2000 Coupe System Done!

FINALLY! After 3 weeks I'm finally done. Well not quite because I have some tuning to do. But the install is done. Everything was original except I had 2 JL 8W3's and an old Kenwood KAC921 on them.

First things first. Get the GPS off of the windshield suction cup. I customized another GPS bracket to mount the GPS to the left of the gauges. Fits nicely between the cluster and pillar. It's hard-wired so the wire is totally hidden once it goes in beside the pillar.

Now on the the head unit. I kept the Business CD because I didn't really want to change the factory look too much. I'm thinking a Dynavin is down the road, but not yet. So I added a Kenwood KOS A300 so I can just plug in a USB thumbdrive. Colors match the factory display perfectly. USB plug is next to DSC. Since Aux is rarely used, it's in the glovebox.

On to the speakers. I started in the back. I used some Alpine Type S 6-1/2" two-ways. They are really not needed, but I always liked having a little rear fill. After removing the stock speakers, I gutted them to use the frame as mounts for the Alpines.

After reading what others on this forum have done, I figured I couldn't go wrong if I did what was suggested in this thread... How to properly install a speaker in the door... http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=317339

It wasn't easy, but talk about mid-bass out the wah-zoo. I went with some Polk components. First I had to run the wire, cut the door around the window track and build the pod.

I made the tweeter mounts out of craft wood. Once my 6-1/2" pods dried, I sealed them with silicone and mounted the universal mounting rings to them. I mounted the pods to the door using rope caulk to fill all gaps.

Next, I cut out the ski pass. This was a pain. Once I got the ski pass cut out, I built my subwoofer box with a removable shroud. The sub is a Image Dynamics IDMax 12 in a sealed 1.6 cu. ft. (internal volume) enclosure. I wanted the shroud removable just in case my sub failed and had to remove it from the box. The shroud is sealed to the box and ski pass so all of the subs output goes into the cabin.

Once everything fit, I added carpet to the box and shroud. The grill is made from some soft fabric like you put in the bottom of a tool box to keep the tools from sliding around. I couldn't see the outline of the frame until I took the picture. Normally you don't see it.

With the hard stuff done, now it's time to get the easy work done. I bridged the Alpine MRP-F300 into 2 channels @ 150W per channel to power those Polk Components.

On the other side, I installed the Alpine MRP-M1000 and a Tsunami 1.2 farad cap for the IDMax.

Unfortunately, I only have one battery and the stock alternator. On the bright side, it leaves room for upgrades.

Finally, I finished my trim panels.

There are a couple other things that I did that I didn't take pics of. One was install a Kicker DX125.2 to power my rear deck speakers. I figured for what I wanted 30w x 2 would be enough. I installed it behind the MRP-M1000 where the factory amp used to be. Second, I hard-wired my radar detector so no cords are visible, and mounted it above the visor without using the suction cup to the windshield.

Also, I have a Bmw-aux Auxiliary input adapter installed where the CD changer would normally be in the trunk. This allows me to select CD- on the Business CD, which then uses the Kenwood KOS-A300 output. Like I said before, 99% of the time I listen to music from a thumbdrive using the USB port although it is iPod compatible. Believe it or not, I don't own an iPod.

very nicely done! i might look into doing this for myself instead of purchasing a dynavin or clone

I do intend to get a Dynavin 99+ if it meets my needs. The Dynavin thread is 146 pages so I have some reading to do. My concerns for the Dynavin is two-fold. I read a while back that the display was a little hard to see on an angle during the day. And I'm unclear if Google maps can be loaded/updated.

With everything installed, I decided to power up without the sub first. All I can say is Wow! I've never had 6-1/2's sound like that. The midbass is incredible. It was well worth the time to mount them to the doors properly. The first high pass setting I used for the doors and rear deck was 100Hz, and powered up the sub, low pass set at 80Hz. The low end sounds really clean. I'll need do some more tweaking with the crossover points once I get the amps set. Currently, the amps are basically turned all the way down until I can get access to an o-scope. I have a portable one at work. Can't wait to get that IDMax broken in to see what it can do.

Looks great! How does the sub sound firing into the armrest? Do you drive with the armrest down?

I usually keep the armrest down. I'll flip it up when I'm parked where someone walking by may get curious.

Originally Posted by nukem22

... Once my 6-1/2" pods dried, I sealed them with silicone and mounted the universal mounting rings to them. I mounted the pods to the door using rope caulk to fill all gaps.

Amazing work. I am in the process of doing this mod.
Would you please help out with a few ?? :

What type of silicone did you decide to use? (White coating)
Did you have to trim the door panel plastic behind the speaker grill?
Why did you use the black trim ring on top of MDF rings? Was it possible to mount speaker directly onto the top MDF ring?
How did you center the speaker to the door, and avoid having fitment issues when mounting the door panel back to the door?

I installed RF free air 10" in my girlffriend's E46 vert, and I have to say it is plenty. I can only imagine the bass you produce! Awesome.

That's a very pro job. Props to you.

Good luck. One suggestion.... be patient. Done correctly, it is well worth the effort.

Originally Posted by Ivan22

Amazing work. I am in the process of doing this mod.
Would you please help out with a few ?? :

What type of silicone did you decide to use? (White coating)
I used the GE Silicon II. Got it from Lowes.

Did you have to trim the door panel plastic behind the speaker grill?
Yes. Since the midbass was a 6-1/2" I had to trim it down with a dremel to get it to fit. Otherwise the door panel wouldn't snap back on.

Why did you use the black trim ring on top of MDF rings? Was it possible to mount speaker directly onto the top MDF ring?
I used the trim because I felt it would give me a better mounting surface than screwing directly to the MDF. I guess I could have screwed directly to MDF, but I thought over the long haul the screws would pull out. If I had used wood (oak or birch), I would have screwed directly to it.

How did you center the speaker to the door, and avoid having fitment issues when mounting the door panel back to the door?
Now that was a pain in the ass on the first one. One, because I didn't trim initially trim the plastic behind the grill. Two, because I miscalculated and didn't take into account for the foam between the speaker and the door panel.

To get the speakers aligned in the right place, I did this: 1. With the door panel on, I outlined the door panel with electrical tape onto the door since it would easily come off the paint. 2. Removed the door panel, leaving the electrical tape on the door. 3. Took measurements from the outside of the door panel to the edge of the inside speaker trim. 4. Took those same measurements and went from the electrical tape on the door to my speaker pod. It worked for me.

I installed RF free air 10" in my girlffriend's E46 vert, and I have to say it is plenty. I can only imagine the bass you produce! Awesome.
Well, it's clean and tight but it doesn't have the output I'm looking for. I was going to buy another IDMax and go IB, but I've never sealed a trunk and don't want to waste my time "hoping" to get it right. So now I'm about to build a 4th order bandpass after a conversation with Image Dynamics. I've built 4th orders before, so I feel comfortable doing that. Don't get me wrong. The one 12" is plenty normally, but I'm comparing to my other vehicle with four RF 10's (ported) powered by a RF Power 1000.