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Well, after months of planning and weeks of work, I'm well underway. I'm going to post this in C6 general and in Audio as I think it will be of interest in both areas.

As I'm now in a holding stage, while I wait for my subs, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show a few pictures of the work done so far. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank a few people, most notably SteveGermany for his excellent advice and excellent organization of the C6 Audio FAQ's, Shopdog for his advice, EVIL C5 for the inspiration for the amp rack, scott fx for misc tips, and others who have contributed to the FAQ's and answered me via threads and pm's.

The stereo will have the following components:

1. Head unit - Bose Nav

2. Signal - PAC AOEM-GM24...this plugs in to the cable that emerges from the back of the head unit and converts the signals to RCA cables. Yes, it does work with the Nav. It provides 4 RCA's - FL, FR, RL and RR. The other thing I considered was using a JL Cleensweep, but I didn't b/c of the cost and the cutting / splicing required.

3. Wiring - I ran a 4 gauge power and a 4 gauge ground from the batter to the rear. I considered using the rear seat bolt for ground, but as the ground has to return to the battery anyway, I thought I'd help it along and ensure that it returned 'unscathed'. I have a 60 amp fuse 6 inches from the battery.

4. Remote turn on - I got the signal from the fuse box; I used the heated seat and used the Mini Add-A-Circuit. I'm not sure if I'll stay with this, as it turns off power when you turn off the car, yet the stereo stays on until the door is opened. I may try to find a remote turn on to match this.

5. Amps:
a - Front will be powered by a JL 300/2. I have the front RCA's going right from the PAC, along the floor in front of the driver's seat, and back along the driver's side sill. The speakers have a crossover on the amp rack, and the wires run back along the same path to the doors. Keep in mind the RCA's and Power/Ground are intentionally on opposite sides of the car to avoid noise.
b - Sub will be powered by a JL 250/1 monoblock, ample for the subs I will be using (see below).

6. Speakers:
a - Front - JL XR 650 CSi's - mounted on 1/4 inch plexiglass (pain to work with, but strong; used a saber saw and a dremmel to cut). See pictures below.
b - Sub - 2 JL 8w3v3's - coming out this month or next, to be installed in a custom fiberglass enclosure that will sit behind the seats (convertible) - this is the last component I'm waiting on and the only part of the installation I will not be doing myself.
c - Rear - Eliminated. As much as I would have liked a rear channel, I felt the benefit of having the subs right behind the seats, and thus not having to travel throught the top mechanism, overwhelmed the benefit of having a rear fill. The subs will be where the rear speakers used to be. This is not built yet, but see the picture of the Miata I found on the web for the general idea.

6. Amp rack - This part I'm particularly proud of. My father and I constructed the amp rack out of 1/2" plywood, constructed a cover and covered it with automobile carpet. The color is not a perfect match, but it looks pretty good in person. The amp rack is bolted through the floor with a couple of 3" stainless carriage bolt to help reduce the potential for theft. I had to lift the car to install the nuts. The amp rack contains the two amps, two crossovers and power / ground distribution blocks.

I haven't had a chance to listen to it much, and I need to play with the crossovers; just taking a break for now. Enjoy the pics:

The PAC AEOM-GM24:


The PAC unit hooked up with RCA's ready to go:


The door panel off the car:


The tweeter is installed on the door panel:


The door with the panel removed:


The plexiglass panel is being fit tested:


The speaker is mounted on the plexiglass:


The door with the speaker installed:

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The amp rack base:


The amp rack cover:


The amp rack with the cover on:


A Miata with 2 JL 8's behind the seats (pic courtesy of some random guy on the web). This is to illustrate how the subs will sit behind the seats; of course, on the C6, they will go under the coves along side the waterfall:

CV62

Great job Craig. Will have to show me next time I see you. May solict your technical expertise once you get it all sorted. Keep us posted and looking forward to seeing your progress.

VET4LES

Your doing a great job. Keep us posted.

CV62

Where did you purchase the PAC GM24 and for how much? Most places list it will work on the standard, not NAV unit but you have it connected to the NAV head. Any concerns or customizations you had to contend with? Have you tested it yet?

The Garage Master

I would Dynomat that doors to. Nice job.

zsr22

Ah JL Audio. I've probably put a couple of their employee's kids through college throughout the years!

cmb13

I got it from Logjam Electronics ; click the link to the page. I know, you're right, most sites say it will not work with the head unit. However, I called PAC three times to discuss it with them; spoke with someone at tech support who swore it would, and in fact it does!

cmb13

I've thought about it,Chad, but I haven't been bothered with noise (especially, I guess, since I virtually only drive topless). If I get any buzzing or other issues, I may still.

Do you think it helps with sound quality independently of noise reduction? I've heard it said it does, but I'm not sure. I made sure the plexiglass was tightly sealed so there was no air leak around the drivers.

Btw, just went out and listened for a little while; Fleetwood Mac Rumors cd. Man, it is so damn precise, I just love it!

CV62

I cannot wait to hear it and see your installation. Congrats!

webdzynes

Funny - Even their web site specifically says it (the pacaoemgm24) is for the NON-Nav unit. I'm just glad it works!! I wonder if there is any differentiation between an 2005 and an 2006..

Craig - it looks terrific! Very nice job. Please keep us all posted as it progresses. I will be doing the a similar setup only using a 3-way DynAudio speaker system powered by a JL 320/2 and dual 10" JL subs powered by a JL 500/1. Its all going in a 2006 Coupe!

cmb13

You must mean 300/2, right? Are you going to have a rear channel? I would have, if it weren't for the fact that my subs are going in the place where the rear speakers are currently located.

That's gonna rock, with the 2 10s and the 500/1! Better get under the car with a socket wrench to tighten all your nuts and bolts!

SC TROJAN GRAD

nice write up.

0Vette Stripes

Pretty nice!

-Mike

cmb13

Thanks! It might sound better with some stripes, Mike!

2005ArcticWhite

Nice

rothchilds

nice documentation. As far as the ground wire goes though, you are better off grounding as close as possible to the amp instead of running a line straight back to the battery. Ground loops are a killer problem the longer you have a line, best practice is around 6 inches from your amp if possible, on a non-painted surface. Other than that, looks good

vettejoel

Doing surgery on you C6? Looks like it will sound awsome! Nice job buddy

excessive81

doing a jl sub install on mine as well. i am in the process of making a fiberglass box to hold a 8w7 and my 250/1. i have an eclispe nav/dvd headunit and jl speakers all thru out the car beside the 10 things in the doors... i wont call those subs and you cant make me!!!

dbirdhouse1

Unique Whips, here we come! Very Sweet!