Sound System Install

[KJ_bob]

Hey guys, currently installing a sound system into the fto.

Made some good progress today, but im up to the part of getting my amp power wire through the fire wall. After some reading on here i can see it's going to be a bitch. Following this i have to do the front splits.

Anyways, my question is; do i need to replace the stock wiring? And can i mount the crossover in the door, if i insulate it from water?

[I8A4RE]

Yes, it is definitly recomended and yes

[nicholas]

tip for getting through the firewall:
1. use a coat hanger to push through from the engine bay to the passenger footwell. seriously lube it up with heaps of WD40 or similar.
2. once you've got the coat hanger through to passenger side, use a heap of duct tape and tape a small gauge rope, wire or similar to the end of the coat hanger and pull it back through the firewall so you now have rope or wire all the way through into the engine bay.
3. tape the thicker amp wire to the thinner wire/rope and pull that through

I found this helpful when I did mine, because trying to tape 2 or 4GA wire to a coat hanger and pull through was pretty hopeless.

on the topic of cross-overs, my experiences are:
1. you get a fair bit more water in the doors than you would expect (sit in the car with the inner door off during a rain shower and you'll see what i mean)
2. car speakers (woofer at least) is made for getting a bit wet and won't mind
3. not so sure about crossovers

moral of the story - while you could water proof the crossovers, you're probably much better off putting em inside the car. I put passenger side one behind the glove box horizontally, and the drivers side up inside the plastic steering wheel housing.

re-wiring through the door rubber is a b*tch also... again, coathanger and WD40 are your friends.

Good luck!

[bass_twitch]

tip for getting through the firewall:
1. use a coat hanger to push through from the engine bay to the passenger footwell. seriously lube it up with heaps of WD40 or similar.
2. once you've got the coat hanger through to passenger side, use a heap of duct tape and tape a small gauge rope, wire or similar to the end of the coat hanger and pull it back through the firewall so you now have rope or wire all the way through into the engine bay.
3. tape the thicker amp wire to the thinner wire/rope and pull that through

I found this helpful when I did mine, because trying to tape 2 or 4GA wire to a coat hanger and pull through was pretty hopeless.

on the topic of cross-overs, my experiences are:
1. you get a fair bit more water in the doors than you would expect (sit in the car with the inner door off during a rain shower and you'll see what i mean)
2. car speakers (woofer at least) is made for getting a bit wet and won't mind
3. not so sure about crossovers

moral of the story - while you could water proof the crossovers, you're probably much better off putting em inside the car. I put passenger side one behind the glove box horizontally, and the drivers side up inside the plastic steering wheel housing.

re-wiring through the door rubber is a b*tch also... again, coathanger and WD40 are your friends.

Good luck!

+1 on the coathanger for the firewall.. although I didn't think to use WD40, haha, and I'm the guy who just duct taped the wire straight on and pushed my heart out till it came through! haha

[KJ_bob]

repost*

[KJ_bob]

Six gruelling days and i've finally finished . After rain delays, missing parts delays, missing tools delays, missing knowledge delays, and every other delay you can think of, i thought i'd never get it done . Thanks nicolas for your post, it was very helpful (wd40 made life much easier). Definitely very happy with the result, it sounds a thousand times better then the stock speakers

[bduffman]

still dont know y u were running 2 4g wires i would have just ran a 0 to back then split

[KJ_bob]

re-read his post. He's not saying two 4g wires, he's saying a 2g or 4g wire -> referring to the amp power wire

[bduffman]

must have skiped the word or lol
well it was 2am