My stereo install

[Cory1000]

List of Equipment:
Alpine CDA-9887 - Head Unit
Alpine KCE-422i - iPod adapter
Apple 80gig iPod
Alpine KCA-121B - Ai-net to RCA adapter
Stiletto 2 - Sirius Portable player
SLV2 - Car dock for Stiletto 2
Polk Audio db6501 - Front speakers
Polk Audio db401 - Rear speakers
Rockford Fosgate P200-2 - Sub amp
Rockford Fosgate P2D410 - 10inch sub

More info to follow, but here are some pics of the rears that I just installed for a test fit. I decided to wrap the whole section in black to match the lower half of the trunk. Color matches much better then my crappy photography skills show...

Still to come, photos of my custom sub box and and amp rack! Its built and ready to install, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

[Lgaruti]

Please keep the info comming. Thanks................

[Jeff Newcum]

Very coo! I'd love to see how the custom sub box has come out. I'd also like to hear some info on the door speaker replacement. Is it a PITA or easy. Did you have much more room to stick a speaker with a bigger mag? They are 6.5 but, did you get the premium radio?

I'm going with a 10" Pyle bandpass for now. It's cheap and I don't need a lot of thump. If I had it my way I'd make a custom box in the passenger seat wheel well or under the passenger's seat. Since I have the cabrio, I lose the area you installed your rear speakers so, I need to take some time and figure it out. Please post some pics when you have time.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Cory1000]

Sub/amp box install. (ignore the cat hair in the photos, she was all over it last night and I didnt clean it off yet)

First pic is a "paint" picture so you get an idea of how its setup. I didnt have my camera with me when I was building it so this is the best your going to get! Box is made of 3/4 MDF, all screwed together (no nails) and all screw holes were glued first. Also, the "sub" section of the box was reinforced with fiberglass. (click below to inlarge so you can read text.)



2nd pic, box in place, wires run to box, but not attached yet, trim plate is removed from amp so you can see inside (not pretty, but will not be seen)



Pics 3 and 4 is everything installed with cargo cover back in. You can see that it fits perfectly under cargo cover.




Also to note, I have left 36 or so inches of cables under the amp section of the box so that you can lift the whole thing up and set it on passengers seat when its all the way forward, this provides easy access to the engine.

[Cory1000]

Part 3, Head unit, Sirius and GPS install.

Wanted to Hardwire the GPS and Dock for the Sirius so I picked up a few adapters at best buy that you plug the device in and it has a positive and ground wire so you dont have to cut them up, I highly recommend getting them if you want to do that. They were only like $10 each.

Anyway, head unit was cake to wire up, 86 and up VW harness, have to re-pin 12v, 12v Switched and illumination wires. Also, get the VW antenna adapter if you are going to do an install.

Here is what the harness should look like when you are done:


Here is my "dash kit" that I came up with, im sure that ill end up doing 10 more designs, but it was getting late and this is all I had in me tonight:

[SMART]

Can you take a side shot of your car now? I'm interested to know if the back is sagging at all due to the extra wieght?

[Cory1000]

box is about 30lbs...I dont think thats that much weight back there, do you?

[jwight]

Cory, when you have a chance, could you post a diagram or something showing how the pins are changed on the harness, and maybe some more info on the VW antenna adapter? Thanks - this will help a lot of DIYers.

[Cory1000]

Here is one version of the antenna adapter, there are others out there, but this one is $4.99 from Crutchfield.


as fas as changing the pins around, the adapter that I got you can just bend the pin to one direction a little and then pull the wire side and it pops right out, straighten the pin out then insert in correct location, it will "click" into place. They do make a "pin removal tool" but its not really needed.

Here is what the harness looked like for my car. I tested each wire on the factory harness before I started and would recommend doing the same before applying power to anything. Easy way to test is:

12v constant (always on) - Use a test light for each wire will car is off. Only wire that will have power is the 12v constant.

12v switched (or accessory) will have power when you turn the key (12v will still have power so test for that first and mark before doing this step)

Ground - use test light on 12v constant that you found in step one and then move ground side of text light to each wire until you get complete circuit, that is your ground wire.

Illumination - Turn lights on car and wire will only have power when lights are on. (12v constant and 12v switched will also have power at this time, so make sure they are both marked at this point)

As far as the speakers go, you can use a 9v battery to text these, you will hear the speaker pop if you have the right 2 wires for the speaker you are testing.

I dont have a before picture (sorry) but some places may sell a slightly different harness (may have blue wire for amp turn-on or power antenna), but for my install and my harness, this is all that is needed. I would be more then happy to walk anyone through these steps on the phone or re-pin the harness locally/by mail for free. Also, if anyone is local and wants help installing a stereo or system, I dont mind helping out. Also, I want to note that I dont listen to the "radio" at all, so I didnt look into getting a powered antenna adapter or wiring it up that way. I only use my radio to play my Sirius and iPod.

[jwight]

Excellent! Thanks.