arite, ive done my research and i think ive pretty much decided on what to get done when i bring it to the installer. just comin on to list the prices ive researched to see what i should be more ready to hear when it comes time to pay the piper. here it goes

-Install 6.5 woofers in F doors
-Install Xovers for components
-Custom Sub box w/Amp rack (one amp)
(these were already discussed with installer, he said hed do this much for $400)
-Purchase Alpine MRV-F340
-Purchase ICElink for iPod
-Purchase Autopage RS-850lcd Alarm
-Purchase Piezo Siren(s)
-Install Alpine MRV-F340 (on custom box)
-Install ICElink
-Install Autopage RS-850lcd
-Install Piezo Siren(s)

I understand the for what i dont already have, i should have the installer purchase cause they like that better and they can insure it or something, this led to Large fluxations in my price estimations - that and all the installing labor fees. though, wont the installer probably give me some kind of deal if im coming to him with this much work?
anyways, here are my figures $805 - $1270 (figures dont really take into account installation, wiring, and any extra parts needed)
for those of you installers, what should i expect to pay on a job like this? the box is gonna be a sealed box with the amp i guess kinda dug in to be flush with the box and sub, and hopefully theres room for another, otherwise its back to the drawing board.
thanx for the help

 

Looks pretty good to me - are you bringing him pictures of what ideas you have or are you giving him free range to do whatever he decides?

I cruise around the sounddomain member pages all day whenever I am bored.

Here are a few that I have been thoroughly impressed with:

http://www.sounddomain.com/memberpage/189943

http://www.sounddomain.com/memberpage/137642/2



Hopefully no one accuses me of saying these cars are mine again.....

 

Those aren't your cars!!

Just kidding, I like the VW a lot, I'm impressed with the 3D design, mostly because I work in 3D myself, and because he stuck to what he designed(at least we have to awesome so). Someday, I'd like to get my trunk 3D scanned to get the maximum effect of 3D design, but it's a little costly right now.


The only thing I question about the hatch is all the wood. It looks like there's a TON of wood back there.

 

If wood isn't your thing then how about a little metal.........

http://www.sounddomain.com/id/phd12vxxx

That's Jason Ewing's car - one of the very good alarm installers in the country. If you can get up to PA or MD for the install, then you are golden heh heh. He's frequently on my elitecaraudio forum and a member of the Image Dynamics sound team.

 

As far as your specific questions about cost, installation varies around the country, since the two biggest components of installation cost are what the rent costs and what the installer gets paid. My observations probably won't be relevant. Most shops have an hourly rate that they occasionally charge - you don't want to pay the hourly rate, but you should know what it is.

I'll tell you what I would charge for my store doing it (if I still had one), but I don't know if they're going to do it the same way we would have.

You don't have any line items for sound system wire and cable, or for Cascade Audio damping material.

 

I don't see any metal, I see glas and wood painted silver. I don't like that at all. it's a huge waste of space. And if it's a pure show car, then the other areas of the hatch should be finished to match the glas work.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, acuratsx03.

 

I'm with MB, but I deleted my post because I didn't want to be a hater...

 

I'm not a hater, it just takes a LOT to impress me in installs now-a-days. Although, I'm very impressed when people do all their own work, even if it's not nearly show quality. That blue VW, is a LOT of work by a guy (I'm assuming) not in the car audio field, he deserves every trophy he gets(install wise, obviously I can't hear how it sounds).

The silver VW looks like a simple amp rack and simple box, don't get me wrong the work done on this pieces looks very nice, but the way it's laid out doesn't impress me. The amps damn near block the rear view mirror.

 

Sorry, MB, didn't mean to refer to you... not my intent. Like you, I have a pretty high standard to which I hold professionals, and to which I expect to be held.

I just decided not to say some of the detailed things about his install that I noticed in the photos, because he didn't post the link here, so I decided it wasn't fair to him to bag on his work. The judges will tell him, I don't have to : )

The last time I was asked what I thought about an install by a pro on this board, I honestly replied, and that turned into a fucking soap opera, so I held my tongue this time. Not my best skill.

 

yeah, the figures i estimated neglected any line drivers i may need for the tweets, any signal converters i need for the bass amp, any amp wiring kits that hes gonna have to buy. totally forgot hes gonna have to toss out all the wiring i put in, so that he can insure his, but i guess that understandable. so thats like what, a possible $100+... i know those line drivers get expensive, and he showed me some wiring that had like two of everything or something so that he could wire both amps with one kit, or something like that... so all that plus labor is probably gonna be like another $150+..?
let me ask this though, how much would be paying too much? should i expect to pay retail for all new hardware. for example, i could get the new amp for 250 online and the autopage alarm for 150, when they retail for 400 and 300, and i really dont wanna have to pay that, those are large differences, ya feel me

 

I go to www.darvex.com for any wires or cables. They have nice prices.

The metal comment I made was about the amps not the fiberglass work. Those amps look like they are 30 inches long. Hu-jang-ous.

 

TSX03 also keep in mind that any things you buy online you may not be able to get warranties for - this is the compromise you make by saving the money up front.

There are however places like crutchfield and sounddomain that are factory authorized.

 

Oh, well that's true, I looked on Tru Techs website, they are only 21 5/8" long, but they do look a LOT longer then that.

El, I didn't take it personal, I know people get their feelings hurt easy, it seems. I was just clarifying my point of view.

And speaking of big amps, these Kickers I have are 16" long, and the TSX trunk is shrinking every time I think of a good way to lay out my amp rack...hehe....

 

Tru amps are damn big....i have a few so i know.

 

dealing with amp size, i havent measured the trunk across yet, but do you think there would be room to have two amps (the alpines ill have) laynig horizontally on the sub box with the sub inbetween... sounds kinda vague, lemme see if i can draw up an idea... btw sizes of the amps are

MRV-F340 Foot Print (WxHxD)in : 11-13/16” x 2-3/8” x 12-7/16” (Foot Print (WxHxD)mm : 300mm x 60mm x 315mm)

MRD-M500 Foot Print (WxHxD)in : 12-13/32" x 9-27/32" x 2-23/64" (315mm x 300mm x 60mm)

 

kinda like this

 

the blue represents glass/plastic/plexi (whatever is more economical while retaining a good look) that will lie flush with the sub, and then amps will be behind it.... think theres enough room? otherwise i gotta think up a new plan

 

Ok, let me ask this first, cause I wrote everything below but now that I reread the info, make sure I'm understanding...you want a "false floor" with everything aimed up? or a wall in the trunk with everything aimed towards the back of the car? I read it as a false floor and that's what everything written below is based on. If you want a wall, I don't think there's room.

I think there's room, the trunk width at the back seat, at the floor is about 35". But obviously it gets a lot wider towards the back of the car. I just measured the back and I'd say there's a "usefulness rectangle" of about 15" x 50". And if you go a little less wide, you can bump the depth another few inches, and so on until you reach the 35" at the seat, then you can go almost the full length of the trunk.


You have about 37" of sub and amps, if they were touching each other. So for conversation say you add 4" between everything, now you're at 53". And I'd say you can cut that back a little to fit into my imaginery 15x50 rectangle. So yeah, it would probably fit.

What I don't know is how much room the box will take up of the tire well, to keep the false floor as low as possible you may be better of moving the amps towards the back seats, next to each other and have the sub in the back by itself, but that would make the amps a little harder to see when you open the trunk , if that's what you wanted..

 

actually i was talking about a wall, sorry i didnt specify. next im guessing if i do it as a false floor i would lose my spare tire - not an option. maybe i can have both amps on seperate racks/walls across from eachother at the end of the trunk where it would be the widest span, and then just have the sub by itself or something against the back seats... not what i really wanted, but i guess itll have to do, unless i can keep my spare with the false floor - but i dont think that will happen

 

it would maybe look something like this...
Light Gray represents stock trunk
Dark Gray represents added pieces (amp rack, sub enclosure)



with the amp racks looking something like this from a straight on view

 

...of course the top and bottom of the racks would be closed, not open like the pic shows

 

Ok how about something like this, it's rough, but is about the basic dimensions of the trunk and equipment, but obviously would need to be double-checked with enclosure size, etc.

The windows are 7" wide currently, and the amps would be mounted on the angled pieces, longways up-down. And the windows wouldn't literally be made out of one piece of wood as shown, it would be a trim piece, but this is just a rough idea....

 

o0o0o0o0, i really like that too, what program did you use to make that design? i will definitley keep that design in mind when i talk to the installers!

 

I used Pro/Engineer. Which sub are you using, Alpine Type R 12" .7-1.0 f/3? I have a couple other ideas, I'll post some pics later..

 

yessir, alpine type r 12", right now i have it in a 1.0^3 box, i guess it sounds arite outta it

 

as you can tell, my setup is pretty ghetto, and thats one of the reasons for the custom box

 

Ok, If you like that idea, you can get a little more creative and do something like this...

This make the amps a little more visible plus have a sort of illsusion of how big they are/soace that's there......

 

Or, something like this....

 

Seems like there's a lot of material on the forward walls (against the seat back) that is un-needed... or is that just me? I would lose the side walls at least...

Or build the enclosure center section as drawn here, and then bolt F and R fascia panels to it... and the amps backload to the R fascia...

Just throwing ideas out here... this thing looks like it would be a backbreaker

 

The seat side as draw is open, BUT, I wouldn't build any of them as drawn, I'm just trying to show basic layout of the equipment. The overall size of the box(in the pics) is just the window I'm working in really...

I would expect if he takes an idea to a real installer they will make the correct enclosure, fascia, amp tray designs etc.

So yes, I agree with you, but you're reading too much into the picture itself, I just drew it quickly, as what's commonly called...a napkin sketch. (although still using 3D)...

 

are the only differences between the designs the shape of the enclosure?

 

basically, yes. The enclosure is about one cube and the angled areas should have plenty of room for the amps...so if you took the idea to a stereo shop, they should be able to do something like that without a problem..