[Boxcar]

Looks like I finally have some parts on the way to get this project going. I'm hoping to have it done by the end of July. It just depends on how much free time I can dedicate to the project.


Parts ordered:




Parts in hand:

- Kicker ZX2500.1

- Optima Yellow Top

- RE 12" XXX (may upgrade to 2x Fi Car Audio 12" BL in the future)

- JVC KD-AVX11 (planning a full carpc setup by the end of the year)

- 300A ANL Fuse and holder

- Several different lengths of 4ga and 12ga wire

- Metra Dash Kit 99-7603 Combo ( 99-7603, 70-7552, 40-NI12 )

- Nissan 6.5" Speaker adapters. Made out of MDF and painted black.

- Alpine SPX-17REF

- Alpine PDX 4.150 4CH 600W- Knukonceptz Kolossus Fleks Kable 15ft 1/0ga Blue, 5ft 1/0ga Black, 10ft 4ga Blue

- Knukonceptz BT-104P Positive Battery Terminal and BT-104N Negative Battery Terminal

- Knukonceptz FH-20 In-Line Waterproof ANL Fuse Holder w/ Fuse (60A)

- Knukonceptz KRY2.4M Krystal Kable 2 Channel 4M x1 and KRY2.2M Krystal Kable 2 Channel 2M Twisted Pair RCA Cable x2

- Alpine SPR-17C

- Nations Starter and Alternator 230A High Output Alternator for the Nissan Cube

- CASCADE VB-1X(1G) SPRAYABLE DAMPING COMPOUND



Installed:

- Deck

- 4ch amp

- Tweets

- Fronts

- Rears

- 4ga and 1/0ga

- 230A Alt

- Subs

- 2nd Battery



I'll update this post as parts show up and the installation begins. Wish me luck

*updated - 8/3/09


Helpful Links

09 Nissan Cube Factory Service Manual

Door Speaker Wiring

Alternator Removal / HO alt install

 

[Bean_Garage]

That is going to be nuts, good luck!!

 

[Squeak]

Nice setup, good luck!

Quick question, I am looking to switch out the stock speakers for my Infiniti's. Where can I find the mounting ring/plug adapter?

 

[Boxcar]

That is going to be nuts, good luck!!

Thank you

Nice setup, good luck!

Quick question, I am looking to switch out the stock speakers for my Infiniti's. Where can I find the mounting ring/plug adapter?

You can make them if you've got the tools. Unfortunately I don't, so I got them from mbtechusa on ebay. ebay search " 6.5" Front Speaker Adapter Nissan ". Auction Link


As far as the speaker connectors go, I'm not sure. I am planning on cutting the connectors off the harness and adding some more wire to it for the alpines. Figured if I left enough wire on the original connector I could always solder it back in when I sell the Cube (a long time from now).

 

[jasonbillups]

Will be nice...I'm the rep for RE/US amps in the Northeast and yes I just bought a bitter choc cube myself...great rep car...I'm putting in 3 RE SR12D2 and a ARC KS1000.1 and all FOCAL mids/highs with a double din JVC touchscreen....

If you want to upgrade from a XXX go to a MT and we can custom build one for you..or try looking at two SXX12 ....I changed the design for one of my RE dealers in Indiana from one XXX15 to two SXX12 and it was a lot louder...He had two ARC FD1200.1 so that would be comparable to your amp....If you got the room I would put in a couple more batteries...when you get it done please post some picts...Are you going to deaden the roof and floor?

As a side note...I took the back panel off the hatch door and put sound deading on the inside(took 10 minutes)...and yes there were some sound deading already there(I was shocked)

 

[Boxcar]

Will be nice...I'm the rep for RE/US amps in the Northeast and yes I just bought a bitter choc cube myself...great rep car...I'm putting in 3 RE SR12D2 and a ARC KS1000.1 and all FOCAL mids/highs with a double din JVC touchscreen....

If you want to upgrade from a XXX go to a MT and we can custom build one for you..or try looking at two SXX12 ....I changed the design for one of my RE dealers in Indiana from one XXX15 to two SXX12 and it was a lot louder...He had two ARC FD1200.1 so that would be comparable to your amp....If you got the room I would put in a couple more batteries...when you get it done please post some picts...Are you going to deaden the roof and floor?

As a side note...I took the back panel off the hatch door and put sound deading on the inside(took 10 minutes)...and yes there were some sound deading already there(I was shocked)

I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you. RE Audio has changed a lot since I last looked into your product line. I didn't know your company had acquired US Amps. I think the last time I was on the website was back in 06 or early 07.

As far as my setup goes I'm looking for a mix of SQL and SPL which is why I'm looking at the BL series from Fi. I'll be sure to talk to you before moving on from my XXX.

How do you plan on powering 3 SXX12s? Are you going to battery it up? I'm assuming the RE line is still underrated as far as max power handling goes. Adam at Nations was concerned that going for more then 230A on the alt might stall the motor when the bass hits. If that's a conservative number from Adam, I'm fine with that. Since it's coming out of my own pocket I'd rather not find that out after investing the cash in a larger system. If your company is backing you PLEASE push it! Post up your project when it starts coming together. I'd really like to see it.

BTW: Great color choice It was a toss up for me between the Bitter Chocolate and Moss Green. The Bitter Chocolate looked too good in person to pass up.

 

[Squeak]

You can make them if you've got the tools. Unfortunately I don't, so I got them from mbtechusa on ebay. ebay search " 6.5" Front Speaker Adapter Nissan ". Auction Link


As far as the speaker connectors go, I'm not sure. I am planning on cutting the connectors off the harness and adding some more wire to it for the alpines. Figured if I left enough wire on the original connector I could always solder it back in when I sell the Cube (a long time from now).

Yea figured that was what I would have to end up doing. Was hoping to avoid that, but oh well. That will be my mini project for Saturday.

 

[Boxcar]

I ordered most of the wire and miscellaneous parts I need to do the wiring. So I updated first post with lengths and part numbers. Please don't use the lengths listed as gospel. Your wire length will vary based on amp placement and wiring routes.

 

[jasonbillups]

Will be nice...I'm the rep for RE/US amps in the Northeast and yes I just bought a bitter choc cube myself...great rep car...I'm putting in 3 RE SR12D2 and a ARC KS1000.1 and all FOCAL mids/highs with a double din JVC touchscreen....

If you want to upgrade from a XXX go to a MT and we can custom build one for you..or try looking at two SXX12 ....I changed the design for one of my RE dealers in Indiana from one XXX15 to two SXX12 and it was a lot louder...He had two ARC FD1200.1 so that would be comparable to your amp....If you got the room I would put in a couple more batteries...when you get it done please post some picts...Are you going to deaden the roof and floor?

As a side note...I took the back panel off the hatch door and put sound deading on the inside(took 10 minutes)...and yes there were some sound deading already there(I was shocked)

I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you. RE Audio has changed a lot since I last looked into your product line. I didn't know your company had acquired US Amps. I think the last time I was on the website was back in 06 or early 07.

As far as my setup goes I'm looking for a mix of SQL and SPL which is why I'm looking at the BL series from Fi. I'll be sure to talk to you before moving on from my XXX.

How do you plan on powering 3 SXX12s? Are you going to battery it up? I'm assuming the RE line is still underrated as far as max power handling goes. Adam at Nations was concerned that going for more then 230A on the alt might stall the motor when the bass hits. If that's a conservative number from Adam, I'm fine with that. Since it's coming out of my own pocket I'd rather not find that out after investing the cash in a larger system. If your company is backing you PLEASE push it! Post up your project when it starts coming together. I'd really like to see it.

BTW: Great color choice It was a toss up for me between the Bitter Chocolate and Moss Green. The Bitter Chocolate looked too good in person to pass up.

RE/US amps has really improved the line and added more woofers to accommodate a wider price range...Everything is very underated still....Here is the story of the company...US amps wanted to be a complete line and they were familiar with RE Audio. RE Audio was sold to US amps...so now RE and US amps is one company....The production and people moved from Las Vegas to California so they would have one building to work under. There was one guy that did not want to move and still wanted to build woofers here and there on the side..He still had a lot of old designed parts and that is who Fi is....As a good mix of SPL and SQ...I feel the SXX is a better pick from listening to all the subs with that type of power...

I'm not using the SXX..Im going to use the SRX which takes a lot less power and I can acheive max excursion and displacement...I'm using a ARC Audio KS1000.1 on the 3 so 333 watts on each driver...The ARC amp is way under rated..it has 120 amps of fusing....As for battery power I will have 2 extra batteries for reserve...I'm not upgrading my alternator because I use my system in short playing times...What I mean is yes I listen to it all the time but will not listen to it at full volume for long periods of time(not good for me.....had 8 15" and 24,000 watts to prove that...too much HUH now)....When I do play it at full volume it will be for demo or on short burst so my alternator will have time to charge the batteries back up....

One comment I do have about your charging system...You stated that someone said that it may stall or bog your motor down when you hit hard...this is true if you do not have enough battery reserve and enough ground...I feel that battery reserve is more important than a bigger alternator...but it also depends on how you listen to it...You may need both..when you do hit hard it is also looking for ground...everytime you add a battery you add a ground so that helps in that situation...

The sales guy told me you must look at the bitter choc...He said the only thing is that it looks kinda purple....I said man I'm 35 years old, have 2 kids, 6'4" and I weigh 270 pounds...I really don't care if some people thinks it purple or pink...he laughed his butt off...I love that bitter choc

 

[Boxcar]

RE/US amps has really improved the line and added more woofers to accommodate a wider price range...Everything is very underated still....Here is the story of the company...US amps wanted to be a complete line and they were familiar with RE Audio. RE Audio was sold to US amps...so now RE and US amps is one company....The production and people moved from Las Vegas to California so they would have one building to work under. There was one guy that did not want to move and still wanted to build woofers here and there on the side..He still had a lot of old designed parts and that is who Fi is....As a good mix of SPL and SQ...I feel the SXX is a better pick from listening to all the subs with that type of power...

I'm not using the SXX..Im going to use the SRX which takes a lot less power and I can acheive max excursion and displacement...I'm using a ARC Audio KS1000.1 on the 3 so 333 watts on each driver...The ARC amp is way under rated..it has 120 amps of fusing....As for battery power I will have 2 extra batteries for reserve...I'm not upgrading my alternator because I use my system in short playing times...What I mean is yes I listen to it all the time but will not listen to it at full volume for long periods of time(not good for me.....had 8 15" and 24,000 watts to prove that...too much HUH now)....When I do play it at full volume it will be for demo or on short burst so my alternator will have time to charge the batteries back up....

One comment I do have about your charging system...You stated that someone said that it may stall or bog your motor down when you hit hard...this is true if you do not have enough battery reserve and enough ground...I feel that battery reserve is more important than a bigger alternator...but it also depends on how you listen to it...You may need both..when you do hit hard it is also looking for ground...everytime you add a battery you add a ground so that helps in that situation...

The sales guy told me you must look at the bitter choc...He said the only thing is that it looks kinda purple....I said man I'm 35 years old, have 2 kids, 6'4" and I weigh 270 pounds...I really don't care if some people thinks it purple or pink...he laughed his butt off...I love that bitter choc

Thank you. If you have any videos of your old setup please PM with a link. I'd like to see it!

I have one Optima Yellow Top laying around, I planned to use it in the trunk for now. I'm keeping the front battery OEM. I've also been looking at the Kinetik HC 2400 or 2x HC 1600. It's hard to do everything I want when I'm trying to keep my MPG up and my budget in check at the same time. Weight is a concern of mine. I'm all over the place on the trunk. One day I'm trying to be conservative and the next I'm getting carried away again.

I couldn't find any reviews on the SXX. I'll check into it again in a few months. Unless I do some insomniac late night shopping it'll be a while before I pull the XXX.

LOL. I've become a lot more comfortable with myself over the years too. No kids yet. Every vehicle I owned over the last 5yrs seemed to be a shade of gray. I got sick of looking into a monochrome garage. No ones busted my balls for color choice only for buying the cube in the first place. I've been a part of the rotary and Mazda community for 5+yrs. Most of my buddies are into fast cars or car that can handle the twisties. This ones a bit out of character for me.




My SPX-17REF speakers came in yesterday. I pulled both pillars, beveled the inside of the Cube's tweeter mount and got my tweets ready to be mounted. The reason I beveled the edge was so that they would sit a little more flush with the inside. I didn't want the adhesive to get on the grill when mounting them behind the panel. I'm trying to keep all the factory grates intact. I know it's not ideal but I'm not ready to start cutting holes in the Cube yet. Plus it will allow me to go back to stock later without replacing panels.

Looks like my rears are on back order. I'll give it a week to come back in stock other wise I'll be canceling my order and finding an alternative source. Everything else I need to get started should be here by Monday at the latest.

*When pulling the A Pillar, for the tweets, be aware that the top clip is a pain. I ended up having to use a panel puller to avoid breaking it. I'm sure a fat flat head would do the trick as well. There's a metal clip up top, a plastic one in the center and a couple of tabs in the bottom. Free the top and center, pull it away from the metal a little and jiggle the bottom loose while pulling toward you and up.

Edit: My SPR-17C speakers just shipped

 

[ChristineK]

It is nice to see you guys tearing these cubes up circa 58 days I will too around 90 days old as the schedule permits.

As a side note...I took the back panel off the hatch door and put sound deading on the inside(took 10 minutes)...and yes there were some sound deading already there(I was shocked)

OK, so was the RockfordFosgate Subwoffer a POS? I have heard people say it is weak but for an 8" sub, I am impressed. Did the sound proofing improve the quality of your audio? I am no audiophile but the stock Clarion headunit with the RockfordFosgate speakers is quite impressive for a sub $20K vehicle.

Christine

 

[teacozy]

Is the 1.8s prewired for the A pillar tweeters or do you have to run cables?

 

[Boxcar]

I didn't see any wiring for the tweeters behind the pillars. It's easy enough to run your own. I just dropped it through the dash this morning with little effort. I also think I found a good spot for the crossovers.

 

[Boxcar]

As of yesterday morning my tweeters, front speakers, head unit, 4ch amp and 4ga wiring are in. I also ran the 1/0 to the back and under the carpet. I'll try to get some pictures posted this week.

 

[1HoTCuBe]

^^yes post pics! im anxious to upgrade my setup as well..i need a good all around system..not too bassy..

 

[jasonbillups]

As of yesterday morning my tweeters, front speakers, head unit, 4ch amp and 4ga wiring are in. I also ran the 1/0 to the back and under the carpet. I'll try to get some pictures posted this week.

Nice...can't wait to see

 

[Boxcar]

As of this afternoon my rears are in I'm trying to track down an oscilloscope so I can try a different method for setting the gain.


Now for some helpful info. Door Speaker wiring for the 4 speaker Cube is the same as the 08 4 speaker Versa.

Wiring at door speakers:

Front Left Pink(-)/White(+)

Rear Left Gray(-)/Light Green(+)

Front Right Red(-)/Green(+)

Rear Right Gray(-)/Light Green(+)

*Only refer to this image if you use the metra adapter to connect an aftermarket radio to your stock radio harness.

Source of Metra wiring diagram - Metra wiring diagram

08 Versa Factory Service Manual. Use section AV for audio wiring diagrams - Versa FSM

 

[Boxcar]

I know it's not much but here are a couple of pics.

RCA cables for amps.

Front door speaker and adapter.

Clip locations in front door.

 

[jasonbillups]

After placing the adapters...Do you know how much mounting depth you had?

 

[Boxcar]

After placing the adapters...Do you know how much mounting depth you had?

The Metra website states 3.5" for front and rear speakers. I didn't personally measure the clearance. My adapter was only 3/4". It's a good thing I chose the smaller adapter because my coaxial speakers are within millimeters of touching the ripple grill on my rear doors. The fronts, with separate tweeters, have plenty of clearance between the speaker and ripple grill.


SPR-17C Coaxial
Top Mount Depth: 2.32 Inches

SPX-17REF Component
Top Mount Depth: 2.49 Inches

Measurements taken from Woofersetc.com