Convertible audio help

[nas]

Hi All,

I pick up my 95 e36 (320i) convertible this weekend and I was wondering if anyone has any advice to offer regarding subs and ICE for the car.

I have been to a few audio specialists and they have conflicting views. One said it would be easy to get bass int he car and another said its virtually inpossible unless you have a very very high budget. I have been trying to find some writeups for sub installs in convertibles but I cannot find any. Does anyone have any good pics or writeups regarding audio installation in the drop top?

Am I also right in saying that the ski hole can hold an 8" sub.

I am on a budget but I do not know what kind of price range I am looking at to get moderate base so I can hear and feel and people outside can hear (preferably from down the road ). I currently have a 320i coupe with 2 x 10" and a 2 x 300W amp and I am very happy with the sound. If I could get a similar sound out of the drop I would be ecstatic.

I am also looking at getting a Kenwood LCD and a Kenwood MP3 Autochanger (10 disc). I like the KTV-M700 but I am unsure if the silver colour will go with the black dash of the BMW. Does anyone have any pics of the KTV-M700 in a BMW e36?

One dealer also told me that if I have a PS2 I should install that as well for the DVDs. I have one that I don't really use so I was wondering if there are any pros/cons of having the PS2 in the ride. (I know theft is a big issue especially with drop tops).

I would really appreciate any advice regarding any aspect of the above setup.

Thanks in advance
Nas

[The Due]

Nas, I waited a long time to do my ic audio install due to budget constraints, but I am really happy with the way it finally turned out. Over about three years I bought various pieces when I saw what I thought were good deals: a 50x4 & 200x1 Infinity Kappa amp, and an older sony mobile es 10+1 head unit and a 10" Kicker Comp VR sub. I brought these pieces to my friends installer (he's well known in NY, he does funkmaster flex's rides, noreage etc....)and said what can you do for $1,300
I told my installer that I definitely need a usable trunk, he recommended going with 1 10. He hooked up Focals for the front component speakers, and I left the rear stock ones in for rear fill (Im cheap ). He built a custom sealed box for the 10 and ported it through the ski-hole into the cabin. The box is really shallow (its an inch deeper than the sub) and he mounted it to the underside of the convertible top storage area (you know how the back of the trunk has lower clearance than the front)and mounted the amp vertically on the box, then carpeted it over. So now my trunk is just the area with high clearance, and the whole setup is hidden. For the relatively small amount of $ I spent I now have a great system that bumps from both inside and out, with no trunk rattle, and I can hear and feel it with the top down when Im driving. I'm very happy with it, I'll try and get some pics of it this weekend and post them for you. Good luck

[ToplessBMW3]

Yeah - I had that concern as well with my convertible when I first wanted to get my system done. I spent $800 installed (got a slight hookup) with a JL 10" sub w/box, Kenwood 200w amp, Boston Acoustic Rally 5.25" components up front (which are phenomenal IMO - the highs are great!) and just a set of Boston coaxials in the rear (you don't really need anything great back there). Then the Alpine head was another $300 so like $1150 all installed which wasn't bad at all. I did it in 2 phases so it didn't break me right away, hehe. I have a JL 10" sub in a box sitting in the larger portion of the trunk on the driver's side, but I am going to relocate it to the smaller portion as The Due did. I am going to try and build the box myself - figure it'll be a fun project But yeah, a 10" sub will be just fine, it bumps plenty. I suggest getting more than a 200w amp though; my Kenwood starts to overheat as I pump the volume with the top down after about a half hour of driving. Also, if you're gonna mount the amp on the floor of the trunk, elevate it off the floor about an inch or two so that air passes under it, that'll help keep temps down - you can also install a little fan like I did, it helps as well. Good luck, hope you get that droptop bumpin real soon

Sal