Introduction and SQ Stereo Build Log

[97flgst]

Introduction to the car:
1998 M3 Coupe, 5-Speed Manual
Cosmosschwarz Metallic - Paint Code 303
Black Leather, Non-Power Non-Heated Vader’s
Harmon Kardon HI-FI Sound System
Production Date: 11/1997

I acquired the car in 2006 from the original owner. The car is now currently sitting at ~106k miles.

Suspension / Steering Modifications:

• Bilstein PSS9 Coil Overs
• Vorshlag Camber/Caster Plates
• Garagistic High Adjustment Front Strut Reinforcement Plates
• UUC Sway Barbarians with Adjustable Rear Sway Bar End Links
• UUC Poly Front and Rear Sway Bar Bushings
• SPC Adjustable Rear Control Arms
• UUC Poly Rear Trail Arm Bushings
• Powerflex Poly Front Control Arm Bushings
• Rogue Engineering Rear Strut Mounts
• Dinan Front Strut Bar
• OEM BMW X-Brace
• OEM E46 ZHP Steering Rack - Rebuilt by Rack Doctor
• Turner Motorsport E46 Steering Rack Alignment Tool

Brake Modifications:

• Zimmerman Z-Coated Blank Rotors - Front
• Zimmerman Z-Coated Blank Rotors - Back
• PFC Z-Rated Brake Pads - Front
• PFC Z-Rated Brake Pads - Rear
• UUC Stainless Steel Brake Lines
• ATE Type 200 Brake Fluid

Transmission / Differential Modifications:

• JB Racing Flywheel
• Sachs OEM E34 M5 Clutch Disc
• Sachs OEM E36 M3 Pressure Plate
• Rogue Engineering Stainless Steel Clutch Fork Pivot Pin
• UUC Stainless Steel Clutch Line
• UUC Black Poly Transmission Bushings
• UUC Transmission Mounts
• Auto Solutions Ultimate Short Shift Kit
• Active Autowerk Differential Brace
• UUC Clutch Stop
• Clutch Delay Valve Delete
• M Sport Parts Transmission Tunnel Insulation Brackets

Engine Performance Modifications:

• Dinan Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
• RK Tunes OBD2 Flash Tune
• Dinan Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake
• Bosch 803 MAF from Porsche 993
• ASC Throttle body, ASC bulb, and ASC Actuator Delete
• Samco 3.5" Throttle Body Boot
• Turner Motorsport TB Boot Plug
• M50 Intake Manifold
• RallyRoad.net M50 Manifold Adapter Kit
• Throttle Body Cooling System Delete, E90 Oil Drain Plug on Head
• VAC Motorsports Stage 1 Performance Head
• VAC Motorsports ARP 2000 Head Stud Kit
• Schrick Cams 264/256
• Beisan Vanos Seals and Rattle Repair Kit
• Rebuilt Bosch 24 lb "Blue" Fuel Injectors
• Bimmerworld SAP Exhaust Block Off Plate
• SAP System Delete
• Turner Motorsports OBD2 'Shorty Headers'
• Bimmerworld Race Y-Pipe by Magnaflow
• Bimmerworld Resonator Pipe by Magnaflow
• E36-Electronic Post-Cat O2 Simulators
• Dinan V2 Cat Back Exhaust
• Turner Motorsport Under Drive Pulleys (Water Pump and PS Pump Pulleys)
• Gates 25-060623 Main Drive Belt for Turner Motorsports Power Pulleys
• OEM Z3 2.8 Oil Pick Up Tube
• Bimmerworld Oil Pump Nut Secure
• Magnetic Oil Drain Plug
• Bimmerworld Oil Distribution Block
• Russell / Earls 3AN SS Oil Line and Fittings for Remote Mount Oil Pressure Sender
• SPA Technique DG208 Dual Digital Oil Pressure / Volt Gauge
• OEM Euro Radiator Cover
• Mishimoto Aluminum Radiator
• Zionsville Aluminum Radiator Shroud with Expansion Tank
• Reboot Engineering Radiator Stays
• Spal 16" Slim Electric Fan with Curved Blades and Single Speed Wiring Kit
• Electric Fan Rocker Switch (Auto/On) wired to center console
• OEM 80/88c Fan Switch - Beck Arnley 201-2022
• Stant Racing 20lb Lev-R-Vent Expansion Tank Cap
• Cross-Axeled Customs LR3 Coolant Bleed Valve
• Bimmerworld Silicone Upper and Lower Radiator Hoses
• EMP Stewart Water Pump
• OEM Water Pump Fan Nut Cover
• AKG Front Subframe / Engine Mount Reinforcements

Audio / Alarm Modifications:

• Rear Shelf - JL Audio Stealth Box Mounts with Pioneer TS-SW841D 8" IB Shallow-Mount Subwoofers
• Doors - ScanSpeak Illuminator D3004/6020-00 (Tweeter) / Scanspeak Discovery 10F/4424G (Midrange) w/ MB Quart QXD 210 Passive Crossovers
• Kick Panels - Scanspeak Revelator 15W/4531G 5.5" Woofers sound deadened with NVX SDBVK4 Premium Stealth Black and Polyfill
• McIntosh MC440M 6-Channel Amplifier (Production year - 1998)
• Stinger 6000 8-Gauge Amplifier Wiring Kit with 70Amp Mini-ANL Fuse
• Pioneer DEX-P99RS Head Unit (Late production, August 2016)
• Pioneer IP-Bus RCA Aux Adapter and Monster Cable 6-Channel RCA interconnects
• Auris BluMe HD Bluetooth 5.0 receiver w/JL Audio premium RCA interconnects powered by Tronsmart USB charger hidden under center console
• BMW Remanufactured 140 Amp Alternator - Bosch AL0739X
• Passport 9500ix Hardwire Kit run to Sunroof Motor Panel
• Home Link System Integrated into Rear View Mirror
• OEM Euro Alarm System LED

Exterior Modifications:

• CCW Classic Track Version Wheels 17x7.5 and 17x8.5
• Turner Motorsports 12.5mm Spacers for Front Wheels
• ECS Tuning 12x1.5x39mm Extended Wheel Bolts for Front Wheels
• Burger Motorsports 12x1.5x38mm Extended Wheels Locks for Front Wheels
• ECS Tuning 12x1.5x26mm Wheel Bolts for Rear Wheels
• OEM BMW M Logo Valve Stem Caps
• E46 M3 Style Rear Lip Spoiler
• Dinan D010-0018 Slimline License Plate Frame
• Black Kidney Grills
• Huper Optik C40 (40%) Ceramic Tint
• Motion Motorsports Underpanel with Radiator Baffle
• OEM M-Technic 2-Slat Front Grill, 1 of 150

Interior Modifications:

• Euro E36 Alcantara Steering Wheel with ///M Stitching
• OEM Front BMW Motorsport 'LTW' Red Seatbelts
• OEM BMW Motorsport 'LTW' Carbon Door Sills
• OEM Optional Black Trunk Mat with Embroidered M3 Logo
• UUC RK3 Stainless Steel Shift Knob
• UUC RK5 Stainless Steel E-Brake Handle
• Rallyroad.net Alcantara Armrest with ///M Stitching
• Rallyroad.net Alcantara Shift and E-brake boot with ///M Stitching
• Rallyroad.net Steering Column Gauge Pod with New Steering Column Cover
• Recovered Headliner, A Pillars, C Pillars w/ OEM equiv material w/ 3 year warranty
• E46 Bluetooth Microphone Cover in Sunroof Motor Panel
• Red Eye Garage No-Drill Dead Pedal
• Red Eye Garage Delrin Throttle Pedal Bushings
• Turtle Laboratories Door Panel Repair Brackets
• M Sport Parts Trunk Latch Reinforcement
• Audio-Relics McIntosh Enamel Trunk Pin

Lighting Modifications:

• ZKW Euro Glass Ellipsoid Headlights with Lamin-X Protection Film
• M Sport Parts Euro Headlight Adapter Harness
• Sylvania 194 LED Cool White Euro City Lights
• Fahren H1 LED 60W 10000 Lumens 6500K Cool White Head Light Bulbs
• ZKW Fog Lights Modified for Silver Star Ultra H7 Bulbs with Lamin-X Protection Film
• Check Control Module Mod to Eliminate “Low Beam Failure” Error

[97flgst]

Now onto the SQ Stereo build!

The original owner had installed the following:

• Alpine CDA-9835 Head unit
• Monster Cable 6-Channel RCA's
• Audison SRX5 5 Channel Amp
• MB Quart PSC-210 4" Midrange 1" Tweeter components in the doors glued to the door panels (behind trimmed up factory speaker grills)
• MB Quart QM-130 5 1/4" Mid Bass in the kick panels (Kick panels lined with DynaMat Xtreme)
• JL Audio Stealthbox's w/ JL 8IB4 8" subwoofers in the rear deck

16 years ago I thought this was an amazing system! But as I was laid out with the flu in 2020, I discovered DIYMobileAudio.
Needless to say I was hooked and began planning out a full component upgrade which included:

• Pioneer DEX-P99RS (Late production August 2016)
• Auris BluMe HD Bluetooth 5.0 Receiver via Pioneer IP-Bus Aux Input with JL Premium RCA interconnects
• McIntosh MC440M 6-Channel Amplifier
• Door Panel Speakers: Scanspeak Illuminator D3004/6020-00 (1" Tweeter) / Scanspeak Discovery 10F/4424G (~4" Midrange)
• Door Panel Passive Cross Overs: MB Quart QXD 210
• Kick Panel Speakers: Scanspeak 15W/4531G-00 5.5" Mid-Bass
• Rear Deck Speakers: Pioneer TS-SW841D 8" IB Subwoofers

I realized that I should have kept the original JL 8IB4 subs, but 6 years ago the foam surrounds were shot and I tossed them in the trash not thinking ahead
I then got to work on acquiring the components, which I knew was going to take some time, especially finding the McIntosh amplifier. Luckily I found an original owner McIntosh MC440M with all the original paperwork and box!

During this period I also acquired a pair of MB Quart QXD 210 passive cross overs. These passive crossovers are some of the best MB Quart ever produced.
The MB Quart QXD 210's were designed for their 4" component set. Their 2.4khz crossover, By-Pass, and multiple tweeter level dB adjustments allowed the needed flexibility for tuning with the P99RS.

To prepare for the higher current draw I also installed a new Autocraft Platinum AGM Battery - Size H6 - 760CCA - 70AH - 120min Reserve Capacity and a BMW Remanufactured 140 Amp Alternator - Bosch AL0739X.

Here are some pictures of the components and the installation:








The amplifier was installed in the trunk on the underside of the rear deck using a piece of solid wood with T-Nuts allowing for ease of removal. Wired in with Stinger 6000 8-Gauge Amplifier Wiring Kit with 70Amp Mini-ANL Fuse.







As much as I enjoyed the previous Alpine CDA-9835 head unit, it always looked out of place compared to the all black interior. The Pioneer DEX-P99RS looks right at home:



I then mounted the MB Quart QXD 210 passive crossovers in the trunk using a modified factory amplifier bracket.

[97flgst]

Onto the Scanspeak speakers:



MB Quart QM-130 (left) vs Scanspeak 15W/4531G-00 (right)



Scanspeak (left) vs. Factory Grills (right) for comparison.
The tweeter is a perfect fit and the midrange required very minimal trimming of the door panel.



The kick panels required a 1/4" to be trimmed for the Scanspeak 5.5" woofers to fit.
Sound deadened with NVX SDBVK4 Premium Stealth Black (Exterior) / DynaMat Extreme and Polyfill (Interior)









The kick panel grills required some shaving on the backside for the speakers to fit and allow some room for excursion.



While the door panels were off the car, I took the opportunity to prep and reinforce the door panels.

I installed the Turtle Laboratories Door Panel Repair Kit along with re-gluing all of the plastic mounts and map pockets with 3M Window Weld. I also replaced all of the door panel clips with the revised e46 foam gasket door clips.

Fastenal had perfectly sized 3" 18ga metal washers for mounting the midrange speakers. I used 3D printed rings for mounting the tweeters. Black hex head machine screws and nylon lock nuts were used throughout. Used high quality female and male XT60 Connectors for the door speaker connections for ease of door panel removal in the future.



Also installed new vapor barriers and 3M Window Weld Butyl Rope



Completed Door Panels:





After chasing down a rattle coming from the rear deck, I found that it was coming from how I mounted the Pioneer subs to the JL Stealth Boxes. Six years ago I mounted the Pioneer subs directly to the fiberglass using self tapping screws. Needless to say a few of the screws had backed their way out and were causing the rattle.

To fix the rattle I installed 1/2" PVC spacer rings, speaker gasket tape and revised hardware:


Current settings:

Alternator - Model	Bosch AL0739X - 140 Amp
Battery - Model	Autocraft Platinum AGM Battery - Size H6 - 760CCA - 70AH - 120min Reserve Capacity
Head Unit - Model	Pioneer DEX-P99RS
Bluetooth - Model	Auris BluMe HD Bluetooth 5.0 Receiver
Amplifier - Model	McIntosh MC440M 6-Channel Amplifier
Head Unit - RCA Output	MID (L)	MID (R)	LOW (L)	LOW (R)	SUB (L)	SUB (R)
RCA Interconnects - Input/Output	Front Left	Front Right	Rear Left	Rear Right	Subwoofer Left	Subwoofer Right
Amplifier - Input/Output Channel	1	2	3	4	5	6
Amplifier - Power Output	50 watts	50 watts	50 watts	50 watts	100 watts	100 watts
Amplifier - By/High/Low Pass Filter	By-Pass	By-Pass	By-Pass	By-Pass	By-Pass	By-Pass
Speaker - Input	MID RANGE - HI (L)	MID RANGE - HI (R)	WOOFER (L)	WOOFER (R)	SUBWOOFER (L)	SUBWOOFER (R)
Speaker - Model	ScanSpeak Illuminator D3004/6020-00 (Tweeter) / Scanspeak Discovery 10F/4424G (Midrange)	ScanSpeak Illuminator D3004/6020-00 (Tweeter) / Scanspeak Discovery 10F/4424G (Midrange)	Scan-Speak 15W/4531G-00	Scan-Speak 15W/4531G-00	Pioneer TS-SW841D	Pioneer TS-SW841D
Speaker - Size	1" Tweeter / ~4" Midrange	1" Tweeter / ~4" Midrange	5.5" Mid-Bass	5.5" Mid-Bass	8" IB Subwoofer	8" IB Subwoofer
Speaker - Passive Cross Over Model	MB Quart QXD 210	MB Quart QXD 210	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Speaker - Passive Tweeter Level	-3dB	-3dB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Speaker - Passive High-Pass / By-Pass	By-Pass	By-Pass	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Speaker - Passive Cross Over Point	2.4kHz	2.4kHz	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Speaker - Passive Slope (dB/oct.)	12dB	12dB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Head Unit - Low Pass Filter (LPF)	20kHz	20kHz	400Hz	400Hz	80Hz	80Hz
Head Unit - High Pass Filter (HPF)	400Hz	400Hz	80Hz	80Hz	20Hz	20Hz
Head Unit - Speaker Level (dB)	-4	-4	-1	0	0	0
Head Unit - LPF Slope (dB/oct.)	Pass	Pass	24dB	24dB	24dB	24dB
Head Unit - HPF Slope (dB/oct.)	24dB	24dB	24dB	24dB	Pass	Pass
Head Unit - Speaker Phase	NOR	NOR	NOR	NOR	NOR	NOR

[jayjaya29]

Nice car and modifications. Thanks for sharing. What's next on the to-do list?

[97flgst]

Nice car and modifications. Thanks for sharing. What's next on the to-do list?

I am currently rebuilding all four Brake Calipers. Next up, is replacing the Differential Input Seal and Center Support Bearing.

[jayson]

This is an awesome write-up. Was there any concern about staying with the factory speaker wiring from the crossover? I assume its good enough?

[97flgst]

This is an awesome write-up. Was there any concern about staying with the factory speaker wiring from the crossover? I assume its good enough?

Thank you, I do wish the OEM gauge wire from the passive cross over to the tweeter was larger. It suffices in my current setup since I am splitting 50 watts between the tweeter and the midrange.

If down the road I decide to go fully active, which would mean 50 watts directly to the tweeter, I would consider running larger gauge wire to the doors.