enclosure and hope that it will finish up about 7-8 litres.

MattBennett · Dec 21, 2008

The amp to power the system, Will run the two sub channels bridged to the sub and the rest of the channels will power their respective speakers. I had this in place with 2 10" free air subs in a parcel shelf untill last week. Got fed up with no space in the boot do decided to take on the fiberglass build.

Electronic crossover unit. Takes a front and rear RCA input and spits a sub output out at the other end. This is then fed to the amp.

Few more pics, have got some mor structure into the box tonight with may more layers of glass matting and resin. Is solid now and certainly wont go anywhere. Have the front of the box cut out of wood, might decide to make it agin though for a better fit. Going to tape the wood into place, use some fabric tape through the hole to seal the baffle to the enclosure. I will then fill the gap with thick string and matting and add some resin to seal it all up tight.

Isnt quite the volume i was hoping for about 5-5.5 litres so will be a sealed enclosure and will pack it out a bit with some wadding to fool the sub into thinking its in a bigger enclosure.

Aimez · Dec 21, 2008

Wow looks hard work you are one of few hardcore ICE people on here not many people seem into it on here. (I presume you have seen the ICE sections not many visit). Good work hope it sounds good in the end!

MattBennett · Dec 21, 2008

Wouldnt consider my self hardcore. Im sure the hardcore would have other ideas on how to do things. Keep an eye on the ICE section but dont post, like you say, is fairly quite in there.

BigWill · Dec 21, 2008

Top stuff there mate, are you gonna dynamat it in the future?
Also a question, how exactly does the electronic x-over work, and what's the benefits of getting one?

MattBennett · Dec 21, 2008

I plan next year to strip the interior out and sound proof. Also replace the trim clips that I broke removing the interior last time.

The electronic crossover takes a front and rear RCA from the head unit. Then spilts it into 3 channels. Front, rear and sub. You then can controll the volume of each channel independenly. And you can also adjust the frequency given to each channel. In simple terms, you can controll how much and how loud from front rear and sub. The benifits of me having one meant that I could have a dedicated sub channel easily. It was cheap. I would like to find a double din unit in the new year with a graphic eq and possibly loose the crossover

BigWill · Dec 22, 2008

Ah right, thanks mate didn't have a clue before

MattBennett · Aug 3, 2009

Have started to build a false floor and trimmed the side of the boot, pics tommorow

Aimez · Aug 3, 2009

ooh sounds good, what side are them rear speakers, I got my rear speakers amped but they are still standard as they are some weird size?

MattBennett · Aug 3, 2009

Think they were 6.25 but I cant remember eactly but they were an almost identical fit and the tweeters could have been more perfect.

Aimez · Aug 4, 2009

ah right cool, I've not removed the rear door cards myself (got an audio place to do the work as I don't understand electrics and would set my car alight!)

Can I pick your brains, for louder bass what is best, turn up the sub woofer volume or the bass volume or both? Can't get mine to sound right.

cupraajy · Aug 4, 2009

Top work.....one of my next jobs is replaceing the front speakers as one is shagged....what size speakers are the mk4.....front and rear if you can remember?

Cheers

Andy

Aimez · Aug 4, 2009

16.5 up front but you have to make sure you get the slimmest width or the window will hit them!

st10587 · Aug 4, 2009

im working on pretty much the same sub enclosure how freaky is that!! i thought i was being unique!

Chino_UK · Aug 4, 2009

Nice work mate...just about to start work on mine...gonna ditch the rear speakers in favour of an auto acoustics shelf with decent speakers run through the high pass filter on my 4ch amp. What size are the mids in the back tho?

BigWill · Aug 4, 2009

aimez said:
16.5 up front but you have to make sure you get the slimmest width or the window will hit them!

Or if you want speakers with the best quality, have them poke out the door cards!

MattBennett · Aug 4, 2009

Chino I have a stealth shelf if you want it we can come to some arrangement. I had two 8 inch free air subs in it so will take some weight.

I managed to get a fairly good baffle in the front door if you look at the pics I think it was 22mm mdf, this meant I was able to get the speakers in and have no probs with windows, and still gets the door card over!

MattBennett · Aug 4, 2009

For those that are interested the speakers model number is REF6010CS 6.5" they fitted a treat into my car and couldnt reccomend them enough, they are as close to stock fit as you can get, you do need a spacer on the drivers door to stop them catching the windown when it is wound down and can still get the door card on top.

The speakers are still for sale here http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-reference-6010cs-6-5-34-270-watts-speaker_p-22418.htm not where I bought them from and not as cheap as I got them for but they fit almost with out messing

st10587 · Aug 4, 2009

did you ever finsh you install?? got any pics of the finished look

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My car audio install

MattBennett

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st10587

i only brake for cake!!!!

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st10587

i only brake for cake!!!!

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