G35 Coupe Demo Car for Zapco - I-force level products

[simplicityinsound]

Hey guys,

Just got done with the first big project since I came back from vacation.

This time, it isn’t a focused SQ install, but a demo system for a show car. Actually, it’s nice to shift gears once in a while to do something with a different focus keeps the mind sharp in my senile old age lol

The car is a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe.

The goals:

1. To remove and clean up a sub-par install that was previously in the vehicle.
2. To create a classy set up with a decent show factor that showcases the lower line zapco Iforce products along with the new shallow components.
3. to build a clean sounding system, not specifically SQ focused, but just nice and clean

So, let’s get started...well, as goal number 1 stated, i had to deal with a pre-existing install that was already in the vehicle. I encounter quite a bit of "problematic" installs on a regular basis, but when it’s of this umm...caliber, I will post some pics of what I found as I tore down the old set up... just for your viewing enjoyment. hehe

underhood battery terminal:



behind the headunit:



the old door panel, with the ADS crossover about to fall out of the door, i was wondering why there was a big long speaker grille:



until i saw the 3 way set with the mid and midbass screwed to the door panel itself:



a random wire that came through a hole in the metal and into the factory loom



audiobahn remote bass controller held on by one screw:

[simplicityinsound]

this is the old set up, the trim panels were snapped as is, I didn’t touch it hehe







after removing the amp rack, unplugged a few wires, and this is whats underneath it:



now here is an interesting tidbit, the optima yellow top only had its ground terminal hooked up, i looked throughout the car but did not find a positive connection at all?



so this is with everything out of the trunk, showing the wiring, other than the few cables I unplugged, everything is laying on the floor as i found it.



the install combined audiobahn gear with what appears to be top of the line a/d/s speakers, which even after DEI , is not a bad comp set by any means…hmmm...aiyaya...

it’s a shame really, because the car itself is pretty cool, here are some pics:

[simplicityinsound]

After two days of tearing out stuff and fixing things, the new install got started.

The signal starts with a pioneer AVIC-N5 single din flipout headunit, this was already in the vehicle and we kept it as it serves it purpose. Previously, there was a piece of wood silconed below it that squeezed a clarion in dash EQ, which we eliminated. I trimmed a nissan/toyota single din pocket to fit below the N5:



As mentioned before, the front stage is designed to showcase Zapco's new ZSL-165 6.5" two way shallow mount component system, they feature a front mounted motor on the midbass for a very shallow overall depth.

after doing some thinking and measuring, I decided to go with TWO sets of components per door, again keep in mind this is not for SQ, but more designed to demo the speaker at car shows and meets.

I built a door pod that runs the entire length of the lower door panel, housing both midbasses and both tweets upfront, and then incorporated a zapco logo plate towards the back. The pod is wrapped in black vinyl and secured to the door.

since this is a pretty dedicated show car, there isn’t much emphasis on stock looking or stealth

here is the driver side pod from various angles and close ups.

[simplicityinsound]

likewise, here is the passenger side:

[simplicityinsound]

here are some quick build pics of the doors.

first, the metal door panel received a layer of foam to block road noise, a rack was attached, housing the two passive crossovers per door. new wires were run into the door via the factory molex:





next is the start of the door pod. first an initial mold was taken of the area the pod will take up:



once that’s cured, a layer of duraglass went on to ensure it doesn’t warp:



after that is allowed to cure over a weekend, the back mold was trimmed and rough sanded:



next, the various ring baffles was attached, along with the baffle for the zapco logo plate towards the back.



mold cloth was pulled over the entire shape and resin applied:





next the pods are reinforced from the inside via more cloth, chop strand, and duraglass:

[simplicityinsound]

then both pods are fillered and sanded smooth, and i mocked up the speakers and plates to ensure proper fitment:

















the inside of the pods received some more sound proofing:

[simplicityinsound]

both door cards were then heavily sound proofed as the G35 door panel is prone to buzzing and rattling if untreated:





then the pods were wrapped in black vinyl:



and finally, attached to each door card:





That’s it for the front stage, moving onto the back, one thing i did not get to snap a picture of was how the N5 brain, the BT and the XM modules were mounted from the previous, or rather, how it was NOT mounted, they were all just free floating under the passenger seat. I put a piece of MDF underneath and secured all three modules:



the rear deck was also removed, and sound proofed to prevent rattles:



the floor of the trunk sound proofed as well:

[simplicityinsound]

So, moving onto the trunk. the goal is to still maintain my basic values of class and simplicity, and to showcase the Iforce amps and subs. we used two Zapco 450s, one powers the front stage with 4 x 75 watts, while the other sends 250 watts to each Iforce 10" subwoofer.

after playing around with the limited space available, I came up with a simple symmetrical design for the display.

the two subs are upfront, in a 1.1 cubic foot enclosure, and the two amps sit towards the back. all have slant routed cutouts and are trimmed in red vinyl as suggested by the customer. The top fake floor cutout has a T shaped extension in the middle that divides the two amps as well as visually separating the amps from the subs.

there is a piece of routed plexi glass border under the entire cutout.

so here is the day light view of the trunk:









flip a switch, and the border lights up red from LEDs shining through the outer edge of the plexi glass. its hard to get the effect right with my camera, and these were the best that i can do:







finally, a shot of the wiring below the floor:



Overall, the car sounds pretty good actually, I am digging these new speakers. the midrange and high is quite decent and IMO above par for components of this design and price range, the midbass is a bit weaker than the zapco reference set I used before, but still adequate, especially considering the shallow design. The subs provides a decent amount of clean output and extension. overall, a pretty sweet sounding all passive demo vehicle

The car is going to undergo more modifications after this, perhaps a new body kit and will be at various California shows.

Cheers!

[syd-monster]

The rescue of the year???


Bing, you've turned a really rushed dog into another quality masterpiece!

[pirrimarin]

Wow, just wow!
Even for "simple" installs, your work is amazing.

I want to be just like you when I grow up

[simplicityinsound]

thanks guys does anyone know how much that ADS set costs normally? i was quite surprised when i saw that speaker in the mix

[stuckinok]

Beautiful install! Nice and clean like all your others. I wish I was in Nor-Cal so you could do mine!

[ChiTownSQ]

Those A/D/S speakers are a really quality sounding set! I ran some fully active in my Audi S4 and they were fantastic sounding. Of Course. The ones I had were before DEI bought them out and then everything went south..

That three way if mint is worth $500 if beat up or just used looking then probably $300

Nice rescue on that system. I love it!

[d5sc]

Bing,

EXCELLENT work (as always)!!! The previous installation was downright scary to say the least !!!

Yourself and Sound Innovations are the only local shops that I would recommend out of good conscience. Despite the good number of shops in our area, quality, professionalism, and good customer service are things that are definitely few and far between.

[HondAudio]

Yet *another* winner! This guy is unstoppable!

[Mic10is]

I think this is one of your better installs. I dig it

how do u do the lighting for everything?

[TREETOP]

That 3-way a/d/s/ set is the 641is, they're pre-DEI buyout.

[simplicityinsound]

wow pre dei...even sadder

mic, i use the led strips from oznium.com and they are secured to the outside edge of hte plexi cutout except the T part, where its direct underneath the plexi in the middle

[Blazemore]

How did you secured the pods to the door?

[simplicityinsound]

a series of screw/speed clips

[tdiantonio]

Excellent work. Definitely rescue of the year. I can't get over how bad that original install really was...that is no way to treat a yellow top optima and nice a/d/s 3 way component set

[98kugt]

Wow! Love that the battery wasn't even hooked up. Nice job!

[H-Audio - AKA - Here-I-Come]

Very nice sir as always.

[Tonyguy]

Bing, What else can be said that hasn't been already. Great Fucking job.

[sinister-kustoms]

Man, what a turnaround. Nice work!