Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Thanks I might just try this.

One step forward ... two steps back.

The boss hear my plan to put just one amplifier in the car for the subwoofer and suggested that two would be better.

Sorry her sister is already married.

So I have the option of taking the speaker outputs from the two amplifers aft to the trunk connection or forward to the front speakers. The subwoofer and rear speakers will be easy enough to get to.

I have completely filled a two car garage with the interior parts I've taken out of the car - the only thing I haven't had apart is the roof liner, driver's seat, gauge panel and some of the dashboard.

parboy

Your wife sounds like a smart woman I was just going to say that you really need a good amp to drive those kappa's. I've been a huge fan of memphis amps since 2000 and it is all I run on my audio installs now. They are small, stylish IMO, very clean, and make good power. They make 2 different 5 channel amps, one is 55x4 + 400x1 and the other is 75x4 + 1100x1. What im using in my Z is the mc150 75x2 for my front JL XR650csi components and the mcd1000 1100x1 for my eclipse aluminum 12's. Stay with the mclass amps and im sure they will more than suit your needs and make the ears happy www.memphiscaraudio.com

Paul350Z

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So today my American International dash kit arrived. First off it wasn't broken and secondly it's about 200% stronger than the Mepro I sent back. The plastic is about twice as thick plus the thing has side plates that lock into the front and then lock into the back with a pair of screws. Very nice.

I spend about an hour playing with the AVIC N2 trying to get it back into the dash as far as possible will still getting the door to flip open. That thing wants to set way way out or the flip up door will only eject forwards but not upwards. No problem with the automatic transmission getting in the way in park.

The GPS antenna dropped in nice, the second display came on with the remote control on the first push, and things are looking good.

I'm waiting on the Infinity 10VQ's and now the Infinity amps - a four channel with 111 watts times four, and a mono amp with about 600 watts ... so much for subtle.

I'm going to take the doors apart once my FatMat arrives from Pennsylvania and line the doors with some inside behind the speaker hole and out. I'm going to re-do the mounting of speakers with some better quality screws using nuts and bolts to run though the extender.

I'll be running 14 gauge speaker cables too which is going to be more fun. I'm working on the plans for a custom amplifier rack that will be two levels deep. I'm debating on wood covered with carpet, a layer of acrylic, and then a layer of copper. Each layer would be a bit smaller than the layer above it. The wood would be for strenght, the acrylic would be lit with some subtle blue LED's and the copper would act as a heat sink.

So here's today's efforts.

imtiaz

iTrader: (1)

what screen is that in there ...
also are you gonna figure out some way to bypass the speed sensor, that way you can let dvds play while you drive ?

xNeo

Isn't the whole point of the 2nd screen so you don't have to bypass anything? Is the screen in the Factory nav box touch screen, or do you have to control it from the unit? Looks cool though... This way you can choose which screen to use!

KShep

iTrader: (4)

Very clean looking install so far...congrats and well done.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

HELP! Where's the speed sensor. It's too late now as that thing is bolted in now. I seached the formums and the only advice I got was it's the "white wire" connected to the white AC control box (the "K" box). Well the fact is that there is no white wire into mine. There are a number of white and something else wires but not a pure white wire. I went with the white wire with two light gray bands every 1.5" or so thinking that if someone didn't look hard enough they would have missed the gray bands.

The seats come out with four 14 mm bolts. There is one connection on the bottom for the power seat/heated seat circuits. It sure made life easier.

I mounted the GPS antenna between the defrost vents on the center of the dash. It just looks sort of nice sitting there. Living in SoCal it's not like I have to worry about trees blocking the GPS signals. Just forward of the rear hatch hinge would get better reception but I was more concerned about the exteriors looks (and kids stealing the thing).

I'm still shopping cameras and will probably go with one with a pinhole lens and pop a 1/8" hole in my front plate for the forward view.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, the second screen will allow you to watch DVD's as it "thinks" it's mounted in an SUV and the screen is in the back seats entertaining the kids. I don't ever imagine that I would watch a DVD while moving the car anyway. Being video engineer (and geek) I want to connect the video screen up to a pair of cameras with one facing forward and the other backwards ... why not? A little three way switch will route the signal.

I haven't seen anyone who has bypassed the GPS motion sensors on the AVIC N2 - the AVIC N1 can be fooled with the parking brake but they got smarter and connected to the GPS motion sensors to the circuit. Some people will take the output to the rear screens and connect it to the back-up camera video input and then fool the reverse sensor so that they see the DVD signal in the screen rather than the back-up camera. I understand that there's a warning about object may be closer than they appear or something like that on the picture.

I have a house to watch DVD's in with a 67" projection screen and nice speakers and such for movies. It would be a shame to get a ticket or worse, crash while watching a movie while driving.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Well nothing smoked when I connected to the white/grey wire but I haven't moved the car yet I did take the fire extenguisher out of the holder and set it next to the car when I reconnected the battery to the system. It it doesn't work I'll ask you to peek at yours - if it does we'll settle the question once and for all!

I too got the voice command and the IR remotes - the IR attaches to the steering wheel so you can do some limited control of the head end without taking your hands off the wheel.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Oh well, next time I'll read the manual first.

md1400cs

Paul,
Be sure to upgrade your battery to at least a Yellow Top. If not, you will have dimming headlights, etc. Your install is very well thought out. Good for you. Keep us posted.
MJD

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Last night after work I spent a bit of time adding some FatMat to the inside plastic panels of the doors and a bit on the outside of the inside metal door panel. At this point I'm sort of happy with the doors.

Pulled the Infinity 10" woofer out of the stock location. I'm still debating on where the amps will go ... when and if they ever get here ... 12voltwarehouse are you listening???

I'm going to get the thing on the road this weekend amplifiers and subwoofers or not!

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Well I put the interior back together while waiting (and waiting) for my subwoofers and amplifiers to arrive from 12voltwarehouse.com. Prices were good ... but service is lacking.

I can confirm that the speed senor wire is in fact the white wire with two gray loops on the center connector that runs to the unified meter and A/C amp box.



I drove around a bit working on the 3D calibration ... looks like it's going to take a few hours of driving.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Wow.

Just put everything together and went for an hour long drive. The low end needs some help so the woofers will help there but the high end and mid-bass was tight. I'll take some pictures today but the look I was going for is low keyed and stock looking so the screen hides behind the door, the speakers all appear stock and the CD sits behind the closed pocket door.

Sweet.

Once the amplifiers and Infinity 10VQ subs arrive round two will begin and I'll install the rear view camera at that time too.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Pictures of the front done. I'm still working on the steering wheel remote control location.



The tweeters are JB Welded over where the stock ones were.



The passenger pocket mounted CD with the door open.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

July was sure hot ... some more pictures of the finished project. Not bad for a home grown project. I'm really thinking about pulling the wooden amplifier plate out and making one out of copper.





The subwoofers arrived about three weeks apart from each other and they shipped the wrong ones - 10 dVQ rather than the 10.a dVQ's. The 10's are so deep that they would only mount in the box sideways as the terminals hit the sides too hard for comfort if mounted up and down.



The backup camera mounted and in use. The quality looks to be pretty low end - I'd guess 320 lines per inch. I'm not happy but it works and will be easy enough to swap out if I really want to.





And the DVD screen in action.



And the stock screen in action. The guys at work ask "why two screens" and I tell them so I can watch one movie while the wife watches another.

G352NV

iTrader: (13)

Nice job bro.

Mike Wazowski

iTrader: (113)

excellent Master Chief

Z Tuned

iTrader: (1)

Excellent writeup. Just curious if you made any changes since then? Also, where did you end up mounting the remote control? pics?

thanX

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Dang dragged from the depths of the archives.

Since the initial installation I've added a remote control to the subwoofer amplifier and put it in the pocket under the head end. I pulled the cap out of the power supply circuit as it was draining my battery - I only drive the car once a week to work on Fridays - and if it's raining, looking like it's going to rain, or otherwise have any weather the thing stays home .... and after two weeks the battery was dead enough that the car wouldn't crank.

ETA: I pulled the steering wheel mounted remote control out as more bother than it was worth. It's just as simple to touch the front of the radio as to figure out the tiny multi-function buttons on a remote that gets in the way of steering.

I priced swapping out the "hobby wood" for copper plates (that stuff is expensive and heavy!) or copper plate over clear plastic (lit with blue LED's from inside) but have put that project off for so many others.