Caddy -09 - Audio Upgrade Project

[Tegheim]

I thought I start a thread about my audio upgrade project as it goes along.

Have started today to remove the door panels, and will begin the journey with cables and so on. Nothing fancy to show yet.

But this is the new speakers to go with in front.
Magnat New Edge 6.5"



And this is about how I will attach the tweeter.

[Tegheim]

I started with the doorpanels, have put up an "How to", and answer to my own question in "Caddy Chat", but will put them here as well, along with more build-pics.

Here comes the pictures.
There is alot!

First, the door.


These two at the bottom.


A small screwdriver.





Then you need this two sizes for the two in the bottom, an those behind the handle.


After that, start at the bottom an pull the doorpanel towards you straight out.


The clips are built to release, but ofcourse som will break.


I bought new ones, paid £4 for this little bag.


Release the cables




Tada


One broke, but I will glue it back.


Here one also broke, so I replacet it with a new one.
Here you also see why you can't slide the doors of. The clips are mounted from different directions.




So the doors are of, but I was going to change the whole sound system, I give you a little bonus

Use plastic kitchen tools to provide hurting the interior.





I also go the passenger seat out.


Thought I maybe put some Volvo S60-seats in? I have them lying around, and the are very comfortable.
But thats a later project.


Started to put three MDF-boards togheter, and the roughly put it out Ø215mm diameter.


Then, after some hours, they was ready to mount.

[Tegheim]

Have done some small progress.

Painted the adapters and put the new cable to the mid-range woofer in the door. Then mounting and tomorrow hang back the doorpanel on that side.

Have also bought a Kenwood DDX4023BT.

[Tegheim]

I did a quick temporary rack for the amp and filters. Have played about 5hours now with the amp on minimum, and the 6.5" are starting to feel as the want more power :-)
This was a great upgrade! I really pleased so far.

[Topfloorer]

Good write up. Im doing the same with mb quart 6.5 and jl audio 8s with a jl 360/2 and 500.1
Think I will make the speaker rings the same but the amps are going behind my head
I managed to box them in on the t5 but dont think enough room in the caddy doors
Think the standard setup is bassy anyway. Glad someone else has similar ideas
Where have you placed the tweeters? Pete

[Tegheim]

I have also thought to have a JL 8W3v3 as backup. But will wait for the front adapt. They are pretty mean, and will probobly do by them self.
Will put up measaurements on my MDF-rings when I know they fit inside the doors perfectly.

The tweeters are at the moment in the stock position. Will try to anhle them up a bit, or maybe put them in the mirror-cover.

Will you put the amp's inside the coupe or on the "darkside"?

[Topfloorer]

Sometimes angling the tweeters up across the screen improves the front staging. I used to aim to get the sound to appear as if on the bonnet. You have to drive round with them mocked up for a bit until your happy
Im putting a sub in each well behind the seats wired at 1ohm I think should kick nicely
The amps will be side by side just above the seats with a crossover eavh side. Want everthing in the cab with the back sealed off for work. I wont be able to do anything for a couple of weeks but ill stick some pictures on
I may mount the speakers over the top of the door trim so they hold everything tight
Its also worth glueing thick ply inside the door skin. Tightens the bass plus stops a bit of sound going outside.

[Tegheim]

2x8" will be awsome. My thought is that the Caddy is too loud and plastic to handle subwoofers. But maybe I'll follow your lead. These Magnat New Edge play alot of low freq though.

Any thoughts about the ignition-power to the headunit?
I have the new BIG Iso in my -09. And the oem-unit goes with canbus I guess. Both red and yellow iso-cable are power on 24/7. Would be nice to kill headunit with key out as original.

Was told that Caddys should have a relay that gives power on ignition, but cant find it?

[Topfloorer]

Ive got a mk5 golf headbunit at moment. There must be a wire from the ignition somewhere
The T5 had a brown wire with a purple trace in the loom behind the stereo but ive not yet looked in the caddy

[downhill-monsta]

Just run an ignition live in from the fuse box, It takes about 15min.

[Tegheim]

I don't want a Ignition Live, but a Radio-power as OEM. So when you switch of the key the unit runs until you pick the key out.

[Tegheim]

Now I'm finished so far. All interior is back. Just some easy hours to make the speakers adapt. Then I will see if I get a subwoofer also.

I mounted the tweeters down in the stock hole. It turned out really good with the windscreen as a mirror.


Then I got to change the adapters a bit.





And this is how my MDF-adpaters were made to fit my Magnat-kit.



Also a bad picture of the headunit in standby with my Rotary-Engine-Picture from SolidWorks captured.

[Tegheim]

I thought I put up two pics of the Caddy when I was finished with the sound install.

[downhill-monsta]

Any of the finished install inside?

[Tegheim]

There is nothing to see, because everything is behind original interior
Only the headunit looks different though.

And so far, the amplifier and the filters lays on the unpainted board under the left seat as in picture.
Will play about 30-50 hours before I deside if I going for a sub or not.