MR2

Hahaha...that would be good though...cause I had the suspension out of the car last night...so that would mean he's almost done...! I really can't wait...it's all that is on my mind...!

He is probably lying to you and driving it around town, enjoy the nice ride without you knowing. j/k Its ok as long as he doesn't wreck it...! =)

Unfortunately it looks like the build is delayed yet again. I just left mechanic and he has found more issues(parts)need to be fixed. No one carries any parts for this car so it's dealer only, gets brought in from Cali and won't be here till Friday! I'm really having to be patient. It's not easy staring at all this cool stereo gear chillin' in my room. Oh well...he said he is hoping to have it running by Friday. He will then keep it another few days to be sure there are no other issues. So now ETA to get my ride now is probably early next week. If by chance I get it say Sunday I will first wash it, then clean the inside, then begin the build. Ok so that's it for now...hopefully better new by end of week!

Hot Dayum...! Niz Share..!

Very Nice Looking MR2...what a shame you had to let it go...and it got crashed too...! oh and yes once I get started on the actual build I'll start a new thread with my build log...thx man..!

Sick...Can't wait to see it..!

Tell me about it...lol. Ya I went and checked out my ride. The engine swap is coming along well but still lots to do. It also needs a brake job so I probably won't have it back till next week sometime. Meantime my buddy pulled out the rear struts so I can refill them with my new Koni Yellow shocks I bought for my MR2. So things are coming along slowly but surely. Even my rims came in early on Thursday but I can't put them on till the car is a driver again. This is forcing me to be patient...not easy when your room is filled with new gear ready to install...! Thanks for the reply man..!

Well basically everything has arrived for my system! I also have wheels and pro drop kit ready to install. Now I just need my engine swap to be done. Hopefully there are no issues. It was supposed to be done today(Friday)but it's taking a bit longer than my mechanic buddy thought. Oh well it's looking really good. The block is painted in Red, some other parts in black(I've been too busy to get over to see it in person-just going off of the sms pics I've been getting along the way). It's lookin' like it's coming along well though. I'm getting a lil' anxious now. I might have to wait till next week or weekend to start on the car stereo build(who am I kidding...the moment I get my ride back and in my garage I will begin installing something, anything, well probably the HU for starters...hmm or maybe the sub...ok a wire run would probably be the best place to start...decision, decisions...?! =). I'll most likely get the drop done this weekend if the car is running. That needs to happen before the(staggered fit)wheels go on in case we need to test fit some various tires. I ordered some hella skinny ones...but I might wanna go with a bit more meat on the rear with all the engine weight...hmm what to do...?! So stay tuned..!

Oooo ya that Supra would be sick..! Gotta luv the T-Tops too...! Wow dood...378k...you gotta luv Toyotas. If you take care of the engine they last you a lifetime. Unfortunately the previous owner didn't take care of the engine in my MR2. It was totally trashed. It's pretty simple...oil and fluids and that's half the battle. Anyway...totally excited to get my car back from my mechanic friend and all the stereo gear so I can start the build. This is my lil' dream car. =) I've always liked them and it feel good I managed to find another clean one. I hope I will never have to sell it and have it parked in a nice garage if I decide to not drive it much. Luv the mid engine concept. Man your getting me pumped...lol. I haven't been this excited since the last car I dumped a bunch of $ into...it's unfortunately been awhile...! Thx for the replies and encouragement it's appreciated...other just shake their heads when I talk about all the stuff I'm doing to my car...so it's nice to find others that get it...! =)

Thanks Man..! I see you got a Toyota too...that Rocks..! Ya I just got a text from my mechanic with a photo of the engine. He's painted the lower block Red. It looks sweet. Sounds like it will be done end of next week. Most if not all of my Stereo should arrive next week. Hopefully I can get started on the build next weekend..! I'm pretty stoked..!

Here's a shot of it when I got it.

It's going to be a busy week next week with UPS and FEDEX coming and going. I already got my Sub Box and it looks like it's going to fit in perfectly..! I stopped my mechanic to find my engine removed and everything in like a million pieces...kinda exciting and kinda...well let's just say I'm going to be really stoked when it's done! =) Keep ya'll posted on the progress...

Cool thx man..! Yes I will...still gotta wait for my car to get out of the shop(s)but meantime I can start laying out the install...and run to the door when UPS comes... =) I can't hardly believe Summer is almost here...year just flew by..!

Ok so I've started ordering up some of the parts for my new system. For the HU I decided to go with the: Clarion NX501 - It had the three main features I wanted. Nav, Bluetooth, and DVD Player. It is also a Double Din which I guess was also one of the main things I wanted. The Amp: Draconia-II - After looking over my whole budget and deciding to ditch the idea of a rear stage I choose one of the smaller Zed amps. I'm sure it will still have plenty of power! The Front Stage: MBQuart 218.03 SX(these are speakers I had left over from a previous system) Power: Kinetik HC 1400R Power Cell - Others recommended XS. Just to let you all know I contacted XS and got 0 reply so I decided to go with KINETIK instead. I've heard they also have some pretty good stuff. Sub: This is probably going to sound like a strange choice but I ended up going with the: Kenwood Excelon XR-W10F Shallow Sub. It's a brand new sub that came out this year. I mainly went with this sub one because it's a shallow and two it required less CF, doesn't require a ton of power to push it, and I was also intrigued by it's features. Box: I found a nice lil' 10" Pre Fab Box that had the perfect specs to fit right behind my passengers seat. It's an angled box so it should allow the passenger to be able to run the seat all the way back and even recline it! So that's basically it for now. I talked to Stephen at Zed Audio today and my Amp is already on it's way! I also ordered up some non car audio related stuff for the car like some Eibach lowering springs(1.6 drop), shocks and what not. I'm also looking at various staggered wheel sets for it. So once it's all repaired and painted it should look pretty good on the ext. too..! =)

For sure..! I've had a number of imports over the years and I have to say I like Toyotas. The MR2 in particular I really like. I had one before and had to sell it so it's a real joy to find one again. I really can't wait to start building my stereo. My funds are not unlimited so that is why I'm doing so much research. I'd really rather not buy stuff twice. I have a lot to learn...it's been years since I was dumping a lot of money into my car. Been hit with a few tough years...but I'm glad to be back in a position I can at least build a descent one and have a fun car to enjoy again!

Ok I'll take a look. I appreciate the reply..!

Cool Thanks for the links...I'm checking out their Youtube now...! One question though. If I were to replace my current starter battery with one of these where are the battery post? Is that something extra you need to add?

Hey GL~ Totally decided against the Jensen. I found a better looking HU the Clarion NX501. Of course it's more but it has all the features I want! I've never owned a Clarion deck but I can't think of anyone saying they were not good?! You've made some really great suggestions! I thought about the two sub setup. I really want to keep the setup pretty compact so that is why I'm planning on putting one 10". This way I have a lil' bit of room behind my seat for storage. The SAX-100.4 looks like a great amp. With the current Group Buy on Zed amps the difference for the Draconia II to the SAX-100.4 is only $36.52. I think I may just go that route. It should have plenty of power to run my system?! It's also part of his latest amp models which is cool. Like you said it will not require me to do any major changes to the stock electrical which is good for me because the engine sits in the rear. The battery is under the hood. So the amp will sit only about a foot away from the battery(the lead will probably be slightly longer so I can move the amp panel if need be). That brings up a good question. Is there some sort of quick disconnect ends I can run so I don't have to unscrew everything? If not it's not a big deal. The amp board will be mounted over the spare tire. Like I said everything is real compact...but I think it will look cool when I open my hood and you see a nice amp and everything wired up neatly. Appreciate the input...! I'm really excited to start building the system..! Btw what battery upgrade are you running or can you recommend one for my(MR2)application? I looked in the store and there were so many options. Wasn't sure which one. I also looked on ebay too. I saw a lot of Stinger ones. I've always ran an Optima Red Top...so all these new battery options are new to me. The optima always seemed to work ok(I'm not saying the are the best just what I've ran in the past). Can anyone explain to me the difference with the more expensive ones and what is there advantage over the Optima Red Top? Thx!

Ok cool-good to know thanks..! Anyone here running Zed amps have any input of their experience..?! Who else has ordered on a Group Buy here..? From reading the thread it sounded like bad timing for some who might be interested? It's perfect timing for me. I'm very interested in taking advantage of it! I haven't done a group buy here yet...how does this work? Do I just place the order and enter code and that's it? Again thanks everyone for the input. I feel you all are helping me refine my choices. Hopefully I'll get my car back from my mechanic in the next couple of weeks. It also needs some paint so it might be going straight from the mechanic to my painter. But once all that is taken care of I plan on getting started on the install right away! Someone mentioned they'd like for me to share the progress. I'm sure I'll be taking lots of photos. I'll post some of them here as I go along. I really can't wait..! Summer is just two weeks away now...just in time to enjoy my new ride and system..! =)

Stereo Integrity and JL Audio are excellent IMO. Don't let anybody talk you out of JL Audio Sundown is working on a shallow mount with ridiculous 25mm one way excursion with a 500wrms rating. Going to be a top notch contender! ZED amps are excellent. But, most people do not want to pay top dollar for a four channel. I would have no problem using them. For my install they are too big. I will recommend JL Audio XD or HD again Well right now with the group buy it's about $80 bucks off. Still leaning towards them but I have a whole system to buy so I'll just have to see how it all adds up once I decide what I'd like to buy and what I can budget. The JL have a number of 10" subs on their lower end line that will fit. The JL shallow sub is an odd size like 13.5"(I could probably easily open up the box no problem)as well as 3 ohms. Not sure if Zed will run in 3 ohms. JL Amps would probably be all ready to go for 3 ohms though so...

Took at look at the Stereo Integrity site. Yes their subs look sweet...but it looks like they only offer it in a 12". =(

Double: Found this one. Anyone own a Clarion? I have never. Always ran Pioneer, Alpine, or Kenwood(I bought the very first flip out monitor...cost me $2500 in like late 90's if I recall). Budget is no where near that today unfortunately. Here is one I'm now looking at: http://www.clarion.com/us/en/products/2011/multimedia/navigation/NX501/us-en-product-pf_1259464589828.html Audio Savings has it for a good buy. Anyone have good experience buying from them? http://www.audiosavings.com/products/In-Dash-CD-Receiver-and-Monitor/CLARION-NX501-6.2-2-DIN-DVD-USB-PLAYER-GPS-BLUETOOTH/NX501.aspx

Ok lots of good feedback guys thanks..! I guess the better idea would be to say drop the Nav and get a different HU. I haven't bought any in years but when I did I always spent a lot $1000-$2500(but I lived at home and didn't have as many bills)! The trend is recent years for most electronics has been more features for the same amount or even more features for less. I hoped that might have meant that I could get more for less(in this case I was hoping a lot less)! There are a ton of dirt chirp ones on Ebay(the Jensen is somewhere in between dirt cheap and the lower end of the more expensive ones. I guess you might say I'm looking for somewhere in the middle. My budget for HU is $500. What around that price range would you all recommend. I do want a screen but I could give up the double din for a flip out or less features all together just for a solid HU. As far as the sub box. I want to keep it as big as possible without taking away from the seat being able to recline and so on. There are a couple of places out there that make boxes specifically for the MR2. The max depth is 5.5-5.75. Most all the subs in the store here are 6" deep. So that really limits things. Again the limitation for my setup is because I want to be able to have the seat all the way back. From what I am reading it doesn't take a whole lot to fill up the cab with bass. I've had big systems in the past but I always had a large trunk or a hatch that I could fill it with a huge box. This setup is all about the smallest enclosure(.5'-.7' cf)that will fit nicely behind the seat(even leaving room for the t-tops)but have a descent amount of bass. I'd rather have it sound cleaner than just louder. Some of you have commented on focusing on the front stage and forget about the rear. I think that is the direction I'm going now. I will likely throw some descent speakers in the rear and run them off the deck(if I choose to even use them). So now I'm looking possibly going with a 4 channel amp like: Zed Audio: DRACONIA II (4 x100) or Dreadnought (225 watts x 4) I believe I can run front stage off channels 1 & 2 and channels 3 & 4 for sub. I don't hear many of you guys running Zed Audio Amps. Is there a reason for that? I really like what I've been reading up on them and feel like giving them a try. Thanks everyone for all the replies.! They are all very helpful. I'm doing a lot of research because one I haven't built a system in awhile so I know things have changed(some for the better and some things not I'm sure), and two I know with a bit of research sometimes you can spend the same or a lil' more and get a lot better hardware. So the input is really appreciated! I just got the car. It has a bad motor...so it's sitting at the mechanic getting pulled. Depending on how much that runs me will determine how much I can afford to invest in my system. For now the initial proposed system is my budget I can pull the trigger on that now. Like I said if there is better hardware for not a lot more I'll definitely give it a good look which might change my buying decisions. So based on your feedback guys I'm not going to buy the Jensen HU. Seems everyone agrees it's junk! Also I'm not going to get an MBQuart Shallow Sub(too weak)! These are the speaker boxes I'm looking at. Even if I had someone or myself(I don't have the time to build is mainly why I'm looking at prefab)It's going to be no bigger than the ones that are being offered. So I think the prefab is really the best solution for me. Again guys I'm not trying to win any SPL comps. If anything I'd rather go for SQ. links to boxes: http://www.emspowered.com/storefront/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_86&products_id=211 http://www.mr2subenclosures.com/prices.php some recommendations from the MR2 community for subs are: Daytona 10" - same place as 1st link box http://www.emspowered.com/storefront/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=157_59_86&products_id=225 JL 10w3v2 10" - from 2nd link above who builds boxes or from the second link box was designed specifically for the (which I don't believe they make anymore but is only 5.75" deep so it fits perfectly). The newer v3 are 5.95". I haven't got a reply back if that would fit or a 6" depth. I'm going to assume it won't since most of the boxes are under 5" max depth the two other were specifically build for my car so that is probably why they can fit a slightly deeper sub.

Your talking about Jensen subs right...cause I'm looking at the Jensen 9424BT Head Unit(features look attractive but never ran a Jensen Head Unit before-also the price is right).

Most are using pre fab. I found one article where someone has a link to someone making custom boxes specifically for the mr2. I sent him a message to find out the max depth since it's not stated. I'll keep digging. So I've been checking out some of the nice sub offerings on this site. They are looking really nice but too deep for most pre fab boxes. Can anyone recommend a really good shallow sub(or is there such an a thing)..? Seems like the shallow subs were made for applications like mine where space is really limited but you still want some descent bass. Good thing is it's a small cab area. It's not like it's in the trunk. My favs have always been hatchbacks but having the sub in the cab might work if I can find the best fit. Btw which XS Power Battery should I be looking at for my lil' MR2...and should my stock alternator be ok to run a one amp system(assuming it's in good working order-I can replace that if it's old/weak).