Slammer's Lexus IS350 Going Active!

[Slammer]

First, a quick background story. I've been a "car audio junkie" for years but only into the SQ end of it for the last year or two. I'm a former bass head. There, I said it...... Bought this car almost four years ago and hated the factory system. I tried OE integration but still was satisfied. Door speakers changed and added amps but still not much improvement. I finally decided to make a custom bezel for an aftermarket HU install (no install kit available). This was quite complicated because the factory HVAC system is tied into the CD changer lower portion of the center display and I had to strip it down and then tuck it behind the upper display portion. I had searched and found only a couple such installs and those folks put the factory changer in the glove box. I felt like my solution was a better choice. I will post a few pics of that initial install first and then fast forward a bit to the latest "upgrade".

First step was to pay $100 for a junkyard unit off of eBay. Didn't want to cut the factory unit (which I still have in case I pull the system and sell the car).



Lots of fun work with the Dremel...........





Used a single DIN kit for a Mitsubishi Eclipse because the curve was appropriate. Lots and lots of sanding after plastic welding it in place. Use resin to hold it firmly once I had it flush.



Not sure of the pic limit here, I'm gonna post this one and pic up with more in a second.

[Slammer]

Test fit of the new piece when connected to the upper portion.



Pic of the Kenwood in place.



Went to CarQuest paints and had them do their best to color match. Unit was ready for painting. I didn't like the match so I ended up painting the upper trim of the junkyard unit as well. It was definitely for the best.





Assembled and ready for the install (took about two full days to do) counting smoke breaks........



Factory CD changer that is "tucked" is pictured above the unit in this pic.

[Hi-FiDelity]

Damn, that's some grade A fab work.

[pocket5s]

many of us are recovering bass heads. some still like to jam every once in a while.

nice work on the faceplate, looks like you wore out that dremel!

[Slammer]

And.............. done! Here is the "after" pic from the custom HU install. It was my first such install and I was quite proud of myself.




Now for a quick catch up. I started with a Hertz 10 in this car initially and Hertz HSK 165 components in the front and rear doors. I've changed the setup more times than I can recall over the last 3+ years. Started with Memphis amps but wanted to run cleaner gear (SQ bug had bitten). I ran a Hertz EP5 which I loved but it wasn't anywhere near the power that I needed. I ended up with three amps in the trunk and my last setup was a PPI PC2.150 on the front doors, a Zapco Reference 200.2 on the rear doors and a hertz EP1D on the sub. The sub is a 15" Memphis C3 that is in a sealed enclosure, by the way. Very heavily braced and coated internally with fiberglass resin (already mentioned I'm an admitted bass head........). I worked frantically to get my car ready for the NC fall SQ meet because it was my first such meet and I didn't want to embarrass myself. I got my enclosure and amp wrack wrapped and put everything back in. Looked great, but I picked up noise in the rear doors. Interconnects for the Zapco were apparently too close to a power run. Being the night before the meet and no time to pull it all back out, I disconnected the amp. Drove to the meet thinking my car was gonna suck with no rear doors playing, but was surprised how much I liked it during the drive. Found out when I got to the meet that just about no one there was running drivers in the rear of their cars.

Learned more in the 8 hours at that meet than I had in a year of talking to other people and reading online. On the drive home, I played with the time alignment on my HU and was amazed at the difference it made. With a new understanding of stage height and width as well as imaging, I was now ready to take my car to the next level. My bass was clean and tight but that was about the only compliment I received at the meet (other than the install). I had issues. I knew that I needed more power and that I needed to "simplify" my system.

Quick pic (everyone loves pics, rite?) of the car with the Memphis amps. Note that the 15 in this pic is the older M3 and not the C3 that I run now. Cooked the M3 playing a Snoop track but still blame that voice coil damage on the funky box design I dreamed up. Smoked the replacement C3 a week later. Changed the box design and have been pushing the C3 for two years with no issues...........

[Slammer]

A few pics of the car the way it was when I rolled up to the fall meet.

PPI and Zapco beside the enclosure..



The Hertz EP1D. Good amp that was rated at 1k watts @ 1 ohm, but I'm not sure that is accurate........



A few pics of the car, just for giggles.......... Non audio mods include tinted windows, seamless vent visors, painted caliper with Lexus decals, F Sport lowering springs, Tanabe Medallion axle back exhaust, Tanabe mid pipes (secondary cat delete), K&N short ram intake and remote start.

[Slammer]

Thank you sir.

[papacueball]

Nice looking ride, and great fab work on the bezel!

[Slammer]

Pic of my IS at the fall meet (5th in line on the right). Al's "toaster" hogged up my photo!



And a quick pic of what I was about to install after the meet!



To be continued................ Thanks already for the compliments.

[Slammer]

Forgot to add the GFX front and rear lips and vinyl red outs to my list of mods, by the way. Probably forgot something else as well...........