Project ICE: 22 speakers, 8 inch head unit + alcantara/carbon/flock.

Hello everyone.

This will be a big project thread I wanted to share with you to show what can be done to a MK1 Freelander and for inspiration to others to give them 'ideas' with other vehicles too. As it's such a big project, I'll post it in parts so not to overwhelm people reading and looking at photos.

For now, I will show you one finished job, a Custom Centre Speaker which is part of a big audio project I am nearing the end of - but I will need your help if possible please finishing it (will need car audio battery in boot with split charge set up).

For the critics, I understand this is pointless, and certainly isn't 'audiophile grade' or '4X4' either - but to me it's fun as I like making my car unique, primarily as it's old and and unloved (like its owner!).

I enjoy doing mods, as even if the outcome wasn't what you thought, you achieved something unique and at least had a go. That's why I do it, to try and be creative.

Parts Used:
Marine Ply (12mm) - double layer in 3 of 4 faces = (24mm). One face is single layer to get 'lid' on.
Paint (sand down wood, then a primer coat).
File.
Saw.
Hole saw (to cut speaker hole).
Wood glue.
Carbon dip finish.
Black metal screws for: Speaker/box lid/speaker binding posts.

Audio:
2 x 4'' Alpine SPG-10C2 2-way speakers (180w Peak/45w RMS) will go to Amps (undecided) in boot.
KnuKonceptz Karma Kable Twisted OFC (soldered) onto speaker binding posts.
Nakamichi Banana Plugs

Comments:
I wanted to fit 2 x 6'' speakers but the limitations of height and depth of the Freelander interior forced the size to be limited to 4 inch speakers, and this was a big squeeze in such a tiny box to wire the speakers up, make sure they don't touch internally and then screw the lid on with the speaker cables soldered.

It sounds 'OK', but is naturally devoid of any bass - although that won't be a problem due to other 'upgrades'. I would rate the finished sound quality then, only as adequate. On a positive note, the aim was to create some mid/high presence in the center of the car when surrounded by speakers on the external perimeter of the vehicle (doors) - and that was achieved (used a mini home amp to test it).

However, the limitations forced by the structural size are undeniable as are positioning compromises needed to be made unless you want to stop the car being functional which I didn't. I wanted it to be 'there' but not too obvious otherwise the entire car becomes a disco, rather than most of it.

Will post pics later of centre speaker inside car, you might be surprised where I put it!

[Centre speaker box]:

Whatever floats your boat, as they say. All looks good and it's an interesting project, I shall be interested to see more.
The Freelander doesn't really have useful nooks and crannies to hide speaker's like a normal saloon car, it's quite a limiting shape being a shoe box basically.
Don't forget, if you do start sticking speaker's in doors or side panels, the Freelander doesn't have any sound deadening in it, which is one of the reasons the stereo sounds so bad. So buy some sound pads! It'll make all the difference.
Mike

Interesting project. I found that a decent sub made the most improvement in sound quality.
I fitted a 10" sub in the boot fish tank in my previous Freelander. I'll do it again in my current Freelander, when I get the time.

Thanks Mike. Don't worry I put sound deadening in the car, including on the roof and in the centre console!

I can do a full write up for anyone interested as this part was tricky and time consuming, also as I only had one console I had to get it correct first time - I mostly achieved this.

Basically I removed the centre console, cut it around with a Dremel tool - tricky as the plastic melts a bit from the cutting wheel. In addition, the centre console sides are not square and 'lean out' from the bottom to a slimer form at the top (so the front seats fit) - all in, this means the speaker box cannot be square either! The speaker box has to mirror the shape of the factory centre console (hard part). Also it needs a home to sit on, or it'll flap around and get damaged once you start moving.

So the idea was to 'trap' it in the cubby hole container (cut this out too), and then close the lid on it. If I got the fit just right, I wouldn't even need Velcro to secure it. I managed that by some luck I think as when you closed the lid, it's very tightly secured and doesn't slip.

To know that, I first made some little feet (cheap pine) cut with a pad saw for the base of the speaker box to sit on, glued these horizontal support struts on with Araldite epoxy resin. The feet shape had to be carved out to fit the interior contour of the centre console (remember I said the plastic is thinner at the top than the base?) well this applies to how the feet secure to the base of the speaker box - fiddly. Also you have to get the edge of the feet nice and flush with the outside of the centre console. I used wood filler believe it or not, sanded this down then varnished the wood filler. (Flocking only works on wood filler if you use two coats of varnish).

Once done, I covered the entire inside of the modified centre console in Dynamat Extreme (to reduce vibration and weight), painted that, and then got it flocked by a flocking company to cover up all the bumps and scrapes that inevitably occur when messing around with drills, drill bits etc. I could have finished the centre console in carbon dip, but I wanted a contrast and to match the rest of the interior where the carbon is just the accent, not the main feature.

The speaker connections (banana plugs) are at the bottom of the center speaker base - hidden of course. This just, and I mean JUST fits with all the electrics in the way and of course the dreaded handbrake handle - which almost stopped the entire project: The handbrake handle forced me to use two 4 inch speakers - I actually wanted a 6 inch subwoofer but it doesn't have enough room if you are limited to such a small box. So a tiny dual (stereo) speaker had to do, and at least this was completed, eventually, with no problems.

The speaker cables run under the carpet into the boot, I'll have to get some amps eventually, probably 8 channel + mono (for subs) plus another one for the centre speaker. That will take time to arrange, so have used up an 'old school' amp in the boot which I will show in a few weeks when that part is complete - almost done.

Sorry for the photos, it was dark. Also note in the last photo, the lid that doesn't look shut correctly, isn't actually shut - I forgot to clip it down tight due to the flocking material making the little 'teeth' of the cubby box lid, a bit more resistant to closure. (I had to buy an entire new cubby box lid actually, because mine were snapped off - common problem in Freelander 1 as when the cubby box lid is 'dropped' it misses the hole and snaps the teeth off). Colour of the lid didn't matter as it was getting flocked.

The next mod I'll show you guys will be the illuminated LED arm rest cup holder.

[Centre console centre speaker mod complete]:

All the detailed pics for this mod and others are currently trapped on a broken hard disk so I can't show you guys the 'how to'. Until then, here's the finished product.

Basically, as I now have a speaker in the storage box between the seats, I needed to 'reclaim' some space, in an already space limited vehicle. As the front doors will be full of speakers, the only place possible was to hack into the arm rest with a craft knife, find a suitable 'cup holder', and make some space - so I did just that:

Materials:
Craft Knife.
Small curved nail scissors (perfect for cutting around the corners).
3M Blue tape (mark up circular hole before cutting) removes with no damage.
Pen (Draw on the tape to see where you're going to cut)
Flocking material finish.
Drill with hole saw.

Parts:
Aluminum Cup holder (I have a spare one in BLACK if anyone wants it?). If it's the wrong colour you could carbon dip it.
12v Illuminated LED ring light.
Blade fuse holder and blade fuses.

How I did it:
*Removed arm rest from centre console entirely.
*Turned arm rest upside down, and removed black corrugated plastic sheet (keep this).
*Cut hole in arm rest using hole saw (be very careful or it will 'chew' and tug the faux leather arm rest and rip it to shreds.
*Pulled out foam interior.
*Test fit cup holder multiple times. Too tight and it bends the material making it pull in and look awful. Too loose and it rattles. Try and get a compromise so it just fits, but doesn't snag the material and can be jiggled aroud a bit.

*Drilled out wooden base of factory arm rest (yes, wood) and pulled LED cup holder wires through. Traced these two brackets of centre console that the arm rest hinges clip into.... Notice I managed to almost hide the wires completely, even with the lid open.
To do this, I had to be 'clever' and run the LED light wires out of the base of the arm rest lid (remove the arm rest first) and then thread the power cables through the arms of the delicate plastic hinge. By luck the hinges aren't solid but are 'carved' out. I used this to run the tiny LED cable in. It doesn't foul or get snapped as I checked. So I drilled the hinge itself with a tiny drill bit, (without destroying the hinge) and thread the wires through this into the back of the internal part of the centre console to get to a power feed internally. This was time consuming but worth it as you can barely see the two little black wires.

The centre console speaker mod is finished off with 2x LED lights to match the interior illumination:

1 x LED cup holder ring. It has to be a 'halo ring' LED, as then the reflection of the alloy cup holder, creates an illusion (via reflection) of a 3D effect and it looks rather snazzy better than a central mounted bulb as at least partly, the light creates a coloured tube (due to the depth of the cup holder).

1 x rear '12v power' centre console connector (got this LR part 2nd hand, and carbon dipped it) after drilling a hole in it for the LED light of course. Again the shiny surface of the gloss carbon finish helps reflect and thus spread the light nicely for the rear passengers. Both lights are activated off a simple switch you will see I cut into the centre console above the factory window switches so it's barely noticeable.

I did go bonkers and have some nice touch sensitive alloy buttons flush mounted in the access flap of the centre console (the little flap with two bolts underneath which needs a screwdriver to pop open), but I broke the cables - twice! Getting frustrated I ditched these and went simple with the 'pot switch' style you see in the photos. Does the job though not as cool as my other switches dimmed. I can add a dimmer later though, not too difficult.
If anyone wants these 12/24v switches (they are £25 each) and is prepared to extend the tiny wires (I mean tiny) - as they snapped- you can have them, just PM me.

The power is spliced into the factory rear cigarette/12v in the rear of the centre console and run via a fuse, actually two fuses. I had some drama as I was playing around with the speaker box with the engine running and the banana plugs touched the back of the factory cigarette/12v power, arked and blew two fuses in the car fuse box - doh! So be aware that when messing around internally down here that the back of the cigarette/12v socket is live when the ignition is on.

Other than that, didn't have any dramas and it all works.

Next up, my front door cards, now with a bit more bass...

[Illuminated LED cup holder arm rest mod + light switch]

Nice work so far
This was my sub install thread. If you are interested.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-gets-a-proper-sub-woofer.223690/

I'm not convinced that I'd want to cut a hole in the padded arm rest though. It was a rare option at one time. I've seen them for sale at over £100 in the past.
I wouldn't want a cup holder that much
Having said that, they appear much cheaper from suppliers these days

I love stuff like this! Nice job, very neat, very tidy and looks good as well.

Your Freelanders have got more space than a fender, but still limited. I fitted an Apline SWE1200 in my Defender, small and compact but packs a punch! Just mentioning in case anyone wants some bass but not the ability to fit one lik eyou have!

Nice install, can't see the point of so many speakers but I know that's how a lot are done

Mine will be based on an Alpine CDA117ri, a selection of Alpine V12 amps and DLS speakers, probably active 3 way front plus sub. I have it all except the sub

This is suitably bonkers. I like