the audiobuilds section is a bit dead, so figure i would post it in here

with as many 350zs i have worked on (40something plus), its interesting that this is only the third truly SQ focused system i have done for it...this one being a le mans sunset 2003 model.

the goals:

1. good SQ on a slightly lower budget
2. full stealth set up in the back with no space taken up
3. any and all effort placed torwards SQ, instead of showy

this is prolly one of the most simple setups i have done cosmetic wise

lets get started

the customer provided me with a kenwood 8210 dvd/nav headunit, wchih was installed:



i was also provided with a kenwood backup camera:



and the back up in action:



the car features zapco DC amplifiers, and as usaul, the laptop plugs in for full tuning capabilties:



front stage consists of a set of Zapco Reference SQ 6.5" two way components. the midbass were installed into fiberglass kick panels wrapped in black suede, sorry for the dark pics, it was getting dark by the time i took these after vaccuming the carpet, and they blend pretty well and when i try to turn up the brightness, it just got all blurry lol









the tweeters were molded off axis into the A pillarrs, and wrapped in factory matching vinyl:









here are some quick build up pics of the front stage mounting...

first, the kicks were reinforced, dampening applied, and rings attached after aiming, ditto on the A pillar:



then mold cloth was pulled and resined, and then both were reinforced from the inside:



the kicks received a layer of clay to kill resonance, and then dampening over that to provide more resonance killing and to hold the clay in place, here you see the left one already done, and the right one still awaits the final layer of dampening:



meanwhile, the A pillars were sanded smooth:



and finally, the kicks wrapped in suede and the pillars in vinyl, speakres installed and wired up, ready to be put into the vehicle:



moving to the hatch. the normal view is 100 percent stock, stock carpeting in place, the floor was raised by about 1/2"



remove the stock carpet, and a full false floor is shown, covered in black carpet, with three cuouts:



remove the cutout grilles and you see two image dynamics id10 subs upfront, sitting in a vinyl trimmed 1 cubfeet sealed enclosure, while a zapco DC650.6 is on the driver side, powering the front stage with 180 watts for midbass and 100 watts for tweeter, while a DC500.1 sends 500 watts to the subs.







again, nothing fancy, just simple and sturdy

and the look under the flor, showing the box, the amp rack and various supports, as well as wiring:





after some tuning, it sounds quite nice, the zapcos have a very nice midbass output, with decent smooth midrange and highs, not as good as the seas ref i am used to, but for its price not too bad at all

i will let the owner chime later

 

Bing… it looks great.

• I prefer the stealth look.
• Raising the floor only ½” doesn’t compromise the cargo space. He should still be able to carry two golf club bags with a couple of overnight bags.
• I really like the A-Pillar treatment. He’s going to love the sound that this setup delivers over the stock Sail Panel position.

Question: Who makes the rearview camera you installed (brand)? I ask because the image looks perfect (good wide-angle view and also does a nice long view).

--Spike

 

its hte kenwood camera spike

 

Bing... Thanks for the reply… and reading through your thread again, I notice that you did mention this above the second picture. I need to read more carefully before asking a question that is already answered.

I prefer stealth (not big on “show”), so I really like this installation. It’s even better for someone who wants SubW’s but does not want to sacrifice cargo space.

--Spike

 

yeah...this is prolly the 15th or so full fake floor iinstalls i have done in a Z, but htis is prolly the most simple looking one

 

When do you think you'll be able to rewrap my A-pillars? I assume it'll be next year some time. Nice work as usual, got some nice equipment in there for a "slightly lower budget" build.

 

Looks very nice! How is the imaging and mid-bass performance way down in the kick? I would be worried that mid-range would be sacrificed here - how low does the tweeter play? What is the tweet made out of? Just curious.

I have desperately been trying to convince my business partner to carry Zapco. I have owned a DC1000.4 but I had to sell it because we didn't carry it. It was a sad day indeed.

 

hit me up, early next year before CES i should be able to do it

its xover point is in the mid 2khz range, with a gap of around 500hz. stage is about half a foot above the dash, so eye level, and image is pretty good, not the most stable center, but pretty good, hoverin generally over the guage pods. the Z is a car, i have found, along wtih th last gen G35s, to be good and easy cars to get nice stage on, but a little tougher to nail an exact and stable center.

its a softdome tweet. this tweet according to the charts, can go down to mid 1khz range, but i think its best to be xovered at the mid to high 2khz range or higher. the seas reference tweet, we routinely cross at 2khz or sometimes even lower

 

Thanks for the answers!
I found that tweeter's 'low' points are greatly exagerated and most likely measured in non-ideal situations. Doubling the low spec is very common and recommended. Just because it'll do 800 hz, doesn't mean it should!

 

yup, the seas tweet is prolly one of hte very rare ones that not only works well down low, it acutally often sounds better crossed that way, especially in a two way config upfront iwth a lower midbass

 

great job as always

 

very nice install. clean just how I like it.

 

It looks awesome. I think I might have to change my set up. Im getting tired of not having space in the trunk.

 

Very clean.

 

The front stage sounds unbelievable! I feel like i have my personal sound stage in my Z!! I can hear the whole band as if they are playing in my car! The vocal is silky smooth and the base is so integrated without booming! A very sophisticated sound and setup!

The false floor fits my need perfectly! I can still go golfing and carry luggage when taking wify to the airport!

The quality of your work is amazing, they look so factory that when the wife asked about the a-pillar speakers and the kicks... "Are these new or have they always been there?" I go "they have always been there!" She goes "Oh.. ok"

Thanks for the install!!! Even with the lil "accident", Bing was very professional about it and willing to take care of it.

ALL of my friends luv it! I will refer them to you when they are ready! even with the long waiting period...

 

she must not go in your car much haha

as for the other thing, think of it as an extension of my desire to make your car cleaner lol

 

I can't tell from the picture, but is the camera mounted to the body or did you make a bracket for it Brick?

 

i believe the kenwood camera came with a bracket to allow u adjust the angle

 

ditto...

 

Very clean setup! Ball park what did you charge for everything minus the head unit?