How to properly terminate wiring

[doitor]

This is my version to properly terminate wiring. I got the inspiration on Bryan's install thread (MiloX) just added my touch to it.
What you need:
1.- Techflex
2.- Colored and clear heatshrink in different sizes (I got mine from partsexpress)
3.- Labeler ($20 dlls in Office Depot)
4.- Patience. LOL.
5.- Heatgun or if you dont have one a lighter will do.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05915.jpg

STEPS.
1.- Take your wire, separate the ends and cut the insulation depending on your application.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05916.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05917.jpg

2.- Color code with colored heatshrink your positive and negative cables.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05918.jpg

3.- Cover the wire with techflex if you havent already. Leave a 1/2 inch gap or so between the techflex and the heatshrink.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05920.jpg

4.- Apply a bigger diameter heatshrink over the techflex and the positive and negative heatshrink.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05921.jpg


5.- Apply heat.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05923.jpg

6.- This is the labeler I used. Type the label and print.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05924.jpg

7.- This is what you get. Trim the excess of.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05925.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05926.jpg

8.- Apply the label to the colored heatshink.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05928.jpg

9.- Cut a piece of bigger diameter clear heatshrink and cover the hole part.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05930.jpg

10.- Apply heat and now you have a properly terminated, color coded, techflexed cable.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc163/doitor/DSC05932.jpg

Use your imagination and give it your personal touch.

[MiloX]

Thanks for the hat tip doitor.

The color coding is the perfect evolution of this technique.

[BassBaller5]

great write up man, they look great!

[KAP]

Good write up. That is A very good way to terminate wiring. But since there are so many different ways to terminate wiring with good results, I dont know if any one way would be considered the proper way.

[doitor]

Good write up. That is A very good way to terminate wiring. But since there are so many different ways to terminate wiring with good results, I dont know if any one way would be considered the proper way.

I totally agree with you KAP.
I should have named the thread "How to properly terminate wiring Doitor's style".

[Thumper26]

excellent writeup.

i'd like to add that you can get 3:1 heatshrink in about any color at www.wirecare.com

it's not really needed for speaker wire, but is very useful for things like ai-net wires, alpine 701 control cables, and other cables with larger connector ends on them.

[drocpsu]

pretty good idea. I wish I would've done this before so that I don't lose track of which wire is which. I guess technically I still can.

[dummptyhummpty]

You guys are amazing, I can't wait to get started on my install. Or I should say "Can't wait to get finished".

[chad]

5. I could not IMAGINE doing all that with a lighter! My thumb would be shot!
Tell the ladies out there that heat guns make a WONDERFUL last minute holiday gift. :D

Good job man!

[QtrHorse]

Curious to why you said to leave a 1/2in gap between the Techflex and color coded pcs of heatshrink? Nice little write up by the way.

I have to mention my new toy I got today for this purpose (labeling wires). I bought a Dymo 5000 labeler and this thing is nice. It is so much over kill for this type of job but I got a good deal and could not pass it up. It does vertical and horizontal cable wraps (you can put in the size of cable you are wrapping and it will automatically make the correct length label and size of lettering), has characters (speaker symbol/ character), serial type numeralization (not sure if that is a word) and some other cool stuff that I would never use. You can use flexible nylon lables that will stick to anything, vinyl labels, glossy polyester and they even have heatshrink labeling material that you can print directly on.

[MiloX]

5. I could not IMAGINE doing all that with a lighter! My thumb would be shot!
Tell the ladies out there that heat guns make a WONDERFUL last minute holiday gift. :D

Good job man!

http://web.mac.com/milox/iWeb/Random/Photos_files/droppedImage_2.jpg

[chad]

http://web.mac.com/milox/iWeb/Random/Photos_files/droppedImage_2.jpg

It also keeps from blackening the colored shrink making the colors more vibrant.

This is the one I use for kick around work, it's a middle of the road craftsman and it absolutely ROCKS, heats very fast, etc. My ONLY complaint is that the nozzle stays very hot for a long time unlike my more substantial master brand I use at work that has a shield. You will only have to burn yourself once to learn your lesson, and your wife too, she'll burn herself on it too, but if you ever wanted matching tattoos...... ;)

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911801000P?keyword=heat+gun

http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00911801000?qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

Chad

[doitor]

Curious to why you said to leave a 1/2in gap between the Techflex and color coded pcs of heatshrink? Nice little write up by the way.

I have to mention my new toy I got today for this purpose (labeling wires). I bought a Dymo 5000 labeler and this thing is nice. It is so much over kill for this type of job but I got a good deal and could not pass it up. It does vertical and horizontal cable wraps (you can put in the size of cable you are wrapping and it will automatically make the correct length label and size of lettering), has characters (speaker symbol/ character), serial type numeralization (not sure if that is a word) and some other cool stuff that I would never use. You can use flexible nylon lables that will stick to anything, vinyl labels, glossy polyester and they even have heatshrink labeling material that you can print directly on.

The 1/2 inch gap isn't exact. You can leave as much or as little as you want. It's going to be covered anyway.
That labeler sound amazing.
Start your wiring and post pics.

[QtrHorse]

It also keeps from blackening the colored shrink making the colors more vibrant.

This is the one I use for kick around work, it's a middle of the road craftsman and it absolutely ROCKS, heats very fast, etc. My ONLY complaint is that the nozzle stays very hot for a long time unlike my more substantial master brand I use at work that has a shield. You will only have to burn yourself once to learn your lesson, and your wife too, she'll burn herself on it too, but if you ever wanted matching tattoos...... ;)

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911801000P?keyword=heat+gun

http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00911801000?qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

Chad

Those Masters heat guns are really nice. We used to use them a lot when I did vinyl work at a sign company.

I'm not sure if they sell them on Ebay anymore but I bought a nice Black & Decker heat gun last year for around $35 shipped. It came in a hard plastic case, had 4 different tips that came with it and had a heavy duty cord. You are correct about burning yourself only once. I was not using my heat shield and had the gun turned off for about 10 minutes and accidently touched the tip and almost fell down because I flinched so hard when I touched it with my arm.

I just checked on Ebay and the only person still selling them has auctions listed for two heat guns for $50 plus shipping now instead of one. He is accepting best offers though.

[blacklabel]

nice how-to bro, that's the shizzz

[flakko]

what size wire and what size flex did you use? i think we have the same wire and wanna copy :)

thanks for hte writeup!

[OldOneEye]

Great write up.

If you are going this far, might as well tin the wires as well (and maybe even use colors that leave no doubt which speaker wire is positive and which is negative (black and red)).

Outside of that, a heatgun won't leave any soot on the shrink tubing, while a lighter might. Just a consideration. Plus flame only really wants to go up, hot air goes where you point it.

Juan

[doitor]

Great write up.

If you are going this far, might as well tin the wires as well (and maybe even use colors that leave no doubt which speaker wire is positive and which is negative (black and red)).

Juan

I use black and red in my install. This is just the step by step with what I had available at the moment.

[Masi994]

not sure this helps anyone or not but Harbor Freight has a kick A$$ 2 setting heat gun for under $20... it's on sale now for $9.99--hard to beat that!!

check it here:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96289

[OldOneEye]

not sure this helps anyone or not but Harbor Freight has a kick A$$ 2 setting heat gun for under $20... it's on sale now for $9.99--hard to beat that!!

check it here:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96289

I own one like that. Suprisingly good for the money, not sure if the best bet if you do the shrinking in the tube (can put out alot of hot air).

Another option is a butane powered soldering iron that also has attachments that include heat gun. A must have if you ask me anyway.

Juan

[chad]

Another option is a butane powered soldering iron that also has attachments that include heat gun. A must have if you ask me anyway.

Juan

HA! Walmart just had these on clearance for 15 bucks and I picked one up, nice for brazing ring connectors and the soldering tip is surprisingly adjustable in heat, nice purchase, goes thru butane like it's nobody's business though!

[doitor]

what size wire and what size flex did you use? i think we have the same wire and wanna copy :)

thanks for hte writeup!


The speaker wire is 14 gauge.
The techflex to cover each speaker wire is 3/8".
For single wires, I used 1/8".
For the speaker wire bundle that runs on the passenger side, I used 3/4".

[customtronic]

First off...Brian's wiring is amazing! We joke about it on Team Z and have nick-named his wiring job as "sterile". It's just that clean. I'd like to add one thing. Don't buy or use foil labels like silver or gold under the clear heatshrink. It looks awsome but turns black when heat is applied. You then have to cut it all apart, drive 20 minutes back to the store, buy a new color......you get the picture. Guess how I know this part.:D

[s10scooter]

Well, I had $40 more to qualify for free shipping amd now I know how to spend it.

Is this a decent heatgun?

[Ge0]

Let me ask one question. Why the tech flex? Is everybody using wiring with extremely whimpy jacket?

Besides some bling, what is the point?

I buy automotive grade cable made for under hood applications. The stuff is impervious to heat, abrasion, etc... Would I get more brownie points if I tech flexed?

Ge0

[chad]

Let me ask one question. Why the tech flex? Is everybody using wiring with extremely whimpy jacket?

Besides some bling, what is the point?

I buy automotive grade cable made for under hood applications. The stuff is impervious to heat, abrasion, etc... Would I get more brownie points if I tech flexed?

Ge0

My Hero.

But I loom mine with the stock stuff ;)

[Thumper26]

Let me ask one question. Why the tech flex? Is everybody using wiring with extremely whimpy jacket?

Besides some bling, what is the point?

I buy automotive grade cable made for under hood applications. The stuff is impervious to heat, abrasion, etc... Would I get more brownie points if I tech flexed?

Ge0

b/c a lot of the people posting this stuff do comps. IASCA is retarded when it comes down to protecting the wires. I love things looking neat and clean, but fawk having to anchor something every 6 inches or less that's running underneath carpet in an interior.

Alas, I'm doing it. like it or not. :(

[andrei]

excellent work doitor! i'd like mine to be as neat and well protected!

dont want to look like a lazy ass, but im not really that good with these kinds of estimates. im using dali wave speaker wires which are about 12 gauge (please correct me if im wrong). may i ask for your opnions on what would be the safest techflex size to wrap a single wire? as i'm running a front 3 way full active set, would you guys recommend that i cover the speaker wire as a pair instead?

also, is 3/4" enough for a knu kolossus 1/0 gauge power wire.

thanks guys! :)

[doitor]

excellent work doitor! i'd like mine to be as neat and well protected!

dont want to look like a lazy ass, but im not really that good with these kinds of estimates. im using dali wave speaker wires which are about 12 gauge (please correct me if im wrong). may i ask for your opnions on what would be the safest techflex size to wrap a single wire? as i'm running a front 3 way full active set, would you guys recommend that i cover the speaker wire as a pair instead?

also, is 3/4" enough for a knu kolossus 1/0 gauge power wire.

thanks guys! :)

Hi Andrei.
For single wires I used the 1/8" one.
For a pair of speaker wires (pos and neg) I used: 1/4" or 3/8"
I'm in the middle of changing my power and ground wires from 4 gauge to 0/1 gauge and for both I used the 3/4" one.
I recommend that when 2 or more cables run togeher, run them inside a bigger size techflex. And when they split, cover them with smaller size.
Check it out in my install thread.
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21969

[Thumper26]

I used 1/8" for 16 gauge speaker wire. that was the double wire that had pos and negative. I used 3/4" for my 1/0 power wire, but it was a bit loose. 3/8" fits tighter, but also shows more of the wire underneath, so it depends on how tight or loose you want it. 3/8" also covered ai-net cables no problem, but you had to go through the straight connector side, not the right angle side.

[WrenchGuy]

b/c a lot of the people posting this stuff do comps. IASCA is retarded when it comes down to protecting the wires. I love things looking neat and clean, but fawk having to anchor something every 6 inches or less that's running underneath carpet in an interior.

Alas, I'm doing it. like it or not. :(

Yeah my Avionics buddy has to deal with this rule in a 747 over a span of about 6 miles of wire. I'm glad I'm not Avionics...lol

[Ge0]

b/c a lot of the people posting this stuff do comps. IASCA is retarded when it comes down to protecting the wires. I love things looking neat and clean, but fawk having to anchor something every 6 inches or less that's running underneath carpet in an interior.

Alas, I'm doing it. like it or not. :(

Believe me, I'm not knocking anyone who does this. It looks kind of neat. Does Tech flex really add a reliable/durable protection barrier beyond if you used the right grade of wire for the job in the first place?

Many moons ago I purchased some Rockford Fosgate branded speaker cable from Best Buy because I was too lazy to go elsewhere and find an alternate. You could knick the jacket and strip insulation back with your thumb nail. In this instance, I felt the wire was too whimpy so I jacketed it with automotive underhood grade loom. However, since then I went to the real automotive grade jacketed wire. You can hold a lighter over the jacket for as long as you want and meerly discolor it. It is also very abbrasion resistant. This is the stuff the OEMs run thoughout the vehicle and most of the time only bundle together with electrical tape. A MUCH better product IMHO.

As far as anchoring it every 6 inches, I find that a little overboard. I'll anchor it in spots I feel I need to (sometimes just straping it to an existing vehicle harness with zip ties). But every 6 inches just seems down right anal.

Are you saying if I wanted to fart around and compete in a few competitions next year that I would need to rip my vehicle apart and gut the wiring? Is a judge going to make me pull up the carpeting on the floor of my vehicle to have a look?

Is this just IASCA or all sanctioned bodies?

Curious...

Ge0

[Thumper26]

all mine is for the aesthetics, not to keep my wire from screwing up. The only part that I do that's also in the rules is cover my wire with conduit under my car. Other than that it's just fluff.

all this crap is required in most IASCA divisions. they have a sqc which is only sound specific, and not install specific. MECA has it as a separate thing to enter, so you can do sound and install as two different things.

[customtronic]

A couple of guys hit it on the head when they commented on doing this in a competition vehicle. Honestly, do I think I'd have problems with my wiring if I didn't secure it every 6" with a zip-tie? probably not. Am I worried that my wires will chaff through if I don't wrap them in Techflex? Probably not. But, it's the small, behind the scenes details that you find in cars like Brian's G and in my Magnum that seperate us from some of the other installs. In my opinion if you want a world class installation for competition purposes the details like this are a must. I don't do the wiring like this in every install I do. If the customer is willing to pay the extra cost I would most certainly take the extra time especially if the vehicle will end up in the competition lanes.

[Ge0]

A couple of guys hit it on the head when they commented on doing this in a competition vehicle. Honestly, do I think I'd have problems with my wiring if I didn't secure it every 6" with a zip-tie? probably not. Am I worried that my wires will chaff through if I don't wrap them in Techflex? Probably not. But, it's the small, behind the scenes details that you find in cars like Brian's G and in my Magnum that seperate us from some of the other installs. In my opinion if you want a world class installation for competition purposes the details like this are a must. I don't do the wiring like this in every install I do. If the customer is willing to pay the extra cost I would most certainly take the extra time especially if the vehicle will end up in the competition lanes.

Fair enough. So, in most cases this additional effort would be considered extra credit, correct? Not necessarily affecting the safety of my vehicle.

Ge0

[Lumadar]

It's because of bastards like Milox (Term of endearment! lol) that I am spending WEEKS putting what was supposed to be a relatively simple system in my car. I have the damn wires routed like a well orchestrated parade, tech-flexed, and strapped down every 4-6 inches...dear God...and I won't even be competing!

Now if I could only finish the damn fiberglass prep work.... :rolleyes:

[customtronic]

It's because of bastards like Milox (Term of endearment! lol) that I am spending WEEKS putting what was supposed to be a relatively simple system in my car. I have the damn wires routed like a well orchestrated parade, tech-flexed, and strapped down every 4-6 inches...dear God...and I won't even be competing!

Now if I could only finish the damn fiberglass prep work.... :rolleyes:

LOL...I'll tell you what...I had my Magnum finished and then saw his car at a show near Nashville. The day after the show I ripped it all apart and re-did all my wiring. That's one of the great things about competing. You meet great friends that are super talented and they make you want to step your game up.

[Thumper26]

man, i couldn't imagine ripping everything up and starting over. i'm on the last legs of getting mine done, and right now I don't ever want to techflex another wire in my life!

[customtronic]

Well...I looked at it this way...If I would've done it right the first time I would not have had to go back and do it again. The old saying...do it right the first time would've saved me a few days of work. LOL

[Thumper26]

yeah lol :(

out of curiosity, how was it done before you redid it?

[chad]

man, i couldn't imagine ripping everything up and starting over. i'm on the last legs of getting mine done, and right now I don't ever want to techflex another wire in my life!

Here's The situation for me. If they don't like the way the wires look under the false floor, they can piss up a rope! Lookee! No tech-flex!!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/Civic%20Audio/Hatch%20Build/100_1650.jpg

Yall are really gonna shit a brick when I tell you that there's [gasp] spare wire under the sub enclosure bundled :o This way I can relocate the amp if I have to! I can LITERALLY take the amp out of the car and put it on a stool BEHIND the car with it still attached! Oh The Huge-Manatee!

I may say I'm done with mine, you may say you are done with yours, but who the hell are we trying to kid. Look at the VAST majority of the members here and tell me if you think they will EVER be done with their install.

Chances are you have only begun your tech flex journey ;)

Chad

[Thumper26]

the install i'm doing right now is the first to ever have techflex. before this whole "i'd like to compete" thing, the extra wire was coiled up under the amp rack, and i just focused on making that part look nice.

[cmusic]

Are you saying if I wanted to fart around and compete in a few competitions next year that I would need to rip my vehicle apart and gut the wiring? Is a judge going to make me pull up the carpeting on the floor of my vehicle to have a look?

Is this just IASCA or all sanctioned bodies?

Curious...

Ge0

all this crap is required in most IASCA divisions. they have a sqc which is only sound specific, and not install specific. MECA has it as a separate thing to enter, so you can do sound and install as two different things.

I was an IASCA competitor and judge for about 10 years. When the street classes came along we mostly judged on these main points:

1.Is the wire ran away from dangerous locations (exhaust, engine, door hinges)?
2.Is the power/ground wiring the appropriate size for the amount of watts/current draw in the system?
3.Is the main power wire(s) fused within 18" of the positive battery terminal?
4.Is the main fuse the proper size? (no 200 amp fuse for a system needing only a 50 amp fuse)
5.Is the wiring protected where it goes through metal (firewall)?
6.Is the wiring terminated correctly (no strands of wire showing) at the amplifier (s)and other equipment.
7.Is each piece in the system fused individually?
8.Are the fuses easy to access and change? (The fuses on the amps and other equipment are fine if they can be easily accessed. The factory fuse for the radio is fine also.)
9.If there are additional batteries in the system, are they vented to the outside of the vehicle and fused on all power lines within 18" of the positive terminal?
10.Are the speaker's wired safely? (Covered spade lugs are fine.)

Notice all the above points should be done for any basic install and does not require any "over the top" install tricks (for the street classes). The most important part was showing all the connections in the system to the judge by either pointing them out in the install presentation or by picture in your install log book. The wiring is judged on the worst seen wire in the system. The key is to only let the judge see where the wiring looks its best. I've seen many IASCA world championship winning cars torn apart and the wiring looked horrible behind the panels and carpet.

I have not competed in USACi since 1997 but I have had many competition friends tell of extreme install requirements their judges want. One competitor had 8 layers of protection around his power wire including fire resistant nomex and one PVC layer that was resistant to nuclear radiation! He had OSHA MSDS forms for each layer of protection around the power wire. He received a 0 out of 10 for wire protection at the USAC finals one year!:o His judge said he did not do anything more unique than the other competitors in his class.

[Thumper26]

well since you used to be a judge, are there any preferred ways of dealing with excess wire like ai-net cables, etc? is coiling them up under the rear seat and anchoring them acceptable?

[cmusic]

well since you used to be a judge, are there any preferred ways of dealing with excess wire like ai-net cables, etc? is coiling them up under the rear seat and anchoring them acceptable?

Yes, for the Street classes coiling excess wire under a seat or anywhere else is acceptable if they won't be in a location where they could be pinched or damaged.

[Thumper26]

cool deal.

i think i'm going to be an install judge so i can give people a break. i'd view it like you said. going above and beyond would be points on the creativity section.

[customtronic]

yeah lol :(

out of curiosity, how was it done before you redid it?

Basically I ran the wires the same way, zip-ties every 6", ect. I just went back and did the Techflex, heatshrink, labled the wires, ect. Brian summed it up best when he said something like "never be afraid to let them see your wiring".

[cmusic]

cool deal.

i think i'm going to be an install judge so i can give people a break. i'd view it like you said. going above and beyond would be points on the creativity section.

Let me give you a few judging pointers. MECA and UASCi judge car to car, determining each score based on how previous cars are scored. If the first car is given a 5 and if the second car is better it will get a 6. And likewise if the third car is worse than the first two then it would receive a 4. It is almost impossible to get a perfect score this way. If the first car is not very good then the overall scores for the class might be high. If the first car is near perfect then the rest of the scores will be low.

IASCA judges car to rulebook. You score each car seperately and give the score that the rulebook says should be given. So if a car matches the criteria that the rulebook says should be between 4 and 6 points, then they will get either 4,5, or 6 points. In this case it is possible to score perfectly. I have achieved a perfect score more than once in street install judging.

Just to note that I have done some judging for MECA but was terminated as a judge in 2001 because I scored car to rulebook, not car to car. (Although it was never brought to my attention that MECA prefers car to car judging.)

[customtronic]

As far as judging goes....if you have to coil up a wire like an AI-Net cable that's fine. Do it neatly and tuck it away. No one expects you to cut a cable like that to length. If it can't be seen by looking in the car you're not going to lose points for it. You do have to show pics of everything that can't be seen if you want the points for it but an install judge will understand these things. I have a couple of cables that are bundled up here and there and they can be even be seen in a pic or two. I was able to score a 94 out of 100 at finals...the highest score at finals.

[stoeszilla]

Here's The situation for me. If they don't like the way the wires look under the false floor, they can piss up a rope! Lookee! No tech-flex!!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/Civic%20Audio/Hatch%20Build/100_1650.jpg

Yall are really gonna shit a brick when I tell you that there's [gasp] spare wire under the sub enclosure bundled :o This way I can relocate the amp if I have to! I can LITERALLY take the amp out of the car and put it on a stool BEHIND the car with it still attached! Oh The Huge-Manatee!

I may say I'm done with mine, you may say you are done with yours, but who the hell are we trying to kid. Look at the VAST majority of the members here and tell me if you think they will EVER be done with their install.

Chances are you have only begun your tech flex journey ;)

Chad

But wait! You're being practical! That's not allowed! :)

Chad's picture is probably what I will aspire to (if I'm lucky); practical installation with enough attention to detail that makes sense for the application. I gibber everytime I see milox's installation (a beyond-wicked attention to detail)-it is the ultimate.

Is it suitable for me, the average daily driver-kind of installation of some average speakers (coming in the mail)? Probably not. I will, however, steal ideas ruthlessly from milox when it makes sense (terminal strips, etc.)

Thanks for posting all of these; it makes me want to try to be a better wire-routerer...

chris

[OldOneEye]

Here's The situation for me. If they don't like the way the wires look under the false floor, they can piss up a rope! Lookee! No tech-flex!!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/Civic%20Audio/Hatch%20Build/100_1650.jpg

Yall are really gonna shit a brick when I tell you that there's [gasp] spare wire under the sub enclosure bundled :o This way I can relocate the amp if I have to! I can LITERALLY take the amp out of the car and put it on a stool BEHIND the car with it still attached! Oh The Huge-Manatee!

I may say I'm done with mine, you may say you are done with yours, but who the hell are we trying to kid. Look at the VAST majority of the members here and tell me if you think they will EVER be done with their install.

Chances are you have only begun your tech flex journey ;)

Chad

Wiring is clean and neat, but why so much extra? Seriously, isn't that sort of the other side of the exact length with 4 levels of protection coin? I know I leave a little slack just in case the next amp has terminals on the other side, but where could you possible put an amp that you would need enough wire to put it outside of the car? Not trying to bash, but paying for extra wire isn't a thing I like to do too often.

Juan

[ClassicCoupe]

Great thread. :)

Got to get my own wiring in shape after reading this information.

A question about hooking up the speakers.

Is spade lugs allowed, or is soldering the only acceptable method?

My speakers seems to go in and out of the car a lot and a fixed connection would add a lot of work....:confused: