How many would like to see a complete DIY Audio Sysytem Upgrade?

[theDogger]

People over the next 2 weeks I'll be striping the interior out down to just the drivers seat and doing a complete audio system install. From laying DynaMat, new wiring, custom box build and moding the front kickers for 6.5 components with fiberglass. Here is a complete list of what will be installed. I have yet to see a complete DIY install showing everything on the net. Everytime someone post a question about car audio for the e34 no one ever replies or replies with just text.(I have ..........) Wouldn't a DIY picture tutorial be nice! Let me know what you think. If there is enough people interested I'll start a thread and update it as the work progresses.

Also start posting PICS of your Audio install. No matter how it looks.

-DynaMat
-Alpine 7998 Head unit
-Kicker RS 5 & RS 6 Components
-Kicker L7 10" Sub
-Kicker KX600.4 Amp
-Kicker KX400.1 Amp
-Stinger Expert Dist. Block
-Stinger Expert Fused Dist. Block
-Stinger Explert ANL Fuse
-Stinger Expert 0 Gauge Power Wire
-Stinger Expert 4 Guage Power Wire
-Stinger Expert Battery Terminals
-Stinger Expert 0 Guage Ring terminals
-Stinger Expert RCA Directional Interconnects
-Stinger HPM 12 Gauge Speaker Wire
-Stinger Expert Cage Fan
-Stinger Expert Cap
-Custom Trunk build. 10" Sub to fire threw the Ski Bag Hole.

theDogger :dunno :buttrock

[SDbboy]

That would be something I'd like to see.

Its a shame you aren't using better speakers than Kickers though.

Heres some pictures of my install I did a few years ago.

http://www.germantechnik.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49&highlight=stereo

Brian

[theDogger]

What would your choice of speakers be? The main reasson that I decided on sub was that @ 10" it almost matches the ski port dimensions. I want the sub firing directly into the cabin not the trunk. The box will be ported. I know that the Kicker sub will bump. But you are right a JL or Image Dynamicsub maybe a better choice. As far as the components.....I could not beat the deal. My friend had them new in box and he needed money so I got them for $300 for the 2 sets. I think that if I was not trying to keep the cost down alittle ( being that I just bought a 99 ///M 3 engine and tranny along with a full ACS body kit...)I would have gone with Focals for the components.

theDogger

[SDbboy]

Boston Acoustics or Focal components are much much better than anything Kicker makes.

As far as subs, Orion, Cerwin Vega, and JL perfrom better.

Brian

[shragon]

nice! lets see it! keep us updated.

[Mr Project]

Here's another interested party. I've got some Infinity Reference components and a JL W-6 that need to find a way into the E34. Love to see it!

[525iT_Feen]

YEEEE!

sounds tight, cant wait for pictures

:buttrock

[abakos]

Originally posted by theDogger
What would your choice of speakers be? The main reasson that I decided on sub was that @ 10" it almost matches the ski port dimensions. I want the sub firing directly into the cabin not the trunk. The box will be ported. I know that the Kicker sub will bump. But you are right a JL or Dynamic Image sub maybe a better choice. As far as the components.....I could not beat the deal. My friend had them new in box and he needed money so I got them for $300 for the 2 sets. I think that if I was not trying to keep the cost down alittle ( being that I just bought a 99 ///M 3 engine and tranny along with a full ACS body kit...)I would have gone with Focals for the components.

theDogger

**cough**where are the fender flares**cough** :devillook

Just giving you some flack man...Keep us posted. I'm curious about the 6.5's up front. Rumor has it that they'll fit with minor modification, but I'd like to see what you're up to with the fiberglass :cool:

Good luck!

BTW...there are some really nice channels down in the rocker panel area on the E34 for wires. Also, the black strips you need to remove to get into that area come out by sliding them forward/backward until they work their way out. I had trouble at first (and I don't know if it's a common BMW design or not), but there are square tabs that hold them in place via a channel on the underside. You have to slide them far enough to get one tab out of the track and then it will slide further in the opposite direction to weasel one out on the other end. It was tricky the first time.

(Hope that helps if you haven't done it yet!)

[theDogger]

abakos....

I know I'm still searching for the fender flares. I have found the ACS Single DTM Wiper Blade, 3 Spoke ACS Steering Wheel and the ACS Sport Mirrors. Thanks to some friends in Germany I have been able to buy from eBay.de and they send it to my friends and then they send it to me. So they will turn up soon and I will get them no matter what the cost!

The front kickers I'm going to modify with fiberglass. I bought a UK driver side Kick panel it has no dead pedal. This will allow me to make some rings and mount them on an angle to aim at the oppsite sides without exposing themselves to much and to give the 6.5 some sort of enclosure for better sound. This will be my second attempt at fiberglass. It wasn't to bad just time consuming.

I'll keep posting as it moves along. I get my car back tomorrow from the body shop. It was re-painted again because the first paint job from Cal State Collison in Sacramento flattened out on the entire right side. So they claimed it on there lifetime warrenty and I took it to another shop that I should have gone to the first time. They stripped the car down to bare metal because the paint job was so badly pre-paired. I'll have pics tomorrow of the entire job that they re-did. So then I will start stripping the interior and laying the DYNAMAT.........
http://bigfootdesigns.com/ebay/dtm1.jpg
http://bigfootdesigns.com/ebay/acs3.jpg
This was a shot I snapped before the entire car was stripped.
http://bigfootdesigns.com/ebay/repair2.jpg

[bmwpower]

Why are people giving this guy a hard time? Maybe he likes the way the Kickers sound. Personally, I don't have anything against Kicker subs.

[5mall5nail5]

http://www.orbitalinternet.net/pics/sub.jpg

http://www.orbitalinternet.net/pics/xbox1.jpg


Work in progress

[zenon]

dallasbboy, do you have a pic of your headunit? I have a CDA 7845.. I think your's may be a cousin of mine.:)

[theDogger]

Come on fellas....only one member post a pic of their trunk!

UrineMachine


what head unit is that? I was going to get an Alpine LCD but was not sure that the viewing angle was Ok. Does the fog light switch get in the way?? Or do you have an adapter plate to extent the screen out?


theDogger

[5mall5nail5]

TheDogger:

It's an alpine CVA-1004, the view angle is near 175 degrees horizontal and 120 degrees vertical. You can see it from any angle you can sit at. The fog light switch is behind the head unit, with the default cage, the screen goes completely vertical without touching the switch, i adjust the screen one more notch back so it touches the switch just because it adds more stability, i really doubt it does anything its just a peeve of mine. BUt yes, the screen opens fully. It has a very very very nice LCD element and the quality is amazing.

[phatfarm]

Yes, a writeup would be really nice. I searched high and low for one when I decided to purchase and install my stereo.

I'll get pictures of my setup later.

Alpine CDA-7995
Focal 165k 6.5" front
Infinity 505cs reference 5.25" rear