Dave Cameron

A buddy here asked what I am doing to the Mazdaspeed for a new tune system, so I thought I would post what I have in the shop waiting on spring.
So Far-
Premier DEX-P9
Premier DEQ-P9
Brax Amp- 3 of the X1000 Series
Brax Amp- 1 of the SPL competition
Brax Caps- Two of the IPC 2.000.000 units Sans meters
Focal Utopa 165W3 Three way Component set
One Velodyne DSC-12 Subwoofer
Kimber Fiber Cable
Kimber Speaker Cable
48 sq feet of B-Quiet L-comp
52 sq feet of B-Quiet V comp
280 sq feet of B-Quiet Brown Bread
300 sq feet of B-Quiet Extreme
Some Nice Older Lightening Audio Power Distribution hardware
Red Top

The objective of this install will be to carefully remove the exsisting soundsystem in the car while retaining the factory wiring and then install the new system in a low key custom install that will allow removal in a few years, and the re-install of the original system.
I have to get past winter, and have the RX-7 back on the road before I tear into the Mazdaspeed, so it will be a few months until we (my daughter Allison and I) get started on the new Project-

Let me know any ideas you all might have.

DaleK

If you don't have room for all that stuff, you can put it in my car

That's an impressive array of equipment. Wish I had the budget to do something like that!

Dave, good to see you posting with some regularity again.

Dale.

Dave Cameron

Hey there Blue LEDz! Actually the Velodyne is new in the box. I purchased the last 12 inch model avaliable along with two of the Ten inch models. I have been very impressed with the 10 in the Nissan, so I figured this might be a worthy project for the big gun.
No, I am not selling the other, sorry!
I may sell the whole nissan off this summer to a friend though who is dying to compete with it. I never have bothered to, competiton is not really my gig anymore, and it takes time and money to do it on a national sense, along with sponsers!
I like the older Lightening products just because they are actually metal framed compared to the plastic stuff, and I like the remote voltage, grounding and current guage that is integral to the products. Also I have this stuff in the shop, never used, and had to try to contain the budget somewhere!
At least that is what I told myself and my daughter...
If the car does turn out decent, I have committed to taking Allison to Disneyworld and Springbreak Finals next year, so while I might let you check out the car, I am not too sure about borrowing it...
I have yet to break in the motor thoughly. Do you know how hard it is to not stop on it with a new toy? I am trying to do this right so I can keep it for at least a few years. I have had the Sentra since it was new in 90, the RX-7 since it was new in 94, so who knows about this one? My only dilemma is in a few years Allison will be wanting to make one of these HER car!!

Dave Cameron

Wanted to let you guys know the first conclusion I have come to and action I have taken- I have ordered another set of entire front door panels, and the entire rear deck cover.
The more I have looked and prodded, this would appear to be the best solution. Remeber one of the criteras is to be able to remove this system and put the stock back in easily should I elect to in the future.
I am not interest in compromising the front sound stage at this point to fit into the stock holes, or leave extra hole should I remove the system. Thus, extra panels. I have a similare scheme now for the back deck, I intent to drill out the whole deck and recover it to utilize all the holes in the deck, along with a couple of others I am looking to add myself to allow the bass out of the trunk into the cabin.
Also- while I love having a spare, I see it sitting in the shop in the near future, and I guess I will have to watch out for glass!
The wheel well will be become the basis of the box for the sub. I think you all know my personal preferences, I don't intent to fiberglass much if I can avoid it. Instead I am looking to use either carpeted of paneled MDF and high density hardwood.
Right now I see the DEQ going into a shelf under the rear speaker shelf, and the four amps surrounding the sub. Looks like just about the only way to fit it all in!
I am playing with some rack automation right now, and will let you know how the experment turns out- it amy influence the overall configuration of the turn.

More later- gotta go pick up my Valentine's sweetheart- my duaghter Allison! We are doing a special dinner at home, and then watching some DVDs.

Dave Cameron

As a general update- Spring has Sprung! Sort of anyway, here in OKC, so I have my RX-7 in the shop for the start of driving season tune up, which means sometime next week I will be able to park the mazdaspeed and start is disassembly.
I have put the components together into a rack in the shop, and all the components are functional, and the concept will work. Actually sounds pretty good!
I have un-crated the new interior front door panels and am starting the puzzle of how the fit the focals into them. A possibility of kick and use of the doors seems to be a definte possibility...
anyway just want to give the scoop to those interested...

hihoslva

Dave - do you plan to fiberglass the front door panels?

I've seen some amazing transformations done on boards like carsound.com - where people molded new panels into the existing ones to get some better driver angling, avoid using obtrusive kick pods, etc. I'm sure you know what I mean......

I'm gathering from your posts that 'glass just ain't your favorite medium to work with. Hehe - can't say I blame you there. But some of the work I've seen is simply spectacular.

Seeing as how you have the extra door panels, I'm just wondering if there IS any fiberglass in your future.....

BTW - I'm starting some further work on my enclosure. Today is reinforcement day - adding more glass to what I've got already. Hopefully between today and tomorrow I will have the reinforcing done, get the mold trimmed to size, and have the front fleeced and resin-ed. Be on the lookout for pix.....

Damn man - why can't you live around here so I can WITNESS your system first hand when it's done!

~HH

Dave Cameron

You are right, it is not my favorite medium, it is the best for kickpanels. I ordered yesterday additional plastic panels for the kick regions of the car pretty much to use as the building blocks of fiberglass kicks. I have a new toy in the shop, and spun glass gun, which seems to make fiberglass much easier and cleaner to deal with. I just hate the fumes and the odor, but I can vent well.
I was out with my daughter today looking for a "new" third car. With the Mazdaspeed about to go out of commision for sometime, and the RX-7 only being a two seater, I need an additional set of wheels with more seats. I can give you clue, it has sucide rear doors....
Anyway, I can see fiberglass work in my future. I like to build a basic frame out or wire mesh, and then fiberglass, it is stronger, and can be better bolted in for anti- theft purposes...
This will be allot more than just my project, serveral friends here in town, locally, even not so locally are offerring to come in and help at the different stages. Most of them like the guest house and expect me to have the pool filled soon!!!
First up is the disassembly, when we will take the cabin to the car, including the dash,trunk and hood off. Deadening, wiring then more deadening.
I can't wait to see the photos of your new work. I will be doing some photos and video of the Mazdaspeed install, it will have to stay under wraps right now though.... inquiring minds and all...
Don't forget to wear a mask on the resin and sanding, that **** can kill your lungs!

hihoslva

Oh man - either you're looking at an RX-8, or.......

That funky Saturn . Hehe.

And mask? What's a MASK? I just whip it up and go go go.....

Thankfully - in a way - I live in apartment with no indoor workspace. So while doing anything on a 4' x 8' second-floor outdoor terrace is certainly space-constrained, at least I'm outside with the fumes and whatnot. I find the smell tantalizingly foul - dunno, guess I kinda like it.

And my object with the enclosure is NO sanding. The only dust I plan on seeing is from cutting and trimming - but with a carpet finish, I shouldn't have to sand much, if at all.

Reinforcing is 99% done now, and I cut a hole, and glassed in a small piece of MDF in the back of the box - to give a flat surface on which to mount a terminal cup. Trimming and fleecing oughtta be tomorrow, at which point I'll put up some new pics.

I actually got the WIFE fiberglassing - and she LOVES it! She's an artist at heart - loves to paint and stuff. She offered to help, and wound up doing probably 70% of the glasswork today! I'll say it again - she's a cool chick

I knew it would come to this - but Dave, I gotta ask:

With enough money to buy a MazdaSpeed to gut out, look at an RX-8 for a third car, an RX-7 in the shop, and not to mention the passing comment about a guest house - just what the hell do you DO for a living - if you don't mind my asking? Whatever it is, it seems to pay the bills - and then some. Rock on!

~HH

DaleK

Or a 1970 Thunderbird.


Dave - keep us posted. I'm with HiHo - I'd sure like to see your project work for myself! Have fun with it!

Dave Cameron

"With enough money to buy a MazdaSpeed to gut out, look at an RX-8 for a third car, an RX-7 in the shop, and not to mention the passing comment about a guest house - just what the hell do you DO for a living - if you don't mind my asking? Whatever it is, it seems to pay the bills - and then some. Rock on!"


HA!
Well, I am a praticing attorney in a fairly lucrative venue of the law these days, , technology related contracts and negotiations. I also teach the odd class here and there around the country in the same speciality field, and am a consultant for ICN and the Gartner Group, a couple of IT related consulting companies. I was lucky enough to have stacked away a good amount of bread while in the military, finally I recieve combat disability pay.
So there are several streams of income coming in. I don't want the house to sound too outragious, when my wife was alive it was her big project, and she just seemed to enjoykeeping on adding on! Even though it is bigger than we need now, I keep it for a comfort factor for my daughter.
NOW she is a big expense! Have you priced getting a kid through college in a while? YIKES!
I am actually planning on retiring in about 10 to 12 years if the creek don't rise and Allison doesn't want to go to Med school at Columbia or something... then it will take a little longer...
I drove an accura TSX today, and I gotta tell you it is going to be hard to beat, Mazda love or not...
I will post a few photos as I go, but if I choose to use the car to compete ever, I need to hold the cards close to the chest until complete, and entered... And still I want to keep it enough of a daily driver to be a user car, not a garage queen. I loved that old Sentra, but you could not count on it at zero in the winter or 100 in the summer!

Dave Cameron

Quick update, the doors and cabin are now sound proofed. The seats are off for leather. Amp and speaker wiring in now in. Amp rack fabrication is happening at a friend's shop using a stainless metal frame that will get a titanium coating. The amps will stack but fold out via motor drive. Say bye bye to the spare!! Same friend is taking on the sub enclose, the trunk will end up being his baby. I have the new kicks more or less built without covering yet. Bottom of the doors have been severly rebuilt for tilt. The 6.5 drivers fit in the door, the mid and tweeter are in the kicks. Dash rewiring is underway now before the dash board goes back in place.
I have been very busy, Allison had her tonsils out this summer, and I have had another raving sinus infection, another side effect of the exotic places the military sent me over the years....
The car is going slow, but with deadening more or less over the pace is picking up..
Just a quick note for those interested....

hihoslva

And we are! (at least I am!)

Any chance there are pictures of the various stages of build-up? I'd love to see them.

Oh - and about the "tilt" on the doors......

I'm assuming you mean that you've built out the door panel for the midbass, so as to angle it for better imaging/stage.

I've got a tentative plan to do a similar thing in my Pro - only I'd like to put an entire 3-way set in the door, in a "pod". I'm pretty sure it can be done, it'll just take some fiddling with driver positions, etc.

Question is - did you play with speaker placement at all before deciding on position and/or angle? What are your impressions as to the soundstage characteristics of the door-mounted drivers? I know you won't have all the drivers there - but I'm just wondering if you have any thoughts on my proposed plan as far as SQ/imaging/staging goes - having all 3 drivers (6.5", 4", 1" tweeter) in the door.

The tweeter *might* wind up in the mirror panels or A-pillars - only experimentation will determine that.

Anyway - looking forward to more updates, and pics if you've got 'em. Hope you and Allison both feel better.

~HH

Dave Cameron

Hey there mr. hh

I did play quite a bit with the locations or each driver, the angles of each driver, and the measurements from each driver to the left and right ears. Since I am truely tri-amping, I am able to play with the frequencies a little more per driver. I did a good deal of playing with test tones and my RTA before I went into musical detail at all.
The advantage of getting the 6.5 in the door is it saves some space in the kicks. I am setting up the frequencies to force the low end of the front speaker soundstage to the 6.5 drivers, and the mid and high frequencies to the kick panels. I say panels but they are more like swells and not as distinct or standoutish. The distances have been very carefully laid out for time alignment. Yes, you have it right, the tilt in the doors is to align the speakers towards the ears in the front two seats. I have done the math so that each seat is reflexive, the distances are mirrored but opposite left to right front seat.
I did think of all speakers in the door, but I had different plans already and for my layout it works and looks better.
I am actually doing both photos and video of the entire install. I have one camera in a fixed position on the car doing 5 second takes every minute while we are in the shop to shop a jumping around process (the dogs and cat laying around are about the only constant but some shots have been pretty cool) and a hand held video camera showing the plans, before during and after sequences of each part. I am going to smack the video altogether into a disk that I can play for the judges. As much as I hate video in a car, I am installing a Panasonic LX9 into the trunk lid to play the video. I am being very grudging to do even that much in a SQ car, but I must roll with the times. Actually I think the video unit will end up pretty cool, the trunk lid will be covered in a fabric with a hidden compartment that folds down to revel the screen and player, at the same time the two speakers, small tower cylinders, will rotate around into view. There will be a fiber to the headunit to power the audio though the system but I can't bear the thought of that!! I have been working on that with Allison, she is quite fascinated with the process of shaping, motorizing and micro switching in a small area.
Once done I will post photos, but for right now they have to stay under wraps for competitive reasons. I have a couple of companies whose hardware I am using interested in some sponsership activities, so I need to do this right and not give anything visually away yet.

And hey Mr. Blue- I loved the danged hypo guns the army uses, I always felt like someone had hit my arm with a bat! The innoculatons were almost worse than what they were to try to prevent!

Thanks for the interest guys- I keep you informed! But this weekend is shopping for school uniforms, dress shoes and new tennis shoes! Yahoo!!