I've posted bit and pieces of this process in some threads, but since I've finally got to a significant stopping point I'm going to compile a write-up of my install. This was done in little steps over a span of 5 months.
Posting to provide some ideas for those wanting to go a similar route.
Also, being totally honest its nice to show off your work
The Goals:
I purchased a used Alpine ILX-207 from eBay, surprisingly it was made in Japan, so I am happy to have kept with the theme of a quality Japanese vehicle.
It has 4volt pre-outs, car play, nine band EQ, and FLAC capabilities. all boxes ticked.
The plan was to put an amp underneath the driver seat and passenger, but I quickly discovered the heater blower under the driver's seat. So I ordered an Alpine MRV-M500 which has a small footprint and I planned to install it in place of the CD Changer.
Door speakers are Boston Acoustic ProSeries 5.4LF and 6.4LF
Subwoofers are 2 x Boston Acoustics 10.5LF
I would say these mid-90s speakers were considered the best of their time and are amazing today.
I decided the factory unit was insufficient for my needs, the nav was dated and the sooner I acted the easier it would be to get non-nav conversion parts.
The AC controls and clock from a wrecked Aussie 100 series were sourced and shipped to the US. I would have been able to do exactly zero percent of this process if it were not for @jerryb's knowledge and his thread. The specifics of the conversion are all over there.
Interior pulled
The amp for the front and rear speakers is an Earthquake PA-4050C, from eBay. It is made in the USA, Class AB and is conservatively rated for 90watts per channel @ 4ohms.
4 Gauge amp power wire was run from the battery, under the firewall and in through the driver's side drain plug, sealed with some silicone. All the wires were in split loom that had a non-adhesive vinyl wrap. Light metal brackets hold the loom in place.
A fuse holder was prototyped using plywood, soon to be placed by ABS. Lugs were crimped and heat-shrinked
Couldn't resist cleaning the center console mounting bracket, so I wire-wheeled it and applied silicone. It could never rust enough to become a problem during the life of the vehicle(that's why they aren't painted from the factory), just was an eye-sore.
A piece of 1/2 plywood mounted the Alpine amp to the cd changer brackets.
I ran all new speaker wires and wired the head unit in using a metra 70-8113 for antenna and power/ground
Metra 70-8114 allows the use of the factory steering wheel controls in conjunction with the ASWC-1
The factory backup camera was retained. Details are in the non-nav conversion thread.
I ran the RCAs and amp remote trigger down the center console from the head unit. No need to go behind the glove box.
Here is a picture showing the amp mounted with a little bracket and standoff and the sound deadening sheets.
Now, onto the speakers.
In the very back, I built a subwoofer enclosure from 3/4 plywood.
For each door I created custom mounting plates from 3/4 plywood. The thin aluminum shields will hopefully prevent any water dripping onto the voice coils.
I deadened each door inside and out and installed the speakers. The crossovers fit nicely behind the door panel, differently for front and rear though.
In the rear door, the speaker mounting plate incorporates a tweeter mount. the driver's side door needed a new vapor seal. The tweeters mount in custom made pods(see the last pic).
The Land Cruiser is a quiet, smooth vehicle from the factory. This makes it deserving of a quality sound system. The result of all this effort is a fantastic audio experience.
Posting to provide some ideas for those wanting to go a similar route.
Also, being totally honest its nice to show off your work
The Goals:
- Achieve great audio quality
- Use used components where possible
- No drilling big holes or cutting/splicing
I purchased a used Alpine ILX-207 from eBay, surprisingly it was made in Japan, so I am happy to have kept with the theme of a quality Japanese vehicle.
It has 4volt pre-outs, car play, nine band EQ, and FLAC capabilities. all boxes ticked.
The plan was to put an amp underneath the driver seat and passenger, but I quickly discovered the heater blower under the driver's seat. So I ordered an Alpine MRV-M500 which has a small footprint and I planned to install it in place of the CD Changer.
Door speakers are Boston Acoustic ProSeries 5.4LF and 6.4LF
Subwoofers are 2 x Boston Acoustics 10.5LF
I would say these mid-90s speakers were considered the best of their time and are amazing today.
I decided the factory unit was insufficient for my needs, the nav was dated and the sooner I acted the easier it would be to get non-nav conversion parts.
The AC controls and clock from a wrecked Aussie 100 series were sourced and shipped to the US. I would have been able to do exactly zero percent of this process if it were not for @jerryb's knowledge and his thread. The specifics of the conversion are all over there.
Interior pulled
The amp for the front and rear speakers is an Earthquake PA-4050C, from eBay. It is made in the USA, Class AB and is conservatively rated for 90watts per channel @ 4ohms.
4 Gauge amp power wire was run from the battery, under the firewall and in through the driver's side drain plug, sealed with some silicone. All the wires were in split loom that had a non-adhesive vinyl wrap. Light metal brackets hold the loom in place.
A fuse holder was prototyped using plywood, soon to be placed by ABS. Lugs were crimped and heat-shrinked
Couldn't resist cleaning the center console mounting bracket, so I wire-wheeled it and applied silicone. It could never rust enough to become a problem during the life of the vehicle(that's why they aren't painted from the factory), just was an eye-sore.
A piece of 1/2 plywood mounted the Alpine amp to the cd changer brackets.
I ran all new speaker wires and wired the head unit in using a metra 70-8113 for antenna and power/ground
Metra 70-8114 allows the use of the factory steering wheel controls in conjunction with the ASWC-1
The factory backup camera was retained. Details are in the non-nav conversion thread.
I ran the RCAs and amp remote trigger down the center console from the head unit. No need to go behind the glove box.
Here is a picture showing the amp mounted with a little bracket and standoff and the sound deadening sheets.
Now, onto the speakers.
In the very back, I built a subwoofer enclosure from 3/4 plywood.
For each door I created custom mounting plates from 3/4 plywood. The thin aluminum shields will hopefully prevent any water dripping onto the voice coils.
I deadened each door inside and out and installed the speakers. The crossovers fit nicely behind the door panel, differently for front and rear though.
In the rear door, the speaker mounting plate incorporates a tweeter mount. the driver's side door needed a new vapor seal. The tweeters mount in custom made pods(see the last pic).
The Land Cruiser is a quiet, smooth vehicle from the factory. This makes it deserving of a quality sound system. The result of all this effort is a fantastic audio experience.
