Hello all,

Well after running into a fellow orger at SVR, he convenced me to post more in this section of the org. I figured I would start by showing what I have done to my 95 Max. Keep in mind this poor car has 312,000+ miles and started out two years ago with tans and brown int.

Anyways, the system has a total of 22 drivers, six in each front door, 2 in each front a-pillar, 4 in the rear deck and two Subs. All mids and highs are the old style Apline Type-Rs and subs are Elemental Design flat piston Ed12O14s.

For amps I used two Fultron CA300 (4x75w), one Fultron CA150 (2x75w) and one quit large US Amps USA 400 (2x200@4ohm, 1200W bridged@2ohms). Each of the four channel amps are running their own side of the front stage. The smaller two channel is on rear full and of course the big US amp is running the subs.

The install is highlighted with blue LEDs, neons and strobes. The rear fiberglass tub in the trunk is completely removable for easy maintenance and/or upgrades.

As for the sound, well I place 4th at SVR in Amatuer Street. The system actually images very well, even with so many drivers. This system accels in its overall dymanic capability. Obviously with that many drivers and a decent amount of power it is capable of getting quit loud but with no added distortion.

Here that link for you to check it outhttp://www.turboegt.com/Cars/Maxima/...3.0%20Main.htm

Please let me know what you think.

Rick - SQMaxima

 

Cool.

So if thats 95% done...whats the 5% still pending?

 

damn that looks like it took an assload of work. how is the bass response from the subs after the fiberglassing? looks like it seals off most of the bass into the rear of the trunk.

 

The 5% is the fact that the FG tub and the trunk lid cover had not been 100% sanded smooth, only about 95%. We were running out of time to get to SVR to we just went ahead and put the base coat of paint on them both. Once I finish a few very small spots we will then rebase coat and then clear both piece for a super nice finish.

The car actually has great bass responce able to get down into real sub-bass frequencies (below 20HZ). The combo of the ED subs, very well biult sealed enclosure and the bute power of the US Amp works out great. As for fiberglass tub hurting the bass it actually seems to make it sound better. The tub is actually spaced off the enclosure about an inch. The air has plenty of area to vent into the cabin through not only between the tub and enclosure but also through the other wholes around the tub, AKA crossover opens, Cap opening, power dist. opening. There is also a large vent I biult into the rear deck. I was a little worry about it too but like I said I think it sound better with the tub in the trunk.

Rick

 

very nice. If I come to Orlando sometime I wanna hear this setup. Surprised you are using the old school flat cone O series...seems like the only ED subs that have been reliable from the first years of ED's existence.

 

A lot of real nice custom work here. Lotsa well done details and trim panels and stuff. The stenghts of this system first are definately the ability to reach those dynamic peaks in music with authority ( I just love efficiency)and overall tuning (when I heard it, with Rick being the one to have tuned it...big kudos for this as well for the install). All the instruments were spot on and tonality was very smooth accross the whole spectrum.Speakers blended together very well, which just kinda blew me away given speaker locations. I can't specifically remember the bass, as we definately didn't bass out and we were playing more SQ music. It was really more the frontstage I was listening to in the 10 -15 or so minutes I was in this car. Speaker location dictates that it's a one seat car and depth is kind of limited (two things we're not judged on), but besides that this car sounds really nice, I really like dynamic systems. I bet you could get the two midranges and tweets in kicks . Anyone that is near and can hear this sytem really oughta.

I'm sick of even playing around. I think i'm just gonna buy Tony's car, move up to your division and be done with it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-3...spagenameZWDVW

 

Goddamit, I wish I had the tools needed to do something this elaborate. Looks good.

Everything looks really good, with the exception of the center console. Not diggin' it. A bit too busy without being flush.

 

Stevei, Thanks for the good writeup on my car. Tony actually lives like two miles from me and i still have never heard the car.....YET, LOL!

As for the console, yes I could of mounted the top two units flush or ISO but the bottom unit it actually a pull out so it could not. Its a Sonic Blue 20gig Rio player which is actually a computer using a 230mhz Armstrong processor running Linix with laptop HDs. Its a great unit that is open source so tons of addon options and graphics are available and poeple create more everyday. It using 4 channel 4 volt BurrBrown outputs for great SQ and will play just about any format of digital audio including wave files which is the same file type used on CDs for the same exact SQ as a CD. I use it more the I do the CD player.

 

That trunk is sick!

 

The sections that explain how you did every step are awesome....very helpful.

You get that foam at a boat store? You just cut/sand/finish to shape and cover it?

Also, not sure if I missed it but how/and at what spots is the door panel attacted to the door?

 

Thanks! I try to pass on anything I have learned in the sport. So many people out there hide to hide and hord things. Most custom fabrication is not rocket science once you actually know how to do it. It just takes time and lots of darn sanding, LOL.

Most of the foam I got from the shop I used to work for. You can get it at some boat store or online. I now get all foams, fiberglass and resins from www.uscomposites.com. Their website has a lot of good info on it too. The foam is rated by its density in lbs. You want something close to about 2lbs. I have used 4lbs but its much harder to shape. The foam is just there to help you get the shape you want but does not really help the overall strenght in this case. I actually grind out most of the foam after its served its purpose.

Funny you ask about the doors. At SVR I talked to the install judge about the way he scored me (and I guess everyone else as well). One of the things he was impressed with was how my front door panels were very secure and solid, even with all the added weight of the 6 drivers in the door. I find this so darn funny. The drivers are screwed to a piece of 3/4 MDF and then that is screwed to the inside of the door panel to the 3/4 MDF ring that was added to the door panel. The door panel itself with drivers weighs in at about 35lbs but........heres the really funny part.......it only uses the two screws at the very bottom of the door, one in the center and one under the pocket. None of the panel pop plastic things are used. The sear mass of the drivers pretty much holds the panel down once its locked in on the top. Even the door pull part of the door does not help much because it had to be modified to make room for the drivers. The panels really are solid. Only problem I have to work on now is getting it to stop resonating so bad. With the low mid to midbass XO piont of 160hz and the midbass drivers play all the way down to 50hz there is a ton of air being moved behind the panel.

 

Very nicely done. +1

 

Just looking at your doors....i take it while in car ,the seat and your side/legs blocks most of the path of the midbasses? No?
Do you plan on taking this approach forward into the next year where you may be judged for depth?

 

Where is the link to this foam I am seeing you guys talk about?

 

Manny are the rules changing next year? He is in amateur street, which doesn't judge for depth (though I personally think they should) or passenger seat listening (wouldn't mind either). As far as I know, he can stay in amateur street indefinately. Is that correct?

I wanna play with this foam too....Looks like fun...

 

thats one sick trunk setup

 

I'll be giving you a call tommorow, dude. Talk to ya then.

 

Its actually quit amazing just how little your lag position changes the performance of the stage. I hear many poeple telling the judge just how to sit in their car. In mine I just tell then to relax, get confy, take your time, and enjoy the expereince........oh, and for them to NOT be afraid to turn it up.....TeeHee. The midbasses just clean the from of the sit so that is not really a factor and sense there are two mids and tweeter in each door your leg is never covering both.

TIP: according to the rule book you are allowd a few minutes to many any adjustments to your car once a judge comes to judge your car. Tell the judge you need that few minutes and usually they will take you that they are going to go judge another car and then you will be next. Then make any adjustment but while you are doing that start your car and use the heat/AC to make it a nice temp inside that car. Down here in the south judging outside in the hot sun of course the inside of your car will be hot. If the judge get into a hot car he is not going to be 100% focus on judging while he/she is swetting bullets. Now if the judge is all hot from judging other hot cars but then he gets in your nice cool car he is going to take more time in your car.

Its actually pretty weird how all those drivers work together. I actually got the idea after building these:
I am always looking to try out new speaker theories and after surfing around some DIY home audio forums I started studying about Line Arrays. Turns out you can control dispersion by coupling like drivers together. You also gain output vs the same number of drivers mounted farther apart (<overly simplifies)The towers above are over 82" tall and used 12 6.5" midbass drivers and 52 1" tweeters. There are a few white papers about line arrays that are great reading. Then I got to thinking how many very high end home audio speaker companies use reflacted sond waves to their advantage. Now if you talk to just about any car audio guy they will tell you reflected sound is BAD. I got to thinking if I could control the dispersion and use the reflected sound waves to my advantage I might have something. I think it is working out pretty good so far. I think my car goes against just about every "rule" in having a good SQ car. If you notice all the drivers are mounted as close together as posable, the mids and tweeters in the doors are mounted in a D'Appolito array meaning the tweeters are between the mids to help control dispersion and the tweeters in the A-pillars are mounted at about the same angle as the D'Appolito array in the door which in turn is about the same angle as the windshield. All this plus some other things add up to what I think is a pretty darn good stage up front.



It sad to say but competing is about 70% system 30% mind games at best.

As for the depth, Rookie is the only class that does not get judged on depth. So yes I do get judge on it and that is one around my car falls a little short right now. At SVR out of a score of 15 I got 13 in SQ and 11 in SQC ( Tony judged my car in SQC, is a 3 time finals champ and is quit a hard judge but I respect him). I will be working on that over the next few months.

Here the lick to the foam:http://www.uscomposites.com/foam.html. You want to get the 2bl density even though the website says otherwise. Its easier to sand and shape then higher densities and all you want it to do is hold its shape while you fiberglass over top of it.

Tips on foam: Dont use it when its cold out. It will not expand very well. Mix 1 part of each of the 2 parts. I found using cheap clean plastic cups works great. Fill each cup about a quarter of the way full making sure each cup has the same amount in it. Then pour one cup into the other and mix QUICKLY with a paint stick. Make sure you mix the two together good but you only have about 20-30 seconds before it starts to expand. Then just pour it out onto the area you want. Dont use to much are it will not cure it its to thick sometimes. If it does not cure and harden you will be hating life because it does not sand well at all. Alum. foil ducting tape works great for making dam like little walls to keep the foam where you want it. CAUTION!!!! Do not get the foam on anything you dont want it. This foam DOES NOT come out of carpets or just about anything else like it. Tape.mark off everything unless you want the foam to stick to it.

Enjoy
Rick

 

did you bulid the huger speakers used on the cover of the parts express catalog?

 

Nope,LOL

10 char.