A couple years ago I had a local audio shop install Focal Access 6" separates in my front doors along with a 4 channel Viper amp behind the ps rear interior panel (where the factory "sub" was). I've also got some decent 6" Kicker coaxial speakers in the rear doors, and an OK Panasonic deck.
After the amp and Focals were installed, the sound was awesome. Loud, clean and very musical. The bass was a lacking, but it sounded great nonetheless.
The other day I got a wild hair to add a subwoofer.
My goals:
1. Add a sub and amplifier to fill out the bottom end. I don't listen to rap or music that demands monstrous bass, but I really wanted to fill in where the excellent Focals left off.
2. I didn't want to lose ANY cargo space. None.
3. I didn't have much $$. I had to do it all myself.
Results:
I did some research online, learned a bit about subwoofers and enclosures, downloaded a free enclosure design program, and started looking at different drivers.
I estimated that I would be able to get about 1/3 of a cubic foot of airspace for a subwoofer enclosure behind the ps rear panel, next to my 4 channel amp--where the little cubby hatch is. I also figured I could mount a small mono amp somewhere behind the ds rear interior panel.
I settled on the following equipment:
One JL 8 inch 8W3 driver $100
One JL e1200 200W (into 2 ohms) mono amp $175
After the cables and tax I spent $300 at Car Concepts in SLC.
I decided to add some sound dampening to all the doors and the rear body panels while I was at it. I spent $80 on 50 square feet of Fatmat. This is a helluva lot cheaper than Dynamat, and I figure it's almost as good.
I also bought a sheet of 1/2 inch mdf, some heavy duty Liquid Nails, assorted screws, fiberglass batting, some metal strapping, velcro, adhesive foam tape, and other miscellaneous stuff from Home Depot.
This was my first ever attempt at any custom car stereo installation short of putting in a new deck. It went well, with lots of tweaking, adjusting, and a little cussing.
The enclosure went in easier than expected. I applied strips of foam tape to any area that could possible come into contact between the enclosure and the truck, and secured the enclosure with three metal straps.
Here's a picture of the sub enclosure and the 4 channel amp that runs the doors. The enclosure is not pretty, but it is sturdy and well-sealed. The random placement of velcro is part of how I decided to finish it all off with the interior panel. I'll explain momentarily.
I installed the amp behind the ds rear jack access panel. I obviously had to remove the jack as well as one of the jack's mounting brackets. No big deal to me, the jack now resides in my tool box. This turned out to be a great location because it is ventilated and I can easily access the amp to make adjustments.
The amp is mounted to a piece of mdf, and the mdf is mounted to the truck with metal straps. The foam around the top of the amp is (temporary) extra insurance against a leaky window seal that I'm still fixing.
The access door fits over the amp perfectly.
I modified the the ps interior panel by cutting out the plastic cubby and trimming the panel to fit around the driver. I cut the cubby door to fit around the driver as well. I used a bunch of heavy duty velcro to attach the (now two pieces) cubby door and to sturdy-up the panel's attachments. I also added strips of Fatmat to the insides of both rear interior panels because I had plenty.
The final result is sturdy, rattle-free, and looks better than I expected:
After several days of tweaking levels and crossovers, the sound in my truck just plain kicks ass. The little 8 inch woofer puts out more bass than it has any right to, and it really fleshed out the bass notes and kick drums.
I didn't lose any cargo space, the finished product is robust and sturdy, and it sounds great.
I spent less than $400 and a lot of time, and I'm very hapy with the results.
Hayes
After the amp and Focals were installed, the sound was awesome. Loud, clean and very musical. The bass was a lacking, but it sounded great nonetheless.
The other day I got a wild hair to add a subwoofer.
My goals:
1. Add a sub and amplifier to fill out the bottom end. I don't listen to rap or music that demands monstrous bass, but I really wanted to fill in where the excellent Focals left off.
2. I didn't want to lose ANY cargo space. None.
3. I didn't have much $$. I had to do it all myself.
Results:
I did some research online, learned a bit about subwoofers and enclosures, downloaded a free enclosure design program, and started looking at different drivers.
I estimated that I would be able to get about 1/3 of a cubic foot of airspace for a subwoofer enclosure behind the ps rear panel, next to my 4 channel amp--where the little cubby hatch is. I also figured I could mount a small mono amp somewhere behind the ds rear interior panel.
I settled on the following equipment:
One JL 8 inch 8W3 driver $100
One JL e1200 200W (into 2 ohms) mono amp $175
After the cables and tax I spent $300 at Car Concepts in SLC.
I decided to add some sound dampening to all the doors and the rear body panels while I was at it. I spent $80 on 50 square feet of Fatmat. This is a helluva lot cheaper than Dynamat, and I figure it's almost as good.
I also bought a sheet of 1/2 inch mdf, some heavy duty Liquid Nails, assorted screws, fiberglass batting, some metal strapping, velcro, adhesive foam tape, and other miscellaneous stuff from Home Depot.
This was my first ever attempt at any custom car stereo installation short of putting in a new deck. It went well, with lots of tweaking, adjusting, and a little cussing.
The enclosure went in easier than expected. I applied strips of foam tape to any area that could possible come into contact between the enclosure and the truck, and secured the enclosure with three metal straps.
Here's a picture of the sub enclosure and the 4 channel amp that runs the doors. The enclosure is not pretty, but it is sturdy and well-sealed. The random placement of velcro is part of how I decided to finish it all off with the interior panel. I'll explain momentarily.
I installed the amp behind the ds rear jack access panel. I obviously had to remove the jack as well as one of the jack's mounting brackets. No big deal to me, the jack now resides in my tool box. This turned out to be a great location because it is ventilated and I can easily access the amp to make adjustments.
The amp is mounted to a piece of mdf, and the mdf is mounted to the truck with metal straps. The foam around the top of the amp is (temporary) extra insurance against a leaky window seal that I'm still fixing.
The access door fits over the amp perfectly.
I modified the the ps interior panel by cutting out the plastic cubby and trimming the panel to fit around the driver. I cut the cubby door to fit around the driver as well. I used a bunch of heavy duty velcro to attach the (now two pieces) cubby door and to sturdy-up the panel's attachments. I also added strips of Fatmat to the insides of both rear interior panels because I had plenty.
The final result is sturdy, rattle-free, and looks better than I expected:
After several days of tweaking levels and crossovers, the sound in my truck just plain kicks ass. The little 8 inch woofer puts out more bass than it has any right to, and it really fleshed out the bass notes and kick drums.
I didn't lose any cargo space, the finished product is robust and sturdy, and it sounds great.
I spent less than $400 and a lot of time, and I'm very hapy with the results.
Hayes
Last edited:
