btw. if the spacer is big (like mine, 20mm) the speaker grille will hit the handbrake lever when it is pulled. i wasnt using the handbrake when the utopias were installed. I will have to design a new handbrake lever which is narrower, but i have never got to that..

this is a pic of the utopia installed. as you can see the door card is bent at the front. the card itself had to be "cracked" only slightly so that it would bend round. there is a spacer under there. i also had to put a small self-tapping screw to hold the doorcard cause my clips are worn and it wouldnt hold. and i'm too lazy to go buy new ones, and i will be replacing the upholstery anyway

hope this helps, dont hesitate to ask any more Qs.

also i ready your other post and i agree with you that you do not need rear speakers unless you really want a LOUD system where you will have ppl looking at your car saying "who is this a-hole?"

as i said before i have the Focal 165W utopias up front and an infinity perfect 12.1 sub inside the cabin, behind the passenger seat.
do not try to put the sub in the boot because it will be hardly audible. as you know there is the gas tank and two layers of sheet metal and also the back seat to isolate the trunk from the cabin. also the rear shelf is metal covered with upholstery so pretty soundproof.
My system is amplified by one Kicker KX600.4 which gives 75w rms on the fronts and 300w on the sub.

i now also got a 2nd hand Focal 27KX sub but i have not yet installed it, i also have to see if i will be replacing the infinity with the focal or add another amp to run both subs.

my head unit is a pioneer p77-mp and i really love this. its got triple 6v pre-outs and burr brown D/As a real gem for any sq enthusiast

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thanks banflu....couple more questions...there are some tweeters that are adjustable so I wouldn't have to bend the door panel? That is a 6.5" midrange in the door? did you put a sub box in the trunk?

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

hi

i didnt bend the panel for the tweeter. i only did that cause the woofer was too deep and it needed a spacer so that it wouldnt hit the window mechanism. so i put the spacer under the door card so it wouldnt be visible hence for a nicer installation. the door panel is not ugly bent, no one notices it if they didnt know.

the tweeters on the focals come with mounting pods which are at an angle. depending on the way you mount them, you will choose the mounting angle. there is also flush mount pods.
but the speaker manufacturers do not all use the same system. some use swivelling tweeters. i wouldnt see this as a problem. but it is important to make the tweeters point in between of the listeners heads for a decent stage.

hope this helps

oh i nearly forgot. yes i do have a sub but when i placed it in the boot is was nearly inaudible. pic of the sub is attached.

then i put it on the back seat and it was awesome

so i had to think of a place inside the cabin, and ended up putting it behind the passenger seat, facing the passenger seat, making the passenger feeling like he/she is in a street party

int he pic i had moved the front seat fully forward while working. when i moved the seat back, front legroom is sacrifised to say the least, but this is the price i have to pay.
of course, if i had know this beforehand, i would have made the face of the sub box slanting so as to win more space.
btw that is a sealed enclosure of 28 litres.

hope this helps

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here some pictures of my car.


http://groups.msn.com/W123Club/mymercedesanice.msnw

BANFLU
TY banflu...I understand about the tweets now---I would like to go for the sub in trunk if possible--- think I may be fortunate that there was already 6x9's put in the rear deck. This may allow for subwoofer air to flow into cabin, and avoid having to find a place for a sub in the car. Are you happy with the sound from where your components are mounted?

GTA00
Thanks for responding. Very nice door panels! Can you give me any more information about those? Make them yourself? How are they mounted on the door? Materiel, etc? Those are three way components you have mounted in there? Are you happy with the sound from where they are mounted? How about the sub(s) sound? Did you remove first aid kit?

ANYONE
Do you think a good 4-channel amp...I'm looking at a ppi 400watt...would be enough power to handle a two-way set of components and one/ maybe two sub(s)? I am going strictly for sound quality. Should I be concerned about the stock alternator with a set-up like one I am considering?

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

Hi
I had removed the 1st aid box when the sub was in the trunk, and the sound was very low from it. there is just too much soundproofing. even if you totally remove the rear deck, there is still the back seat, fuel tank, etc, which are deadedning that sound, unlike a hatchback.
you will need a very powerful and large sub (or two) to get some decent bass from the trunk. IMO.
yes i am very happy with the sound from my components. it is not very loud, you will not get heard from far away, but as far as SQ goes I am very satisfied. Now i will dynamat the doors too when i install them back after the respray and they should be even better with better low-end response.

a 4ch amp will be great for a set of components and one sub. if the sub is powerful enough. but 2 subs and a set of components will not be possible if you want some power.

@GTA: very nice work! i'm impressed

I have MB Quart 4" speakers in the dash..and 6.5" MB quart on the rear deck...I plan on making an new rear deck panel raising the center to allow 2 - 10" free air subs to mount in the deck (after relocating the vacume resivoir to between the tank and the cover panel) not the best way but best way within the limits of this cars design I think..

Currently have a 8" bazooka powered sub on the rear floor...but I wish to keep the rear seat area free and clear if its needed.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I glad you asked I love a reason to talk about stereos. Ya I made them out of MDF and covered them in the Mercedes-Benz leather. I went down to the dealer my self to get some. They are mounted to the outer door frame by 8 small. They are 3-way components (JL audio XR653-CS). The sound great, no popping or distortion at all. I the back I have JL VR690-CXi 6x9's. The sub is the best part, its a JL audio 10" W7 . Its very sharp and even though its a 10" it put away two 12" no problem. Everyone who hears it think I have two 12" or some else and are very surprise that it one 10". The amps are JL 500/1 and a 300/4. I am vey happy with the way it sounds. I had to take out the frist aid box beacause the is a big hole for the sub which has a cover over it.

Your setup looks very nice, GTA. I might like to copy parts of it if you don't mind? I will only be putting 2 way components in the doors, though.

I know I will need to configure my sub enclosure based on the sub I choose, but what are the dimensions of your enclosure for your sub? It is impossible for the woofer to be placed directly under the 1st aid kit, so approximately where is the woofer in relation to the 1st aid hole? i.e..how far below it, and how far right of it, and how far towards the rear of the car? The plan is to make the sub box myself, and I want to make sure I am going to get enough of the bass into the cabin...don't want to make 2 sub enclosures...not even sure I can make one...lol

I am thinking about infinity perfect components and sub with a used ppi amp, but have several others on a list to listen to. I prefer a tight, crisp sound. I like boston acoustics and psb for home speakers. I am still in the researching phase of the project. I'm trying to stay under 500, but I think that is going to be cutting it close. I need to have a few definite choices and then look for some good deals.

If you get tired of all my questions just tell me to figure it out myself, but your help is greatly appreciated.

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

Hey no problem. I love talk stereo especially to a fellow 123 owner. here is what I'm going to do. Tomorrow I will take off the front cover which will expose the sub and ever thing else, take a bunch of picture and right down measurements then send you all the info and pictures. Do you have a Email that can take some good size files, because my picture files are big. By the way what kind of 123 do you have. I want a wagon. Think of the stereo I could but in that! lol.

Now I feel guilty, but if you don't mind that would be great. Thanks a lot gta. You can send them to top9944@yahoo.com . I have a 1984 4 door sedan turbodiesel. Anthracite and palomino. I'd hate to see the size of the subs and amp you would put in a wagon. I want a 124 diesel next. one last question for you, are you running your sysytem off of the stock alternatior? thatnks again....RT

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

Hi

gta00 , I saw you car gallery before , very nice setup. I do have sound system in my w123 too. A couple subs , amps ..........

Ya the ome alternatior works great.