Hey... I need some input. I really am sick of looking in my trunk and seeing what I see. I want to build a nice custom amp rack, and make my trunk a little easier on the eyes.

I really dont want to build another sub box, because this one sounds so damn good, and I think I could work the existing box into what ever I do with the trunk.

Currently, the amps and all the wires are hidden in front of my sub box. Rat's nest of wiring. Thats one thing I love about doing a custom install, it almost forces you to do a good job wiring the thing.

So, here is a picture of what I see in my trunk right now. Any ideas? Where should I put the amp rack? Should I make a sub-floor? Should I remove the spare and build over the tire well? If not, how should I gain access to the spare?

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated! I am planning to build at christmas time or shortly after (holidays start then).

if it was my car i would build a new box just because i need to have access to my spare tire. maybe build 2 seperate boxes like i used to have in my car and put your amps on the front wall. i was actually thinking about going back to that set up, the way my car is now takes up alot of space.

I would recarpet it with the same carpet thats in the trunk

88 delta..if it were me, I'd either tip the box right side up, and
A. face the speakers forward, building a false wall around it which would be flush from the edge of the trunk lip to the floor..or
B. face the speakers rearward, making some ductwork that goes from the box ports up to the rear deck, and build a false wall around it, across the front of the trunk.

For the amp rack, I'd mount either one or both amps in the sides, and build a false wall from the trunk edge down to the floor, as the sides should offer enough room to either surface mount or flush mount the amps, and run the wiring behind them. Of course, you could also build an amp rack into the floor where the spare goes, but it would be a bit harder to access if you needed to reach it

Hmm... Almost sounds like I'll be needing a new box regardless of what I decide to do...

If I take the box and push it forward under the deck, I have no room for my 6x9 enclosures under the deck. So, either I take the 6x9's and sit them on top of the rear deck (ugggggly!) or keep on thinking about it! I like the idea of walling my box into the rear deck... The ducting idea sounds really neat toO!

Regardless of what I do, everything will match. Black carpet is easy to find!

I will take everything out of my trunk tonight and look at it all and do some measuring.

If anyone has anymore ideas, I'd LOVE to hear them!

oookay...heres another thought...being that you're running the subs as well as the 6x9's in the rear, you really dont NEED the enclosures, as you're getting the bass response from the subs. The 6x9's would function as more of a mid/high range speaker. the biggest concern might be the air pressure from the subs hitting, deadening the midrange off the 6x9's...you could possibly get around this by using the foam enclosures from Crutchfield or another reputable stereo outlet. This would be enough of an enclosure to permit midrange bass response from the 6x9's, but not take up alot of clearance. I would probably face the subs to the rear, due to the fact that if you get them TOO close to the back of the rear seat, the air pressure created from the subs pushing air against the back seat or metal divider MAY make them sound worse, because it'll deaden them by working the air pushed away back against the speaker cone itself. Just a couple more thoughts on the matter...

I had the same problem with the MTXs in the box they came with, I couldn't push it all the way back....I needed about an inch extra...so I thought about taking the boxes out and fabricating a lower depth box for them....but that wouldn't even work as the 6 x 9's were too deep....so I ended up takin' the MTXs out and putting in the Shiva, which takes up less room, but gived the same amount of bass but with higher quality.

TOC Admin
Brando

Would it be wise to make any sort of cuts or ports in that sheet metal divider in the trunk? I remember my older cars (84 caprice, 79 deville) only had a metal frame there instead. Maybe more sound would be transmitted through into the passenger area?

88 delta...bass frequencies are non directional, meaning that theoretically, it SHOULDNT make any difference whether the divider is cut out or not, as the bass frequencies will radius out from the box in all directions, rather than having to have it aimed in one particular direction. Sometimes the way the subs are aimed can make a difference in the sound (ie. aiming a bass tube into a trunk corner vs. aiming it away from a corner...or aiming a box towards the rear of the trunk vs facing forward). I've seen installs where the box was installed between the rear wheelwells, then the divider was cut out completely, and the box was "Great Stuff" foamed around it to hold it tight in place, and seal it off. The only problems with this is that everything in the surrounding area has to be very tight, as the box is tied into the whole rear of the car basically, otherwise you'll go nuts due to the rattling and vibration of everything. Just some more things to confuse you further...lol

The only reason I ask about the divider is because there isnt a whole lot of free-flowing airspace between the cabin and trunk, the only place I beleive air can flow is through the 6x9 speaker holes in the deck. (currently I have the 6x9's in MDF boxes sitting on the back deck - yuck!) I am planning to do as you had once suggested, and bolt the MDF box to the underside of the deck and the speaker to the top. That being the case, there really wouldnt be anywhere for that bass to go except those flow-through air vents in the back doors.

So I was thinking to slot or cut out portions of the divider for sound. I realise the importance of the position of your box in the trunk, and that is the reason the box sits as it does in the picture, it really doesnt sound good any other way.

Just gathering some lumber up... Gotta have more than enough by christmas time! And I dont know how much is enough, so I just grab everything I see!

There are actually two vents in the metal divider. One on the left and one on the right.

TOC Admin
Brando

i never had a problem with sound not coming in the car from the trunk in my car... turn up the amp, that should solve your problems

88..like I said before, bass frequencies are non directional, so you dont need to worry about the sound gettin directed thru in certain areas...ok, lets picture this a different way...

say your speaker box is the center of an earthquake....when the sound goes out from it, it sends vibrations(frequencies), like a shockwave leaving the epicenter (center) of a quake...which penetrate thru the things in its path, regardless of if theres blockage there or not, or direction, for that matter....

in a midrange or tweeter, the sound is directional, meaning it should be positioned in a way that the sound is directed towards the listener, or positioned so the staging (imaging) of a speaker will make the sound travel towards the listener. Thats why in many systems, you see talk of imaging, staging, or time delay, so that the sound frequencies will reach the listener at the same time, creating a stereo effect. With bass frequencies, the frequencies are low enough so that they will pass thru things, and not have to be pointed in a certain direction, like midrange and tweeters do. Granted, bass frequencies passing thru things may deaden or lessen the sound a bit, but not to the point that it will matter much in your case. I would say leave the parition intact and dont cut it. If you do, you'll weaken the structure, and may get vibration from it afterwards because it wont be as solid as it was.

I was thinking the same thing...the divider acts like a mid brace for the body...

TOC Admin
Brando

Sounds good guys, thanks for the detailed explaination! I wont make any sort of cuts of the divider.