# 2016 BMW F36 Gran Coupe



## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

As stated in my other build thread for the Audi Q7, that install was gutted due to me getting a new ride. All the components are kept and will be going into (eventually) the new car. Once again I'm aiming for SQ and the build will done in accordance with EMMA OEM rules.

I finally took delivery of my long awaited F36 (Carbon Black / Saddle Brown) the other day, thought i should share a few pics:









She sits too high due to the xDrive - I'm considering H&R Sport Springs or potentially KW V2 coils (depending on financials). Other mods going on the car will be:


MP Gloss Black kidney grills [DONE]
MP Carbon Front Lip
MP Carbon Trunk Spoiler
(20" wheels in staggered formation) - Jury is still out on this one...

First mod on:




The equipment going into the build:


BMW OEM Headunit (NBT + extended Bluetooth etc.)
Mosconi	HLA-SUM
Mosconi	6to8v8 Processor (incl. AMAS)
Mosconi	RCD Controller
2 x Mosconi AS 200.4 amps
2 x Gladen Zero Pro HG-20PV Tweeters
2 x Gladen Zero Pro HG-80ZPPP-3 Midranges
2 x Gladen Zero Pro HG-165ZPDC-3 Midwoofers
1 x Gladen Zero Pro 12 Subwoofer
Cabling / Power Distribution from Connection and Knu Konzepts
Supra Speaker Cables

The Gladen Zero Pro three-way are all going into factory locations, e.g. tweets in the sails, midranges in the upper doorcard and midbass under the seats. I'm a bit concerned about the mounting depth of the Gladen 6,5" and whether I will be able to retain the factory grills under the seats, but I guess we will see. Might have to go with some other option for the under seat configuration.

Also, I haven't decided on whether I will use the BT streaming capabilities through the OEM NBT headunit or via AMAS. I suspect AMAS will sound better as it is directly into the processor but streaming through NBT is convenient as it retains factory controls and album art and all that nice stuff.

Not entirely sure when I will be able to start the build but hopefully during the summer! Catch you all later


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

I am tuning in for this was as well. The Q7 install was great.

This car and color combo is killer, good job on selection. I am sure it will have been well worth the wait.

**I am really liking my KW setup also.


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## EmptyKim (Jun 17, 2010)

Nice ride. Whats the plan with the sub? Corner/side loaded?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

EmptyKim said:


> Nice ride. Whats the plan with the sub? Corner/side loaded?


Side loaded seems to be the standard approach in these cars (there's ample space in that compartment). But I'm not sure that's the way I'm going - I'll let you know when I decide


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## Yawar538 (Aug 28, 2013)

subsd


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

I was planning to get some planning work this afternoon and of course it has been pissing down rain all day...:mean:

Looking to get something done tomorrow instead.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

That's gonna be badass build !


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Not a lot of action in this build thread or on the actual build itself for various reasons, work being the primary (sometimes you do too well ).

Anyway - got some planning done today. I wanted to take a moment to see how I could realise the vision without to much impact on cargo capabilities and other practicalities. In the center of the trunk there's a compartment which it would be a shame not to utilise in some fashion. I ended up with something like this:



I'm thinking the amps will go in a stacked configuration. I don't think it will be an issue for the top amp to cover the lower one. I will make sure the lower one can breathe properly. In my last build, the only thing i ever touched on the amps was the gain - everything else was configured in the processor - so think this will work. There is also ample space to fiberglass a sub box on the right hand side:



I have fiberglassed boxes before, but primarily in the spare well, so this will be a first for me. The processor will be housed on the left hand side where the OEM amp is currently located:



On that account - the OEM amp is a beast...



Another option is to lay out the amps flat, should the amount of available space require it:



Personally I prefer to have them angled, just looks more interesting. I got most of what I need to get the build started but still missing some few materials before I can get going. Would have been nice to at least make it out to one competition before the season ends 

I have also had H&R Sport Springs mounted to get rid of the xDrive wheel gap. It provided a nice moderate drop, just shy of an inch.

Front before:


Front after:


Rear before:


Rear after:


Overall before:


Overall after:


A moderate drop but just what I was after at this point


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## JimmyDee (Mar 8, 2014)

Nice car... and equipment.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

I had a few moments to spare this afternoon and figured i would get started on the sub enclosure. It is going into the right rear panel in the trunk as indicated below:



The objective here is to fiberglass a "copy" of the panel originally fitted in this compartment and integrate this with a reinforced baffle with the sub countersunk into the baffel. Started off by getting the required fiberglassing gear in order:



And about 30 odd minutes later i had this:





A few more layers of glass to ensure proper rigidity of the cabinet and then join it to a baffle - to be continued!


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

In to see the Gladen goodness.


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

I would have used the Gladen BMW Underseat 8's (P/N HG-201BMW-3) instead of the HG-165ZPDC-3, because...8's, but nice selection otherwise.


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## eling23 (Oct 13, 2014)

wish i would have gotten that color too. Second on swapping out for the 8" gladen speakers instead which fits right into the underseat enclosures. Nice amps!


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

eling23 said:


> wish i would have gotten that color too. Second on swapping out for the 8" gladen speakers instead which fits right into the underseat enclosures. *Nice amps!*


Don't be too tempted... yet. Wait for the next one.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

cobb2819 said:


> I would have used the Gladen BMW Underseat 8's (P/N HG-201BMW-3) instead of the HG-165ZPDC-3, because...8's, but nice selection otherwise.


There are a few reasons for me not swapping to the 8's:

I already had the gear from my previous build - means no further investment! 
I know the performance of the 6,5" as I had it in my previous install which performed really well at EMMA SQ competitions
I personally prefer the tonality of the 6,5" Zero Pro over the 8" - but that's just my personal preference
If switching to anything - it would be to the Aerospace but still 6,5" 



eling23 said:


> wish i would have gotten that color too. Second on swapping out for the 8" gladen speakers instead which fits right into the underseat enclosures. Nice amps!


I love CB - I have had it on all my bimmers in the past as well.



rton20s said:


> Don't be too tempted... yet. Wait for the next one.




Hoping to get some more work done on the sub enclosure this afternoon, need to get started on the baffle.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

Did manage to get some more work done on the sub enclosure yesterday afternoon. My panel mold had a really good fit, so the next step was getting started on the baffle. I fabricated a frame that was adjusted to fit the surrounding panels:



I then inserted my mold in its location and adjusted the frame in front and attached it to the cavity using hot glue:



The general idea here is to chourn out some mounting rings on the router for a flush mount of the sub which are then glued together and centered into the frame. Fabric is then stretched between the rings and the frame to form some nice soft shapes and resin applied followed by a number of layers of mat from behind. I started strengthning the cavity by applying additional layers of mat, about 3 layers - more will come.

To be continued :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

I did manage to get some work done even though it was very hot 

Started with breaking out the trusty old router and churn out a 3 layered MDF baffle:







The baffle was then centered in the box itself (you can see I had to chamfer the inner MDF ring somewhat to fit within the frame):



Cloth was then stretched over the baffle and frame and resin applied:





Followed by two layers of mat on the outside which will be followed by several layers from the inside for rigidity:



When the polyester had hardened - which went quicker than expected today even though i cut back on the catalyst  - everything was sanded down a bit and test fitted in the trunk:







IMO it fits quite nicely and follows the contours of the adjacent trunk panels. I will be adjusting the back part of and trace the contour a bit more in detail with some rage gold to ensure a flawless fit.

I think this sub box is coming together quite nicely :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Not a lot of progress today but did manage to get something out of the way...

I have been contemplating how to mount the sub box securely to the car without having to perform any major surgery on the car. I realised quite quickly O could utilise the metal bracket on top of the battery.

Drilled and tapped to M6 and I had some nice bolts from before which would be handy. I added a small piece of dampening material on the bracket for the box to sit on:



Now you can simply tip the box in, thread the bolt down through the bottom hole in the box and fasten by turning the nob.





But just the one fastening point wasn't good enough IMO, I also wanted something further up / back in the box. I found two unused mounting points which seemed to be in a good spot but way to far back. I fabricated a small metal bracket to go in between the mounting points and secured it with a couple of nuts. I drilled and tapped another M6 hole so that I could use another one of my nice bolts with the nob handle.





I managed to drill the first hole through the box in slightly wrong place, so will have to cover that up :blush: Also, the bolt itself was just to short, it doesn't grab on enough so will have to buy another one.

With the box mounting squared away I applied a layer of Rage Gold on the box which is now hardening away


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Not a lot of traffic in this thread apart from myself, but I like to keep a log anyway.

I didn't have a lot of time to spare today and was running in and out constantly between rain showers, but managed to get some small stuff done 

A while back when planning out the trunk build I found an ideal spot to mount my fused distribution block which also had three threaded factory mounting spots. I measured and cut some 1/2 inch MDF, routered the edges to give it a more finished look and countersunk the mounting holes since I was going to use factory type nuts which have almost like a "built in" washer at the bottom. I also mounted some threaded inserts for the mounting locations for the distribution block:





Happy with the size and shape I upholstered the piece in black vinyl (same kind will be used for other parts of the build) and secured it in the location:







I had to drill out the screw holes on the distribution block slightly to accomodate the M4 mounting screws:



That's it for today :blush:


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## dallasneon (Nov 3, 2005)

Great build man, don't let the lack of foot traffic keep you from updating the thread. Thanks

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## ando727 (Jul 31, 2016)

That's some impressive custom work there. Should sound awesome. What system was in the car when you got it?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

ando727 said:


> That's some impressive custom work there. Should sound awesome. What system was in the car when you got it?


I ordered it with the Hi-Fi system. I had the H/K option in my previous BMW and it didn't sound good so I knew I would be doing a build in this one as well and there was no justification to go with H/K. Only difference from and integration point of view is with H/K you got MOST to the amp (which is codeable if need be with just Hi-Fi).


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## eling23 (Oct 13, 2014)

keep it up! for someone witht the same car, im keeping tabs on this thread. Are you using the Technic harness?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

eling23 said:


> keep it up! for someone witht the same car, im keeping tabs on this thread. Are you using the Technic harness?


Yeah, intend to try it out for this build. I got the one with 4 channel low level output and remote wire:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Had a moment to spare today so that I could continue with the power installation. Now that the distribution block was in it's permanent location I could look into the main fuse close to the battery and the routing of the main power cables to the distribution block.

Is started out with trying to find a suitable location for the fuseholder that wasn't to far away from the battery while being accessible - something that proved challenging as I had chosen to fabricate my sub box on top of the battery comparment 

Got all the panels out of the trunk (again ) and located an ok spot for the fuse holder, only problem was the mounting options. I once again located two threaded mounting pins and then fabricated a small holder for the fuseholder:





The holder was fabricated using 1/2 inch MDF and wrapped in vinyl and with two metal brackets attached. I also used two M4 threaded inserts and mounted the fuseholder using two M4 screws.

Mounted in its location:



With the main fuseholder in place I could start measuring and fabricating the power cables for the power distribution. I will be using one of the factory grounding points which is located right next to the battery. By the time I had finished taking measurements for the cables heavy rain came down and I relocated my cable shop to the kitchen 





The main power cables are Knu kolossus Fleks 1/0 guage. Of course everything is protected using techflex, shrink tube, end terminals and properly identified. I was originally looking to go with carbon color techflex but in the car it just looked "black", so chose to go with white


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## Nan00k (Apr 4, 2014)

Beautiful work dude!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I love the car, the mods added to it as well as the audio integration.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Nan00k said:


> Beautiful work dude!





Coppertone said:


> I love the car, the mods added to it as well as the audio integration.


Thanks guys, more to come soon


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Very nice! :thumbsup:


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Thanks for not throwing in an MDF enclosure in the boot and calling it a day.Keep up the good work .


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

1FinalInstall said:


> Very nice! :thumbsup:


Thanks, that means something coming from someone with your fabrication skills, cheers.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Thanks for not throwing in an MDF enclosure in the boot and calling it a day.Keep up the good work .


Yeah not my cup of tea either to be honest. Thanks for the encouragement!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

Not much of an update today. I didn't have more than a couple of hours today but figured I would have a go at getting the power cabling squared away. I used one of the existing cable trays to run the cables from the distribution block up over the wheel arch and down to the fuse holder and past the battery to the grounding point:











It was very tight for space around the positive post on the battery so I had to slightly file down the lug and bend it to a slight angle to ensure 100% contact:



Grounding:



Cable management - I used cable ties every 10cm either using existing fastening points / stock cable runs or using cable tie anchors:





Feels good to have this squared away, now I can focus more on fabrication around fitting the amps over the weekend


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

I thought I would share the progress on the amp rack. As I originally showed, the intention is to squeeze the amps (which are quite big ) into the small storage compartment below the trunk floor:



Earlier on I contemplated having the amps fitted at an angle, but after measuring it didn't seem feasible if not raising the floor, which I don't want to do. I chose to have them mounted flat to maximise space in the compartment. I started out by measuring from the underside of the trunkt floor and calculating the different offsets between the mounting panels and supports and compensating for material. I also factored in that I wanted to allow for the lower amp to breath adequatly as well. I also had this idea I wanted to build in some "cable management" into the mounting panels, will see if this will work practically when routing the cabling further on. I measured the mounting panels and routered grooves for the cables:



As mentioned above, I wanted to allow for some breathing space for the lower amp (even though I have never had any temperature issues with these amps in the past) and routered openings for where the fans are fitted:





So basically this will be the principle:









I also fitted threaded inserts for the amps to allow for proper maintenance. Next I test fitted the amp in the car to check for height etc:







Content with the test fit it was time for upholstry using the same vinyl as before, test assembly of the parts and both amps. Lower mounting panel and supports:





Amp 1 fitted:



Amp 2 fitted:







When doing the initial measurements, i realised the storage compartment was not level with the trunk floor, it had a slight forward angle, which I had to compensate for. This can easily be seen on this side shot:



Apart from the amp rack, I also took the opportunity to make a fine adjustment of the sub box to the surrounding panels. I taped off the surrounding area, fitted the box and applied Rage Gold around the edges of the box, will be sanded and upholstered tomorrow if time permits


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

Nice car and beautiful work. ESPECIALLY digging the vinyl work. Any tips for upholstering with that material?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Knobby Digital said:


> Nice car and beautiful work. ESPECIALLY digging the vinyl work. Any tips for upholstering with that material?


I have a few pointers I have picked up along the way:


The vinyl itself! There are many different qualities out there and typically you get what you pay for. I use a vinyl which is called "superstretch" which is very flexible to work with yet sturdy when upholstered.
Adhesives. Just like with the vinyl there are many different quality adhesives in the market. I use 3M which I apply by brush (simply becasue I don't have the means to spray it on) on both the vinyl and the piece being upholstered. I let it dry overnight and then wrap the following day.
Tools. I use a set of very sharp scalpels when doing upholstry - the sharper the better and get the kind with replacable blades, they dull from the adhesive. I also tend to use the same plastic prying tools I use for the panels in the car to get into tight corners and the likes without damaging the vinyl.
And lastly - a good heatgun will be your best friend! gently heat up the vinyl when going around corners and into grooves etc and it will give away a bit extra allowing for some additional stretch in the material. Be careful not to over do it as the material surface can be damaged.

Also a bit of advice apart from the above. When getting a new quality/brand vinyl or adhesive, make sure to "test wrap" something before going on to business 

Hope that helps and good luck with your upholstry!


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## KrautNotRice (Nov 2, 2015)

Tagging along for this one. Love the attention to detail!


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Holly **** this build is freaking awesome. Your skills matches your gear. Fantastic!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Once again you are knocking it out the box.


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## BMW528i (Feb 16, 2016)

Very impressive! Looks great so far! Keep up the good work!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

KrautNotRice said:


> Tagging along for this one. Love the attention to detail!


The devil is in the details 


optimaprime said:


> Holly **** this build is freaking awesome. Your skills matches your gear. Fantastic!


Thanks. I remember getting all the gear for the last build (the Audi Q7) and thinking "whoah nice stuff, gotta do this stuff justice".


Coppertone said:


> Once again you are knocking it out the box.


Thank you sir!


BMW528i said:


> Very impressive! Looks great so far! Keep up the good work!


Cheers!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Today's quick update :blush:

Got the sub box baffle sanded. Even though it is going to be wrapped in carpet, it is important with a good foundation for my own peace of mind 



I chose to mount a SpeakOn contact to allow to easy disconnect when I need to remove the box. Hotglued both from the inside and the outside:



I got speaker cable terminated, techflexed and soldered onto the SpeakOn contact followed by heatshrink tubing:



Upholstered in carpet:



And finally test fitted in the trunk:







The color match is ok-ish, but the carpet has a different surface structure to it which doesn't matchup entirely with the rest of the trunk panels. Looks alright and considering most of the trunk floor will be wrapped in the same carpet I think it will look ok. If not I can always dye the carpet or simply wrap the other panels in the trunk. I'm very happy about the fitment of the box, it is spot on


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Man I'll pat your back for you,that came out stock looking.I still rock my FG enclosure I made myself for the 1st time and really proud of it.Its's not perfect but it does the job and space saving.That amp rack is just killer.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

Love these steath factory installs. So clean looking. Keep it up!


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Man, the sub box looks OEM, very cool.


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## eling23 (Oct 13, 2014)

what internal volume were you able to get out of the fg box? lookong awesome! ... i wanted a 12" sub but didn't have the internal volume to fit one in, most of the subs i looked at recommended a 1.0 cubic foot or so. Still jealous of your amps!!!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

strong*I*bumpin said:


> Man I'll pat your back for you,that came out stock looking.I still rock my FG enclosure I made myself for the 1st time and really proud of it.Its's not perfect but it does the job and space saving.That amp rack is just killer.


Thanks buddy!


juiceweazel said:


> Love these steath factory installs. So clean looking. Keep it up!


Thanks!


1FinalInstall said:


> Man, the sub box looks OEM, very cool.


Yeah, happy with how it came out, cheers.


eling23 said:


> what internal volume were you able to get out of the fg box? lookong awesome! ... i wanted a 12" sub but didn't have the internal volume to fit one in, most of the subs i looked at recommended a 1.0 cubic foot or so. Still jealous of your amps!!!


Acutally I managed to squeeze out just shy of 1 cubic foot, I was also hesitant to start with and figured I needed to go down to a 10". The volume is less than the recommended sealed enclosure volume but I also intend to pack it with insulation material. I guess I'll see shortly if it will work or not. Worst case I'll drop down to a 10" and attach a new baffle to the box.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Box is great


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

optimaprime said:


> Box is great


Cheers!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

A bit of an update today, managed to get some work done. Nothing that will actually show as part of the final install - focus on power and ground distribution, relay remote turn on and mounting of processor etc.

Started out by getting the panels out of the left side of the trunk:



Took some measurements as I wanted to maximise the realestate for the processor mounting as it will also host some additonal distribution. Spent a long time figuring out how to mount the panel for the processor (6to8v8). I extended a bracket down from an existing screw to secure the upper end of the panel. Behind the panel was one of the fastening screws for the shelf upon which I'm placing the panel and I fabricated a coutout in the panel in order to get to it:







Layout I'm going for:



Thought I would try out the Technic Harness this time, provides 4 channel low-level preout and remote. No cutting into OEM cables, just plug-n-play:



Build quality seems good and the OEM connectors locking mechanism also works:



Then I felt a hunger coming on and tossed together a small cable sallad:





To ensure proper cable management down to the amp rack I shaped a piece of MDF which got wrapped in vinyl and securely mounted using an existing screw and nut, followed by cable tie anchors:



Of course I also wrapped the panel for the processer in the same vinyl, even it nothing of this will be displayed as part of the install:







Then I moved on to running power and ground wires, remote wires and mounting relay and fuseblock covering the auxiliary powered stuff:







I'm making good progress towards closing this phase of the build, just missing some longer signal cables to run from the processor to the amp rack and the remote turn on leads for the amps. Once this is done, I can mount the amps, start work on covering panels and mount the subwoofer box and finally be out of the trunk.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Bro it's super super clean. Keep the pics coming !


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

optimaprime said:


> Bro it's super super clean. Keep the pics coming !


Cheers mate!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Got started on fabricating and running speaker cables yesterday. Will be using quick connects so that I can disconnect the amp rack if need be.







Going to run both lenghts up front and then secure everything using wire strips to the car. I'm also running cables for the DRC and USB for the PC up front while I'm at it


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## NealfromNZ (Sep 3, 2013)

Nice car and great gear. Attention to install detail is fantastic.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

NealfromNZ said:


> Nice car and great gear. Attention to install detail is fantastic.


Thanks :blush:


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## EmptyKim (Jun 17, 2010)

First, great job! It looks great!

Second, what kind of quick disconnects are you using?


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## rob feature (Nov 15, 2015)

Hard to find something to say here that someone else hasn't, but fantastic work sir...enjoying the show!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

EmptyKim said:


> First, great job! It looks great!
> 
> Second, what kind of quick disconnects are you using?


They are just som connectors I picked up at a local electronics store. Challenge was find connectors accepting up to 2,5 mm2 (~14 gauge) cables. Not sure of the brand, can see if I can find out.



rob feature said:


> Hard to find something to say here that someone else hasn't, but fantastic work sir...enjoying the show!


Cheers! :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

A small update on what has been done in the recent days. There will be a short period now during which I will be unable to work on the build due to various reasons (e.g. work etc.) 

I have continued with the speaker wiring. I put together two cable lenghts containing the wiring for the midbass, midrange and tweeters per side, in the trunk these were terminated using quick connectors to enable lifting out the rack if necessary:



Both cable lenghts (excluding the right midbass) are then routed in the sill on the driver's side. Bundled and secured to existing anchor points or existing cabling approximately every 10 cm:









And on the passenger side:







I then continued running the rca's from the processor to the amp rack, started out by labelling the indvidual pairs:









The next challenge was to solve the securing of the amp rack in the tub. I made two new angled end pieces that I secured in existing mounting holes in the rim around the tub:





Not that these parts will ever be seen, but not the final finish here. With all of this in place so far I testfitted the amps. Unfortunately I did not have enough speaker cable and techflex, so will redo the speaker wiring from the top amp to the quick connects.











With the amps test fitted I can now start measuring for covers and also reinstall some trunk panels etc. Following this, I will need to mount the midbass speakers unde the front seats, run speaker cable into the doors and also mount the midrange and tweeters and also some small stuff 

Cheers!


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## MoparMike (Feb 14, 2012)

Well thought out install and your attention to detail is impressive. Thanks for sharing!


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## ugnlol (Apr 14, 2010)

Nice work there, and nice car!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

MoparMike said:


> Well thought out install and your attention to detail is impressive. Thanks for sharing!





ugnlol said:


> Nice work there, and nice car!


Thanks guys!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

Weather wasn't great today, so had to focus on stuff that could be done indoors, more on that in a later post.

Got the last few bits and pieces sorted in the trunk and decided to remount the panels to make the trunk usable again:









I reinstalled the OEM floor but this will be replaced with custom made panels/covers later on. If I wrap the sub grill in carpet i guess this will be a quite stealthy install?


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Bravo my friend!!! Things are looking great....


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## ugnlol (Apr 14, 2010)

Nice and tidy!


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## robolop (Mar 10, 2008)

It just gets better. All those hours works are worth it! One of the most beautiful models which BMW has made.
Are you going to hold the cover also with leather as the interior?


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

#1BigMike said:


> Bravo my friend!!! Things are looking great....


Thanks buddy! 


ugnlol said:


> Nice and tidy!


Cheers!


robolop said:


> It just gets better. All those hours works are worth it! One of the most beautiful models which BMW has made.
> Are you going to hold the cover also with leather as the interior?


Thanks Robert! Coming from you that means a lot! My initial thought was to use the same colour vinyl (saddle brown) on some of the cover panels, but it has proven very difficult to source. Looks like I will have to stick to the charcoal-ish vinyl I have used up until now :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

A small update, the last one in a while since I wont have the possibility to work in the build for a couple of weeks. 

I have had a clear vision on the location and mounting of the DRC for the 6to8 since day one of this build. For me it is important with a proper location so that it can be managed safely and easily.

I decided to mount it below the AC controls in the center stack. This being an OEM build, vision was to make it look stock but also be 100% reversible, so an OEM cover panel was sourced from BMW. This obviously also gave the bonus of providing the right basic shape but also the mounting locations. In addition to the panel I fabricated a frame of two layers of 16mm MDF that were glued together:



A hole mathching the size of the frame width was made in the panel and secured to the center stack after which the MDF frame was angled and secured with hot glue:





I then moved on to build up some softer shapes using a few rounds of Rage Gold, did a test mount again in the car to see if it played out well with the center stack:







Pleased with the overall shape and angle it was sanded a few rounds and then primed before a final light sanding:



Of course the DRC must be secured from the back as well. I also wanted to avoid stress on the cable and made a small cut out in the back:



Next up in the process was vinyl, something that turned out not so easy but result was alright given my poor wrapping skills:



And test mounted in the car (the DRC is just slotted in, not secured):





Feels good to have this squared away


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## robolop (Mar 10, 2008)

Nice and simple. Sometimes, it should not be more


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## CLK63DK (Nov 20, 2010)

Tjena Carl

Nice looking job so far!

I have several times found the matching OEM fabric and leather at this shop in Helsingborg!

TopnTrim Shop

keep up the good work!

Venligst
Chris


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

CLK63DK said:


> Tjena Carl
> 
> Nice looking job so far!
> 
> ...


Hi,

Thanks for the tip, but I already checked with Gert at Top N' Trim and they don't carry it. It is actually where I always source my superstretch vinyl and glue! Highly recommended shop.


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

That looks great Carl!!


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## benny z (Mar 17, 2008)

Very bice!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

robolop said:


> Nice and simple. Sometimes, it should not be more


Thx Rob - I think I met my objectives on an OEM look on this one.


1FinalInstall said:


> That looks great Carl!!


Cheers buddy!


benny z said:


> Very bice!


Thanks!

Would like to thank everyone who has commented on the build so far. Always nice with some feedback on all the work that goes into a build during the process. Much appreciated.


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## eling23 (Oct 13, 2014)

nice work!


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

You totally nailed when it comes to stealth,this vehicle deserves it...BRAVO!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

eling23 said:


> nice work!


Cheers!


strong*I*bumpin said:


> You totally nailed when it comes to stealth,this vehicle deserves it...BRAVO!


Thanks mate :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks!

Could get cracking at the install again yesterday, so made progress on the midbass install 

I started by removing the front seats and then the OEM underseat "sub boxes" (look at those monster magnets )


With speakers out I started on dampening the boxes. These boxes are vented into the sills but also into open air it seems:


With the boxes dampened i started fitting the baffles and mouting rings in order to maximise the use of the available depth of the boxes:


I glued the baffles and mounting rings together and also rounded the backend of the baffle to ensure proper breathing for the speakers:


The MDF was coated to protect it from the elements followed by speaker cables that were sleaved as all other cables:




And with the midbasses (Gladen Aerospace) and grills mounted:




And refitted in the car:


And with the OEM grills remounted:


Since the new speakers are deeper I had to use longer screws to refit the OEM grills and use a few square washers under the seat brackets. Another part of the build squared away


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi folks,

I figured I should summarize the completion of the front doors and routing of speaker cables. This is one of the parts of an install I don't enjoy that much, especially in modern cars. The running of speaker cables, especially if you want to be somewhat serious, is often quite a challenge through very tight molex connectors :sigh:

I will cover of the drivers side door, but the same steps were of course applied to the passenger side door with one major difference. On the passenger side there is a large electronics box mounted in such a way that it makes it difficult to access the inner door molex plug. On the drivers side, just unmounting the bracket for the hood opening will give enough space. Other than that the procedure is more or less the same.

Started out by removing the interior panels and the bracket for the hood release followed by removal of the door panel:


OEM midrange and tweeter housing:


Once the door panel is off, the sail panel tweeter housing can be removed. The OEM tweeter is quite neat and shallow and snaps into a mounting ring from the back of the panel. The Aerospace tweeter is a lot bigger, especially depth wise, mounting it from the back was not an option:


I discussed a bit back and forth with my shop guy and we agreed it had to be mounted from the front. For this, the sail panel needs to be disassembled completely:
 

In order to get the tweeter angled properly I had to dremel out parts of the panel:


The tweeter was fixated using butyl and the back of the panel reinforced before the individual panel parts were mounted back together again:
 

With the tweeter mounting squared away I jumped on to the next step, routing of speaker cables... :barf:

The molex connector was separated from both sides to be accessible. There was a nice little hole at the bottom of the connector which looked promising but turned out to be too narrow to pass the cables through:
 

Well, fortune favors the brave 
  

I won't say it was nice and easy to get the cables routed through but eventually they were through  Cables coming from the back of the car properly labeled:


Cables going out to the door:


The cables were terminated and secured using zip ties up under the dash:
 

Before mounting the baffle for the 3,5" Aerospace, i applied some dampening to the door sheet metal:


Tweeter cable termination. Transparent heatshrink to isolate the connectors:


Midrange cable termination:


And cables secured and everything fitted:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi,

Well the build must go on even though I have a lot of challenges right now. The system plays quite well but requires further tuning and I have an issue with channel 7+8 out from the 6to8, so the way things are configured right now I have no level, EQ or time alignment on the sub 

I managed to almost complete the trunk over the weekend. I have had a fairly clear view of what I wanted to achieve from the start and I got pretty close in the end. 

Started out by transferring the shape of the OEM trunk floor to a sheet of MDF and also butchered (very nice and easy to allow for remounting ) the brackets and handle which were routered into the MDF piece:
  

Test fitting the piece in the car:


I then planned and sketched the layout onto the MDF:


Since I wanted to achieve some depth and also be able to fit additional covers for an OEM look, I chose to fabricate an additional MDF sheet that mounts from underneath:


Just like in the Q7 I wanted some LED lighting effect in this build as well, so I proceeded to route a clouded acrylic surround which was mounted to the lower MDF sheet to allow for an edge lit effect:


The pieces together, difficult to see the acrylic in this picture:


Right about here, I figured the lower piece was a bit dull / lacking imagination, and since I don't have any smart templates from mobile solutions or anything like that, I simply routered some parallell grooves hoping it would give the piece a more fabricated look 
 

Not sure why i didn't document any of the following steps, but probably pressured for time and what not  Anyway, what was done and not documented was:


The upper piece was upholstered in trunk liner
The lower piece was upholstered in vinyl
LED strips were cut to length, soldered together and fixed to the acrylic surrounds
I had already from the start prepared for the LED lighting, so had already ran power and ground which was hooked up and fused

And finally this is how it turned out in the car, as mentioned in a previous post, the colour matching is better IRL than comes out in the pictures. It is more a different texture to the mat which captures the light differently. Apologise for the crappy low light pictures, iPhone as a camera during night time is not a good solution but at least it glows nicely 
      

What remains to be done in the trunk is to fabricate the grill for the sub and then upholster it in the same trunk liner mat.


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

That is awesome! You are definitely inspiring new ideas and attention to detail with my upcoming build.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

chithead said:


> That is awesome! You are definitely inspiring new ideas and attention to detail with my upcoming build.


Thanks buddy!


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## knifedag007 (Mar 14, 2011)

Great work, +1 for some nice product as well

I drive the Gran Coupe's quite a bit for work, they have a ton of room.


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

That turned out amazing bud! Love the decorative router grooves. :thumbsup:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

knifedag007 said:


> Great work, +1 for some nice product as well
> 
> I drive the Gran Coupe's quite a bit for work, they have a ton of room.


Thanks. One of the aspects I'm proud over about the build is that space is maintained 100% 


1FinalInstall said:


> That turned out amazing bud! Love the decorative router grooves. :thumbsup:


Cheers mate, you know I try tp do what I can with my limited routering skills :blush:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi,

Quick update on today's progress. Protective grill for the subwoofer was today's objective. Started by taking some key measurements from the subwoofer baffle and then proceeded to rig up some spare pieces of MDF i had to router the grill ring:


The routering resulted in an MDF ring with a routered groove on the front face for mounting the grill material, here testfitted in the baffle:


I then cut the material for the grill and mounted it to the MDF ring using AC glue:


The whole thing was sprayed to protect it from the environment before being upholstered in the same carpet as the other trunk parts:


And the finished product fitted in the car:
 
That's all for now


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## robolop (Mar 10, 2008)

I love this build, looking so cool!


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Simply classy


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

robolop said:


> I love this build, looking so cool!


Thanks Rob, appreciated!


strong*I*bumpin said:


> Simply classy


Cheers.


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## mrichard89 (Sep 29, 2016)

Wow......


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## IdrisK (Jan 5, 2015)

Absolutely clean build. Love the stealth look. Quick question, does the grill over the sub affect the output such as a muffled effect? Been seeing many stealth systems with similar outlook and I want to do the same but that part I want to confirm.

Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

IdrisK said:


> Absolutely clean build. Love the stealth look. Quick question, does the grill over the sub affect the output such as a muffled effect? Been seeing many stealth systems with similar outlook and I want to do the same but that part I want to confirm.
> 
> Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk


No it will not affect output,I've done grilles like this before with no difference in sub performance.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

mrichard89 said:


> Wow......


Thanks :blush:


IdrisK said:


> Absolutely clean build. Love the stealth look. Quick question, does the grill over the sub affect the output such as a muffled effect? Been seeing many stealth systems with similar outlook and I want to do the same but that part I want to confirm.
> 
> Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-L09 using Tapatalk





strong*I*bumpin said:


> No it will not affect output,I've done grilles like this before with no difference in sub performance.


Agree, I have not noticed any decrease in output from doing it this way. Not in this build and not in the Q7 where I had the same type of application.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

So this car with the current version of this build has done fairly well throughout the 2017 EMMA SQ competition season and all of it was topped with 1st place in EMMA Sweden National Finals Skilled OEM yesterday. 



Now on to make plans for next season


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## JimmyDee (Mar 8, 2014)

Congratulations.

This is a very nice vehicle, with an equally nice system.
Well done. Your efforts paid off.


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Awesome - congrats Carl!!


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

That's great, congrats! Well deserved, this is a great looking install.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Well deserved trophy install looks fantastic!


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Beautiful car - well chosen and finished - amazing custom / and stealth install - beautiful example of craftsmanship keeping with the luxury interior - great choice of gear (I'm partial towards those amps ) - and the trophy and results are the icing on the cake!


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

Congrats on the hardware.


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

Not sure how I missed the last part of this, but looks great. Congratulations!

Out of curiosity, I thought a coupe was a 2 door? lol

Jay


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Congrats! That's a beautiful car and install.  You came up with a really great design and executed it beautifully. Well deserved! :thumbsup:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

diy.phil said:


> Awesome - congrats Carl!!





1FinalInstall said:


> That's great, congrats! Well deserved, this is a great looking install.





optimaprime said:


> Well deserved trophy install looks fantastic!





bertholomey said:


> Beautiful car - well chosen and finished - amazing custom / and stealth install - beautiful example of craftsmanship keeping with the luxury interior - great choice of gear (I'm partial towards those amps ) - and the trophy and results are the icing on the cake!


Thanks all, much appreciated!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

JayinMI said:


> Not sure how I missed the last part of this, but looks great. Congratulations!
> 
> Out of curiosity, I thought a coupe was a 2 door? lol
> 
> Jay


Yeah it's a bit odd. Both BMW and Audi are doing the same thing. So for BMW a "Gran" coupe is essentially a saloon (e.g. four door). For Audi, for instance with the coupe models A5/A7 they also come in a Sportback version which is saloon. Very confusing...


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

bbfoto said:


> Congrats! That's a beautiful car and install.  You came up with a really great design and executed it beautifully. Well deserved! :thumbsup:


Thanks!


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## ejeffrey (Oct 8, 2015)

I'm late to the party on this, but what a great build. Loving the attention to detail, especially on the wiring and the vinyl work.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

ejeffrey said:


> I'm late to the party on this, but what a great build. Loving the attention to detail, especially on the wiring and the vinyl work.


Thanks


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## oliverlim (Dec 5, 2016)

Love your install and attention to detail. If I ever upgrade to the 4 series, I know what to do! 

Did you try/test running only your 6.5" underseat woofer without your sub? I have a 1 series and am running the audiofrog 6.5" at the same position with no subs. I was wondering if I can get away without any sub or if plugging the door sills vents will help lower distortion or get more depth.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

oliverlim said:


> Love your install and attention to detail. If I ever upgrade to the 4 series, I know what to do!
> 
> Did you try/test running only your 6.5" underseat woofer without your sub? I have a 1 series and am running the audiofrog 6.5" at the same position with no subs. I was wondering if I can get away without any sub or if plugging the door sills vents will help lower distortion or get more depth.


Those drivers are not capable of creating sub bass. Add a subwoofer and use the GB60 in the pass band they are intended for.

What issues do you have with the sill vents? They essentially make the under seat "enclosures" infinite baffle.


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## oliverlim (Dec 5, 2016)

JVD240 said:


> Those drivers are not capable of creating sub bass. Add a subwoofer and use the GB60 in the pass band they are intended for.
> 
> What issues do you have with the sill vents? They essentially make the under seat "enclosures" infinite baffle.


As I have a f20, space is at a premium. I feel that with the type of music I mainly listen to 80s/retro, I can do without a sub. I just do not like the sound leakage to the outside which I believe is mainly from the Door sills. 

That’s the reason why I was seeing how I could optimise the 6.5 in that space.


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi,

I'm still in the process of finalising the rebuild of this install, primarily in the trunk area. The opening event for the season was last sunday and I had EMMA Judge training on the saturday and on the friday morning, the car was more or less gutted 

Anyway, got most of what I needed in place and drove up to the venue in Jönköping on saturday morning and participated in the EMMA Sweden Judge Training and then judged 7 cars (5 sound, 2 install) and also entered my car in Master OEM on the sunday. The judging was somewhat challenging as I was new to it but also because there is a new competition CD for the 2018/2019 season, but all good in the end. :blush:


First entry in Master OEM and finished in second place with a decent sound score and a 401 total. Had 2 point reduction on the install since I hadn't updated the documentation which was expected. Very happy with the result since I had almost no time to tweak prior to the event. 

I didn't spend as much time documenting the rebuild as i was extremely pressed for time, and only focused on the shots required for the EMMA documentation required for competition. But I can provide some nice pro shots taken by a photographer during the competition on sunday (NB: not my own pictures):

















All for now, on to the next competition which is May 5th!


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## OlegZebr (Mar 30, 2018)

Excellent work!!!! loved it. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Thanks for those pics and the update! The car and install are beautiful! Well done!!!


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

OlegZebr said:


> Excellent work!!!! loved it. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!





bertholomey said:


> Thanks for those pics and the update! The car and install are beautiful! Well done!!!


Thanks guys, cheers.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Nice updates on the car! And Congrats on becoming an EMMA judge as well.

I always like the EMMA Competition Discs so I looked into ordering the new 2018 disc, but with shipping to the U.S. it's over $75 (you can only get it bundled with the Rulebook as far as so know). :surprised:


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

Small video snippet showing the edge lit acrylic with the remote controlled LED lighting:


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Really nice install. Can you send a link to that signal harness to pickup 4 channel and remote wire from the amp in the rear please?

Congrats on the competition success!

-Steve


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

captainobvious said:


> Really nice install. Can you send a link to that signal harness to pickup 4 channel and remote wire from the amp in the rear please?
> 
> Congrats on the competition success!
> 
> -Steve


Thanks buddy. The harness I have is: https://technicpnp.com/product/7ch-hifi-676hk674-harness/


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## carlr (Feb 27, 2011)

A few stills to go along with the small video already posted.


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## Infinitynights (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi....

How many liters is your subwoofer side enclosure at???

Do you make Them and sell Them???

Im looking for one, But cant find any where to buy one like that..
And im not so comfortable maling one My self??


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## LBaudio (Jan 9, 2009)

Nice work!

Are you coming to Salzburg to EMMA finals in March?


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## pharqs (Feb 5, 2012)

carlr said:


> I ordered it with the Hi-Fi system. I had the H/K option in my previous BMW and it didn't sound good so I knew I would be doing a build in this one as well and there was no justification to go with H/K. Only difference from and integration point of view is with H/K you got MOST to the amp (which is codeable if need be with just Hi-Fi).


Hi Carlr, I came across this great build of yours, am currently getting my car customized, and particularly interested in what you mentioned about MOST, how I can code MOST on my F36 and how to integrate Bit One DSP, the car has the Hi Fi system. Greatful for any input!


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## jriggs (Jun 14, 2011)

pharqs said:


> Hi Carlr, I came across this great build of yours, am currently getting my car customized, and particularly interested in what you mentioned about MOST, how I can code MOST on my F36 and how to integrate Bit One DSP, the car has the Hi Fi system. Greatful for any input!


Interesting question, I wonder too. However, I can tell you that the signal from the Technics harness for the HiFi systems is dead silent and unprocessed.


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