Ok here goes. Have had my H3 for just over a year now and time has come to replace the stereo (stock non-monsoon)
Installing an AVH-X4600BT, JL TR650CXI's front and rear. Adding a Boss800 sub, and 2 Dual XP2700 amps. Removing the Helen Keller effect with a Clarion CC rearview camera.

Here is all the 'gotcha's '
Where is a good/better place to mount the Amps other than in the rear cargo area. If I'm stuck to that I currently plan on making a aorta shelf with MDF space with some strapping,which will make a aorta sandwich. That will get covered with black felt and amps mounted on that exposed.
Camera, I only see one real option and that is in the bumper detention below the spare.
Nasty part:
Best/easy way to get the 8ga power lead to the back, and three sets of RCA lead from the head unit to the back.
Spkrs will be fed w/ 14ga. And looks like I can run them under the scuffle plates.
Oh and easy way to get the r.c. leads to the head unit.
All doors (and cargo door) will get the Lowes equiv. Of Fatmat treatment, so will be pulling many panels anyway.
For those already down this path.. ...
Any hints and or tips?
All items should arrive by Thurs of this week. The Lowes 'fatmat' is in stock and felt is readily avail at local Walmart.
Any and all suggestions (short of equipment) is appreciated.

 

Starting point

 

is there a DIY on here for installing with pics?

 

Not that i have seen. Have the crutchfield install sheets so that's a big help. Was hoping someone else had already done this and might could point out any pitfalls to watch for.
Was planning on documenting the process as I go anyways.

 

Day 1 complete.
Removed all door trim panels, rear cargo panels and factory radio.
GOTCHA #1: You will need wheel chocks. To remove the radio bezel, the transmission must be shifted out of park.
No problem there except to remove the driver side kick panel, The emergency brake must also be off.

With that all done was surprised to find a nice deep channel running from front to rear cargo, will easily handle the power, pre-amp, and speaker wires.

I plan on running the power lead, amp turn on lead,nd front preamplifier lead down the driver side channel.
Reason being, the power lead has to get to the battery from the cab. Under the dash you will see the hood release cable where it penetrates the firewall. You can easily drill a hole 1" to the right side of that and be well clear of any obstruction either inside the cab, or in the engine compartment, and the battery is on the same side..

Sound deadening is installed in cargo area sides and door. No surprises there at all. A fair amount of disassembly, but basic skills and good trim panel tools will get you through easily. And yes you have to manhandle the rear cargo panels to get them off.

Door panels where a breeze, sound deadening finished on driver side, and front pasenger side.

Time to get this far: around 6 hours.

 

looks like plenty of room for an amp in that rear door... keep us posted on that radio uninstall... do we need special tools?

 

Only "specialty tools" I am using are trim panel tools.
Beyond that...
Phillips head screwdriver, flat head screwdriver, 7 mm socket,10mm socket, T30 torx, T50 torx
And the cheapest blowdryer i could find (helps mold the sons deadener).

 

System is in and tested, now adjustments/ tuning, then button it all up neat and tidy.

Mount for the amps was a 12"x42"x5/8" mdf. I screwed some 3/4"x2" pine strapping along the edges, then layed down a base of sound deadener covered this all up with a piece of black felt from the local wally world. Stapled it all along the furring strips (strips go on the bottom).
Mounted the amps down on that.
This now sits behind the rear seat and gets fed with the power leads and preamplifier leads hidden in the channels.
Amp speaker leads are 14awg (50' spool) and fits perfectly with no waste. Used EFX shielded 12' for the pre amp feeds, rear on passenger side, sub and fronts on passenger side.
Main power for the amps (6 awg)hides niclely in the driver side channel with the turn on wire, and the rear pre amp cable, all speaker leads and the front and sub pre amp cables, run down the passenger side. Pleanty of room On each side, fully concealed.

Left to do: tie wrap the wires in the dash, finish mount the head unit, and modules to keep door chimes and onstar.
Re-install the trim panels, and enjoy it.

Total peak power = 1600W
Total RMS power = 400w
200 to 8" self contained sub woof
And 50 to each (x4) speaker.
Sound output is awesome running around 80db A weighed, and very clean and sharp.

 

that was quick . this is on factory radio?

 

nicely done, I just saw this post or I would have chimed in for ya, but you did everything just the same as I did (except the amp mounting, but thats kind of dealers choice). I mounted my amps in the little cargo cubbies in the back, I think they look nice there. There's a lot more room under the plastic panels along the door channels than it looks like, no trouble getting all the power/RCAs to fit under there. I ran a 6ga power from battery to the back (drilled the same hole into firewall as you did, got a universal firewall grommet to keep it neat) and then into a power distribution block, and 8ga from there to the two amps.

Only question I have....When I ran new speaker wire from the 4channel amp to the doors, I wasnt able to get the wire to go into the existing loom. I had to take my front doors off and drill a small hole and install a new grommet next to the existing one for the new speaker wire to go through. Did you run into this same problem?