reedal's '03 Tahoe build

[reedal]

This is late (considering it's been almost two weeks since I put the meters in, but here's a video of them at work.

 

[reedal]

So, I figured I could try and get started on the A-pillars a little. So I decided to make a template for the L1pro tweeter and the L4 full-range. I'm using some 1/2" MDF I have left over from the very first time I tried to make door pods last year around this time.

I used my router and a 1/4" shank bit to cut everything out freehand, and as you can tell, it's rough

but it will do, and is fixable when the time comes. I have a lot of sanding to do before then

So, time to get to sanding and make it look pretty, then copy it, and I think I'll stick with using my router to cut the holes for the speakers, but use my jig saw to cut the template out

 

[reedal]

A little sanding around the outer edges, and here is a much nicer looking product.

Tomorrow I will make the second one. Tonight, I am done. Too late to use power tools anymore

 

[reedal]

I pulled out the jasper jig, switched to 3/4 birch ply, and went to work. Look a little better Sierra? (Haven't sanded the outside down yet

Only downside to my jasper jig is that it doesn't have increments that meet the dimensions of the HATs, so I cut the circles small, then sanded down with my dremel until I had a fit.

 

[reedal]

And then there were two

Sanded down the outer edges to clean up the roughness and make them exactly the same size.

Unfortunately, dremel battery is dead, so once it's charged up I'll sand the inner rings/edges smooth and be able to fit the speakers in.

It'll all look pretty when I'm done.

 

[reedal]

Cut out the mounting rings for the L8's.

Got started on the rings for the L6's and ended up snapping the bit. I suppose my next bit will be from MS or 12vtools since that seems to be the best choices from what I've read on here.

 

[reedal]

 

[reedal]

Bought a CC-1 used from CACO

Should make setting all my filters on the amps pretty simple once I get this front stage finished next year

 

[reedal]

Some threaded inserts and screws for the mids and highs, since the 1/4-20 threaded inserts and the 1-1/2" screws to match that I used for the subs are a tad too large

 

[reedal]

Well, I just tried a fitment test for the L8 in the kicks, and I can definitely do it on the passenger side, but the drivers side is a no-go. It's a smaller panel, the hood release is somewhat in the way (no, I won't relocate it), as well as other things that make that area cramped. So, both the L6 and L8's will be in the doors. Saturday I'm going to deaden the rear hatch with my leftover q-mat because I never got around to it and it needs it, and when that's done, I'll start modeling out how I'm going to do the doors. Maybe some progress pictures by Sunday night? We'll see.

Oh, and I'll be redoing the cutouts for the L1pro's and L4's, because practice makes perfect, and they're not perfect.

 

[reedal]

Well it's happy birthday to me. Wife got me a few things

Not pictured, she also got me weather tech vent visors and mudflaps. I probably won't get anything done today, because she decided to skip her clinical for school, and since deployments coming up I'm gonna spend as much time together as possible. She's making me coffee and a bacon egg and pepper jack cheese bagel right now, and for dinner we're going to Texas De Brazil.

 

[reedal]

Got the WeatherTech vent visors and mudflaps installed. Top is the day i bought it, bottom is today

I want to delete the roof rack, and I'm undecided about the side steps. Need to tint the Windows one day, but that's no big deal to me.

Gonna pull the rear hatch panel off and throw some q-mat on there. Might run a dedicated ground to the front battery from the rear batt. Can't do anything about getting wood cut for the front stage until 12vtools gets some new bits out to me. Cheap bits are just that. Cheap. Time to get some recommended quality.

 

[reedal]

Ok, last update at least until I get my new bits from 12vtools. Deadened the rear hatch yesterday, no pics, and ran a dedicated front to rear ground. I think what I'm going to do is try and find the second row captains seats that were available for the NBS escalades/yukons and put those in, designing and building the amp rack to sit between them (assuming there's enough space in between). That should give me more room in the rear for the enclosure for four 15's. Hopefully I get the bits before next week and can get started on glassing the doors and pillars. If not, it'll be sometime next year before I can update again. Stay tuned.

 

[reedal]

Well, the bits from www.12vtools.com came in today, and I got right to work. Finished cutting the mounting rings for the L6's, and cut out the A-pillar mounts for the L1pro's and L4's :good:

Now, I know the inside cutouts where the speaker and tweeter will go look rough and ugly, but who the hell cares, because it won't be seen, and they fit in their cutouts perfectly without movement both are flush trimmed to match each other perfectly.

Lots of sawdust all over my little apartment patio. And all over me. Cleanup time.

In other news, I bought the B-stock 40 pounder of Damplifier/Damp pro from Second Skin with their MayDay 20% off sale, so if you need some deadener for your ride, head on over to http://store.secondskinaudio.com and add some of their quality American made product to your cart, type in MAYDAY20 in the coupon box, and enjoy making your ride a little quieter

And now for the bad news....

I won't be working on the audio side of the Tahoe anymore until I return from deployment, and maybe even a little while after that, so the wife and I can find a house and get out of this apartment. BUT!! Stay tuned for the cosmetic touching up I might do before I leave. Keep it real TYF!

 

[reedal]

So, I bought the Headlight Relay Kit for the 9005/9006 lights that is made by the man himself, Tony Candela of CE Auto Electric Supply (www.ceautoelectricsupply.com). This kit is pretty heavy duty. It's very cleanly put together, and sealed tight everywhere in order to protect from corrosion.

OEM harness lighting

Install

Relays

Unplug OEM

Plug OEM into HRK5

All plugged up

Replay power wire attached to battery

And lights after the HRK5 kit is wired.

4-hi mod with the HRK5 kit installed

 

[reedal]

I'm no expert at taking pictures of lights obviously, but here are the pictures "side-by-side" for comparison. Top pictures are OEM, bottom are with the HRK5 kit. It's faint, but there is a difference. I also have the PIAA Xtreme White Plus halogen bulbs on the way to replace the not so bright Sylvania's

 

[reedal]

Shit I've done since I came home:

nothing with audio. I swapped out the cheap eBay blue interior LEDS that didn't work half of the time with some clear white LEDs from superbrightleds.com. I installed the secondary battery tray, and am now waiting on some 1/0 and battery terminals to ship.

When I bought the Tahoe, the previous owner said they "removed the fog light housings because the lights didn't work so it wouldn't pass inspection." The housings weren't given to me, so I bought some TYC housings off of rock auto. Yesterday I installed them, after digging through my toolboxes for some extra mounting hardware because that was gone too. I plugged the lights in to test them out, and they work fine. Previous owner was an idiot and didn't know how to turn them on or change the bulb or something. I do want to change the bulbs out though to something a little brighter/whiter, because they're really dim and....rose gold colored?

I cleaned all of the extra speaker and primary wire out of my second row, the trash, tools, drill, etc.... it was messy back there. Now I'm going to clean up my storage/tool "shed" and make room to store the 60/40 bench once the second row captains get here. I'll recondition my batteries with the CTEK 7002 while I'm doing that. They probably need it.

i wanted to install all of my deadener before my leave ends, but I'll just wait till it's warmer and easier to install. Until next time.

 

[Fosscore]

Keep up the good work and thanks for your service.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Subd

 

[reedal]

Keep up the good work and thanks for your service.

Subd

Thanks guys! I'll try to update it as soon as I complete a task