Sub Woofer in Fastback trunk Ideas?
- Thread starter Cdaniel
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NorCal66
New Member
I have two in my coupe, but since your seats fold forward, that's not the seat up you want. I'd build something custom as to avoid a big box right in the middle of your trunk and use foam (special type that fools the sub into thinking the box is bigger than it really is, therefore raising it's output...get it at car audio place).
Good luck.
Good luck.
NorCal66
New Member
Two 12s. I have em on my 5-channel amp, which according to their site is 4x50 and 1x200 ...so...200? I'm not too saavy on the audo stuff obviously, but they're loud as hell, easily stand up to the guys who boast a 1000W system, so I have no idea what's up or how the voltage thing works.
If you don't want to go custom, I'd say the bazookas are probably the smallest, I have no clue on their performance though
If you don't want to go custom, I'd say the bazookas are probably the smallest, I have no clue on their performance though
mschmidt10k
New Member
- Dec 10, 2003
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The custom route is definitely the way to go here, but if you don't want to do that, JL Audio makes some decent subwoofer boxes that are prefabbed and ready to bolt in. Stay well clear of the Bazooka subs - yuck.
There's no "minimun amount of wattage necessary to make a fastback trunk sub useful" for a sub - most good quality subs actually don't need that much power, nor will they perform better if you start pounding them with 1000s of watts (most likely they'll make your car go up in flames). It's all a matter of which sub you put in there.
It's not that hard to do a custom sub box, though - especially if you're doing a sealed enclosure which means you won't have to worry about port displacement, box tuning, etc. Sealed sub boxes are basically just MDF pieces glued or nailed together to the size recommended by the manufacturer of the sub, covered in carpet or vinyl.
Here's what the trunk of my 67 looks like:
Those are two 12" Magnum D2 subs from Stereo Integrity inside a 3 cube box, each powered by a Hifonics BX1000D amp (the Zapco amp beneath the VIP Motorworks logo controls the front speakers, and there's another another Zapco amp hidden beneath it). However, this system is used for SPL competitions - when I'm driving around, I actually only have one of the subs turned on.
Lastly, check out the Car Audio Forums - they have tonnes of info about sub box building there.
There's no "minimun amount of wattage necessary to make a fastback trunk sub useful" for a sub - most good quality subs actually don't need that much power, nor will they perform better if you start pounding them with 1000s of watts (most likely they'll make your car go up in flames). It's all a matter of which sub you put in there.
It's not that hard to do a custom sub box, though - especially if you're doing a sealed enclosure which means you won't have to worry about port displacement, box tuning, etc. Sealed sub boxes are basically just MDF pieces glued or nailed together to the size recommended by the manufacturer of the sub, covered in carpet or vinyl.
Here's what the trunk of my 67 looks like:
Those are two 12" Magnum D2 subs from Stereo Integrity inside a 3 cube box, each powered by a Hifonics BX1000D amp (the Zapco amp beneath the VIP Motorworks logo controls the front speakers, and there's another another Zapco amp hidden beneath it). However, this system is used for SPL competitions - when I'm driving around, I actually only have one of the subs turned on.
Lastly, check out the Car Audio Forums - they have tonnes of info about sub box building there.
stangman67
Member
Personally, I like the sound of 10 inch subs. Find one or 2, and put close to its max RMS power to it. Youll be all set.
dodgestang
Active Member
Cdaniel said:
Because trunk space is at a premium in fastbacks I hope to build custom encloseres for 8 inch subs behind the fiberglass panels in the front of the REAR wheel wells....we'll see if there is still enough room after the roll bar goes in...I mean....look how much room there is:
NorCal66
New Member
That's a great idea dodgestang, it would keep the sound where you want it...my other idea for a FB going custom would be to put them BEHIND the rear tire at an angle. Gotta be either one of the two or the fold down seat feature won't have much use obviously.
I have a 68 fastback, the trouble is that the opening to the fastbacks are only 16 inches. so my stock JL box wouldnt fit. I got on the JL website and got dimentions for the largest box possible which was under 16 inches i think and made that fit. Allthough I had to pull the lid off and left hinge off too. Then when the box was in i put the sub inside the box last. Guarenteed to not be stolen unless someone wants to remove the trunk and hinge! Its a JL 12" W3 with a MTX thunder 350 watt amp and it hits pretty hard, super deep b/c of the large box i love it. You could probly make a smaller box from the site that will fit with out taking off the lid. Make shure to use MDF not fiber board and liquid nails not caulk! I made the box my self. lf you can cut, glue, and put in screws you can make a box for about $40 (haha homedepot carpet too!)
P.S. the spare tire fits in there too I just have it out in that pic.
P.S. the spare tire fits in there too I just have it out in that pic.
ddonaca351
Active Member
NorCal.... You might also consider using a ported enclosure that mounts directly behind the back seat, and then position the ports so they are directly beneath the factory openings in the rear deck. This will allow the sound to pass directly into the passenger compartment, and bounce off the back window and hit you in the back of the head.
Take some carefull measurements to find the overall width available, and the distance between the rear deck openings, then just scour all the audio shops looking for a pre-built box that fits your needs. You can always make some brackets to mount it up off the floor of the trunk, as long as the ports are in the right spot, youre set. And using a pre-built box will keep cost down.
Another way to save cash (I did this) is to run the subs in parallel ("at 2 ohms") so that you get the ilusion of more power out of your amp. I run a 5 channel also, 40x4 + 100x1 (@4ohms) but into 2ohms it's 200x1. Just make sure the amp you buy is "two ohm stable". Most big names are good down to one ohm, some even less (but you pay $).
Oh, also run the power for the amp directly from the batt (except for a fuse). The power ratings on the amp assume a 14v input, if you run it from a 12v source off the fuse block, it will degrade the amps performance.
Good luck.
Dave-
EDIT.... ps, I run two 12" JL audio subs, and an Alpine amp. I love the sound.
Take some carefull measurements to find the overall width available, and the distance between the rear deck openings, then just scour all the audio shops looking for a pre-built box that fits your needs. You can always make some brackets to mount it up off the floor of the trunk, as long as the ports are in the right spot, youre set. And using a pre-built box will keep cost down.
Another way to save cash (I did this) is to run the subs in parallel ("at 2 ohms") so that you get the ilusion of more power out of your amp. I run a 5 channel also, 40x4 + 100x1 (@4ohms) but into 2ohms it's 200x1. Just make sure the amp you buy is "two ohm stable". Most big names are good down to one ohm, some even less (but you pay $).
Oh, also run the power for the amp directly from the batt (except for a fuse). The power ratings on the amp assume a 14v input, if you run it from a 12v source off the fuse block, it will degrade the amps performance.
Good luck.
Dave-
EDIT.... ps, I run two 12" JL audio subs, and an Alpine amp. I love the sound.
calpolymustang
Member
I have a 66 fastback and get a lot of compliments on the arrangement I have. I liked the deeper sound of the 12 so I built my own single sealed box for a JL W0 and put it in the trunk. Its powered by a USAcoustics 600 watt amp from Crutchfield though I’ve installed much more expensive amps in other cars, it works well for the fastback.
The fastback has a small trunk so if you want reasonably loud bass, id recommend either one 12 or two 10s. The cabin is small, so you don’t need a lot to fill the car. I like the sound of a sealed box, but a ported or band pass is more efficient. One of the biggest problems you will encounter after you install it all is that there will be rattling all over the car. Make sure you interior panels are all secure and if you can, install Dynomat on your trunk-lid.
If I were to redo my setup, id get a nicer amp that handled the 2ohm load, then run a single JL Audio 12W3 with the two 4-ohm voice coils in parallel making a 2ohm load. Though you might want two 10s
I will have pictures on my website shortly. I know the Kragen speakers under my trap door are degrading to my car, but they actually sound good with the cross-over I designed, they deliver good midrange since they have a larger enclosure than my 6.5" pioneers up front in the kick panels. Those kick panels look good, but the lack of an enclosure behind the speakers really hurts the range of the speakers.
The fastback has a small trunk so if you want reasonably loud bass, id recommend either one 12 or two 10s. The cabin is small, so you don’t need a lot to fill the car. I like the sound of a sealed box, but a ported or band pass is more efficient. One of the biggest problems you will encounter after you install it all is that there will be rattling all over the car. Make sure you interior panels are all secure and if you can, install Dynomat on your trunk-lid.
If I were to redo my setup, id get a nicer amp that handled the 2ohm load, then run a single JL Audio 12W3 with the two 4-ohm voice coils in parallel making a 2ohm load. Though you might want two 10s
I will have pictures on my website shortly. I know the Kragen speakers under my trap door are degrading to my car, but they actually sound good with the cross-over I designed, they deliver good midrange since they have a larger enclosure than my 6.5" pioneers up front in the kick panels. Those kick panels look good, but the lack of an enclosure behind the speakers really hurts the range of the speakers.
Wow! Man o man thanks for all of the responses and ideas guys. You've all obviously got some killer audio setups. I think my goal is a little less competitive though. I'm just wanting to add some fill in bass to overcome road noise and compensate for the puny speakers that will be in the kick panels. This is the wife's car and she would be happy with the original AM. But I need halfway decent tunes, but no need to broadcast to the neighbors. I've been considering putting something behind that rear seat quarter panel. Maybe a sub on one side and the amp on the other. I've already lined the doors an quarters with Dynamat to help quiet things up. Someone said yuk to Bazookas but they might be good enough for my situation. Why yuk? Just not up to "competition" specs? I put one of those in my old pickup and have been happy with results. Talk about road noise at 65mph in a tin can!
Another problem I've got is these stupid Kick panels from Custom Auto Crap. They don't have much depth to mount a decent speaker. Designed to accomadate their BS speakers. Anyone know of decent 6" speaker with a top mount depth of less than 2"
Another problem I've got is these stupid Kick panels from Custom Auto Crap. They don't have much depth to mount a decent speaker. Designed to accomadate their BS speakers. Anyone know of decent 6" speaker with a top mount depth of less than 2"
ddonaca351
Active Member
LOL..... man my system is soooooooo far from "competition" standards, lol .... Ive only got like 1K or maybe 1500 in my entire system. It is no where even remotely in the same realm of reality as a competition system. (is that clear enough, or was it a bit overstated? )
But really, my (our) systems are no more competition, than our cars are "race cars".....
Not flaming, just saying.... if you want a nice sounding (this is just my .02) system, good crisp bass, nice clear mids & highs, than I would say you should expect to spend: 250 deck, 200 box and subs, 250 amp(s), 200 front speakers, and 40-50 on wires / connectors / soda & food durring install / etc...
This is just a nice sounding VERY basic system. It wont rock the guy in the next lane, but will sound GOOD inside the car.
Putting in a stereo is just like any other part of the car, you can do it right the first time, and be happy for many years to come, or you can scrimp a few bucks here and there and kick yourself in the arse for as long as you own the car.....
You may think this seems like alott of money, and it is... but think of how many hours you will spend in the car over the length of time you own it.... now isnt it worth saving for a few extra months to get a GOOD sound for all those hours to come?
IMHO bazooka tubes are not a high quality item. This is just personal pref, and no offense to those who own them, but I personally would not spend my money on them.
I like Clarion, JL Audio, Infinity, Phoenix Gold, some Alpine, some Fosgate, .... mostly name brands, there are GOOD no-name brands out there, but they are few and far between, so you really need to be able to read a spec sheet to know if youre getting a good deal.
Ok Ill quit jabbering here in just a sec...
If I were you this is what I would do (on a budget) figure out how much you want to spend total, then divide it into: deck, amp(s), sub/box, speakers. Get a deck that has at least two sets of pre-outs; one for your front and one for your subs. Get a little 40x2 or 50x2 amp to run your front speakers. Get a 100x1 or maybe a 50x2 thats bridgeable to run the sub(s). Get one good set of "component" speakers (this means the tweeter is seperate from the mid, and mounts by itself). Then get a pre-made box (they are cheaper) that fits into your size requirements and a sub that is MADE TO WORK in that size box. Tell the sales geek what your budget is (have it written down so you dont forget
) and dont let him "up sell" you into the next room of higher priced stuff. Or if you can, get a friend who is a stereo geek to go with you, and he can translate and run interference for you....
Good luck...
DD
)But really, my (our) systems are no more competition, than our cars are "race cars".....
Not flaming, just saying.... if you want a nice sounding (this is just my .02) system, good crisp bass, nice clear mids & highs, than I would say you should expect to spend: 250 deck, 200 box and subs, 250 amp(s), 200 front speakers, and 40-50 on wires / connectors / soda & food durring install / etc...
This is just a nice sounding VERY basic system. It wont rock the guy in the next lane, but will sound GOOD inside the car.
Putting in a stereo is just like any other part of the car, you can do it right the first time, and be happy for many years to come, or you can scrimp a few bucks here and there and kick yourself in the arse for as long as you own the car.....
You may think this seems like alott of money, and it is... but think of how many hours you will spend in the car over the length of time you own it.... now isnt it worth saving for a few extra months to get a GOOD sound for all those hours to come?
IMHO bazooka tubes are not a high quality item. This is just personal pref, and no offense to those who own them, but I personally would not spend my money on them.
I like Clarion, JL Audio, Infinity, Phoenix Gold, some Alpine, some Fosgate, .... mostly name brands, there are GOOD no-name brands out there, but they are few and far between, so you really need to be able to read a spec sheet to know if youre getting a good deal.
Ok Ill quit jabbering here in just a sec...
If I were you this is what I would do (on a budget) figure out how much you want to spend total, then divide it into: deck, amp(s), sub/box, speakers. Get a deck that has at least two sets of pre-outs; one for your front and one for your subs. Get a little 40x2 or 50x2 amp to run your front speakers. Get a 100x1 or maybe a 50x2 thats bridgeable to run the sub(s). Get one good set of "component" speakers (this means the tweeter is seperate from the mid, and mounts by itself). Then get a pre-made box (they are cheaper) that fits into your size requirements and a sub that is MADE TO WORK in that size box. Tell the sales geek what your budget is (have it written down so you dont forget
) and dont let him "up sell" you into the next room of higher priced stuff. Or if you can, get a friend who is a stereo geek to go with you, and he can translate and run interference for you....Good luck...
DD
