Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 13:12:09 -0400 From: "Christopher Prouty" <chrispnopsamemovethis.net> Subject: Re: Stereo upgrade wiring
Oh yea.... Scott...I was in your position for a good long time.... My 1995 9000 CS (dream car) has a great head unit...a stock Harman Kardon am.fm.cassette and the upgraded 150watt amp under the front seat. It all drives 8 speakers...but I wanted more... I researched and researched and never found anything helpful on the net or from Saab dealers...or even from car stereo places...their response was "we dont work on Saabs...." . Babies. Bottom line...I powered through it and figured it out for myself. I installed the Clarion CD changer in the trunk. Easy...cut a one inch slit in the carpet and bingo...there is the wire that runs the changer. I converted the speaker level signal out from the amp to line level. Then I installed a JBL 240 watt amp to drive 6 of the speakers (I kept the HK speakers that came with the car). It drives the front mids, rear mids and rear tweeters (the mids and tweeters are component) I bridged that amp with another one to drive the 2 tweeters (through a crossover) and the MTX plexi-front rear ported dual 10" sub box that I put in the trunk. THE HARDEST part of it all was getting the 8 guage wire from the engine to the cabin. This is where I tried and tried to get help but to no avail. So, one day I dedicated my entire day to making it happen....I disassembled the carped around the console near the driver's feet and there I found a grommet. With a little bit of spit on the wire to lubricate it and a ton of sweat from my head...I got the cable through and up into the engine compartment. From there I installed an inline fuse and connected it to the battery. Inside the cabin, I removed both front seats and using a snake...I got the wire to go through the console and under the carpet all the way to the trunk...I was able to sneak it to inside the side walls of the trunk where there were some places designed to make a small cut...so I did and ran the wire to power the amps. By running clean cable directly to the battery and making sure my RCA cables were AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE from the power wire, there existe NO engine noise. I listen to Industrial, Jazz, Goth and Classical and since I put that stereo together...everyone comments on how sweet it sounds. The bass is deep, clean and sooooooo smooooooth. The mids hit hard right at ear level and the highs come from everywhere. Every type of music comes through with accuracy and precision...and since the Saab is so well insulated..there is no rattle and even with it turned up quite a bit, it cant be heard outside the car...which means, of course, that the music stays in the cabin. Gook luck...have band-aids ready for your cuts and scrapes...and have fun chris 1995 9000 CS Scott FitzGerald wrote in message <37931786.802226F7nopsamc.ca>... > >I'm looking to find out what sort of problems people have had with >adding kick-ass stereos into their Saabs. I'm in the process right >now, and I'm getting lots of noise and alternator whine. > >These are common problems in the car audio world, but I want to know >about people with other Saabs (particulary NG900s), and what they've >done to fix it (precise cable routes used, grounding points, any other >upgrades (spark plug wires, alternator, battery, factory grounding >points), etc...) people may have done to fix their problems. > >Any tips would be great; my poor car has been ripped apart for a >month! > >Thanks, >Scott FitzGerald >Scott.FitzGeraldnopsamc.ca
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