Wheels_SD

I want to have some components installed in my car. I have the following:
Kenwood MP3 head unit (3 preouts)
Kenwood 200 watt amp, 4 channel
RF 360 watt amp, bridged
6.5 RF component speakers for front
6.5 coaxial speakers for the back
single 10" RF DVC sub, box is already made.

I have a 2002.5 P5, and want all of this installed. I thought about doing it myself, which I am capable of doing, but am apprehensive to take the interior apart myself and all that. It's so nice looking, and I've never had a brand new car before.

Anyway, one place quoted, kind of informally, approximately $300 (US) for the install. I went to another place and they had an installer write up a formal quote of $425. I told him there's no way I would pay that much for an install, and that someone else said they'd do it for $250 (just trying to lowball him). The guy said he couldn't match that price.

My question is, do you guys think $300 is a fair price for the above install? How cheap could I get it, in your opinion, and would you recommend any of the big chains like "The Good Guys" or "Tweater"?

I'm leaning towards doing it myself, if I can't get a better price.

Shawn

It totally depends how nice or fancy of an install you are looking for. Is it a box with the amp bolted onto the back? Or maybe something more like mine with a separate amp rack and so forth. I think $300 USD sounds alright. I certainly paid more than that for labour on my car stereo.

Shawn

One more thing. By the time you buy your 4-8 guage wire, preout wires, power distribution block, etc... You may be looking at another $150.

douggie

If you think you're capable, then DIY! it's much more fun! There's far more better ways to spend that $300

Besides, there's plenty of great people here that are willing to help you out if you're unsure of anything. Lots of audio installs have been done here and you can even learn from our mistakes so you won't repeat them in yours. So chances of messing up is actually pretty slim, as long as you know what u're doing.

Besides, there's no guarantee that those 'professional installers' won't mess up anything esp when they've never installed audio stuff in the same exact car before. Every car's interior is put together differently and so removing stuff for installaion will also vary. Some are easier, some are not (and i would say the Protege's belongs to the "easy" group). The only thing is that you can ask them to pay for compensation if screw-ups did happen.

Hey, what are forum buddies for?

dre

hey

just some advice from pretty much a car audio newbie like myself. before i started to get all my components ready, i did a lot of research, and when i finally got my stuff i had no problems installing it whatsoever. so far i replaced all the interior speakers and the headunit myself, next im gonna do amps and putting two subs in the back. trust me, at least do the internal speakers and the headunit yourself, i mean that stuff is really easy. the door panels were a bit of a pain to get off, but once you do one the next one is gonna take you a third of the time.

if you have the right tools and the right parts it'll all come together, and in the end you'll feel that much better knowing that you did the stuff yourself, and some *** at the install place didn't screw something up cause it's not his car he's working on. oh yea, plus i have a leased car, so i had to be extra careful not to break anything.

good luck and im sure you can do it yourself and learn some stuff in the process!

Wheels_SD

Hey, thanks for the replies guys.

I wasn't looking for anything fancy, just the amps under the seats, sub in the hatch. I've hooked up amps before, and I understand how to wire everything, the only thing I'm tentative about is getting the stock HU out and my new HU in, with the correct adapter plate and all that. The amps I'm not worried about.

Is there a key or some sort of device that'll help pop the stock head unit out. I've got the cd and cassette stock hu, and will be installing a single DIN kenwood to replace it. Where would I get the adapter plate to fill in the empty din socket?


Thanks guys, you're getting me fired up to just do it myself!

pr5owner

umm free... since you do it yourself.. spend about 6 hrs strait... (if your new to it like i was)

when i did audio stuff in my old car, i didn't really know what exacaly had to be done but i figured it out, its common sense actaully
________
Sl125

pr5owner

you are very correct, professionals are not professionals.. they are slack *** sons of bitches that don't give a **** if they screw your system up, hell they don't even solder stuff, SLACKERS!!! when my friend got his installed at Futureshop (he had to becuase warrenty is off if he does it himself) they sabatoged his car, cut his alarm wires, pluged the radio ant. into the God damn MIC JACK!!! STUPID IDIOTS!! (these are professionals that are "Certified") its friggin CLEARLY labeled in BOLD letters "MIC" and underneath it in Japanese, also they broke his trim peice around the deck, scratched up his shift ****, hooked up the rear speakers and subwoofer up wrong, even when the ******* RCA's are labeled too "REAR" "SUB" (all pioneer decks are labeled very clearly) i couldn't believe the **** they did, my friend had to rip out every wire and redo the entire install, and after he emailed futureshop a nasty email and had the names of all the people involved..
________
Razor

dre

hey dude, i just put in my new kenwood mp3 unit yesterday (i got the 7019, it rocks btw, looks really hot at night).

basically this is what i used to do my install. i called up scosche and ordered the dash kit (part ma1537) and the wire harness (part ma03). the dask kit is custom made for our mazda cars so the fit is perfect. the harness is just a matter of color code soldering/crimping the wires from the harness to the wires from the headunit. it took me a while to take out the stock stereo, just because i had two sets of single din removal keys, so i had to bend them and use them as one for one side, and then again for the other side. so just make sure you get the double din sized keys, and pulling out the unit will be no problem. then just click in the dash kit into the opening (the headunit cage that comes with the kenwood would go into the dash kit, there's little tabs to secure it). connect everything up and slide the unit in, and you're done.

Wheels_SD

Thanks for the info Dre, especially the part numbers.

I'm getting some time off next month, and plan on tackling this myself.

Dave Cameron

Best price I have seen on a install was a couple of six packs. That is still my going rate when folks come over and use my shop out back.
Read up on line, and come back with any questions you might have, and you should be able to do a respectable install. Folks here are willing to share knowledge and help in anyway they can!
Because it is your own car that you have paid for or are paying for, you will do a more earnest, through and good job.
If you do choose to have someone else do it, aviod going to the large chains, as they are paid on a per install basis, so the more they can do in a day the more they are paid, not the best way to get a careful install. Small shops can (not always at all but can) take some pride in thier jobs and artistry.
A friend on mine owns a great shop here in town, and he takes great pride in his work and does great jobs, partculary when the owner of the care shows interest and treats him decently as a person.
For the whole setup 300 would not be a bad price, but like many others here, I would encourage you to try your own hand at it. It is a great adventure and hobby, and you will know your car much better at the end of the process. Take pictures as you go and post them on car domain. (I always say this and by god I never do it on my own installs!)
So think and plan, and don't hesitate to ask, most folks here had so much fun doing thier own they are always will to try to capture the feeling again by helping others to do theirs!!

hihoslva

That's the way to go for sure! DIY is the best, plus it's fun, and you learn about your car.

The Protege is pretty easy to work on - I found most everything to be as simple as can be, with the exception of removing the stock deck - but that's only because I didn't use the right tools - I tried the coathanger approach, and felt like strangling someone after jerking around with the thing for over an hour. The right tools, and the thing is out in 2 seconds, simple. Everything else is a snap, especially running wires - the interior comes apart so easily, and I've got speaker wires, 4 gauge power wire, 2 sets of RCAs - everything is 100% hidden and clean - and many of us have lots more (1/0 gauge power/ground, 3 sets of RCAs, etc).

We're here to help, so ask away - I think the vast majority of ppl on this board have done their own stereo work, so we know what the deal is, and what to look out for.

~HH

1st MP3 in NH

A tweeter should charge $235 with out part. the kits for the radio will be $30 and you'll need a 4 guage wire kit with 3 6 meter RCAs which is $60 for the 4 guage kit and $60 for 3 sets of 6 meter RCAs. A typical break down for install charge is
head unit - $45
Direct speaker replacement - $30
replace fronts with plates - $50-$60
4 channel amp install - $60
2 or mono amp install - $50


By the way i know becuase I am an installer for Tweeter.

Also tweeter has a lifetime install warrenty and they will stand behind it. If something goes wrong demand to talk to the manager and if they are unresponsive you can speak to corprate about anything. I delt with alot of companies before working at tweeter, and they have been the best overall to customers. If you have any guidlines let them be know ahead of time otherwise don't bitch later. For example if you don't want a crossover placed in a door tell them and you'll have to pay to have new wires run into the door, this is usualy $50 per 2 doors. Also unless you want custom mounting the amp will be on the back of the seat.

Wheels_SD

Cool, thanks for all the encouragement, tips, and assistance offerred. I'll be installing it in September, and I'll try and document it with pics. I'll probably have a few questions, too.

I do have one question right now. Would I run just one power line in through the firewall, to be used for both amps? What gauge would that be, considering I have: a 200 watt RMS;and a 360 watt RMS amp?
(I ask because I've never hooked up a system with 2 amps, but it seems strange to run 2 power lines through the firewall)

Thanks.

1st MP3 in NH

use a monster cable 4 guage kit. You need to run 1 4 guage wire through the firewall and split it as nessasary to each amps