Cadillac Escalade SQL Custom Build

[Trevor28139 10+ year member]

very cool build looking forward to seeing the progress

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

This was today, I have finally spared some time to prime this panel out. The pictures were all taken when the panel was still wet, that's the reasoning for the inconstant finish. Tomorrow I'll sand it out with 150, Rage Gold it, sand out again, re-prime, and hopefully just sand out a final time before texturing it in preparation to have it match the factory panels as close as possible.

Though the actual amplifier mounting board is carpeted in the closest i color I could find to the factory color - It's only alright - definitely not close. with luck I'll have the rear area completed this week.

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

The rear build and wiring I had worked on last week, although all images were taken with the same iPhone, a few were quite dark and grainy by comparison. I guess they are light enough to get what they are - good enough, right?

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

One of the essential parts to a build is the use of butyl dampening material on panels. The only part of this that I struggle with is how when you ask someone the required application volume or even thickness you can get 6 different answers from 4 different people (yeah, that's correct!). I know there is a difference from treated vs untreated panels musically and frequency wise within the panel - though the actual metrics for this seem like voodoo.

I have been told some of the following: single layer, 25% of major panels - 100% single layer - Overlap 2 layers - Only the doors need it - Bang the panel, if it resonates; apply there.

Regardless, I am starting here as applied below to see what difference this small amount makes. I will be doing doors exactly like keep_hope_alive on his Civic, this is definitely where I don't want to mess up. To me the doors definitely are key to a great installation, this is no place for trial and error.

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

The front wiring was again performed to be a somewhat "factory" looking installation. Everything just as in the rear was bulk loomed in the console splitting off in he dash to follow the factory wiring channels, and zip tied in place.

I had opted to place the crossovers in the console, with each unit separated into 2 access holes with the cables tied together by loom with additional length so I may pull them out for adjustment later. This will make tuning and phasing much easier, as there is no disassembly required to perform these actions.

I opted to use Red for Right and BLack for Left - Genius hey?!?!? Actually I did it when I loomed the wires from the front to back so I knew which was which. I decided to carry it on throughout the process.

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Today I have decided that tomorrow I will paint all of the dash "wood" to match the tweeter pods. I find the fake wood to look like the plastic it is more than a great high depth faux wood. The other reason is I quite like the charcoal metallic finish on the tweeter pods. It's off now anyway, might as well take advantage of the situation while I can!

I'll tackle the beautiful plastic on the doors when I have them apart to finish the deadening, build filler panels, and baffles.

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Big 3 (or Big 6) & Charging System

The factory charging system in the 07-12 Cadillac Escalade is terrible. I have been left on many occasions in cold weather with an overnight no start condition, as have many other owners of Escalades. I have had the battery replaced under warranty, and numerous AVR tests completed - poorly designed system - that's it.

Fortunately GM was good enough to provide a secondary battery location under the hood of this platform, leaving only the addition of "Police Tahoe" cables and a hold down to make the addition of a second battery easy. This is probably the route I would have taken if I was only concerned with cold day or extended parked start up. The too small 615CCA battery only become marginally better when you have 2.

I opted to utilize a similar wiring layout to the "Police Tahoe" option, though I did refine it with the addition of a distribution block, a larger inline fuse, and 0 gauge wire for ALL components. What I can tell you is after properly grounding the engine, frame and body, the slight alternator whine I had with un-amped (direct to deck wired) speakers is now gone. A minor change in the initial charging system plan, the Optima batteries will remain as an option if this system fails - I went with Group 34/78 Motormaster Spiral AGM batteries - as these are made by Exide, are non-spillable, and seem to be pretty good, and are slightly better priced than Optima.

What you will see is both batteries are 0 gauge to the frame and block, the areas on both block and frame were cleaned and prepped properly. The frame was also shot with adhesion promoter, primer, and a gloss black implement style paint. Every cable end/ring was heat shrunk and was covered in split loom.

The only component I am awaiting is the DC Power Inc 300amp alternator, then life will be good.

Maybe it's overkill, maybe not. What I can say is it has changed how I will be grounding the amps in the rear now - I will be taking both grounds through the floor to the frame.

Below is the sketched layout as installed with pictures to follow............

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Frame Ground:

Frame Ground Finished:

Starter & Battery Link

Distribution Block:

Inline Fuse:

Alternator:

Second Battery:

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Interior Trim Panels

This was a last minute audible call. I didn't like the factory plastic fake wood to begin with, and I really like the Duplicolor Textured Metallic. This is what I had used on the tweeter pods, and previously on a Yamaha R1 (trim again & exhaust shields)I used to own. It only seemed natural to match the panels to the tweeter pods, though I need to figure out what I am going to do about the steering wheel trim.

These were all removed, washed down with wax and grease remover, then scuffed thoroughly with a Scotch-Brite pad (new and clean). Final wipe down with lacquer thinner to remove all dust and contaminates, and an even coat of adhesion promoter. Then 2 coats of the Duplicolor Textured Metallic.

I will get the door panel trim done when I have the doors apart for the deadening and baffles.

 

[Sub Woofin 10+ year member]

i love the fiberglass job!

 

[wone 10+ year member]

very nice man im tuned

 

[4bannger 10+ year member]

looking good. like how your taking the time to run the wires really good.

 

[subsonicrc 10+ year member]

Like the build sir really clean. Have you thought about or can afford the Rockford Fosgate 3sixty3? It would allow full and complete control of everything on that set up. So then you would have more control of how your system sounds. Sound q or slamming bass if you want it. Tuned in for the build sir.

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Subsonicrc, the reason why I opted to build the way I did is so I could make changes easily. With how the cables run down the Center, I would only have to flip the speaker wires to the other side and add some out put RCAs to the output on the amps and I can go active.

After the install is complete, and I have had a couple of months tuning and listening I'm sure there may be changes.

If the install is good, hopefully the base may remain the same and its only a few screws and (possibly) surface panels to be changed.