pablo
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Just a few pics from my in progress install in the alfa. Basically the alfa comes with 5 speakers and a bose amp. one coaxial in each door and a sub on the parcel shelf. In my car the front speakers arent working so rather than look into a new bose amp etc I decided to fit some new gear.
So I bought a PG 400.4 amp to run them (either bridged or just off 2ch not decided yet).
Also bought a set of PG Elite Ti6 components. Ive had these before in the M3 and really liked them.
So the steps to install were:
1. Run a power cable through the bulkhead into the cabin (for battery power to the amp).
2. Run RCAs, remote cable, speaker cable and the power cable down the car into the boot where the amp and crossover will go.
3. run 1 speaker cable into each door for the midbass drivers.
4. create a mounting area in the boot for the amp and crossover. I want the smallest impact on usability as possible.
5. Install the speakers. The door mounts will need to be remade from MDF and the tweeters will require custom mounts on the dash at the bottom of each apillar.
6. Sound deaden each door and wrap up any loose bits to stop rattles.
Step 1: Power Cable through the bulkhead
Forums are brilliant for this. Rather than hunt around for a grommit simply ask. On the 156 there is a MASSIVE grommit under the scuttle panel on the passenger side just behind the battery.
So I fed the cable through and made a hole in the grommit. The cable dropped down behind the glovebox. I cable tied it out of the way and ran it down to the footwell ready to join up with the other cables on their way to the rear.
Step 2: Cables down the car
So now I have the speaker cables (4 runs one for each speaker), the RCAs (1 set) and the remote cable. Im taking a chance and running them all down the same side. By the book I should keep the RCAs and power cable seperate but Im taking a chance as i dont want to mess up the trim too much.
So I removed all the sill trims and the lower bpillar trim as well as the rear seats to give access to the boot. At the end of it I had a nice bunch of cables popping out in the boot.
Step 3: Speaker cables into the doors
Normally you could simply use the std cables chopping them under the dash and connecting them to the cables from the amp. This wasnt possible for two reasons:
- I wasnt convinced the std speakers would be up to the job
- I didnt want to chop up the std cables under the dash. For one its really packed in there and also I didnt want to ruin any std cabling if possible.
So I had to think if a way to get the speaker cables into the doors. Unfortunatly the loom connectors are sealed with no nice openings so I had to reach for the drill.
I looked for some unused pins and drilled through there. I had to drill both the door side and the body side (in a matching location obviously).
So with the holes drilled I fed the speaker cable through. This still left me to run the cable through the plastic tubing from the door to body. A tent peg with the cable taped to it comes in very handy here. An old coat hanger or something also works.
The cables could now be pushed through into the cabin and joined (soldered and covered with heat shrink) onto the cables coming from the rear.
Step 4: Boot mounting area
To avoid losing much boot space I decided to mount the amp and crossover unit upside down on an mdf board suspended from the parcel shelf. I drilled a few holes in the shelf and mounted 3 long bolts dropping down.
I then marked on my MDF board where the holes should go and drilled a hole. I countersunk each side so that the board would slip up over the nuts Id used to fix the bolt in place and also to allow a nice big washer to fit on the bottom side.
I made sure that my bits would mount on ok in relation to the holes also:
All the board needs now is trimmed in some basic carpet or so as it wont be seen.
Then I will mount the amp and crossover to the board then mount the board on the parcel shelf. Then cable it up and job done.
Step 5. Install the speakers.
To install the speakers I had to fix the elites to the doors somehow. I decided to keep the original frames as they helped secure the door card to the door skin. So I had to space the frames out so that the elites would sit out far enough to hold the fitting ring and thus the grille. Also it helped the large (read massive) magnets clear the frame.
had to make 4 rings as I needed 1" clearance. so 2 x 12mm thick rings
The rings will sit like this:
Glued them together:
Rear of the frame. I reinforced it with a lot of hotglue to make sure it stays secure to the doorcard:
Rings now fitted. Used some dynamat to seal the insides
Trial fit the speaker:
Doorcards refitted ready for the speakers to be installed:
Speaker in:
Grille on
Step 6. Sound deaden each door and wrap up any loose bits to stop rattles.
The most thankless task known to man. I DETEST applying sound deadening. I actually done this before step 5 so I could refit the doorcards. Anyway not much skill here just fire it on where possible. I applied it:
- to the outer door skin
- to the inner door skin
- to the inside of the doorcard
- all around the speaker frames to minimise any vibrations
Laid out to see what Ive got:
Cut into small pieces. Makes application easier as its easier to feed though the holes to get at the outer door skin.
Pic of the doorskins
Step 7: Sort out HU wiring
Making this all fit in behind is a major challenge. 1" extra depth would be great.
Step 8: Fit tweeters
TODO
More to come as I work on it tonight and tomorrow.
So I bought a PG 400.4 amp to run them (either bridged or just off 2ch not decided yet).
Also bought a set of PG Elite Ti6 components. Ive had these before in the M3 and really liked them.
So the steps to install were:
1. Run a power cable through the bulkhead into the cabin (for battery power to the amp).
2. Run RCAs, remote cable, speaker cable and the power cable down the car into the boot where the amp and crossover will go.
3. run 1 speaker cable into each door for the midbass drivers.
4. create a mounting area in the boot for the amp and crossover. I want the smallest impact on usability as possible.
5. Install the speakers. The door mounts will need to be remade from MDF and the tweeters will require custom mounts on the dash at the bottom of each apillar.
6. Sound deaden each door and wrap up any loose bits to stop rattles.
Step 1: Power Cable through the bulkhead
Forums are brilliant for this. Rather than hunt around for a grommit simply ask. On the 156 there is a MASSIVE grommit under the scuttle panel on the passenger side just behind the battery.
So I fed the cable through and made a hole in the grommit. The cable dropped down behind the glovebox. I cable tied it out of the way and ran it down to the footwell ready to join up with the other cables on their way to the rear.
Step 2: Cables down the car
So now I have the speaker cables (4 runs one for each speaker), the RCAs (1 set) and the remote cable. Im taking a chance and running them all down the same side. By the book I should keep the RCAs and power cable seperate but Im taking a chance as i dont want to mess up the trim too much.
So I removed all the sill trims and the lower bpillar trim as well as the rear seats to give access to the boot. At the end of it I had a nice bunch of cables popping out in the boot.
Step 3: Speaker cables into the doors
Normally you could simply use the std cables chopping them under the dash and connecting them to the cables from the amp. This wasnt possible for two reasons:
- I wasnt convinced the std speakers would be up to the job
- I didnt want to chop up the std cables under the dash. For one its really packed in there and also I didnt want to ruin any std cabling if possible.
So I had to think if a way to get the speaker cables into the doors. Unfortunatly the loom connectors are sealed with no nice openings so I had to reach for the drill.
I looked for some unused pins and drilled through there. I had to drill both the door side and the body side (in a matching location obviously).
So with the holes drilled I fed the speaker cable through. This still left me to run the cable through the plastic tubing from the door to body. A tent peg with the cable taped to it comes in very handy here. An old coat hanger or something also works.
The cables could now be pushed through into the cabin and joined (soldered and covered with heat shrink) onto the cables coming from the rear.
Step 4: Boot mounting area
To avoid losing much boot space I decided to mount the amp and crossover unit upside down on an mdf board suspended from the parcel shelf. I drilled a few holes in the shelf and mounted 3 long bolts dropping down.
I then marked on my MDF board where the holes should go and drilled a hole. I countersunk each side so that the board would slip up over the nuts Id used to fix the bolt in place and also to allow a nice big washer to fit on the bottom side.
I made sure that my bits would mount on ok in relation to the holes also:
All the board needs now is trimmed in some basic carpet or so as it wont be seen.
Then I will mount the amp and crossover to the board then mount the board on the parcel shelf. Then cable it up and job done.
Step 5. Install the speakers.
To install the speakers I had to fix the elites to the doors somehow. I decided to keep the original frames as they helped secure the door card to the door skin. So I had to space the frames out so that the elites would sit out far enough to hold the fitting ring and thus the grille. Also it helped the large (read massive) magnets clear the frame.
had to make 4 rings as I needed 1" clearance. so 2 x 12mm thick rings
The rings will sit like this:
Glued them together:
Rear of the frame. I reinforced it with a lot of hotglue to make sure it stays secure to the doorcard:
Rings now fitted. Used some dynamat to seal the insides
Trial fit the speaker:
Doorcards refitted ready for the speakers to be installed:
Speaker in:
Grille on
Step 6. Sound deaden each door and wrap up any loose bits to stop rattles.
The most thankless task known to man. I DETEST applying sound deadening. I actually done this before step 5 so I could refit the doorcards. Anyway not much skill here just fire it on where possible. I applied it:
- to the outer door skin
- to the inner door skin
- to the inside of the doorcard
- all around the speaker frames to minimise any vibrations
Laid out to see what Ive got:
Cut into small pieces. Makes application easier as its easier to feed though the holes to get at the outer door skin.
Pic of the doorskins
Step 7: Sort out HU wiring
Making this all fit in behind is a major challenge. 1" extra depth would be great.
Step 8: Fit tweeters
TODO
More to come as I work on it tonight and tomorrow.
