Where to mount an Amp

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 8:07 pm

Hello,

I've just put my sub box in the back of my mkiv, and have some choices for where to put my Amp:

1) Directly on to the sub box. The neatest solution, but I'm a bit worried about vibration. I could mount it with some rubber in between to dampen it down a bit?

2) On to the seat back. I don't really want to do this as I don't want to damage the car visibly.

3) On to the side of the car (near the rear seatbelt retractor). This seems more awkward to do.

Any opinions? Any hints and tips out there for easy places to mount it? I am restricted to the passenger side of the car (power wire length) and I also want to be able to remove the sub quickly - e.g. to get to the spare wheel!

Dave

KarlM · Post by **KarlM** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:01 pm

fixing it to the sub box sounds like the best solution. or you could make a false floor out of mdf and then mount it to that.

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:03 pm

The box is quite big - so a false floor with an amp mounted on it would just destroy any hope of carrying things in the boot. (so what?!). I'll mount the amp on the box for now and see if it works ok.

Next problem is how to stop the box from moving around in the boot?! I've seen some sub box straps - but again I would have to fix these to the seat back to get the kind of fixing I'm wanting. Before, I have just bungeed the box in, but this looks pants! It's OK at the mo (grips onto the mat) but if I brake hard then the box moves around.

Hmmm

KarlM · Post by **KarlM** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:26 pm

Velcro strips...

easy to remove and nice and clean.

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:43 pm

plan

SiDaBa · Post by **SiDaBa** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 11:55 pm

The wonders of velcro!!

Used velcro to hold this "thing" down, only needed to use velcro hooks as the carpet in the boot was good evough for it, the velcro is roughly an inch and a half in width and i ran two pieces the length of the box, one at the front, one at the back and once down trying to get it off was a bit of an effort, that's how well it held. Also the amp on top is only held on by velcro (

) same method again as the box and the amp has never come off and that's been about 10 months now!!

I may have used both sides of velcro (loops & hooks) to attach the amp, (the velcro was also self adheisive) but i can't quite remember that far back! sorry

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:55 am

done it:

Velcro is the king. albeit a little frustrating when I'm trying to move the sub and the darn stuff is sticking like crazy to the carpet

Wiring is a little obvious, but it had to be that way. Custom box has a false front on it and it's got holes for LED's that go behind the false front and make the sub "glow". Or that is the theory. Worked in my Megane...

Can't believe I am STILL waiting for my head unit and components - Alpha car audio aren't answering the phone AT ALL, they don't seem to exist any more! Very worried.

SiDaBa · Post by **SiDaBa** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 8:40 pm

Jeez i didn't realise it was Alpha you bought from as well

! No the B******S said they were sending me another box on monday......nothings turned up!!!

Going to try and have words with them tomorrow. In future i will stick with Mcs-Direct!!

dubpolo · Post by **dubpolo** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 11:28 am

you've done it now but a fake floor is great! you can hide your amps, mount your sub to it and it hides all cables! if you want pic's ill get them for you!

Post by **Josh_PoloGTi** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 12:24 pm

Boot builds rock!

Still not raised my amps or got any perspex yet, but it's still loads better than it used to be!

Check it out here:
http://www.tigerstyle.co.uk/poloforum/v ... php?t=2346

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 11:40 pm

sweet as - very nice install indeed josh. where d'you get the lights from?

I'll consider a boot build next time - sub box is way bigger than i thought it would be!

update - got the alpine 9708RB head unit from empiredirect, a quality service that i can heartily recommend - A1. Alpha sent me the alpine component speakers asap too after they realised i didn't want the head unit any more (they were taking aaaaages). these are a christmas present from my other half

so i have for santa before i can fit them

so, got the head unit in tonight - needed it's own power supply from the battery direct! aaargh! anyway, cut hands later and it ROCKS. I can confirm that my sony unit didn't kick out as much bass as this one. the RF stuff goes well and at last i can see money well spent.

makes the 1.0L seem even more of a pleasure to drive now.

Post by **Josh_PoloGTi** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 9:05 am

Got the LED Fans and the Cold Cathode Tubes from EBuyer.com (or co.uk)...

EBuyer are Very Very Cheap for stuff like that!

I made the relay myself from bits bought at Maplins.

Clawz · Post by **Clawz** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 11:17 am

Hmm, looks great

Could be interesting to have them on low glow that pulses with the music

I know you can get sound sensitive cold cathodes from a couple of places and I think that would look pretty awsome in your boot

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 2:44 pm

Any chance of some technical info about the install josh - bits used, what is needed (electric-wise, I know about how to make mdf stuff

)

You used a relay to isolate a circuit from the large currents? is that cos of the specs of the lights? were they 12v lights, or 5v computer ones?

nice one!

Post by **Josh_PoloGTi** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 2:55 pm

Right then...

I have one 12v power lead coming from the battery, with a 70A fuse in-line next to the battery.

I have a negative lead which is bolted to a hole I drilled in the metal under the rear seat.

I have a remote lead coming from the head unit.

These all go into gold plated distribution blocks (1 in, 4 out)

The amps and the relay take feeds from these distribution blocks (12v+, 12v- and 12v+ Remote)

The relay is used to switch the fans and neons on and off when the stereo is turned on and off.

The design was found on talkaudio (www.talkaudio.co.uk)... Go to forums, then search for "fan relay".

The relay takes high current 12v positive and negative, and uses the 12v+ remote lead's power to either let the large current 12v flow or stop it flowing... Basically, it's an electronic switch.

It lets you power 12v stuff on when the stereo is turned on.

All wires going into the relay are fused too.

Hope this helps!