here are my choices so far..

1. install clarion PSW160M-RET marine self powered subwoofer under drivers seat. pro's - small, fits under drivers seat (supposedly), cheap $149, self powered 100W. con's - restricted movement of front seat, not too sure if a 6" sub would push enough for me to actually enjoy and hear with top down at speed.

2. 8" solobaric square sub under drivers seat inside a .33 cubic foot box custom made and shaped to fit under drivers seat. pros - custom so it'll fit perfectly, larger efficient sub for deeper bass response over the clarion 6". con's - expensive.. $150 for the sub, god only knows how much for a custom box.. have to install amp under passenger side seat.

3. 8" round sub (not sure of brand choice yet, JL, kicker, ID, etc) mounted in passenger side kick panel. the kick panel enclosure would be very small and shaped in a "tear" so that minimal space would be used for passengers footsies. pro's - sub fires into my face, better sounding because of a larger sub compared to clarion, could look very stealthy and trick. con's - sub fires into my face, fiberglass enclosures could get pretty pricey, amp under seat, restricted passenger footwell space.

4. 2 8" subs and amp mounted into a very thin enclosure that'll go in the convertible well. im thinking something like a 3" deep enclosure thatll take up the entire floor of the well.. hopefully the top will still fit. pro's - stealth, more bass. con's - will it work? will the top still fit when retracted? will the top get in the way of the subs when they fire? could get expensive depending on shape and materials used.


so these are my choices.. ive been losing sleep trying to figure out which one of these routes i should go.. has anyone tried any of these things that ive been brainstorming about? were you successful? if you failed, why??


thanks for the bandwidth,
brian

 

oh, i forgot to add that im trying to stay away from the traditional trunk mounted subs. im an avid golfer so i need as much space as possible (2 bags).
also, if i were to mount a small 10" sub within the tool compartment, theres no easy way of venting the sub into the cabin w/o removing the spare. i tested my subs out of my other car inside the trunk while closed.. all it did was rattle the trunk (annoying buzz!) with minimal bass inside the cabin. you really do need to find some way of getting air from the trunk into the cabin.

thanks,
brian

 

There are two tricks you can use to improve the venting, but frankly, a larger amp will solve the problem. Just drive the subs with more power and the trunk will act as a bandpass. You can finess a solution with a custom underseat box, but it will probably cost you just as much as a large amp + 2 10" subs with a homemade box. Frankly, the underseat solutions I've heard are a waste of time, and its unlikely that anything with more than a 1 1/2" mounting depth will properly fit.

 

1) You're wasting your time. Remember, you have 6.5s in the door, which acts as a decent "box" in itself.

2) Solo Baric 8s are 4.5" deep - plus the box, you're looking at 5" of mounting height. Won't fit under the seat. Also fairly inefficient (85 dB). There are other 8s that are more shallow (see below), but still a tough fit.

3) I looked at doing this the other night, and frankly, there isn't much space in there - certainly not the 0.5 cu feet you'd need for a good enclosure. If you ever have passengers (especially a wife/girlfriend/date) they won't appreciate a box taking up what little space there is for their feet.

4) The only subs I've found that fit that short of a box are Planet Audio neodymium 8" at 2 1/4" deep. I really don't think this is feasible - the rear window touches the plastic shelf when the top is down (reason for Muz Mats).

I think #3 is the most feasible of these, except I personally couldn't lose the foot space for my passenger.

Good luck!

 

A thought: how tall are you? If you are pretty short, you might be able to cram some 8"s behind the seat (in "truck" style boxes). Again, at 6'1", no soup (bass) for me...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jerrypeterson
[B]There are two tricks you can use to improve the venting, but frankly, a larger amp will solve the problem.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WestSideBilly
[B]A thought: how tall are you?

 

I just talked to the local stereo store guy who wanted to place the sub enclosure at the expense of the passenger's leg space. Under the dash, on the floor, the front face would be angled and take a little away from the footspace there.

Also suggested was to remove the entire glovebox assy between the seats and place a custom fiberglass enclosure with a 10".

I didn't bite on either of the choices, but probably the only places to place them in the cabin...

tkmak

 

How about the well where the top goes down? I would imagine that it is big enough, but i'm not sure how it would sound when the top is on top of it>>> Damn, we need to resolve this sub in the cabin. So i guess it's either take your passengers leg room or put it in the trunk. Thats greatttt

 

The glove box is a good idea, but probably a little radical for most people. This type reminds of the Dodge Viper, I don't know how everybody feels about that.

$150 for a fiberglass box sounds absurdly low. While that is what it should cost (materials + 2 hrs labor @ $40/hr), I would be skeptical. Fiberglass work isn't very difficult. In fact, you can pick up boat repair kits that contain every bit of raw material you need for around $40. Just have a few power tools handy and you are in business!