MorningZ

Thought I'd start a running log of the stereo system I plan on installing in my 2011 Lariat SuperCrew.

Started off by musing through Crutchfield's site and liked what I saw in the Clarion FX-503, plus is was on special (~$250), so started off with this radio and the necessary accessories needed to put in in the truck (which is the very expensive Metra kit and two PAC pieces needed to integrate the radio into the truck)





Here is the radio installed.







Unfortunately: this model really sucks when it comes to working with an iPhone with Lightning connector (like my iPhone 6+ or my wife's 5c). It required the lightning to HDMI adapter plus an HDMI cable to hook into the back of the radio. The app stuff is limited, looks terrible and in the end works terribly... so a call to Crutchfield kicked off the return process and in it's place I ordered the Alpine ILX-007, a radio that was built to revolve around an iPhone (using "CarPlay"), which is perfect for me and the wife. I have Spotify Premium accounts for both of us and this radio will be in full control of those accounts, I'm pretty excited to get the radio in later this week.





Downstream from the radio the sound will pass through an oldie but goodie that I have laying around, a Rockford Fosgate OEQ-1






From there, two amplifiers that I pulled out of my Integra (whose daily-drive-around-town days are over), and those are Rockford Fosgate Power amps, one a P8004 (4x200) and P6001PD (600x1)




Bass will be handled (for now) by another hold over item from a previous car, a Rockford shallow mount Punch 10"




Mids and highs will be from this eBay purchase:
- Kicker 40CS684 6x8 2-Way Speakers in the back doors
- Kicker 40CSS684 6x8 Component Speakers in the front doors and A-Pilars

Also in the mix for the front speaker action will be another holdover from an older vehicle, a set of Image Dynamic CD-1Ev2.0 horns, these haven't been in a car of mine in like 13 years now, I look forward to enjoying these again.

The Kicker 6x8 in the door will handle from 100-1000 hz, the ID horn will be 1000 and up, and the Kicker tweeter from the component set bringing in a little more highs from up high

(sorry, not my image, but these are what I have)





And for power delivery, already got my 1/0 gauge power wire run down the passenger side, and it will be wired directly into another item coming out of my Integra, a 15 farad "BatCap" capacitor.

I've got the design for the under-rear-seat sub and amp rack in my head, I'm looking forward to getting to work on it during this week and next ! I'll post updates as I go, thanks for reading !

electricblue

Very nice gear. Crutchfield is about a mile from my office (Harrisonburg store) so I'm always looking on their site for ideas. My '11 STX only came with the factory radio/CD player so I can't quite decide what to do.

Thanks for sharing!

MorningZ

New radio = in ! Alpine ILX-007, a great choice for iPhone-centric people.

I'm still working on the USB/audio-jack panel so that's still open down there for the time being.






Also put in my Kicker 40CSS684 6x8 Component Speakers in the front doors and the Kicker 40CS684 6x8 2-Way Speakers in the rear doors. I wasn't all too hot on putting the tweeters where they are, but I really had no choice since I don't have the A-pillars with the tweeter spot in them already, ah well.






Next up (probably next week): start to work on custom box and amp rack under the rear seat

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

That is where the tweeters go but would look better if flush mounted. IMO

MorningZ

Yeah, that is definitely an option... there is a duct behind there though, i'd have to heat and bend that in to make room

MorningZ

Progress on my system:

Wires for amp -> rear speakers = run through the plug and grommet




Ran some 1/0 gauge wire for the amps, kind of a pain to get through the grommet on the firewall, but not impossible. Ran the 3 sets of RCAs, the remote turn on, and the speaker wire for both front doors run in the channel




Pulled apart behind the super crew seats and got all the wiring run all the way back there and put the door sills all back together




Busted out the circular and jig saws and cut a piece of 3/4" particle board to act as a base for the amps behind mounted back here. once this was in place I put the carpet-like panel back in place (but over the wood)




Still got a bit to go including building the box, but I'm well on my way !

king nothing

PLEASE flush mount those tweeters if youre going to use them. In all reality there is no reason to use them at all if youre using horns. Very interested in seeing the horn install

MorningZ

it's not high on the list right now as i'm not looking forward to modifying the air duct behind the current location, I don't mind them where there are, neither does the wife... (<-- main person to please, lol)

as for horns + tweeters, my experiences with these have always been adding a little bit of highs up top has brightened and lifted up the front sound stage over the horns alone.... if I was competing and the like, I'd change my tune, but this is just all to enjoy the truck that much more :-)



.

MorningZ

Progress of last night and this morning:


Wires run, amps mounted, 10 farad cap mounted




Did up the 1/0 power wire at the battery with a 200 amp ANL fuse holder




Still to do:
- Build up the under-seat-sub box
- Put the back seat back in place
- Mount and hook up the ID horns
- Flush the tweeters in the door panel
- Enjoy all this hard work !


For the time being with just the door speakers powered off the Rockford P8004, I was messing around with the Alpine app "Tune It" which gives time alignment, crossover, and EQ settings and allows saving to use later. Really frustrating thing about the app though, I don't see any way to "edit" a profile, which is really lame

ryanp77

Wow I haven't seen those horns in a long time, my buddy had them in his Prelude witht the 8" miss in the doors such a great sound