tonydt1g3r

so I set off to get some bass this weekend. As previously posted I figured out that I could replace the small stock 8" sub and replace it with an Image Dynamics 8" sub that is signifigantly larger and thus would hopefully satisfy some of my sound system wants.


Problem #1 - figured I would install a spare amp I had laying around, a Punch Fosgate 360a2, good for around 500 watts at 1 ohm as the spec sheet states. So I figure I'll run it at 2 ohms and get 250 watts which is within specs of the sub. So I tear apart the trunk which I had recently done for the spare tire kit install and go to install the amp somewhere behind the sub. After a while of trying to move stuff here and there I figured out its impossible to put any decent sized amp behind there. When I say decent size I mean a 10"x10" amp cant fit back there. Your going to need a really slender amp if you want it to fit back there. Somewhere like a 10"x6"x2" which I didnt have.


Problem #2 - so since installing the amp in the trunk under those panels behind the sub failed I had to figure an alternative. So tada my friend suggested a perfect place. Under the driver or passenger seat. And to my amazement it fits under there. So I figure since I am the driver most of the time the driver side would be best since it fits but still a little tall and dont want anything to mess up. So I run all the neccessary wires and figure hey I havent used this amp for 3 or 4 years let me make sure it still works. Bam it doesnt light up and my heart just sinks. I am like umm wtf it was working the last time i used it. Well i figure let me test it up to a speaker anyways, and it still doesnt work


Problem #3 - luckily I was at my friends house and he had a spare mtx amp laying around and he said I could use it, so all of a sudden I am happy again. This MTX amp happened to be not as tall as my fosgate so any issues with the seat hitting the amp was really gone now. I go to wire it up and look to see that it doesnt have speaker line inputs like my fosgate amp had. Awee shucks, well my friend had a line converter laying around, it wasnt a low line converter just a full I believe. It was kind of confusing to look at but I did my best and hooked it all up and nothing really worked and I was bummed.

By this time I had already waste probally 8 hours on this thing and all my friends were all ready to go to the club and I was still sitting there so I said screw it and just started putting everything the car back together so we could go out. Needless to say my plan on finishing up my subwoofer project this weekend was a bust. I was sad

Since I had already finished up the mounding brackets and stuff for the new sub I just threw it in there and hooked up the aftermarket sub at 4 ohms to the stock amp. You can tell the difference somewhat but its no where near where it should be with an aftermarket amp. So now I have a few choices, buy another line converter and use my friends amp, get a new amp, ,see if I can fit my rediculously large fosgate punch 800a2 amp under the seat, or see if I can fix my old amp.

Btw under the seat there is a large area of cushion or padding that can be compressed down to offer more space. I am still wondering if the signal I am getting from the stock sub woofer outputs are any good to feed into the amp directly or another low line converter. And I still dont know which wire is positive and which wire is negative.

KevsSC

Bummer dude. My next investment on my car is sounds. I want to take the whole Mark L system out and replace it with something else.

tonydt1g3r

the mids and highs in the ML system arent bad at all, but if your a stickler for that stuff you might run into problems finding a place to mount the amp's. The stock ML amp is super slender. your best bet is under the seats. Just a heads up.

sc430blue

How bout the spare tire well?

tonydt1g3r

spare tire well would fit well but I have a spare tire

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. Thanks for given this a go Tony and don't give up man. You have plenty of time to think it out and make it work.
Lee

Radical350

Great job on documenting your exploration. We are fortunate to have the details. I think we can all aprreciate spending hours on refinements. Thanks!

tonydt1g3r

I am sure I'll have working soon and post up all the good pics on the install and what I did to mount the sub. There is litterally like a couple milimeters of space from the magnet to the metal part in the back of the trunk and you need to cut the stock plastic housing a certain way or else the speaker magnet is gonna hit the metal in the trunk.

Anyways I never fail at anything I just keep trying till it gets done.