I am working on a completely hidden stereo system for my 84 Choo Choo. My question is about running the power wire from my battery to the amplifier. What is the best access point on the firewall for running the power wire through? I am trying to keep this project mostly hidden. I hate the sloppy work that most audio shops do. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks in Advance,
Billy

Billy, I don't have an ear busting stereo, but most radios and similar electronic gear I've installed through the years gain power by way of the fusebox. Just like your house, you don't run a direct line from the power pole to the TV or it would burn up. Most fuse boxes have blank spaces where you can add new links to run to your stereo and those folks at the car part store are quite often very helpful. :D

On my 1982 There were three openings for wires I could use. One was all the way at the edge of the passenger side firewall, unaccessable unless the heater/ac box is out or the passenger fender taken off. This opening has a rubber grommet molded directly to the wiring harness. There is another grommet thru the firewall very close to the fuse panel in the area of the emergency brake pedal. This one might be easier to deal with, but again its a rubber grommet molded right into the wires so it might be difficult to chop it out of there without wrecking the wires. There was yet another hole through the firewall on mine behind the brake pedal under the dash. On mine this was where the vacuum hose and wiring harness for the cruise control went thru. I removed the cruise control from mine and I am using this hole, with a new rubber grommet from Home Depot, for any wiring I am adding in.

On a Monte Carlo SS, similar to our cars in the basic design underneath, I saw someone run the system power wire out the hole in the passenger door jamb that is between the upper and lower door hinge. This hole is plugged with a plastic disc if the car doesnt have power locks or windows. If it has power locks and windows you will see a flexible rubber hose that the door wires are running through. The wire came out of that hole and was poked thru into the front passenger fender, from there it was run up along the fender (inside the shell of the fender itself i think) up to the battery.

if you are running an external amp you have to run it directly off the battery. I ran my power cable through a drilled hole near the distributor. There are a few factory drilled holes in the firewall to run wires through, but you best bet is to drill your own hole, where YOU want it! My 4 gauge wire runs off the battery and travels down the passenger side. I have it tucked under the lower windsheild trim and then through the firewall. It looks clean and neat. You are absolutely right about most stereo shops, they are only concerned about making it work, not making it look good. -Matt

I drilled my own hole as well through the firewall. Right above where the passengers feet would be and it is completly hidden by carpet except where it comes out to meet the amp which is directly behind my drivers seat in the floor area.