I was thinking about locating a 10" sub and amp in the space behind the drivers seat. Question: Will a amp overheat if it is placed inside the massive cavity behind the seats. I know someone has put a sub behind the drivers seat. Any link to another thread would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hmmm wanna place a piece of electronics that generates a huge amount of heat, located in a metal box with little air movement & as a bonus put a 10" sub there also. Hmmmmm, yeah sounds like that will work for you. Why not mount the sub behind 1 seat and the amp behind the other seat on the bulkhead. I have 2 amps, each mounted behind the seats on the bulkheads, I lost 2.5 inches of seat travel, fair trade off for me.

 

I was thinking of some way to make it work. I want a clean setup. I want to keep the spare tire, and not loose any trunk space. Not sure what my best option is. I know BOSE locates the sub behind the drivers seat.......Don't know if I wanna mount the amp to the back of the seat...hmmm

 

Don't be a sonso, nobody said to mount a amp on the back of the seat!!!! Behind the seat on the wall below the cover that hides the BloSe sub, it is about 18" tall and covered in carpet. Be very careful with the mounting screws because the gas tank is a couple of inches behind this wall. This location allows for circulation and is very discrete/

 

Someone already screwed into their gas tank doing the same thing not too long ago

 

^ Some people have to wear helmets 24 hours a day along with a drool bib also.


So then we know you can't use a 4" screws. I have 2 amps mounted this way for over 3 years & no problems.I think I used 3/4 inch metal screws, NOT 4" screws.

 

If I understand your question: You want to install a SubW behind the driver’s seat in the stock Bose position, and your are concerned about heat generated by an external amp.

• Either of the large compartments behind the driver or passenger seat is suitable for an external amp. Since you want to place your SubW in the stock Bose SubW position, you probably should place your amp in the large compartment behind the passenger seat (the glovebox). I have my external amp there for several years, and heat has not been a problem.
  
  
• You can reverse this setup (i.e., the SubW behind the passenger seat and the amp behind the driver’s seat). I went with the amp in the glove box since it already has a door, allowing easier access. You might consider building an amp rack for this position to allow mounting multiple amps.
  
  
• Placing the SubW in the stock Bose position requires a box. You can build your own box (probably a sealed box since the space is relatively small), or you can buy a prefabricated box from wickedcas.com (http://www.wickedcas.com/product.php...1&bestseller=Y).
  
  
• An alternative is buying a powered SubW. An example is the Infinity BassLink. This solution co$ts less, but does not provide as good sound, and requires a custom mount that is sturdy. There are reports stating that the BassLink is unreliable and subject to failure, but these are probably from people who install the unit is areas where it cannot adequately cool (which would not be a problem when mounting the BassLink in the Z’s stock SubW position).
  
  
• As duro78 and 350ZTheStandard mention, be careful when mounting your amp or custom amp rack. Since you are screwing into sheet metal, you only need to use very short screws. Depending upon where you choose to attach the amp or a custom amp rack, longer screws are not necessary and could perforate into wiring or even your fuel tank.

Hope this is helpful.

--Spike

 

^^^ correct I want to install a 10" sub in the bose location behind the drivers seat. I also preferably want to keep my glove box free of an amp, and do not wish to mount it behind the seat.. Can the amp (if it fits) be placed in the semi-large cavity behind the glove box. Also does anyone else make a box for the bose location. The link you posted does not give a great picture on final quality of this box installed in the bose location.

 

As usual spike100 sums it up

 

I bet your house is clean as hell.

 

check out "wicked CAS" website as they have a prefab fglass enclosure for behind the driviers seat as well as an amp tray that goes under the carpet over your spare.

Also, if you go w another sub, you CAN put your amps in there. I just bought a used passenger side glove box innard and it bolts right in, so my car is the same on both sides now. I left swapped the OEm flush panel for the OEM woofer grill panel so now it has some breathing holes. I run 2 alpine PDX digital amps in there and its fine and im in AZ. theres even room to run a fan if necc. PM me your email if youd like pics. And yes MUCH better than drilling around or trying to build your own deal back there.. its super unleve and would be a b#tch to do. i paid 50 bucks for the new glovie and screws, end result is OEM CLEAN.

 

I repeat… If you place a non-powered SubW behind the driver’s seat, that is all you can fit there because the space is small and your sealed enclosure will require using the entire compartment. If you do this, your best location for the external amp will be inside the large glove box behind the passenger seat (you need a large compartment for your amp so it does not overheat). You can put an external amp there (or even a rack for multiple amps) and still use the remaining/available space for a glove box to hold incidentals.

I should also mention that the stock Bose position for a SubW isn’t great, but it’s adequate if you need the entire cargo space in your Z (that you stated is a requirement… and I agree being a golfer who needs the entire cargo space for two sets of clubs and a couple of overnight bags).

I’m not sure I understand your question. The prefabricated box for a SubW behind the seat from wickedcas.com isn’t finished because it’s hidden and does not require “finishing.” You can cover the front anyway you want (e.g., use the stock Bose SubW speaker grille-piece to finish the exterior).

…Not sure I answered your questions.

--Spike

 

What I did because i wanted the "clean" look as well is as follows. Build a custom box or buy one off ebay for the bay behind the seat. From there you need to route your amp and place it under the seat. There is enough room to place a 500 watt amp there. I put two 10" type R's (one in the glove box and one behind the driver) and mounted 1 amp under the driver seat and 1 under the passenger seat. I have not had any issues of over heating.

 

^^ If you still have the specification sheets for your amps… A question:

What amount of clearance does the spec sheet recommend for the amp?

--Spike

 

^^^^ This sounds like the best option. If I decide to use two subs. You have no issue with the seats sliding into the amps. Seems like there may not be enough clearance under the seat. But hey if it works it works. Right now I'm thinking of going with one 10 behind the drivers seat and the amp above the spare under the carpet. Would that amp location be acceptable and not overheat even though the carpet is covering it. Next option would be to give up my glove box and locate the amp or amps there. Thanks for all the input!!

 

Also I cant justify spending 330 for the wickedcas box. Anyone know of a cheaper alternative other than me building my own?

 

A good answer to your question requires information about the type and size amp you are installing. The tiny and weak OEM Bose amp will fit just about anywhere, but a quality amp will be much larger and generate a lot more heat. If you stuff a decent amp under the rear carpet or below the seats, you will likely see failure due to heat build-up. Certainly it might work for 12-18 months, but eventually you can expect excessive heat with this position to ruin the amp

When shopping for your amp, download the specification sheet to see what amount of clearance you need for proper cooling. Use these specs when devising your mount or amp rack. If you do mount the amp(s) inside the rear glove box, you still have room for other stuff. It’s a big compartment.

--Spike

 

If you believe you can buy or build a box that matches the price and quality of this…

http://www.wickedcas.com/product.php...1&bestseller=Y

… I think you might be on a fool’s errand.

--Spike

 

i am not sure what the specs called for on the alpine amp but I do remember it said that it had to be a in a vented area which under the seat is.

Its pretty easy to build a wooden box for it.

 

^^ Your Alpine amp must be smaller than what I’ve installed.

I have an Eclipse 4 Channel Amp Model EA3422. It’s a moderately sized and priced amp. It did fit under the seat, but that position did not provide the clearance specified by the manufacturer. I placed the amp in the large compartment behind the driver’s seat.

Heat rises, and a seat bottom is a great insulator that traps heat and keeps your amp really warm/hot.

The most common reason for amp failure is heat. A decent amp will withstand moderately excessive heat for 12-18 months, meaning that it will run past its warranty end-date before failure.

--Spike