Date:         Tue, 6 Jul 2004 10:52:51 -0400
Reply-To:     Connor McBryde <connor.mcbryde@MED.VA.GOV>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Connor McBryde <connor.mcbryde@MED.VA.GOV>
Subject:      Re: stereo install

Having just installed a new Kenwood CD head unit and 4 new 4" speakers in
my '85 Westy this weekend, thought I would pass along a few things I
learned in the process:

1) Rewire the rear speakers.  The Westy has a strange stock wiring system
whereby the rear speakers share a common ground wire.  My old Alpine seemed
to suffer this oddity just fine, but it caused severe distortion and low
output from my new unit.  Separating the grounds has cured the problem and
allowed full output.

2) Running wires to the overhead compartment in the rear is difficult, but
I decided to follow the stock wiring route.  I removed the 2 small air vent
grilles from the right side upper air distributor (where the side curtains
slide along over the sliding door), pulled out the blocks of foam sealing
the inside up, and used a fish tape to pull wires from front to back.

3) To get the wires from the dashboard up to the air distributor is
challenging.  Remove the glovebox and trace the entry of a wiring harness
through a hole on the extreme right side of the front end of the vehicle to
the right and above the glovebox.  If you carefully loosen up the headliner
unit in the front (it is made of a fagile, thin plywood-be careful
especially around the side edges-splinters readily) and reach the forward
right corner of the A-pillar you will feel a hole in the sheetmetal.  A
fishtape can be fed through this hole down the A-pillar and out by the
glovebox.  Wear long sleeves to protect against abrasions from the plywood
as well as the fiberglass insulation packed into this space.  You also
might need to remove the passenger side A-pillar grab handle and plastic
anchors to remove obstruction to the fishtape-I did.  Be careful when you
reinstall the grab handle so that the screws do not damage the wiring
behind.  Pull your wires up into the headliner area and detach from the
fishtape.

4) Now take your fishtape and enter the forward grill opening over the
sliding door and feed it forward along the wiring harness visible here.
The clearances are tight and several passes had to be made until the
fishtape would feed into the headliner area, never mind pull back 2 speaker
wire pairs.  I used heavy duty wire for fear of abrasion in an area I could
not readily inspect.

5) Now entering the air distributor from behind the right rear speaker,
feed the fishtape forward towards the front air grill opening, and pull
back your wires into the overhead cabinet.

6) My Westy has rear A/C, and the Kenwood grilles required modifications
with a Dremel along the inner edges to clear the A/C vent unit.  I had to
undercut the inside edges to fit over the A/C grille.

7) Front speakers need a flush grille if you are using the stock location,
due to window cranks.  You seem to have 2 choices-a spacer to increase
handle clearance, or reuse the stock speaker grilles.  The stock units in
my car were very unusual-Blaupunkt speakers with a permanently attached
grille assembly which threads onto the speakers.  I cut off the threaded
portion behind the grille with a Dremel/cutting wheel attachment to leave
just the flat grille, then drilled holes to match the speaker flanges and
sandwiched the door panel assembly in between.  Works like a charm, and
with black screws very unobtrusive.

8) Some type of subwoofer is sorely needed.  Bass response with 4" speakers
is marginal at best.  I am considering a subwoofer tube assembly behind the
seat to compensate, vs larger speakers in the door below the stock
locations.

Hope this is of some use to you.

Connor
85 Westy/02 Subaru 2.5L