Just got my new Z and will be upgrading the stereo system starting with the bass. I'm used having a single 12" bandpass box in the trunk and would like the bass in my Z to hit at least that hard without losing any cargo space or the spare tire.

Has anyone tried or considered turning the two compartments (stock sub location & glove box) behind the seats into 1 12-inch sub bandpass enclosure? Is there even enough cubic feet back there for such a thing?

If possible, would this configuration sound similar to a bandpass box placed in the trunk of an average sports coupe?

Any comments, both pro & con would be welcomed. Thanks

 

Did you see this thread? Subs Subs and more Subs. That is a compilation of just about every subwoofer installed and pictured on this site so it should help answer your questions. Good luck and welcome to the board.

 

I don't believe it's possible without cutting parts out. There's a divider between those two compartments that most likely is used to support the floor above it since it's an expanse of sheet metal going the entire inside width of the car. If you felt like cutting out the rear floor above the glove box/sub area and cutting out the support between the two you may be able to drop a box in there, but I am not sure how much that would compromise the structure of the Z (one of its strong points).

It would also be difficult to design the box with the proper volumes and shape (fitting over the transmission tunnel, etc) while maintaining the best port tuning frequency: bandpass boxes are very difficult to get right; slight deviation from optimal design can result in horrible sound. Note also that store-bought bandpasses (one box fits all) really suck since they are designed merely to fit a certain size of speaker. All speakers have different T/S parameters, which will affect the box design.

Also: anything permanent in that area could be a problem if you ever have trouble with the fuel tank sending unit or whatever else is down there--fuel pump?

Check out https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....hlight=dynamat for pictures of the sub area.

 

Thanks for the replies and links.

The Subs Subs and more Subs thread is the one that got me thinking about the bandpass thing, as most of the pics there of installs behind the seats seem to be sealed or free-air applications.

My thought was that since there were 2 compartments back there divided by a metal bracket it seemed a natural fit for a bandpass type application. You could fiberglass the hell out of the driver side compartment to create the sealed side, mount the sub to the center metal bracket, and use the glove box area for the ported side.

The pics in the link provided by bastard pretty much ended those thoughts. The center brace doesn't seem big enough to really work with. The transmission hump was much bigger than I had thought plus there is the wheel well to deal with. Your right - tuning this thing would be next to impossible (if it could even be built). And then there is the fuel tank thing to deal with.

So...on to plan B. I think I'll replace the factory sub with a quality one and cross it over to carry the mid-bass and have a custom box built between the rear speakers and strut brace to house a 10w7 or something comparable. It will probably sound better anyways. I just cant help but think what a waste it is not to use all that space behind the seats...

Thanks again for your help.