# Mattwa's Cruze Build



## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Taking shape . Cool .


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Let me know how that difusser goes I kinda been leaning twards one. I have a similar quad angle cut tip setup on my Legacy and wanted to do the same to my Cruze. Lucky its a small part to ship compared to other items I ordered. Using Fed-Ex I ended up driving to Richfield to pick up a leather power car seat with airbags. 

I haven't touched the stereo yet, I'm waiting for the Lordstown meet to see what all has been done to pick what I really need. I kinda only want to add the 6x9's in the deck. 

Have a Scan Guage been too lazy to instal it, and haven't don the drums since the dealership touched them. 

Thought about floor lights as well believe there was a How To for it. I was thinking a step firther and maybe adding puddle lights to the outside mirrors similar to what we have on the Escalade. Since you are a 2012, there is the 2013 cruze or Verano dome light swap. If I get the Verano one You can have my oem one.


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## Mattwa (May 24, 2013)

OK, I will. When is the Lordstown meet? IMO, 6X9's don't cut it for me, I got the high-end system like XR talks about in the works.  I sold my 97 Buick Riviera last month, and I miss the system I put in it. Thankfully I did keep the amp and sub, which are the ones that are going into this car!

Puddle lights? Nah I think I'm OK without those. So THAT'S when they changed it, I saw Cruzes with said dome light on this forum, and I didn't know they changed that in 2013. I really want to upgrade mine. What is the difference between the 2013 Cruze and 13 Verano light housing? I know my 2012 has just two map lights that only work when you open the doors, I find that annoying to no end. I'd love to have that middle 3rd light.


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## danielp23 (May 14, 2013)

Coming along nice! Post more pics as you go!


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## Mattwa (May 24, 2013)

Got the MiniDSP/MiniDC in the mail today.


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## Mattwa (May 24, 2013)

Latest update: More progress on the audio system, and I finished the BIG 3 upgrade.  

I'm not happy how some of the things turned out with the installtion of the amp, but I didn't want to change the position of it, so I had to cut the trunk carpet...I'll just put the sub in front of it.  










And my Big 3 upgrade! I made it all myself, I didn't buy the kit offered here. I already had everything minus a few terminals that I had to buy for the ends of the cable. I wrapped the two longer cables with high temp wireloom I had from other projects, so IMO, it nearly looks factory if you don't know what you're looking for. 


























There was this neat C-shaped piece on the coolant overflow that does nothing in my car, so it worked out GREAT to hold the power wire!


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Looks like you got your hands full lol. Its looking good so far man =]. Keep it up and those pics coming. We like pics. Id like to add a final two things for the interior but I couldn't get the first idea to work....which was install LED footwell lights. I had them all wired up correctly I thought, and then after I ran the wires and got everything where I wanted them to, they wouldn't come on. I was so ticked off. Idk what I did wrong. I should have had someone else do it that knew what they were doing. I had a great idea how to hook em up, but I guess I was in over my head lol.


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## Mattwa (May 24, 2013)

You try swapping the wires? LED's won't work if you install the polarity back-words.

Busy Busy day today working on the Cruze! Installed the passenger A-pillar back on with the Vifa tweeter glued in, and installed the driver's side A-pillar gauge pod with Vifa tweeter, Autometer boost gauge, and AEM wideband!! 

Boost gauge works great! I don't have the ZZP O2 housing/midpipe yet, so for now the wide-band remains unplugged, but it's all wired up minus the actual O2 sensor. I did have it plugged in to test it and it does indeed work.  I am pretty proud of how the engine bay still looks stock with the addition of all the wires, since I covered everything I added in high quality engine bay wireloom, not the cheapo crap places like Autozone sells, those easily melt (been there, done that my Fiero).

This is the line I tapped into (didn't cut it) for the boost gauge.

































I DID get the rear air diffuser in the mail last week, however I got it almost cracked in half.  So now after fighting with the seller for a day or two, I gotta go to the post office AGAIN, and return it. This will be the 3rd time going there for issues with this stupid package. :/


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

Mattwa said:


> Latest update: More progress on the audio system, and I finished the BIG 3 upgrade.
> 
> I'm not happy how some of the things turned out with the installtion of the amp, but I didn't want to change the position of it, so I had to cut the trunk carpet...I'll just put the sub in front of it.
> 
> ...


The Build looks great I had one question though, for your audio install I am not seeing a Fuse anywere... Just making sure you have put one in line and perferably in the first 6-12 inches.

If you did you did a great job hiding it, if not, I will highly suggest putting one inline.

Love the look of the A-Pillar pods, they look OEM minus saying Cobalt.


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## Mattwa (May 24, 2013)

I really didn't see a need to have one, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to add it since I already got one in the wiring kit I bought. The amp has 2 fuses and the other end of the power wire is connected to a terminal in the factory power distribution block over the top of the battery, which is also fused. So why would I need another one?


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

Lets just say you are get t boned (or are working and splice it on accident, or disconnect if from your amp and ground it oug) you have will have a 4 gauge wire grounding out to car that could produce a shock. By it grounding out you could easily be sending a surge back to your BCM that could cause damage. Although there is a fuse that it is plugged into, it could potentially save your cars electical system in a bad situation. 

Its your car to do as you would like, but I would always error on the side of caution. especially since you already have the fuse.

Also if the right condition happened it could even spark catching a fire. More fuse's are always a saftey thing.


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## vlcmstnaz (Feb 6, 2014)

any update on the exhaust setup? would love to see the finished project. also, curious to know how labor intensive the process was to mod the rear bumper.


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