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KevinD
02-23-2011, 01:16 AM
This is gonna be an ongoing thread. Others are welcome to post their stuff here as well.:)
I recently pulled some "free" stuff out of an 03 Beetle that my Mom is gonna trade in. I say "free" because I'm owing Mom some favors now. Hahahaha
I spent the day removing all of it, including the wiring. What I got: an Alpine receiver: CDA-9825 (with no faceplate), an MTX 4 channel amp: Thunder 3404 (50w rmsx4@4ohm), two Polk Audio DB 650 coaxes for the rear doors, two Polk Audio DB 6500 components for the front doors.
I'm going to put all this in my 03 Dodge Ram Quad Cab. Most likely, I will be getting a new receiver, as I want blue-tooth. So,at this point, I'm not installing the Alpine or the amp.
Well, today, I made mounting adapters for the front components in the doors and the dash. The old speaker up front was a factory Dodge 6x9 coax in each door. The old rear door speakers were factory Dodge 5 1/4 coaxes.
I made the adapters out of some 1/2" Birch plywood I had laying around, as well as some old tin scrap (for the mount of the dash tweeters)
I mounted the Polk external crossovers under the dash. As of now, I'm using the stock speaker wires to the doors as the existing wires to each door go through plugs mounted on the kick panels, and I'm not sure how I'm gonna get new speaker wire though when I install the amp.
Here's some pics of the passenger side mid and tweeter. (crappy cell phone pics)

Mid range woofer:
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0222111706a.jpg


Dash mounted tweeter:
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0222111707a.jpg



Right now, I'm exploring receiver options (under $200) After I get the receiver, it's be time to pull the carpet, and run the cables for the amp.
That's all for now!

DemonGeminiX
02-23-2011, 01:23 AM
If you really want it for whatever reason, you could probably find a replacement faceplate for the Alpine receiver off of Ebay. They sell those things at ridiculous prices, though. But I don't blame you for looking for something newer and better.

KevinD
02-23-2011, 01:28 AM
The Alpine is a decent receiver, and I found the face plates from $35-80. but to get bluetooh on it, I have to spend another $150 for the adapter. That put's me right at the cost of a nice new receiver with bluetooth built in, so prolly just gonna get a new one.

DemonGeminiX
02-23-2011, 01:33 AM
Again, don't blame you at all. I have a Sony receiver laying around that I took out of my old Civic after I was rearended and the car was totaled out. I dunno why I'm keeping the receiver, because I wouldn't use it in my current car. Like you, I'd just go for something newer if I was looking to do something like that.

KevinD
02-23-2011, 01:38 AM
This is the receiver I'm thinking of getting..It's a little more than I wanted to spend, but the keys and display colors are variable, and the pre-amp voltage is 4volts.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KDCX895/Kenwood-Excelon-KDC-X895.html?tp=5684

If I do get it, it wont be from Crutchfield though.

KevinD
02-23-2011, 01:40 AM
E-bay that Sony! That's what I'm gonna do with the Alpine.

Noilly Pratt
02-23-2011, 04:24 AM
I'm partial to 6x9s myself...they usually have a slightly bigger magnet than a 5 1/4 - 6" so you might get slightly better lows, depending on the speaker, but good on you for making the Polks fit up front.

For $200 you should be able to get something decent in the receiver department, for sure. If you are using the deck's amp to power any speakers, look for power ratings as WRMS - Weighted RMS (root mean square). It's a more accurate portrayal of what wattage is really going out there across a broader spectrum, not just peak, which is usually what RMS is meaning. Usually Amps are rated more accurately thank decks are as a general rule. Many years ago (before subwoofers) I used to install Car stereos for Radio Shack and for fun and profit back in the day. :mrgreen:

I have old cars, so my equipment was new way back when the car was new! My Nissan NX2000 has a Denon cassette deck (quit snickering!) and I had a CD changer but that bit the dust years ago. It's rated at 40W x 4 but WRMS so very clean sounding when you put the volume up. I use a Sony cassette adapter and plug in my walkman MP3 player and that sounds fairly decent.

I replaced the factory speakers front and rear in 2007 with Visoniks - found a factory close out so got them less than 1/2 price. (front- 4x6 2 ways, rear 6" 2 ways). As I really don't commute anymore (I work at home) these are adequate for what I use them for.

Visonik was well known in the 70's/80's for their "David" series of speakers -- one of the first set of speakers that didn't need to be gigantic to sound big and powerful, and it was very efficient, allowing itself to be driven by just a few watts so virtually any amp would sound grander than it was and if you had a good amp, it made the most of it. Back in the 70's you really had to match the speaker to the amp -- now it's not as big a deal.

Anyway, a factory shipment was ruined because of a tractor-trailer accident, so I saw the opportunity and bought a pallet full of these damaged (case) speakers for virtually nothing, and installed the drivers and crossovers in cars one summer. I helped fund my way through college this way from the profit of this! That, and grass cutting, and I did photography for a couple of weddings and cleaned a dentist and doctor's office at night! Ah, the energy of youth. :D

The van (1992 Ford Aerostar) had a replacement Panasonic deck which is OK - and yes, it's another cassette deck. Not a very high power deck but better sounding than the factory Ford one. When I bought the speakers for my NX, I bought Visonik 6x9 2 ways for the rear which helps the sound somewhat.

DemonGeminiX
02-23-2011, 04:34 AM
E-bay that Sony! That's what I'm gonna do with the Alpine.

Honestly, I think either my brother or one of my friends might want it. I keep meaning to ask them, but it keeps slipping my mind.

KevinD
02-23-2011, 12:22 PM
Noilly, I too like 6x9's for upgrading factory systems. (Not SQ or SPL systems) This is what I wanted to put in the truck, but I will most likely install them in the CSRT4 when I get around to doing it's system. IMHO, for the $ these are the best speakers around.

http://www.hybrid-audio.com/Imagine_Master_Manual_I69-2_Final.pdf

http://www.hybrid-audio.com/Imagine_Master_Manual_Final.pdf

Noilly Pratt
02-25-2011, 04:09 PM
http://www.hybrid-audio.com/Imagine_Master_Manual_I69-2_Final.pdf

http://www.hybrid-audio.com/Imagine_Master_Manual_Final.pdf

I hadn't heard of hybrid before but going by the specs those look to be great speakers. :tup:

KevinD
02-25-2011, 04:12 PM
They are a bit more than I want to spend, but I was planning on trying them out in the truck. I wound up getting all the stuff I have for free, so that's what I'm going with for now. After I have it all in, I can always upgrade the the HATs later.
All the reviews and stuff I've found on them say they are a hell of a speaker system for the $$

Goofy
02-25-2011, 04:24 PM
I bought Pioneer 6x9s for my first car......... then they were transferred to the next car and the next car etc :lol: Great speakers :)

KevinD
02-25-2011, 04:28 PM
First after market set of 6x9's I ever bought were Pioneers also iirc. They didn't last long, hehehe, that was when I was first playing with amps.

fricnjay
02-25-2011, 04:48 PM
I worked for a company called Petras in the early 90s for a few years. I built and tested our drivers their as well as help build several vehicles for show and competition. I have been part of build that have set worlds records and competed myself quit successfully. If you need any advice I would be more than happy to lend my expertise. :thumbsup:

KevinD
02-25-2011, 05:31 PM
Thanks Jay. This isn't gonna ever be a SQ system. Just want something that sounds good windows down or up. I just wish the Polk speakers were 2 ohm, then my amp would push 100Wrms per channel. Right now, I'm debating on if I need to get a HU with 4+ Volt pre-amps. The amp input is 100mV-10V switchable, so I don't see how it would matter at the level I'm shooting for.

Yt Trash
02-26-2011, 01:20 AM
I've done some DB drag Racing in the past. It was fun, in an unconventional vehicle. Best I did was 134db off the glass on a Brüel & Kjær spl meter, with 3 JL 12w6's. Back then, the classes were determined by cone sizing/speaker volume. I'd often go up against hardcore guys with full blown pro systems. Never did it for the medals or trophies, just to know something I built had the ability to compete with shop built systems.

I'm in the Land Rover. I'll see if I can find some pics of the system. I know I have video stills of it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21150813@N08/5442608473/in/set-72157626042535720/

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5178/5443211052_a69e8b4808_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5443211762_ae9888b5ca_o.jpg

KevinD
02-26-2011, 04:35 AM
Verah chill YT. When I was a younger lad, I had systems in my cars, but tended to let the exhaust give the vibe I was sporting. I have always enjoyed a nice system, but, when it came to where I was gonna spend $$, it was always on speed. Now, I'm more into comfortable speed, with all the bells and whistles.

Yt Trash
02-26-2011, 12:34 PM
Verah chill YT. When I was a younger lad, I had systems in my cars, but tended to let the exhaust give the vibe I was sporting. I have always enjoyed a nice system, but, when it came to where I was gonna spend $$, it was always on speed. Now, I'm more into comfortable speed, with all the bells and whistles.

I always worked with what I had, I've never had anything given to my by my parents. So I never had a fancy system in my cars or a fancy car for that matter. Those pics were from only 8 to 10 years ago. I was in my 30's doing stuff to my truck that majority of people are in their teens or twenties. Hell most of those guys were using test tones, I was actually using 30 seconds of songs clips. I didn't know any better, I was a complete noob to it.

So it wasn't till I had a stable income and no kids yet that I was able to do things I wished I had done earlier in life. So that's why it was a Landy with a system. Funny thing, I was referred to as gramps with system amongst the other competitors.

The vehicle I had after this one was built for speed with family in mind, again "BUILT" not bought, that one needs it's own thread though since it went through many transformations, motorwise and stereo's. Just got rid of it last summer.

KevinD
02-27-2011, 01:14 AM
Start the thread on it, would love to see it.

KevinD
04-11-2011, 04:45 PM
Okay, got some updates. Probably going to be all I do to the truck (at least until I decide on what sub to install)

I went with the Kenwood KDC-BT848U instead of the KDC-X895 head unit. The only real difference is the 848 has 2.5v pre-outs, and the 895 had 4v. The 848 was $30 less retail, and I got it at a place going out of business for a lot less than retail. lol
It's been awhile since I did this much of an install, so it took me a day and a half (also steam cleaned the carpet in my truck while the seats were out.)
Here's the head unit installed:
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0410111750a.jpg

Powered up for the first time:

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0410111751a.jpg

And the amp installed..

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0410111627b.jpg

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq223/kmdracer/0410111627a.jpg

The location of the amp is temp, until I decide exactly how/where I'm going to put the sub, so the wiring isn't finalized yet.
The power cable is ran through the firewall (using a factory through wall fitting Dodge was nice enough to have installed) along under the door sills. All other wiring (pre-amp, and speaker) is ran along the passenger side of the center driveline floor hump/tunnel.