Lol well there are two opposing ideas.

I actually plan on doing the bypass and speaker install this weekend so I am trying to make sure I have all the supplies I need ahead of time (because nothing sucks more than figuring out you need something after you have your car torn apart).

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SergeantRed

Where did you install your amp?

Just trying to get ideas on location since I really am going for the stealthy look overall.

Eventually I'll have to remove the taps if I go that route once I get to stage 2 (amp install) as I would then extend the stock speaker harness directly into the amp.

I plan on running 3 sets of RCA's from the headunit this weekend as well (so I don't have to dick with it again later for amp install). So the signal will be coming from the headunit RCA's directly to the amp and then have the new amp speaker outputs wired into the stock harness that ill have to extend.

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Wrathernaut

Where did you install your amp?

Also what gauge wire did you use to extend the wires to your amp?

I kind of assume 16 - 18 gauge but am unsure on how much of a pain it would be to soider that to the 22 gauge factory wire.
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I think ill have to try and take some pictures of everything this weekend as I am going through it.

 

Yeah i understand what you mean. Its why I considered some type of quick connection in the first place.

 

Actually you can keep the caps. Make the connecting wires quite long and then cut them in half when you add the amp like I'm doing. You connect the HU wires to the Speaker Level input and then the rest of the wires to the channels on the amp

I have my amp mounted behind my custom box. The box doesn't sit all the way against the seat but still looks clean and is snug. The amp is mounted to the back of the seat.

I think the stock wiring is 18 gauge and that should be fine in my opinion unless you're running 500 watts to all the speakers. Then I would consider doing a complete rewire of the whole car. But for 50-75 watts to each speaker the stock size should be just fine. Anyone is free to throw in their $.02

 

Amps in my car, mounted to MDF attached to the rear seats:


My wife's car, simple MDF shelf wrapped in some cheap charcoal gray cloth, I greatly prefer this install, but there's less room for amps there, and moving the 4080 woofer box requires dropping the shelf, so accessing to the spare isn't very easy unless you cut the false floor.


I used 16 gauge, but just about any speaker wire should be fine. One of the advantages of solder is joining different wires isn't a problem, slide on some heatshrink, twist the wires together, solder and heatshrink it.

While you're at it, run another RCA for a rearview camera, just in case you feel like adding one in the future.

 

Thats awesome.

I went ahead and stepped up the time table on stage 2 and purchased an amp today for this weekends install.

Alpine PDX-V9 5 channel


So i wont even be joining the inputs and outputs.

Wrathernaut quick question though. On your car or your wifes car where you solder the stock wires with the 16 gauge extensions were there any audio losses?

I would still like to use the stock wiring if I could but now with an amp that does 100W x 4 and 500 x 1 even for the speakers im worried the stock wiring wont be able to support the wattage.

Of course the speaks arnt capable of 100wats rms but still somewhat worrying.

 

No, no difference in audio quality. If you needed thick wires for good sound, the wiring on the speaker itself wouldn't be so small. Power to amps needs to be thick since it's DC, but AC can send a ton through thinner wires. I am running 150w RMS through the stock wiring to my front doors.

 

Agree with Wrathernaut. The only reason you may consider not doing what he is is incase of a power surge and melting wires but let's be realistic, your car isn't like a home when it comes to that so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Ok sweet I think I am just about all set for this weekend.

Just to make sure If I want to extend the wires I should be using the output wires from the bose amp (since those go directly to stock wiring for the speakers ) correct?

Just want to make sure i am not confusing my inputs and outputs from the bose amp (since they are all in one plug).

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FUNCTION PIN WIRE COLOR
Left Rear Spkr + |Output| 13 GN/YW
Left Rear Spkr - |Output| 14 BK/YW
Right Rear Spkr + |Output| 15 BN
Right Rear Spkr - |Output| 16 BK
Left Front Spkrs + |Output| 17 GN*
Left Front Spkrs - |Output| 18 RD*
Right Front Spkrs+ |Output| 19 GY*
Right Front Spkrs - |Output| 20 YW*
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