I have installed my amps into my back seat and the project is almost complete. Here's a list of what went into this massive undertaking:

• roughly 45 hours of my time
• Supplies: $144.81 - without mistakes: $120 (screwed up on the plexiglass TWICE)
• Amps: $560
• Wiring: $60
• Trips to Home Depot: 9
• Supplies necessary to get the job done: staples, carpeting, plywood, MDF, electrical fasteners, plexiglass, screws, foam padding

One fan blows in, the other out, theres an EL Stringlight that runs along the bottom of the amps connected to a separate switch on the console, the amps and fans all turn on by a relay (inside the box), the ground distribution block is inside the box. Email me or post in this forum any questions. I know you're all dying for pics of this so enjoy!


The plastic panel inside the seat

Panel after cutout

Test fit of amps on the plywood rack

Test fit of everything

Ready to get installed in car finally!

My nifty location for a distribution block. I can only do this because I have shoulder seat belts.

View with the seat down

View with the seat up

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~Luke
'91 Firebird :: 305/TBI/700R4 ::
Mods: Catco cat - B&M Shift kit - TA tail lights - GTA rims - K&N - MacEwen guages
Stereo: Pioneer DEH-P8200R - Pioneer 6x9's - Kenwood 8" Tube
::R.I.P.::'87 Firebird - Firebird parts - Selling an '80 Firebird for a friend
Moderator of tranny board over at TransAmGTA.com

[This message has been edited by pianiy (edited August 13, 2001).]

 

wow that looks really good!


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altho that looks good, i still wouldnt put my amps in the backseats...

 

Wow. That is awesome looking! I wish my fabrication skill were that good.

 

That's very impressive. The only thing I would do now is somehow rig up a filter on that circulation system to keep it from filling up your amp chamber with dust, unless you already have one on there. I couldn't tell from the pics.

 

Interresting design. I didn't realize that there was room in the seat to make an entire enclosed amp rack like that. Hmm. Makes me think.

I need a place to put my EQTs...

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2 words for ya.... Tech Article!

 

Ya know, I was so thinking this all along the way and I might just do it. I was supposed to write a good article on how to reupholster your t-top headliner but somebody beat me to it. I've even got pics of that one. I'll start on it as soon as I get some time.

Yeah, I was kinda surprised as well, the plastic panel was somewhat disappointing because once you cut it up, it loses all of its rigidity, so I had to find ways of bracing the rack wherever I could.

No, I don't have a filter on it right now, and I don't know if its worth the trouble or the eyesore. I could really just live with opening it up once in a while to vacuum it out.

As far as comfort of the seat and comparing it to the way it originally looked, I found some 1.5" foam at a Rag Shop near me thats normally used for cushions in dining room chairs and funiture and cut it to the same shape as the rack, then stapled it in the corners to keep it there while slipping the cover back over. I kept the original foam only for the perimeter, needless to say, the seat is only slightly more uncomfortable and looks a little weird (because the foam I bought had square corners) but its adjusting and pretty much looks like nothing happened to it in the first place. I had to run the wiring on the cushion side of the rack because of the way the end caps were designed and was worried that you'd end up feeling it through the cushions but not so. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

 

I actually started to put a set of EQT's and my xover in the back seat before I bought my 4th gen seats. Then I decided to ditch the 3 processors all together and wait for the IDOne to run it all through a palm pilot.

That may still end up in the back seat down the road...we'll see.



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Carl
CarAudio Resources

 

I was thinking about that too, but not sure I want to cut my seat up (yeah, I know, this from the guy who was thinking of cutting the unibody up !).

Another down fall, is I fold the back seat down and put my drag radials there for trips to the track, not sure I want to put that kinda weight on any kind of electronics.

mike

 

heya, wwanted to ask, can u get a pic of how u ran your wiring?

sweet job. please more info...

THANX

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91 FireBird 305 V-8
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UPDATES: Today I finished the box that I made for the lower part of the hatch, but since it missed the required volume for the TWO subs by about .2 cu. ft. I only put one of my 10" CompVR's in. I adjusted the gains on both amps which was a major PITA, taking off the plexi, trying to reach in small places to get to the *****.

The system sounds absolutely sweet now, all except for some noise. I've got some alternator noise and some noise from the EL stringlight I put in the rack. I figured I'd get some alternator noise because the wiring was so difficult, there was no way I could avoid running it past power wires; its not too bad, we'll see how much it bothers me. I noticed that from the two other stringlights I have in my car (on the doors) that they make a faint buzzing sound, well this sound is amplified by the amps and is also like the alternator noise. But just this one 10" is ridiculously loud. The amp is bridged and rated for 300W while the sub is rated to handle 300W so they match up perfectly. I'll get more pics when I get the chance.
Thats gonna be a problem... when I was finished with the wiring I did want to take a picture but I couldn't find my camera and I was anxious to get this done so I went on without taking one. It would be very difficult to get one now, sorry bout that... I'll try to work on a diagram.. next best thing

 

ok since you were working back there you would know... In addition to what you did would it be possile to throw a neon light under that plexiglass too? Im sure you guys dont like that but what the hell its my car and i do. what do you think would it fit?

 

Hey do you know the measurement of your plywood rack by any chance... I would love to know...

 

I left the top of the interior of the seat open except for the square dowels I used only for support. The middle support is larger and measures about 1.25"x2" so as to act as a baffle to force air over the amps instead of just flowing along the top. I'm sure you could put a neon in this area and it would work fine but it wouldn't work too well with my design and would cut the amount of airflow, not to mention, create more heat that needs to be expelled. If you moved one of the fans to the lower end of the plexiglass (which would work very well, cool air being sucked in at one corner to be dragged diagonally across the amps to the expelling fan) then you would be able to get rid of that baffle and put a neon in no problem. With these dimensions you could pretty much put a 30" neon if you could fine one (remember the heat), but keep in mind, my EL Stringlight introduced noise into the signal, I don't know what a neon would do. Hope that helps.

I believe the measurement was 34" wide and 20" tall, 18" tall where the hump cut is and 2" radius quarter circles cut, I believe. The walls I don't remember but they're really your own discretion. I just cut them so that I could get enough support and didn't mate the corners so that I could get wires and such through.

 

I think it looks great. There's just a couple things (little detail things) that I would do if it were mine to do..

1) I'd paint the areas behind the fans black or with spatter-paint so that you couldn't see any wood.

2) I'd fabricate some sort of bezel to go around the fans.

3) I'd paint the borders of the plexi cover black (the inside) to help hide wood and carpet edges.

Other than those three details, it looks great.

Also, how do you have those fans set up? One to push and one to pull so that it flows through? Or both to pull and you have an intake vent somewhere else in the rack? Either way, I don't think a filter is necessary. Just occasional vacuuming like you said would suffice.

 

touching on what Jza said with the fans, if you want maximum air flow configure both fans to either push or pull air, not one of each. if for example you have 2 30 CFM fans, one pushing and one pulling, you have a total of 30 CFM flowing through your amp rack. But if you have 2 fans pulling (or pushing, it doesn't matter) then you have a total air movement of 60 CFM. As long as you have a vent for the air to exit.

 

I'm looking for some metal bezels they have on computers to screw over them, it will help pull the rest of the fabric tight and protect them - I've already hit them twice. I have it configured so one pulls air and the other pushes... I did it this way because when the seat is in the upright position any vent that you have at the lower part of the rack will be blocked - the seat would always have to be laying down and I'm not going to do that (for security reasons) if I run into an overheating problem then it won't be a huge problem to cut two small holes into the plexi or even the carpet below it and reverse one of the fans.

I'll definitely take the painting behind the fans into consideration. As far as painting the border of the plexi, I can't really do that since I have that stringlight in there (not a necessity but still). I think I'll just try to paint as much would as I can black.

Thanks for all the input!

 

Here are some SWEET grilles to put over the fans:

http://www.plycon.com/grills.htm

They are a little pricey, but they look sweet.

 

that looks sweet man

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Those definitely look awesome.. that site even has filters if I wanted to put one in... if I get a set of filters, what color should I go with? here: http://www.plycon.com/filters.htm

 

Red, duh!! J/k man. I think matching them to the color of your car would look best.