Okay, I am pretty much a newb when it comes to car stereos but I have been doing a LOT of lurking and reading over the last few weeks. I was hoping everyone could give me some feedback on the system I plan to put together for my C5 and let me know if I am making any mistakes.

I plan to upgrade in 3 steps or phases. This will keep me from having to fork out a lot of cash initially and I can tweak things along the way.
Phase 1 - Install a homemade stealth box and Sub/Amp using a PAC interface (delete rears)
Phase 2 - Add another amp and upgrade fronts to components (still undecided on components)
Phase 3 - Replace HU with a car computer

Total target cost for Phase 1 and 2 are $500 each. The target cost for Phase 3 is $1000.

Here is the parts list (scroll right for price and suppliers) that I have decided on so far and below is a schematic I put together. Please give me any feedback you feel is relevant. Thanks!

 

gee... I would buy in phases, but install all at once.

 

 

Heh, well it is going to take me a couple of months to afford Phase 2 (maybe even longer if I do headers next) and I don't think I could have all of the stuff from Phase 1 laying around and not being used.

As far as fuses, wiring, and component selection nobody has any comments? I am a little worried that I might be making some mistakes. I am looking for some feedback. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings.

 

I agree you should collect the equipment and install it all at once.Three reasons why:
1. save money - once you replace the headunit with an aftermarket one you won't need the PAC interface. Granted it's only about $60 but money is money.....
2. each time you do a "phase" it's going to involve ripping out interior sections of the car, in most case at least some of the same sections each time so you are going through a lot of labor multiple times - that means a lot of extra labor and time and effort and also more opportunity of breaking a trim piece requiring money to replace it.
You rip out a lot of the interior just ONCE and start thinking about having to do it twice more and you are going to wish you did the entire install all at the same time - I guarantee it.

3. on phase one alone, just adding a sub to the stock system with the stock radio and speakers the sub is going to overwhelm the system and be too bassy.

Ok, on your schematic I see a few things I would question.

1. why a 120amp fuse at the battery. Yes, you need a fuse at the battery but 120amp fuse with only 2 amps is excessive. We use to run 120amp fuses at the battery also...........when we were running thousands of watts in the system, not with only two mid-sized amps. Recalculate the proper fuse value on that item.

2. with only two amps you do not need to use a ground distribution box. You are only dealing with two ground wires so run each one to the same ground point and ground it. Any distribution box involves extra connections and each extra connection in a circuit creates a voltage drop - in this case reducing the ground potential. Corvettes inherently have enough problems with good grounds so don't add to the problem - drop the ground distribution box.

3. not as big of a deal here but personally I'd go with 12ga. speaker wire rather than the smaller 14ga speaker wire you have listed.

3. you don't list them, but for your interconnect wires (RCA cables) i'd go with a high quality set. The better wires offer better shielding and in modern cars such as your C5 which has wires everywhere and computer modules all over the car the better shielding is important to eliminate system noise issues. My favorites type is the twisted pair interconnect cables as the twisting of the wires causes any noise the wires may pick-up to be put 180º out of phase and it basicaaly self-cancels out the noise.

4. I admire your initiative to build your own sub enclosure but unless you have a lot of expereince doing it you aren't going to be able to take the most advantage of the space available and also the KEY to a gret sounding sub system is to make sure the box is built to the proper specs for the sub used. for a C5 corvette in my opinion probably the best available stealth enclosure is the one made by JL Audio. It fits great, look good, and it sounds excellent.

just my opinion.......

 

Thanks. This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for.
Removing the interior does not really scare me as I have done most of it already for a shifter swap and Frost King install. The doors are really the only thing I haven't done yet (reminds me I need sound proofing there too). There are always people here that are looking for a PAC interface so I think I could always get most of my money back out of it when the time comes.

What does concern me is your 3rd point. I was hoping that deleting the rears would help prevent the sub from overpowering everything and give me a chance to get used to having the soundstage often talked about by doing the rear delete. I suppose that I could postpone my header install and do the stereo first once I have the cash or just do the headers first. I will have to think on that.

The 120 amp fuse and 14 Gauge wire are part of the Amp Install Kit from knukonceptz. I will look and see what else they have and/or price everything seperate. Getting a smaller fuse should not be a problem. Would 80 Amp be more on target?

Ground block will be deleted.

The RCA cables are also from knukonceptz install kit (Klarity Kable). It does not list them as being twisted pair but they sell another brand (Kharma Kable). At this point I think I will just drop the kit and buy exactly what I need even if it is a little bit more expensive. I can also upgrade the speaker wires as you suggested if I don't get the kit.

The sub box is 90% built already (just need to carpet and mount the sub). I used the plans available from here and it has come out great so far. The volume should be spot on for what is specified by Elemental Designs for that sub.

Thanks for all the input. This forum rocks!

 

think about what you just wrote...... deleting the rears WILL help with proper front staging, but at the same time you are removing some amount of high, mid, and mid-bass volume out of the system so doing so and than adding the sub will only make the system sound even more bass heavy compared to leaving the rears in.

Don't misunderstand, others on here already know i'm NOT a fan on rear speakers in most higher-end audio systems, especially in small cars like a Vette, but the way you have your "phases" planned, removing the rears to add a subwoofer and than running that sub and external amp with the factory HU and factory front speakers is going to give you a very bass heavy result unless you turn the gain of the sub amp WAY down and to be an even remotely balanced sound the amp very well may need to be turned down so far that it's not even worth putting in yet until you can swap out the rest of the system.

Go ahead and give it a try but don't be surprised if it's not what you are expecting sound quality wise and if it's a very unbalanced system.

 

Your response has not fallen on deaf ears. At this point I have decided to wait until I have everything before doing the install. Appreciate you taking the time to set me straight.

Now I need to do some more research and determine what component speakers I am going to go with. Thanks again.

 

Been there and done that with the "Phases" thing. I'm on Phase 4 - and hoping that this time will be the last go around.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...4&postcount=32

But probably not

 

ROFL! Does this mean that in 2 years I will be sporting an 18" sub in the back?

 

Probably. It's the slippery slope.. once you start, you always want to tweak it in small (or large) ways

 

I pretty much agree with all of the above

I want to recommend the yellow top Optima over the red.
I have a question. Will you be doing DVDs with the car computer? That would be the only reason you would want rears in a Vette.

 

I have the AVIC N2, so I play DVDs. I was contemplating a carputer, but I want to do something waaaaay out to left field if I do. Probably not in this "Phase"

I am doing a Prologic processor and center speaker though - as well as surrounds.

 

A red top came in the car so I will keep that and replace it with a yellow top from Costco when the time comes.

DVD playback in the car is not very important to me but something I will consider when I start putting the car computer together. I can't watch them while driving and I don't see myself sitting parked in the car to watch a DVD. Does anyone that have this capability use it very often? Under what circumstances?

At this point the computer will mainly be for my MP3 collection and mapping software. Okay, I lied, really it will just be for the "coolness" factor.

 

Ha, I can see it now!

EG: Grond, please locate the nearest gas station that sells methanol.

Grond: I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that...

EG:

 

I am not the most knowledgable on this forum by any means, but I think it may a bit of an exageration to say that it isn't worth installing a sub alone cause it will only overpower the stock speakers and be all bass. I am currently running this set up with a JL stealthbox and stock speakers all the way around and I think it sounds 10x's better than stock, though you will have to have the gain turned down a bit on the amp to create this sound.

I fully intend to replace the doors with components and I am undecided on if i'll delete the rears when I do so, but for now I am very satisfied with the addition of the sub only, it makes the stock system sound a whole lot better.

But that is my two cents.

 

 

Stuff listed as Phase 1 has been ordered. Hope to order the rest of it in a few weeks.

I am still looking for component speakers for the doors. Anyone have recommendations in the $200 - $400 price range?