mecha

Hey all, looking for some advice.

I've been kicking around the idea of replacing the stereo in my 07 Z06 since I bought it this February. It's got the Bose stereo without nav, so I'm sure there's no need to explain why I want to throw it in a wood chipper.

Overall, my goals are to have a well rounded system, but nothing over the top or crazy expensive. Also, having bluetooth and Apple Carplay is a must. I'm probably looking to get the ball rolling here within the next month or so, possibly next spring depending on how my free time works out.

Here's the equipment list I think I've settled on:
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Headunit:
Pioneer AVH4200NEX

Headunit Integration:
PAC RP5-GM11

Front Stage:
Rockford T165-S 6.5" Components (Going to use 1/2" MDF to mount them in the doors, covered in rubberized undercoating to prevent potential moisture issues)

Rear Stage:
Rockford P152 2-ways

Sub:
Rockford P3D2 12", wired to 1ohm final.

Amp:
Rockford P1000x5

Enclosure/Amp Rack:
Custom MDF & Fiberglass. Sub will be centered, firing toward the rear of the hatch, angled toward the glass. Amp will mount on the back of the box facing the front of the car between the seats.
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I've been searching a lot through the forum and think I have a pretty good handle on most aspects of the install. I still have some questions though.

1. Any general responses to the equipment list I landed on? The reviews I've seen for them all are really solid and seem to fit within my overall budget for the build since I'm not looking to break the bank. I've always had good luck with Rockford, so maybe I'm a little bias.

2. I'm still not sure which backup camera to go with or exactly how I want to mount it. I'm totally open to feedback there. Ideally, I'd like it directly above the center of the license plate with no wires showing. I'd also like to avoid putting any holes in the car aside from behind the tail lights to get the wires into the cabin, so probably just use double-sided tape to mount.

3. Ideally, I'd like to go minimal on sound deadening. The plan currently is to lay some Stinger Roadkill sheets down in the hatch area under the box and inside the doors behind the components. Are there any other spots on the car that are bad with rattling? I was planning on using double-sided tape on the license plate since it only has 2 screws holding it down. Any other, better, options for that?

4. I've read the best ground point for an amp on the C6 Z06 is next to the seats behind the plastics (to the rear of the doors). I haven't had the chance to measure yet, but I'm assuming that will make the ground for the amp longer than any of my installs in the past (assuming something around 4-5ft long). Does this present any issues? Is there a better/shorter location in the hatch area to ground the amp?

5. Considering the size of this amp, should I be concerned with its demand on the charging system? I'm hoping to avoid any issues with dimming lights, etc...

6. Is there anything special I need to do to retain factory chimes, etc.. with the RP5-GM11? I'm hoping that these will work through the headunit->amp->replacement speakers, but just want to double check.

7. Any other gotchas out there I might not be thinking of?

Thanks ahead of time for the help!

TorchRedFred

As for back up camera, I used the Pyle PLCM38FRV. I got it on Amazon. There is no need to drill any holes into your car. If you look above your license plate, you will see some opening to run the wire through and a couple of screws there that hold the license plate light I believe. I used one of those existing screws to attach my backup camera. No wires showing and no holes or screws added to my car.

As for concerns about your amp, I installed the Morel MPS 950 5-channel. Similar power numbers to the Rockford you mentioned and I have no issues with dimming lights.

For door chimes, the RP5-GM11 comes with a door chime module. Nothing special to do there. It works independently of your speakers by making its own sound. Some complain that it is a little too loud, so turn the volume level down all the way on it and/or add a piece of tape over the hole if it is still too loud.

As for head unit, I would look for something with a capacitive touch screen. Also, Kenwood and Alpine are considered to be superior to the Pioneers right now as far as sound quality. I would consider the Kenwood DDX9904s which is at a similar price point of the Pioneer 4200 or one of the Alpine units.

SilverC54me

I would use the speaker mounts from nakid parts instead of making them out of 1/2 mdf. I used them in my C6 vert and they are solid and moisture resistant. Just needed to paint them black so that they would not be seen behind the grills.

Gary

TorchRedFred

Another option for mounting the door speakers is the Metra 82-3014 speaker plates. I used them and they worked and fit great.

Also Metra 82-3015 plates for the tweeter location. These will cover the 3.5" speaker location and then I cut a circle into them to mount the tweeters. You can find them on Amazon.

mecha

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I didn't know they made door mounts for the speakers (all the threads I read, the guys had to build them custom). I'll definitely look into getting those to save myself the headache.

I'll look into that camera and mounting approach for sure.

As for your amp wiring, you just did the standard wiring kit for it? No capacitors or anything like that, right?

TorchRedFred

Exactly, no capacitors. Just ground to ground location (pillar behind the door) and the positive to the battery with a fuse.

Pb82 Ronin

Are you going for an SQ build or SPL? I only ask because of the 1 ohm setting on the sub.

mecha

I'm not sure I fall into either camp. Considering the amount of engine/exhaust/road noise the car makes, I'd imagine I'd fall into the SPL side of the fence if I had to choose, but I'm not exactly looking to shake the pavement. As long as the sound is clear, left/right is in stereo, the x-over points are right and the highs aren't too bright, I'm good.

As for the choice of going 1 ohm, figure why not take advantage of the extra power of the amp if it's cost neutral (2ohm DVC vs 4ohm DVC sub is basically the same price). Any reason not to get the full 500 watts to the sub? I'm by no means an expert, so if I'm overlooking something, let me know. Thanks.

mecha

I ended up going with the Kenwood DDX9704s (didn't see enough difference between the 9704s and the 9904s to spend the extra $100). Also got the reverse camera you suggested. Couldn't be happier with both. Apply Carplay really is a game changer, even if the factory amp/speakers are still junk. Next spring I'll be looking to overhaul those.

Thanks again for the advice.

Pb82 Ronin

If you're not looking to shake the pavement, you're not going for SPL. You fall into the majority category of vette owner looking for SQ. There's NOTHING wrong with that, so please don't take it as an offensive term. But wiring speakers to 1 ohm allow a lot of power, but less "control" versus a higher ohm load. 500W to a 12" sub is a TON of power. That's more power than most run in a whole system. FWIW, I run a 500/1 on a 10W7 (@ 3 ohm which is ~235W) and if you turn the gain up, the sub is so loud (hitting so hard) you can't listen to it. Running it at 2-4 Ohm under less gain will give you a more precise tight sound. This is all opinion of course...but I've been around audio for about 20 years, and I've never seen a 1 ohm sub in any SQ builds.

02BlownZ06

Ditto! This is sound advice.

mecha

No worries, not taking any offense. I see you and Torch helping folks here on a bunch of different threads, so I appreciate any advice you guys have to offer. Also, big thanks to you and the other guys on this forum. All the information here made the HU/reverse cam install a breeze.

I'm totally with you on the SPL point. The reason I was reluctant to put myself into the SQ category is, generally, the immediate reaction is to eliminate the rears and put all the focus on the front stage. I've done that in the past and liked the results, but I've built other systems with rear 2-ways that I really liked as well. On this build, with a 500 watt sub in there, I figured running the rear stage will help balance out the highs and lows.

Taking the rear stage part out of the equation, I'm 100% with you on this being an SQ build.

Definitely interesting point on your sub being overpowering though. Can I ask what kind of music you listen to, just so I have a better frame of reference?

My taste ranges from punk rock to rap to classic rock, kind of all over the map. Personally, my big concern for the sub is being able to hit those long deep notes in rap. I've really liked ported boxes in the past for that genre, however, planning to go sealed for this one, which is kind of driving the higher powered sub idea.

Am I on the right path or should I go back to the drawing board here on this? I figure worst case, if I don't like the 1ohm load, I can always swap to the 4ohm DVC version of the sub and run at a 2ohm final load for ~300watts.

Pb82 Ronin

I listen to all popular genres, metal, rap, rock, etc...I focus mainly on metal. Sealed boxes have always been my preference because I like precise bass. Ported boxes sound great in a particular frequency range (the ones they're tuned for)...but much beyond that, they lose a bit of clarity compared to sealed. Again, audio choices are ALL based on preference. It's hard to say one set of speakers or sub will sound "better" than another because of this preference.

You're on the right path with your build. As you mentioned, it's 50/50 with the community on who prefers to remove the rear speakers. It comes down to preference. I'm of "the more the merrier" mindset when it comes to speakers. You can always wire subs differently to achieve the ohm load you're after, but you should buy a sub designed to function in the intended range. For instance, running a sub designed for 8 ohms down to 2 ohms doesn't make for a happy sub. It will likely sound like crap. I had that happen in my truck. They are 2 ohm subs that the installer ran at 1 ohm. They sounded terrible. Once I ran them the correct way at 2 ohm, they sounded awesome...and still do.