It took about 3 months of planning and research to pull it off, but I finally finished this project (for the most part). First of all, i need to thank all you guys for helping me out with all these stuff. I never thought I would be able to pull this off.
I bought everything new off ebay which turned out to be a really good experience. Everything came brand new and in working order, so I am very pleased. Heres what I got
Pioneer DEH-P3900MP (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels) - $111.29
30G iPod Video - 197.49
Pioneer TS-W301R 12" Subwoofer (150w RMS/ 800 max) -37.50
Pioneer CD-IB100 II iPod Interface Adapter - 39.00
Pioneer GM-7300M Amplifier ( 150RMS/800Max) -70.50
22.5sq/ft Sound Destroyer Mat -30.00
Pioneer TS-G1341R 5 1/4" 2-way Speakers (25RMS/130Max) -39.46
Pioneer TS-A6962R 6x9" 3-way Speakers (40RMS/250Max) -59.90
Massive Audio 2 Farad Capacitor -42.98
Other stuff:
Wire Harness -5.99
Amp Kit -18.84
Box Carpet -21.75
Antenna Adapter -4.22
Dash Installation Kit -19.89
MDF Wood (Home Depot) -20.00
3M Spray Adhesive (Hardware Store) -18.00
Sodering Iron and Other Small Things -25.00
Total
$761.81
Here are some pics:
As you can see, i had to trim the box down a little bit so that it would fit in the trunk opening. I measured it without the front on, so when i put the woofer in, the whole thing wouldnt fit by exactly 3/4" so i put the woofer on the front, put the box in, then assembled it all inside in my trunk.
I was so excited after i hooked everything up, i had to try it out. I didnt have time to get the box together, plus the box carpet had not yet arrived. I drove around with this setup for a day. I have to say, i was very disappointed with the sound the woofer was putting out. Very unimpressive....hmmm
installing the head unit and ipod adapter
Thats my glove compartment on the floor there.
This took me awhile: matching the wires on the hu to the wire harness. There is still 1 wire coming from the harness that i have no idea what it's for. Its an orange wire that says Dash Illumination on it. Theres no where to connect it in the headunit, so if anyone knows what that is, please let me know. Another issue i ran into was the antenna cable. The end of it doesnt fit into the headunit, so no radio for me unitll the antenna adapter arrives tomorrow.
To answer a question i posed in a previous post: The wire that was between the RCA cables I used for the "system control." I'm assuming this was it's intended purpose. It works, anyway.
I ran the RCA cables through the driver side and the power cable through the passenger. I read somewhere that the power cable can give off electronic noise that the cables pick up.
Carpeting up the box. I didnt know the proper technique for doing this, so there are a lot of visible staples. They're not too noticeable in the car though.
The biggest problem i have now is that the headunit is not secured into the dash. It's just resting in the slot. Not only that, but my dash is at a 45degree angle so it angles the headunit up to an unnatural angle. It's impossible to see the screen without adjusting my position in the car. Not to safe while driving. Does anyone know how i can fix this problem? The installation kit i got wasnt too great. I might just suck it up and go to bestbuy and have them fix it, but I'd really like to see what i can do here first.
Here are some After Pictures
you can kinda see the line in the subwoofer box. I carpeted the front separately, and screwed it in once the rest of the box was in the car.This will allow me to take the cover off incase i need to get to my spare tire or something. Also, i did not put any kind of foam or sound deadening material inside the box, so if i choose to do so, i still can. I dont want to seal the front on because i wont be able to take the box out once I do that.
In regards to before: I cant believe how much of a difference a box makes. This woofer hits HARD now that it's in the box. I was not expecting the kind of bass that this thing produces. Ive never heard anything like it. My rear license plate rattles: it sounds like it's gonna come off. There isnt a whole lot of rattle elsewhere. I put some of the sound deadener on the trunk lid, and that made it quieter outside, and a little bit nicer inside. I think im going to save a few sheets of the deadener and put it on the front doors.
As you can see, i made a little amp rack, which is just a piece of MDF that i had left over. I slapped some carpeting on it, and drilled some holes for the amp and capacitor. Now they aren't sliding around. I would like to secure these items down permanently, but i don't know what the best way to do this is.
Unfortunately, i could not, for the life of me, find a spot in the firewall for the power cable. I took as much apart as i could, but the entire passenger side of the car is filled with wires and fuse boxes or whatever. The only solution i could find was guiding the wire over the door and into the car. it works, but i really dont like how half-assed it is. I will continue to look for a better way, but until then, this will have to do.
A little note on the 2 Farad Capacitor: OVERKILL. I really dont think i needed this thing at all. With the volume and bass turned up high, this thing barely drains 1Volt out of it. I got it extremely cheap (best buy was selling a 1 F cap for $105) so i figured, go big or go home. It looks cool though, and i like the digital read out. It makes me want to get some more neon or LED lights in the trunk--- new project idea.
So in conclusion, thanks again to everyone who gave me input. I am really pleased with the results. I never thought that I would be able to to do something like this before. I learned a lot of stuff about Ohms and Resistance and watts and amperes and all that stuff that i should have remembered from my junior year physics class. I had a fun time doing this and i feel like it was 100% worth it, not to mention the satisfaction i got from the feeling like I actually did something worthwhile to my car.
I guess this concludes my summer project, I head back to school in a week so I guess ill just cruise around in my finished project listening to some beats