First, sorry this is so long. I've searched I promise.

I've been pouring over the FAQ's and all the C6 Audio threads I thought were pertinent. I cannot seem to find an install thread or tech data I'm looking for.
I have the U65 Bose system. It doesn't cut it for me. I have already updated the head unit (Pioneer AppRadio 3) using he GMOS-04 harness and Maestro steering wheel controls. I have a small sub for the hatch and an Alpine 5-Channel amp on the way. (100X4 & 500X1) I want to install this amp, upgrade the 3.5"s in the door and the 5.25"s in the rears and power them at 100W each. This is where I'm not sure what to do wiring wise.

1. I read in one of the threads that I should "Keep the Bose amp for powering just the sub woofers in the doors". Is this correct? Or should I disconnect or replace these with something else?

2. To wire my aftermarket amp, do I leave the Bose amp alone since I will be running the door Bose woofers with it and using the Alpine amp for the other 4 speakers?

3. Have I already lost the center channel since I went after market on the deck?
If not, should I just disconnect it as I won't be adding power to it?

4. Can I tap into the wiring harness at the Bose amp to feed my door and rear speakers from the Alpine amp? (Since I'm running a relatively small system I don't want to run new wires to every speaker).

5. Are the rears mono on my Bose setup? If so, does that mean I could bridge the 2 rear channels on the Alpine amp and get some good power back there?

6. Could I just remove/bypass the Bose amp altogether and not use the subs in the doors at all? Just power the 3.5 & 5.25 plus my hatch sub?

I guess what I'm really trying to figure out is what is the easiest route to overcome the Bose stuff without tearing everything out and starting over?

 

To answer the questions as they are:

1 - IF you keep the door subs, yes

2 - IF you keep the door subs, yes

3 - no, the bose amp still combines left and right fronts to send to it - regardless of whatever else you do, unplug it

4 - you could, but it's sooooo easy to run wires in C6 it's not worth the effort

5 - yes, bose rears are mono AFTER the amp, signal from radio TO amp is still stereo, play them as two separate channels in stereo

6 - YES, but replace the 3.5's with 6.5" components up front since they sound WAY better and you prob won't find any 3.5's that can cleanly handle half of the 100w your amp will put out

My suggestion:

Keep HU and sub as they are now.

Remove door subs and oem 3.5's, replace with 6.5" component set powered from 2 channels on the new amp. You can buy adapter plates for under $20 or make your own out of MDF for about $5.

Keep oem 5.25's in back, but power them from other 2 channels on amp. You'll prob need to turn the gain way down to keep them from distorting, but rears should just be for fill, not volume.

If you want way more volume, bridge the amp to 3 channels and find a component set that can handle the power, then leave rears powered by oem amp or just don't use them at all. [I usd to like rear fill, but once I put a quality component set up front that was properly powered I was converted over to the 'no rears' side of the argument]

You could modify the way the GMOS is connected to make all of this work, but I think you can just add one of THESE to get your line-level signal for the new amp.

Sooo many possibilities

 

I second this school of thought (and practice it myself).

 

Where you going to mount the amp?

I replaced my speakers (5.25's in the back, 3 3.5's in the front but kept the Bose Woofers). Like you I'm debating tossing the Bose Woofers. But I'm hesitant to run all new wires, mount an amp and buy 6.5's for the door (so I'd go to 4 2-way fronts with 2 2way rears, keep the center speaker for OnStar). I haven't done anything because I'm afraid it would sound worse.

Anyway once you decide what to do let us know, I'd like to see your final strategy.

 

I talked to Dennis at DoubleD today. My plan of attack right now is the following components:
Alpine SPR60c 6.5" components + 1.5" tweeter / crossover *110W RMS
Alpine SPR 50 5.25" Coaxial *90W RMS
Alpine PDX-V9 5 channel amp
Alpine SWR-843D – 8-inch Dual 4-ohm Subwoofer
Pioneer App Radio 3 (already installed)
Speaker wires 14 Gauge
Amp wires 4 Gauge

The amp will most likely go behind the passenger seat as it is only 2" thick. I'm going to leave the Bose amp alone completely as I will run new wires directly from the Alpine amp to the speakers. For now I plan to do a standard hook-up with 4 channels. 2 channels will go to the rear and two to the doors splitting the signal at the door using the provided crossover for the tweeter and 6.5". This should put about 90W to each speaker. The sub will get about 300W delivered to via the 5th channel. (That's all the small sub I picked up will handle and I can't imagine needing more since it will be 18" from my head lol)

The center channel from the OEM setup will be disconnected entirely at the speaker. If this costs me the OnStar sound, so be it as I don't use OnStar. However, the GMOS-04 harness may have rerouted that already, anybody want to chime in on that?

I will update this thread as I go and report any problems, but be forewarned I only have time on weekends to mess with this and that time has to be split with the wife/kids so this may be a 3 month install lmao.

 

Got all parts in. I have 1 more question before I dig in. What gauge wire should I run to the speakers (not sub) from the amp?

Inter-web has a lot of different answers from 16 gauge to 8 gauge. The amp came with a wiring kit containing an 18 gauge wire for the 4 speakers. It seems pretty small so I don't have an issue buying some better wire but 8 or 10, even 12 seems way overkill for my 100W RMS system. Let me know if I'm wrong. I'd like to buy wire tomorrow and form my plan for attacking this. I don't see why any of the runs of wire should be longer than 10 feet. The amp will be behind the passenger seat.
I'm leaning toward 14 gauge.
Chris

 

18g should be fine, but if you want bigger check out Home Depot and Lowes, both have good prices on decent wire. I usually get the 100' rolls of 16g (under $20).