In the third chapter of Project Broken Silence, the team finishes some wiring and begins work on the trunk and speaker installation adapters. Each part of the process ensures the system performs reliably and sounds great. Let’s dive into the details.
Ford Mustang Dark Horse Wiring Details
The last article covered the speaker wiring that Broken Silence Custom Car Audio added to the Mustang. After completing the final wiring in the doors, the team installed high-current quick disconnects at the ends. They soldered these connectors, typically used on high-end radio-controlled vehicle batteries, to the end of the speaker wire. Before sliding on the plastic cover, they protected each solder connection with heat shrink. Finally, they wrapped the wiring in automotive-grade fleece tape, ensuring no buzzes or rattles occur due to the new wiring. These wires will deliver audio signals to the 6.5-inch woofer and the 3.5-inch midrange.
Mustang Dark Horse Trunk and Amp Rack
B.J. and Adan removed all the trim panels in the trunk to treat it with SoundShield sound deadening. This upgrade serves two purposes: keeping exhaust noise out and retaining bass within. The trunk will house a pair of Sony XS-W104ES 10-inch subwoofers, making it essential to prevent rattles and buzzes for optimal sound quality.
The pair of Sony Mobile ES XM-5ES five-channel amplifiers will be mounted in the Mustang’s spare tire well. B.J. cut a piece of expanded PVC to serve as the base of the amp rack. He trimmed the panel’s edge to match the trunk’s curved shape using an acrylic template and a flush-trim bit on his router table. Once in place, he positioned the pair of XM-5ES amps to determine where to run power wires, speaker wires and interconnects.
Mustang Dark Horse Speaker Installation
The team has started creating mounting solutions for the Sony Mobile ES XS-163ES three-way component speaker set. They will install the 6.5-inch woofers and 3.5-inch midrange speakers in the factory door locations, making use of the existing perforated mesh grilles.
The one-inch tweeters in the XS-163ES feature a moderately large mounting system that goes beyond a simple cup or bracket. The area around the synthetic fiber dome serves as a waveguide to enhance output at lower frequencies. This crucial design element allows the tweeter to play lower than conventional designs, resulting in a soundstage that’s higher on the dash.
B.J. cut out acrylic mounting adapters for the woofers and tweeters using the shop’s CNC laser. After gluing the woofer parts together, he test-fitted them to ensure everything was perfect. He noted that new hardware will be used for the final installation, emphasizing that the current setup is just for the test fit.
Car stereo shops that take pride in their work make all door speaker adapters out of plastic rather than wood. This area gets wet when it rains or when the vehicle is washed. Wood can swell and become moldy, whereas plastic mounting adapters last for the vehicle’s life without concerns about water damage. The Broken Silence Custom Car Audio team clearly takes car audio speaker installation seriously.
SEMA Demo Car Project
Steady progress on Project Broken Silence continues. The team mentioned that Escort Radar has provided one of its Redline Ci 360c radar detectors and laser defense systems. The Broken Silence team will integrate this into the project soon!
Check back next week to see how the Sony Mobile ES / GoFast Solutions Project: Broken Silence Mustang Dark Horse project is progressing. The deadline is creeping up, but they still have enough time.
