Ok i am building up my wifes car PYROLY (thats right as in PYRO Lisa Young - she has her Fireworks Licence)
I thought i'd do a post on the install as it progresses and get comments and then at the end i'll post up a summary with ideas for E-Series owners for stereo installs offering all of my advice an knowledge from having now worked on quite a few & perhaps it may be good enough for the Moderators to leave it as sticky for stereo ideas. It will cover mounting depth's available, spekaer location & options pros/cons etc.. and pictures.

Ok here we go

Background
Create a nice sounding SQ car capable of competition while retaining maximum boot space for baby stuff pram etc... , access to spare wheel and still with some attractive show aspects to draw attention when needed.

Equipment & Vehicle
1997 El Fairmont Ghia
- Full Tickford Bodykit
- Pacemaker Extractors + 2.5" Exhaust
- Full Red to Gold Kamerlion re-spray inc engine bay, door jams boot etc...
- 18" 3 Piece adjustable alloys
- + New H/duty towbar - AWESOME

Dynaudio 3 way front stage 8" midbass, 3.5" midrange, 1.1" tweeter
2 x 12" Phoenix Gold X-Max subs
1 x Earthquake 4 channel amp 4 x 130rms or 2 x 400rms
1 x Earthquake Digital Monoblock, 2000 rms @ 2ohm
2 x Stock rear fill
1 x Alpine 9855 headunit

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Initial thoughts
- Run the 2 subs in a different way to what i have seen anyone else do (supprise supprise i like being unique)
- Run the Dyn's passive off the Earthquake with 400rms per side.
- Run a pioner headunit i owned with one set of RCA's to a 31band EQ and then split into the 2 amps
- Optima Boot mounted battery for stable voltage supply
- Rear fill run from off the headunit approx 15rms, I thought i'd make a pasive bandpass crossover 300 - 3khz
- Mount the Dyn' mid and tweeter in the kicks and midbass in the doors

Final Ideas
- Change to an ALPINE headunit that allows me to run semi active front stage & Time Allignment if needed
- Configuration to be 2 x 130rms midrange & tweeter through Dyn crossover and 2 x 130rms to midbasses run active.
- Use headunit 5 band parametric EQ and do away with the external 31band. The speakers sounded so good after initial auditioning that i did not see a 31 band EQ as necessary
- Use o Gauge cabling to prevent battery drop and forgo the need for a boot mounted battery. This saves cost, space and weight.
- Stick with the bandpass passive crossover for the rears
- Stick with Dyn tweeter and mid in the kicks but build an enclosure that goes under the seat for the midbasses and has them firing up slightly towards the windscreen.

Laying it out
A step that is often overlooked by people who adopt a cut now then try and fit it later approach. I layed all of the equipment out to see where it would fit, function best and look good.

Subs se below, Monoblock was pretty plain but Earthquake amp is nice so i thought i'd hide one and save space and show the other one. Also hide the battery decided to go with a 3 piece show boot instal.

On one side Stinget fuse blosk showing current and voltage to the system, and showing off the stinget accessories themselves, Sub box with glass in the middle and Earthquake amp on the other side.

Install Time - PART 1 MIDBASS

I'll mainly let the pictures speak here, but i decided that i'd seen plenty of sub boxes with speakers facing forward and magnets showing through glass, plenty with subs facing backwards and cone showing out the front and otplenty with magnet s hanging out of boxes whoing off the back of subs, but none with cones showing in the box and no magnet and a box that appeared to be impossible to fit.

Mark out the edges of where i'm going to cut the carpet and underlay
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Once cut lay out masking tape over the area required prior to fibreglassing
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Made a top pannel to hold midbass
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Apply sounddeadening on the underside. I then painted both the fibreglass and underside of thew whole box before i put it together but forgot to take a photo so you'll just have to trust me
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Pod sitting in the car for a measure up
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Initial fibreglass layer setting
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3 or 4 layers later bottom mould is done although rough
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Mounted to top mould before boging and sanding to a nice finish
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The advanced drying process when you dont use enough fibreglass hardner, a heatgun and 1000watt floodlight on a lighting stand blasting on the pod to make it dry faster
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With the por upside down i filled it using a smoke machine to ensuer it was airtight. Worked well and was a little fun
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In location befoer doing all the finishing sanding etc...
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Part 2 KICKPANNELS to come.....

Last edited by pyroay on Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:06 am, edited 11 times in total.

Wow! May I be the first to say, WOW!

I can't believe it. Who would even think of such a thing?

The sound stage will sound awesome ! Looking forward to seeing more!

Looks like its got some good potential. I like the speaker install under the seats, and the way the footwell is shaped, you should get some good sound reflex that comes back in-your-face. I'll be interested to see what you come up with for the subs in the boot as there doesn't seem to be a great variation in sub installs.

Can you also throw up a pic of the fairmont ghia from the outside, just interested to see what it looks like.

Cheers and great work!!!!

Awesome never seen that done before!
Inspiring to say the least.

Can't wait for updates on this.

Bring on the annotated tutorials Aaron - insightful for everyone

Should I just call you Cyberpunky hehe - seriously, nice work with the enclosures...interesting to see how it all goes !

By the way - what colour is Lisa's EL Ghia - it looks sparkling Burgundy

looks like karmeleon to mee
can u give us some specs of the car...oh and some pics too

Yeah same here...but I didn't think this was going to be AS flashy as Aaron's car...looks like hee's dug up the contacts for his car and is living it all again C'mon Aaron - spill ya guts

VERY impressed; did you think about putting your old system into the ghia?

Colour is looking very unique; pearled sparkling burgandy or full kamelion?

is it just me or are some the piccies not working? BTW great job Aaron cant wait to see it all

Sorry Steevo but I'm gonna say Karmeleon too.....looks like it might have a kit on it too!!!!

Yes i thought about that but i have changed my system considerably since most of you would have last seen it so hopefully i will be happy when it's done.

Yes full Kamelion respray

You are the luckiest mofo alive! You have like the dream car of mine and an absolute belter of a car for your wife... So lucky!

3-way Dynaudio setup, I could only dream of that. You need to help me do my install one day LOL

Keep it updated mate. It's awesome to see someone with so much passion in audio, I can't get enough of it.

PART 2 - Kickpannes

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Obviously the computer has to go, fortunately it is on a good length loom (approx 50cm) so without too much hasle you can mount it close by.
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I'm working on modifying the kickpannels to cover them nicely i'll post up later.


PART 3

There is not enough space here so a nibbler is used to increase the whole size and a file to finish off the edges so they aren't too sharp.
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Then mount the computer and crossovers out of the way.
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Then speakers in place
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Now drivers side is a litle harder look at all of the relays, and [b]HUGE loom

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Nevertheless
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PART 3 SUB BOX to come

Looks pretty sweet - Out of curiosity, is this a better idea for staging than just 3 way pods on the doors?

Yes, the car images and stages better than mine.

Very nice sounding set-up as it is all running now (although in very rough trim)