Advice on what to do next...

[rix313]

Hey everyone,

I've recently pulled my finger out and fitted my Nakamichi CD400 head unit in place of my old Sony one which the car came with. Now my next focus is to start planning how to update the speakers to at least make use of the great things I've heard the Nakamichi can achieve. I'm a total ICE newbie so any recommendations on upgraded front and rear speakers would be great. I want to try and keep the interior aesthetics of the car untouched (i.e. not doing major builds and modifying speaker grilles etc). One thing I would like is some bass to go with the clarity. It's my understanding 6x9 speakers offer this, I would look to purchase a second parcel shelf to modify for these so to keep my original one intact.

Anyway, thanks in advance for the advice.

[flybynite]

I had a CD700 for a while and there is still a TD1200 in the 323 (form the days of tapes ), It stood for 20 years and fired straight up. They were never the cheapest thing but the price they fetch now is stupid, I will be taking it all out carefully!

You can get good speakers to fit the standard mounting holes behind the footwell grills easy enough.

There are tweeters that fit in the OEM door mounts, some easier than others Depends on whether you want to butcher a pair of original ones or make your own.

The problem with 6x9s in the rear is you will not only have to cut the cardboard parcel shelf but the metal underneath, unless you use something like the BMW 'premium speaker' which sits more 'above' the shelf.

I know this because I cut the shelf in the chromie to fit 6x9 speakers for the Nakamichi and am now having to weld it back up You may be forced to have a bass box rattling around in your boot if you don't want to cut metal.

You will need an amp to run any good speaker (and I think the Nakamichi only puts out line level signal anyway), a crossover to push the right frequency to the right speaker and make up for the bad acoustics of a car. All easily hidden

It is over 25 years since I put the system in the chromie but more recently I have used Focal speakers which I like and will probably use them to replace the old B&W MASS system in it now.

If you are on the dreaded zone facebook Kamal Sokhi is worth getting in touch with as he has done a lot of E30s and has a bit more up to date knowledge of what is about that works.

[rix313]

Ah cheers dude. I had a spell at Pagani and we used to fit Focal speakers to those as an upgrade. I have seen some truly awful parcel shelf 'modifications'. Needless to say I would be doing it as cleanly as possible if it did go that route. I had been watching some BMW premium speaker covers from the states but I was quite surprised the money people are asking for them. The same for the tweeter pods for the doors. Any idea what size speakers fit into the premium covers if I did bring myself to buy a pair?

[JungleGus]

It's been a long while since I did it, but I have pairs of these in the standard mounting position front and in the premium speakers rear (with the tweeters on tboth). They really should be ampe, I have them running off a Pioneer headunit of some description. To be honest with the amount of wind noise in the E30 I can't barely hear music anyway...

[Tzantushka]

If you want to keep it stock looking, the BMW premium rear speakers are the way to go.



They are pretty good, but from memory they are 5-1/4" with a dedicated tweeter.
So you're limited again.
The other option is to keep the premium enclosure and fit something larger underneath (bit of custom work involved).

I think the main drawback with the E30 set-up is you don't get good low end with the 5-1/4 inch speaker set-up.
I'm no ICE expert - but having 2 sets of components and a mini-sub tucked away somewhere would be a nice set-up.

Full disclosure:
I have a cabby and that brings inherent limitations with what can be installed - yet keeping it stock looking.
Whilst I would have loved Focals, but they were out of my budget.
Ended up replacing the fronts with some audison components - see my build here.
Was impressed with the improvement over the 30+ year old stock set-up.
Plus the tweeters plop straight in to the OE A pillar door pods.

[rix313]

Thanks for the links and tips guys. So I just went outside and realised something. I knew I had rear speakers but I paid zero attention to where they were. I was convinced that as standard there was a set in the rear quarter cards, goes to show what I know . Turns out my rear speakers are already in the rear parcel shelf! And to be fair to who ever did it they do look nice and neat so at least that saves me one bit of agro. I'll take a look at removing them and seeing what has been fitted and done to it.




@Tzantushka your thread looks good I'll give its proper read

[alexbaker1989]

I had a CD700 for a while and there is still a TD1200 in the 323 (form the days of tapes ), It stood for 20 years and fired straight up. They were never the cheapest thing but the price they fetch now is stupid, I will be taking it all out carefully!

I have a quick question on this.... I have a TD1200 limited which works perfectly (and sounds fabulous). I'm scratching my head over how I can fit it in the E30 though as I have no cage with mine, and it's not obvious how it mounts securely in the dash...?

P.S. I still record tapes on my Nakamichi in the house, so I can step back in time when in the E30

[Blanca]

If you want a bit more boom to your audio go for a under seat woofer will do the job. I have the standard layout with 4 x 4" three way Alpines but door tweeters help. I am still using e original Pioneer radio cassette and it still works.

I like the fact you want to keep it OEM, so many would hack and chop to fit 6x9 and 6" and good knows what amps. all totally unnecessary.

At Trinity Radio, Tewksbury, (many years ago) we outfitted a E30 325 Cabrio with top end Pioneer kit without altering anything and it won a couple of sound outs.

In a custom or kit car like mine, go big. I have 740W RMS amps from Soundlab. 2 x 8" three ways in rear, 2 x 6" three way in front kicks and 2" tweeters on the dash corners and a 10" 300w sub behind my seat all from Alpine . All off of a 2Din 7" all in one .

Sitting on a shelf I have a Pioneer KEX-M900RDS and tuner with KEX CD deck and shuttle, 1200€ anyone? But you need a big dash for 2Dins.
http://ukhozi.page.tl

[flybynite]

I have a quick question on this.... I have a TD1200 limited which works perfectly (and sounds fabulous). I'm scratching my head over how I can fit it in the E30 though as I have no cage with mine, and it's not obvious how it mounts securely in the dash...?

The TD1200 Limited was different to the MK1 and MK2. I think the Limited is 1-box where the originals were a 2-box affair. I think it is DIN and just needs a cage.

Mine is a Mk1 with a MK2 DIN faceplate. Because it is oversized the whole plastic surround had to come out, the radio was fitted (rear held by some metal strapping onto the mounting posts on the head unit) and then the surround refitted. The MK2 faceplate fitted in the din slot held in by the thin nuts. The second box was mounted above the glovebox.

Beauty was at the time it looked like an 'old' radio and no-one gave it a second glance.

It fed a complete B&W kevlar M.A.S.S. system with amp and 6 speakers. No sub needed because the door and rear speakers ran full range.

[alexbaker1989]

I have a quick question on this.... I have a TD1200 limited which works perfectly (and sounds fabulous). I'm scratching my head over how I can fit it in the E30 though as I have no cage with mine, and it's not obvious how it mounts securely in the dash...?

The TD1200 Limited was different to the MK1 and MK2. I think the Limited is 1-box where the originals were a 2-box affair. I think it is DIN and just needs a cage.

To be specific, mines a 1200 SE (thought that was the same as the limited but maybe it's just the same as a mk 2). Mine's also a 2 box unit with the same sized hideaway yours will have (but they're not interchangeable between models). I'll have to give installing it a try at some point. Other than finding a metal strap for the rear to earth it / secure in the car, does the faceplate otherwise just act as the main way of securing it in the dash? There appears to be nowhere to install a cage to it.

The only downside with mine is that it's for the Japanese market so the AM / FM frequencies are different to the UK market, so I won't be able to pick up a bunch of UK stations.

Love the B&W set up! In the E30 it's currently all new old stock Blaupunkt stuff apart from the front speakers which are original Pioneer's installed by the dealer. They're knackered so have ordered a pair of Helix coaxials to go in the kick panels. Head unit is a Memphis SQR-88 which has a great tape transport, but the Nak will show it a clean pair of heels!

My car came without rear speakers so I bought a second hand parcel shelf with holes already cut, had it re-trimmed to suit the interior and fitted a new old stock set of Blaupunkt MD-1690's (the ones with adjustable tweeter tilt). Sounds really good for a wheezy old 80's car stereo.

I have 2 BSA 107 amps which are like new. Would like to install those to run the front / rears separately but can't figure out a sensible place to mount them. I want to avoid drilling any holes if I can.

[flybynite]

I fitted it to mine probably 30 years ago, so forgive me if some of the finer details have been lost in the mists of time!

I think yours is still different to the MK 1/2 as I think it has the later angled buttons not the flat buttons like the early ones. I think it still has the thin flat plate facia?

Mine was well secured at the back for up, down, left right but also, in and out , then the thin facia plate clipped into the recess for the radio in the e30 dash. I remember having to fettle the corners a bit to get it to fit. The facia plate is then held in by the spindle nuts pulling against the head unit you secured (I think I added a couple of washers) this will support the front of the head unit.

Pain in the ass to fit but worth it and no-one getting it out easy

That is why a lot of them are about completely useless with no aux box because they were left behind when they were removed (or stolen)

Hope it makes sense? I would take a photo but the car is in lockdown the other end of the country

[alexbaker1989]

Here's mine (hope the picture displays):

It's as you described with the angled buttons. Sounds like a faff to fit, but it's definitely going in my E30 or in my Dad's 190 Cosworth one of these days...