Amp under seat?

[nahurry]

i have an alpine model # MRP F240 amp mounted under my seat and alpine 6.5 speakers mounted in tool boxes and alpine 5 1/4 in rear side panels.

[pbarcher]

Thanks for all your suggestions. However, on my car ('73) the distance between the seat support rails is about 7.25", which means that the amps you've suggested (Alpine MRP-F300, PDX-4.100, MRP F240 ) are too wide. Any other suggestions?

I have 6 x 9 speakers in the tool boxes, facing the seat backs. Not a great location, but I cut the holes in the 70's so I have to live with it. That rules out placing the amp there.

I have 5 1/4's at the back of the hatch facing forward and I'll replace those with Boston Acoustics or Polk with tweeters in the kick panels. These component systems require crossovers, which I intend to mount under the passenger seat.

Any more advice that you can provide will be appreciated.

Peter

[fiveleaf]

I don't have any specific models of amps in mind, or a dimensions book...

Two more great websites you can try asking at are

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/

and

http://www.canadiancaraudio.com/

EDIT: The "Precision Power 4400" I just took out again is 13"x9"x2.25".

It's 4x50WRMS @ 4Ohms (or 2x200WRMS @ 4Ohms).

Other amps in the same line (I believe they are the 4200 and 4800) are probably the same dimensions with different levels of output.

Edited March 7, 2010 by fiveleaf

[fiveleaf]

Just wanted to add, that many hi-fi audio stores mark the little products up ridiculously. Jewlery store markup.

Anyways, audio companies (ie Ph.Gold) sell things like battery terminals, power distribution/split blocks, inline fuses, etc. for insane prices.

Try going to marine or electric/circuitry stores for these kind of items. I recently found hi-fi $5 inline fuses, $7 power terminals, and $8 battery clamps (all gold-plated) online.

I'd look closer to home (this is from a electronic kit store local to me), but in case you can't...

http://store.qkits.com/category.cfm/CAR

or http://www.qkits.com

Dave, can you comment on whether if the LED strips they sell would perform as well as your cathode-tube floor lighting install? I'm thinking of copying you, but don't trust myself (or my friends) around fragile equipment. I'm not as familiar as you when it comes to LEDs.

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/LDB1-HS3018AB

Edited March 7, 2010 by fiveleaf
a "Wether" is a casturated sheep. I was spelling "whether".

[Zs-ondabrain]

Gotta love that 150% mark up from wholesale pricing. I've been an installer for almost 24 years, worked at Car-Toys for about 5 years, I'm an MECP certified installer with several "Installer of the Month" Certificates.

I spent a lot of my free time, when not installing in the bay, out on the sales floor talking with customers about their choices in amplifiers, speakers nad head-units. The best sales line was always "You get what you pay for" "If you spend $50 on a CD player, you're only gonna get $50 worth"

I typically helped them choose....

Pioneer Head Units

Infinity Reference Series Speakers

and MTX Amps.

Great products for a great price. Great reliability as well. When I was in the bay, I threw away more Sony head-units and swapped them for Pioneers. Watched WAY TOO MANY Rockford Fosgate amps Catch on FIRE!! than I care to remember.

Anyways, The cold-cathode tube lights aren't that fragile. They are sealed in an acrylic tube withsolid square acrylic ends. The kits are simple. Just take it out of the box, find the white plug with a red and black wire on it, follow the wires from that plug as far as possible and cut them from the computer case plate and plugs then throw that stuff away.

Use the supplied velcro or even a couple zip ties to hold the light tubes where you want them as long as the light cords can still plug into the blue converter box.

Connect the red power wire to the cigarette lighter and the black ground wire to the closest door pin wire. They are conncted in the harness so either one will do. The good thing about the cold cathode tube lights is they only draw .5 amps. Which is way less than the stock dome light requires.

And they are way less pricey than the LED's of the same brightness. which the ones you mentioned are not. (as bright). CCT lights have 360 light output (tube) Check this out.... Cold Cathode Tube lights and are only $5.50 for a dual set. I just grabbed 2) you're gonna love what I have planned for the 260Z. (Mua ha ha ha) Let the evil laughing commence.

Dave

Edited March 7, 2010 by Zs-ondabrain

[TBone028]

Peter, I have an amp mounted under my passenger seat installed by the previous owner. I live in Fairfax County as well. If you want to take a look at it and get some inspiration, let me know.