[bfrance]

After having this car for a few months, I'm finally starting my install on it. It's going to be a pretty straight forward set-up, active 2 way up front, no rear fill, 1 (or 2, haven't decided) subs in the hatch.

The car is a '09 Mazdaspeed 3 gt in Crystal White Pearl. Being the gt, it came stock with the factory Blose system in it, including a 6 disc in-dash changer. The car is a little rocket stock, and I have every intention of autocrossing and road racing it, so keeping weight reasonable is a priority, (except for the sub-stage, which you'll see what I mean shortly.)

System goals are to keep it stock looking for daily use, but have the hatch trimmed out to look pretty nice if I want to show it on the weekends.

Here's the equipment list:
Stock head unit
Rockford 360.2 for interface, tuning, etc
Rockford T8004 4 channel
PPI 4200am 4 channel
Seas Textile dome tweets
ID Oem mid/midbasses
1 (or perhaps 2, as I picked up a pair,) of Diyma 12"

Pics of the tear down in the next post.

-Ben

 

[bfrance]

Yesterday was day one of this build. Beautiful weather, so I tore into it.

Here is the interior pretty much stripped out:

A shot of the driver's door with the door panel removed:

Passenger door:

Rear doors:

 

[bfrance]

Here's the 4 gauge run, completely tech-flexed. It starts at the battery, (duh,) goes back under the cowling/windshield base, (under the factory panels, completely hidden,) then in through the firewall and down the passenger side.

Here's what my garage looked like at the end of day one. Needless to say, the wife thinks I've lost my mind.

More to come as things progress.

-Ben

 

[lpreston]

Most women don't understand the need to see the entire vehicle stripped down to just install a stereo. Been there, tried to explain that. Great start!

 

[fififirocks]

Sick car looking good so far...

Haha its always a good day when my garage looks like that

 

[braves6117]

Great start! Make a checklist of every single thing you need to install/run for future planned upgrades so you don't have to tear anything out again

Are you installing any deadener? At the very least, get some for the doors

 

[talibmohamid]

looking real good man....keep it up

 

[bfrance]

Thanks for the comments, the support.

Deadener is definitely going in, hence the tear down. To keep weight minimal, it'll be kept in the hatch and doors, not doing the whole interior. (Saving that for her car, little does she know...)

More pics to come tomorrow, I have the afternoon off, so I'll be digging in again.

-ben

 

[trevordj]

Very nice! I can't wait to see the progress. How do you like your car so far? I have narrowed down my imminent purchase to either a Mazdaspeed or a GTI MKVI (I have enough patience to wait until August).

In the mean time I am working on my fiancee's car... she just rolls her eyes every time ups brings the next package.

 

[Xtreme03]

...nothin' like taking a new car apart.

 

[bfrance]

Very nice! I can't wait to see the progress. How do you like your car so far? I have narrowed down my imminent purchase to either a Mazdaspeed or a GTI MKVI (I have enough patience to wait until August).

In the mean time I am working on my fiancee's car... she just rolls her eyes every time ups brings the next package.

Loving the car. My only gripe is lack of traction in 1st and 2nd gear, but it comes with the territory on a high hp fwd car. I haven't read much on the mkvi yet, but my brother had a mkv that I almost bought from him, until I drove this car.

 

[bfrance]

Okay, I got a decent amount of work done today, considering my work schedule.

Wires ran for the door mounted mids, and a-pillar mounted tweets. Doors pretty heavily deadened, and the hatch floor is deadened. Probably won't get anything done tomorrow night.

Hopefully I'll finish up the deadening, make the adapters to put the ID's in the doors, and the housing for the tweeters on Thursday. I have a trip next week that I need the car for, so I"m hoping to have everything but the sub box completed and in the car. Amp may be temporarily mounted just to make it functional for some tunes.

-Ben

 

[bballer123]

Ben. A lot of work is still ahead of you! Good luck with it man. I am looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[phantomtides]

Okay, I got a decent amount of work done today, considering my work schedule.

Wires ran for the door mounted mids, and a-pillar mounted tweets. Doors pretty heavily deadened, and the hatch floor is deadened. Probably won't get anything done tomorrow night.

-Ben

Photos, man, photos!

 

[bfrance]

Sorry guys, the project got derailed.

I actually don't have the MS3 anymore. Traded it in on a left-over '08 Evolution X.

For anyone that hasn't seen one, the trunk is tiny in this car, so I am going to live with the stock Rockford system for awhile. (Tiny, in this case, means 6.9 cubic feet total.... )

For anyone interested, I'm going to have all of my equipment up for sale in the next few days.

-Ben

 

[JediMentality]

You should have given me the car instead . That's the exact car and color I'm gonna get, that is, when I can finally afford one :sad:

 

[bfrance]

It was a great car, I'm sure you'll love it. Post pics when you finally get one!