My E39 sub & amp install - Minimal Pics! :)

[milkyslims]

Well, after mulling over saving a bunch of $ and time by getting the Infinity Pooplink, I ultimately decided against it, and ended up trying my hand at fiberglassing for the first time. Since I've received so much help from all the posts on this very site, I thought it only fitting that I share what that help resulted in.

Mind you, although I'm fairly technically-inclined, I've never delved into the fiberglass realm before this project, so there was a lot of "learning as I went" happening. Thus, for all you fiberglass gurus out there, 'yes,' I know it's not perfect, and it could have been done better/differently, etc., etc., but I'm just happy it turned out as well as it did!

Obviously, this is not intended to be a comprehensive tutorial, but in the event anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer any that I can. Anywho, hope you all enjoy the pics!

(click pics for larger version)


With not enough coats of glass...


With enough coats + me being a tard; always use a respirator, kids!


Underneath the taping of the trunk piece, I put an identically-sized piece of MDF so it would prop up the piece that actually houses the terminal cup, thus making it recessed ~1" or so, which leaves a little room for the wiring, etc...


All trimmed, with the speaker ring I made earlier...


I used styrofoam peanuts to gauge a rough estimate of the inside cubic footage; as it turns out, it's also a great way to ascertain roughly how long your ring stand-offs need to be...


I used stretchy fleece from a local fabric store, and I stapled it to the ring first, then hot-glued the ring to the posts, and then used spray adhesive to stretch it out and attach it around the edges...


Top-side glassing done...


Working on a budget, I went with a 10" Rockford Fosgate P3D410 sub; it's a 4-ohm DVC sub, that I will wire in parallel to achieve a 2-Ohm load. Also, the decorative ring that comes with the speaker is just that: an open ring. Thus, I also purchased an alternative ring from RF, that has a protective metal grill on it, so the sub doesn't get accidentally punctured from anything I might put in the trunk.


All trimmed, and ready for carpet!


Wiring and putting in the sub...


LE WOOT!!!


Nominal loss of trunk space FTW!!!


Well, that's it for now... I've already done all the wiring for the amplifier, which I'll be receiving tomorrow from that awesome brown truck that comes by every now and then. Again, being on a budget, I went with a Rockford Fosgate P300-1 Mono amp, which will yield ~300watts @ 2-ohms stable. Should be enough juice for the sub... or at least that's what the RF people told me on the phone... I'll post some pics of the amp once I get it in there, as well.

Finally, some of you might be wondering why I choose black carpet, instead of grey... Well, I dunno really, lol. I guess I figured everyone and their mother does grey, and tries to "match" it, but it never quite really does match. So, just thought I would do it a little different. Black is my favorite color, and my car is black too, so I thought it might look good. I'll have to say, I'm very happy with the results. And besides... it's in the friggin' trunk--who cares!

Cheers,
~m.

***EDIT: pics of the amp installed:






All done!

[steveng1993]

Very nice!

[1BADBM]

You did a really good job especially for your first time! I wonder how much bass makes it into the cabin with the sub all the way in the back? How does it sound?

[milkyslims]

Very nice!

You did a really good job especially for your first time! I wonder how much bass makes it into the cabin with the sub all the way in the back? How does it sound?

Thanks guys!

A while back I found a website where they measured the bass response in the cabin across different locations(and facing different directions) of the sub in the trunk. I can't remember if it was an E39 specifically, but it was some BMW at least... Anyway, actually, the rear corner-loaded position yielded some of the highest bass response in the cabin, if not the highest, so I think I should be OK with the sub where it is. At any rate, I'm not looking for competition-bass, but rather just some bass! As all of you with stock non-DSP systems know, the amount of bass is, well... ZERO.

Right now I'm just waiting for the UPS truck to arrive with my amp, which should be any minute. Thus, as for how it sounds, I'll let you know after I actually get the amp, and get it installed.

[Volcom8190]

i got a t400-4 for my polk components, youll like the tune ability of that amp, sounds pretty good for a lesser priced amp too

[milkyslims]

Ok, so I just got done installing the amp, and tweaking it a bit...



HOLY F****** S***!!!!!!!!!!!!!


To say the difference is 'night and day' would be a GROSS understatement! Not only does the bass easily fill the cabin, I would venture to say when I turn it up, I get a borderline shiatsu massage from my seat vibrating! And that's with the amp's gain at only HALF...

Even though I can obviously push it a lot more, I'm going to leave it turned down a bit for a month or two to let the speaker's driver burn-in gently, then start driving it more to it's full potential.

Well, with this success under my belt, I guess it's time to move on to the next project: figuring out how to get rid of the goddamn rattle I now have! Interestingly, it's not the trunk that rattles, but rather the rear side panel of the car--basically right behind where the sub is... and of course a little rattle in that troublesome panel above/behind the rear seats. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of either of those, please share! Dynamat on the inside of the battery compartment perhaps??

Cheers,
~m.

[rogan]

And that's with the amp's gain at only HALF...

THE GAIN CONTROL IS NOT A VOLUME CONTROL.

[milkyslims]

THE GAIN CONTROL IS NOT A VOLUME CONTROL.

umm... I know that?!?!


But seriously though, I know what you're saying... I was speaking more in regards to just strictly how much bass it was producing in the cabin with the gain at half; I haven't decided/calibrated if that setting works well with the volume sweep of the headunit that I normally listen to music at. I probably won't do that until after I burn-in the speaker.

[s car]

Is your E39 DSP, or non-dsp?

[Wobblysauce]

Is your E39 DSP, or non-dsp?

As all of you with stock non-DSP systems know, the amount of bass is, well... ZERO.

l would guess non, as with mine it only has 6 speakers, but i have a lot of bass compared to other cars even with subs, though no where near earthquake rumble

[boostdog]

Well, with this success under my belt, I guess it's time to move on to the next project: figuring out how to get rid of the goddamn rattle I now have! Interestingly, it's not the trunk that rattles, but rather the rear side panel of the car--basically right behind where the sub is... and of course a little rattle in that troublesome panel above/behind the rear seats. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of either of those, please share! Dynamat on the inside of the battery compartment perhaps??

Cheers,
~m.

Throw some sound deadining on the panels behind and around the sub will help with the ratteling. if you can do your entire car, although it will add weight, it will sound much better.

[milkyslims]

Is your E39 DSP, or non-dsp?

Non-DSP.

Throw some sound deadining on the panels behind and around the sub will help with the ratteling. if you can do your entire car, although it will add weight, it will sound much better.

Thanks! It sounds pretty damn good as of now, so I think if I go that route, I'll just do it around the sub. Also, as for that trim piece above the rear seats, the rattle seems to only be coming from around the 3rd brake light area. I dunno if I'm going to tackle that right now, but perhaps I can jam something in there to quell it.

[rogan]

There's alot of factory deadening on the panel below that trim piece and it's quite corrugated so adding deadening to that won't make a huge difference (plus it's two separate layers I think). Might just be the trim panel vibrating against the rear window or c-pillar trims.

Turn bass up and close trunk. Stand behind car and see which outer panels are flexing, check numberplate etc.

[milkyslims]

Might just be the trim panel vibrating against the rear window or c-pillar trims.

I think you're exactly right; if I push down gently with my fingers around the 3rd brake light area, the rattle of that piece completely disappears. If I press down anywhere else, the rattle stays the same. Also, thanks for the other suggestions.

[s car]

That is impressive man.

I want to put a set of subs and an amp in my E39, however I can't find any concrete information on how to wire it up!

I've already got an amp, 2 12"s in a box, and also a single 12 in a box. Just no knowledge.

I need to get in the know.

[milkyslims]

That is impressive man.

I want to put a set of subs and an amp in my E39, however I can't find any concrete information on how to wire it up!

I've already got an amp, 2 12"s in a box, and also a single 12 in a box. Just no knowledge.

I need to get in the know.

Thanks!

You can't find any information? Really!? Oh man, it's sooooo easy! Since I used a similar amp(same brand/size, but different model) and the same basic set-up(1 amp/1 sub), I just used the bavarian soundwerks videos on youtube to learn how to wire everything up. They have a whole series of vids on installing and wiring an amp in an E39... very helpful. Your setup would essentially be the same thing, just with an extra sub(or two extra?!? christ, that would be deafening!), but that doesn't affect how you integrate the amp into your system.

one
two
three
four
and five

I *think* I put those in the right order... Anyway, like I said, it's REALLY easy. Basically, for a single amp and sub(s), you're just going to tap into the car's rear woofer wires. Those wires will give you a speaker-level output, so you connect those wires to an LOC('line output converter'), which will convert the signal from speaker-level to line-level(happy-happy for amp). The LOC output will be RCA's, so then you just connect your RCA cable from the LOC to your amp. Power wire goes to the battery, ground goes to the chassis, and you tap into the car's remote turn-on wire for that. Of course, not necessarily in that order, but the vids will educate you about that; I'm just trying to give you the 'big picture' of how it all comes together. As for your speakers, how you should wire them depends on the load resistance of the speakers, and the stable output capability of the amp(you want to match them). That information will be in the manual for your speakers/amp, or on the manufacturer's website.

Seriously, man... it's REALLY easy. Watch the vids, and if you still have any questions, let me know. You CAN do this!

[s car]

I never knew they had videos on youtube! Wow man, thanks.

The only information I was able to find from BSW was this.

http://www.bavariansoundwerks.com/kn...tory+system%3F

Wow. I'm going to go grab a LOC, and an amp kit and wire this sucker up.

Where'd you get your LOC? I have little patience, and hate waiting for stuff to be shipped from websites. I'm sure the local WalMart carries some sort of a variation of one.

Or should I hold out and just order online...

[Wobblysauce]

BaV have a lot of videos online, with a range of products

[milkyslims]

I never knew they had videos on youtube! Wow man, thanks.

Where'd you get your LOC? I have little patience, and hate waiting for stuff to be shipped from websites. I'm sure the local WalMart carries some sort of a variation of one.

Or should I hold out and just order online...

heh, no problem man--glad you found that info useful.

I got my LOC off of ebay, but this is the one I got:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...s+ALOC608.html

I dunno if an LOC is something wal-mart would carry; I remember when I was trying to pick one out, I searched Radio Shack's website, but couldn't find any... Also, I vaguely remember reading somewhere that you probably don't want to skimp on them(e.g., getting the $2 ones from china on ebay), and that it behooves you in the long run to pay a little extra for a decent one. I believe the one they use in the bavsound vids is this one:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...te+LOCPRO.html

Anyway, myself not having much knowledge/expertise with LOC's, take all of that with a grain of salt, and perhaps someone here with better knowledge of those things can chime in on the issue, and give you a more concrete answer. All I can say for sure is to make sure you double-check the instructions for whatever LOC you get. In my case, the one I'm using has a ground wire in addition to the 4 speaker leads. No where in the videos does it mention having to hook up a ground wire from the LOC; not that it's any problem, just something to be aware of...

[s car]

I've actually been prodding around in my trunk for the past 30 minutes in preparation for tomorrow.

Turns out Walmart does carry a LOC...and it's around $15-18 dollars. Not that that says anything though. I'm going to call some local audio shops to see if any, #1 are even open tomorrow, and #2 carry a loc. Everything else I've got down pat.

The PO had a shop install a 12disc changer in the trunk, and I think it tapped into the factory amp's remote turn on. Which I will have to throw another T on there to turn on the amp I'll be putting in tomorrow.

Once again, thanks for the help man. That setup you have in your trunk is SICK. Impressive box.

[milkyslims]

That's awesome--no waiting for shipping!

You're very welcome for the help, and again, thanks for the kudos on my setup; I spent a lot of time on it, so it's much appreciated! Good luck on yours, post some pics when you get it done, and let us know how it sounds!

[kylekruchok]

Basically, for a single amp and sub(s), you're just going to tap into the car's rear woofer wires. Those wires will give you a speaker-level output, so you connect those wires to an LOC('line output converter'), which will convert the signal from speaker-level to line-level(happy-happy for amp).

That's an awesome idea, I would have never thought of that.

So, what do you do, run extra leads from the speakers along that panel that the speakers sit in, down the side, and have them go to the LOC near your amp?

That's a whole lot easier than running RCA cables from the head unit up front!

On a side note - where did you get the initial mold for the fiberglass enclosure, that fits into that well?

The first pic shows that bucket looking bit you made - but how was that done, line that area with plastic, then throw some of the fiberglass in there, and press it up against all the corners 'til it sets?


Primo job man. Primo.

[milkyslims]

That's an awesome idea, I would have never thought of that.

I originally saw a similar enclosure somewhere else on the internetz, so I can't take credit for the idea, but I wish I could!

So, what do you do, run extra leads from the speakers along that panel that the speakers sit in, down the side, and have them go to the LOC near your amp?

No. ALL of the connections are made via t-taps right where the amp is. You just tap into them right after they come out of the amp; thus, no reason/need to go through the hassle of taking apart the rear shelf, and running unnecessary wiring. If you look at the close-up pic of the amp installed, you can see my LOC sitting to the top-left of the amp(that silver thing), as well as it's wires, and where they t-tap in(top-left connector on amp; the t-taps are red-ish in color).

On a side note - where did you get the initial mold for the fiberglass enclosure, that fits into that well?

The first pic shows that bucket looking bit you made - but how was that done, line that area with plastic, then throw some of the fiberglass in there, and press it up against all the corners 'til it sets?

The "mold" is simply the actual trunk trim piece that the sub enclosure sits in(the grey piece the back half of the fiberglass enclosure is sitting in in the fourth pic). I just removed it from the trunk to make it easier to work with. I lined it with foil, and then a couple layers of blue painter's tape. I also taped a small garbage bag around the back, as to avoid getting any resin on it while working on it. Once that was done, I just started fiberglassing it.

Not sure if I understood your question correctly, so let me know if I didn't answer your question.

Primo job man. Primo.

Thanks!

[s car]

I think the enclosure was 100% custom.

Judging from the first picture, it looks like he did line with plastic or whatever, then made an initial lay of fiberglass to give it it's shape. Then from the 4th picture, it looks like he trimmed around the edges to give it a clean finished shape.



EDIT:: Haha - well there ya have it.


I just gathered all the pieces for my install, and I'm getting ready to go out into the garage and begin.

[kylekruchok]

No. ALL of the connections are made via t-taps right where the amp is. You just tap into them right after they come out of the amp; thus, no reason/need to go through the hassle of taking apart the rear shelf, and running unnecessary wiring. If you look at the close-up pic of the amp installed, you can see my LOC sitting to the top-left of the amp(that silver thing), as well as it's wires, and where they t-tap in(top-left connector on amp; the t-taps are red-ish in color).

Oh, I was thinking this: In my Honda that I had (Bimmer = sex compared to it), for the woofer, I ran leads from the head unit, along the side of the vehicle, under the trim to the trunk - I guess what I mean was, could I have just taken the signal from the speakers that sit on that back shelf, run it through the LOC, and to the amp after that?

Not sure if I understood your question correctly, so let me know if I didn't answer your question.

Yep, answered my question perfectly!