# Project M3 is underway



## rcurley55

FINALLY, I got started on my latest install on my M3.

Here's the ride (nice work on the porta crapper in the back eh... )

















So I decided that the theme of this install is stealth and integration. Essentially, I don't want to see a piece of gear, but if I do, I want it to look as oem as possible.

So let's start with an equipment list:

Alpine TME-M740BT - 7" wide/touch screen w/bluetooth
Alpine VPA-B222 - Vehicle Hub Pro
Alpine NVE-N872A - DVD Navigation
Alpine CHA-S624 - 6 Disc Changer w/ Optical
Alpine PXA-H701 - Multimedia Processor
Alpine KCE-422i - High-Speed iPod cable
Alpine PDX-4.150 - Front Stage Amplifier
Alpine PDX-1.1000 - Subwoofer Amplifier
SEAS RS165F - Lotus Reference Components (Active)
JL Audio 8IB4s (4) - 8" IB Subwoofers

So, as you can see, that's 10lbs of $&^! to put in a 5lb bag 

And onto the install....


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## ddsBMW

Glad to see you finally decided on equipement. It's learthworml from e46 btw. Good choice on amps. The audison would have been nice too.


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## rcurley55

I wanted to "unveil" this install at Marv's, but just as a way to keep myself to installing everything in time, I decided I'll show some of what's going on behind the scenes 

Now, from the factory, a nav car comes with a nice set of mounting brackets with room for two changers (well, kinda).

It looks a little like this (ignore the mdf blank):









Open up the door and this is what we get - nice space ehh?









Peel back the carpeting, and this is the mounting system:









Well, that's a start...a ton of mdf brackets, hacking away at the oem bracket, and a few iterations later (with a crazy install procedure) we get to this:









And if we replace the carpet and take a look at the results, I'd say it's looking ok 









There's just barely enough room back there for the gear + the MILES of wire needed ton install all of this stuff. You can also see the speaker wires from my previous install back there.

This is going to be interesting, but so far so good.


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## rcurley55

I still need to go back and sound deaden, but I wanted to get the brackets started first so I can measure for wires and this will lead me to installing the amps. Right now, I'm just test fitting the amps.

After the amount of installs that I've done in this trunk, the spare tire well was looking a little ratty - I had some Stinger Road Kill Spray sitting around, so I threw down a few coats, that you can see in the background.

Now these PDX's are small, but my spare tire well is even smaller - and they have to fit under the factory floor - about 2" of clearance - this should be interesting:

















And that's it for right now...more tomorrow hopefully


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## ddsBMW

I posted in the middle of your posting. haha


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## rcurley55

ddsBMW said:


> Glad to see you finally decided on equipement. It's learthworml from e46 btw. Good choice on amps. The audison would have been nice too.


Yeahh, I finally had to pull the trigger - the PDX's were just more versatile from a packaging standpoint and the price per watt is hard to beat. Couple that with the heat issues (hopefully lack there of) and and current requirements - I was sold.


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## unpredictableacts

I installed the pdx4.100 and they get hella hot to the touch for a class d amplifier....is this common for the pdx amplifiers?


I love the curve and stance of that M3 if only it were black sitting on black.


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## champs

Yes, even though it's a class-d it does get pretty warm. I had one a couple of months ago and found out the same. But it does have a couple of adavantages: it regulates the current so it will always have the same power output (approx. 170 Watts per channel) no matter what load it has to drive. And as you might have noticed: there are no heat sinks. But don't worry. It can handle the temperature.


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## blacklabel

nice A$$ car, bro.


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## kimokalihi

That car is beautiful. Although I personally think it would look amazing with some all black wheels, no chrome lips. I'm still very jealous though.


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## t3sn4f2

That’s a pretty big heat sink on the hub pro and it has a fan too if I remember correctly, so it looks like a component that gets pretty hot. Might want to conceder a fan system of some type to circulate air in and out from behind that factory panel.


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## 3.5max6spd

That stealth install is gonna be sweet Rob. Wow talk about scoring a great place for all that gear by those brackets!


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## rcurley55

unpredictableacts said:


> I installed the pdx4.100 and they get hella hot to the touch for a class d amplifier....is this common for the pdx amplifiers?
> 
> 
> I love the curve and stance of that M3 if only it were black sitting on black.


Never, EVER again will I do a black car - EVER. I'm way too particular about my car to have a black car again - plus the red is more rare 



champs said:


> Yes, even though it's a class-d it does get pretty warm. I had one a couple of months ago and found out the same. But it does have a couple of adavantages: it regulates the current so it will always have the same power output (approx. 170 Watts per channel) no matter what load it has to drive. And as you might have noticed: there are no heat sinks. But don't worry. It can handle the temperature.


That makes me nervous, so I may have to work out some kind of cooling. Thankfully, they will be run fairly lightly. The sub amp will be run at 8 ohm mono.



chasm said:


> nice A$$ car, bro.


Thanks



kimokalihi said:


> That car is beautiful. Although I personally think it would look amazing with some all black wheels, no chrome lips. I'm still very jealous though.


A lot of people like the black out look - I got the car with LM's on it. They are the classic european wheel it seems - they look good on everything. Mine are super dirty in that pic, but they don't have the polished lip - mine have the satin lip.


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## rcurley55

t3sn4f2 said:


> That’s a pretty big heat sink on the hub pro and it has a fan too if I remember correctly, so it looks like a component that gets pretty hot. Might want to conceder a fan system of some type to circulate air in and out from behind that factory panel.


I _think_ that sink is for the amplifier portion of the hub. I won't be using the built in amplifier, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'll run the system wide open for a while without covers on it to see if there are any heat issues - my biggest concern is the amplifiers.



3.5max6spd said:


> That stealth install is gonna be sweet Rob. Wow talk about scoring a great place for all that gear by those brackets!


Thanks - this would be the ONLY way BMW has been kind to me with this car's stereo - a close second would be the trunk mounted battery.


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## thehatedguy

Glad you went with the larger sub amp...will make upgrading or later system changes easier.


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## chad

rcurley55 said:


>


= Pure Seks! Sweet car!


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## t3sn4f2

rcurley55 said:


> *I think that sink is for the amplifier portion of the hub. I won't be using the built in amplifier, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'll run the system wide open for a while without covers on it to see if there are any heat issues - my biggest concern is the amplifiers.
> *
> 
> 
> Thanks - this would be the ONLY way BMW has been kind to me with this car's stereo - a close second would be the trunk mounted battery.


Good idea, also try searching that looooooooooong manual to see if you can turn the internal amp off the way you can on headunits.


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## rcurley55

t3sn4f2 said:


> Good idea, also try searching that looooooooooong manual to see if you can turn the internal amp off the way you can on headunits.


good call - I didn't think of that!


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## nepl29

Sick ride bro, excellent choice of equipment..cant wait to start on my install, almost done with the equipment list..


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## GlasSman

Thats one nice car. Those wheels look sweet. I don't get the whole black wheel trend. They just remind me of mag wheels from my BMX days.

I do love a black chrome finish. The style you have which I call a Y wheel with the longer spokes in a nice dark black chrome and a satin polished lip. That looks nice on any European car. OZ Ultraleggera would look sweet on that car.


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## rekd0514

Wow great start on an awesome car!


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## Sephiroth619

No substitution for LMs. You keep those bad boys until you sell your car. 

Only thing your car is missing is a CSL trunk.


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## rcurley55

thanks guys - at this point, I have to work on the car every night until Marv's if I want it finished...


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## shinjohn

Rob,
The install is lookin' really good. Love the stealth mounting of everything! Awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product. Just get it done before the BBQ!


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## Whiterabbit

keep up the good work.

your CD changer needs a trim panel to hide the mounting equipment behind it. Should only take a couple hours.

cant wait to see what you do with the ipod and with the wiring tail coming off the amps. I expect that to be the more difficult part of the install!


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## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> keep up the good work.


Thanks



> your CD changer needs a trim panel to hide the mounting equipment behind it. Should only take a couple hours.


and thanks again captain obvious!!   

haha - At this point, those kinds of finishing touches will be secondary to just getting it to work. I always try to do things as "clean" as I can - even behind the scenes. The problem with trimming up the changers too much is that I need that gap between the two to open up the nav and eject the DVD - although, really, I only have to do this once...



> cant wait to see what you do with the ipod and with the wiring tail coming off the amps. I expect that to be the more difficult part of the install!


the iPod is going to be boooorring. Just mount it up front somewhere - I won't ever have to touch it. I have a new shuffle for my daily entertainment.

The amps will be a challenge, I'm currently at my desk dreaming up a few things. I'm trying to decide if I want to hide all of the wiring and make it very smooth, or if I want a more exposed, minimalist, industrial look to the amp rack - right now I'm unsure.


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## Whiterabbit

100% stealth, as was your original goal, of course. under the floor.

if you have to make a false floor, you can cover it with store bought nice trunk flooring with sewn lettering and the whole 9. thatll keep it looking OEM.

you can allow for dvd nav opening by locating the trim appropriately. or designing a two piece trim where an overall border goes around the whole thing and a strip sunken behind separates the two but allows the player to open.

they dont ned to touch if you cant tilt your head to see around anything.


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## Whiterabbit

by the way there may be another option. with some grey trunkliner, you can try to upholster the rack. im not kidding.

we arent talking about fine furniture. you may be able to stretch trunkliner inside the rack much like we can stretch the carpet over the outside of a box.

crisp lines wouldnt be the goal. covering the MDF and metal would be.

Then just re-install the changer and dvd player. all the bracketry that was once visible would then have carpet over all.

might help to make everythig look like it was installed in a formed bucket rather than on metal bracketry.


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## Whiterabbit

and if you need some tech flex, you can buy it by the foot in sunnyvale for something like 89 cents a foot for .75" stuff. dunno how much bigbox store retail is on that stuff.


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## Whiterabbit

aaaaaaaaand I just saw the ipod cable. that DEMANDS you buy the $40 ipod dock from the apple store and mount it somewhere in your car withthe cable pugged into the back. in such a way that the dock is 100% visible and the cable 100% hidden, of course!

Also assuming you cna plug in a charger cable to the back too, so the ipod charges while sitting in the dock.

not to be used or no, it would be DAMN cool to hop into the car, open the center console, drop the ipod (ANYONES ipod) onto the dock cleverly hidden there (or wherever), close the console and be good to go!

you know, some sort of awesomeness like that.


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## ClinesSelect

I can barely get past the pics of the car to look at the install.  The M3 is one of my favorite cars ever. 


That is such a great use of the space with the brackets. Top notch work!


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## FoxPro5

The Ultimate Driving Machine meets the Ultimate Install! It's really cool to see some one brand out like that. Nice job with the system planning. Maybe I just speak for myself, but It seems so many of us go about system planning and install so haphazardly. Kudos to you.

It's also cool to see someone using a CD changer! I was feeling a little embarrased to admit that I will run one too. But those mounting brackets...pfffft nuts! 

Are the Lotus comps the next generation /1 version??

And you just urged me to drive all the way across the damn US to see your car at Marv's BBQ. Bastard!


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## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> 100% stealth, as was your original goal, of course. under the floor.
> 
> if you have to make a false floor, you can cover it with store bought nice trunk flooring with sewn lettering and the whole 9. thatll keep it looking OEM.


Yeah, I already have a trunk matt for it - it's just that when you pull off the covers, I like my system to still look finished. Basically I can have a full width amp rack where all you see are the tops of the heat sinks, or you can see the entire amp and the wiring and even parts of the painted spare tire well. One's lighter weight - a big plus - and would show more of the detail - the other I'm not a fan of, but would be a little easier to mount. We'll see.



> you can allow for dvd nav opening by locating the trim appropriately. or designing a two piece trim where an overall border goes around the whole thing and a strip sunken behind separates the two but allows the player to open.
> 
> they dont ned to touch if you cant tilt your head to see around anything. by the way there may be another option. with some grey trunkliner, you can try to upholster the rack. im not kidding.
> 
> we arent talking about fine furniture. you may be able to stretch trunkliner inside the rack much like we can stretch the carpet over the outside of a box.
> 
> crisp lines wouldnt be the goal. covering the MDF and metal would be.
> 
> Then just re-install the changer and dvd player. all the bracketry that was once visible would then have carpet over all.
> 
> might help to make everythig look like it was installed in a formed bucket rather than on metal bracketry.


Not enough clearance for that - the fit is THAT tight. My thought is a thin painted trim piece that goes over the top. We'll see...



Whiterabbit said:


> and if you need some tech flex, you can buy it by the foot in sunnyvale for something like 89 cents a foot for .75" stuff. dunno how much bigbox store retail is on that stuff.


Got plenty of it  - but that's a good lead - normally I go to www.wirecare.com - they are awesome.



Whiterabbit said:


> aaaaaaaaand I just saw the ipod cable. that DEMANDS you buy the $40 ipod dock from the apple store and mount it somewhere in your car withthe cable pugged into the back. in such a way that the dock is 100% visible and the cable 100% hidden, of course!
> 
> Also assuming you cna plug in a charger cable to the back too, so the ipod charges while sitting in the dock.
> 
> not to be used or no, it would be DAMN cool to hop into the car, open the center console, drop the ipod (ANYONES ipod) onto the dock cleverly hidden there (or wherever), close the console and be good to go!
> 
> you know, some sort of awesomeness like that.


No visible docks - I HATE that crap!!!! I pod will be hidden and the Alpine cable charges automatically


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## rcurley55

ClinesSelect said:


> I can barely get past the pics of the car to look at the install.  The M3 is one of my favorite cars ever.
> 
> 
> That is such a great use of the space with the brackets. Top notch work!


Thanks



B-Squad said:


> The Ultimate Driving Machine meets the Ultimate Install! It's really cool to see some one brand out like that. Nice job with the system planning. Maybe I just speak for myself, but It seems so many of us go about system planning and install so haphazardly. Kudos to you.
> 
> It's also cool to see someone using a CD changer! I was feeling a little embarrased to admit that I will run one too. But those mounting brackets...pfffft nuts!
> 
> Are the Lotus comps the next generation /1 version??
> 
> And you just urged me to drive all the way across the damn US to see your car at Marv's BBQ. Bastard!


I'd really like to put in a DVD changer so I can play movies too, but I couldn't find a mint one used for a reasonable price - the DHA-S680. Without a changer, there would be no way to run any CD's in the car. While I'm not a fan of changers, I need to have some way to just grab a cd and go.

The Lotus are the new generation - the all alpine thing just worked that way - I ALMOST was going to go with Lotus subs, but that didn't work - I do kinda like to minimize the number of brands I run - I know that's not the best way to sound, but it makes me happy - just like how I'd never run mix matched amps.

And I can tell you with 100% certainty that my car is not a great reason to come to Marvs - the people and the other installs, however, is another story 

Thanks for all the kind words guys - the parents are over for dinner tonight, so I don't know how much I'll get done - I think I'm going to try to sound deaden the wheel wells - we'll see.


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## unpredictableacts

I never ssn what year it was?


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## low

cool robby, cant wait to hear it.


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## Whiterabbit

do you have a console? you can hide a dock. That way, you dont have a hidden cable snaked somewhere. you have a hidden dock with no visible cable. open the glove box, the dashboard bay door, or center console, drop the ipod on the dock, then close the door. good to go!

is a DVD changer the same dimension as the CD changer? if so, guess whats a drop-in replacement for what you have, and guess what youve just installed thats sellable 

I sugest you avoid paint panels. yuck.

and my vote in an unofficial poll is to 100% hide the amps. you said you wanted stealth, live up to the standard. If you had something like a laminated paper with your system diagram sitting in your blank trunk for folks to see, the shock value will be MUCH better. Even greater when they pick up the trunkfloor matt and see what looks simply like an OEM trunkfloor.


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## rcurley55

unpredictableacts said:


> I never ssn what year it was?


The car is a 2001



low said:


> cool robby, cant wait to hear it.


You and me both - you wore me down and I finally decided on Seas



Whiterabbit said:


> do you have a console? you can hide a dock. That way, you dont have a hidden cable snaked somewhere. you have a hidden dock with no visible cable. open the glove box, the dashboard bay door, or center console, drop the ipod on the dock, then close the door. good to go!
> 
> 
> 
> I see what you mean
> 
> 
> 
> 
> is a DVD changer the same dimension as the CD changer? if so, guess whats a drop-in replacement for what you have, and guess what youve just installed thats sellable
> 
> 
> 
> of course I thought ahead
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I sugest you avoid paint panels. yuck.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> tell me how you really feel -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and my vote in an unofficial poll is to 100% hide the amps. you said you wanted stealth, live up to the standard. If you had something like a laminated paper with your system diagram sitting in your blank trunk for folks to see, the shock value will be MUCH better. Even greater when they pick up the trunkfloor matt and see what looks simply like an OEM trunkfloor.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> don't worry, when you open the trunk, you won't see one piece of gear - save the subwoofers - and even those will be as hidden as possible
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


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## 3.5max6spd

I think Rob is gonna be just fine 

I still can get over how stealth thats gonna be. I'm envious.


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## rcurley55

Sorry guys - not much of an update today. The folks came over for dinner and the season finale of the shield got in the way. I pulled all the gear back out and stripped as much of the trunk as I could for sounddeadening - tonight's project!


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## Whiterabbit

is the 701 control through the vehicle hub touchscreen the same as 701 control through peters W200?


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## nepl29

Whiterabbit said:


> is the 701 control through the vehicle hub touchscreen the same as 701 control through peters W200?


No, in matter of fact its a pain in the ass. i highly recommend getting the controller. the hub interface is different.


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## Whiterabbit

nepl29 said:


> No, in matter of fact its a pain in the ass. i highly recommend getting the controller. the hub interface is different.


the hub interface is different than the w200?


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## nepl29

Whiterabbit said:


> the hub interface is different than the w200?


YES. Quick example, on the w200 you can adjust any of the eq or crossover points in the same screen, with the hub you can only do one at a time.

the interface on the hub for the processor leaves a lot be desire.
Rob,
i dont know if you already know this, but if you want to play with the processor while driving , you will need to get a PAC-TR7 for the hub.


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## drake78

BBS LM1 wheels are my dream wheels. It compliments your ride beautifuly.


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## rcurley55

nepl29 said:


> No, in matter of fact its a pain in the ass. i highly recommend getting the controller. the hub interface is different.


hmmm, this is news to me - and a shame. I won't get, nor can I fit the controller anywhere.

I already have the TR7 though  

Sound deadened the trunk and got the amp rack built - photos tomorrow morning maybe


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## rcurley55

So - damn Forza 2 for showing up last night - that didn't help my progress much, but we did get a few things done.

First sounddeadening - over the years, the factory stuff had just deteriorated and cracked off, so I decided to add some Raammat BXT. Just to the shock towers, fenders (pass side didn't need any b/c it's soooo stiff with the fuel filler door in there) and some of the brackets. Pretty minimal - structurally, the bmw is very sound - most panels didn't ring at all, they were dead silent with the knuckle test.

Here's the naked fenders - I removed as much as I could get more access:

















And matted up:

















I'll be adding some ensolite over the entire area before it gets buttoned up!

Then I got to work on the amp rack. Turns out, both PDX's will fit in the spare tire well, so I took the M-mobility kit (a Styrofoam insert holding a fancy can of fix-a-flat) and used it to trace out the opening in the well on some mdf. I added a few brackets on the underside and voila - perfectly sized amp rack. They clear the factory floor by 1/4 - 3/8" 










And in our next installment - IB subwoofers


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## Arc

Looks great man.
Those PDX's are seksy. 

Oh...the car ain't to bad either..


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## Whiterabbit

didnt you say you had a spool of techflex? why do I see so much split loom? looks like split loom....


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## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> didnt you say you had a spool of techflex? why do I see so much split loom? looks like split loom....


Not quite a spool, but enough - split loom protects the wires throughout the car when under the carpet - techflex takes over from there.

Wires in the original install were color coded and loomed:









The important bundle of wires are the two in yellow - those are 5 extra primary wires that I laid down for no reason. They will save my butt on this one as it will help me wire the bypass and a few other extra goodies without having to tear the car back apart - always plan ahead!!

Then laid down and secured with zip ties every 8" or so:

















Of course when rewiring the doors, I had to go with just the wire and the jacket b/c it was so tight:

































Thankfully the car comes with a twisted pair of 16ga for the factory midbasses - those will be used for the tweeter duties, the Stinger 14ga will be used for midbasses - there's no room at the inn for a second run of wire without some major work.

Techflex is way more expensive and at the time I originally wired the car, I didn't want to order even more of it. Spending a few hundred dollars to "protect" your wires is a bit much for a non-competition car.

Really, the use of techflex in my car is purely cosmetic - like my old amp rack:










Past cosmetics, I find tech flex to be a pretty silly, and expensive, way to spend my install time. I feel it's the "right" way to do it, and if I had the time and resources, I'd gut the car, rewire it with different labels and such, but I just don't. It bugs me that is is done with split loom - as I hate it, but I went for practicality. 

Techflex really makes your install look nice if it's implemented correctly though


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## drocpsu

nice progress. I'm looking forward to seeing the sub install and completed amp rack. I'm jealous of the car!


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## Whiterabbit

if you want you can get 1.5 inch techflex at HSC in sunnyvale and as soon as the bundle of loom pops out into the trunk, you cna techflex the whole shebang up, then take the picture 

(talk about planning ahead, I have 13 runs of 18 gauge speaker wire routed from front to back! )


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## drake78

By the way what size are those wheels? They look like 20+> inch.


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## rcurley55

drake78 said:


> By the way what size are those wheels? They look like 20+> inch.


No - not that big at all. They actually look smaller than they are imo b/c the use a step lip as opposed to the fairly popular reverse lip style (eforged, hre, etc)

They are 19 x 8.5 and 19 x 10 BBS LM's. The rubber is 245/35/19 and 275/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's - replacing them is not fun 

Here's another shot of them (I like to whore them out):


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## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> if you want you can get 1.5 inch techflex at HSC in sunnyvale and as soon as the bundle of loom pops out into the trunk, you cna techflex the whole shebang up, then take the picture
> 
> (talk about planning ahead, I have 13 runs of 18 gauge speaker wire routed from front to back! )


no, I won't take fake "install book" photos


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## rcurley55

And for last night's work - pretty simple really, but this took a little thinking. I had a few ways I wanted to do my 4 8" subs - I already have mounts for two of them - thank you JL Audio, so all that was left was to mount the other two.

First we'll start with the existing "subwoofer":

















2 6x9" drivers with a tiny amp mounted to it. It's not too bad, but we can do better - now, one snag is that the subs won't fit:









Crap, time to go custom...use the existing sub as a template, make it a little larger and fit it to the rear deck:









And the sub fits perfectly:









And there we are using the existing mounting holes  This will work out nicely!! The holes in the rear shelf are about 5" in diameter, so the 8"s shouldn't have a problem playing through it. Now I just have to make a copy of my template in 1/2" mdf on my router table and laminate the two together!

Pretty simple really. If these JL subs work out, I'd like to actually invert these two so that they better mimic the factory subwoofer enclosure - just to add to the stealth factor. Until I hear them though, I'm not going to go down that road. The next step will be to modify the rear shelf to add a grille in the middle and do some sounddeadening up there to seal the rear shelf. Thankfully, it's already pretty well sealed up - so it shouldn't be a bit issue (famous last words).

I also test fit the screen in the new bezel:









slowly but surely, it's coming together. Thankfully, I have ALL weekend to work on it!

Well, seeing as I'm in a hurry, I took a bit of the easy way out - check o


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## shinjohn

Lookin' good. Keep up the steady, good, progress. It's gonna be nice!


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## rjcastr

Rcurley,

I have spoken with you from e46fanatics in the past my system set up is almost identical to yours

i have the following

PDX 1000.1 MONO
PDX 4.100
PROHUB
TME740BT
ALPINE PROCESSOR H701
CDT 3 WAY COMPONENTS COMPETITION GOLD
FACTORY REAR FILL
PPI ARTS A404A AMP
2 12" SOUNDSPLINTERS


I WILL GET NAV SOON BUT FOR THE TIME BEING IM JUST WAITING TO GET EVERYTHING SET UP AND DONE.

I have an E60 and the set up is alot harder due to the i-drive its a pain in the arse, im picking up a lot of static from the fm tuner which i want to clean up plus Nelson, nelp29 is correct, when i tried to tune it, it doesn't provide you time correction only slope and frequency, i too will have to get me a controller, more money that i didnt' want to spend. 


The only difference now is that everything will be in vinyl i didn't like the carpet look.


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## rcurley55

no time alignment? hmm, it appears to be in the manual...if it's not there, that will be a dealbreaker for me - and would make me very angry 

looks like I'll have to bench test it this weekend...if it can't get to the T/A menu, then I'll be buying and shoe-horning in a W205 - but I REAAALLLY don't want to go down that road - I mean REALLY don't!!


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## Whiterabbit

forgot to ask, you missing any tools? I will be working on my car too, so if you need that special something, drop on by! still have all the gear to perform the regular work too!


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## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> forgot to ask, you missing any tools? I will be working on my car too, so if you need that special something, drop on by! still have all the gear to perform the regular work too!


THANKS! I'll have to let you know - so far I think I'm good - but this news about the hub has me VERY nervous. It would essentially throw a wrench in the works, I'm not happy.

Bench tests to follow shortly


----------



## Whiterabbit

rcurley55 said:


> THANKS! I'll have to let you know - so far I think I'm good - but this news about the hub has me VERY nervous. It would essentially throw a wrench in the works, I'm not happy.
> 
> Bench tests to follow shortly


I'm not gonna make you feel any better. it's the alpine interface that keeps me from dumping all my gear and copying your exact plan. I love the connectivity of everything, but frankly the interface and industrial design of every alpine interface is so awful I wont touch the stuff.

I was hoping the hub would be different. would singlehandedly make running alpine worth it to me. I actually still hold out hope, because the 701 controller, the w200, and every single din sized radio alpine made is a total disaster from a "control the 701" standpoint. so if the hub is RADICALLY different in terms of control, it could be a very positive and refreshing change.


----------



## rcurley55

well, I'd love to have news to report, but my tr7 bypass is not working - oh joy


----------



## nepl29

it should work. you might have to reprogram it. do you know how to?


----------



## rjcastr

that might not be a coincidence Rcurley, nelson, mine wasnt either , im waiting to get my tme screen back so i can try reprogramming the damn thing hopefully it will work , i think i will end up getting the damn controller, pehaps i can talk to my contact and get a couple of controllers at 165 instead of the 175 out the door pricing.


anyone interested let me know

rj


----------



## rjcastr

There is no menu t/a in the hub or the processor without the controller i have checked it out i should have kept that pic of all the menus in the TME screen.


----------



## rcurley55

well, I got the bypass to work, but I can't seem to get the screen to "see" the hub...at this point, I'm done with screwing with it tonigh.

If there's no ta control via the hub, then it's not an option for me. rjcastr - I trust that you don't see ta capability, but I'm going to have to call and confirm with Alpine before I go down the road of washing all of this down the drain. This is a real bummer.

I wonder how fast I can get a W205 in? At least that should be able to handle all of my devices...


----------



## nepl29

rcurley55 said:


> well, I got the bypass to work, but I can't seem to get the screen to "see" the hub...at this point, I'm done with screwing with it tonigh.
> 
> If there's no ta control via the hub, then it's not an option for me. rjcastr - I trust that you don't see ta capability, but I'm going to have to call and confirm with Alpine before I go down the road of washing all of this down the drain. This is a real bummer.
> 
> I wonder how fast I can get a W205 in? At least that should be able to handle all of my devices...


Try this,

check on the bottom of the hub and make sure the switch that says alpine or other is selected to alpine.

i completely understand your frustations. my install was more difficult than yours because im using the factory idrive screen to run the hub. i spent $1100 on the hub and the video interface for idrive. and after i installed everything i found out the hub controller was very limited.it couldnt do half of the functions for the navigation. i had to installed an infrared reciever to the hub so i could use the remote that came with the navigation


----------



## rcurley55

it's set to alpine...no luck - I'll call them to trouble shoot it...at this point, if the interface is THAT bad, I'll sell it and get a w205 - it's just not as clean as the hub


----------



## rjcastr

check your AInet cable the pac tr7 shouldnt have anything to do with the screen and the hub, the pac tr7 is only so that it can let you access the processor. i have the same set up you have with the same screen and same hub and i was able to see everything except for the processor because i messed up while re programming. do a check on a different ai net cable, perhaps its the cable .


----------



## rjcastr

there is only one shop out here advanced car creations that didn't beleive me either about the t/a correction capabilities with the hub, i called alpine like a million times to confirm and they all said the same thing that it didn't have that option everything else is via menus. if they tell you otherwise let me know how , because it would save me on the controller i thought of putting it like this but im not sure on the costs.


----------



## Whiterabbit

Rob, does the w200 or w205 come with a detachable face? would you only be buying it to interface with your gear? (as in do not need it for cd transport or anything related to the body?)

if so, we can stash the body somewhere and still install the face as you've got it now. The local surplus store has everything we need to do thoe whole job, minus maybe ABS sheeting depending what needed to be done with the w205 body.


----------



## 99IntegraGS

rjcastr said:


> There is no menu t/a in the hub or the processor without the controller i have checked it out i should have kept that pic of all the menus in the TME screen.


Are you saying that there is only t/a when using the C701 controller? That I will have no t/a in my W200/H701 setup? That's damn disappointing. I could have sworn I'd seen pictures of the t/a screen on a W200.  



Whiterabbit said:


> Rob, does the w200 or w205 come with a detachable face?


The W200 *does not* have a detachable face. I'm pretty sure the W205 doesn't either, but I've never actually seen one of those so I can't say for certain.

JD


----------



## rcurley55

99IntegraGS said:


> Are you saying that there is only t/a when using the C701 controller? That I will have no t/a in my W200/H701 setup? That's damn disappointing. I could have sworn I'd seen pictures of the t/a screen on a W200.
> 
> JD


JD - we are talking about the Vehicle Hub Pro and the H701 (VPA-B222) not the W200 and W205

I'm 99% sure that you can access the t/a capabilities with your combo.


----------



## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> Rob, does the w200 or w205 come with a detachable face? would you only be buying it to interface with your gear? (as in do not need it for cd transport or anything related to the body?)
> 
> if so, we can stash the body somewhere and still install the face as you've got it now. The local surplus store has everything we need to do thoe whole job, minus maybe ABS sheeting depending what needed to be done with the w205 body.


Good point, I like where you are going with this - but it doesn't have a detachable face - if it did, I'd be all over it.

I do have the CHA-S624 as an optical out changer, but the W205 (assuming I get it) would be used for DVD source and I'd stash my fav. SQ cd's in the changer. The iPod would be my "daily" source unit - it has my entire collection.

If the hub doesn't have t/a control capabilities - then it's out  

I'm working with the same shop you are - if alpine says it's not there - then it's not. How they could overlook something so important - I don't know. There is a section on Time Alignment in the manual - are you saying those options don't exist on your VPA-B222

The more I look at this, I might as well bite the bullet and get the W205


----------



## Thumper26

andy jones at sounddomain used the w200 with the 701. i know he talked about using ta in his truck, so it had to be on there somehow.


----------



## rjcastr

thumper you are missing the point, we are not talking abou the w205 we are talking aobut the vehicle hub pro with the TME m740bt, you can't access the T/A in the processor with this set up. I'm sure with the w205 it will be accessible. 


Rcurley , you can keep the Vehicle hubpro but you will need to get the controller to get the time alignment for the processor if you want to go that route. Mine is all installed and wired as much i hate to have to spend more money, i think i will end up getting the damn controller and do something like this.


check the pic. in my previous post in this thread


----------



## Whiterabbit

rcurley55 said:


> Good point, I like where you are going with this - but it doesn't have a detachable face - if it did, I'd be all over it.



FYI the Denford radios have "detachable" faces.

when considering a relocated face, all we care about is whether or not the darn thing comes off!

so the denford has a face that detaches via screwdriver 

is the w200 or 205 "detachable"?


----------



## dogstar

Whiterabbit said:


> FYI the Denford radios have "detachable" faces.
> 
> when considering a relocated face, all we care about is whether or not the darn thing comes off!
> 
> so the denford has a face that detaches via screwdriver
> 
> is the w200 or 205 "detachable"?


I didnt really take too close a look at my W200, but I thought I saw a fairly standard looking ribbon cable when I ejected a cd while testing outside of the dash.
It should be "detachable" assuming you are willing to tear into it, and can find the proper cable to lengthen the connections.


----------



## rcurley55

well, we'll have to see where this goes - you know the saying - the show must go on, so without further ado...

Let's take a look at where the battery goes:









It's covered by this plastic tray - here's the underside:









What I'd like to do is hide the fusing for the system under this panel. I'm using a stinger fused distro block for 4 mini anl fuses - with the cover, there's no way it's going to clear between the battery and the cover:









If we take the cover off, it's a little better:









But what if we take it apart?









With some clever mdf pieces, we integrate the mount into the battery hold down, then mount the stinger pieces straight to the MDF - the result:

















And the cover still clears:









Perfect! I'll finish all the mdf in the project at once...


----------



## rekd0514

I have that same distibution block Stinger SF4MDPT. It was on ebay for $29 shipped. Nice thinking. I may need to make something for mine to go in place of the fuses. I want to use all of the 4ga outputs, but I don't want fuse on 2 of them. I was thinking maybe use a piece of flat copper and drill 2 holes in it to connect them. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250087491051&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=015


----------



## rcurley55

The "input" side of the block has one 0/1 ga and 2 4 ga's. Just use the 0/1 as the input, then the other two as your non-fused outputs


----------



## rcurley55

slow day today...

Warm up the router table:









The original sub baffle template got copied onto a 1/2" and 1/4" piece that will be laminated together. That will allow me to hide the fasteners.

Installed, it looks like this:

















And from the inside - it's sealed to the deck and is very solid:









I also mounted the stealths:









The driver's one needed a ton of trimming - and still needs some more to clear the nav and changer:









So, I'm well on my way to 4 8" IB subs  Just a few holes short right now. I have a feeling I'm not going to dig the overall look of this setup, but if it sounds right, we'll make it look good later.

While the router table was out, I got started on the doors - here's part of the baffle system that I'll need to get the midbasses in:









And here's a look at what's going in the doors:


----------



## alphakenny1

looking good!


----------



## rcurley55

it's funny, the more I look at it - 3 10's are not that great of an option and I think the car will always be 4 8's. 

I think I'd like to extend the existing baffle across all the way and ditch the stealthbox housings...decisions, decisions.


----------



## rjcastr

you got some good talent there !!

great work so far


----------



## Whiterabbit

rcurley55 said:


> I think I'd like to extend the existing baffle across all the way and ditch the stealthbox housings...decisions, decisions.




I definitely would. makes things more uniform fuctionally and aesthetically.


----------



## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> I definitely would. makes things more uniform fuctionally and aesthetically.


I think I will - but at this point, it's a time sensitive issue!


----------



## Whiterabbit

I'm more interested in updates about the functionality between the hub, touchscreen, and H701


----------



## rjcastr

Whiterabbit 

There is time correction between those three i have the same set up , alpine kept telling me they didn't but under function if you go to to set up then AP for audio processor scroll down and you will see time correction T/C. Automatic time correction is not doable but manual time correction is.


----------



## rcurley55

rjcastr said:


> Whiterabbit
> 
> There is time correction between those three i have the same set up , alpine kept telling me they didn't but under function if you go to to set up then AP for audio processor scroll down and you will see time correction T/C. Automatic time correction is not doable but manual time correction is.


wait, wait, wait - so the vehicle hub pro CAN access the TA menu? whew - game back on!!


----------



## ddsBMW

Hey let me know if those templates work for you. I can't get my doors to clip in the whole way with the lotus.


----------



## rcurley55

ddsBMW said:


> Hey let me know if those templates work for you. I can't get my doors to clip in the whole way with the lotus.


hmm, well that should make things interesting 

Why is everyone dropping bombshells on my thread 

I've seen Focal kp2's and utopia's fit in there, so I'm inclined to think that they will - I know someone else who lotus in a coupe that did fit - so maybe you need to squeeze in some more room


----------



## ddsBMW

rcurley55 said:


> hmm, well that should make things interesting
> 
> Why is everyone dropping bombshells on my thread
> 
> I've seen Focal kp2's and utopia's fit in there, so I'm inclined to think that they will - I know someone else who lotus in a coupe that did fit - so maybe you need to squeeze in some more room


Ya i think my baffles are slightly misaligned or something. I need about 4 more mm of space. Let me know how yours goes. I think I need to redo my baffles. What thickness mdf are you using and how man pieces? Thanks.


----------



## rcurley55

I've started with 2 x 0.75, then a ring on top - no clue what it will take until I get in there


----------



## rjcastr

rcurley55 said:


> wait, wait, wait - so the vehicle hub pro CAN access the TA menu? whew - game back on!!


Yes Rcurley,

According to alpine they plugged the same comoponents you and I have mine is already set up but not working at the time do to some additional modding im working on but, the rep did say he's looking at it in the TME screen the only downfall is that with the controller is a lot easier and faster, with the TME screen and the vehicle hubpro i would have to access everything in a menu format the automated is not avaialble we would have to do it manually.

Good news i guess


----------



## rcurley55

well at least that is sorted out. I actually benched the whole system last night and got it working. Pretty slick setup.


----------



## rcurley55

rcurley55 said:


> well at least that is sorted out. I actually benched the whole system last night and got it working. Pretty slick setup.


well, as cool as it is....I just ordered the W205 -it makes more sense for my system


----------



## rjcastr

Oh wow!!!! 

Let me know if you picck up static while using the tuner i pick up static while using the tuner with the hub.


rj


----------



## rcurley55

rjcastr said:


> Oh wow!!!!
> 
> Let me know if you picck up static while using the tuner i pick up static while using the tuner with the hub.
> 
> 
> rj


Will do, but I won't be using the hub - I've had good experience with alpine radios and the factory antenna.


----------



## arrogantt

so with the 205 installed, where's the 701 controller going to end up?

*edit* nevermind


----------



## rcurley55

arrogantt said:


> so with the 205 installed, where's the 701 controller going to end up?
> 
> *edit* nevermind


hahaha - the reason for edit is priceless!!!


----------



## arrogantt

hahaha, glad you enjoyed it


----------



## rcurley55

ok, this thread has gone stale - so here's a mini update.

Let's start at the doors - and the lotus tweeters - here's a comparison of what bmw gave me and what's going in:










Now, with the factory mid and tweeter removed, here's what the door looks like:










And a little 1/4" mdf...










I'll re cut them into something a little prettier later - but right now I'm not worried about it.

Now we are back to the trunk. The plastic panel that covers the latch is just a rattle trap. On top of that, I need to clear out a few of the ribs to clear the wires that must run behind it to pull off the steath look we are going for:










And trimmed up:










Then we add ensolite:










And now it's dead as could be.

Now, BMW never gave an opening for the rear shelf subwoofers to play through - and people wonder why this part is notorious for for rattles  Well, we have to add a grille in the middle. The part is super complex, so a simple flat grille won't cut it.

As a teaser - here's how we start - one layer of knytex...










And that's it for now...hopefully more soon - including the headunit install, midbass install, and a new subwoofer baffle on tap for the weekend - it's going to be a long, long, long weekend


----------



## arrogantt

nice update!


----------



## rcurley55

and here is an update from tonight - it's pretty limited b/c my brother decided that a mesquite tri-tip was in order for dinner - I had to answer the call and man the grille 

OK - so how do we make a grille that disappears - well we start with our earlier copy of the rear shelf and then we trim it up and mask off the shelf again:










And a test fit:









Trace the outline, offset and start cutting:









MUCH better - and another test fit:









Now knytex leaves you with a very bumpy surface on the show side b/c of how I laid it down, so some icing:









And we'll be ready to sand tomorrow. 

Oh, look how cute - TWINS:


----------



## rcurley55

arrogantt said:


> nice update!


thanks - it's good to know someone is actually still reading this!


----------



## Thumper26

nice work.

i've been following it, but haven't had much to contribute.


----------



## MiloX

I am just blown away by the progress here. Holy ish. I am loving this.


----------



## 02bluesuperroo

It takes bawls to hack into a car like that IMO. I don't know if I could do it. Looking great, keep up the good work.


----------



## 3.5max6spd

Looking good, great progress. You should see the mess in my trunk!


----------



## rcurley55

Thanks guys - I appreciate it.

It's been slow going as of late, but this weekend I hope to make a lot of progress. Well, I don't have an option - I HAVE to get it finished for Marv's.

I'm game for cutting anything so long as it's not:
a) structural
b) expensive to replace
c) will be seen when put back to stock

Other than that - free game!


----------



## durwood

rcurley55 said:


> I'm game for cutting anything so long as it's not:
> a) structural
> b) expensive to replace
> c) will be seen when put back to stock
> 
> Other than that - free game!


Ain't that the truth! 

Damn you are really cranking along. You have some serious motivation or a lot of freetime. Looking good.


----------



## chuyler1

I'd say...

If you can afford it. You can afford to fix it.

You don't buy a BMW unless you can pay to maintain a BMW...and installing car audio is peanuts compared to what a brake job is going to cost you.

...and that's why I'm driving a Mazda.

Also, now that I found DIY and got such a great deal on speakers. I'll probably leave them in when I sell my car. That gives me an excuse to try something new and I don't have to worry about keeping it perfectly stock.


----------



## rcurley55

brakes are covered under my extended maintenance contract 

Unfortunately, I don't have much extra time. I'm spending my nights working on it - between working 45+ hour weeks and my social calendar, there's not a lot of room for sleep with this project going on.

If you think I'm crazy b/c of what I've cut so far - just wait until this weekend's updates


----------



## arrogantt

just a heads up, e46 m3 brakes aren't that expensive. they are if you purchase OEM components, but if you grab a turner or stoptech staged kit (non bbk), you can get all new pads, lines, rotors, and fluid for ~$500.

and the installation is easy as pie


----------



## chuyler1

That doesn't sound too bad...but I only paid $180 for pads/rotors on my Protege5...and did the work myself.


----------



## low

robbie, you finally grew a pair and starting cuttin things up! lol jk my friend.

good to see the project coming along nicely...


----------



## savagebee

looks great!
nice equipment, nice car..
good luck, and thanks for the updates


----------



## Nathan P

Looking great, love the spare tire well idea. As long as you don't get a blowout that canned tire fixer stuff should work quite well.


----------



## rcurley55

WOW - it is official, SEAS Lotus 165/1's will fit behind the oem panel, and yes, the door panel will clip back in, but - it's tighter than a freshman on prom night 

I almost don't want to put the oem grilles back in - these speakers are beautiful

pics tonight


----------



## Sephiroth619

rcurley55 said:


> but - it's tighter than a freshman on prom night


LMAO!!

I know firsthand as I experienced that last year.


----------



## dawgdan

sephiroth619 said:


> LMAO!!
> 
> I know firsthand as I experienced that last year.


And you're 24 years old right now.. wtf?


----------



## rcurley55

Ok, so we left off with a hacked up rear shelf, some fiberglass, and me sweating the door install.

Let's talk about the rear shelf first. We trim up the fiberglass part:









Then some black paint, grille cloth and a little CA glue to attach it and we are good to go:









Excuse the rear shelf for being dirty - but it fits perfect, is really low profile, and the color matches pretty good - exactly what I was looking for 

Now, b/c it's an ib install, I had to seal off the holes in the rear shelf - Raammat to the rescue:

















With that out of the way, let's go back to the doors - uggg - I forgot to take pics  I'll get some of the driver's door when I finish it - but in the meantime, here's proof:









Barely fit. The doorpanel and grille required extensive trimming to get the driver to fit. To give you an idea, here's a stock grille next to the one in the car:

















The factory grille is really restrictive, so I cut up most of it, then recovered it in black grille cloth to match the oem tweeter grille.

That's it for now - I will NEVER do another E46 door install - they suck.


----------



## chuyler1

Boy that looks familar. You are like one step ahead of me on your install.


----------



## ddsBMW

Glad you got your doors to clip in. I worked on my doors a little today. My baffles are slightly off so I am a few mm from the door being completely clipped in. The two clips closest to the speaker do not clip fully, but I guess itll have to work until I get some time to redo my baffles. Your install is looking really nice man. Anxious to hear it when you are done. BTW you are right, the doors are a pain to work on. I hate working on them. I sound deadened mine today correctly and it was a pain. Had to take all that foam stuff off and unscrew a few things to seal the doors completely.


----------



## rcurley55

And just to follow up - shot of the bracket:









And the door skin back on with grille:


----------



## low

rcurley55 said:


> That's it for now - I will NEVER do another E46 door install - they suck.


damn thats a hot photo!! look at that nipple!! :drool:


----------



## FoxPro5

low said:


> damn thats a hot photo!! look at that nipple!! :drool:


Yes, the phase plug almost stainless in that picture. Much more attractive lactation wise than the RW165. 

So you're due at Marv-O's in how many days??   Like I said, wish I could see and hear it in person.


----------



## rcurley55

B-Squad said:


> Yes, the phase plug almost stainless in that picture. Much more attractive lactation wise than the RW165.
> 
> So you're due at Marv-O's in how many days??   Like I said, wish I could see and hear it in person.


Marv's on Saturday and I have to:

-Install the headunit
-New bezel
-Wire the amp rack, navigation, and headunit to H701
-New sub baffle
-Put the interior back in
-Tune it
-Detail it

Wish me luck and lots of it - I have 4 nights after work to get it done.


----------



## Whiterabbit

would you like to detail my car too while you are at it?


----------



## low

rcurley55 said:


> Marv's on Saturday and I have to:
> 
> -Install the headunit
> -New bezel
> -Wire the amp rack, navigation, and headunit to H701
> -New sub baffle
> -Put the interior back in
> -Tune it
> -Detail it
> 
> Wish me luck and lots of it - I have 4 nights after work to get it done.


rob,

im bringing along with me the entire e46 fanatic socal group. you think you'd have the car ready to listen by then?? lol jk man..no pressure


----------



## rcurley55

the car will be ready - I just got home from work - I'm scrubbing in for surgery on the dash.


----------



## rcurley55

well, she came out of surgery ok - and now my dash is home to a W205. Pics tomorrow, I'm tired.


----------



## shinjohn

rcurley55 said:


> well, she came out of surgery ok - and now my dash is home to a W205. Pics tomorrow, I'm tired.


Dang man, hard core! You guys are really crankin' before the BBQ!


----------



## Whiterabbit

shinjohn said:


> Dang man, hard core! You guys are really crankin' before the BBQ!


Just got back from the garage myself, and I saw Peter online too a moment ago.

...seems you posted near 1 AM yourself....

This'll be the best BBQ ever. Cant wait to see the changes in the cars from the mini at your house, and compare notes with everyone else at the bbq! Gonna be a riot.


----------



## rcurley55

some of you guys may remember this setup:









Well to get there, I had to custom make some brackets and to hack up the carrier unit for the factory radio and hvac controls:

























Well one thing worth noting is that BMW didn't put a full din depth in that bottom slot. Behind there rests the factory air box with a heat exchanger for the HVAC system. There's also a few baffles and motors to control the ducting (air exiting at the windshield, front of the dash, at your feet).

Well, if the W205 is going to fit, something has to give. And that's where the surgery comes in:









There you can see the metal pipes that connect that engine coolant to the heat exchanger. The white plastic rod connects the two floor baffles together - and it's completely in the way. We'll mod that later - I have a solution to keep the floor vents working.

Well, some new custom brackets and here you have it - W205 in an M3:









Thankfully, minor mods are all that's needed to get the bezel to work. I didn't have the sheetmetal I needed to seal up the hole, but I'll do that soon. The relief is that the unit fits and it sits where I wanted it to. It's going to be very tight (I already removed as many wires as I could from the Alpine harness to save space).

I bench tested the W205 before installing it to make sure that the face would clear the bezel - this unit is sooooo much better than the VPA-B222. The interface is light years ahead (which doesn't say much  ) and the pulse touch screen is really nice. I'm glad I made the switch, even if it means more work.

No update tonight - Go Giants!!


----------



## alphakenny1

rcurley55 said:


> No update tonight - Go Giants!!


Go Giants baby!! Went to the game on Sunday.


----------



## rcurley55

shinjohn said:


> Dang man, hard core! You guys are really crankin' before the BBQ!


I committed to having it done - I can't bail out now. But I'm anticipating a VERY late night on Friday.


----------



## rcurley55

alphakenny1 said:


> Go Giants baby!! Went to the game on Sunday.


They are HOT HOT HOT right now - we are sitting in section 210 row A - right on the railing for Club Level - should be a nice night and a nice break before the real crunch comes!


----------



## alphakenny1

rcurley55 said:


> They are HOT HOT HOT right now - we are sitting in section 210 row A - right on the railing for Club Level - should be a nice night and a nice break before the real crunch comes!


those are the best seats in the house. i sat club level once since it opened and it was probably the best view i've ever had. the best thing is the non crowded line for beer, food and bathrooms. haha. enjoy man!


----------



## rcurley55

alphakenny1 said:


> those are the best seats in the house. i sat club level once since it opened and it was probably the best view i've ever had. the best thing is the non crowded line for beer, food and bathrooms. haha. enjoy man!


If you thought club level was awesome - treat yourself to field club. I get 4 tix every year down there for a game in September for my mom's b-day (HUGE giants fan). It's a totally different experience. But yes, on the railing is hard to beat in Club Level - it's plush. One of these days I'm going to get those dugout seats - the ones that are recessed into the field 

The nice thing about AT&T Park is that there really isn't a bad seat in the house!


----------



## alphakenny1

i mean i've down at field level before its really nice but i dunno i really like how you can literally see everything from club level. 

but yea every seat is nice. my buddies and i bought a 6 game pack and we got bleecher seats and i can't complain really about the seats. its a decent view actually. love the park though, its the best in baseball!


----------



## saMxp

Subscribing because I am setting myself up for a door install even tougher than that. Nervous anticipation!

Great work, though, man. Your perspiration is my inspiration right now. LOL


----------



## low

is this thing done yet or what?


----------



## rcurley55

low said:


> is this thing done yet or what?


almost 



actually, not really


----------



## low

rcurley55 said:


> almost
> 
> 
> 
> actually, not really


you have tonight, tomorrow and friday. i dont know if youre joining marv on friday but this gives you two and half days...times a tickin' my friend, tsk tsk!


----------



## rcurley55

low said:


> you have tonight, tomorrow and friday. i dont know if youre joining marv on friday but this gives you two and half days...times a tickin' my friend, tsk tsk!


I have tonight, tomorrow night, and friday night - hopefully I can get out of work early.

That's ok, I'm brining in reinforcements on Friday


----------



## alphakenny1

i SHOULD be done today, lol. yes time is getting close. good luck man!


----------



## Whiterabbit

if you are done before 8PM, drop by the house.


----------



## alphakenny1

lol doubt it. i say late today. if you want you can stop by the house and help if you want . 

sorry for the thread jack rob.


----------



## rcurley55

no sweat...


----------



## CMR22

This install is awesome, I can hardly wait for the finished pics. Nice work.


----------



## low

okay do i even have to ask about this or what?


----------



## rcurley55

I take the train to work - last night my northbound train hit a vehicle dragging it over 1/2 mile. Not pretty. So a few bus rides later and I was home at 8pm.

Joy.

I was able to mod the vent arm bracket that controls the floor vents (so it's function would be retained and I sealed off the gaping hole in the dash. I also rewired the car, so at this point, all of the fabrication is complete. Now it's just mounting gear, wiring it up, and putting the car back together.

I'll have some pics later.


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> I take the train to work - last night my northbound train hit a vehicle dragging it over 1/2 mile. Not pretty. So a few bus rides later and I was home at 8pm.
> 
> Joy.
> 
> I was able to mod the vent arm bracket that controls the floor vents (so it's function would be retained and I sealed off the gaping hole in the dash. I also rewired the car, so at this point, all of the fabrication is complete. Now it's just mounting gear, wiring it up, and putting the car back together.
> 
> I'll have some pics later.



according to my calculations..your "reinforcements" should be boarding soon. better get things put back together early so you guys can get in some quality tuning


----------



## rcurley55

jay said:


> according to my calculations..your "reinforcements" should be boarding soon. better get things put back together early so you guys can get in some quality tuning


This is true - and I don't think it will be playing audio until tomorrow


----------



## shinjohn

Good luck, Rob. It's down to the wire! See you and the gang tomorrow.


----------



## alphakenny1

rcurley55 said:


> This is true - and I don't think it will be playing audio until tomorrow


i am in the same boat .


----------



## rcurley55

shinjohn said:


> Good luck, Rob. It's down to the wire! See you and the gang tomorrow.


no truer words have been spoken


----------



## rcurley55

it's finished, the car is washed, I have not slept a wink...see you all at marvs.


----------



## FoxPro5

rcurley55 said:


> it's finished, the car is washed, I have not slept a wink...see you all at marvs.


Hoooray! 

Nice job boss.


----------



## 60ndown

rcurley55 said:


> some of you guys may remember this setup:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well to get there, I had to custom make some brackets and to hack up the carrier unit for the factory radio and hvac controls:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well one thing worth noting is that BMW didn't put a full din depth in that bottom slot. Behind there rests the factory air box with a heat exchanger for the HVAC system. There's also a few baffles and motors to control the ducting (air exiting at the windshield, front of the dash, at your feet).
> 
> Well, if the W205 is going to fit, something has to give. And that's where the surgery comes in:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There you can see the metal pipes that connect that engine coolant to the heat exchanger. The white plastic rod connects the two floor baffles together - and it's completely in the way. We'll mod that later - I have a solution to keep the floor vents working.
> 
> Well, some new custom brackets and here you have it - W205 in an M3:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thankfully, minor mods are all that's needed to get the bezel to work. I didn't have the sheetmetal I needed to seal up the hole, but I'll do that soon. The relief is that the unit fits and it sits where I wanted it to. It's going to be very tight (I already removed as many wires as I could from the Alpine harness to save space).
> 
> I bench tested the W205 before installing it to make sure that the face would clear the bezel - this unit is sooooo much better than the VPA-B222. The interface is light years ahead (which doesn't say much  ) and the pulse touch screen is really nice. I'm glad I made the switch, even if it means more work.
> 
> No update tonight - Go Giants!!


i had no idea your balls were that big rob, hacking into that area of the car like that requires 'huevos grandes' ......respect  

what tool did you use? spiral saw? and how did you know you were not going to damage something? if you could only see black plastic and you started cutting im horrified


----------



## Vestax

I wanted to get a listen, but didn't get a chance too... 

The install is looking great tho!


----------



## Whiterabbit

I watched you leave from the yaris, and though "darnit, he left before I could sit in it!"


----------



## dingaling

Rob a bob dob...
sorry I didn't get a chance to help tune...
hit me up one of these weekends... or weekdays.

and how bout a lil canyon run through the oakland back trails in your m3?


----------



## rcurley55

Luke, I wasn't the first to perform that mod, so I just said "screw it" and made it happen.

Anthony and Steve - perhaps at the next norcal meet?

Leon - we'll be in touch


----------



## rcurley55

One thing worth noting - I owe a HUGE thank you to Matt Hall (aka csuflyboy). Matt and I worked on the car from 5:30 pm on Friday until 7:30 am on Saturday with zero breaks. Talk about a nice guy - there's not a chance in the world that car would have been done otherwise - so a big thanks to Matt.


----------



## shinjohn

Rob,
Just wanted to say: mighty fine job on the install. I think the results were absolutely astounding; a completely functional and stealth install and you have all the trimmings!
Really enjoyed listening to your system and looking things over. Awesome job, and enjoy it!  See you next time.


----------



## Vestax

I think a local meet should come into play sometime soon.... let's shoot for August-October? I like our Bay Area group


----------



## rcurley55

shinjohn said:


> Rob,
> Just wanted to say: mighty fine job on the install. I think the results were absolutely astounding; a completely functional and stealth install and you have all the trimmings!
> Really enjoyed listening to your system and looking things over. Awesome job, and enjoy it!  See you next time.


Thanks! All things considered, I think that the surprised a few people given the speaker locations  It's very simple and it's EXACTLY what I wanted.



Vestax said:


> I think a local meet should come into play sometime soon.... let's shoot for August-October? I like our Bay Area group


I'd be down!


----------



## raadkins16

Rob,
can we see the finished product for those of us who have been following the thread and couldn't make it to the BBQ?


----------



## 99IntegraGS

raadkins16 said:


> Rob,
> can we see the finished product for those of us who have been following the thread and couldn't make it to the BBQ?


X2

I've been following this one for quite awhile, I need closure!  

JD


----------



## rcurley55

raadkins16 said:


> Rob,
> can we see the finished product for those of us who have been following the thread and couldn't make it to the BBQ?





99IntegraGS said:


> X2
> 
> I've been following this one for quite awhile, I need closure!
> 
> JD



Yes and yes fellas. Photos probably this weekend.


----------



## 60ndown

rcurley55 said:


> it's EXACTLY what I wanted.


imma bet $20 you have something different in your car next year.


----------



## rcurley55

lukeboa said:


> imma bet $20 you have something different in your car next year.


oh come on now - don't be that way!!!

the only equipment I could see moving would be the JL's only to get something with some more - UMMPH!


----------



## Whiterabbit

-pair of 13TW5's, no doubt. Or three 12TW5's now that you've got that hole there.
-CD changer out. DVD changer in.
-Bluetooth addon now that the law is in effect.
-any guesses how long it'll take you to get bored of the stage and replace the drivers? unless you are pining for a seat in the team lotus booth?
-respraying the doorpanel grilles so the cloth follows the contour of the door.
-Wire mangement. Wire management. Wire management.
-Heck, the dash bezel is a guarantee!

I wont take that $20 bet, nosirree.


----------



## rcurley55

-pair of 13TW5's, no doubt. Or three 12TW5's now that you've got that hole there. 
*won't fit the venting holes are way too small - I'm sticking with 4 8"s - I'd consider ID8v3's, Arc 8's, or maybe even CM MB8's - there's a slim possibility of 3 10's*

-CD changer out. DVD changer in.
*DVD player up front - no need*

-Bluetooth addon now that the law is in effect.
*On the fence about this one - may just get the klingon headset instead*

-any guesses how long it'll take you to get bored of the stage and replace the drivers? unless you are pining for a seat in the team lotus booth?
*no time soon - and I won't be competing*

-respraying the doorpanel grilles so the cloth follows the contour of the door.
*I don't get this one - I like how they are - and it's not changing equipment*

-Wire mangement. Wire management. Wire management.
*that's not changing equipment - but it will be fixed*

-Heck, the dash bezel is a guarantee!
*that's not changing equipment - but it will be fixed* - did it look THAT bad


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> -pair of 13TW5's, no doubt. Or three 12TW5's now that you've got that hole there.
> *won't fit the venting holes are way too small - I'm sticking with 4 8"s - I'd consider ID8v3's, Arc 8's, or maybe even CM MB8's - there's a slim possibility of 3 10's*
> 
> -CD changer out. DVD changer in.
> *DVD player up front - no need*
> 
> -Bluetooth addon now that the law is in effect.
> *On the fence about this one - may just get the klingon headset instead*
> 
> -any guesses how long it'll take you to get bored of the stage and replace the drivers? unless you are pining for a seat in the team lotus booth?
> *no time soon - and I won't be competing*
> 
> -respraying the doorpanel grilles so the cloth follows the contour of the door.
> *I don't get this one - I like how they are - and it's not changing equipment*
> 
> -Wire mangement. Wire management. Wire management.
> *that's not changing equipment - but it will be fixed*
> 
> -Heck, the dash bezel is a guarantee!
> *that's not changing equipment - but it will be fixed* - did it look THAT bad


QUAD SLS 8's FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## rcurley55

jay said:


> QUAD SLS 8's FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


low XMAX on those puppies though


----------



## alphakenny1

DO IT NOW


----------



## shinjohn

C'mon guys. Give the man at least a week.  

My bet is that if/when we do the August meet, practically everyone will have at least one change. 

BTW, Rob, I was thinking about your bass problem a little.... I woulda thought that the (4) 8s would have had alot more oopf myself.... I'm wondering if better trunk isolation would help? Something seems awry; it seems (4) 8s (regardless of model) should be able to move a heck of alot of air....


----------



## rcurley55

guys - the car was tuned for total SQ for the meet - the midbass hp was 40Hz - as was the LP on the subs  The integration was very nice and I think that contributed to the depth of the system. On bass heavy music, it has some troubles for sure.

Really, the subs were turned wayyyyyy down. I've played with the x-over and level settings to impart a bit more thump to it and it's much better. Kick drums, bass guitars, and stand up basses are just wicked and placed really nicely on the stage. I have not checked phase on all 4, but I'm pretty convinced that they are all perfect (b/c checking phase on a series-parallel for 4 SVC8's is a good idea at 4:30 am) and I trust Matt's job.

This is honestly the best system I've EVER owned. It's just so clean, it's a very easy system to listen to with a nice center, plenty of width (good depth according to more than a few people who auditioned it), and nice midrange.

I may get pics if I don't hit the links tomorrow.


----------



## Whiterabbit

low Xmax = very predictable accoustics 

plus we know they can get down low. And arent they shallower, and look more like an OEM speaker?

Is the klingon headset like those earbuds that hang on to your ear, except it sits in the middle of your forehead?


----------



## 60ndown

rcurley55 said:


> it's EXACTLY what I wanted.


mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

exactly what you wanted, except for............(what whiterabbit said)

cant see you with a headset for long rob, your way to cool to be wearing that thing, bluetooth it is.

but when you do install the bluetooth hu, will you sell me your used headset cheap  , oh wait, then id need a blue tooth phone? and learn how to use it?

nm.

i thought the bass in you car was quite nice?

"exactly what i wanted"

you shudda known betta


----------



## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> low Xmax = very predictable accoustics
> 
> plus we know they can get down low. And arent they shallower, and look more like an OEM speaker?
> 
> Is the klingon headset like those earbuds that hang on to your ear, except it sits in the middle of your forehead?


yes, the klingon look is the bluetooth hanging off the ear 

The JL's are great in ib - they sound fantastic - I just don't know if the output is there. Time and more tweaking will tell.



lukeboa said:


> mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
> 
> exactly what you wanted, except for............(what whiterabbit said)
> 
> cant see you with a headset for long rob, your way to cool to be wearing that thing, bluetooth it is.
> 
> but when you do install the bluetooth hu, will you sell me your used headset cheap  , oh wait, then id need a blue tooth phone? and learn how to use it?
> 
> nm.


come one now - the bluetooth is an add-on - the w205 is going nowhere!



> i thought the bass in you car was quite nice?
> 
> "exactly what i wanted"
> 
> you shudda known betta


it is quite nice - but it's not tuned to perfection! mark my words - unless something blows up - not one piece of gear will be removed until 2008 - you can take that to the bank.


----------



## nepl29

PICS 
really like what you did to your car.. i bet it sound awesome.


----------



## low

robbie's car sounded pretty nice.. im a big fan


----------



## rcurley55

ok, you guys wanted pics - here they are....

Now, i needed to mod the old bezel I made a few years ago to clear the W205

















I'm going to build a new one that fits better - and for a paint job, in the dark, at 1 am with an empty can of the wrong paint, it turned out ok.

Here's a finished shot of the rear grille:









And the nav and changer:









Now the trunk - factory floor, everything here is oem:









And the subs - a new, 1 piece baffle will follow, but for the time being - here's 4 8ib4's:

















And the amps installed - the wires need some more work, but it's very functional:

















So there you have it - all done


----------



## zukiaudio

thank you.


----------



## rcurley55

zukiaudio said:


> thank you.


what, no comment?


----------



## Vestax

rcurley55 said:


> what, no comment?


He's drooling behind the monitor.


----------



## ddsBMW

Install looks awsome man. Hard work paid off.


----------



## saMxp

Awesome work, man! I can't wait to have my M sounding as good as yours! Well, ok, RW165's > L18RNX's, but it's still gonna be in the same league!


----------



## 60ndown

rob,
how many hours you got total into the beema?


----------



## Whiterabbit

rob, is it possible to reroute power so that it comes in at the same point as all the other wires? I have an idea for wiremanagement that doesnt require any additional parts


----------



## rcurley55

thanks everyone - it's still rough, but I'm really enjoying it...



lukeboa said:


> rob,
> how many hours you got total into the beema?


hmm. Well, I'd say around 40 or so on this install. A lot of that time is head scratching and cursing - but I built it all in the month of June and was gone for two and a half of the available weekends and work 40+ hours a day...


----------



## rcurley55

Whiterabbit said:


> rob, is it possible to reroute power so that it comes in at the same point as all the other wires? I have an idea for wiremanagement that doesnt require any additional parts



not really - but I'll listen to any ideas you have? The runs are so short, I could probably drop them to 8ga


----------



## Whiterabbit

well, ive noticed that wiring looks better when it's uncriscrossed. Much better, actually.

The problem with your wiring job is it cant be bundled. Bundle it, and itll bulge the carpet on the floor. Has to be a better way!

Fortunately all your wiring is nice and even from left ti right.

so as the wiring pokes out from under the side carpet, if you can arrange it so the wire closest to the taillight hits the far left amp terminal, and the one closest to the rear seat hits the far right amp terminal, the wiring will be all nicely lined up like ducks in a row.

to help keep wiring from moving, you can built your own cabletracks. you can take some 1/4 inch hardboard (say 4"x5/8") and drill a seies of holes in it. Cut in half so you have semicircular grooves, spray black, then silicone to the floor to lay the cables in. thatll look real nice. one or two in the right spot would be sweet, and look much better than those clips you clip around wiring then put a screw into the metal.

But then that power wire comes in from the opposite side and makes the wiring look like a railway station. I dont like it!


----------



## Whiterabbit

also, sub wiring. black or clear (clear looks suprisingly good) spiral loom. used in the right spot, its not too bad at all.


----------



## GlasSman

Any progress on this install?


----------



## eficalibrator

Rob, how would you say the 4 IB subs in this car sound compared to a single sealed 10W6v2 in a hatchback as far as volume and "punch"?

I ask because my reference used to be my Mustang hatchback and moving to a single sealed enclosure in the trunk of my e36 M3 has left me wanting. I'm sooo close to tearing into a similar IB install on my car due the insulation of the trunk in these cars. Even with no rear speakers, what was once a crisp, solid sub is now muddy and soft. I'm not a basshead, but 500wrms and a W6v2 should sound better.


----------



## rcurley55

no more progress - I'm just enjoying it on a daily basis. The subs will have to change, there's just not enough going on back there. I just got an IDQ 12 for a friend, so I might test that out in the truck to see how she does.

The JL's are essentially great midbasses, but they lack on the low end at any kind of volume. I don't have any experience with the W6, so it would be hard for me to compare.


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> no more progress - I'm just enjoying it on a daily basis. The subs will have to change, there's just not enough going on back there. I just got an IDQ 12 for a friend, so I might test that out in the truck to see how she does.
> 
> The JL's are essentially great midbasses, but they lack on the low end at any kind of volume. I don't have any experience with the W6, so it would be hard for me to compare.


rob, i still say you should switch them out for a quad of sls 8's


----------



## rcurley55

jay said:


> rob, i still say you should switch them out for a quad of sls 8's


I want to go to something larger  I was thinking one IDQ15 through the rear seat


----------



## bigabe

Be a little different.... one DD 9115 IB through the rear seat...

It's the only IB sub I'd choose over an IDQ15.

I love the four 8s though. Looks like a good way to have great sound without adding a whole bunch of weight. My stereo added a good 200 pounds to my car... sounds great, weighs entirely too much.


----------



## 02bluesuperroo

rcurley55 said:


> but I built it all in the month of June and was gone for two and a half of the available weekends *and work 40+ hours a day...*


Was just reading this old post and I had to laugh....


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> I want to go to something larger  I was thinking one IDQ15 through the rear seat


lol...so much for stealth. fyi - i've got an old idq15v1 sitting around


----------



## Arc

Find a IDW. That would be different.


----------



## rcurley55

easier said than done - maybe 2 IDQ12's would get r dun, but I hate to go through the rear seat with more than one woofer - they are solid metal - with one woofer at least I could get most of the energy though the arm rest.


----------



## Whiterabbit

I gotta say, bass just kinda finds a way, man.

I also vote to maintain stealth. since the rear deck is cut and upholstered, no reason it cant be further modified and reupholstered. mainly to hide motor structures to allow speakers to be mounted higher out of the plane of vison.

maybe four low mount depth 10's like the tangband drivers, or a couple of aliante 12's, or if you wanted to spend the money to be the first on the block with it, a pair of 13TW5's hanging off the rear deck would impress the DIY crowd, I'm sure...

Hell, im sure there are enough sls 8's floating around the bay area. why not just make some phone calls and scrounge two guys with a pair each, take them out for a beer and some shooting the poop in the garage while installing a demo?


----------



## eficalibrator

I wouldn't really want to do the traditional IB board against the rear seats since they're so well sealed. So if I'm not willing to carve holes in my fold down seats (no ski pass on e36 m3's), my options are limited. If the array of 8's on the deck is less than impressive, I'm back to looking at larger singles.

Perhaps a diagonal baffle that goes from the bottom of the seats to the back edge of the rear deck would work with a single 10", 12", or 15" IB driver? This would allow the front wave to go through either the seats (good luck) or the open rear deck without being trapped in the well insulated trunk on this car. Trunk volume is ~14.5ft^3, so id end up with about 11ft^3 with this baffle arrangment. I could install it with the motor structure of the sub on "top" so all you would see in the trunk is the cone hovering over my amp rack for a clean install.

Any suggestions since my 10w6v2 probably isn't going to like an IB install?


----------



## eficalibrator

Upon further review, I came to the realization that the BMW is REALLY sensitive to low pass crossover point. I moved the sub crossover from ~90Hz (24dB/oct) down to ~68Hz (24dB/oct) and it was literally a night and day difference. WTF? So to conclude, the single 10" in the driver's rear corner with no rear deck speakers now sounds like it should, great. I'd wager the weight of my single 10" and fiberglass enclosure isn't that noticeably different than 4 8's and their baffles.

Maybe I'll give the HLCD's another shot with a 1:10:20 power ratio instead of the previous 1:5:10.


----------



## an0n111

clean, clean install.


----------



## zwats

Beautiful car and great work man


----------



## GlasSman

Nice install rob. do you have any pics of the rear deck with the panel removed?


----------



## rcurley55

GlasSman said:


> Nice install rob. do you have any pics of the rear deck with the panel removed?




















there's two shots


----------



## low

any new accomplishments on this thing?


----------



## rcurley55

low said:


> any new accomplishments on this thing?



Nope, it's the exact same as it was at the BBQ. I just moved into a new place in San Francisco - so I've been spending money on HT, couches, and pots and pans


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> Nope, it's the exact same as it was at the BBQ. I just moved into a new place in San Francisco - so I've been spending money on HT, couches, and pots and pans


oo, which part?


----------



## rcurley55

jay said:


> oo, which part?


Top floor flat in the Marina - Scott and Alhambra

and yes, it has a garage and workshop


----------



## jay

rcurley55 said:


> Top floor flat in the Marina - Scott and Alhambra
> 
> and yes, it has a garage and workshop


marina eh? with traffic and city streets, i think that actually lengthens the driving time to your place hope you're not too close to the water. just make sure you're prepared when the rainy season rolls around


----------



## rcurley55

yeah, it probably is further - I'm on the very north side of town now (4 blocks from the marina green) and I work in palo alto - uggg

but the place is PIMP


----------



## quality_sound

rcurley55 said:


> Nope, it's the exact same as it was at the BBQ. I just moved into a new place in San Francisco - so I've been spending money on HT, couches, and pots and pans


Dude, if I was in the city I'd eat out every night. I LOVE downtown.


----------



## rcurley55

quality_sound said:


> Dude, if I was in the city I'd eat out every night. I LOVE downtown.


While that's true, if you saw what rent was costing me, you'd see why this isn't an option


----------



## quality_sound

rcurley55 said:


> While that's true, if you saw what rent was costing me, you'd see why this isn't an option


Oh believe me, I have a pretty good idea. SF ain't exactly cheap. Probably why everyone's so thin, can only afford Ramen and the walk everywhere!


----------



## GlasSman

Any updates Ron?


----------



## rcurley55

GlasSman said:


> Any updates Ron?


who is ron?

car has not changed, I've been too busy going out and just don't feel like working on it.


----------



## Whiterabbit

nice to see you taking advantage of that garage and workshop... Ron


----------



## GlasSman

rcurley55 said:


> who is ron?
> 
> car has not changed, I've been too busy going out and just don't feel like working on it.


Sorry Rob. The finger went a little too far to the right on the keyboard.


----------



## rcurley55

Rather than make a new post - here's something I have been working on:










out with the old:









in with the new:









Pulled out the old turbo 400 auto and swapped in a new tremec 5-speed too.

Installing some raammat that I had laying around - this car is going to be way loud:









It's getting there...









And my brother wants a new system in it - oh geez

It's a 383 small block chevy with all the goodies - aiming for 400 HP+. It's going to the dyno next week for a tune, so we'll see what happens. This car is severely traction limited, so it's going to be scary to drive - in a good way


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## saMxp

Great sound system in the new ride!!


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## chad

Tri-Y headers= low end torque... NICE! Love it!


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## rcurley55

like it needs more torque being a stroker


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## d5sc

Hey Rob,

That Camaro is nice! I really like the old American muscle cars. It's even better when you can mod the heck out of them without worrying about the smog laws that makes it tougher for modifying newer cars  .


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## rcurley55

d5sc said:


> Hey Rob,
> 
> That Camaro is nice! I really like the old American muscle cars. It's even better when you can mod the heck out of them without worrying about the smog laws that makes it tougher for modifying newer cars  .


Thanks - my brother, who is 33, has had it since he was 15. Believe it or not, that paint job is over 15 years old - not too shabby!
Modding them is a good time. There was a time when we had to smog it too - now it's free game.

This was one of the hardest engines I've ever had to start btw - the first time, she just didn't want to fire. We finally got it, it wants a lot of timing for some reason. I'll post dyno results when we get them. I may take my old school car too just for ****s and giggles, but it's only a 327 - so I'll get hosed by my bro. He has wanted a faster car then me for YEARS. I have an M3, he has the 330, his camaro was well under 300 hp, my classic had him. Now, I'm going to lose BIG TIME hahaha!

What I should do is post up pics of my '55 and my dad's '68 vette drop top - now you know where the SN comes from


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## flipGTO

love the m. wish i could do a similar install on my gto


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## gohdunlam

nice rims


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## pahhhoul

rcurley55 said:


> in with the new:


Doug Thorley Headers! YES! Thorley Headers = *F A S S*!


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## bad93snake

i want an m3 sooo bad...


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## rcurley55

Oh, I have some dyno numbers - at the rear wheels.....over 400 whp and approx
500 lbft. I can't remember the exact numbers. She's scary on the freeway and leaves my M3 like I'm standing still on the free way - when the turns come, it's a WHOLE other story


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## vull

is mdf better than the regular wooden thingy?


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## rcurley55

vull said:


> is mdf better than the regular wooden thingy?


huh?


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## MSimz

Rob - 
I did a couple of BMW installs with 6th order BPs firing through the arm rest, and they worked out great. Just an idea if you get the itch to change things up in the M3.
- Mike


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## quality_sound

What about an LAT in the rear deck?


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## Whiterabbit

LAT has no advantages just yet from a space perspective. I think at this time there is merit to gain BIG BASS in a standard package or slightly oversized, but to get standard bass in a TINY package (down to the subsonic range) it's just not there yet from a car applications perspective.


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## rcurley55

MSimz said:


> Rob -
> I did a couple of BMW installs with 6th order BPs firing through the arm rest, and they worked out great. Just an idea if you get the itch to change things up in the M3.
> - Mike


Thanks Mike, 

I know a few people who are forcing sound through there, but due to my new, recent hobby:










I need the fold down seats 

Bike barely clears the four 8's in the rear shelf. I think I'm going to keep this arrangement for good. I would consider swapping out the subs for something with some more ummph


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## GlasSman

Yes it's always nice to be able to throw the bike in the trunk.

I mountain bike ad a rack is_* not*_ and option considering I might put the bike in the car for an after work ride.

I'm still designing my ultimate amp rack that would allow for show _*and*_ the ability to fit the bike.


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## rcurley55

So, after 2 years of not touching anything - I'm BAAAACCCKKKKK. Not sure how many people on this site even remember the original install but it was:

A ton of Alpine (W205, H701, Nav, iPod, BT...) plus PDX amps (4.150 and 1.1000) to a pair of Seas Lotus Reference and four JL8IB4's.

The new setup is going to be more simple, less power, and will let me try some stuff I've always wanted.

Pioneer AVIC-z110BT - the nav, ipod integration, iphone integration look to be great on this unit
Zapco DC360.4 and 500.1 (I used to have the 650.6 and 750.2)
Dynaudio System 242GT (no xovers, so MD102 and MW162GT)
Dynaudio MW190's

The front components are going back in the factory door locations and I'm not sure how (either rear shelf or through the rear set) but I will IB the MW190s.

The anemic bass of the JL8's started to bother me and I really just wanted to change things up. The Seas Lotus are beautiful speakers, but I'm a sucker for matching stuff and came across a crazy deal on the dynaudio subs. 

As soon as I track all this stuff down, I'll get started on building!


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## saMxp

New setup sounds nice! I've had my eye on the AVIC-z110BT myself. You gonna sell the Lotus refs or hold on to them?


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## mavric

Looking forward to seeing your new system going in. I use the Seas Lotus Refs in my car and will be using them again when I pickup an E46 M3 early next year.

How did the SEAS sound off the Zapco DCs? They are on my amp shortlist. You will love the Dynaudio's, I ran them in my Subaru WRX and really enjoyed them, they are right up there with the SEAS in my opinion.


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## Mic10is

if youre lookin to sell the JL IB8s lmk


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## simplicityinsound

cant wait to see the progress rob! just let me know if you need anything 

b


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## rcurley55

Mic10is said:


> if youre lookin to sell the JL IB8s lmk


Mic,

Everything in the car is going to go me thinks...

Alpine W205, H700, DVD Nav, BT adaptor, iPod, bypass, etc
Seas Lotus Reference
JL 8iB4's
PDX 4.150 and 1.1000

I have a few people contact me about a couple of pieces already, but I should have at least one pair of 8's available.

I think I'm going to have to do this in stages


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## rcurley55

simplicityinsound said:


> cant wait to see the progress rob! just let me know if you need anything
> 
> b


Funny you mention that - I'm definitely going to need some help on the sub side of things. I'll PM you about it in a bit.


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## rcurley55

saMxp said:


> New setup sounds nice! I've had my eye on the AVIC-z110BT myself. You gonna sell the Lotus refs or hold on to them?


Yup, Lotus will be sold - so long as I like the dynes better


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## rcurley55

mavric said:


> Looking forward to seeing your new system going in. I use the Seas Lotus Refs in my car and will be using them again when I pickup an E46 M3 early next year.
> 
> How did the SEAS sound off the Zapco DCs? They are on my amp shortlist. You will love the Dynaudio's, I ran them in my Subaru WRX and really enjoyed them, they are right up there with the SEAS in my opinion.


I never ran the seas off of the zapcos - they have only seen power from the alpines. The zapcos are great, and I totally regret selling them.

The Lotus ref's are a REALLLLLLLLY tight fit in an E46 coupe door. That's part of the reason they are leaving...my install isn't exactly perfect, so the door panel is having trouble with not rubbing on the mount. Plus, I just want change, so I went to a driver that should have zero problem fitting.


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## rcurley55

And in one more update...

Picked up a DC200.2 and DC350.2 as well.

Right now I think it's going to look like this:

DC200.2 -> MD102
DC360.4 -> MW160GT
DC500.1 -> ???? (right now I'm thinking IDQ12v3 or 12W6v2 sealed in the corner of the trunk)

If the 360 won't fit, I'll swap in the 350. The deal on the extra zapcos was too good to pass up.


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## mavric

rcurley55 said:


> I never ran the seas off of the zapcos - they have only seen power from the alpines. The zapcos are great, and I totally regret selling them.
> 
> The Lotus ref's are a REALLLLLLLLY tight fit in an E46 coupe door. That's part of the reason they are leaving...my install isn't exactly perfect, so the door panel is having trouble with not rubbing on the mount. Plus, I just want change, so I went to a driver that should have zero problem fitting.


Thanks for the reply, I will most likely modify the door trims so i can comfortably get the SEAS in the doors, I will just buy some spare door trims to use so I can go back to stock if I want to. I distribute the SEAS Lotus gear in Australia so the Lotus will be made to fit one way or another! 

If your going to run the dyn's, do whatever you can to use the 360.4 as from past experience the Dyn's love lots of power. I used to run the 220 splits in my old Subaru WRX and the sound I got from them was fantastic, especially with acoustic guitar and both male and female vocal. Im sure you will be impressed with them, right there with the SEAS in terms of SQ IMO.

IDQ12v3 would be my pick out of those subs FWIW.


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## 00poop6x

Curious, MW162GT because the mounting diameter won't allow the door to come back on?

I know the depth isn't a problem, since they are the same as my SPZ60's. Also I test fitted it on my baffle, but without the panels; reason for my curiosity. But, meh, those drivers are hardly that different in performance


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## BodegaBay

rcurley55 said:


> So, after 2 years of not touching anything - I'm BAAAACCCKKKKK. Not sure how many people on this site even remember the original install...


I'll do one better. I remember looking at the install previous to this "original install" back in 2005~2006 (?) on SoundDomain. Recall the DLS Iridiums, 7996, and PPI Arts? This will be your third system? Nice gear you've had throughout the years Rob. :thumbsup:

I liked the clean install on a great car so I had it *bookmarked* in my Car A/V folder all these years.


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## methodsound

rjcastr said:


> Whiterabbit
> 
> There is time correction between those three i have the same set up , alpine kept telling me they didn't but under function if you go to to set up then AP for audio processor scroll down and you will see time correction T/C. Automatic time correction is not doable but manual time correction is.


I can verify this also. The vehicle hub does have the ability to adjust time correction on the 710 in the AP settings. I have done two systems using the same basic equipment.


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## rcurley55

mavric said:


> Thanks for the reply, I will most likely modify the door trims so i can comfortably get the SEAS in the doors, I will just buy some spare door trims to use so I can go back to stock if I want to. I distribute the SEAS Lotus gear in Australia so the Lotus will be made to fit one way or another!
> 
> If your going to run the dyn's, do whatever you can to use the 360.4 as from past experience the Dyn's love lots of power. I used to run the 220 splits in my old Subaru WRX and the sound I got from them was fantastic, especially with acoustic guitar and both male and female vocal. Im sure you will be impressed with them, right there with the SEAS in terms of SQ IMO.
> 
> IDQ12v3 would be my pick out of those subs FWIW.


They will fit behind a modified factory door panel (stock looking from the outside) - it's just that it has to be perfect and I kinda missed on the passenger side by a mm or two.

The lotus aren't comfortable but doable.

The IDQ fits better, but I've owned so much ID gear over the years, the W6 tempts me. We'll see.


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## rcurley55

00poop6x said:


> Curious, MW162GT because the mounting diameter won't allow the door to come back on?
> 
> I know the depth isn't a problem, since they are the same as my SPZ60's. Also I test fitted it on my baffle, but without the panels; reason for my curiosity. But, meh, those drivers are hardly that different in performance


Nothing larger than a 165mm diameter driver (mounting flange od) will fit in that door with any appreciable depth and allow you to get the door panel back on. There just isn't anywhere to go with it.

Hence the MW162GT - maximum depth in that door is about 3" but you gotta do a lot of custom work to make it fit.


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## rcurley55

BodegaBay said:


> I'll do one better. I remember looking at the install previous to this "original install" back in 2005~2006 (?) on SoundDomain. Recall the DLS Iridiums, 7996, and PPI Arts? This will be your third system? Nice gear you've had throughout the years Rob. :thumbsup:
> 
> I liked the clean install on a great car so I had it *bookmarked* in my Car A/V folder all these years.


Wow - that is a blast from the past.

That was the first system in the car. V1.5 had horns in the front stage. V2 had the zapco DC amps and back to the DLS speakers. V3 would be the Seas front stage, so this would be V4 since I've owned it.

What's scary is that out of these 4 versions - 2 have used an H701 and 2 have used Zapco DC amps.


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## rcurley55

Dynaudio's went in today - no photos, they were pretty much a bolt in compared to the Seas.

Definitely a different sound, but I think I like their warmer sound when compared to the analytical sound of the Lotus. Both sets are top notch in my book.


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## BodegaBay

Rob, did you put the MD102s off axis or on?


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## rcurley55

BodegaBay said:


> Rob, did you put the MD102s off axis or on?


Off - mounted high in the doors


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## quality_sound

I would change that if you can.


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## rcurley55

quality_sound said:


> I would change that if you can.


I can't. is there a problem with MD102s off axis?


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## bboyvek

They sound way better on axis thats all.


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## Griffith

rcurley55,

I don't know if you talked about this already, too many posts to go back on, but what made you sell all of your PPI Art amps? Was there anything you didn't like about them? Or did you just want to try something new?


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## quality_sound

rcurley55 said:


> I can't. is there a problem with MD102s off axis?


Sorry, just saw this. The 102s are infinitely better than the 100s but both drop off on the top end even when on axis. Off-axis is going to have some serious drop-off.


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