If you decide to go aftermarket...I would be in the market for the 05 headunit...just pm me..if the price is reasonable.

 

The battery that's most popular is the Odyssey PC625. It's only 3.11 inches deep and can fit behind the side access panels in the hatch area. Total volume is about one third of the standard battery. If placed in the stock well, it would take box extention to fill the newly discovered space. If relocated, there would be no need to create a box. Line the sheet metal with some vibe dampening, cut a hole in the current box and seal the box to the floor. This could give sufficient depth for the W7. Note that you don't have much engine-off time with this battery. You'll want to carry a spare under the seat and the tools to swap them. (Of course, you could make that the primary location too.)

If you want it in the front, buy an MC. I think you could by the battery mount from an MC for the MCS but I don't think this is a good idea, although certainly possible.

In the vent is one option but the tweeter direction isn't optimal. There are some tweeters that have eye-socket mounts that would impove the pointing.

I was thinking of the base of the windshield. The top of the dash is two pieces, the contoured area that's textured and is closest to the passengers, and the smooth piece at the base of the windshield. In other cars, tweeters mounted in the sail panel or the A-pillar tend to sound very good. The stock tweeter position is very close to the sail panel. The Mini A-pillar is an air bag and I don't think you want the speaker becoming a projectile. It may be possible to vertically mount the tweeter and mid at the base of the windshield since the windshield is so vertical. I still haven't played around with any of this but I think it should work fine.

To carry on with a previous thought, I also tried mounting the tweeters in a previous install toward the center of the dash to enhance the image but it doesn't help as much as it hinders the stage.

I don't believe ANY factory audio upgrade is worth the money (not even the Mark Levenson Lexus.) For $500, you could get a nice headunit and speakers and it'll be better then the HK system. And for another $300-$1000, you'll have a super listening system. Plus, you get the option creating a system that's exactly what you want.

 

Thanks for the information everyone and please feel free to give some more suggestions, as I probably wont be doing the install until the summer time.
Thanks,
Jm

 

DWC.....looking forward to hearing about your experiments with dash positions. i've got a bunch of other projects going right now, so i probably won't work on the stereo for a bit, but i'd love to hear what you come up with.

Fabian

 

I'm looking to purchase a factory H/K system w/speakers. Perhaps you or someone you know can hook me up.

 

I don't know anyone selling that. But my question would be why? You could do a LOT better, even with a very modest amount of money.

Good luck though.

Fabian

 

Did this car happen to be a red BMW 540 owned by Earl Zauzmar? If so, I have also had the opportunity to listen to this system years ago, and it still stands as the best sounding car stereo I've ever heard!

 

Yeah. It was Earl's, it was years ago, and it really showed what could be done in a car. It was easily better than 99.9% of people's home systems.

 

Well, I did make the first pod over a week ago. I had almost no trouble but realized that the quarter inch base needed to be the same width as the top pod, which my first one isn't.

The windshield is at a 45 degree angle (or at least close enough for this). I made a cardboard template (using the quarter-inch base as a platform) and transferred it to the 3/4" MDF. I then used a Roto-Zip with rooter-base attachment to cut the 45 angled toward the pod. The rest of the pod sides I cut at a 60 degree angle (another preset angle on the rooter base.) It fit fairly well. On the rear edge (toward the passengers) it was close enough that the vinyl would wrap around the edge and seal to the dash. On the inner edge, I choose an arc. It looked good in the template and in my hand but it looked funky in the car. So, what needs to be done is an arc for the rear half and then straight to the windshield. Well, with that decided, I put my tools away and decided to wait to this past weekend.

Well, I arrived home on Monday to find our chair missing. My wife decided to get the chair and sofa re-upholstered. That was money I was going to use for the Focals. Now I've got to wait for the money. I don't want to created the pods and not have the speakers. At least I now have more incentive to do my tax return.

 

Has anyone tried Image Dynamics Horn Loaded Compression Drivers in a MINI? They mount along the bottom of the dash below the steering wheel and glove box. I've seen them in some (non-MINI) competition cars and they had excellent imaging. Plus they're pretty stealth. I'd be curious to hear someone's review of them in a MINI.

Kick panel installation has worked well for me in other cars but with my size 13 shoes and the MINI's small footwell that is not happening.

 

Hey Foko,

Nice install...I noticed from your pics that you have the multi function stearing wheel...can you still use the buttons to raise lower volume and change tracks? If yes, how did you do it....

Thanks,

L

 

thanks for the compliment. i used an interface unit (the brand completely escapes me at the moment). it wires into the steering wheel controls and has an IR emitter which activates the head unit. obviously the head unit needs to have IR capability. the interface unit is programmable to do anything the head unit remote will do. quite easy to install. however, it's not perfect. it is relatively slow to respond, especially for volume control. you can't just hold the "up" button to raise the volume. you have to repeatedly press it and certain intervals. it works, but..... i give it a 6-7 out of 10.

fabian

 

Thanks Fabian,

I ordered the unit from Scosche which is not IR, so I hope it'll work well...I'll post once my setup is complete...

Louay

 

Fabian (or other experts)

I didn't get the H/K in my soon to arrive MCS, and of course I am having second thoughts.

If you could invest $600 in upgrading the system (leaving in the H/U stock), what would you recommend? Which amp, which speakers etc???

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

-Pete

 

I opted out of the HK because like many of you, I feel I can do better on my own. I don't think I want to take it as far as some of you guys...don't want a sub...but I do want something better than the MINI OEM system. Dollarwise, I'm probably in the mid-range area:

Listened to Alpine spx 177a's and Boston Acoustics SL 60
both sound great, and fall in th $250 (internet pricing) range.

Alpine 690a in the back.

Don't really want to replace the oem h/u but the picture of that Nakamici 400 fooled me! It really fits. What color is the display? I'm wondering if I could keep oem and use something like the Alpine mrp f240 amp with Soundgate line output converter?

Finish off with some Dynamat.

Would appreciate anyones ideas on my plan.

hs

 

I like the idea of using the boot well to put a sub but if you want the tight response a sealed enclosure gives, that might not work so well...seems too much leakage.
Old thread but if i found it looking for info, others will too.
Rockford F's 12" P3's are great for shallow mount situations...what i'm getting soon

 

 

thx...i like that one but needing a 2 ohm sub
a sound deadener i got that works great is Roadkill
was the best price i could find on Amazon of any of the offerings