My SQ and SPL Car Audio Projects

2010 Season has begun!!!

2009-11-02T22:08:00.003-06:00

Here are the 1st 2 show flyers for our shows, featuring our models. :)

Found more pics of my 2 dr. Blazer!! :)

2009-11-02T20:58:00.005-06:00

Here are some older pics from 1999-2000 of my 1985 2dr. Blazer. The last picture in this series is my subwoofer box, which had (24) 12" subs in it!!!! :) Scottie Johnson & myself built that box.

I am looking to buy my 3rd Blazer or my 3rd Astro Van!! :)

2009-11-01T15:26:00.006-06:00

Well, I have decided to purchase my 3rd S10 Blazer, or my 3rd Astro Van. :) I will be looking for the perfect one for my SPL build, possibly keeping the Honda for SQ. Time will tell what the final outcome will be for the 2010 season.

Stay tuned as I take more pics of the Blazer build for SPL, and as I take more pics for the completion of the SQ build this year. :)

Here is a pic of the last setup I had in my 2dr. Blazer in 2001:

Here are 2 pics of my 1994 4dr. Blazer, circa 2006. :)

2009 Season Ends- TN. State MASTER SQ Champion!!!

2009-11-01T15:17:00.008-06:00

The 2009 MECA season ends with an invite to the MECA World Finals, however, due to my not having the Honda completed in time, I opted to help out at the 2009 MECA World Finals instead of competing.

Here are a few highlights of the 2009 season:

* MadVette Motorsports (my shop) was the 2009 MECA Retailer of the Year, something which I am VERY proud of!!!

* I was the 2009 MECA MASTER SQ TN. State Champion.

* I earned an Invitation to the 2009 MECA World Finals.

2010 will be an exciting year for me, as I have already started the Madvette Madness Series with our 1st of 12 shows (including co-sponsoring the TN. State Finals), which began just 2 weeks after the 2009 World Finals. :) Here I am working on the trophies for our 1st show on Oct. 18, 2009.

Custom fabrication begins....

2009-06-15T23:06:00.013-05:00

The custom work has begun on the Honda, and the next few weeks will document just how large of an undertaking custom fabrication can be. :) I have begun the work by gutting the car, and planning out the equipment layout. Let the "MADVETTE MADNESS" begin!!!

I pulled the dash, and took some pics of the new 3-way component speaker locations.
Here is the driver side speaker location, which shows that a few things have to be relocated to get the speakers as far back as possible, near the firewall, to insure a long path-length.

The driver's side vent will be eliminated, making room for the custom grille that will cover the 3" midrange and 1" tweeter. The 9" midbass driver will be mounted in custom kickpanel pods.

Here is the shot of the passenger side speaker location. The HVAC will stay, but the dash brackets will be modified to accommodate the speaker pod.

The passenger side vent will be eliminated as well, with a custom grille made to cover the passenger's side speakers as well.

More to come on the speaker pods when they arrive...

On to the radio...

I am going to recycle a former dash kit with center channel that was made, and incorporate the custom piece into the Honda Accord dash.

Here it is being test fit in it's new home. :)

The old kit has the center channel angled up for better sound direction, and a custom grille over the center channel speaker. It currently houses a 4x6 speaker that has to go. The new center channel speaker will be fit into the existing frame, so we will modify it later. Here are some pics of the kit before the old vinyl covering is removed in preparation for the fiberglass.

Now, we must modify the existing OEM radio bezel, eliminating the ashtray, and cigarette lighter, to make room for the new dash kit and center channel.

When modified, and molded in, the new mount will be angled back slightly, as well as it will be angled slightly toward the driver to allow for the optimum viewing of the Alpine 7909 CD player. The pictures below show how the kit is angled.

The space below the new radio and center channel mount will be used for some sort of switch panel, or USB/AUX input with Ipod or something similar. :)

SQ Processing Gear and Amplification...

2009-05-25T00:06:00.004-05:00

For the EQ, I am going to be using the Alpine PXA-H700 (not the 701) because the EQ is simply an awesome piece, and easier to change and keep multiple setups for RTA, SQ, SQ2, etc. than an older, more traditional EQ.

Amplification for the SQ setup is provided through Exile x800.4 for the front stage components, and the Exile x1200.1 for the sub bass. I chose these amps because of the solid way in which they were built, both internally, and externally. Exile Car Audio is known in the car audio world because of the starting of the company by former employees of the original (bad-ass) Phoenix Gold company!!! Pics of the amps are below.

My Equipment List... updated regularly... Alpine 7909J, 5957s CD Changer, and 3900 DAC

2009-05-24T19:36:00.005-05:00

Here is the 1st link in my chain of audio equipment that will be used in competition for 2009. Below is my treasured Alpine 7909J, the 5957S 6 Disc CD Changer, and the 3900 outboard Digital/Analog converter. They have fiber-optic outputs and inputs, as well as the Japan version of the 7909 has a copper chassis, non-pullout chassis, and the blackout feature that the original US version did not have. The 3900 DAC also has a copper chassis as well. This setup will be used for SQ applications. It will be able to be covered up or removed and stored safely for SPL applications. :)

This is my SPL head unit: it is an Alpine 7949, which has a copper chassis as well, fiber optic outputs, and though it is not as awesome as the 7909J head unit, for SPL purposes, it will work quite well. :)

Work to start very soon on the glass roof.... :)

2009-05-24T19:07:00.002-05:00

Here is what I'm doing to the roof... the side and rear windows will be altered in their functionality as well to add to the "wow factor" I am going after. Pics will follow with how the glass roof went in... keep it right here. :)

Check out my new YouTube channel!!!

2009-05-23T15:35:00.014-05:00

Check out my new YouTube channel, where you can keep up with my videos that I post from MECA shows, check out my favorite videos from my friends, as well as my favorite videos from various stereo manufacturers. If you are a MECA member, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and follow along here on my blog. Here are 2 of the videos I have added as a favorite on my Youtube channel.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

At the MadVette Spring Break Nats, StreetStyles Car Club brought out some of the cars. Below is the video from their Youtube channel:

Here is one of personal favorites... Mindy from e2audio does her infamous hair trick. Enjoy!!

25% of the season completed, it is going well...

2009-05-23T13:43:00.006-05:00

I have 25 pts. towards my MECA World Finals points qualifications for SQ, and no points in the SPL category. I placed 1st in the 2X April Fools Fest in Lebanon, TN., and 1st in the 3X MadVette Spring Nats in Murfreesboro, TN., both of them netting me points in the Master Class.

Regarding my SPL points, personally, as a SPL competitor for quite a long time, I can get a SPL setup together pretty quickly, and get my points for finals in SPL.... SQ is a little more challenging, and takes more time to finalize the placement of the drivers, balancing the sound, finishing the install, and of course, still going to shows to get my points. :)

I will add some pics shortly of the build... stay tuned!!!

Let the MadVette Madness Begin!!!

2008-12-15T21:56:00.003-06:00

Our first show at my shop is Jan. 31st, 2009, and it is a 2X Point Show, allowing die-hard MECA competitors to get an early jump on the 2009 season, and the road to the MECA World Finals.

Link to the 1st show flyer

MECA EVENT SCHEDULE

With my shop hosting 10 shows throughout 2009, this will allow quite a few MECA competitors to get alot of points this year. For me, the points are only the steps needed to get to the World Finals, in pursuit of the ultimate trophy in SQ: the Culbertson Cup. Below are the pics, with David Timmerman proudly displaying the coveted trophy. David lost out for his 2nd bid at the best in SQ in 2008 to Matt Roberts by only 1.3 pts. My goal is to win this trophy within the next 3 years. :) We will see how the process goes.

2009 Season Starts with 2008 World Finals

2008-12-15T21:42:00.007-06:00

Attending the 2008 MECA World Finals, I was excited to see my competition for the 2009 season, and see some old friends that I had not seen in a few years.

I have alot of history with MECA, as I started competing in 1999 in MECA and dB Drag Racing, and I was bit by the sound-off competition bug. I achieved my most important award to date at the end of the 1999 season, as I was awarded the MECAhead of the Year for my enthusiastic competition and excitement as a competitor with MECA.

For the 10th anniversary MECA World Finals, I attended and awarded the 2008 MECAhead of the Year award to Rachele Cochran, who was the National Points Champion with over 750 points for the season, and in presenting the award, I was reminded just how much I enjoyed competing in MECA.
I vowed to compete once again in 2009, and I have scheduled 9 shows at my shop, and decided to co-sponsor the TN. State Finals.
This blog will be the diary of my 2009 competition year, showcasing the build I am doing on my 1991 Honda Accord, and will be the ramblings of one enthusiastic sound-off competitor.

This is the diary of a mad man.....

.... and the diary of the MadVette Madness Autsound Series for 2009.

Enjoy!! :)