Fg Xr6 Turbo Stereo Upgrade

[curtislyons]

Ive had my ute since october last year and although it has 'premium' sound, I have struggled to convince myself its decent.

In all of my previous cars Ive had good aftermarket stereos installed.

You can spend $100 or $1000 on just a pair of speakers and its safe to say anything will sound better than stock if you choose a reputable brand and run it off a decent headunit and/or amp.

So anyway heres what I did to the ute.....

- use this vid to remove your trim without snapping it off in 3 pieces

I was going to make the front speaker mounts from ply and then use a little angled spacer from autobarn to copy the factory mount but instead I just cut the factory speaker from its mount.

I just used a jigsaw to cut out the support bars on the back and then you have to cut/rip the rest out around the edge.

The factory mounts seem to be made as complicated as possible to make this task even more frustrating haha but it will work with 6'' replacements.

Then just screwed the new speaker into the rim on the top edge (where the foam edge is) just watch your screw size and pre drill so as to not slip and put holes in the new speaker which will render them as just magnets and will only produce a noise when you throw them at the ground immediately after)

I also decided to just solder the new speakers into the factory connections in the mount since it was easy and just plug them in (I hate crimping)

so the tweeters were the easiest part of the project and the factory ones (if you have them) just unscrew from the mounting bracket once you take it off from behind the pillar. I used liquid nails in the middle of the new tweeter and then superglue around the edges to stop any vibration.

Just remember that the positive wire on the tweeter comes out of the capacitor on the side so just connect the new one after the capacitor.

In the utes the back carpet and side panel is one piece so I cut in the corner join just to remove the sides (otherwise you have to pull up the floor carpet and step) Then I removed the back speakers and this is what your left with...

I cut a ply wood panel out using 12mm ply at 180 wide and 250 high to accommodate the 6x9. Then jigsawed out the centre leaving 10mm around the top, bottom and sides of the new speaker.

I screwed the panel in just lower then centre of the original hole.

I then screwed a pre purchased 25 thick 6x9 spacer onto the panel matching up the 6x9 holes.

You have to cut the carpet panel to fit a 6x9 also but keep the spacer behind so you can screw through the carpet and into the spacer.

I screwed the speaker through the carpet panel, through the 25mm spacer and into the ply behind, thus holding it all together neatly. (I used a mate to hold it in place since it can be tricky trying the find the ply panel right at the back when you cant see it. just feel for where its solid and put all 4 screw holes over the solid) as long as you line the spacer and the carpet holes up with the ply panel hole it will locate correctly.

I know I shouldve taken pics of this but too late so it just goes...

1. ply panel

2. 25mm spacer

3. factory carpet panel

4. new speaker

5. speaker grill

the speakers mount slightly angled back which is why I used the 12mm to space off the factory round hole.

done. I need to run all four speakers off an amp since the ICC is only running them at about 1/3 of what they should. I would have sound deadened behind the rear speakers for the bit extra as ford cheaped out on it and just did a single little panel in there.

I also would have just used 6'' rear speakers but was fooled by the seemingly 6x9 cover in the back haha so make it easy on yourself and go all 6's with the appropriate ply mount.

I used JL audio c2600cw front splits which have the external tweeter, they are available with the tweeter built in also.

I used JL audio TR series 6x9s as they are a very good speaker with a lot of development behind them and they were good in my last car.

when choosing speakers try and preview them at the shop, JB hi fi is the best and autobarn also have a sound wall to hear all of them. JB hi fi has always been the cheapest over the last couple years. I will also be using a digital sound processor to cut out that usual static feedback in these cars and will allow me to connect an amp to the ICC.

like this one which is around $250

but rockford and JL also make a similiar unit.

Any questions?

[julesk_1972]

Excellent work!

Thanks for sharing.

[Bellato]

Looks good mate.

Is that actually a processor or just a hi tech line converter. when I bought my gear the guy sold me this aerosum8 which was a hi tech line converter that was meant to eliminate static and increase clarity but for $250 it did the same job as $20 line converter's I used in previous cars. I suggest either save your coin on a normal line converter or if funds allow buy a proper processor. I think a few guys on here run the Alpine one

[kilmo]

What model Alpine convertor??

Edited 28/04/13 01:15 PM by kilmo