http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/WHoffmann64/?action=view¤t=009-4.jpg http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/WHoffmann64/?action=view¤t=010-2.jpg http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/WHoffmann64/?action=view¤t=012-1.jpg I inherited some dated, but top-notch audio equipment from my father when he got a new car. I decided to install it in my wagon, but of course, I could not compromise the load-hauling qualities that I love in my full size wagon! The ability to load a sheet of plywood is my measure of a car. Spent a weekend building and carpeting a box to neatly fit everything. The original sub box was 1.5" too tall. The compartment, of molded sheet metal, has rounded corners and non-90 angles everywhere, so it took some time and careful trimming to figure out a geometry that worked and allowed the hatch doors to close neatly over it. The wires should have been a bit neater, what you see coming around the left side is the AI-net outgoing cable to the CD changer in front, as well as the power for the XM receiver. Coming out of a sedan and going into a full size wagon, it was *just* long enough, and it if went in back of my box would have been a foot too short. Nothing to spare Likewise with the power cables: best buy had only 17' foot cables that were a joke, and severely overpriced as well. I went to home depot, and taking pride in overengineering, installed a 2 gauge power cable to the amp and two separate 4 gauge grounds, one that goes to the chassis 2' away where I drilled and tapped a 5/16-18 hole in the sheet metal, and the other that takes copper directly back to the battery's negative terminal (got to be less resistance, than traveling by way of steel). Their stiffness created the slightly mussed appearance of the wiring; they had to curve around, then get crimped into plated brass contacts that I had to grind to make fit the amplifier's terminals. The other challenge was in only belatedly learning of the factory amplifier, which rendered moot all the speaker cables I'd run back to the head unit I clipped off the outbound wiring harness from the factory amp, threw out the old amp, and then using the electrical wiring handbook figured which wire in the harness matched with which speaker, (+) and (-) There was in fact a typo in the manual! But a separate diagram cleared it up. If anyone else needs to work around the factory amp and install their own, I'm happy to scan the diagram, with the typo correction, and post it here. When I was all done, the driver's door speaker didn't work. Finally diagnosed it as a bad RCA cable, and with a sigh, tore the trim apart a second time and laid a fresh cable. But it all works beautifully now! I replaced the front speakers with 5.25" polk speakers, which several people recommended, and which do indeed sound good! Another day, I might put in crossovers and tweeters on the A pillars. But I've spent enough time on this project. The rear speakers got replaced with $20 clearance-sale best buy house-brand 6x9s. They don't put out much sound, but I dare say, ANYTHING is better than the 20 year old OEM speakers. Paper cones too stiffly bound to the frame. The rear speakers weren't a priority. I didn't have money for $500 audiophile speakers, but figured spending $80 would lend an improvement, and it has. And it's nice to feel a bass beat with the sub
LOL....I spent a day tearing the Kicker OUT of my wagon that it came with. Must be 50 lbs of wire alone!
hahahaha. Well, you can always turn down the input to the sub! You don't need it at the "+15" (arbitrary units, I presume?) max! Thanks! Took a long time to figure out everything, I haven't worked with audio equipment ever before and had to learn some of the basic wiring layout. I empathize with the time it takes to pull apart all that trim, and I have wires going down both sides (power and ground and 1 AInet on the left, speaker wires, 3 RCAs, and a 2nd AInet on the right). Lots of screws and plastic to pry apart. No way it's 50lbs in wire, but yeah-- 50lbs for everything sounds about right on the money. It might be best just to lose 50lbs of myself to make up for it Or for that matter, the spare tire is awfully heavy... And to answer the question, yes, tire's still on the side. I've got a handful of speaker wires running underneath it, but I decided against putting the amp there (as some people have) precisely so I'd still have it.
No...not literally 50 lbs. But over 20 easy with all that #1 cable plus all the other stuff. Never had any idea there was so much huge wire in those systems. Makes sense after you figure everything out though.
now the trick is to get yourelf a 'old man' hat....so no one suspects its you bumpin round town......or do as i do....play 'classical' as loud as possible !!....
by old man hat, do you mean a fedora? Oh, someone asked, so here are the wiring diagrams. Note the type that I corrected in the harness labeling.
Sounds like an amazing project! Fannie doesn't have a radio...so when we get to go cursin it'll be ME belting out the tunes. And my husband with the hat (& ear plugs) sitting down low in the seat.Enjoy!
huh! How complicated can it be though? head unit => speaker, or head unit => amp => speaker. Just a question of knowing which wires' what though, so I did need the diagram. What was different about the earlier wiring methods?
