I would sugg. that if you are going to put in the DCI then do it now. Have you considered buying the 9813 and spending the $100 on the DCI?

To put it in later you would have to rewire the harness.

I put in rears and think they made a big difference. Cutting the panels is not difficult. I took the panel off and made a stiff cardboard template to ensure the fit was good. I put in Kenwood Excelon Xr-501's.

You may also want to re-wire the doors to get thicker wire in.

 

I looked at the 9813 but I do like the 9815 better, even though it is basically the same unit. I would rather have blue buttons than the green....yes stupid but aesthetics do matter in this whole process.

I am going to put 16 gauge wires to the front speakers. I am still unsure on the rears. If I do anything I will probably just put the stock fronts in the rear. I will probably make that decision on the fly. Most likely I will at least run wire to the rear for future installation of rear speakers.

As for the DCI, I am still debating it. I just don't know how bad it will be to not have those controls anymore. I realize that I use them all the time but will it be a major inconvenience not to anymore? I just don't know yet. Did you install a DCI and if so do you like it? Which one did you go with?

 

I installed the DCI and have a 9813. I find that I use both the dash controls most of the time, but since the 9813/15 has so many options, I am still playing with them and need to use the deck to do that.

Once it is setup the way I want it, I will probably only use the dash controls.

 

10 guage....HAHAH...childs play...i stuck a 4 gauge through that grommet. Youll have no problems with 10 gauge.

 

The stock speakers are a VERY tight fit in the rear panels. Make sure you measure carefully.

10ga is easy to run. Remove the battery and near the back of the mounting plate, up on the firewall, is a grommet. Cut the tape off the grommet and you can easily pull 10ga through there. It comes out in the passenger footwell. It should be VERY easy to route over to the HU. Be sure to install an inline fuse near the battery.

Given all the work you are talking about doing, it makes sense to think about this from one step back. While I can be sure that budget is a concern, consider doing a more comprehensive system. If you are going to put in such nice speakers, and new wires to boot, then it only makes sense to power them with an amp. Also as mentioned, since the HU will be out, and you will be rewiring it for a new one, that is the time to add the DCI.

My advice (as the most cost effective and least labor intesive) way to do a full blown install on your car would be this:

Install an amp, either a 4 or 5 channel depending on your taste and how big you want to go. (And how much trunk space you are ultimatly willing to give up.) Install the HU, DCI and Front Speakers. I know this is going to be a big bill. Then later, add good rear speakers off your existing amp. If you need more after that then add a sub. If you got the 4 channel amp above, then get a sub amp, otherwise drive off the 5th channel.

In this way, you will not have to RE-do things when you upgrade the system down the road. While the compents of the system can be expensive, don't forget the costs of labor in this too.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PAS2KNut
[B]I have the Alpine 9815 and am very please with the performance.

 

Thanks everyone on all the advice, suggestions, and instructions.

I decided on the 9815 and it should be arriving next week, hopefully. I also got the Lucid / Modifry DCI and the door adapter kit.

Ruexp67,

I appreciate your advice of adding an amp. For me it isn't that important. I am changing the system because basically I can't hear the music at speed with the top down. I just want to be able to hear something at 90mph that isn't completely garbled.

I figured I would put the back speakers in just because I was doing everything else. After looking into it a bit more I am not going to cut my rear panels. I am looking into the possibility of finding a wreck and taking those panels and cutting them. The other issue is that I don't want to lose ANY trunk space. I don't have enough already with the amount of bags my girl brings on trips. (I actually put a small dent in my trunk this weekend because of all the crap I had in it. It lifted a spot on the outside from something that was in the trunk. I am not too happy about it and trying to figure out how to fix it.)

I will probably still run the wires to the rear in case I ever put the speakers in. But most likely I won't ever use it.....that is if the fronts are good enough, which I hope they are....anything has to be better than stock.

 

Actually I got in to it with the same idea as you, I just wanted to hear the radio. My point was not to say everyone needs a top of the line system in their car, so you must too. The point is you are already spending a lot of time and effort for a result that may be only marginally better than what you have. With a little extra planning (and a few extra bucks) you can have someting that will meet or exceed your expectations. This is just a little bit of "future proofing." At the end of the day, if your happy that's all that matters. Good luck and let us know if you have more questions.

 

No problem. Didn't take it that you were saying I had to have a top of the line system. Was a good suggestion, just not what I think I want to do at the current time...may be a mistake but at this time is the right thing for me.

Already this thread has helped me because I wasn't planning on installing a DCI. I am glad I posted this before I started the labor and bought the HU. Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by QuickS
[B]I figured I would put the back speakers in just because I was doing everything else.