The install on the new system in my Vette is complete.

The installation was started by me then I gave up and the experts at Cartoys in Tigard, Oregon completed it. They did great work and spent about 20 hours on the full install.

We started out with Polk Momo components then swapped them out for Focal's after I was not happy with the initial tweeter location in the door.

Here is the final configuration:

• Kenwood 25th Anniversary XXV-01D
• Focal 165V3E Components
• JL Audio 10W7 Sub
• JL Audio 500/1 Amp
• JL Audio 300/2 Amp
• VrumVrum Mounting Plate and Speaker Adapters
• Subthump 10W7 Box

In addition to the system, I also had the "Big 3" replaced and added an Optima Yellow Top battery. This solved most of the dimming I mentioned on the forums last week. There is some minor dimming on extremly hard hits at high volumes, but probably not enough to worry about fixing. We'll see.

The guys at Cartoys also built a custom amp rack that turned out really well. It is lit by Red LEDs and has fans to cross cool the amps.

Overall I am really happy with the install. They did good work. I am also having them install a Z1 in my Avalanche. That should be done on Thursday.

Here are some pictures of the install. You can click on each to load a Huge version. You can also skip all that and go straight to the gallery.


Here is a shot of the deck in the VrumVrum plate. This deck is simply awesome. The amount of configuration you can do on the audio was enough to shock the installers. And the VrumVrum plate had a wonderful reception. They thought it was the best mounting plate they had ever seen.


Here is a shot of the Amp rack. They really did an amazing job on it. You can see how they wrapped it around the Subthump box in the next pic.




Here is a shot at night. A bit blurry, but you get the idea.


We removed the Bose logos and recovered the stock speaker grills with black speaker cloth.


The Focal tweets are mounted at the front of the A-pillars. They are out of phase. I saw some posts saying the firing them toward the window was a mistake, but these sound just terrific. And the issue I had with the Momo's and my leg blocking the tweets is totally gone. I think these tweeters also have a smoother sound than the Momo tweets, but both sound great.

BTW, you can tell from my hair that I spent all afternoon cruising with the top down.


Here is the JL10W7 sub. This sub is just WOW. No other way to describe it. It hits really hard. Sounds like a couple 10s at least. Very good purchase.


Lastly, here is the yellow top and the new connections from the "Big 3" replacement.

Thanks to everyone for all of their advice and help over the last 3-4 weeks while I decided what to put in, struggled to get it in there and then gave advice when the first install was not quite perfect.

Shan

 

very nice,.

 

Looks pretty tight there senor. I love the setup, great H/U, focal speakers, JL amps and sub....always a winning combination.

 

Very nice!

 

That's a nice installation....looks like the installer did a great job. I like the LED's too

 

lookin good, great install. I gotta stay off of this forum, i just keep wanting to buy stuff

 

Looks sweet man Nice clean install with great components, glad you are happy bro

Fej

 

The guy that did the install, Mike Something, was on the beginning of the first season of Overhaulin'. I guess he did all the interior work for the first three cars before Overhaulin' got enough attention to draw in a big company to sponsor the interior work. He had some pictures there of some complex installs he had done and they were simply amazing (and expensive...one was nearly $60,000!!). What he did for me was simple compared to what he can do...and compared to what many of you guys do to your rides.

 

Very cool and a nice looking install as well.


Please tell me more. I'm installing the momo 6-1/2" components and plan to install the tweeters in the top of the lower door panels in a custom fiberglass panel so I can aim the tweets.

Any reason the momo tweets can't be installed in the A pillars or at the base like you had done?

 

Very nice set up! What type of lights did they use, and what did they hook the wires up to, I am looking at doing something real similar.

 

I had the Momo tweets and Mid-bass both installed in the door panels and the problem I had was that I lean my leg against the door when driving and it made a very perceptible difference in the sound field. I could not stand it. That is why I had to move the tweets.

I went with the 3-way system instead of the Momo's because of warnings from people that seperating the Tweets too far away in a 3-way setup would mess with the sound field as well. Both people on this forum and at cartoys reccomended a 3-way setup for that. Cartoys did say that have installed numerous systems like mine but with two-ways and they sound pretty good. To be honest, if you are installing them high enough on the door panel in your custom enclosure, you may not have any issues...just get them high enough to not get blocked by you or your passenger's lower extremeties.

FYI, it was also easy for me to make the change because I am gonna put the Polks in my Avalanche. If it were not for that, I likely would have at least tried the Mid-base in the door and Momo tweets in the a-pillar.

Maybe Fej, Scott or one of the other smart guys here can speak up. I am just repeating what I have been told. They'll have good advice on this.

Shan

 

I do not know the brand of lights that they used, but they were packs of 4-seperate LEDs with in-line resitors. They ran the ones in the Amp Rack off the remote turn-on lead and then the ones I had them put under the front dash off the stereo accesory power lead and through a switch so I can turn them on and off. In this way the Amp rack lights are on anytime the amps have power and the dash lights are on in accessory or when the car is running unless I override them with the switch.

 

wow, very nice install! everything is nice and clean but the one thing i really love is the speaker cloth on the door grills!

 

Nice job, looks great! Can you PM me how you contacted vrumvrum, I think I will switch to his install plate.

Thanks a bunch,

Darion

 

Very nice set-up

The red LED's are a nice touch when cruising after dark.

I'm about ready to put tweets in the dash/pillar area and see how that works. I'm sure its going to be better than their current door locale.

I believe I told you before, but that HU is pretty impressive. You got great speakers, and because audiophiles get the bug to upgrade from time to time.....
I'd consider moving out to a different amp mfr. That HU and those speakers are high enough quality to reflect the limitations of JL's circuitry.
Not raggin' on JL, they are a good amp for the $$, but down the road an upgrade in amps would shock you in terms of SQ.

I'm in the middle of upgrade fever myself and I've only had the McIntosh in there for 1 month ......so just throwing that out there.
Scott

 

Thanks. I always thought JL was pretty high up there in Amp quality. Any specific manufacturers you reccomend?

 

I will PM you as well, but here is the contact for Mike. He is a great guy and you won't regret the switch. BTW, it was your install, I beleive, that turned me on to that Tweet location.

Mike Stanzel [michaelstanzel@comcast.net]

Everyone looking for a mounting plate should go this route. Blows the cheap plastic ones out of the water. The one Crutchfield sent me, for example, is a joke. Cheap part to put in an expensive car.

 

jl is a good amp. there are 'audiophile' amps that are better though. i suggest if you're happy with the sound then leave it as is. that install looks clean! some higher end amps are audison, usamps, butler, mcintosh to name a few.

 

Ya, I do not have any plans to upgrade any time soon. But in the future, who knows? Are we ever really happy with what we've got?

 

i dont see a need for that in a c5 vert. the car has a ton of road noise even after a ton of dynamat because of the vert top and tires. the only time i would even worry about audiophile quality is if it was only a show car and never driven.


the system look awesome! do you have fans on the amps to keep them cool under the plexi glass?