Phoenix Gold Phorum

I have this posted on two other forums but I think I'll be hanging out here for a bit now so I just wanted to show some of my basic installation skills.

I wanted a stereo That would work within a few parameters. I wanted it loud but SQ always comes first with me...

1 it had to be stream line enough to not get in the road of my work.
2 I needed the third seat... (for my boy)
3 Needed to be clear but loud. Oh and it has to go low!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 Oh and look good of course.

gear is as followed...
0 and 4 gauge power cable
900 CCA battery (will be adding a second later)
stinger RCAs
Blaupunkt IVDM-7003 indash single din screen (will change later on...)
Blaupunkt VPA-172 splits
Blaupunkt VPW-480 18" sub
Fusion FJL-1211D mono amps x 2
Fusion FJL-4011 4 channel
Audio Control Epic-160/(4.1 I am adding later)
6x1.4m of sound deadening
Oh and lots of Glass


I'll start with the ute.

Its a Toyota Hilux SR Dualcab V6 petrol.

Started like this- here its got 5% window tint, deck lid and 4" King Springs lowering kit. Oh and also signage. Plus I'd cut off the roll bar...

I ended up not liking the J deck and changed it for a A deck style side...




I then added the flares...



Then the 20"s 8.5" on front and 20" x 10" on rears... Also upgraded the front bar to the 2009 facelift bar, facelift SR5 grill will follow soon plus full tuned twin pipes.








Well thats the outside I'll up some photos of the inside tomorrow starting with the amps...

didn't know blau made an 18. How big of a box does that need?

We worked out 48 l... But I wanted a heap lot more bottom end so I went for the bigger box...

I stripped out the interior and laid the sound deadening. I did the floor/roof/back wall and two layers in the doors plus Dynamatt diffusers in the front doors.





These amps are all brand new. I've 4 monos and 4 4 channels left over from when I worked at FUSION. You get a few people bagging FUSION but usually its just big mouths that don't really know what they are on about. Sure FUSION makes some really crap products just like any entry level brand does but the Jonah stuff was bullet proof and never failed we only ever had two come back ever and one was customer error (even SQ wise it is very surprising).

I ran up from a 900 CCA battery 0 gauge power cable with a FUSION 300amp ANL fuse to the amps where I split them into 4 gauge using a Stinger distribution block. I used Stinger twisted pairs RCA's (can't remember model) for the signal.

Ive ran the Amps behind the rear seat. It you have ever worked on one of these you'll know how hard it was to get them there... 70mm of room at best when the seat is folded up.




Ill throw up the door and tweeter pods later on

Ok I'm upping the door and tweeter pods. I should of taken more photos as I only have pics of them in the roughed out stage onwards and none on the glassing etc.

Here I started with the door card off. Masked up the area I'm getting the shape from I penned the shape I wanted with a black texter and laid a 225 layer of glass chopped mat, 1.5 % hardener. Let it set over night then laid a layer of 600 but with less hardener (1.2%) to ease up on the heat (this will cause it to pull at the edges if to hot) but just enough to let set. . The black texter will come through onto the glass so all I need to do it cut it out. Put my ring into the position I wanted. I then grill clothed the main shape and brushed resin to harden it. I laid a 225 mat let it set then a 400 mat. I make my own bog with vinyl ester resin and qcell. Extremely hard when set but sands beautifully and it is extremely light- if you look at my solid tweeter pods it was a handful of bog slapped into the corner of the dash and A pillar... Oh I did mask the area up first (and watch the heat from this mix as it will go off fast and hard or not at all, its to do with the bulk of the mix). look at the tops of the door pods they were perfect untill I added the bog so it gives you an idea of how hot it will go off. I then put my bog onto the door pods to shape them where I wanted to bulk it up etc. I do use normal bog to finish off where I need to but when you see the difference in weight and hardness, well. Sand it all to shape and primer fill until perfect...

I always use Vinyl Ester resin..................

The reason I use only Vinyl is because its a harder plastic than poly (better for sub boxes) and it shrinks a lot less so it will put the corners nowhere near as much. But beware not to buy to much unless you use it constantly as it will go off in the tin in heat!!! It has a short shelf live (but if you have access to a fridge it will keep for years). Plus it will stick to some plastics better that poly ester, with a little scuffing and Methyl Ethyl Ketone it will stick...











Ill up the finished product later ...

Awesome work on those doorpanels...

I recently noticed how you Aussies call everything Utes. I thought Utes were the car-platform vehicles with a bed, like the Holden Ute... but it seems the term is used for anything with a bed! I am so jealous you guys still get the Hilux on a proper, modernized Tacoma ladder chassis as well. The Toyota trucks they sell here now are all sized to compete with the Americans, so they are WAAAY too big for my liking.

Anyways I thought your username looked familiar, but now I am certain you had posted your previous Fusion limousine install back on our last forum, Soundbuggy. So welcome "back"

OMG you remember that monstrosity... I def remember you lol... Ute just stands for Utility Vehicle. I'll up some more in the next few days...

really nice work!

so that isnt the same as the Tacoma we get in the states?

Nope. Our Tacoma is based on the new Landcruiser Prado chassis and is quite a bit bigger. For being the "small" truck it's as big as I would ever consider. The 4-door version is enormous... I couldn't imagine ever needing a Tundra.

wow, i feel gypped now. i wish we had the hylux!

I assume you've seen the arctic trekking versions that they had on Top Gear and other programs?

shit yes...those are amazing

I've seen a few Tacoma's over here. Theres not many. One of the other guys at work has a 4x4 version Hilux but I don't see the point unless your ACTUALLY 4WDing it. There's another three of us with the 2WD versions but 2 of them are standard... I just got a price to twin turbo it with twn Evo III G6 turbos... I should be good for 500 kw at the wheels (I'll get to that later).

Ok your not seeing the finished painted pods until I've upped the box as well :p

Well basically I did the same as the doors but on a larger scale... I wanted a fibreglass box that was in the corner of the car..... well the pics will do it justice...






I once the base was finished, marked where I was going to cut the final shape. Then mounted the sub frame!!! I actually glassed in all of the brackets as well.
The base looks a little thin in places in the pic but were built up later.







Remember this is an 18" sub. It kind of looks like a 15 in this ute for some reason until you get close to it...
I then covered it in grill cloth and gave it a coating of resin.







Ill up the glassing of the top etc later CHEERS guys...

Hey, very very nice work...I love the ways that the doors turned out...slick.
Look forward to seeing more of your work!!!!!

Here's the top glassed. Why does it always look so ugly at this stage :whatever:







This is where I mark out the cutting lines to remove the waste...

All trimmed up and a raw fit in the car to see where it pulled...








Right all I need to do is fill and prime...
I also on the inside of the box filled all sharp edges and joins (rounded off) with the same mix I used for the tweeter pods and then two layers of 400 chopped class. Adding strength but also spl.

Just awesome. How will you hold that box in place?

did you measure the airspace yet?

yeah just under 3cf with the sub in place... Seams to work just how I wanted it to...

As you can see in this pic below it molds to the door card and in the second pic you can see where the door locks it into place against the seat plus the headrest helps as well. It doesn't look like much but I cannot rip it out of position... I built it this way to keep away from mounting holes and to keep the box decoupled from vibration.

Are you confident that if you were to come to a sudden stop if you were to rear-end someone do you think it will hold in place? I would be afraid after the woofer was in it with all that weight that if this were to happen that you and the passenger would would be the last noise that thing ever made. I bet it could get both of you if it was done right.

I would consider maybe glassing some nylon straps into the back that you could loop around the back of the seat, or maybe connect to the seat belt?

I forgot to mention the speaker cables are knotted inside the box and tied around the Headrest for anything like that but as it is with normal driving the cables tied have no use, the box just won't move...

reallyxxxxxxloud wrote:I forgot to mention the speaker cables are knotted inside the box and tied around the Headrest for anything like that but as it is with normal driving the cables tied have no use, the box just won't move...

Speaker cables won't stop the box from flying in an accident. A headrest wouldn't stop that weight, and the speaker cable would snap instantly.

Don't be a Bogan... do it properly