bngl3rt's "Midnight Run" build

Single-DIN Uniden BCD536HP scanner came in yesterday. Hopefully I will be able to get it installed this weekend!

effing awesome!! i please let me know how that scanner is. I have been debating citing the HP1 is just a bit to obvious.

thank you

arista5 said:

effing awesome!! i please let me know how that scanner is. I have been debating citing the HP1 is just a bit to obvious.

thank you

Click to expand...

So far, sounds f**cking great, and that's just with the little antenna out of the box. Can't wait to get it hooked up to the big array. A huge step up from the tinny sound of the HP-1.

A little experiment indoors tonight... using the dedicated external speaker amp in the scanner to run the disused center speaker in the NSX. A smashing success. Sounds great, and now I can control the volume of the scanner individually and use the stereo system/head unit for other things. Huzzah!

Alright, progress!

The modified center speaker assembly goes back in the car, with the Uniden GPS puck on top of it:


Soldering up the power and illumination harness for the Uniden scanner (plus a fused 12v socket for the GPS puck):


Everything connected up, bundled up, and ready to go back in. Two (more or less) single-DIN units sharing the SoS Double DIN bracket space:


Connected up to the car:


Test fire - it lives! Everything works! The Uniden shows "GPS" icon on the screen so the connection to the Garmin puck was successful.


Hideous temporary center console back on (yes, I am planning to get a beautiful one made):


And off for a test drive!



Everything works great, using the center speaker as the scanner speaker is much preferable to running it through the stereo since the door speakers are down by my feet and the center speaker is up much closer to the ears - scanner traffic can be pretty hard to make out so having it down by my feet definitely wasn't helping.

I still haven't installed the CB radio but it's coming soon. Parts for antenna rig version 2 are in the mail - fewer antennas (2) and better reception this time.

Looking good Ben.

Well, looks like I need to find a different spot for the scanner so I can get my dual-DIN bay back...

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/04/15/pioneer-carplay-aftermarket/

Just dropped the car off at Simplicity in Sound for a lightweight SQ and countermeasures build.

Looking forward to the completed project

You're not doing the 100OCT rally this year?

No, I got priced out...

Cwood here on prime is really quite good at custom center consoles of just this sort. Might be worth a msg.

After five track days in the purple princess I am at the point with my track skills where I want to push the car harder. This carries additional risk and I have realized that I am not comfortable with subjecting my NSX to that risk. "Shit happens" at the track, and I've realized I need a cheap, dedicated track car (leaning S2000) for shit to happen to. If I write off my one and only purple NSX I will be devastated.

I was planning a mega-track build inspired by 1K2GO, but now my NSX has a different destiny: de-ratchetization.

If you don't know what "ratchet" means suffice it to say I have seen all sorts of NSXs... some in pristine condition, some in really ratchet condition, and some in between. Look it up on UrbanDictionary if you want.

Old cars have flaws. Things wear out and they break. Old cars may pass through several owners who each have their own standard for the quality of the work and the quality of the parts that they put on their cars. If you have an old Accord or something, its flaws might even be charming. You might forgive them as they are small living reminders of how well the rest of the car has stood the test of time.

However, the NSX is an exotic, a collectible, and is going up in value. It is truly a timeless car. We often forgive flaws in such cars by distinguishing "concours cars" from "survivor cars" from "driver cars".

Let me be the first to say FUCK-THAT-SHIT.

My car will be a regularly driven, great condition, no-amusing-charming-flaws car. I will systematically hunt down and eliminate every flaw that annoys me and make no distinction between flaws that were built in by Honda at the factory (oil pressure sensor), flaws that came from age and use (bushing creak/squeak), and flaws introduced by owners previous (dings/dents/scratches/paint stuff) or even me (busted home-brew double DIN center console).

I will now list all the flaws I intend to address, and my plan for addressing them.

OEM stereo sounds like shit and weighs a ton - car is currently at Simplicity in Sound in Milpitas, CA to take care of this.
I bought and installed someone's DIY double-din center console and it's cracked and the paint doesn't match - ditto
B-pillar covers missing, previous owner cut them for a harness bar - install new ones
Lots of little paint and body flaws - strip it & dip it
Glass engine hatch rubber seal is loose and flops around in the wind - ???? the part is discontinued so not sure what to do about this.
OEM 16/17 wheels are scuffed up and it's hard to find good tires for them - upgrade to a set of 17/18 that can run Michelin PSS
Previous-owner-installed HID kit flickers and sometimes the left headlight doesn't turn on the first time - brand new HID kit
Engine compression tests at 190-200psi, leak down between 10 and 20% and consumes some oil - more testing needed to determine the source of the oil consumption but either way it's an engine rebuild (head/block)
Oil pressure readings are essentially random - ScienceOfSpeed oil pressure sensor upgrade kit
Rear suspension bushings creak under braking - ???? not really sure I need noncompliance but it's cheaper than getting a new OEM rear beam with fresh bushings in it...
Seats are in 6/10 condition - leatherseats.com
OEM 02+ rear valence fitment is an 8/10, I think this particular piece got warped by heat or something in storage/shipping - get a new one
CT Gen1 exhaust has never hung perfectly level, one tip always 1/4" to 3/4" higher than the other - I want a titanium exhaust, I'm inspired by Honcho's story of importing the Fujitsubo, I want this one: http://www.route-ks.com/parts/dk/dkr_muffler/index.html http://www.suzuka-gt.net/NSX/muffler/dk_ver_r/index.html
whistling/squeaking/whining noise between 3k and 4k RPM at part throttle, appeared after Uni Filter was installed - ???? maybe go back to OEM air filter or a different brand of a/m one to see if that helps?

Everyone who cares has things that piss them off about their car. This is my list. Onwards!

I still think your car is awesome, and cant wait to do a rally that youre on.

(ps, i ended up buying the 436hp because i bring it from rally car to rally car...

arista5 said:

I still think your car is awesome, and cant wait to do a rally that youre on.

(ps, i ended up buying the 436hp because i bring it from rally car to rally car...

Click to expand...

Thanks

Yeah, makes total sense. I sometimes decide to drive fast "just because", and do enough small weekend group drives around here locally, that it really needed to be in easy reach and require zero effort.

I still had the HP-1 kicking around for use in other peoples' cars, but then it suddenly died, so there is probably a 436HP in my future. I just wish it had the GPS built in. The outboard puck makes sense for the 536HP hard-mount, but for a portable I would love something smaller.

Custom acrylic center console coming together...

bngl3rt said:

Custom acrylic center console coming together...

Click to expand...

Interested to see progress and hear any more details about your objectives or approach. Thanks.

jwmelvin said:

Interested to see progress and hear any more details about your objectives or approach. Thanks.

Click to expand...

On the stereo or the whole build? :tongue:

Regarding the dash piece, if you scroll up to the pictures of the install I did myself, you will see that I bought someone else's aborted DIY center console, then it cracked in shipping, but I put it in because it was what I had on hand and it looked really bad. I stopped by Simplicity in Sound to see if they would make me a new center console, but they convinced me that if ever I was thinking of doing a whole new sound system in the car, I would save money (turned out to be quite a bit of labor) by having them do it all at once - rather than make a new center console, install it, and then rip everything back out again sometime later when it was time to do the full system. So, we agreed on a full system:

Audiomobile elite 2208 8" sub
Morel Hybrid Integra point source - but we will NOT be using a passive crossover as my Pioneer head unit is fully 3-way active (http://www.morelhifi.com/car-audio/hybrid-ovation-ii/hybrid-integra)
6ch 1100w class D ARC amp that fits very nicely behind the passenger seat (http://www.arcaudio.com/p/xdi-1100-5?pp=24)

And of course a Laser Interceptor Dual.


Here is an email from my man at SIS, JOey (when he says "radar" I think he means laser):

Things are going well. I have all the dash parts done, and I am working on sanding the last piece to paint it. The radar system is underway and the doors are done.


I did the dash in multiple pieces to help the longevity of the piece. Now it is broken into the top airvent section (like it was before) the middle part that holds all the electronics, and the bottom part that goes around the shifter, etc.

Here is the dash piece before paint. It is full 1/4" acrylic. I replicated the OEM mount on the top, and made my own mount for the bottom (since the original piece was attached to the shifter part it didn't have an OEM mount..). If you look at the top you will see I changed the shape of the HVAC opening a little to make it less round. The middle opening is for the scanner, that piece sits behind the trim and basically is flush with the front. The bottom is the radio. That opening matches the contour of the radio (the ends are curved somewhat). I also went back and chamfered the bottom edge to allow clearance for the face to open. And, at the bottom, the switch for the radar, the bass knob and the USB plug. The two strips glued in between the pieces help keep everything centered.


All of those pieces were first made in wood, and then the wood used as a template for the acrylic.

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Custom brackets for the Pioneer and the HomePatrol

Center console coming along...

looking good Ben

That looks awesome. Keep it up!

Oh yes oh yes!

Things are definitely getting more interesting in here...

B2FiNiTY said:

Things are definitely getting more interesting in here...

Click to expand...

How is an NSX with three antennas not "interesting"??? :wink:

bngl3rt said:

Center console coming along...

Click to expand...

Is that two pieces, so the acrylic ends down at the bottom and then transitions to the lower portion of the OEM console?