Finally cleaned up my trunk...

[My98RT10]

Was really looking messy so I went to clean it up a bit.....

Before:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q800/My98ViperRT10/Stereo/DSC_05552_zps4aa477a7.jpg

In between:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q800/My98ViperRT10/Stereo/IMG_00000193_zps552fd7d7.jpg

After:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q800/My98ViperRT10/Stereo/DSC_06492_zpsa18c9627.jpg

[Space Truckin]

Very nice! CLEAN :-)

[slowhatch]

looking damn good!

[2010.Blue.White.ACR]

Looks nice

[chesapeake07]

Much better!

[HPmopars]

Looks way better! That Alpine MRV-T757 was a great quality amp back in 1999, much better than the junk made today.

[My98RT10]

Looks way better! That Alpine MRV-T757 was a great quality amp back in 1999, much better than the junk made today.

Well said, I completely agree :). I was thinking to replace the Rainbow amp by an Alpine MRV-F409 (or 407, a bit cheaper). Since you seem to be a stereo buff you probably know that one, too. However, this would require to build a new back panel as it would not fit into the spot of the OEM amp (the Rainbow does fit)....

[Matt M, Pa]

I really like the way the changer is mounted. The one my '96 was mounted on the trunk floor...and I moved it to mount sideways between the spare tire and the rail. This way, it's under the carpet mat.

[DrTaco]

Good job. Im sure that was a daunting task. Car stereo is NOT my thing, so hats off to u.

[SmoknTires]

Very well done. I've built stereos on all my Vipers and I like the "factory clean" look of what you've done.

Luckily, since the gen5's have great audio, won't have to do it anymore! Whew.

[C.J]

Very tidy install. How easy is it to reach your spare tire?

[Getnlwr]

Very clean. Great improvement. I have always felt that true custom looks like it came that way. You have succeeded.

[KRATEDISEASE]

OMG , What a big difference !!

[My98RT10]

Thanks to all for your nice comments!

Maybe I share a bit more information on the Installation :anonymous:

Over the past couple of months I was thinking about what to do and how to get a decent stereo sound in my Viper. One day, I was looking for something in the basement and stumbled over an old head unit I had installed in a car I owned 10 or more years ago (which was a Fiat Coupé, so similar car as today LOL). So, the idea came up to install it in my Viper as opposed to buy a new head unit. I liked the idea to go "Old School" as this device was on the market when my Viper was built (1998). I also found the MD changer and the digital preamplifier I used together with the head unit those days.

These are the components of my new old Viper Stereo System:

- Head unit Sony CDX-C910 (was known to be an audiophile HU, no internal power amp, optical output)
- Preamp Sony XDP-210 (digital x-over, time alignment, 21 band graphic eq, optical inputs)
- MD Changer Sony MDX-65 (optical Output)
- Power amp Rainbow Beat 4 (4 channel amp bridged into 2 to power the front LS System)
- Power amp Alpine MRV-T757 (2 channel amp bridged into 1 to power subwoofer)
- Front LS Systems Alpine SPX-177R (6.5" 2-way component)
- Subwoofer Wavecor SW223BD01 (8" woofer in custom footwell enclosure).

I did not cut or modify any of the factory harnesses/cables, I used the existing DIN cable (of course, I had to create my own adapters on both Ends) and the factory LS cabling. However, due to the "complexity" of my Installation (digital preamp, MD changer) I had to throw in some additional cables: an optical and a bus cable from HU to the trunk, where the digital preamp and MD changer are located and another Speaker cable from the trunk to the passenger footwell for the subwoofer. Last but not least, I installed new power cables (2 AWG) for the 2 amps in the trunk and connected those directly to the battery, of course.

And finally, I had to create some panels for the trunk to look clean :anonymous:

I think, I am 98% done at this moment, some minor things still to be finalized, e.g. adequate distribution/fuse blocks, maybe the addition of a power capacitor, some noise cancellation measures for the doors.

Overall, I am very pleased with the sonic result. I have to admit though, that when driving topless, all the sonic improvements disappear immediately due to the surrounding noises. Nevertheless, I am glad to have done this Project as I like VERY much to sit in the driveway with the Stereo cranked up and listening to some good "old school" music ;)

[My98RT10]

Very tidy install. How easy is it to reach your spare tire?

Basically very easy as you can remove the floor panel very quickly. However, I need to create some additional "fixture" for the back panel as it currently sits on the spare tire and once removed it would fall down ;-(

[My98RT10]

Very clean. Great improvement. I have always felt that true custom looks like it came that way. You have succeeded.

Thanks! For me that's the best feedback I can think of :cool:

[VYPR BYT]

My thoughts when scrolling thru the pics... :smilielol:

- Whoa, this guys a real slob!
.
.
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- Oh, I get it... "cleaned up the trunk" - hmmm, this should be cool when it's done.
.
.
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- Wow, that just looks perfect... One of the cleanest installs ever!!

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

You call that a TRUNK?!? Thats not a TRUNK.

ps MoPar makes a TRUNK ORGANIZER to collect the clutter of REAL trunks. It has 4 adjustable compartments, about the size of grocery bags by design, and 2 lift-out handles. Great to quickly REMOVE all the stuff from the trunk that normal owners and track-rats carry. My 4 compartments are: Helmet; Oils/tire guage, misc; Towels/Duster; Cleaners/detailers. A REAL TRUNK!

So when you hit the Track, Strip, or Cones you can just snatch-grab all the contents in one swoop. Black, Ballistic Nylon, Dodge Logo.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE: The FIRST VOA MEMBER to Email me gets one FREE + USA Ship FREE; [ VOA Officers/presidents not eligible please......] I will post when awarded.....1003am PT now.

All others: $39 + $10

JonB@PartsRack.com MERRY CHRISTMAS

[viperr]

I am # 123 here and a mamba member from the first day.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

WINNER! In the mail TODAY. Took 8 minutes.
Merry Christmas Rich!

[viperr]

Jon, Thank you for the nice Christmas gift. I had just started checking out the forum and saw the post 2 minutes after you put it out. That will be a great item for my huge RT-10 trunk.

Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas.

[AFL in CA]

Nicely done!

Regards,
Aaron

[Leslie]

Very nice trunk.

:)

[viperr]

I was sitting around having coffee this morning when the Fed-Ex man came and dropped a package. I saw it was from Parts Rack and I knew that Jon B (Santa) had sent my the very cool trunk organizer I won on Xmas eve (see post # 19). It is a very nice item and is perfect for my RT-10 trunk. It is nicely made and holds a bunch of stuff. I plan to have it set up for track days. It has handles to lift it out and the partitions can be configured a couple of different ways. Thanks again Santa. Here are a couple of shots of it with some goodies inside.
http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz152/viper9910/007_zps94d5c3a3.jpg~original (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/viper9910/media/007_zps94d5c3a3.jpg.html)http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz152/viper9910/005_zps493a6a25.jpg~original (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/viper9910/media/005_zps493a6a25.jpg.html)

[My98RT10]

Nice item! But can it hold one or two amps?? ...just kidding...maybe I need to get one of these, too, to avoid my 100+ MDs flying around in the trunk ;-)

[LifeIsGood]

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q800/My98ViperRT10/Stereo/IMG_00000193_zps552fd7d7.jpg

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q800/My98ViperRT10/Stereo/DSC_06492_zpsa18c9627.jpg

Can you elaborate on the trunk panels a little more. What material did you use? Did you cover it yourself? What did you use to cover it? How does the back panel stay in place? Thanks.

[James430]

Looks great!!!!....but I kinda like the "before" pic,looks like everything was easier to get to :)

[My98RT10]

Can you elaborate on the trunk panels a little more. What material did you use? Did you cover it yourself? What did you use to cover it? How does the back panel stay in place? Thanks.

For the trunk floor I used normal chipboard, for the back panel MDF as it has to hold the weight of the amp(s). I think both are 10mm thick. To cover them I used fabric you can by from car stereo shops to cover cabinets or panels. I think it is kind of velours and it can be stretched a little bit. I used contact cement to glue this fabric onto the panels. None of the panels are fixed by screws or fasteners. They are kind of clamped into position. It took me quite some iterations of shaping the panels until I achieved a tight fit. The back panel actually sits on the spare wheel.