Lanson's 2013 Ford Flex

[Lanson]

I'd be more inclined to do paper in the midrange than the midbass so, yeah I would likely do the aluminum cone 8" RS225 with that setup as well. Should be easy to get them in those huge doors. Is that stock trim shape (on the outer plastic panel) measuring larger than the RS225's OD or would you have to cut and reshape that piece to fit? With a mounting depth under 3.75" you may be able to make a new stock baffle to mate to the door and still keep that driver well below the doorcard panel.

The plastic panel will be removed and a multi-layer baffle will be installed in place, but I won't have to cut any metal. The door panel plastic will be cut on that line, and I'll make a new grille out of cloth to make sure the door doesn't mess up the output and quality.

[Lanson]

Oh and since I started out this build log sorta weird (not at the beginning), let's do that now.

This is the car a few hours after I bought it. This black car with the metallic silica sparkle in it gives new meaning to the term "high maintenance". But damn, it looks good when it is clean. This is without any work done to the paint other than a wash.



And this is after many hours and some money. I detail cars as a hobby and this has my best work in it. It has a set of 3 piece forged, staggered wheels from LB Forged out of Anaheim. I found them out of a Craigslist ad, of all things and figured I'd give them a shot. Specifically, the size is 22x9 +37 front, and 22x10 +37 rear. These are in a brush finish with powder clearcoat on the centers, and the barrels are raw polished aluminum. A small detail that was added as the wheels were made, a ball mill was done all around each mesh spoke, to create a more 3D effect. This then was left in a semi-polished state and then cleared. At speed that detail goes by unnoticed, but while parked it makes the spokes stand out. Tires are 265/35-22 all around, which I had to match because the car is AWD and picky about tire size changes front to rear. Suspension is the best I can do right now, which is H&R springs. They are the only maker of springs for the Flex, and as of this post, there are no coilover kits available for my year. Air is only viable if the whole thing is custom-made, and of course then there's the matter of mounting the tank, etc. So, she's as low as I can get it for now. Oh, and it has ceramic tint all around, including the windshield which is Air Blue 80. Keeps the temps down in the desert.






Next I'll go over the gear currently installed

[Lanson]

So one super-big hurdle to overcome was the battery. The stock battery uses a very strange terminal and wiring arrangement



This must be some sort of ammeter


Torn down to reach the factory looms, which sit under the battery box. The loom had the grounds tightly wrapped in, and I needed them just a teensy bit longer to fit the Optima battery. Major effort required to do that.



The factory terminal has fuses for a few major parts, so I had to recreate that with an external box



Factory ground point improved with an additional ground cable, and scuffed metal.


I managed to get my additional ground through the metering device (whatever it is), which was a fun chore

[Lanson]

Wires to the battery have been re-run, outside of the factory loom. Extra ground added and routed



Love these terminals


The 1/0 power wire was run through the false firewall, to the car. Note, if anybody is following this with a Flex, you do NOT have to do this part, after all. I was doing a build for another Flex owner, and we discovered there is a rubber grommet that acts like a drain, which sits further in under the cowl. It creates a safe passageway for big wire from the engine bay, under the cowl, and into the cabin via the main harness grommet. But,...here's my work anyway




Processing is handled by an MS8, and signal is taken directly from the stock HU, with the connector of the HU being my point of splice.
[img]http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a3d903b3127ccef3f83e5ff01300000030O00AcOWjRo1btG QPbz4C/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00204754449820130722130136181.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/[img]



MS8 and the distribution block sit under the driver's seat


I run two amps, one a Vibe Slick Stereo 4, and the other a Vibe Slick Bass 1. These are great units for their size and cost, and remain one of my favorite amps even after using a bunch of higher end gear. Size matters when you have no space!

[Lanson]

Continuing with the current setup
This is the trunk area, which uses Exile Audio shallow subs in a fiberglass enclosure. The top is reinforced with square steel bar, and can take a beating from luggage and other heavy objects.




So the system will probably be keeping the rear subs indefinitely as I've not seen a better pair of subs that will fit in the space and stay optimal. I've used Sundown SD-2's in a similar box for another Flex, and those were BETTER but they took a slightly taller box, so the rear seats did not flip and fold completely flat. There was a tiny bit of angle still in the floorboard when folded.

Next up, back to preset work

[Lanson]

So, this is where I'm at as of last night. I hate this part. I suck at doing it because it always goes off too quickly for my pace, and I hate the mess, the smell, the sanding dust when I'm done, etc.






Next up tomorrow, lots of sanding. I can hardly contain my excitement.

[claydo]

Yay.....sanding!

[BHinkle]

I love the wheels and I think the current stance looks great! I'm looking forward to the rest of you build.

P.S. Good job overcoming the factory battery terminal debacle!

[Lanson]

I love the wheels and I think the current stance looks great! I'm looking forward to the rest of you build.

P.S. Good job overcoming the factory battery terminal debacle!

Thanks! I've been patiently waiting for a coilover option to set her down just a bit more, and then I think I'll try for some slightly wider barrels (+.5") in chrome or black chrome, or something of the sort. Those are plans but I'm still waiting on a lot of other things to actually be made for the car (like a tune), so for now the audio is top priority.

[Lanson]

You ever seen those shirts, that say things like, "I Fucking Love Meetings"?

We need one for sanding.