Red Jewel RS/SS: Audio, intake, exhaust..one day blower

[JohnnyComeLately]

This thread will probably take a few years to fully develop.

For now, I've started on the front components. I put in Hertz HSK 165 6.5" components in the door.



I pulled together the following:
Precision Power Industries' (PPI) A600 (600 bridged into 4ohm X 1)
PPI 404 (100 X 2 at 4 ohms)
Alpine 40 watt X 2 at 4, or 100 bridged.
Audio Control EQX

I built boards today with carpet for mounting.

Starting with the EQL. It's going to slide right into the spot where the BA amp (from OEM) was mounted. Here are some pics of the EQ board, and I'll post up some of the unit mounted. Next will be trying to figure out how I want to secure the amp board on the passenger side wall (trunk).

[The Stig]

Looking good so far, and nothing wrong with taking your time on mods.

[JohnnyComeLately]

Thanks Stieger!
Today was a lazy Sunday. Got a good majority of the wiring done. Before anyone jumps on me, the wiring has not been "niced up" yet. Plenty of split loom and things to rearrange.

I also trial fit everything in place. I'm still not sure how I'm mounting the Amp Rack. This is new territory as with previous cars I built amp boxes or false floors. I'm not sure how to create the least "permanent" changes, and also get the amp rack off the trunk floor so the rear trunk mat (carpet, whatever) can be completely, easily removed.

Lesson(s) learned today: You can get any length of car audio RCA patch cables at Walmart....as long as it's 25 feet. I thought, "I'll just swing by Walmart to get some decent priced cables to at least get the system tested out this evening after the kids go to sleep (9pm ish). " Home electronics only had composite/audio (3 leads). Went over to their car stereo and dismayed to see poor selection. Best Buy it is I guess. I wanted to get Dynamat there anyway.

So... here's the pics of some mounting, wiring and trial fitting.

[RaiderSS]

Looking good so far!

[2010SLVRBULIT]

Nice gear, Audiocontrol makes excellent products. Used their EQL & EQX on separate systems as well as the Epicenter. Got a 4.1 that should come in handy once my stock headunit is replaced.

[JohnnyComeLately]

Was it hard to tune an eql and eqx in one car? I knew the EQX was two channel and rarely use fade control, but I didn't consider some thing such as: I thing GM inserts sounds related to function. For example, I think the backup alarm is via rear. I never realized this but our blinker's "comfort click sound" is via the stereo and so I'm thinking it's over front channels. Hence I may add an eql later.

So, got three patch cables at RadioShack as best buy didn't carry suitable patch cables. Also, dynamat is cheaper in the smaller door kit VS trunk. Trunk is 5 pieces at $129. Door is 4 pieces around $69. (pieces are same size). So I will do part of the trunk. I want to see coverage before I go nuts buying another $200 of Mat.

Going to redo two parts of the install. If you look in the pic I've got the DVC sub in series which is a 12 ohm load. So at radio shack I bought 14 gauge spade terminals, which I'll use instead of what you see: 14 gauge speakerwire cut down to fit into 16-18 connectors.

I'm also redoing the RCAs I soldered onto the stock wiring. Since the stock amp is likely trash bound, I'll go ahead and snip my soldered tap and crimp (butt connectors) or maybe solder onto a longer and thicker wired "donor cable" I found. Although electrically ok , I wasn't happy with how my high wattage soldering gun wilted the insulation on the previous donor RCA cable. Also it's a tad shorter than I like. It's length creates a bit of pressure on the input of the EQX. With a longer cable I can stow the OEM X3 harness in the outer cavity (zip tied so it's not free to flop around) and then use split loom/fixed mount to take all stress off the RCA cables going in and out of the EQX.

Hopefully that made sense. It's sorta cool riding around in the Camaro with no music. When you nail the throttle the involuntary muscles in you face tense to the point people 2 miles away can see you $#|^ eatin' grin

[JohnnyComeLately]

Had an "Oh crap" moment. I took the battery out of the car because I was thinking about dynamatting under it. I closed the trunk when the wife/kids came home to go inside....then I realized the trunk release was electric (I haven't seen a keyhole). I crawled through the rear seat and used the emergency release.

Also regret taking the battery out because now I have to reset the window roll down function. For anyone thinking about matting under the battery, don't bother. There's not really a flat surface to put it on.

Most of the trunk is matted, RCAs resoldered on X3 amp wires from head, patch cables ran... Got most of what I wanted done today finished.

[JohnnyComeLately]

Man what a PITA it has turned out to be trying to integrate with the car's OEM head. I read a thread awhile back where someone tapped their rears for an aftermarket system, but there was no mention of what happens.

FYI for anyone reading: You lose your turn signal "comfort noise" (the click click as it blinks), OnStar, and Bluetooth phone. So, I guess it's back to the wiring harness I go. I'm debating whether to connect the rear straight (no EQ) to the amp, or buy an Audio Control EQL for the rear. I might also get the Alpine 6.5" components since putting an EQ and decent amp on the rear channels is sorta dumb with OEM drivers still in the rear deck.


Lessons Learned lately: When bridging 4 channels to two, don't put your inputs on L + R. (one goes on front, one on back...L or R is moot).

Despite what I have read, the PPI A600 is not happy at 3 ohms. So I might go back to stereo sub, running each channel to the DVC and just take the power hit (6 ohms per channel, vice normal 4 ohm).

[2010 SSRS]

looks good