complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

[darw_n]

2000 DII with HK sound...

I am ripping *everything* out, speakers, amp, CD changer, head unit and including old wires...

I am replacing with :

alpine 9886 head-unit powering :

2x JL 4'' for front upper door, and possibly 2x 4" in rear if needed (heavy cutting needed)

alpine PDX-5 amp powering:

4x JL 6.5 for all doors (minor cutting)
4x JL 1" tweets for rear door (in factory location, slight plastic modding) AND in front pillars
1x JL 12" sub in standard enclosure

OK, so I understand the electronic fundamentals of all this, my questions are however:

1.) how do you remove the front pillars for tweeter replacement?
2.) what interior items (dash, carpet, center consul, etc etc) should I be removing for clean wire install?? and *how* do I do that? Is there a guide I don't see?? I want to put the amp under one of the seats FYI
3.) where in the firewall should I be running my power lines from the battery? 0/1 gauge wire with distribution block for future upgrade.
4.) where on teh body should I be running a ground line too?

thanks for any help! it's been 20 years since I did an install, so a little nervous! and the local shop wants at LEAST 1000$ just to install everything...

 

[junkyarddisco]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

1) front pillar things are snap-on, kinda. grip the leading (glass) edge and pull very, very gently. GENTLY.
2) just an idea, you may consider dropping your headliner for the project and putting some of the audio cables up there and routing them up and down the various pillars
3) there are random holes in the firewall which are plugged with rubber doohickies. depending on your VIN, some might not be used for anything -- others you can share. your engine compartment gets notably hotter than other cars, so keep the power cable to the amp as far from the engine as possible (along the outside)
4) dunno

 

[mbrummal]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

you probably need to remove the carpet and headliner to do this. Follow the huge bundle of wires on how to route everything.

 

[darw_n]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

ahhhhh, nice idea on the headliner! any tips on removing it??

and secondly, any tips on removing the center consul??

sounds like those 2 things will get me the access I need, including carpet removal!!

thanks again!

 

[atvrdr]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

just wondering what gauge wire are you starting with 0/1? also with the firewall it will be easiest if you just find where all the wires are leaving the car and just poke a hole in the plastic garment instead of drilling a new hole

 

[darw_n]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

the wire is *supposed* to be 0, but once the insulation is off, it appears to be more a 1 guage, a tad over kill, but I wanna make sure that if I decide to get crazy with it, I can with the power wiring, I hate redoing things because I didn't plan ahead.

as far as the hole, I found a perfect one that isn't in use, behind the glove box it looks like, and it is battery side, with nothing else going through it, so that should be all good!

 

[junkyarddisco]

no insulation?

 

[atvrdr]

Re: complete HK stereo redo, with all new wires from battery back, need some input please

the wire is *supposed* to be 0, but once the insulation is off, it appears to be more a 1 guage, a tad over kill, but I wanna make sure that if I decide to get crazy with it, I can with the power wiring, I hate redoing things because I didn't plan ahead.

noo that should be fine i thought you were starting out with 8 for some reason and i was gonna recomend atleast 4 but you got it:victory: