New to Custom Cars.

[willww]

Hi,
I'm 17 and in the process of passing my test, plus looking for my first car. I've had a really big interest in custom/modified cars lately, cos I really can't stand to having a generic type car. I've been trying to learn about how to begin modding by just reading on forums and that, because I don't know where to start or where to go. But I do know a lot about electronics/computers etc. So I've already bought my proposed beginner ICE system. I've got; A Clarion DXZ958RMC head-unit and 2 Sony Xplod 6x9 speakers. Looking to expand this and install a car-puter!
I need some advice on what car I should get, I'm mainly looking to style the car just so that it's not general (not racing etc.). Everyone's experienced advice is really appreciated.
Thanks.
Will.

[pgarner]

lets start with the bad news. 'cause your 17 even the most basic ars going screw you for insurance. best idea would be to buy something old(er) manye around 5 or 6 years old and 1 - 1.2 ltr and insure it third party fire and theft. keep it for a few years, preferb till your 21 as it will fall massively and get your NCB built up

as you live in the city youve also prob got a higher crime rate, that along with your age and lack of experience, it costs more to insure your car for yourself with a full license than with a provisional for the reason you need someone to sit with you when your learning you dont when youve past, and therefore more likly to show off or do something stupid.

and form of styling will heavily affect insurance for example it cost me an additional £400 on my last car for having aftermarket alloys, with locking nuts on. took my premium to £1500 that was for a 19 yo on a 1.4 honda. with nothing else done to it

it came down to £420 last year with 2 year NCB aged 22 ( when policy was taken out)

start styling your car with things that can be carried over to another car ICE, seats alloys etc


see for your 6x9s try and get a small amp for them sound so much better than trying to run them off the head units puny amp


sorry to burst any hopes you had.
if youve got the money thou go ahead, however my advise would be to save it and buy a decent car and do it up. in other words i dont see the point of fitting a body kit alloys huge sounds to a small 1ltr car

[willww]

Hi,
That was exactly th kind of reply I was hoping for. More reasons for me not to show off :P. I can't help it if I'm so impatient! Thanks for the reply and sharing your experience.
Yes, I agree with making the ICE better, so I can transfer it.
I was mainly thinking of putting the 6x9s in an enclosure and under the front cars seats so that they are hidden.
Where is a good place to buy seats? Online or Acc. Shops?

i dont see the point of fitting a body kit alloys huge sounds to a small 1ltr car

Don't most people modify small cars anyway?!

[blacklineninja]

Probably the best solution would be to get a stealth shelf - it's an MDF shelf that replaces your parcel shelf, with holes pre-cut for you to fit your 6x9s into, this would mount them at the rear of the car and if your going to be using them mainly for bass then this would be pretty much ideal. They come tailor-made for each car and typically cost around £60.00.

The great thing with the stealth shelf then is that looking through the rear window, it looks like a blank parcel shelf with no speakers in it, it's only when you either open the boot or crank the system up that you'll know they're there.

[pgarner]

Originally Posted by blacklineninja

Probably the best solution would be to get a stealth shelf - it's an MDF shelf that replaces your parcel shelf, with holes pre-cut for you to fit your 6x9s into, this would mount them at the rear of the car and if your going to be using them mainly for bass then this would be pretty much ideal. They come tailor-made for each car and typically cost around £60.00.

The great thing with the stealth shelf then is that looking through the rear window, it looks like a blank parcel shelf with no speakers in it, it's only when you either open the boot or crank the system up that you'll know they're there.

a cheaper option is to build your own custom one
i was quoted £65 for one went to B&Q and got a large sheet of mdf (2.4 x 1.2m) for £12 and got them to make some cuts so i could get it in the car to take home and some wire mesh from work

cut a parcel shelf out of 1 section. made some cutsouts for the 6x9 routed it slightly and fitted the mesh then covered it with acousitic carpet from ebay, cost about a £15 for 2 rolls inc del
with the other 3 sections i had made a box to take 2 12" subs and them fitted it to the back of my seats, basically meant the back seats became part of the box and the bass vibrated though, admitadly giving a mate a sair back when cranked up.

total cost was around £30 for eveything and about 2 hours work
so saved a fair amount when you take into aount a 2 x 12"box is around £60 and the shelf was £65

Don't most people modify small cars anyway?!

youd be surprised with some of the young ones round here they cant insure a decent car so get some crap things and do them up them hammer f**k outo them to keep up with other bog standard car

had a 1.1 saxo looking and trying to pass me the other week, now i was doing 80 and just put the foot down, didnt drop it foot just went a bit further down, never seen him again

[blacklineninja]

I did toy with the idea of suggesting making ones own but having never done it myself, I wasn't sure if you could make it so that the speakers were still hidden?

[pgarner]

yeah its easy enough to make one bit of trial and error or get a large sheet of card to try out with
basically cut around your own parcel shelf and see if it fits if it does trace it onto the mdf

only difference between your own one and a proper stealth one is that if you make it yourself is that your own one is flat the proper shop ones are normally matched to your standard shelf ie dips and raises are matched
and usually they only have cut outs for 2 6x9 if you want more its a lot harder to find one


should have said when fitting the speakers use countersunk bolts, 5mm usually are the proper size but can be hard to find otherwise use 6mm and drill out the screw holes a bit and bolt underneath that way when youve put the mesh and carpet on there is no giveaway bolts or raises

if you think you will be burning the speakers out or thinking you may upgrade the speakers put the countersunk bolt though and fit a nylock nut to the underrside and tighten up then speaker and then another nylock. using nylocks (nut with a ring of nylon, couple of pence dearer than normal nuts. my local ironmonger charges 4p for a 6mm nylock compared to 3p for a standard 6mm nut) will mean that the nuts dont come loose with the vibration from the speakers, plus if you lock the first nut up against the mdf it should stay locked so when changing the speakers only the bottom nut will need to be loosened and tightened up ( save having to remove the carpet to put an allen key in the bolt to tightened up the nut )


mesh or tightly pulled carpet, under the main carpet, is essential, if you dont there is the chance if you sit anything on the shelf over the holes the top carpet will stretch and show where the speakers are or worst case it damages the speaker cone



another piece of advise is not to fit the strings/ elastic to the mdf shelf, fit the catches that hold the shelf in place if you can get them off the original

fitting the string / elastic to a heavier shelf means the boot might shut on you, hitting on the head (talking from personal experience) elastic on the other hand will snap and drop the shelf

[willww]

A stealth shelf. I'm definately looking into that, thanks.

[blacklineninja]

Oh yeah, by the way you were asking for a good place to buy seats - Essex Racing have a good price on recliners - they're doing a pair with sub-frames for £150.00. You can buy online with them if you don't fancy the trip from Liverpool to Essex. The only problem really is that you don't get to sit in them and see if they're comfortable before you buy them.

Most branches of Halfords now have racing seats, but they charge full whack for them but you can at least go in and try them out. Same with audio - you can listen to the stuff they have, and their also probably the best place to get Fusion audio gear which is meant to be really good and not really costly - they've currently got a Powerplant package consisting of two component speakers, two 6x9s and an amp for £250.00.

[BUDZ]

well im 19 and i have and had the smae problems with insurance and stuff as u so i brought an older car and ppl tol me not to mod it as i will prob get rid of it when im 21 but the thing is im going to be driving it for another 2 years that means so i thougt why not mod it at least ill be rollin round the streets in style 4 the nxt 2 yrs and plus when i go to sell it it will be some1 like me who will buy it so ive given them a nice head start (lol that was rly just an excuse to mod it but y not b nice 2 ppl if ya gonna do it anyway?)