My LGT wagon install: Part 1 of many

Just a couple of sneak preview shots of the work being done to my LGT wagon. This will be a pretty elaborate system when it's done.

 

Here's the 2 AWG power wire going through the firewall right behind the intercooler. There is a factory grommet here, which we used... very convenient.

 

http://img69.exs.cx/img69/3154/pwirefirewall0nk.th.jpg

 

Here is the mess of wires (speaker wires, signal cables mostly) going under the rear seat area and into the hatch.

 

http://i136.exs.cx/img136/6923/wireruns9mj.th.jpgwire runs[/url]

 

Here is the fuse holder mounted to the shock tower on a custom aluminum bracket.

 

http://img69.exs.cx/img69/5797/fuseholder4pi.th.jpg

 

More to come...

What are you installing?

Ok, here's a few more pix.

 

Here's the Terk XM Commander installed in the dash cubby hole... We fabricated an ABS panel and covered it in non-reflective suede-like material to surround the unit.

 

http://img30.exs.cx/img30/9624/xmincubby9vq.th.jpg[/url]

 

I decided to mount the CleanSweep controls on the console where the factory seat heater controls go. Since I'm in South Florida, the seat heaters were expendable for me and this spot provides a very comfortable place for the master volume and source-switch knobs. The source-switch knob will toggle between the XM tuner and the iPod. Bill Hamze fabricated the control panel out of ABS and aluminum... he's quite a magician. The panel is not painted yet, so you can see some sanding swirls in it.

 

http://img30.exs.cx/img30/4062/cscontrols10oe.th.jpg

 

In this next photo, we see Gary Martin doing some clay modeling on the factory door panels prior to making plaster molds of the panels. The plan is to enlarge the speaker grille area and move the pocket back a few inches so as to accommodate dual 5.25-inch mids and a tweeter in each front door.

 

http://img30.exs.cx/img30/6486/claymodel11lz.th.jpg

 

 

Now we see the plaster/hemp mold curing over the factory door panel. When dry, we will pull this part and have a perfect cast of the factory panels and the clay modeled changes. The factory panel is not damaged by this process, by the way. In theory it could be put back on.

 

http://img30.exs.cx/img30/9941/plaster12ac.th.jpg

 

That's all for now, more to come in part 2.

 

Manville Smith

JL Audio, Inc.

What are you installing?

 

Fair question, dgags31...

 

Front Speakers: Dual 5.25-inch woofers in each door, one tweeter in each door and another tweeter on top of the dash (custom pods).

 

Rear Speakers: 6.5-inch coax in each rear door

 

Subwoofer: To be determined later (JL Audio, of course).

 

Amplifiers: One JL Audio 450/4 and one 500/1

 

OEM Interface: JL Audio CleanSweep

 

Additional Source Units: Terk XM Commander and Apple iPod

 

Connection Products: JL Audio ECS products

 

Sound Deadening: Dynamat Extreme

 

Best regards,

 

Manville Smith

JL Audio, Inc.

lookin really good, keep us updated

 

-precise

WOW, that's gonna be sweet!

That is going to be awesome!!! I wish I had the tools (read: talented guys) to do that stuff. It is coming out very nice.

 

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL CLEANSWEEP!!! Definitely will be the choice for me. You are SOOO lucky to be in such a position to get it early. Stupid VPs always getting everything early But I guess that means that most likely there will be a connection for Subaru to the CleanSweep.

 

How are you going to mount the iPod? One thing you might want to do before you mount the Cleansweep volume/switch knobs in the heater control section is to put a dock connector in there or somewhere around there. It might be a little hard to see that far back but still a thought.

 

I beg you not to use an iPod dock cable or 1/8" mini stereo cable to connect your iPod. What I mean is that use the dock or some other connection that looks like it is meant to be there and not a cable that whenever you want to plugin your iPod you will have to grab a cable from a place in the car and plug it in. I think they look tacky and will detract from your overall excellent looking install!!!

 

I could see if you wanted to use it for other things (not just an iPod) and wanted to use RCA cables instead. But if you were going to use the RCA jacks/cable then you could just flush mount RCA jacks somewhere in the car and then plug the iPod in that way. I hate to see cables just lying around but that's just me.

 

Question:

Why did you use the yellow power cable. Couldn't you get it in a more hidden color?

 

Just my $.02. I am very interested in this (as you can see) and have strong opinions, but they are just that...opinions. Opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one

Manville - I know the sub is TBD, but are you leaning towards something in the spare tire well (i.e. a false floor), or something creative in the side area on the right?

 

Thanks!

-Dan

mvigneau...

 

It's good to be King! Or at least VP.

 

The iPod is going inside the cupholder compartment on a custom tray. It will look nice and be hidden when I park... no wires will be visible, other than the Dock connector when the iPod is removed. I'm using some cables from SiK for the interface.

 

I used yellow power cable for two reasons... 1) it matches all the yellow caps under the hood, and 2) we discontinued it and had a whole bunch of it lying around the shop and I received specific instructions to use it up from my boss.

 

Best regards,

 

Manville Smith

JL Audio, Inc.

Manville - I know the sub is TBD, but are you leaning towards something in the spare tire well (i.e. a false floor), or something creative in the side area on the right?

 

Thanks!

-Dan

 

We're putting the amplifiers over the spare tire on a custom fabricated, hinged amp rack, so the sub will probably end up in the passenger side rear corner of the hatch. I'm doing the subwoofer last so that I can experiment with some test boxes using the actual system. I'm leaning towards a single 8W7 or a 10W6v2. We'll probably build a custom fiberglass enclosure (Stealthbox-style).

Can I take those door molds off your hands when you are done with them? I would hate for you to just throw them away. Looks like your install will be sweet. I am definitely going to get a CS. I just can't stand the factory audio.

 

Thanks!

 

Dave

I'm leaning towards a single 8W7 or a 10W6v2. We'll probably build a custom fiberglass enclosure (Stealthbox-style).

 

I could be talked into pitching my PPI doorstop if you guys save me the trouble of building my own stealthbox clone.

PHEW!!! That's great...Glad that you didn't go cheap there. I have seen systems where people thought about all of these other things and spent weeks/months doing all of the work and then they forget about something or get careless or whatever and they do something stupid. It makes people concentrate on that one negative thing instead of looking at the entire system.

 

I have seen that cable from Sik (very interesting) Is there enough clearance to fit the dock and the cable there? I would have installed mine in the cupholder but I didn't want to lose a cupholder and that is why I put it in the ashtray. But then it kind of blocks the climate control although I have full control over it. Best I could compe up with.

Wow, it sure is great to have someone like you onboard, Manville. I'm so excited about your install. Yet another thing to look forward to .

I have a quick question regarding the Clean Sweep and the factory stereo. The Clean Sweep looks awesome, but he replacement volume knob would drive me crazy.

 

Do you have any idea if the frequency output curve changes in relation to volume on the stock Subaru radio?

 

Maybe we could get away with using the stock volume control with the Clean Sweep?

Do you have any idea if the frequency output curve changes in relation to volume on the stock Subaru radio?

 

Yes. http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7507

That's a bummer, but thanks for the info!

So is that what the factory speaker size is: 5 1/4" in front and 6 1/2" in the rear door??

6.5s all the way around. You'll have to either make an adapter to fit the 3-screw mounting of the stockers, rip the stockers to pieces and mount to their plastic frame, or drill holes to mount your 6.5s.

 

Using a 3/4in plywood adapter I fit my 2.5 inch deep separates with just a hair of clearance at the window track.

Any clearance issues for the magnet depth like in the WRX??

Manville,

 

Awesome to have you one board. Feels like im back in the day on the Car Sound forum.

 

 

-Nick

Thank you Manville for the update. It sure is nice to have a virtual R&D department here to get ideas with. I cannot wait for CleanSweep. I think mine will be mounted in a fabricated deck behind the rear seats. I don't want to worry about the amps overheating being down under the cover for the spare. Just have to brainstorm now to find the best design for the artificial deck.

 

 

Thanks again for the updates and please keep them coming.

Thanks for the nice welcome, guys. This site has proven to be a great resource for me and I look forward to giving something back on the audio information front.

 

I'll post part 2 later today or tomorrow in a new thread.

Looks Hot!

 

How much to get a couple more clay mouldings of the door skins. I was looking at putting some 8's inthe door.

Fosgate, I don't think there's any way you could get 8's in there without really coming off the factory surface level. As it is, I could barely get two 5.25's in there.