Project CompuMach: 2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - Total In-Dash install complete!

**ibanez737** · 10-28-2005, 06:56 PM

Onnne more question

Is there a way to hook up the GPS to maybe a home computer and be able to track the GPS unit from your house, kinda like a home made Lo-jack? Anyone know?

**pyros** · 10-28-2005, 08:43 PM

Willy: I'm just using the no-name ebay one and it works great. I think its called the BU-303. Its mounted under the rear windshield inside the car on the deck where the 6x9 speakers are (behind the trunk).

tj!2k4: I thought only the hood was fibreglass? Fack, I think I'll have to try what you're suggesting!!!

ibanez: sorry, trying to make sense of all that lol. the one you linked about is two pieces because its for a 2000-01. The 2000-01's had two amps in the trunk and one under the factory HU. Hence, two separate wiring harnesses because of the routing of the wiring (i believe).

1) connect the soundcard to the RCA's using a RCA Y-Adaptor like this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

2) since you're not using an opus, get a radio wiring harness also (this is the one that you get that has power, ground, ignition, accessories, speakers, etc...). Connect the accessory wire of this wiring harness to the remote wire on the amp wiring harness. Do the same for the ground. If you dont want to do this, you can tap into the factory harness. Personally, I hate doing that.

3) Since you also have an '04, you'll need another amp to run the highs (2 woofers and 2 midrange speakers are run off the amps in your trunk, the highs in the doors and rear deck are run off the factory HU). For this, run at least an 8 guage power cable from your battery to your trunk. You'll need an inline fuse no more then 12 inches from the battery to be safe. Run another line (18 guage should be fine, remember larger the number, thinner the cable) from the accessory on the wiring harness to the amp in the trunk and wire it to the 'remote'. A nice place to mount the amp is inside the quarter panel trim inside the trunk. Run a ground from the amp to a spot on teh body, preferrably within 2 feet (mine is within 3 and its still fine).

4) If you dont want the amps to turn on with the car (if the laptop isn't on), you could always run a switch on the accessory line from the harness, then run from the switch to the remote turn ons for the amps.

I hope that clears it up, because in all honesty your questions were confusing me lol :P

I have no idea what paint he used, he mixed it himself to match my factory bezel. I dont think he would even know if I asked him, sorry

As for your last question, there are a few options for that right now. Check in the GPS forum and input devices forum, there were a few active topics on it right now. I'm working on a custom solution for this right now that I might be selling, so I'll post with more details when they come available

**Willy-Mach1** · 10-28-2005, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by tj!2k4

tip: your trunk lid is fiberglass. mount the GPS to the inside the of trunk lid, it'll work like a dream.

works perfectly for me in my 03 GT and it's invisible. same thing goes for the XM antenna.

hmmmmm.....had not thought of that, I knew that the trunk lid is fiberglass (found out when I tried to get the magnetic GPS antenna to stick to it

), but it didn't even cross my mind to put the antennas under the lid! i'm going to try that this weekend. Thanks TJ!!!

**kiztope** · 10-28-2005, 10:17 PM

just FYI, My bu-303 is mounted under my rear bumper and works better than it did on my front dash....

**pyros** · 10-30-2005, 01:26 AM

kiztope: i was thinking about that but there isn't any room to put it under mine i dont think...

**tj!2k4** · 10-30-2005, 08:21 AM

i originally had the gps on the rear deck and it worked decently, but after i installed the metal louvers, the reception was horrible.

then it dawned on me that it might work in the trunk because it was fiberglass... and i was happily pleasantly surprised wjen it did, and actually worked better than inside the passenger compartment.

the only other thing worth mentioning is probably to mount it closer to the inside edge of the trunk (ot at least not directly under the spoiler since you don't want any extra potential interference..)

**ibanez737** · 10-31-2005, 12:41 PM

You're helping a lot pyros and I see what you're saying now. What kind of amp did you get for the highs? Also, what sound card are you running?

EDIT: I've been wondering but I've had this thing setup in my car by my amps (guy before me had done a lot of audio work I think, rear seatbelts out, etc) and I finally found out that it is an adjustable line output converter from installedge.com . There's nothing else in the car that is beyond factory except this (no subs, addl amps, etc). I have no idea where it's leading or anything, but it's just there. Now I'm rather unsure what this really does, but from what I've read, it gives RCA outs without doing much other modification besides tapping into the factory speakers. Could this make my install easier at all? Or should I just get it out and put everything back to stock. PS: I am very unfamiliar with car audio..I can install a headunit and thats about it =)

**ibanez737** · 10-31-2005, 04:52 PM

OK, I'm looking at the 70-5520 from metra. I'm guessing this is the regular wiring harness that does not include the RCA's:

I took a screen shot of the other one on Metra's site.

I'm guessing I need the second one, Pyros?

EDIT: This is the one I ended up buying a while ago for the 2000-2001 because someone said it worked for them on another board:

Do you think this one is usable at all?

**pyros** · 10-31-2005, 06:09 PM

tj!2k4: what did you use to mount it?

ibanez: the adjustable line output converter basically does what the wiring harness for the amps will do. how to use it in your application, I have no idea without seeing how it is wired. I'd just spend the $20 and get the amp wiring harness...

the 70-5520 is correct for the 'regular' harness. I use this for ground and ignition. I also use the power off this to power my lilliput.

The other wiring harness for the 2000-01 will not work. like i said, the connectors are different. the part number you need is 70-5521, you can see it on metraonline.com. The only way the 00-01 MIGHT work is by cutting off the connector and tapping it into the wires on the factory harness since the connectors are different. I dont know if the wiring is the same or how you'd even match up the wires, so I wouldn't touch it.

I'm not 100% sure on the specs for the amp for the highs. You don't need anything too fancy since the stock speakers can only handle so much. You basically just need a 2 channel amp. Do yourself a favour and read up on all the basics on car audio before you buy one. To get a 2 channel amp to work, you need to run the two left channel speakers in parallel or series (i forget which it is..) and the two right channels in parallell or series also. If you dont want to get all technical, just get a 4 channel amp (a 25x4 or 50x4 should do fine) and run the speaker wire from the trunk to the speaker connections on the 'regular' harness.

The sound card I'm using is a SB Audigy NX (external usb 2.0).

**tj!2k4** · 10-31-2005, 06:49 PM

@pyros: 3M Dual-Lock. It's like velcro, but is not plastic hook and cloth loop; it's got plastic interlocking teeth.

Not to add to the confusion, but regarding wiring harnesses: I used the Metra 70-5519 in my 03 GT (was Mach460 w/ 6 CD changer) and am running H/U-less. It looks like the 3rd harness in ibanez737's post. The back of my radio looked like this

Big-ups to tmar89 for helping me out with all the initial audio stuff, cause I'm a car stereo retard.