80 Series Audio System - 2023 (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jul 23, 2022
Threads
6
Messages
43
Location
Bryant, AR
I know there are tons of audio system threads but audio components are short lived. I wanted to document my install experience and the components I used. I attempted to get high quality gear that would fit with minor modifications. I also wanted speaker grills for the doors that didn't have a crazy loud design. Along with the audio system install I sound dampened all the doors and floor using Kilmat and DEI Undercarpet LIte. The Dynamat/Kilmat/ETC takes some getting used to handling. I could do much better now that I have done a vehicle. I had to run all new speaker wire due to grounding issues with some of the factory wire (couldn't be trusted). The end result turned out great. The ride is quiet and the sound system is better than I expected. I watched a lot of Youtube videos from Car Audio Fabrication channel. This guy is a serious pro. He was very helpful for planning purposes.

System
HeadUnit - Alpine ILX-407
Front Door Speakers - Rockford Fosgate P16 - these fit with a 1/2" spacer and speaker gasket
Rear Door Speakers - Rockford Fosgate P152 - had to cut sheetmetal up to the screw holes for the factory speakers. Wasn't anyway around this.
Sub - Alpine Halo Type S 10"
5 Channel Amp - Rockford Fosgate R2-750X5

If you are a 94' cruiser owner and have taken the dash apart you know that it was actually designed by a Satanist. There is no easy way to get a new radio in with the 8-10 plugs that have to removed from every component to the left and right of the steering wheel. I was expecting this to be the easier part of the install, it was not. I'm still missing some skin from this part of the install. The Alpine head unit has all the latest tech - Apple CarPlay was the main goal. Its a great unit. I might have done Pioneer looking back on it but I'm a sucker for Alpine.

The front speakers were very straight forward. The previous owner had an 1/2" spacer on the old speakers so I re-used the spacer with some speaker gasket behind them. This was able to clear the window channel run that limits the depth on the front speakers. I would highly recommend these speakers and the sizing is great.

The rear doors were a little different. The holes are so small that there was no way around cutting sheet metal here. I used some metal snips and it cut very easy. After cutting I used an auto primer to paint over the cut metal. This should keep it from rusting.

The Halo Sub by Alpine is not stealth and takes up good space in the back. I'm not trying to hide it and used banana plugs to remove when I need the added space. Its a no compromise box that fills in the lower range. I didn't have a sub until I was in my late 30s. Insane what you miss not having an 8"/10" sub.

The Fosgate amp is really great. 750Watts - 4x50W and 350W to the sub. I picked it up on eBay factory refurb for a steal. My budget was running low so this was a great option. It has a built in optimizer for clipping and very easy to set gains and xovers. It comes with the remote gain knob for the sub channel also. That mounts great really anywhere.

One of the main challenges was having to run new speaker wire throughout the truck. I knew I didn't want to risk going through the existing door runs due to the age of the wires. So I drilled new holes right above on both sides and used rubber grommets to wire in 16gauge speaker wire. The first door took me quite a while to find the right size bit, grommet, etc for the wire but after that it was rinse and repeat.

Just a side not on the vapor barriers in the doors. I was able to salvage a couple of them. The back doors I cut out of paint drop cloth 1 mil. I'm going to do new window channel runs next yaer so I'll get all new vapor barriers OEM when that project happens. The paint drop cloth did totally fine though.

Final thoughts - this was not an easy install and I have an embarrassing amount of hours into. My superpower (OCD) pushed my to the finish line. There is great satisfaction knowing that its exactly how I wanted it done.

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Looks great. Sadist! Definitely. Did you elevate the amp to dissipate heat or was that not necessary?
 
Thank you for this! Tons of info here but some of it is old and the products no longer being sold.
 
Nice work.

One thing I do now that I didn't 10 years ago is run all my wires in a PET braided loom and follow the factory harness runs. It takes longer but produces a more professional, higher-quality installation that is resistant to damage.

I would definitely use it at your door pass-throughs where the wires are exposed.

PET 1/4" Braided Wire Loom

Also are you doing anything with your tweeters?
 
Nice work.

One thing I do now that I didn't 10 years ago is run all my wires in a PET braided loom and follow the factory harness runs. It takes longer but produces a more professional, higher-quality installation that is resistant to damage.

I would definitely use it at your door pass-throughs where the wires are exposed.

PET 1/4" Braided Wire Loom

Also are you doing anything with your tweeters?
Appreciate the feedback. I went back and forth on the looms and probably should have done them. If I have any issues with my setup I'll re-do with your suggestion here.
The tweeters was another item that I couldn't decide on. I looked at the 3d printed tweeter mounts for the triangles but it added another level of complexity. Looking back I probably should have added them. I do think they will be an easy add with the P16 speakers if I want them later. The system is good enough for me the way it is. The amplified P16s are very loud and I have no problems with vocal dimensioning or anything like that.
 
Yea I like a brighter-sounding system. In my 89 e30 touring I have good components and a 10" sub, all tuned very nicely, anyway I added some dayton audio tweeters to my A pillar triangles and it transformed the system. It elevated the soundstage and made the system really enjoyable to listen to. I did a similar layout in my camry, the cruiser is going to get its second audio system overhaul next, just planning it out.

The BMW's system turned out so good that I find myself going into the garage and sitting in it just to listen to new bangers I find on Spotify.
 
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2 suggestions for the tweeters... I may have to add them next year when I do the new window channel runs. :)

Tweeters make the whole system imo. I had mine mounted in the 80 where the solve function mounts are, but attached to the dash rather than the door/mirror mount, right in front of the small side vent. Easier wiring, same position, didn't care about the interior. Obviously screwing directly into your dash pad isn't for everyone, but that's the ideal position for the 'sound stage'. The new 80 will definitely be getting the solve function mounts, much cleaner factory looking install.

In my 89 e30 touring I have good components and a 10" sub...

The BMW's system turned out so good that I find myself going into the garage and sitting in it just to listen to new bangers I find on Spotify.

I just finished a stereo in an '89 E34 funnily enough. Removing the factory tweeter from the A pillar was a pain, but the new tweeters behind the factory grilles look stock and make a huge difference. 12" sub in the back is helping me find all the bits and pieces of the car I haven't finished bolting back in. Check out the Blaupunkt Bremen headunit, looks great in the old BMW's but a bit pricey.
 
I know there are tons of audio system threads but audio components are short lived. I wanted to document my install experience and the components I used. I attempted to get high quality gear that would fit with minor modifications. I also wanted speaker grills for the doors that didn't have a crazy loud design. Along with the audio system install I sound dampened all the doors and floor using Kilmat and DEI Undercarpet LIte. The Dynamat/Kilmat/ETC takes some getting used to handling. I could do much better now that I have done a vehicle. I had to run all new speaker wire due to grounding issues with some of the factory wire (couldn't be trusted). The end result turned out great. The ride is quiet and the sound system is better than I expected. I watched a lot of Youtube videos from Car Audio Fabrication channel. This guy is a serious pro. He was very helpful for planning purposes.

System
HeadUnit - Alpine ILX-407
Front Door Speakers - Rockford Fosgate P16 - these fit with a 1/2" spacer and speaker gasket
Rear Door Speakers - Rockford Fosgate P152 - had to cut sheetmetal up to the screw holes for the factory speakers. Wasn't anyway around this.
Sub - Alpine Halo Type S 10"
5 Channel Amp - Rockford Fosgate R2-750X5

If you are a 94' cruiser owner and have taken the dash apart you know that it was actually designed by a Satanist. There is no easy way to get a new radio in with the 8-10 plugs that have to removed from every component to the left and right of the steering wheel. I was expecting this to be the easier part of the install, it was not. I'm still missing some skin from this part of the install. The Alpine head unit has all the latest tech - Apple CarPlay was the main goal. Its a great unit. I might have done Pioneer looking back on it but I'm a sucker for Alpine.

The front speakers were very straight forward. The previous owner had an 1/2" spacer on the old speakers so I re-used the spacer with some speaker gasket behind them. This was able to clear the window channel run that limits the depth on the front speakers. I would highly recommend these speakers and the sizing is great.

The rear doors were a little different. The holes are so small that there was no way around cutting sheet metal here. I used some metal snips and it cut very easy. After cutting I used an auto primer to paint over the cut metal. This should keep it from rusting.

The Halo Sub by Alpine is not stealth and takes up good space in the back. I'm not trying to hide it and used banana plugs to remove when I need the added space. Its a no compromise box that fills in the lower range. I didn't have a sub until I was in my late 30s. Insane what you miss not having an 8"/10" sub.

The Fosgate amp is really great. 750Watts - 4x50W and 350W to the sub. I picked it up on eBay factory refurb for a steal. My budget was running low so this was a great option. It has a built in optimizer for clipping and very easy to set gains and xovers. It comes with the remote gain knob for the sub channel also. That mounts great really anywhere.

One of the main challenges was having to run new speaker wire throughout the truck. I knew I didn't want to risk going through the existing door runs due to the age of the wires. So I drilled new holes right above on both sides and used rubber grommets to wire in 16gauge speaker wire. The first door took me quite a while to find the right size bit, grommet, etc for the wire but after that it was rinse and repeat.

Just a side not on the vapor barriers in the doors. I was able to salvage a couple of them. The back doors I cut out of paint drop cloth 1 mil. I'm going to do new window channel runs next yaer so I'll get all new vapor barriers OEM when that project happens. The paint drop cloth did totally fine though.

Final thoughts - this was not an easy install and I have an embarrassing amount of hours into. My superpower (OCD) pushed my to the finish line. There is great satisfaction knowing that its exactly how I wanted it done.

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any idea on how much sound deadening you used?
 
Excellent info, thank you for posting all of this. I need to do this soon for my HDJ81.
yes, made such an improvement on my 100, i ednded up using 2 36sqft boxes of dynamat in the body, then getting another 24sqft of the siless stuff for the fires, and rear quarter panels, then adding dynapad foam stuff the the rear wheel arches on top of the dynamat, and in the passenger foot well to remove all exhaust noise.
 
yes, made such an improvement on my 100, i ednded up using 2 36sqft boxes of dynamat in the body, then getting another 24sqft of the siless stuff for the fires, and rear quarter panels, then adding dynapad foam stuff the the rear wheel arches on top of the dynamat, and in the passenger foot well to remove all exhaust noise.
Yes, I have 3 boxes of Noico that have been sitting unopened for a while Lol. Need time and of course money. It’s not a sprint to the finish line, more like a jog at this point for me. What is the ”Siless”?
 
Yes, I have 3 boxes of Noico that have been sitting unopened for a while Lol. Need time and of course money. It’s not a sprint to the finish line, more like a jog at this point for me. What is the ”Siless”?
the siless is just a cheaper butyl rubber with aluminum backing sound deadening. i think it’s 50mil instead of 80mil like the dynamat.
 

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