Half-way done!
04-23-2005, 05:09 PM
#1
Half-way done!
I spent three dayz working on the Z and it seems like I didn't get a thing done.
I did manage to replace the Bose "woofer" and rear speakers, add 50 square feet of fat mat to the rear of the car, and add a couple of extra lights.
I had everything from the behind the seats to the bumper off ... I have a three car garage and things were laid out everywhere. I have a system where I lay everything out in the order that it was removed but I didn't count on so many darn parts. I had to start a second row of stuff as things kept on getting in the way.
I added a three LED light and a pin switch in the passenger side cubby hole. That was a pain as the pin had to be mounted inside the cubby hole to get a good purchase on the hinge. The stock light is so dim as to be un-usable. The three LED light is tastefully brighter. Open the door and the light comes on.
In the console I added a second LED light on an on/off switch. I tapped into the emergency blinker +/- 12VDC and mounted the light at the forward most part of the door. Open the door and push the switch and the light comes on. Moving the door up and down either lights up the interior a bit or the console cubby really well.
I added Infinity 6 1/2" two-way mid-bases and a 10 inch sub-woofer. I was simply amazed at how tiny and crappy the Bose woofer was ... the thing has a magnet that's about 6 ounces and it's about 2 inches deep. The Infinity woofer is about five inches deep and has a huge magnet. I'm still using the stock head-end and Bose amplifier - which I found under the left-hand side spare tire foam surround. Tiny little thing. The stock headrest speakers were of much stouter stuff and weren't that crappy looking.
The biggest part of the project was adding 50 square feet of fat mat. I started aft and worked my way forward adding padding nearly everywhere. I didn't put it on the trunk as there is some stock stuff there and that tire does a really good job of adding a huge mass there - that panel isn't going to be vibrating. I did add three layers to the front and back of each wheel well as I didn't like the "dink" I heard as each pebble got lifted from the road. I can hardly hear them now.
I also surrounded the inside and outside of the rear 6 1/2 speaker boxes attempting to deaden the sound as much as possible. I plugged lots of holes that lead down into body cavities which let road noises up into the cabin. I did the woofer's location as well covering the large expanse under and over it and next door on the passenger's side I did the hole that the cubby goes into.
I haven't decided on whether I'm going to pimp out the ride with a lit Z emblem on the rear cross strut or put an LED light under it to light the "trunk" but I ran the power to that area aways.
Before starting to put the puzzle back together again I put 32 ounces worth of poly stuffing into the holes behind the 6 1/2" speakers, the woofer and the cubby.
Everything went back together with a great deal of figuring out which piece went in next. I got it wrong several times but it was a nice last day and I just pulled it apart and put it together again until I got it right.
I did end up with two extra part - the little black rings with push pins ... I'll keep them for the next time. I think they go into the plastic trim piece that goes under the cross strut.
The joy was in my ride this afternoon. Much better. The road noise from the rear is down enough to notice. The speakers sound about twice as good even with the stock amp and head-end.
While at the local Circuit City I found a Pioneer AVIC N1 out-of-box for less that $1200 with free installation. I'll have to think long and hard about that as the AVIC is a complicated installation that I don't know if I could trust someone else doing and who knows what shape the deck is in to begin with.
Next project will be the door speakers and adding sound deadening to the doors and the firewall. That done it will be the head-end and I'm looking at the Pioneer AVIC's.
I now remember why I quit the car stereo installation business 24 years ago this month. My hand have the normal little cuts and scratches and my legs, hands, and neck hurt from torquing them around. I put about eight hours into this job across three nights. There is nothing difficult about the job it's just really time consuming cutting the fat mat and applying everywhere.
PS: Dear Nissan, does it really take nine 10 mm bolts and two screws to hold the passenger side cubby in place?
I did manage to replace the Bose "woofer" and rear speakers, add 50 square feet of fat mat to the rear of the car, and add a couple of extra lights.
I had everything from the behind the seats to the bumper off ... I have a three car garage and things were laid out everywhere. I have a system where I lay everything out in the order that it was removed but I didn't count on so many darn parts. I had to start a second row of stuff as things kept on getting in the way.
I added a three LED light and a pin switch in the passenger side cubby hole. That was a pain as the pin had to be mounted inside the cubby hole to get a good purchase on the hinge. The stock light is so dim as to be un-usable. The three LED light is tastefully brighter. Open the door and the light comes on.
In the console I added a second LED light on an on/off switch. I tapped into the emergency blinker +/- 12VDC and mounted the light at the forward most part of the door. Open the door and push the switch and the light comes on. Moving the door up and down either lights up the interior a bit or the console cubby really well.
I added Infinity 6 1/2" two-way mid-bases and a 10 inch sub-woofer. I was simply amazed at how tiny and crappy the Bose woofer was ... the thing has a magnet that's about 6 ounces and it's about 2 inches deep. The Infinity woofer is about five inches deep and has a huge magnet. I'm still using the stock head-end and Bose amplifier - which I found under the left-hand side spare tire foam surround. Tiny little thing. The stock headrest speakers were of much stouter stuff and weren't that crappy looking.
The biggest part of the project was adding 50 square feet of fat mat. I started aft and worked my way forward adding padding nearly everywhere. I didn't put it on the trunk as there is some stock stuff there and that tire does a really good job of adding a huge mass there - that panel isn't going to be vibrating. I did add three layers to the front and back of each wheel well as I didn't like the "dink" I heard as each pebble got lifted from the road. I can hardly hear them now.
I also surrounded the inside and outside of the rear 6 1/2 speaker boxes attempting to deaden the sound as much as possible. I plugged lots of holes that lead down into body cavities which let road noises up into the cabin. I did the woofer's location as well covering the large expanse under and over it and next door on the passenger's side I did the hole that the cubby goes into.
I haven't decided on whether I'm going to pimp out the ride with a lit Z emblem on the rear cross strut or put an LED light under it to light the "trunk" but I ran the power to that area aways.
Before starting to put the puzzle back together again I put 32 ounces worth of poly stuffing into the holes behind the 6 1/2" speakers, the woofer and the cubby.
Everything went back together with a great deal of figuring out which piece went in next. I got it wrong several times but it was a nice last day and I just pulled it apart and put it together again until I got it right.
I did end up with two extra part - the little black rings with push pins ... I'll keep them for the next time. I think they go into the plastic trim piece that goes under the cross strut.
The joy was in my ride this afternoon. Much better. The road noise from the rear is down enough to notice. The speakers sound about twice as good even with the stock amp and head-end.
While at the local Circuit City I found a Pioneer AVIC N1 out-of-box for less that $1200 with free installation. I'll have to think long and hard about that as the AVIC is a complicated installation that I don't know if I could trust someone else doing and who knows what shape the deck is in to begin with.
Next project will be the door speakers and adding sound deadening to the doors and the firewall. That done it will be the head-end and I'm looking at the Pioneer AVIC's.
I now remember why I quit the car stereo installation business 24 years ago this month. My hand have the normal little cuts and scratches and my legs, hands, and neck hurt from torquing them around. I put about eight hours into this job across three nights. There is nothing difficult about the job it's just really time consuming cutting the fat mat and applying everywhere.
PS: Dear Nissan, does it really take nine 10 mm bolts and two screws to hold the passenger side cubby in place?
04-24-2005, 07:26 AM
#5
After a few hours my fingers got tired from pushing the stuff into all the curves around the back end of the trunk. I plan on doing the same for the doors with fat mat and poly-foam and then the firewall with more fat mat. The results are noticeable.
04-24-2005, 10:22 AM
#6
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"While at the local Circuit City I found a Pioneer AVIC N1 out-of-box for less that $1200 with free installation. I'll have to think long and hard about that as the AVIC is a complicated installation that I don't know if I could trust someone else doing and who knows what shape the deck is in to begin with."
WOW! We charge $250 for install on the Avic's at our Circuit City, LOL. I'd take that in a heartbeat.
WOW! We charge $250 for install on the Avic's at our Circuit City, LOL. I'd take that in a heartbeat.
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