Sub-Woofers

My stereo only has door speakers and is very lacking in bass. I'd like to install a sub-woofer, but cannot figure out where to put it. The only space I can think of is under the dash.

Has anyone else installed one, and of so, where?

You'd be better off adding 6x9s in the back with a properly filtered decent amp. I have 6 1/2s up front and 6x9s in the back. I don't need any more bass. I can hear and feel the music perfectly going 85mph, no problem. Just buy high end speakers and amps only. Plus I personally feel like the bass from a woofer (wherever the f you stuff it) is a little overkill. These cars draw enough attention as is. I wouldn't wanna be that guy.

This is coming from a guy who had two 18 inch woofers in the back of an Acura Integra running at half an ohm each and both of them having their own dedicated 1200w amp. That setup was great until it shattered the back window.

Also, what are the current speakers and what is powering them? If it's just the head unit, you might as well not have a stereo in this car.

I haven't installed one in a speedster, but I had an 8" installed under the dash in my old beetle with the box in the front made to look like a suitcase. It was probably the nicest system that I've ever owned.

In the speedster I'm just going to make speaker pods in the front wheel wells and fire them into the cabin through the kick panels. A nice set of 5 1/4 splits running off a head unit is all you really need in a car like this.

I think MUSBJIM is running a Bazooka tube sitting on his "back seat". It's pluggable, so when he needs to use the rear seat area for anything he can unplug and gain some extra space.

As an aside, last Fall I was walking through the WalMart parking lot and heard this weird bass line coming toward me but all I saw was a motorcycle. Yup, the guy had a Bazooka mounted transversely just below the seat. Unbelievable!

I may add a small amp to the IM. Any stereo heads out there know of some good mini amps?

Hey Cole,
When I bought my car I purchased a compact, self-powered subwoofer to install. I never got around to it.
It's a Clarion SRV 120 watt, air compression sub woofer. The overall dimensions are 9"w X 13"d X 3" H. It has a detachable control panel so you can adjust and trim the sub's response.
It's not going to rattle your neighboring travelers with door-shaking bass but it will round out the sound of your existing setup.
Email me if you're interested. I'll let it go for a very reasonable price.

Cole - like my brutha Gordon mentioned, I have a small Bazooka sub-woofer I put on my rear seat area. Its typically used in cars with restricted space. Its inexpensive, I secure it with straps, and its easily removed if I need the back-seat for luggage space on extended trips. Nice bottom-end with adjustable response settings.

Whats a good small amp to get and where is a good place to mount it? I have a set of 6.5 speakers I was going to run in the door and add a bazooka tube which has an amp built in. Do you think that will be good enough or will the door speakers need an amp as well?

Here is one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Rockford++Fosgate+-+Punch+BRT+300W+Mono+MOSFET+Amplifier+-+Black/3272062.p?id=1218390944486&skuId=3272062&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=3272062

Compact, and up to 300 watts at 2 ohms! And cheap too!

Can't help with where, I have a Spyder with NO radio, except screaming Raby type1!

Marty/Mat - JL Audio is great and they're really compact. I have mine mounted under the hood. Here's a link to the one I have. It's running Boston Acoustic 6.5 components in the front and 6x9s in the back. Loud enough and clear enough is never an issue.

If you're only running front speakers, you'll only need a two channel amp.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_136XD4004/JL-Audio-XD400-4.html?tp=35782

honestly - IMO you don't need a world class amp. these cars are noisy.

and $.75/watt is an average price for a good amp last time i looked. maybe cheaper now.

So your telling me a head unit powering component speakers in a door with a powered sub is not enough? I will need to get an amp for the speakers as well.

You're right about cost Mango, but the Punch amp is so small!

A head unit powering speakers literally gives them an average of 15-20 watts per channel and sometimes as low as 2-5. The 50w x 4 is max output but that's just an advertising number. The real number you're looking for is RMS. 15 watts is not enough for a car this loud or really any convertible at speed. Like I said, I can hear the music in my car PERFECTLY at 85mph.

for now . . .

Can I mount an amp in between the engine firewall and the back seat?

Colin, 4 Speakers = 4 Channel amp?

mount it under the seat if you can.

Bose,, 4 speakers ,,4 amps.. In my D

But you could take some 6 inch Pvc and make a Isoberic sub woffer that would fit in the cavity behind the shelf the 2 6inch elbows would stick through and have grill cover into the hack wall.

What about installing it under the rear seat cushion? How much heat do these things generate? No room under my driver seat.

They can get pretty hot, they should breathe.

Ed - It's not loud like that. Clean and well powered doesn't need to be loud unless you are including woofer bass, which I'm suggesting you don't do. Like I said in a previous post, I used to be heavy into the car stereo scene. Competition systems. The volume required to hear the music at 85mph in the Speedster isn't particularly loud, certainly nothing compared to what I've put my ears through in the past. The speakers I have are very clean and are properly powered by the amps. If anyone is particularly sensitive to sound or that concerned with the effect of music on their ears, this isn't a car to get a stereo in. In fact, this isn't a car to drive in the first place seeing that the reason you need the music loud is because the engine is already so loud.

Marty - Yes, 4 speakers requires a 4 channel amp. You should find out the specs of your speakers before buying an amp though. You don't want to overpower them. This is a weakest link thing.

Mat - I don't know enough to answer than but it sounds hot in there. I have mine under my front hood and I'm very happy with it. It is by far my first choice for location for a few reasons. No heat issues, out of sight so less chance of theft, not a bunch of wires coming out underneath my seat. My second choice would be under the passenger seat, third would be upside down under the dash. If you get one of the JL Audio ones that I linked to, they do not give off a tremendous amount of heat. However, I would be mindful of them on a long drive just to make sure. I have had nothing resembling a heat issue with mine under the front hood though.