Guys,

 

Finally got around to purchasing a headunit and some component speakers this past weekend. I'm really looking forward to installing it as I've now plodded around for the last year and a half listening to Terry Wogan's lame jokes on Radio 2 on my Jap-spec radio.

 

Anyway, I am not the most proficient lad when it comes to audio install so I thought I'd first ask a few questions before ripping the car apart!

 

I bought an Alpine CDA-7893R headunit which is powered directly from the car battery (20-amp wire required). I understand that I can utilize the bonnet cable hole to pass the wire through the bulkhead but is there any other location to pass it through?

 

I also bought Alpine SPR-176A component speakers for the front door (6.5" round ones with separate 1" tweeters). Has anyone else installed these speakers into their Zed? If so, how much modification was required to the door card and subsequent metal speaker bracket. I'm a bit worried because these speakers are not as tapered at the back as a lot of other speakers I've seen and require quite a large opening. Also, they are about 70mm deep which should "just" fit without the magnet getting in the way of the window when lowered.

These speakers come with their own cross-over boxes that need to be wired in. What the heck is a cross-over and why do I need them? How are they wired up if I'm connecting the speakers to the headunit? It is my intention to buy an Alpine MRV-T320 amp in the future to power these components but at the moment all funds are gobbled up by the "wedding fund" ... Anyway, the headunit has 4x60W MOSFET amplification so should be more than happy to deal with these speakers.

Also, the separate 1" tweeters will need to be installed somewhere. I'm thinking of the little horizontal space next to where the mirrors are mounted. Now, not too sure this is a good place as I do get the occassional raindrop falling there. Has anyone fitted these kind of tweeters elsewhere and if so did you flush-mount them or just wack them onto of the mounting surface?

 

Hmmm ... long story but I think that is all the info I'm after for the moment.

 

Many thanks for any and all feedback.

 

Cheers!

 

Danny

Hello Danny,

 

There's a nice easy hole to use to the right of the battery. Take the wheel arch liner off and you will be able to see where it comes/goes through. It comes in through just above the ecu. Don't forget to fuse it as near to the battery as you can (very, very important).

 

Vijay

6.5" should fit in behind the door card without any problem using the existing stock grills. A word of warning. don;t tray and take these grills off without taking the door card off first. They are screwed it from behins and you'l never get them off from the front without breaking them.

 

The tweeters are usually placed where you have said i.e. next to the mirrors. This is the ideal place for them. Get that leaky taga panel sorted and you won't have any problem. Use black silicone (bumper filler black one from Halfords ) in the rubber gaps (heat with a hair dryer to harden before closing the door panel) and you should be leak free.