1995 Corvette Build
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Time for some serious updates!
Wrapped the grille in black grille cloth. I did this with the help of a simple pine frame made from wall studs:
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Wrapped the grille in black grille cloth. I did this with the help of a simple pine frame made from wall studs:
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Next came the CF vinyl amp cover, using the same method:
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And - *insert worshipful chamber music here* - It came out just as I had hoped!
The two grilles as they will be installed:
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And - *insert worshipful chamber music here* - It came out just as I had hoped!
The two grilles as they will be installed:
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Soldering time!
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OEM woofer:
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OEM woofer:
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Replacing the OEM woofer's wiring:
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This part of the grille was at risk of rubbing the higher-excursion aftermarket driver's surround:
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Solved!
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This part of the grille was at risk of rubbing the higher-excursion aftermarket driver's surround:
Solved!
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Aftermarket woofers installed. These are Vibe coaxials, but they are bi-ampable so I can drive only the woofer. I have used these in the past with impressive midbass results:
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This motor structure just barely clears the back of the enclosure:
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Why trust the stock foam gaskets to still seal?
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This motor structure just barely clears the back of the enclosure:
Why trust the stock foam gaskets to still seal?
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Added Poly-fil stuffing to the chambers, and stretched grille cloth onto the port to keep it from blowing out:
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Installed:
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Installed:
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The mids are the next step, again utilizing the OEM Bose enclosures. I had to cut the hole larger where the tweeter was installed to make room for two midrange drivers:
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All connections soldered:
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First midrange installed:
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All connections soldered:
First midrange installed:
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Made some adapters to take the 4" Bose opening down to a 3" opening. I installed all four but don't have pics of that yet.
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These are 8-ohm Tang Band W3s wired in parallel. After installing all four, I tested them on my home receiver and they have a nice smooth midrange, really shone on songs like the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Porcelain". Excited to hear them in the car.
Well that's all for now, I need to go work on some beauty trim for the subwoofer enclosure.
These are 8-ohm Tang Band W3s wired in parallel. After installing all four, I tested them on my home receiver and they have a nice smooth midrange, really shone on songs like the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Porcelain". Excited to hear them in the car.
Well that's all for now, I need to go work on some beauty trim for the subwoofer enclosure.
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Fiberglass time!
I made this shape with some 50/50 cotton/poly from a stretchy t-shirt, some masonite rings, some dowels, and some hot glue. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the frame before I wrapped it:
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Doused that in resin:
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Drilled some holes to improve adhesion:
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I made this shape with some 50/50 cotton/poly from a stretchy t-shirt, some masonite rings, some dowels, and some hot glue. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the frame before I wrapped it:
Doused that in resin:
Drilled some holes to improve adhesion:
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First layer was done with fiberglass cloth:
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Did two layers of chop mat, then sanded:
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Cut out the mounting hole with my hole saw:
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Did two layers of chop mat, then sanded:
Cut out the mounting hole with my hole saw:
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Cut out the back with my Dremel to so I could insert the mounting ring:
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Test fitting the tweeter. Note the additional aluminum tape to smooth the fiberglass transition and prevent peeling:
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Both A-pillars painted with Rustoleum semi-gloss black:
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The next step will be to wrap the entire A-pillar with black grille cloth, but I'm done for today.
Test fitting the tweeter. Note the additional aluminum tape to smooth the fiberglass transition and prevent peeling:
Both A-pillars painted with Rustoleum semi-gloss black:
The next step will be to wrap the entire A-pillar with black grille cloth, but I'm done for today.
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I will update when the power comes back on from Hurricane Sandy. Moved to the East Coast just in time for a big storm!
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Good to see you back and posting.
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So I left off after fiberglassing, sanding, sanding again, and painting the A-pillars. Next I wrapped both A-pillars in black grille cloth using 3M Super 90, and painted with three light coats of black fabric dye for color consistency.
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In reality, I didn't install the A-pillars until I was ready to re-assemble, but for the sake of continuity I will show the installed pictures of the A-pillars here. Note that because both shots were taken from the driver's seat, my flash made the left A-pillar look much lighter than it is. And yes, his cheap-o GM dashboard is a little gimpy as well, the owner assured me a fix was in the works.
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In reality, I didn't install the A-pillars until I was ready to re-assemble, but for the sake of continuity I will show the installed pictures of the A-pillars here. Note that because both shots were taken from the driver's seat, my flash made the left A-pillar look much lighter than it is. And yes, his cheap-o GM dashboard is a little gimpy as well, the owner assured me a fix was in the works.
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Next came some work with subwoofers and wiring.
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The Xtant/Morel passives for the highs and mids:
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See? See? Told ya' so! Okay so the Morel logo is in the very center if you can't actually see it.
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The Xtant/Morel passives for the highs and mids:
See? See? Told ya' so! Okay so the Morel logo is in the very center if you can't actually see it.
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Next came the amp wiring. In this case it is more functional than aesthetic, but I wanted it to still be clean.
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Now for the beauty trim - if you're sharp you'll notice another anachronism in these pics (but pay no mind to the man behind the curtain)...
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Ready for the grand finale? The logo is a bit washed out in the first two photos, but I did some lighting tricks in #3 to bring out the full effect.
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I will post a video at some point in the future if people need to see that kind of thing, but of course hearing the audio through a camera mic is kind of a letdown. While I could pick the system's little flaws apart, the owner seemed thrilled with the performance and balance of the system, and that's what this was really about. He seemed very pleased with the presentation overall, and commented that it sounded like a good home stereo. I'll take that as a compliment any day.
I will post a video at some point in the future if people need to see that kind of thing, but of course hearing the audio through a camera mic is kind of a letdown. While I could pick the system's little flaws apart, the owner seemed thrilled with the performance and balance of the system, and that's what this was really about. He seemed very pleased with the presentation overall, and commented that it sounded like a good home stereo. I'll take that as a compliment any day.
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