Bad_Asso resto mod project

[Bad_Asso]

Next up in my little list of projects is an amp upgrade and custom boot install. Upgrading the amp is one thing, putting it somewhere in the boot without sacrificing practicality is another. The original amplifier came with the car when I bought it in 2011. It had to go.

Old amplifier v New amplifier

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The original was old, cooling fan was noisy, was relatively bulky, underpowered, and wires/cables were hanging around everywhere.

New amplifier

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The new amp location was decided after considering amp cooling ventilation requirements, ease of installation, and access to the spare wheel.

The installation consists of two modules for now. 1st module was designed to mount the new amp which is secured with 4 machine screws onto the module. The module itself is secured to the body using heavy duty Velcro which means no holes needed to be drilled.

1st module

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3mm PVC

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2nd module is a dress cover panel designed to hide and protect the cables and wires, which only uses an M4 machine screw to secure to the first module.

2nd module

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The longer term plan is to have room for a 3rd module when I eventually install a DSP later on.

As you can see from the pics I used 3mm corflute to quickly create and refine the mock-ups before using 3mm PVC purchased from a hardware store for the final product. The 3mm PVC was eventually covered in carpet felt using heavy duty spray adhesive.

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The new amp install also involved new 4 Gauge OFC power cable and a new midi fuse holder from KnuKonceptz. I designed a custom bracket for the fuse holder which is mounted as close to the battery as possible. The 4 Gauge cable is capable of pumping up to 150amps.

Powder coated 2mm steel with M4 nutserts

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Installed bracket

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[Bad_Asso]

ECU swap time. I’ve upgraded to a Windows‑friendly Haltech Elite 550 — the baby of the Elite family, but easily powerful enough for this setup. The old MoTeC M4 wasn’t bad at all; it was a tough, expensive bit of gear back in the day. The previous owner reckoned it cost around $3K fully optioned.

Its downfall was age. DOS‑based software, no local tuners willing to touch it, and cold‑start quirks that changed with the seasons. After 30 years, ECU tech has moved on in a big way.

I scored a new but unused Elite 550 on Facebook Marketplace for a steal, grabbed a Polycase Enclosures from the US (EX-64 Extruded Aluminum Enclosure or SKU = EX-64-01), and then custom designed a custom bracket from laser cut 2mm powder-coated steel to mount it properly. A seperate Haltech Oxygen sensor controller module was also installed to complement the ECU.

Along the same lines as the outdated M4, I’ll be covering a new injector swap in my next post…