- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
Yes; I know only too well that this topic has run several courses and to a person I respect and appreciate their position. I also considered combining this information into a previous thread however this is a completed process when compared to speculation so I wanted it to be seen by those with real interest.
I was one of the folks that spec’d my gal with the Mac (no regrets) knowing full well what I was getting and yet when it arrived the sub was just a bit more of a phallic symbol than I remembered when looking at the pictures. Initially I said; “oh well so be it the sub will simply be a quirk within an otherwise awesome gal”. And then ACRJoe made it clear that he was committed to the relocating of the system so I contacted him. It became apparent that we were on the same proverbial page. We both had a similar hit list.
1. No modification to the interior
2. No cutting of the OEM harness
3. No seat travel limitations
4. Sound comparable or better than with the OEM box and placement
5. Appear as though it could have been OEM not an after thought
With this being defined I purchased the non Mac center console piece. When it arrived I marveled at its simplicity and the quality of the leather stitching. In the same way as the Mac sub cover it is truly a very nice piece. Now with this piece in hand ACRJoe and I continued to move forward occasionally hitting a wall that forced us back to the drawing board because neither of us was willing to modify our hit list.
Well during this process I removed the sub to install the Ford Racing short shifter and simply did not have the heart to reinstall it. In fact I drove her one day with it out and the clock staring at me and I said “this relocation process has to happen”.
Finally the system was defined; I created full scale cardboard templates and boxes and assembled the system as if a completed unit and “WHOLLA” initially it met all of our criteria. The next day I had the final materials cut and prepared for the dry fit installation to confirm all that the cardboard paper dolls said would work. I called ACRJoe and said ; “we have a winner”.
At the moment I have completed the relocation including the finish work which incorporated a couple rather ingenious (if I might say so) slip in panels that I covered with a very cool black material and have mounted and powered the amp using the OEM harness with “NO” cuts or splices. I have full seat travel both slide and tilt. The only item that I await is the new sub box which I will have and install this week-end.
The picture shows one of the initial steps during the process.
I will share that the AMP is now located behind the driver seat and hanging above it on the 4 OEM plastic retainers is the OEM canvass bag that was there before the process began. The sub is located behind the passenger seat and once again the OEM canvass bag is hanging above it on the 4 OEM plastic retainers as originally designed.
Now the conversion process met almost all of the initial criteria and yet if one was to want to convert the system back to OEM (why) there would be “NO” concerns. The process would likely take a couple hours and once completed it would be as if “NOTHING” had ever been touched. The only required item that became an acceptable compromise was the extending of the sub woofer wires. The two wires going from the sub woofer to the AMP needed to be extended and yet if the conversion was to be reversed the wires would not have to be shortened. In ACRJoe’s case he is considering using the OEM canvass bags as designed but folding them in half so that there will be two hooks on each of the upper OEM plastic retainers however I elected to relocate the two lower OEM plastic retainers to a place above the AMP and the sub woofer and then have my upholstery person cut the lower half of the canvass bag at the OEM stitch line and then relocated the stretch cord fasteners at each of the lower corners. I did this because I hate the fricken net material that always looks disheveled and decided to have two cool looking OEM canvass bags that have the firm pockets. If one was to simply fold the bags as ACRJoe is considered then the ability to reverse the process is 100% whereas in my case I would need to re-stitch the lower fish net portion of the bag back on; NBD.
So what is the drawback one might ask; very simply the cost. The replacement center panel has a retail price of approximately $1700, certainly discounts are available and then add to this the materials needed and either labor paid to another or sweat equity will further this cost and yet when it is completed I suspect that most will soon forget the cost because of the wonderful finished results. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 I would rate the process as a 3. I would also say that if so inclined most could do it themselves with only moderate hand tools.
Lastly; ACRJoe said “Shadowman I am going to have to defer to you for bringing this conversion to term because it is nothing like I initially envisioned” to which I said “Joe; you were the driving force that compelled me to purchase the non Mac center trim panel and then kept pushing so I say that ACRJoe deserves as much credit as myself for making this happen.
I was sitting in my gal with all of the pieces in place and simply smiled. I am pretty fricken ANAL so from me this says a lot.
BTW..... my canvass bags will be modified tomorrow so what you see in the picture is with it folded as ACRJoe is considering. If you look closely you will see the OEM plastic retainers already installed under the fold of the bag.
All the best
Shadowman
I was one of the folks that spec’d my gal with the Mac (no regrets) knowing full well what I was getting and yet when it arrived the sub was just a bit more of a phallic symbol than I remembered when looking at the pictures. Initially I said; “oh well so be it the sub will simply be a quirk within an otherwise awesome gal”. And then ACRJoe made it clear that he was committed to the relocating of the system so I contacted him. It became apparent that we were on the same proverbial page. We both had a similar hit list.
1. No modification to the interior
2. No cutting of the OEM harness
3. No seat travel limitations
4. Sound comparable or better than with the OEM box and placement
5. Appear as though it could have been OEM not an after thought
With this being defined I purchased the non Mac center console piece. When it arrived I marveled at its simplicity and the quality of the leather stitching. In the same way as the Mac sub cover it is truly a very nice piece. Now with this piece in hand ACRJoe and I continued to move forward occasionally hitting a wall that forced us back to the drawing board because neither of us was willing to modify our hit list.
Well during this process I removed the sub to install the Ford Racing short shifter and simply did not have the heart to reinstall it. In fact I drove her one day with it out and the clock staring at me and I said “this relocation process has to happen”.
Finally the system was defined; I created full scale cardboard templates and boxes and assembled the system as if a completed unit and “WHOLLA” initially it met all of our criteria. The next day I had the final materials cut and prepared for the dry fit installation to confirm all that the cardboard paper dolls said would work. I called ACRJoe and said ; “we have a winner”.
At the moment I have completed the relocation including the finish work which incorporated a couple rather ingenious (if I might say so) slip in panels that I covered with a very cool black material and have mounted and powered the amp using the OEM harness with “NO” cuts or splices. I have full seat travel both slide and tilt. The only item that I await is the new sub box which I will have and install this week-end.
The picture shows one of the initial steps during the process.
I will share that the AMP is now located behind the driver seat and hanging above it on the 4 OEM plastic retainers is the OEM canvass bag that was there before the process began. The sub is located behind the passenger seat and once again the OEM canvass bag is hanging above it on the 4 OEM plastic retainers as originally designed.
Now the conversion process met almost all of the initial criteria and yet if one was to want to convert the system back to OEM (why) there would be “NO” concerns. The process would likely take a couple hours and once completed it would be as if “NOTHING” had ever been touched. The only required item that became an acceptable compromise was the extending of the sub woofer wires. The two wires going from the sub woofer to the AMP needed to be extended and yet if the conversion was to be reversed the wires would not have to be shortened. In ACRJoe’s case he is considering using the OEM canvass bags as designed but folding them in half so that there will be two hooks on each of the upper OEM plastic retainers however I elected to relocate the two lower OEM plastic retainers to a place above the AMP and the sub woofer and then have my upholstery person cut the lower half of the canvass bag at the OEM stitch line and then relocated the stretch cord fasteners at each of the lower corners. I did this because I hate the fricken net material that always looks disheveled and decided to have two cool looking OEM canvass bags that have the firm pockets. If one was to simply fold the bags as ACRJoe is considered then the ability to reverse the process is 100% whereas in my case I would need to re-stitch the lower fish net portion of the bag back on; NBD.
So what is the drawback one might ask; very simply the cost. The replacement center panel has a retail price of approximately $1700, certainly discounts are available and then add to this the materials needed and either labor paid to another or sweat equity will further this cost and yet when it is completed I suspect that most will soon forget the cost because of the wonderful finished results. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 I would rate the process as a 3. I would also say that if so inclined most could do it themselves with only moderate hand tools.
Lastly; ACRJoe said “Shadowman I am going to have to defer to you for bringing this conversion to term because it is nothing like I initially envisioned” to which I said “Joe; you were the driving force that compelled me to purchase the non Mac center trim panel and then kept pushing so I say that ACRJoe deserves as much credit as myself for making this happen.
I was sitting in my gal with all of the pieces in place and simply smiled. I am pretty fricken ANAL so from me this says a lot.
BTW..... my canvass bags will be modified tomorrow so what you see in the picture is with it folded as ACRJoe is considering. If you look closely you will see the OEM plastic retainers already installed under the fold of the bag.
All the best
Shadowman
Attachments
Last edited:
