[SWRocket]

First build log here for me.
This will likely be a slow build/thread because I have very limited time to spend on it, but hopefully it will move along.

The Car:
2021 Camaro 2SS with the OEM Bose system (I need better pics of the car...)
A10 - Summit White - NPP - MRC - Adrenaline Red Interior Pkg - Black Appearance Pkg - Ground Effect Pkg - Suede Steering Wheel and shifter - Red Calipers - Carbon Flash Wheels w black lug nuts - DD Tinted Side Markers - Hero Tinted Rear Reflectors - Redline Fender Badges - 20% Tint

The Equipment:
OEM integration

• NavTV Zen AVB-GM

DSP

• miniDSP C-DSP 8X12

Amplifiers - I was planning to do two amp racks for A/B testing but not sure if I can because of the space...I already had the ARCs from a previous install but I bought the Toros to play with.

• (A) ARC Audio SE2300 - Subs
• (A) ARC Audio SE4200 - Midbass + Midrange
• (A) ARC Audio XDi 450.4 - Tweeters + (optional) Rear Fill
• -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
• (B) Toro Rage R4F - Subs
• (B) Toro Rage MRx2 - Midbass
• (B) Toro Rage MRx4 - Midrange + Tweeters (No real fill)

Speakers

• Subs - (2X) Dayton Audio RSS265HO-44 in a sealed enclosure
• Midbass - Audio Frog GS690 in stock door locations
• Midrange - Audio Frog GS25 in stock dash locations
• Tweeters - SEAS Prestige H1396 27TFFNC/G in A-Pillars (need to fab)
• Rear Fill - Dayton Audio DC130B-4 in stock back seat side panel locations

Other

• Resonix CLD, CCF and Butyl Rope
• KnuKonceptz Kolossus Flex power and ground, KNF-60 and KNF-36 distros, Krystal RCA and Karma SS speaker wires

One of the biggest challenges with this car is the tiny, and I mean tiny, trunk. There is a well but it's only 4" deep and less than 20" wide. It also has the MRC Controller + Bose Amp, the main fuse box and some other device in that well; all of which would need relocation.

Here are some pics from my first half-day work on it yesterday. I would really appreciate any ideas on how to do the amp install for the ARC amps. The Toros fit no problem.

I have no idea where/how to relocate the fuse box and that other device...
I removed the Bose amp and relocated the MRC controller into the bottom of the driver's side quarter panel. The wiring is the flimsy connector that comes with the Zen integration device. I will wrap all the plugs in CCF and then Tessa tape everything. The Zen will be installed on a vertical panel attached to the cross member and the panel on which the MRC controller is mounted

That's it for now. Will keep updating as I move along.

 

[SWRocket]

One option I'm considering for the amp issue is to not do the ARCs at all, and instead buy another Toro Rage MRX4 (They're only $80). Then bridge one of the MRX4s to the GS690s, use the MRX2 on the GS25s and use the other MRX4 for the tweeters and rear fill.
I'm just not sure about pushing 260W (which is theoretical I know, more likely will be around 180W) to the GS690s...

 

[drphilb]

I am using 4 of the ARC Amps, 2 -2300 4200 and one 2150. If your looking for a higher SQ I would use them. I have a Genesis build going - would be cool if you were in Portland OR to work together.. Space is always an issue especially on the subs, Morel UL12s use only 1.25 cubes which makes them nice in a sealed enclosure, I am going with IB to save space but my entire trunk is used with 4 amps, 2 15's and all the DSP and power. Check my build log may give you some ideas

 

[drphilb]

I would move slowly starting at the trunk so your entire car is not ripped apart, do extensive deadening. I am using Ballistic Competition for the metal, B-quiet VComp for the barrier and Thinsulate for the absorber. If you do this painful and time consuming part you will reap a great benefit in making your car a lot more quieter and will keep the music in your car and road noise out

 

[SWRocket]

It would definitely be nice to have someone to work with lol.
My plan was to use the ARCs, I know them well and love them.
My only two options if I want to use them is either to raise the floor about 3" or abandon the Dayton subs and try to put in a shallow mount 12" sub in the well and use the space that was for the subs to install the amps...
The main problem is I need to have that fuse box accessible; I can't just bury it in behind the trim.
Oh, and I am going to deaden everything. I have a ton of stuff from Resonix for that. I'm starting from the trunk and only when that's figured out will I start taking interior trim off.

 

[drphilb]

I can give you my number so we can collaborate if you like

 

[drphilb]

I would use as much of the free space as you can with your components and wiring and create a false floor and then have your Amps and sub above the false floor. I would not move anything since your going to void your warranty if you do. You can remove them to deaden the metal but then install them back. I don't think you have to worry about heat so you may be able to cover them to create your false floor

 

[drphilb]

hmmm tried to get some info around Resonix and their page does not give any info around their products and looks like they are out of stock

 

[drphilb]

Do you have a closeup picture of your barrier deadener

 

[SWRocket]

Have you tried: ResoNix Sound Solutions – Premium Automotive Sound Treatment Solutions?
They have a great tutorial about deadening here
They have a ton of info on their products. Just click through. Their CLD is top notch.
Creating a false floor doesn't help with the ARC amps because the fuse box takes up almost the entire height so the amps would still sit 2" above that and then the cover. All in 3-4" higher then the normal trunk floor height.
Still working through it though so will see.

 

[SWRocket]

Had a day off today so I made some progress.
Got the Zen installed and figured out a layout that will allow me to use the ARCs. I ended up moving that little switch and mounting it to the side of the well with a rivnut which gave me an extra 5"!
This is a rough layout that fits the SE4200 (SE2300 in pic) and the 450.4 (front stage and rear fill) along with the miniDSP.
The MDF board will not stay like that, it's just there for fit test.

For the SE2300 for the subs I found that I have plenty of space either under the rear deck and above the sub box or between the sub box and the rear seat. Just need to fab a panel and mount it with brackets and rivnuts in one of those two places. The 6X9s in the rear deck are coming out anyway.

Next time I can work on the build will be Saturday and I'm hoping to have amp racks all done by end of day Sunday.

 

[Ali-323i]

Nice looking car, and good luck with the install!
Always nice to see another Ontario plate on here!! Are you in TO/GTA by chance?
Also, where do you source parts from, knowing a lot of the usual retail options sometimes get pricey after import duties and shipping fees?

Following, and possibly interested in seeing/hearing it once done (and maybe even a little work together if you’re down and not far... but I don’t have much to do other than some wood work for a new baffle for my IB).

 

[SWRocket]

Nice looking car, and good luck with the install!
Always nice to see another Ontario plate on here!! Are you in TO/GTA by chance?
Also, where do you source parts from, knowing a lot of the usual retail options sometimes get pricey after import duties and shipping fees?

Following, and possibly interested in seeing/hearing it once done (and maybe even a little work together if you’re down and not far... but I don’t have much to do other than some wood work for a new baffle for my IB).

Hey Ali Thank you, yeah I'm in the GTA.
I already had some of the parts (ARC amps) the rest I ordered online from various sellers (Parts Express, Amazon, KnuKonceptz, Crutchfield.ca and Sonic Electronics.). It does get pricy for sure. I ship to a cross-border shipper with a U.S. address and they bring it over. Then I pick up the stuff from their Markham location.
We can certainly meet once I'm done. What subs are you running IB? I always wanted to try IB but the install seems daunting...I actually have a pair of Peavy Black Widow 15"s that I bought a long time ago for that purpose but never installed.

 

[Ali-323i]

Hey Ali Thank you, yeah I'm in the GTA.
I already had some of the parts (ARC amps) the rest I ordered online from various sellers (Parts Express, Amazon, KnuKonceptz, Crutchfield.ca and Sonic Electronics.). It does get pricy for sure. I ship to a cross-border shipper with a U.S. address and they bring it over. Then I pick up the stuff from their Markham location.
We can certainly meet once I'm done. What subs are you running IB? I always wanted to try IB but the install seems daunting...I actually have a pair of Peavy Black Widow 15"s that I bought a long time ago for that purpose but never installed.

Cheers for the info!

My setup is a trunk IB, not atmospheric, and my seats don’t fold down, in a well sealed trunk (bmw e90), so it actually made for a very easy install.
I started using a 12w3v3 I already had, and was really impressed with how good it sounded. Sold that woofer, currently using an IDQ12v2 which sounds even a bit better, with more low end response vs the W3, but am in the process of modifying my baffle for an older 12w7 I recently got my hands on.

I know the JL woofers aren’t made for IB, and I’ll have to limit the power, but there have been enough positive reviews of the w7 and W6 in IB that I figured I’d give it a shot... especially since the w3 surpassed my expectations in IB too!

The w3 was pushed with a JL JX 500/1, but I’ve now got a JL HD 1200/1 to power the W7 when it goes in.

 

[SWRocket]

Looks awesome!. The issue I had was sealing all the other holes (rear deck and sides) properly without spray foam. I may work up the guts to try it one day lol.

 

[Ali-323i]

Looks awesome!. The issue I had was sealing all the other holes (rear deck and sides) properly without spray foam. I may work up the guts to try it one day lol.

The bimmer trunk is well sealed, so besides the baffle and cutting my own ski pass behind the rear armrest, nothing else was needed!

If it needed to be sealed, I’d have just gone for another traditional box lol, but I saw on the bimmer forums that this was easy and effective, had never tried (or heard of) IB, so figured may as well try it.
Glad I did!

 

[SWRocket]

The bimmer trunk is well sealed,

That's a lucky break! The Camaro is like a sieve...as you can see from the pics above.

 

[drphilb]

On the IB, from the pic it does not look like it will allow full excursion, how many inches are you allowing for that?

 

[Ali-323i]

On the IB, from the pic it does not look like it will allow full excursion, how many inches are you allowing for that?

The W3 doesn't have a huge xmax and never rubs, I think just the angle of the photo is deceiving (and that's just some electrical tape at the bottom that's peeling a bit, used to cover a thin wire for some LEDs I used). Also, since then, I've added an additional "spacer" of .75" to make a mounting bracket with threaded inserts to make the whole thing removable. I will need to add an additional spacer when I switch to my W7 though!

 

[drphilb]

oh.. I thought I was looking at a W-7 on this. I had 2 W-7 13.5 subs in a sealed enclosure in a Saturn SC2 Coupe, lots of XMAX there.