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'BIG DAVE'

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Everything posted by 'BIG DAVE'

  1. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Hey ALL- its March 12 2011! Uggg- bin awol for so long! UPDATE on the TRUK! GOT it done in 8 MONTHS! lol Drains the 3 Batteries to 50% flat in 30 seconds! 11 First Place victories, BEST SQ, in DB-DRAG Psychlone. Took BEST TRUK in 1990 & Up at 'SHow 'N Shine' events. SET a NEW WORLD RECORD Sept 2010 for Highest Score ever attained in DB-DRAG Psychlone Amateur Series out of 78,000 competitors!! NOTE- I didnt have access to a TermLab meter and only got a 86 for RTA- have 1/12th octave AC DQX so a 100 score is SOOO possible- just need tune time! 8'x12's Behind the seat of the F250 and the HIGHEST Lowest note was 28 HZ! So- got 52 Bonus Points! The enclosure is adjustable from 16 Hz to 48 Hz and I had the 28 Hz ports in- cuz I like that LOW bass SQ, so- WHEN I can get my hands on a TL and some hours tuning- I gotta see IF the 28 Hz note was a correlation to the 28 Hz PORT- as the Loudest freq IN the TRUK Cab is 46 hz- SO- IF it is the ports, then I'm going to see IF I can get the tuning DOWN lower- think the Lowest note is just a 25 or 26 hz? WUD be cool to set a NEW Record in that as well Buddy A-TEAM has 44,000 watts and 8x15's and is WORLD Record holder in HIS class and HIS JIMBO managed a 28 Hz note also- So I'm Very happy that my little 12's rite behind my ass gets LOW & dirty! Looking forward to the season starting- its STILL -21 degrees up here in Canada- Brrr! Leaderboard- its BIG DAVE for my TRUK http://dbdrag.com/asp/lb.asp?ListMethod=12&Org_ID=3&Season_Select=2010&Continent_Select=0&Country_Select=All&State_Select=All&Class_Select=0&SessionID=564779613 The ones Higher above me are PRO, and I CANT catch them- cuz the DB numbers they put up are too high for me to catch, but theres 14 more points IN my RTA I can get ( jsut need tune time)! Comparrison- A TEAM has 44,000 watts- so he's an ASS-KICKER in DB, and I ONLY have 4000 watts going to my 8x 12"subs- they get 500 watts each- haha, YA - WAY under powered but this TRUK was built for Install, and SQ and just to look cool, so that it HAPPENS to get dam loud is just a bonus! Thanks for Following! Remember- If its TOO Loud- UR TOO Old! lol
  2. 'BIG DAVE'

    Wood Splitting

    MDF is junk- compressed sawdust with everything else from the woodshop floor- table saw it in the dark and watch the sparks! BUT- its dense and what we use for boxes. So- gotta get used to using it. Airnail it together with a good wood glue- THEN when its stable, Pre-Drill and counter sink the holes first. U can use drywall screws- they are a #6, or use a deck screw # 8- predrill will be different size. U can use multiple layers laminated together with glue and THEN end drill for ur 90 degree attachment. When I'm building a custom enclosure & install, MDF is the last thing I want to use! - Its crap for end attaching CUZ of the splitting. U can use strips and make edge bracing- but that splits as well. Also IF ur going to fiberglass to it- its just too smooth to get a good hold on it. (Fiberglass is a liquid plastic that molds to a shape but doesnt have any Adhesive properties- it relies on a Mechanical bond. USE Epoxy resin if needind a bonding composite. I use a good plywood, end screwing is great and THEN laminate a MDF layer to the surface for strength. THIS isnt for a square box enclosure- its for a CUSTOM design where MDF will just fall apart back into the pile of sawdust it was made from. For Box building- ya, MDF or HDF is the shit! Use the plywood layer INside so 'glass can bite INTO the rough textured surface. There is a NO GAP, marine grade plywood- they use it for bill boards and it has a heavy paper-coated surface- so its SMOOTH as MDF but still has the laminate properties and can end screw- cuz of NO GAP- theres no buzzing and its a lot denser, heavier & stiffer than regular plywood. Remember- IF ur building a DB monster- going for a record- u'll want ur BAFFLE board to be at least 4.5 INCHES thick! Baffle flex cracks baskets!
  3. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Update- Hey all, good news. Sept 13th show in Calgary Canada, took 2 First place trophies! 1st Place SS5+ DB Drag & Best Install. A-TEAM stomped their own World Record set 4 weeks ago, with a 164! Heading to Worlds- good luck CLAY! RIPROCK was there- INtense vehicle! 179.5 I believe. Loudest in Canada and 4th in World I hear? Good luck guys. Mines pretty- NOT a Ground Pounder like these Mad-Men! lol
  4. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    September 13th in Orlando, Florida?? Calgary AB Canada- A-TEAM Audio host- Set NEW World record for their class 3 weeks ago in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada
  5. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Thanks all Car show today and next Stereo/DB Drag is Sept 13th- keep u posted
  6. 'BIG DAVE'

    New Mach 5 Build - Zero Power Compression

    They come in 21"s Mark? I'll take 8! yeehaw! )
  7. 'BIG DAVE'

    18's that work in smaller enclosures

    MACH 5 AUDIO all the way. BUT - seriously, u think ur gonna put 3500 all day, every day thru it?? Its kinda hard on the ears lol. I use 8x18"s in my home theatre with 13,000 watts and u just cant turn it up and sit in the room! U wont need all that power -it'll blast u outta the car MJ-18's or IXL-18's. MJ-18, crazy bang for the buck. Mark built a Franken18 that took 15,000 watts! Check out Mach 5 Audio! My truk-
  8. 'BIG DAVE'

    MY Future Setup - Opinions welcomed

    Heres what I did in my F-250. IF u got the time, multiple subs are great! If u got the room and want to DB- then the 18's r the way to go. U checked out the MJ-18 or IXL-18 from Mach 5 Audio?? Good luck with ur build
  9. Few options: TL, and some other designs make mad low-end freq- but u gotta be dam good with ur build skills & designs. Easiest way is large cone area and good throw. I have 8x 18's in my theatre room. 2x IXL18's ported to 19 hz and 6x MJ-18s ported to 30 hz for mid bass. ALL MACH 5 AUDIO. With 13,000 watts of QSC. Its riduculous. Best of all, naybors complain that stuff shakes outta their kitchen cabs when I pump it. BUT- whatever u go with , I MUST INSIST u get an EPICENTER from Audio Control- there is NO OTHER way to get the low freq BACK into the signal! No matter what u build and how u gain/equalize it- IF the signal isnt there, then the output aint gonna be either! EPI and u can get away with smaller cone subs- but u gotta have the throw & power to control it )
  10. 'BIG DAVE'

    SPL brand subwoofers?

    HEY- not sure if any1 comes here anymore? but MACH 5 AUDIO in ALBERTA???- Contact me- I got 'em in ALBERTA! The Mach 5 SPL-12" & Mach 5 SPL-15" are riduculous!!! The IXL series may be all u need, depending on ur power. IF u wanna DB- get our new 8000 watt or 12,000 watt amps- but, warning- U'LL be shelling out for 1/2 dozen batteries at least!!! I'm using 8x 12"IXL's in my truk- take a peek. NOT built for DB but blows 151 with windows open in Audio Control RTA Not sure IF there was a company called SPL?? but Mach 5 Audio has SPL series subs- FREE shipping in Canada!!!!! Hows that for costs!
  11. 'BIG DAVE'

    SPL15 - Inverted not as loud

    Arent the SPL's Bottomless motors??? I have heard that inverted- the cone disperses the air because of the shape- conical, as opposed to having the basket in the box and the cone facing outward- where its concave and has a larger surface area of the 'funnel' and directs the air movement forward, rather than outwards. DECWARE on line, has a floor standing speaker model they sell, with A CONE inverted on top of the original cone, so it disperses evenly in a 360 degree spread to make a non-localized bass presence. I Totally believe subs SOUND Louder when the basket is in the box! MAYBE, when testing, the pressure waves in a controlled, confined chamber result in the same DB in either configuration?? PPI and others played with the honeycomb Flat cone subs many years ago, hit pretty hard and increased the stiffness of the cone and resisted fatigue in the paper cone styles causing a wrinkle and compromising the integrity of the cone rigidity. They dont make em any more- Hmmm, perhaps the funnel cone IS the best design- so it Should be facing outward ? )
  12. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    SWEEET! It takes one to know one, eh Buzz! Most people look at it ( well, everyone) and they DONT GET IT! They just have NO concept of what it takes to hand build, carve, shape, invent, etc. IF u do a great vinyl door panel, they look at it and say- "Ya? so?" with a blank stare. And dont have a clue what they are supposed to be looking at? BUT- if u hang a huge Elephant ear covered in fur, off the door, they rage to their friends, "Look- he added speakers there!" lol. And thats ok. BUT-, I appreciate that YOU appreciate what goes into one of these builds (& mine There is only ONE way to do something- the RIGHT way! I was Champ and then when the comp circuit dried up - it was all about Car Starters! grrr! Hate them! OR the shops I worked at would get the 'Deck & 2' & 'Deck & 4' jobs at the dealer yards. They'd give u a carton of 12 decks - CHEAP crap, no molex plugs, u get to the yard and hard wire these turds in and 1/2 of the 12 decks wouldnt turn on. Cut them out and install another one- bah! Thats not what I DO! So, I'd move on. The shop owners wouldnt care cuz they needed a warm body to put the gear in and couldnt sell Custom to save their lives! I talked to our Phoenix Gold rep in Ontario, he said call the rep in Alberta, then THAT fella told me there was a 12 v shop looking for a custom guy. Chatted with the owner and few weeks later moved 4000 clicks out west! NOW- out here, the DB drags are about all we have SO- I'll attend, maybe can interest people into install again?? At least get some MACH5AUDIO subs out there IF u look at the pics of the steel amp rack- one shot has 4 bent pieces lying on an amp- the first braces I made had a 90 degree bend on them, then when I tried to get the canopy into the truk- uh-oh, the 90 bends hit the back slope of the cab. GRRR- had to form new ones tighter around the cab and amp , then cut the ends off and weld them back in. DIDNT take too long, but evidence of sometimes the LONG way IS the short way, in getting to ur destination! I have lots more progress pics, but my MACH guy hasnt loaded them yet- dont know if he's away on vacation or what? But IF I can figer how to up-load them, I can get them up and show the finished ones as well INSPIRATION is the mother of all invention! Get at 'er! ) BD
  13. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    THANKS BUZZ! I appraciate that! Ya- things have kinda gone the way of just slam a box together and get it in Our city is over a million ppl and even the custom shop I worked at years ago- no one stocks colored carpet, port flanges, variety of wafer fuses, etc. I said "How do u build stereos?" They replied, "We cover everything in black or salt&pepper carpet/trunk liner". I hunted for port flanges and was referred to one place, called them and they said "Oh- we build our OWN boxes and put ports in." "Oh,wow" I said. lol These guys must be 'Fatwackers', if they BUILD their OWN boxes & ports! lol. I dont think they understood when I asked if they had PORT FLANGES? Somehow, routering a chunk of ABS into painted fiberglass just wasnt gonna do it for me! hahaha. The world has changed. I HAD to build somethin nice Glad u 'njoy! Keep the spirit!- Big Dave
  14. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    THANKS MUCH! It was a labour of luv! lol
  15. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    HEY ALL! Bin a while- time for an update! Well- TRUK is FINISHED! Woohoo! 'Bout dam time! lol. Mark- Owner of Mach5Audio was in attendance at its First Competition out here in the Canadian West. The 12V store where I purchased my Audio Control gear, had sent their RTA back for Modifications & upgrades and would not have it back for a while So, I called the hi-end store I get my home audio from "General Audio" , in Calgary AB, and they had an RTA that they let me 'use', to tune the truk. Thanks to Rod & Brian! I gotta say- the curve was impressive- for all the drivers in it & the poor placement! Had to tweek 63 & 80, bit at 400- 630- those nasty naisily midrange notes! haha, and bring down the 12K a bit and 20K by 12db! haha, figered that one! But- all in all, a nice curve. Bass is about 36 db above everything, haha, to be expected, (always gonna have a Major deviation) and the tweets could use a 2 or 5 ohm resistor to supress the output a bit, but being off-axis, that was expected as well. Its a 'SHOW' truk to show off the MACH5AUDIO subs. A nice stereo in my race hauler, that happens to be pretty LOUD! haha. So, it was a DB meet, and DB Drag Race event. Took FIRST place in DB in my class. Then went into the DB Drag-Race- that was FUN! Took FIRST PLACE there as well! So, first outting, took 2x 1st Place wins! Good enuf for me! lol. AND- there was Corey & his lovely wife, who had made the trip from, Saskatoon I think?? He took 2 trophies as well. SO- 4 trophies for MACH5AUDIO at this one event- MORE than the million dollar sub companies could do!!! Corey pulls in the 150+ range and he went to the max with the MACH5AUDIO SPL-15"s. I have one of those now- THEY ARE MONSTERS! HUGE! Also- he was running the new Sound Digital 8000 watt amps! NICE amps! ONE to each sub! (6x 18 volt batteries and a 2nd alternator that puts out 18 volts- just to charge the stereo batts!) Wish I could afford 'em! But- I didnt set out to build the Loudest truk, just a nice stereo, platform to showcase the Subs, and it Happens to be loud! Certainly not a contender in those DB drag wars. Man- some people have serious power in their vehicles! All those 18 volt batteries! WOW Maybe there will be a resurgence in the 'Stereo' Comps, or a partnering with the old I.A.S.C.A. to have events that judge 'Sound Quality' & 'Install'? Haha- some of the guys looked at my install and asked " Whats that?" I said " Thats a stereo!". Heehee- I'm not sure if everyone there actually had any front end speakers! It was interesting Some there were doing the 'hair' tricks. One popped his windshield seal and put a chick sitting on it and she kept sliding down cuz the bass would rattle her off. It was funny! Guess somewhere around here there are TWINS that have a 180+ DB vehicle?? I havent met them but heard people talking. Mark has the pics- I'm not sure how to load on here, so hopefully he'll be updating the rest of the install soon and then we can get the Finished pics up. Also- going to shoot a video to show everything in reference to the rest of the truk. People cant believe 8x12"s & 5000 watts, amps on the ceiling- u cant see anything from outside, its all in the 2 foot section behind the suicide doors. Doesnt look like 8 months of work in MY opinion , but people rage over it. I'll be in a lot, hear a 'boom boom', and then people will gather, someone who knows me will have said "U gotta check out that truk" and point. The naysayers approach, smirk on their face. Then group together and scoff. One will get closer for a look and I'll chat with him, pointing out features of the door panels or underdash components, then open the back door for the reveal. He'll turn to his friends and start shouting. The group gathers closer. I'll let one sit in the drivers seat, as the truk is pretty well soundproofed. Loud outside, but its inside where ur noodle gets the hammering. Once inside, I get my ear plugs in and the 'attendee' will look and raise an eyebrow. Then it comes in waves! Haha. We hit 151 with the windows open on a MOVIE! They start yelling. THEN I hit the EPI button and its all over! They jump out and tell their friends to get in! lol One guy put his girlfriend in and said 'Giver'. I looked at her and said "U sure?" She said "Yup". So, on we go! She looked at me and I could read her lips saying "Thats #$@^*&@ loud" and I saw her eyes water up and tears start rolling down her cheeks! Uhoh! Figered she'd had enuf by then! hahahaha. oops! Guy who came second was real close- we were .2 DB apart. I said "U hear mine yet?" He said "Nope". I motioned- get in. And played it for him. When we were done, he got out and said "Thats %$*#%) loud"! I laffed and appreciated that compliment! Its a LOT louder than the numbers cuz the suicide doors just flex way too much to get a good pressure reading. Thats ok, thats not what my goal was. But its nice to know people think its loud A nice feature is, its a FULL stereo, so watching a movie at that volume is impressive, compared to some of the one-note wonders that were there. NOT knocking any builds, just some spectators didnt get why one note was playing as a steady tone. They seemed to like actually hearing the rest of the music and media. NO caps, Optimas discharge fast enuf the lights dont blink. Couldnt sit in it long enuf to drain the batts down low anyway. AND- NO PORT NOISE! No whistling, no chuffing. Mark was there- he heard it. OR- actually, didnt hear it- no port noise! lol HEY- long as everyone has fun, thats what its all about! 'Njoy! -BIG DAVE
  16. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Tell Mark to hurry He's got the box painting pics- mmmmmm Atomic Orange! heehee RE-ported to 28 hz. YEAH BABY- now THATS shake - rattle & roll! woohoo!~ Got some REAL bass now ))
  17. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Hey All. I send pics to Mark @ Mach5Audio and he posts. He's bin getting his Magnetizer running and preping SUBS for delivery! He should have them up asap. Gotta get this truk done and get the word out on the IXL Mach 5 Audio subs!!!! I have 2x IXL- 18"s ported to 19 hz and 6 x MJ-18"s ported to 30 hz- for midbass in my Home Theater with 13,000 watts and an EPIcenter! Neibors bitching cuz stuff falls outta their kitchen cabinets! lol I bang about 3 notes with the Epicenter - u'd swear SWAT was coming thru the furnace ducting! And then go upstairs and look around. Its like Aliens have visited! Haha- stuff in little groupings all over. Bottles and cleaners have migrated to the center of the counters. Toilet paper rolls bounced off the vanity and landed in the bowl! Its riduculous! lol luv it! NEED 2 more MJ 18"s- to make an nice even 10! U WANT bass???? Go to MACH5AUDIO and check out the IXL subs! Also- the SPL-12's & 15's! ) MJ-18 ?= best bang for the buck! Ya- I wanted to leave the back sliding window available to see behind to back up and load my race trailer AND get some airflow as I tow to race events and its a daily driver- Soon as I get this done! Took it for a spin today to charge the batteries. Not fussy for the tuning, so made some ports to hit 28 hz. Waaay to much control with the Audio Control DQX, 4.1i and the EPI-160. Hit 146 db with Nickleback, UNtuned, and windows open. Then the smoke started! uhoh! HAHA. I havent quite finished the install yet- but need to determine if its all gonna shake down good, so needed to try a run. Didnt want to use the $25 dollar 150 amp wafer fuses as the fuse banks are connected but not fastened into their housings yet. So I used a few inches of 14 ga wire to jump the 2/0 fuse holders. Tuning in the parking lot cuz its too loud at the shack, was givin'er and didnt notice the insulation on the 14 ga had melted off and the exposed wire melted into the carpet chunks I had, to lean it on the back door panel and then it melted into the door panel like a cutting blade on a Weller soldering gun! lmao. OOps! Got home, cut up some new 14 ga and re-tuned! heehee.
  18. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    K- bit of a 'tail' (hahaha). I'm at the WORLD FINALS in, hmmm, either Tempe Arizona OR Oklahma City, 90-91 ish? Bin there many times, so I remember things from the locations cuz there's way too many people & vehicles to recall. But- there was this one guy..... Oh- I'm getting ahead of myself. A long time ago, there was this fella- Scrooge McDuck! Donalds Uncle.
  19. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Have I got a Story for you!
  20. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    FISHMAN? U talkin about Dave Riveria & his Plexi Fishtank in the old Honda or Toyota?????? YA- I havent found any fabric that thick yet?
  21. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Thanks Mark & Mark, & all! Ya- when Mark G mentioned I had my own business, after I won the Canadians, I started my Install business. Took me to Ottawa, for 3 different shops- I did their hi-end custom. Wasnt interested in 'Deck & 2' & 'Deck & 4 ' for car dealers. Wasnt interested in car alarms or remote starters. Didnt fit under the dash for one thing! lol. Just like doing the 'one-off', custom, competition systems. Ha- I sold more JL & Phoenix outta my house than the shops in my home town! lol. So, when the economy took a dive back East, I moved west in '97. Came to a hi-end 12v specialist shop. THEY put me in the back installing remote-starters???? on the oil rig workers truks! NOT interested! Then, 8 months after I moved (4000 miles) to work for them, the owner sold out to a potato-head who drove the business into the ground! I bailed b4 he took me down with him! Went to a Chain-store install- that was WORSE! They had 16 year old kids on the sales floor and they'd run back and ask me- "How much for a plexi-glass sub box?" Oh- YEAH! Cool! My kinda customer! SO, I'd head out front to talk bucks and see what their budget was and what they had in mind. The kids & manager would cut me off at the door and say- "Its ok, we got it- how much for the box- $200 bucks??" I said for Custom, plexi, molded to fit car?? $200 bucks?? I'm outta here! and went back to welding. This stuff is COOL- but NO ONE will pay for it and a shop couldnt keep the doors open- its just waaaaay to labour intensive. BUT- all things good usually take time eh- thats why MOST of the slickest stuff is DIY & Jobbers like us. The 'core' of Car Audio! We'll be here a long time after the 6x9's & Button-starters r long gone! Scuffed all the painted pieces today. Going to Re-Paint them tomorrow! I havent painted in like 20 years and have to do the sub box- THATS gonna be a challenge, so figered, rather than 'practice' painting a piece of wood and wasting the paint- the pieces I had done, werent quite as shinny as I'd like them, so going to re-paint them and get a good top coat on them to make em shine! Got the iso & breaker bracket made & welded yesterday- that'll get painted also tomorrow- well, later on this afternoon. Finally getting some nice weather for it! Pics to follow. Then- just the sub box to finish & paint and it all goes in! WOULD like to get it in within the next 2 weeks? Trak opens this weekend for Test n Tune & my missle is STILL under a tarp- arrrgggg. Gotta get that out and running for next weekend! Take care all, & any questions- fire away! )
  22. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    Thanks all The dist blocks are Tsunami- we have a surplus salescenter in Canada that has everything from farm equip, to army, to auto, to hydraulics to meat cutting saws! Every now & then they get a batch of car audio stuff. I'm always rooting around their bins for anything I can use in an install, or robotics, linear actuators, motors, electronics, etc and they had the 2/0 ANL-(wafer fuse ) and the 4ga AGO(large glass fuse) holders, cheap price- looked good, so I picked them up. U gotta be there at the right time cuz they may never get the stuff again so its a weekly trip to see whats new in the store The Tsunami capacitors have a 'cap top'- that is a 'topper' for a single capacitor- it has a Dig display Volt meter, Low & Hi cut offs for ur system voltage and an audible alarm if the voltage drops too low. Gold plated mounting screws etc- they were packaged seperately, from Tsunami, and then marked down to 1/2 price, so got them for $6 bucks! Cant make a circuit board Dig Volt meter for $6 bucks. Went to an industrial cable supplier and found a trunk cable with 12 conductors- like a telephone cable, so going to pull the dig displays off the circuit boards and extend them to mount in different places. Might put one for vehicle voltage, one for system voltage, one for front battery, one for the back batts and on each amp- then I'll be able to determine if the truk is running and the back batts are only at 12 volts- then I KNOW the front main circuit breaker from the Isolater has opened. Also- IF ur careful, u can scratch the silver coating off the back of ur rear view mirror- WITHOUT scratching the glass and mount the display inside the plastic housing, so u got a trik Volt meter display, easliy in ur sight line and can get an Additional Point in competitions for Unique Ideas Applied to Installation!
  23. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    THANKS for the kind words! This HAS bin more labour intensive than I intended. One thing led to another, then, hmmm, what IF I change this, and ..blahblahblah, 5 months later! Arrrggg No friends came to help, so while I'm sanding, nothing else gets done! The door pods, DVD trims, tweeter pods & dash are now painted! Gotta say, it looks sweet! I do all my own work- to keep the costs down, and was sketchy of the enviornment in my garage- if I could contain the dust and control the overspray- (using car paints for the fiberglass), and they turned out great! (if I must say so myself, lol). Mark @ MACH 5 AUDIO has the pics- he uploads the progress. They'll be posted asap. Just trying to get the sub box ready for paint. The angles I have on these parts, are so erratic and accute, vinyl wouldnt work, ( a preferred medium to carpet for me), and would have required MUCH less prep work! But- I figered this is gonna show off the SUBS, so why not 'giver'! The color I wanted in Basecoat/Clearcoat was $600 a gallon for color (NOT) and $200 for a litre of Clear (NOT), so I opted for the single stage Acrylic/Enamel with a 'Wetlook' hardner. Workded great. Skimmed in 1/2 hour so no more dust would stick. Easy to apply (with a car paint gun- $18.88 on sale at Princess Auto Farm Equip Surplus Store, and 60 gal compressor). Pretty much just tools & equip one might have for hobbies, ie: auto racing or 4x4 builds, etc. LABOUR is the key. Anyone can do anything, if they give themselves enuf time and WANT to get involved! Shops would take ur First born to cover the hours involved for these kinda builds, so DIY is the only way to go. I showed the 'how to' pics, so all who are interested in spending some of their time, could get an idea of what goes into this one and perhaps they might get inspired to try some things themselves? MY WAYS arent the only ways to achieve a desired result, but they work for ME and there's lots of different ways to get the end result. I found some great vids on YOUTUBE on fiberglassing, and box building etc. 20 years ago, we used GrillCloth to Wrap cuz it stretched good and 'glass mat just turns to snot when the binders 'whet', so we thot- hmmm, what else could we use that would impregnate with resin?? THEN someone thot of using FLEECE cuz its thicker. I saw a vid using 100% Polyester- guy says its 1/4 inch thick! I havent found that meterial yet- but that would remedy the need for multiple layers AFTER the fleece wrap- cuz fleece is still not that thick. Luck to all and keep building!
  24. 'BIG DAVE'

    Steve's Mach 5 IXL-10 Project

    Clean install! Controls look good Is that a NEW '25 TO Life' Fosgate?? How do u like those MACH5AUDIO IXL-10's?? Lemme know if u hear of 4 or 5 Fosgate T-10001's for sale? I think they have the same 'footprint' as the T-5002?
  25. 'BIG DAVE'

    Big Dave's Truck Project

    THANKS ALL. 'Preciate the kind words! Its taken longer than I anticipated cuz when I'm sanding to 400 for auto spray paint- I look around and no other work is gettin done. No weldin, no fiberglassin, no wood work, no bondo, no nuthin! Had buddies that said they'd come help- but no one ever showed SO, I've bin pluggin away. I have tons of pics- every step, all kinda angles- but havent found a vault to load them in, so Mark does a great job of gettin them up and out for all to see, but I have more, like a 'How to' slide show Truk wiring is run. Need to weld up a bracket & support for the isolater & circuit breaker up in the engine compartment. But its bin -30 degrees up here and the truk doesnt fit in the garage- well, it does, but then no room to work around it. SO, bin waitin for nicer weather. Using the VB-2 sheeting, sound insulation dampening mat- easyyyy to use. Got the roof done. Doors r ready to do- but again, too cold to stick There are no screws holding this build together- its all 1/4 inch & 1/2 inch bolts and 'T'nuts with bolts- which means that everything has more work involved, cant just fire a screw in to hold something- gotta plan ahead, drill thru, affix the 'T' nut- then router the next piece of wood, so there is a 'recess' to allow for the 'T' nut thickness. Wherever carpet or vinyl wrap around a piece- that piece or the mating piece has the thickness of the carpet or vinyl routered from it- so the pieces mate without a layer of material as a spacer. Just all takes a lot of time Wanted to put all this stuff inside the cab- so the bed is free. But, when the amps arrived- they were 13x18 inch-x 5 of them!~ I looked at the truk and started to laff. Ok- we're puttin amps on the ceiling! Cuz I still wanted to be able to look out the back window. Made things a little more challenging. The doors were especially a P.I.A! Looked on-line and couldnt find anyone who had done a set of these F-250 doors with the Double pockets! Wanted to do the pod in one wrap- but no way it can be done. So, had to do it in multiple steps. Then- wanna show off the Mach5Audio Speakers- wanted to paint everything rather than use carpet or fun fur. So- bit of a process to get all the glass perfect enuf to paint. Its funny eh- u do something nice- like a glass/vinyl door panel, and people look and say- "Ya- so?" And they dont realise what they are supposed to be lookin at. BUT- if u hang a big elephant ear off the door, covered in fur - "People yell-- Aww man- look at the speakers they added!" lol. When I had my own shop, I'd take a vehicle in for a month or months and work on it like a hobby. AT a retail shop- there is no way they'd take this much time to do a build- just no money in it- unless the customer had bags of cash! So- its all doable, but in the constrains of a shop environment- this type of build isnt a money maker, like a quick sub box with carpet, or amp rack, or deck & 2. Cars I've built or re-fit have won over 200 trophies, just luv doin this stuff! A tricky one was a 1985 Vette- with 3x JL 12's, Epicenter, Phoenix Gold MP2500, MP-275, EQ-15 & x-over, 3 capacitors, extra battery, ALL behind the seats! Gotta find someplace to make the pics available:) If there's any questions, fire away:))) Have a good one!!!
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