After the events in my other post, I decided life is too short for ugly carpet, and a bad amp in the hoopty. So I went all out, yanked all my gear and the seats, and recarpeted, troubleshooted, and basically went around and fixed everything I could with the materials at hand.
I went dumpster shopping behind a carpet store and scored a couple of sweet-looking rolls of light gray carpet. From there, I went home, pulled out the seats and the amps, and went crazy. For house carpet, I got a pretty decent fit, the main objective was to clean up most of the wiring mess that plagues my car.
I also relocated the amps to almost completely under the seats, (the JBL 4 channel is a bit too big, and has top mounted controls, so it sticks out a little under the front of the driver's seat.), and managed to fix the problem with the amp I was having.
Turns out, that my homie that manages a retail car audio store said that the Kenwood subs I have were known for their unorthodox design causing the sun to short out when it bottoms out.
Something about the voice coil actually shorting out when it hits the magnet. He also said that all the weight of the hot glue I used in a few surgeries on the right sub made it to where the weight on the cone affected it to where only the undamaged sub would do it.
Bottom line, I just need to turn it down a touch. Everything is consistently working fine now, and back to thumpin like I should.
Pics to come as soon as I load them off the camera!
Replies (9)
cplkittle on 03/1/2008 23:25:40
good deals can be found at the dumpster! or the 'swap and shop' as we call it here in georgia. Just watch out for shop owners or cops. It is illegal in most states.
SQLThump on 03/1/2008 23:29:06
It's cool here. Talked to the owner months ago and he said we would be doing him a favor.
As for the legality, not too sure on that actually. Only happens when I need carpet. We recarpet our whole trailer with dumpster stuff when I was like 12!
swez on 03/2/2008 11:16:13
"Dumpster Diving" is a very cost effective way to get things we need at no extra cost. It's not illegal to my knowledge and if it's in the trash/dumpster, it fair game to all. In most cases, it saves money to the guy who pays for dumpster services too. (The more he can jam into that dumpster before its hauled away, the better)
Also, one can also get free raw materials from contruction and demolition sites too. PVC pipe for ports, fiberglass insulation refuse and lumber. Just ask the site boss for what is needed and he'll often give the nod to grab whatever is desired... after it is in the dumpster. Most waste haulers are paid by the load. It does not matter "how much or little" is in the dumpster when they haul it away to a landfill. They get a flat rate. So, if one scavenges the dumpster now and then, the contractor can put more refuse in later. If others recycle what's in there already, that just cuts cost and allows the contruction crew to dump more materials into the container before it is hauled away.
FYI: It can be dangerous to climb into a dumpster for desired refuse. Most General Contractors will not permit it if liabilities are a concern. However, we can ask that "certain items" be set aside and collected later.
Finally, never enter a construction site w/o permission. This is often considered trespassing on the property. However, I have visited local construction sites and asked for various refuse to be set aside for later. If given the nod, do this pickup at the end of the shift and with full permission from the GC on site. (General Contractor) They will accomodate if possible. (We are doing them a favor in the process and the GC has the last word)
Swez
SQLThump on 03/2/2008 23:08:29
Don't do the construction site thing personally. The carpet shop is the only place I ever go dumpster shopping. Generally I only go to construction sites to heist traffic cones or road signs...........
SQLThump on 03/3/2008 15:25:46
Alright guys, here are the pics of the newfandangled carpet in the hoopty! I love it!!!!
It's all right here!
http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s191/GhettoHooptyBucket/
The older, more ghetto crap!
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2612901
newB on 03/3/2008 21:04:39
nice!
does the Carpet over the mids effect the SQ/Output?
-Drew
SQLThump on 03/3/2008 22:08:20
Not at all. the carpet is a special dashmat which can be easily penetrated by sound. Thats why I am hesitant to put the matching carpet on the dash.
ttocs on 03/5/2008 02:55:21
automotive carpet is normally unbacked so that you can pull it and stretch it unlike home carpet. if you put that on the dash you will really wonder what happened to the mid.
SQLThump on 03/6/2008 21:24:53
The dashmat is unbacked, yes, but all of the floor carpet is backes with a substance similar to sound dampening mat. I left the old carpet in place for that reason.
I went dumpster shopping behind a carpet store and scored a couple of sweet-looking rolls of light gray carpet. From there, I went home, pulled out the seats and the amps, and went crazy. For house carpet, I got a pretty decent fit, the main objective was to clean up most of the wiring mess that plagues my car.
I also relocated the amps to almost completely under the seats, (the JBL 4 channel is a bit too big, and has top mounted controls, so it sticks out a little under the front of the driver's seat.), and managed to fix the problem with the amp I was having.
Turns out, that my homie that manages a retail car audio store said that the Kenwood subs I have were known for their unorthodox design causing the sun to short out when it bottoms out.
Something about the voice coil actually shorting out when it hits the magnet. He also said that all the weight of the hot glue I used in a few surgeries on the right sub made it to where the weight on the cone affected it to where only the undamaged sub would do it.
Bottom line, I just need to turn it down a touch. Everything is consistently working fine now, and back to thumpin like I should.
Pics to come as soon as I load them off the camera!
Replies (9)
cplkittle on 03/1/2008 23:25:40
good deals can be found at the dumpster! or the 'swap and shop' as we call it here in georgia. Just watch out for shop owners or cops. It is illegal in most states.
SQLThump on 03/1/2008 23:29:06
It's cool here. Talked to the owner months ago and he said we would be doing him a favor.
As for the legality, not too sure on that actually. Only happens when I need carpet. We recarpet our whole trailer with dumpster stuff when I was like 12!
swez on 03/2/2008 11:16:13
"Dumpster Diving" is a very cost effective way to get things we need at no extra cost. It's not illegal to my knowledge and if it's in the trash/dumpster, it fair game to all. In most cases, it saves money to the guy who pays for dumpster services too. (The more he can jam into that dumpster before its hauled away, the better)
Also, one can also get free raw materials from contruction and demolition sites too. PVC pipe for ports, fiberglass insulation refuse and lumber. Just ask the site boss for what is needed and he'll often give the nod to grab whatever is desired... after it is in the dumpster. Most waste haulers are paid by the load. It does not matter "how much or little" is in the dumpster when they haul it away to a landfill. They get a flat rate. So, if one scavenges the dumpster now and then, the contractor can put more refuse in later. If others recycle what's in there already, that just cuts cost and allows the contruction crew to dump more materials into the container before it is hauled away.
FYI: It can be dangerous to climb into a dumpster for desired refuse. Most General Contractors will not permit it if liabilities are a concern. However, we can ask that "certain items" be set aside and collected later.
Finally, never enter a construction site w/o permission. This is often considered trespassing on the property. However, I have visited local construction sites and asked for various refuse to be set aside for later. If given the nod, do this pickup at the end of the shift and with full permission from the GC on site. (General Contractor) They will accomodate if possible. (We are doing them a favor in the process and the GC has the last word)
Swez
SQLThump on 03/2/2008 23:08:29
Don't do the construction site thing personally. The carpet shop is the only place I ever go dumpster shopping. Generally I only go to construction sites to heist traffic cones or road signs...........
SQLThump on 03/3/2008 15:25:46
Alright guys, here are the pics of the newfandangled carpet in the hoopty! I love it!!!!
It's all right here!
http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s191/GhettoHooptyBucket/
The older, more ghetto crap!
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2612901
newB on 03/3/2008 21:04:39
nice!
does the Carpet over the mids effect the SQ/Output?
-Drew
SQLThump on 03/3/2008 22:08:20
Not at all. the carpet is a special dashmat which can be easily penetrated by sound. Thats why I am hesitant to put the matching carpet on the dash.
ttocs on 03/5/2008 02:55:21
automotive carpet is normally unbacked so that you can pull it and stretch it unlike home carpet. if you put that on the dash you will really wonder what happened to the mid.
SQLThump on 03/6/2008 21:24:53
The dashmat is unbacked, yes, but all of the floor carpet is backes with a substance similar to sound dampening mat. I left the old carpet in place for that reason.
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