85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett"

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by edward61

Are you going to add a fan to keep the control module cool or is it not needed ?

I asked Tim Smith romantic Kicker if the processor producedany significant heat. He felt that the open top would be fine, but I added the vent holes anyway. I'm going to test it once it's running but there probably onto be a need for additional cooling.

[mcbassin]

Very nice work as always Ken!

[N2TRUX]

Last night my work in the shop was limited but I had just enough time to mock up the www.7387chevytrucks.com kick panel pods.
These pods will house @kickeraudio #ksc650 6.5" #coaxial speakers. They were designed by Chris Lucas of ensure precise fit and clearance for the E brake.
I attached them to the kick panels first using the factory mounting holes. That allowed my to mark the correct location for the speakers. With the alignment dialed in I mounted the retainer rings and marked for the speaker hole.
I drilled and large pilot hole and cut the opening with a small air saw. I cleaned the cut with coarse paper and slipped the speaker in place. I reinstalled the assembly to ensure everything cleared
Once the passenger side is completed I will line the pods with Silent Coat sound deadner to seal the enclosure and prevent any rattles.
Eventually these will be dyed Napa red to match.

[N2TRUX]

Last night i put the the finishing touches on the www.7387chevytrucks.computer kick panel pods install. These pods were redesigned by Chris Lucas to ensure clearance of the E brake. They are very well designed but did require minor trimming on one to fit to my satisfaction.
The pods are injection molded and come with a nice textured finish. To improve sound projection I added a layer of @silentcoat sound deadner to the back side of the pods and front of the kick panel. The Silent Coat was very effective at eliminating any chance of resonance from the panels or pods and will greatly improve the performance of the @kickeraudio 6.5" coaxials.

Once I was happy with the fit, I dyed everything with several coats of SEM Napa red. I am very pleased with the pods and can confidently say they are the best I have used to date

[N2TRUX]

Chris and I worked on the @kickeraudio install this weekend. He focused on wiring while I built a mounting plate for the @kickeraudio 3.5" #coaxial speakers for the center channel.
We decided to inspect the factory audio harness so Chris pulled it from the dash. It was in good condition so he wrapped it up and routed to fit our needs.
The Kicker component system will incorporate 2 sets of 3.5" coaxials in the dash. One on each corner, and a pair in the center to emulate a center channel.
To accommodate the center speakers I had to make a mounting plate. I started the design by creating a template. Once the template was fine tuned for fit, I transferred the dimensions to 1/4" Lexan.

Cutting the Lexan with a table saw is easy, but the speaker holes are a bit of a challenge. I couldn't find a hole saw the right size so I used an air saw. It's a slow process that required clean up with a die grinder but I managed a fairly clean opening.

The center plate is mounted and the dash speakers are in and wired up.

[MMcMasters]

Very nice!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by MMcMasters

Very nice!

Thanks.

[N2TRUX]

While Chris was working on the dash he replaced the corner speakers too. We had previously replaced the stock speakers, but ran out of time to finish the original install. Fortunately Kicker stepped in and supplied us with premium quality components to build the system.

[Desert1957]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

While Chris was working on the dash he replaced the corner speakers too. We had previously replaced the stock speakers, but ran out of time to finish the original install. Fortunately Kicker stepped in and supplied us with premium quality components to build the system.

Ken,
I had a problem with my corners speakers rubbing the dash pad, had to trim the ears a little and remount them from the bottom edge of the brackets.
Dash pad was actually limiting the speaker cone movement, sound was much improved after the relocation.

[N2TRUX]

One more piece of the @kickeraudio puzzle fits in place. Last night I finished making the mounting panel for the bass control and usb media port.
The Kicker Hideaway 8" sub includes a remote mount gain control. It's a set it a forget it feature most of the time, but occasionally you might want a bit more bass.
I decided to mount it in the glove box to be accessible yet hidden when not in use. I had some extra space so I added a charging and data port as well.
The port will allow fast charging of any electronic gadget and USB input as well. The USB port will be connected to the KMC20 processor in the event you want to play stored music from a device that does not have Bluetooth. This is perfect for a demo list stored on a thumb drive.

[N2TRUX]

Here's a sneak peak of how I mounted the KMC20 display without cutting he factory bezel.
I will post the finished product later.

[LSSierra]

Love this build. Curious, did you ever finish the tailgate band?? I've been thinking about it every time I look at mine...

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by LSSierra

Love this build. Curious, did you ever finish the tailgate band?? I've been thinking about it every time I look at mine...

Thank you sir. No, I haven't touched the tailgate band. I'm still looking for a good solution besides spending several hours stripping, sanding, and clearing.

[gmachinz]

I used some ridiculously strong rare earth magnets to attach my front speakers "under" the metal opening of the speaker areas. I used GM Bose automotive speakers from a CTS. I used (2) center loudspeakers and a tweeter at each dash corner-the sound is incredible when pushing the 1.5 ohm speakers using an old JBL amp pushing the BOSE speakers in series @ 2 ohm load! I've said it before-push the BOSE speakers with a good amplifier and they come alive!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Greenlee

X2 on mounting the speakers under the bracket. That's how I did mine also.

I'm going to work on remounting the corner speakers tonight. I think that eliminating the factory brackets and mounting directly to the dash will give me plenty of clearance.

Originally Posted by gmachinz

..... I used GM Bose automotive speakers from a CTS. I used (2) center loudspeakers and a tweeter at each dash corner-the sound is incredible when pushing the 1.5 ohm speakers using an old JBL amp pushing the BOSE speakers in series @ 2 ohm load! I've said it before-push the BOSE speakers with a good amplifier and they come alive!

That sounds like a great system. Bose has been an incredible innovator for many years. I had an RCA Home Theater TV with Bose direct reflect speakers. The sound was amazing for a TV 25 years ago.

[LDO]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I'm going to work on remounting the corner speakers tonight. I think that eliminating the factory brackets and mounting directly to the dash will give me plenty of clearance.

That's how i did mine and yes, plenty of room.

[N2TRUX]

Yesterday morning I started early and finished the @kickeraudio #kmc20 display install. After lots of contemplation I designed a way to mount the dusplay without modifications to the bezel or dash.
Previously I had made a template to cut out a piece of 1/16" textured abs to fill the cavity on the bezel. I attached it with thin double sided tape while I marked and drilled a couple of extra holes in the display mounting tab directly over the original radio holes. I made a small backing plate out of 1/8" abs scrap to attach from the backside.

Once I was comfortable that this would be secure I took it all apart once again and repeated the process on the new bezel supplied by Brothers Truck parts.

[rustytruck50]

Whoa, that's pretty slick....like your fabrication job on the plate & mounting!

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by rustytruck50

Whoa, that's pretty slick....like your fabrication job on the plate & mounting!

Thanks. I made the plate to fit an older bezel I used for mock up. I "assumed" the new bezel would be identical. After fine tuning the fit I discovered there were some minute variances. Most won't notice, but it bugs me. I'm going to adjust the final fit before I attach it to the new bezel. Hopefully I won't have to make a new one.

[rustytruck50]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Thanks. I made the plate to fit an older bezel I used for mock up. I "assumed" the new bezel would be identical. After fine tuning the fit I discovered there were some minute variances. Most won't notice, but it bugs me. I'm going to adjust the final fit before I attach it to the new bezel. Hopefully I won't have to make a new one.

I totally understand that....the Pro Streeted stepside I told you about previously had some graphics and colors put on that I never thought looked right, guy wouldn't go back and change it, yet, alot of people told me how good it looked, which I appreciated, but it was something akin to a giant overbite on a swimsuit model...kinda turned me off whenever I saw it!

[N2TRUX]

Last night I made some adjustments to the outer pair of @kickeraudio 3.5" #coaxial speakers. Based on you guys input I felt they were positioned to high in the mount. I repositioned them below the mount to allow more airspace. I will verify clearance when I reinstall the dash pad.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Last night I made some adjustments to the outer pair of @kickeraudio 3.5" #coaxial speakers. Based on you guys input I felt they were positioned to high in the mount. I repositioned them below the mount to allow more airspace. I will verify clearance when I reinstall the dash pad.

Yep, that will help with the clearance. Exactly what I did.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Yep, that will help with the clearance. Exactly what I did.

I think its going to be adequate, but I will double check when I put the pad on.

[N2TRUX]

Crazy busy weekend, with not much to report on Scarlett. I spent a lot of time Saturday prepping and planting beds in front of my house. After lunch I pulled the Raceline Static5 off of my 77 Cheyenne and put the Coys on for rollers. The Racelines will get a thorough polish and then put on the market. Sunday we hosted a birthday party for my niece.

After spending time with family, Chris and I got to work in the shop. He mapped out wire routing and laid it in place. With a display, speakers in the dash, a data port in the glovebox, a processor under the seat, and a powered sub and 6x9s behind the seat, routing all the wires is a complicated process. The channels along the door sills are shallow and do not accommodate enough wires so we had to run them along the edge of the various humps in the floor. We used duct tape to cover the wires and keep them flat and in place.

While Chris worked on wiring I focused on the control panel I had mounted inside the glovebox. I had previously mounted the bass gain control in a panel and decided to ad a USB charging and data port. This turned in to a much bigger challenge than anticipated.

After locating the smallest combo port I could find, I still encountered issues getting it to fit properly. Once that hurdle was overcome, the port stuck out to much to allow the door to close. It took a lot of trial and errors attempts, but I finally managed to get everything to align and the door to close correctly.

Now I have to determine why the door latch wants to rotate.

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

After lunch I pulled the Raceline Static5 off of my 77 Cheyenne and put the Coys on for rollers. The Racelines will get a thorough polish and then put on the market.

In all the posts I've seen of your 77 I don't believe I've ever seen raceline wheels on. Do you have a pic to post? What side are the racelines and do you have an asking price in mind?