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Thread: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Thought I might make a small build thread on a E60 I'm working on for a friend. The owner had a budget set in mind, and left the rest up to me. She is fond of rock music, and I don't think she has ever heard a "proper" sound system, so this should be fun!

    But to set the stage here, this car was bought used, and some previous owner had made some "upgrades" himself. The car has a base sound system, meaning just mids in the doors, no tweeters, and 6,5" underseat midbass/woofers.

    The "upgrade" was at first sight a JBL 2x12" premade ported box (2ohm) running off two bridged channels of a noname "4x300W" amplifier (2x25A fuses), going into protect at the first heavy bass note. As it is no way capable of 2ohm mono And a 2005 BMW base head unit with a broken CD mechanism, meaning the only audio playback was from a DAB+ adapter (digital radio) using the aux input. (Norway has switched fully to digital radio now, and the FM transmitters are basically shut down over here, just some minor local stations on a handful of weak transmitters.

    So that was the starting point.

    Now for the upgrade. Starting fresh with a new headunit, I bought a 2din fascia kit, and a Alpine Halo9 headunit for the car. Amplification and sound processing will be in form of a Helix M Four DSP to run the front components, and a Ground Zero GZCA 3-0SPL M1 monoblock for the subwoofers. Way overpowered, but I had it laying around and it will only be run at 2ohm.

    Front speakers are Ground Zero BMW plug+play upgrade speakers, 4" components in front doors and 8" woofers under seats. Subwoofers are 2x Helix Q10W in a sealed enclosure.

    Progress pics coming shortly!

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    Noob Notloudenuf's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    This sounds like quite an upgrade. It's a shame nice cars like this get "upgraded" in such poor ways. Really looking forward to pictures.
    https://www.caraudiojunkies.com/signaturepics/sigpic150_2.gif
    2002 330Ci & 2020 Tacoma

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    I can start with the least interesting bit, swapping out stock speakers with plug+play upgrades.

    However (as always) it wasn't as plug and play as you would expect. As it turned out that the previous owner also had done some more upgrades. Swapping the OEM 6,5" underseat woofers with 8" Match drivers. But he had just connected them to the HU, so if anything the output was probably much less than stock, since these require more power which they never got. And on top of that, two channels from the 4-channel amp in back was still unused? Some people..

    Anyway, this were mounted under the seats:
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    But were replaced with these:
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    And new door speakers. We ran all new cables for the doors and woofers from the amps in back, 10ga 100% ofc.

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    This part was incredibly easy, since I got the wrapper/tint guy where I'm doing the install to do it He's an expert at pulling apart cars and know all the ins and outs on most cars to take things apart without breaking anything, very handy on 15+ year old cars!

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Ok, now over to the more interesting part, the actual build.

    Unfortunately, this particular car did not have folding rear seats, nor a ski hatch/passthrough (both options on the E60 model). That means that the trunk is sealed off from the cabin. But luckily not with a steel wall, just a plastic rear wall + carpet. So we took care of that.
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    Good passthrough, will finish it up with a trim ring. Still a plastic cover in front of this, between the wall and foldable armrest. Will make a opening in that as well, and some kind of grill to protect the subwoofers.

    Removed all the layers of carpet and styrofoam to get to the botton of the spare wheel well. It's huge! But as it had some control box (for the rear parking sensors), and the depth wasn't really required for the amp rack etc, it was just cleaned up and put back. More than enough room in the storage compartment (top half of the spare wheel well).

    Now comes the fun part (for me at least) since I have access to a range of fine machinery at the place the install is being done. CNC router, laser cutter, signage printers, vinyl cutters etc. I took some measurements of the space available:
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    Measured from the bolt in the center, that holds the spare wheel on cars equipped with that, and guesstimated a layout in the design software based on that. Then cut out the template on the vinyl cutter:
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    Had the shape pretty good, but saw that it didn't lay flat as there was a slightly raised section in the bottom left corner. So I adjusted the files a bit, made the center cutout smaller, and made this base from 19mm PVC on the CNC:


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    Now it can be clamped down and secured to the car with just a nut and washer for a secure mounting.

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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Def interested in your progress, especially how you finish the passthrough. I too have an E60 so I want to steal take notes and study your design lol

    How difficult was running the wiring into the doors? Wondering if you had to drill out the connectors

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    For me it was super easy, I just told the guy who installed the speakers to run new cables as well! But that aside, it wasn't too hard, it's just a single 14 awg cable run through the OEM harness, I can try to take pics next time I'm at the location.

    Had to splice some cables under the seats though as they had cut the OEM midbass connector because the Match drivers had regular screw terminals. Luckily the GZ door component set had a full crossover set, including for the midbass drivers. Since this will be run with active crossovers, we could snip off the BMW connector on the crossover and use it for the new speaker wires going to the back. Since the GZ underseat drivers use the BMW connector for plug+play install.

    Here are the different components that make up the false floor, four layers of different materials and thickness.

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    Will be looking something like this put together:
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    So far only the second layer from the top has been made, this is the main structural part, made from 19mm pvc.

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Next on the list was to make an amprack of sorts, this first version is more of a mockup to see how the final one will be made. Made a quick design in adobe illustrator and sent it to the cnc router.

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    Made from 19mm pvc, same as the floor board/base.

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    Amps will be placed more or less like this, had to find out where they were going to be placed when centered left/right in the trunk. And if they interfered with the OEM threaded rod that secures the spare wheel when installed.

    Some close up shots of the routered pieces:
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    I see where I need to make adjustments for v2/final design, and also found out that the placement interfered with the threaded rod at full length, so that is now cut down to suitable size. It's new purpose is only to secure the base plate anyway.

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

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    Printers that can print directly on a sheet of MDF are pretty cool....

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    Senior Member Haakono's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Some more progress pics.

    This is the speaker baffle while an image is being printed on the back side of it (inside of enclosure). Since the mdf is greenish brown, it is first printed several passes of white ink, so the top image comes out with the right colour hue.

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    Didn't take pictures of all the steps, but here is the box after putting the first 5 sides together, and checking fitment of acrylic bracing (nice tight press fit here, will be bonded to the box later). Half inch acrylic for bracing and trim piece.
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    Noob Stycker's Avatar
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    Re: BMW E60 sq build (Helix/Ground Zero)

    Some cool things going on here

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