LudemanDan

The car is torn apart right now and looks like this. I'm mounting an amp under the passenger seat and the floor looks less like a tabletop and more like a BMX race course:


Notice the screw holes on the amp:



I'm sure there's a better way to stablize it than just stuffing random trash into the spaces. I don't want to raise it much, if at all, because I bought it specifically to be very thin.

I'd like to get this done by this weekend.

Thanks,

-Dan

RideOrDie

Yes you can mount it there i did a kicker amp there in my GSR dc2. I didnt put anything down on the floor just mounted it threw the carpet n hooked it up.

LudemanDan

Cool. But, what do you mean by "mounted it"?

Dan

RideOrDie

screwed it to the floor or boltit with small screws n nuts.

rjr162

the other option is go to a hobby shop and get some small tubing. You can measure out the length you need to make the amp sit flush without putting pressure on the middle of the amp its self. Cut the tub to the 4 required sizes for where the screw holes on the amp are, put the tubes under the amp, and screw the amp down. This way the amp is secure, level, and isn't being stressed by having an uneven/****-eye'd mounting job.

phateless

here's a wacky idea. have you thought about somehow mounting it upside-down, to the underside of the passenger seat? it will be plenty hidden!

LudemanDan

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phateless &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">here's a wacky idea. have you thought about somehow mounting it upside-down, to the underside of the passenger seat? it will be plenty hidden!</TD></TR></TABLE>
You're mad as a hatter, as always.

Dan

nsxxtreme

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rjr162 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the other option is go to a hobby shop and get some small tubing. You can measure out the length you need to make the amp sit flush without putting pressure on the middle of the amp its self. Cut the tub to the 4 required sizes for where the screw holes on the amp are, put the tubes under the amp, and screw the amp down. This way the amp is secure, level, and isn't being stressed by having an uneven/****-eye'd mounting job.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This is what I was thinking also.

I hope your not trying to put it under the carpet. Had to ask because you never know, people do the strangest things.


Modified by nsxxtreme at 12:47 PM 7/3/2005

civic_speed99

I'd like to see it mounted to the bottome of the seat. It would be pretty cool.

LudemanDan

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxxtreme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I hope your not trying to put it under the carpet. Had to ask because you never know, people do the strangest things.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Oh don't worry, I actually cut a hole in the carpet around the amp. Didn't want carpet under the amp because that would add extra thickness. Gotta have as much clearance as possible above it.

By the way, can you imagine connecting all the wires to the amp while it's mounted upside-down to the bottom of the seat?

-Dan

P.S. My installation is finally coming together. I ended up leveling the amp by using little mounds of sound deadening material as feet. fcm advised me not to do this, but they're stout and secure, and they require no drilling.

Now my crazy-*** challenge is routing heavily insulated 16ga speaker wire into the driver's side door. I did the passenger side already and it was a royal PITA. The driver's side is going to be much worse.

Thanks guys.

01civicex

nice amp

GOLDBERG

doubt it would be hard to do the wires..just use a stubby screwdriver..one speed..

JustinL

take a piece of 1/4" wood and screw it to the floor with however long screws it takes, and attach the amp to that so you have a flat level surface

deeksmooth

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LudemanDan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oh don't worry, I actually cut a hole in the carpet around the amp. Didn't want carpet under the amp because that would add extra thickness. Gotta have as much clearance as possible above it.

By the way, can you imagine connecting all the wires to the amp while it's mounted upside-down to the bottom of the seat?

-Dan

P.S. My installation is finally coming together. I ended up leveling the amp by using little mounds of sound deadening material as feet. fcm advised me not to do this, but they're stout and secure, and they require no drilling.

Now my crazy-*** challenge is routing heavily insulated 16ga speaker wire into the driver's side door. I did the passenger side already and it was a royal PITA. The driver's side is going to be much worse.

Thanks guys.</TD></TR></TABLE>

fcm advised you against this for a reason, it will not hold up in the long run... heat and vibrations will affect it and sooner or later you will be taking your seat out to remount it. do it the right way the first time and save yourself the headache.

the best idea so far is the tubing... i'd seriously reconsider constructing a new mounting base.

LudemanDan

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I like my solution: I just screwed the amp down into the inch-thick deadening material I stacked under there, and it's secure without drilling into the chassis! And I put plumbing washers under the screw heads just to help with insulation.

Those pics are on my film camera, so I can't post them just yet.

Dan

LudemanDan

Deeksmooth: Okay, point taken. The cool thing though is, if I have to remount it, it won't be such a PITA. Taking out the passenger seat is pretty quick and then the amp is just sitting there. I've torn apart two 4th gen Preludes now and I'm not that intimidated by interior stuff anymore.

fcm actually suggested I use MDF board and cut it to shape. I went out that afternoon to buy some, but it was only sold in huge construction sheets (as in you need a pickup truck) and they wouldn't cut them. So in my haste I did what I did. We'll see.

Dan

SILVIC00

if u go to home depot or lowes they have precut mdf sheets...in select sizes

ironlung78

Finally precut mdf sheets is the answer.. cut it to fit the whole and either screw it down or use liquid nails. put your carpet back over it and screw your amp down. you can run all your wires under the carpet so you won't see anything..
Kind of like this but i chose to mount it on the back seat..
**DEFINITELY don't reccomend mounting it upside down on your seat, your asking for trouble every time you adjust your seat**

LudemanDan

Okay, it's done and I have the pics developed and scanned. Here's a shot of the amp mounted, seat still out, wires not hooked up yet:



With the seat installed and leaned back you'd never think it's there.

But I have another problem now: I only have about 1/4" of clearance above the amp! And that's with nobody sitting in the seat. It looks like this:



It's not in use yet because I don't have my crossovers yet, but do you think that's too little clearance? I can lower the amp a little, and raise the seat a few mm if I really need to...

Dan

vitrox

the bottom of the seat should have a steel pan.. it doesn't move down when someone is sitting in it.

LudemanDan

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vitrox &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the bottom of the seat should have a steel pan.. it doesn't move down when someone is sitting in it.</TD></TR></TABLE>
No, actually, it has thick wires that are bent in a wave shape and are meant to sag a little.

Dan

ironlung78

Personally i wouldn't put it there for these reasons..
If your making that amp work hard its going to get hot, and if it doesn't have room to disperse the heat then you run the risk of putting it in protect mode, where it will shut off and you will have no music, or if it doesn't have protect it could overheat and burn components, and then its junk.

I also noticed that the amp is turned sideways which could be potentially dangerous if you have someone sitting in the back seat. You put your lil brother back there, your girlfriend, or the chick next door. They will not care if there feet are stepping all over your power wire. If that power wire gets grounded, or if your ground hits power, that amp is pretty much junk.

I just think that amp is a little too big to be putting under your seat, and that you may want to consider putting it somewhere else for your own protection.

ekcivic9

imo moutning it on the floor is kind of a bad idea... if it rains / snows / who knows what your passenger might trek into your car. it will be headed to your amp.

if you mounted under the seat then you wouldnt have to worry about those issues.

LudemanDan

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sidesi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I also noticed that the amp is turned sideways which could be potentially dangerous if you have someone sitting in the back seat. You put your lil brother back there, your girlfriend, or the chick next door. They will not care if there feet are stepping all over your power wire. If that power wire gets grounded, or if your ground hits power, that amp is pretty much junk. </TD></TR></TABLE>
It's not quite that bad. The power and ground and speaker wires are all on the front side, under the seat, and it's difficult to reach them with your hand, let alone your feet. The power and ground are also toward the center, so it's highly unlikely that snow (which we don't have) or rain could get in there.

On the backside is the RCAs, which are kind of in danger of getting stepped on if the passenger seat is forward. I plan on building a box around the plugs to shield them from that. Here is how it looks with the seat forward:



I don't expect to work the amp especially hard (although I don't know).

I value all your advice.

Thanks,

-Dan

ironlung78

i guess all that matters is that your happy with what you've done, but just by looking at the picture you'd have to have really small feet to fit in the back seat!

You'll end up changing it!!!! I did the same thing, and was all happy with it until I friends started sitting back there! They're going to be stepping all over it, and as ekcivic9 mentioned... wet feet, in back seat = trouble. MAKE SURE THE AMP IS FUSED BY THE BATTERY!!!!