toughest is speaker wires throug the rubber conduit from the firewall to the doors...

those are a pain...

 

Well well...This might be one badass mini meet then if we all decide to gather up and do our car audio stuff. I'm really, really new at this so I'll b learning as much as I can if we meet up. I should have the stuff I need by mid-late june (Speakers, spacers, sub, amps wires and HU) or, we can go the faster way and just do HU sometime this month. Speaking of which, were can I but a HU at a decent price? Mind you, I don't work at Best Buy.

 

eBay, if you wanna deal with that. They practically sell stuff for tons less. Just make sure you buy it from a seller with a good rating. =) Or just use eBay to gauge how much you're looking to spend on a deck and haggle with a car audio shop or a Best Buy rep or something like someone suggested. I think the dude said you can get a decent deal if you can haggle at BB. I never heard of that before, but I guess it's worth a shot. Not like those dudes will remember who you are the next day. :P

 

I buy all my audio stuff off ebay and craigslist... You can pick everything up for 40%-50% off retail price and you don't have to pay tax either (which usually evens out since you pay shipping). I haven't had a problem with any of the equipment I've bought, and with a savings like that even if I did I'd still be ahead.

 

If you guys do a little install meet, I'll come over and help a little. I installed for a few years and was an MECP master installer at the time. I'm too lazy to do the mean stuff these days for folks other than myselfs(like glassing, alarm installs and such), but I will help out with throwin in head units, door speakers, and maybe an amp or two.

There was tons of online shops that you can get stuff for dirt cheap, but also dealing directly with some manufacturers is possible. Ebay, thezeb, sounddomain, elemental designs and quite a few others all have free shipping on top of decent prices so you can work out great deals.


As for dynomatting(brownbread, fatmat, b-quiet, whatever) does yield great results, but weighs A LOT. I had about 300lbs of the stuff in my accord, the doors, headliner, floor, double layers on the firewall, rear deck, entire trunk, pretty much the entire car, with double or triple layers in a few places that bothered me. I had zero rattles, even when I had my 153.1db SPL setup in the car nothing rattled, but there was still some small vibrations from the windows and trunk. There was almost no road noise at all, and the acoustics in the car were fantastic, but again, the downside was an added 300lbs to the car on top of a 150lb box when I had my SPL setup in there, which made the car just as fast as it was before I added about 40whp worth of goodies to it. With me in it, it tipped the scales at 3980lbs(according to the dump scale). So there is a tradeoff.

 

If you guys do an install meet I could use some help. Justin and Jeff said they'd help out.

I need to unghettofy my optima install. Run new wires to the amps. Grounding upgrade. maybe deaden the front doors up some. and reinstall my sub.

fix the box too...but for the life of me I can't remember who said they'd help me fix it.

 

just curious if this was every set up? i've had my STI for over a year and still no stereo......and definitely a newbie as far as head unit, speaker install go.

it'll be a good opportunity to learn how to do this install and meet fellow suby owners.

 

Where are you located?

 

i am in san ramon and still need to figure out what to get for the install.

 

things to get:
* single DIN stereo and harness.
* CD pocket for impreza or forester(has door on it).
* 6"1/2 speakers for the front ( I used components for the front ).
* 5"1/4 or 6"1/2 for the rear.
* Order 1/2" spacers or make your own from MDF(I did this).
* speaker wire ( I think I used 14 or 16 gauge ).
* Female spade connectors (blue or yellow IIRC).

tools:
* Flat head and phillups screw drivers.
* electrical tape.
* Dremel with disk to cut metal(from the rear doors).
* Solder and soldering iron(for connecting the spade connectors to the wire).
* Razor blade or sharp knife.

If you do not want to cut any metal from your rear doors, then you have to buy like 4"1/2 speakers for the rear.

When you take the front door panels off ( 2 screws, snaps around the 2 sides and bottom, then the annoying handle trim snap is the hardest part!) you have to cut the circular plastic off the inside of the door panel.
I used the female spade connectors so that I did not have to cut a stock wire harness for the speakers. If you want you could also use taps.

The stereo is cake on 02-04, I assume its similar on the 05+ models.
The trim around the stereo head unit pops off with a good pull on either top corner, then even out the pull around the unit. On 02-04 models, just pull out the cup holder(if you want, unscrew it for better working room to yank the trim off).

I took the stereo harness and soldered and wrapped it to a subaru spec. wire harness.

There is a good how to on scooby mods as well that has some pics from an outback.

 

The parts and stuff i can get a hold of one way or another. But i am just hesitant to do it myself.....if i had someone who's done this before, it would help a great deal.

thanks for the info.

 

I don't know how often you come to San Jose, but I have a drive way and tools so you could come by and I will help you with it on a week night or weekend if you want, just give me notice.
I am no pro installer, but I've done my old car(89 civic), the WRX, and a couple other hondas. it is almost too easy in our cars. :x

 

you are too cool. i'll need to start getting the parts then. thanks for the offer.

 

well, depending on where you buy spacers( https://w109.webminders.com/iaperfor...ctionNumber=59 ) it can be as much as $60 alone.
I made mine from MDF, paid $22 for a 4ft. x 8ft. plank cut in to 4 pieces with a jig saw. I can make another set for you if you like for the cost of lunch.

I do not however, have a dremel to cut the rear door metal so I have not yet installed rear speakers.

 

btw, I would recommend some 5"1/4 speakers for the rear doors.