OK, so I tried searching, and read through every thread on the first four pages of this section.

This weekend, I plan on installing a Kicker 350.2 amp, and an Alpine Type-R. I already have the amp, sub, and box. My question is what else do I need?

I want to disconnect the factory sub and amp, yet run my amp off the factory wires already there.

1)Is it possible to NOT take out the factory CD player to do this?

2) Are there RCA's, remote wire already ran to the stock sub that I can tap off of?

3) I talked to guy at Circuit City and he said I need a hi pass inverter or somethin like that?

4) I'm pretty sure I have to run 4gauge power wire...can anyone describe the course of least resistance as far as getting it through the firewall?

These are all the questions I can think of right now. If you can help with any or all of them, I would greatly appreciate it! (Would probably be easiest if you # which question you are answering.) Thanks in advance everybody.

 

You could by-pass the input to the factory amplifier by cutting into the wires that feed the input to that amp. I'm 90% certain those are line-level and you'd just have to connect RCA jacks to those wires to input that signal to your after market amplifier.

Here's the rub. The reason Bose equipment sounds so "good" even though they're running really (really) poor quality equipment is that they do a custom tune for each chassis. Nissan delivers them a 350Z and Bose drops their speakers inside and connects a computer to listen to the accoustics - and then codes the equalization curve SOME WHERE and then into each car that comes off the assembly line. That some where is either the head-end or the amplifiers.

If I were a betting man I would give you 5:1 odds that it's the headend - and that's the part you're going to keep and drive your nice after market amplifier and much better speaker with. That better speaker isn't going to sound as nice as it would with an honest signal.

Using the Circuit City high-level to line-level adapter you are 100% going to get that Bose custom curve into your non-Bose equipment.

To run the 4 gauge wire I went into the rather large gasket behind the battery, down inside the passenger's kick panel, along the side of the car, and into the void under the luggage cubby and stock sub-woofer location.

 

JL Audio has a component that allows you to "re-set that custom curve if you need to use the factory headunit. Although I would really consider replacing the stock headunit and bypass the factory wiring. Im installing a system now in my Z and used the factory wiring to connect my front speakers (hate messing with the gromets on the doors) from the door to the connection on the back of the headunit, the wire colors are different which could make your connections alot more difficult. JL Audio also offers a stealth sub box, I'm not trying to push JL on you but the direction sheet that you can get from the JL audio stealthbox site are a godsend for people who need to disassemble the interior pieces.
SO....
1) You can use the factory headunit, but to do it properly you will spend far more cash then just picking up a nice Aftermarket unit on eBay (bought all my gear on eBay and saved some major cash)

2) I cannot verify because I dont have a Bose equiped Z, but I would highly doubt Nissan would bear the cost to have RCA's and remote wires on those stock amps that you can tap off of.

3) OEM's don't use RCA's (that's what the line level converter is for, you tap into existing speaker wires and on the other end of the converter you get RCA's to use) its not in Nissan's best interest for them to make it easy for you to tear out their gear. Its been years since I used one but I would think that by now a good line level converter would provide you with a remote on connection, after all they are giving you a set of RCA's.

4) Paul350z is 100% correct about that large grommet behind the battery, although I would recomend against cutting a hole into it (that defeats the purpose of a grommet) lube up your wire, unwrap the electrical tape and start shovin that 4 guage inside the cabin btw you will need some additional hands to do this

If your going to take your interior apart I would recomend only doing once if possible, the Z interior is like a jigsaw puzzle and you WILL break something during removal of parts. If your going to do, wait untill you can do it once and do it right. You wil be happier with the results in the end

 

I happened to run into a buddy of mine who used to do stereo installs for a living but oved out of the area and was home yesterday.

He said that it is "easy" on a Z and that he's done two of them.

He says I leave the factory amp hooked up, and I unplug the two wires from the factory woofer and plug them into the line out converter...and then plug the amp wires into the line out converter too. He says run the remote wire to a fuse that isn't being used so that when the car is on, the amp turns on. This sounds really easy. I don't know what a line out converter is, nor have I seen one, but sounds like all you do is plug everything into it. Can anybody validate this?

I just want it to go as smoothly as possible.

 

I think in your original post you've described the need to use the PAC AOEM-NIS2

http://www.pac-audio.com/default.asp

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PAC-R...27513533QQrdZ1

I plan to use the PAC too, but haven't yet and can't claim they are the only (or best) way to keep the Bose head unit and replace amp and speakers.

Good luck!