I finally bought an M3 and I'm trying to plan my setup. I've heard the e36 has an amplifier in it. I wonder, would the factory amp power the signal from the empeg well? Or should I go with an aftermarket (nakamichi 1004?) How much of the stock wiring can I (should I) use? Any help would be great. I'd hate to booger this up.

TIA

What research have you done on the current amp? Do you have any specs for it? And do you feel like dealing with ground loop problems when they occur because something isn't grounded properly? I just spent 5 hours today eliminating my grounding issues.

And what is your final goal for your project? Do you feel that the current speakers are good (they should be in an M3), or do you really feel like tearing your (very nice) car apart to route new speaker wires. I just ran 16 gauge wire to my speakers and 12 gauge to the subs, and it takes a long time. Your speaker wire should be ok if there is already an amp, I would think.

The other thing is if you plan on keeping the current system that is in the car in addition to the empeg. I keep mine because it looks better, and I can use the radio. You can do pretty much whatever you feel like, and it is amazing once you get it working the right way. You will have to read a lot about how to install it right.

See http://empeg.comms.net/php/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=install&Number=90443 for a discussion on this subject.

I had to custom splice molex connectors to be 'plug and play' with the connectors in the trunk just in case I wanted to put my old amp back in.

My system:
-Rio Car (of course!)
-a/d/s 345is Separates (front)
-JL Audio 8" stealthboxes for BMW M3 (rear)
-Xtant 604x 4 Channel Amp (mounted upside down under the rear deck)
-Monster Cable XLN Pro RCA Cables (THE best!!!)

The only non-factory wiring I am using is the RCA from the EMPEG to the AMP (Monster Cable XLN Pro) and the power/ground to the amp. All other wiring is tapped in via the factory connectors in the trunk.

You may also want to read the E36 Stereo pages at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Boulevard/3287/car_audio/stereo_upgrade.html and http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e36/stereo/

You may find noise to be a particularly persistent problem in BMW's....the Monster Cable XLN Pro cables are your best bet for reducing/eliminating noise. Also, don't mount your amp directly to any metal as it could introduce ground loop noise.

Good luck!!
Wes
'95 M3

Thanks for the jump off point guys. Time to hit the books!