Final Design of Speaker Enclosure

So I sat down and calculated the volume in my previous speaker enclosure design.  It was quite low even if I took into account that poly batting would add 15-18% to the calculated volume.  So I tweaked the design a little bit.

The depth is now the maximum I feel comfortable with and I removed a messy angle that was going to be a pain to make.  I actually measured where the connectors on the amp are located to come up with where cut-outs would be located.  Also scaled down the size of the wire conduit after measuring the thickness of the entire bundle of wires.  The final volume for the sub, assuming a 15% increase for the poly, is approximately 0.47 cubic feet (manufacturer suggested between 0.4-0.6 and optimal at 0.5).

I have everything I need to build this except the glue and MDF...  Next step is to mock up the sides with cardboard so the box will fit snug.

Speaker Box - Draft 2

Took some much more accurate measurements and used the exact dimensions of the speakers and amplifier.  This design maximizes the amount of space for the subs while attempting to keep it as little impact as possible (storage space is a premium in this car).  I discovered that the speakers have to be isolated from the subs, so now they're placed in separate chambers (which reduces the amount of space for the subs).  The tweeter is in the sub chamber so that it doesn't fire into the soft top when it's down.  I'm planning on using baffling to isolate it from the sub chamber.  The back of the tweeter is pretty isolated by itself, so foam baffling should be plenty of isolation.  The MDF was switched to 1/2" but that should be fine as long as I use a hardening agent on it (resin/bondo mixture, epoxy enamel, etc.).  Also considering using the left over sound dampener from the insulation project as well.

The next step will be to do more calculations on this design to see if its sufficient (with the use of a speaker poly-fill).  If the design has more than enough internal space, I'd like to move the amp back to the rear of the box.  It would simplify the design and make it more hidden.  With  the amp in the front like this, it will be exposed for cooling purposes.  In the back I'll have to install a fan or something.

Trying to find the time

It seems like I've been fairly busy lately and just haven't had the time to work on the car.  Did take a few days break because I felt like I was neglecting the wife...

I was working on reconditioning the doors.  Since I'm doing power locks, I had to figure out how to wire the modules into the system.  Been doing a lot of testing with the multimeter and doing trial circuits to make sure things operate.  I did unfortunately burn out one of my new LEDs (the rear "dome" light).  However, after all the testing I have run the wire into the driver's side door and figured out how to wire the system up to the original alarm, dome lights, parking lights, and siren.  So it's just a matter of finding time to work...

Got lots of parts waiting for me to finish the interior work.

• Complete parking/emergency brake stainless steel rebuild kit
• Aluminum radiator with dual electric fans
• Electric water pump

I've just ordered the subwoofers, component speakers, and amplifier that I'm going to install in the back.  My initial design was used to just make sure everything was going to fit the way I want.  I really don't want to show off the giant stereo (in my opinion that's something high school kids do...), so I'm working to make the speaker box as minimal as possible.  A friend of mine that has built speaker before is advising me on the design.  Too bad the head unit I want is out yet.  In case you're wondering here's what I've got so far for it:

• Rockford Fosgate P400-2 400W Stereo Amplifier
• Dual Clarion WF2510 10" Shallow Mount SVC 4 ohm Subwoofers
• Polk Audio DB6501 6.5" 2-way Component System (front speakers are the same line)
• Auto Custom Carpet 812 Royal Blue Cut-Pile Carpet

Here's my initial design...  Measurements are approximate and the volume is insufficient for the subwoofer specs so there's going to be modifications, but at least you can see where I'm going with this.

Reverse Lights Pages Is Up!

Well, I've been on a little break from working on the car lately to spend more time hanging out with my wife and to just relax.  I did work on the door last weekend for a while (getting them cleaned up from rust).  I also did a little investigation into the alarm system after getting all the new wiring harness in.  Happy to say, the power windows now work with the new harness, and so does the "dome" light.  While investigating the alarm system, I accidentally set it off with my multimeter probe.  And yes, the horn still works!

I've been gearing up to finish the doors and interior repair.  Have to finish treating the rust in the doors before I can finish the wiring, and I have to finish the wiring before I can put the dash back together.  This part has just been slow going.  I've got the parts to do a complete emergency/parking brake rebuild, so that will probably be my next project once I'm done with this one.

I did end up getting the DeWitts aluminum radiator with electric fans when they were on sale.  It's freaking awesome!  It's so light that my wife can easily pick up the entire box...  Also on the way is a 55 GPM electric water pump.  With all these parts going electric, I will be needing to get a new alternator.  It's also possible that I may need to change out my v-belts and pulleys for something else because of clearance issues.  We'll see...

Anyway, I finally got around to putting together a page for a project I did in the early fall last year.  The idea was to put reverse lights in the car because it didn't really have any since tail lights had been converted to "bubble lens".  Check out the page for more info.

Wiring Trouble

So a couple months ago when I attempted to put the car back together after insulating the front section, I ran into problems with the power windows no longer working.  Did some checking and the no power was coming out the ACC or IGN lines on the fuse panel.  I disconnected everything and checked the wires.  Couldn't find any problems, but it still wouldn't work.

If you talk to anyone working on an old car, one of the first things they say to do is to check the electrical.  The 35+ year old wiring was not meant to last this long.  Chances are you have breaks you can't see, oxidized wires, and broken or corroded connectors.  I check out a bunch of connectors and they were all very corroded.  Rather than to chance an electrical fire and eliminate old issues, I ordered a complete set of wiring harnesses (except power windows and A/C because those are small ones I can easily check/fix).

Now that the insulation is done, I've been installing the new harnesses.  Anyone wanting to do the engine harness of a 1975 Corvette needs to check the starter solenoid connector before connecting up the harness.  The connector on my new harness was the opposite gender of the original.  It plugs into a small extension that's unique to the 1975 (pictured below).  Other years have this extension with the same connectors but it's much longer and without the heat shielding.  Be sure that if the manufacturer changes the harness gender that they can provide you with a new extension.  I'll be sure to post this information on the wiring page once I create it.

Sneak peek at current project

So I got the last set of insulation that I need for the car today.  It was on back order for a couple weeks otherwise I would have had it all in before New Years...

Anyway, I finished up the rear section of insulation (front was done a while ago), so I thought I'd share what it looks like right now.  I'm not going to go into details about what I did just yet for the insulation, but lets just say it's going to be a much more comfortable ride.  The last section missing insulation are the doors.  Once I get them done, I'll take a full picture of the car.  I'll also put together a page of what I used, why I did each step, and how I actually did the insulation (plus notes on issues I ran into).  But for now, enjoy a few pictures...

Yes, I realize I went a little overboard, but honestly you can't go wrong isolating noise and heat from your car.  It makes for a more pleasant ride...  And yes, there are two different kinds of insulation there (I'll cover that later with pros/cons).

Discovered New Problem

So I was working on the wiring the other night and saw that radiator fluid was sitting on top of the intake manifold.  It appears that the thermostat gasket is leaking.  There are some oil and transmission fluid leaks that was going to have fixed once I get this thing back together, but getting a car that runs hot and has leaking radiator fluid to the mechanic is going to be a problem.  Luckily it's only going to cost like $15 total to fix the leak (replacing the thermostat too as recommended by a friend).

Fixing the leak will force me to drain the radiator.  I was going to replace the radiator later this year for an aluminum direct-fit, and that was going to make me get new fluid.  So it doesn't really make sense to replace the radiator fluid twice in one year.  I was going to post on Corvette Forums about the situation for some suggestions and saw a posting by a well-known Corvette radiator manufacturer.  It turns out that they're going to be running a sale on the 15th on this month.  With the sale, getting their kit will save me $600-$700 on the upgrade over getting the replacement from a Corvette catalog or JEGS.  So, after discussing with the wife, I will be starting the radiator upgrade sooner than planned.