I am totally new to car audio, but have been doing home diy for some time. The reason I am now looking into mobile audio is that I just got a hand me down 1997ish acura 1.6el, which is essentially a civic. However, before the previous owner gave it to me, he ran down the battery and the stock radio is stuck on the 'code' screen, and he lost his code card. So, I decided I may as well do a modest upgrade since I'll have to get a new head unit anyway. Right now I'm trying to get a cheap used head unit off of ebay, my only requirement is that it be a reputable brand and play vbr mp3s on CD.
I would like to do this at as low a cost as possible, and I guess I could just buy some cheap 6.5 coaxes and new 6x9s, but I suspect that like in home audio, DIY is better and cheaper. That said, I have no idea how to proceed. Here's what I have already,
2 x CSS wr125 (8 ohm)
2 x old 12" WR128 Hifonics Olympian warrior (new in box, 8ohm)
6 x Dayton ND20 tweeters (8 ohm)
2 x hivi tn28 tweeters (8ohm)
I'd like to use as much of these parts as possible, hopefully this will let me keep my cost to a minimum. The dayton and css drivers I like a lot, and while the hifonics aren't as good as contemporary woofers, I don't need booming bass and hope they will my puprose, frankly the bass I get from the 'stock' system is loud enough for me, just quite distorted at higher levels, so I'm not sure I even need the subs, but since theyve been sitting in my basement for 10 years doing nothing, if they can be used cheaply that would be nice. In terms of skills/tools, I have some woodworking skills, a router, jigsaw, dremel-type multitool, sander etc, and can put together a passive crossover. I also have a measurement setup and LSPCAD, though it would be a pita to get it out to the car.
So, can any kind veterans give me some advice as to how to proceed with this type of project on a tight budget? If it could be done in stages, all the better. Even general advice on what parts of the system to do first would be useful.
I would like to do this at as low a cost as possible, and I guess I could just buy some cheap 6.5 coaxes and new 6x9s, but I suspect that like in home audio, DIY is better and cheaper. That said, I have no idea how to proceed. Here's what I have already,
2 x CSS wr125 (8 ohm)
2 x old 12" WR128 Hifonics Olympian warrior (new in box, 8ohm)
6 x Dayton ND20 tweeters (8 ohm)
2 x hivi tn28 tweeters (8ohm)
I'd like to use as much of these parts as possible, hopefully this will let me keep my cost to a minimum. The dayton and css drivers I like a lot, and while the hifonics aren't as good as contemporary woofers, I don't need booming bass and hope they will my puprose, frankly the bass I get from the 'stock' system is loud enough for me, just quite distorted at higher levels, so I'm not sure I even need the subs, but since theyve been sitting in my basement for 10 years doing nothing, if they can be used cheaply that would be nice. In terms of skills/tools, I have some woodworking skills, a router, jigsaw, dremel-type multitool, sander etc, and can put together a passive crossover. I also have a measurement setup and LSPCAD, though it would be a pita to get it out to the car.
So, can any kind veterans give me some advice as to how to proceed with this type of project on a tight budget? If it could be done in stages, all the better. Even general advice on what parts of the system to do first would be useful.
You certainly can use the drivers you have, with no problems. It’s just as easy to DIY car audio as home audio. The car is a really bad environment for audio, so don’t worry about trying to optimize as much as you might in the home.
I don’t know how much bass you’ll get from the CSS drivers, so you might think about something larger for the mid. A good 7” mid might deliver enough bass to keep you pretty content. If not, then add a subwoofer. Maybe start with a nice 7” driver and either of the tweets you currently own. Build a reasonable crossover and you should get some nice sound.
I don’t know how much bass you’ll get from the CSS drivers, so you might think about something larger for the mid. A good 7” mid might deliver enough bass to keep you pretty content. If not, then add a subwoofer. Maybe start with a nice 7” driver and either of the tweets you currently own. Build a reasonable crossover and you should get some nice sound.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.