My SC400 install thread

[Electrodynamic]

Here are the RCA's I used for the install. The main run is a stereo pair of Tara Labs Prism 3A's to the RF 3Sixty.2. After the 3Sixty.2 it goes to AudioMagic solid silver RCA's and Y-splitters.

And here are the SS's installed and the door panels put back on after being modified by Brandon:

And before anyone says anything negative: YES there will be custom grilles made to cover up the mids at a later date.

 

[Electrodynamic]

Test fitting the sub enclosure, sanding, and the amp rack (notice the use of beer ):

 

[Electrodynamic]

Last but not least, how it looks right now. Fully functional but without the trim panels.

 

[ihiryu]

I'm not a big stereo guy, but this looks great. I'm pretty slow at audio stuff, but what is the REAL purpose of tweeters? i've heard so many different things, but you seem to know what you look like you are doing.

 

[Electrodynamic]

I'm not a big stereo guy, but this looks great. I'm pretty slow at audio stuff, but what is the REAL purpose of tweeters? i've heard so many different things, but you seem to know what you look like you are doing.

The real purpose of tweeters is to reproduce the upper end of the audio spectrum. Imagine if someone you were talking to held a big piece of foam up directly in front of their mouth - that's how it would sound without tweeters. No cymbals, "ssss" sounds, upper-end ambiance, etc. Tweeters are just as integral to a complete sound stage as your mids and subs are. The goal is to reproduce frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Without subs, mids, and tweets, it's extremely difficult to do.

 

[Vander]

Amazing thread! Keep up the good work

 

[Electrodynamic]

Here's how the HU install went. For those of you who don't know, Metra recently came out with a kit for the SC300/400's. It's a pretty big deal because there was NO kit before they came out with this. You always had to make your own cover panels and such. Anyway, here is the process:

Here is how it looked prior to the install (the hole under the HU is what I was talking about - I was going to build a plate but decided on a single din swap and decided to live with the hole until the new HU became a reality):

After taking the top part of the center console off you are left with this:

You then take the 4 screws on each side of the double din out and remove the head unit:

What's left is the climate control unit attached to the metal brackets. You remove the four screws (two on each side) that hold the climate control unit in place:

This kit comes with the brackets to mount it all back in place. You actually remove the metal factory bracket and install this plastic bracket.

Here's a pic of the Eclipse 7200 mkII before install. Notice the copper goodness.

 

[Electrodynamic]

You have to test fit your HU to the bracket and the face plate. The face plate is odd because it is just held in place by friction - no screws. So with everything hanging free it's a little difficult to keep it together. The only bad thing about my HU is that the face plate is thick on it and it sticks out from the face. I could have inset the HU but there would be a hole all the way around it when the face wasn't on. And now that I think about it I'm not sure if there is enough depth to inset it without clearance issues from the back of the deck to the back of the center console.

Next step is to secure the HU and climate control to the plastic bracket:

Then you put the face plate of the kit on and attach the whole thing like you normally would. What you end up with is this:

PS: I'm going to see if I can shove the HU back a little farther into the cubby this weekend.

*update* No, you can't fit the HU any further back into the dash. That's just one of the bad things about this particular HU: without the face, the spot where the face plate attaches is completely flat with the outside of the unit - it's not like other units where it is sunk in so the face plate sits flat. This particular unit sticks out. Oh well. The sound improvement this little puppy offers is worth it.

 

[stevechumo]

Here's how the HU install went. For those of you who don't know, Metra recently came out with a kit for the SC300/400's. It's a pretty big deal because there was NO kit before they came out with this. You always had to make your own cover panels and such.....

Please don't move on. Could you post a link where you bought that Metra dash kit? I'm thinking about redoing mine.

 

[Electrodynamic]

Please don't move on? I don't understand that, but I am going to keep moving on with my install and get the beauty panels made for the rear and the grilles for the speakers up front. I'm also going to incorporate the little knob/control for my 3sixty.2 into the (now dead) volume knob on the left hand side of the center console. That should be fun.

Let me find you that link for the kit. BTW, there are 2 kits - one for a single-din and another for a double-din. I'll find you the links though...

 

[Electrodynamic]

Here is the double-din kit

and

Here is the single-din kit

 

[stevechumo]

Here is the double-din kit

and

Here is the single-din kit

Thanks a lot. I meant "don't move on" is just to stop for a second on typing and give me the link to the dash kit. :tongue: This kit will help me redo the dash much quicker.

 

[lexplay]

does that single din kit come with the suround and pocket as one peice?
or what comes in it?

 

[Electrodynamic]

The surround and pocket are one piece. It also comes with the black plastic side pieces to mount the kit to your center console. Basically it comes with everything. Everything you see in the thread is what it comes with.

 

[stevechumo]

That dash kit is hot. I googled and it's out of stock for so many times. Even the guys on Clublexus are crazy about it.

 

[Electrodynamic]

I've done some more work on the Lexus recently.

I'll start with the remote progress.

I first took the volume control out of the car and started dissecting it and the 3sixty's remote. You can see from these pics how I just tore apart the volume control section of the volume control, as I need the climate part to control the HVAC in my car.

The volume control came apart pretty easy, but I was really hesitant to snip the tiny little circuit board traces and/or connections out of old habbit. However, the volume control wasn't going to be used ever again in this car and you can buy used assembly's on ebay for cheap.

The metal "spider" carrier had to have the middle hole hogged out to accept the 3sixty's knob, but other than that the unit fit right up to it. Thankfully RF supplied extra nuts and washers to attach the remote to another face so I used that to secure the remote to the board.

And then I noticed that the shaft of the 3sixty remote BARELY fit inside the white plastic housing. What that meant was I couldn't drill a hole in the factory black extension to go over the 3sixty's knob. So what I had to do was sand down the factory plastic shaft and make a tiny blade so it would fit inside the 3sixty's slot.

And then I noticed that the shaft of the 3sixty remote BARELY fit inside the white plastic housing. What that meant was I couldn't drill a hole in the factory black extension to go over the 3sixty's knob. So what I had to do was sand down the factory plastic shaft and make a tiny blade so it would fit inside the 3sixty's slot.

I also had to cut slots in the outter housing to accept the 3sixty's board and also cut a hole in the back of the unit to accept the new remote's board.

But now it all works! The old volume control now controls the subwoofer level of my system!!! I would have taken a picture but it's looks just the same as before except all of the wires are now hidden (I ran them into the center console for hookups).

 

[Electrodynamic]

And now for the false floor section.

I initially cut out a piece of wood that would fit over the two supports on either side of the subwoofers that was all one piece. However, you have to hinge it in order for it to fit inside the vehicle. So I took the solid piece and cut it on one end to make a hinge.

I had my sign guy print me up a Lexus logo and then I used that logo to trace out the Lexus emblem on the piece of wood. After some jig saw work, I had a Lexus logo in the middle of the piece of wood.

I bought carpet from Parts Express that was/is pretty close to my original carpet color and cut it out using the factory floor piece as a template. I then put the pice of wood on top of the carpet for a test fit.

The blue tape is to outline the edges of the wood so when I put contact adhesive down I don't go overboard. I then coated the wood and the carpet with contact adhesive and put the two pieces together.

After that, I stapled the carpet to the back side of the board and then followed it up by stretching grille cloth around the Lexus logo opening.

 

[stevechumo]

That's creative...Nice!!!

 

[spf_lexus]

Clean cover..... OG!

 

[Electrodynamic]

Thanks guys.

Now it's on to flush mounting the amplifiers and then on to making custom grilles for the ScanSpeak mids.