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Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
I did a search but wasn't finding anything along the lines of my box (although I am sure they are out there, I just didn't find anything) I thought I would share incase there were others out there who weren't too worried about achieving optimal sound but rather were looking for something with very decent sound for alot less effort and cost. With my system I used the well itself as the box for my 2 12" subs. The benefits of the system are its quick and easy to make, costs very little, the amp is out of the way by being stored within the well, and you can still put your t tops in the bag with the help of a little piece of 2x4 which I just store under the bag when the t tops are installed in the car. I got matching carpet by doing a quick walk through at my local wrecker and found red interior camaro and for $10 the guy let me hack a piece out of the rear hatch where the t tops got....nice to have a perfect match. I am sure some steroe snobs will balk at the idea of an enclosure without a box and to them I am sorry for posting but for any others looking at alternatives here are some pics.
Last edited by 87iroctheo; Jan 18, 2015 at 11:23 PM.
3 pieces of 3/4" MDF is all it is. The first one I did was even lazier it was a single piece that just rested inside the well on the ledges on each side. I did not find any improvement in sound with the raised one you see in these pics even though the volume increased (probably too big for these 15 year old beat out sonys of mine) but I do prefer the look of it. Believe it or not this system actually work pretty decent, if you cut the board tight enough, with the carpet wrapped around the edge it seals it up pretty decently.
Last edited by 87iroctheo; Jan 18, 2015 at 11:19 PM.
A little piece of 2x4 between the subs allows me to store and secure my t tops in the bag and still enjoy the subs. Excuse my laziness for not putting my t top in a bag for the pic, I intended the pic to illustrate how the 2x4 prevents the t tops from resting on the subs.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
I think its cool. I'm going to be crossing into the audio area soon once I finish up other parts of my resto. I like the idea of utilizing existing space.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
this is great if you are using "Free Air" subs. Most other subs are not designed for this and will over extend the voice coil and eventually destroy them. Nice work though
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
Originally Posted by visitor
A very lazy way to do things, poorly researched. However, if you're happy, that's awesome!
Lol, thanks....I did this install back when research was "hey I wonder if this would work." Then you went out and tried it to see if it did, because there wasn't much on the net in 1999. I don't think looking it up on the internet back then even crossed my mind (plus the only place that had internet was school and rich people). I am surprised no one has pick up on or made fun of my dinosaur sony xplode subs. yes those subs were purchased and installed in 1999 (when I was a sr in high school) and yes they still work (quite decently actually) but I have long out grown my stereo phase.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
I did this exact type of sub install back in the 1990's with my first 1987 GTA. I had a pair of Lanzar 12's installed exactly like that. I had the amps on the deck over the axle though in a carpeted pod that made them look flush mounted.
Nothing lazy or "poorly researched" about it if it works. I'll tell you this....it boomed very hard in my car. People were amazed how well it sounded. I had my 3rd gen sounding better with a plank of carpeted wood than my buddy who spent an entire weekend building a box.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
There were scads of baffle boards in thirdgens back in the day. You could buy them off the shelf at the local stereo store. It was a quick and dirty way to get subs in a car. Sounded OK. I guess... I've got a free Bazooka tube in my Formula, sounds about as good as two 12s in a baffle board. Every sealed box I've ever had sounded better than either of the above.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
Originally Posted by jazzdadss
this is great if you are using "Free Air" subs. Most other subs are not designed for this and will over extend the voice coil and eventually destroy them. Nice work though .
Holy crap that video made me feel old... and then I realized... those are new kicker 'old' free air subs... the originals has double stitched surrounds.. now I feel even older....
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
I took it a step further.... (2) 12" woofers and a 12" dual voice coil subwoofer in the board. Plus a shallow box behind the back seats that locked into that board that contained the EQ, crossovers, (4) 5.25" or 6" midranges and (2) 2" x 6" horn tweeters and (2) 2" x 6" piezo horn tweeters. The amps were mounted in the well.
I still have all of it and will be installing it when I get the car back on the road, but this time with better amps.
Oh yeah, this time around I will be upgrading the stock speakers and connecting those to an amp as well.
I will never outgrow my stereo phase.
Last edited by NoEmissions84TA; Mar 31, 2018 at 05:56 PM.
Re: Lazy mans sub install - cheapest & easiest out there
Resurrecting this one a little bit but I'm curious has anybody done something like this but actually built a box that dropped in to the well? I'd think if you used shallow mount subs you could even leave enough room to still mount the amps beneath it. That's sort of how I always planned to do it but never got around to it. Perhaps that will be a project once my swap is done. Thanks for the inspiration!
::EDIT:: I realize now there is a sticky post for just what I was asking.
Last edited by Jschoepf; May 17, 2018 at 07:52 PM.