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Amps/sub's etc single cab problems

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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 11:52 AM
  #1  
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Amps/sub's etc single cab problems

So, im at a point where i think it would be safe to add in a stereo etc in my truck. I dont need something that thumps loud and hard and im not looking for recomendations of brands or types of equipment to use. What i need is ideas on where to mount/locate an amp and sub.

Since my truck is a single cab and has the in cab fuel tank my options seem to be pretty non existant unless I pull that tank out.

So maybe other people with similar situations could post up how they've tackled this issue?

I've had the idea that maybe doing bucket seats with a center console sub set up maybe? Would obviously need to stay consolidated in size, still need full range of the stick shift.

Look forward to seeing what you guys have done!!
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 03:00 PM
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ok.with your truck, I would honestly say you have two options.....


1. Bucket seats with Sub filled center console


2. If you know what you are doing (stero equiptment wise) and have some fab skills, you could put one 8 in sub in each door. Seal the doors, use boom mat. Figure out the air volume size in the door and buy subs that will work well using that air volume. You can mount a small amp for those two subs under the dash somewhere on the firewall. Using the trans hump, build you a small box that would house 6.5in speakers for mids and add tweets for your highs. Run those off of your stereo


Now...if you wanted to, you could do a single 10in sub on the trans hump and add the mids and tweets to the doors....wither way would work.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 03:44 PM
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I built a custom overhead console in one of mine, put 4 speakers and the deck up there and it worked well and looked very nice, even mounted the visors back on it. I had 4 subs behind the seat but that won't work for you. I took the seat out and mounted the amps to the floor and put the seat back in of course. Had 2 more speakers in the doors too. Won my class and 2 above it at the sound wars back in 1988. Subs will be a problem with the tank behind the seat or go with buckets as said and build a custom console to put them in. No pics to show you , no cell phones back then.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by duste
I built a custom overhead console in one of mine, put 4 speakers and the deck up there and it worked well and looked very nice, even mounted the visors back on it. I had 4 subs behind the seat but that won't work for you. I took the seat out and mounted the amps to the floor and put the seat back in of course. Had 2 more speakers in the doors too. Won my class and 2 above it at the sound wars back in 1988. Subs will be a problem with the tank behind the seat or go with buckets as said and build a custom console to put them in. No pics to show you , no cell phones back then.
Sounds like a pretty cool set up. I like the over head console idea, but I already have a hard enough time seeing street lights due to my height and the size of the windshield (I quite often have to lean forward to see the light across the road if I'm first at the stop light) that restricting my vision with more bulk up top wouldnt be the best idea for me I think. Would love to have been able to see that system though.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by kwe45919
ok.with your truck, I would honestly say you have two options.....


1. Bucket seats with Sub filled center console
This is what I'm leaning towards still I think.

Originally Posted by kwe45919
2. If you know what you are doing (stero equiptment wise) and have some fab skills, you could put one 8 in sub in each door. Seal the doors, use boom mat. Figure out the air volume size in the door and buy subs that will work well using that air volume. You can mount a small amp for those two subs under the dash somewhere on the firewall. Using the trans hump, build you a small box that would house 6.5in speakers for mids and add tweets for your highs. Run those off of your stereo
This is a pretty good idea. Could maybe even put mid/highs under the seat or in the dash somewhere. Trans hump is restricting due to 4 on the floor though.

Originally Posted by kwe45919
Now...if you wanted to, you could do a single 10in sub on the trans hump and add the mids and tweets to the doors....wither way would work.
Again, manual trans I think would prohibit this.

Great ideas though. I like the sub's in the doors idea. I need to get donor doors anyway (mine are jacked up) so that would be a perfect time to do something like that.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 08:27 PM
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6.5" subs should give you what you want. Small, sealed polyfil filled boxes mounted inside the doors would be easy to do and a 5.25" compset mounted in custom kickpanels would round out the sound. No need to cut anything.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by GM4WALLS
6.5" subs should give you what you want. Small, sealed polyfil filled boxes mounted inside the doors would be easy to do and a 5.25" compset mounted in custom kickpanels would round out the sound. No need to cut anything.
The smallest sub I have experience with is an 8 incher and I wasn't very impressed with it (although it could have just been a bad set up). I typically use a 12-15 inch. I am just skeptical if a 6.5 could put out anything more than what a really nice 6x9 could. I did run 10s for a while and I think a single 10 would be good in the truck, so maybe 2 6.5-8s would be fine.

Also, I'm fine with modifying doors and other minor mods like that, but I don't want to have to go crazy to fit a competition system into the truck.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 09:38 PM
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For your reference.... '70 Mach 1 buckets and a 96 XLT center console in my Bumpside. I raised the console with a custom bracket because it sat too low.



 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 09:53 PM
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Whats the underseat height under these seats?
Shallow mount 8"-10"s might work.
theres also enclosed, shallow sub/ amp systems that would help fill in the lows, if chest poundings, not what your after.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 10:08 PM
  #10  
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HIO Silver
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Originally Posted by Motorhead351
Whats the underseat height under these seats?
Shallow mount 8"-10"s might work.
theres also enclosed, shallow sub/ amp systems that would help fill in the lows, if chest poundings, not what your after.
Plenty of space with buckets.. at least the Mach 1 buckets and OEM brackets. Google "compact auto subwoofer"...

Example..

 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 10:19 PM
  #11  
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HIO, those buckets look really nice. And it looks like that console would provide enough room for a single 10-12 inch sub comfortably (in a custom case obviously). Hard to tell but it looks like some mids could fit under those buckets too.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 10:33 PM
  #12  
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HIO Silver
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Originally Posted by krazyness
HIO, those buckets look really nice. And it looks like that console would provide enough room for a single 10-12 inch sub comfortably (in a custom case obviously). Hard to tell but it looks like some mids could fit under those buckets too.
Thanks. A whole lot of pushing, pulling, and slapping went into those seats...

The world is your oyster. Reap its benefits.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 10:40 PM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by HIO Silver
The world is your oyster. Reap its benefits.
Just have to find some buckets that I like in good condition. I'm always impressed with your quality of work though. All your builds are impeccable.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2016 | 11:19 PM
  #14  
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Thanks for the kind words. I'm kind of obsessive compulsive about certain things. Right now I am working on a 1926 house and catch myself going deep into its "revival".... removing paint from escutcheons, hinges and glass door *****. Oh my... I have to stop myself sometimes because I want to get it "perfect"!
 
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Old Oct 20, 2016 | 08:55 AM
  #15  
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In the 90's i had an overhead console that had some 6x9 in it and the amp was up there also as well as the tuner in the center.....

It was nice but definitely old school.....

I would go with a new school 3 or 5 channel digital amp or even a new one for a motorcycle to keep the small frame and you could definitely get creative and mount it up under the dash

do some components in the dash 5 1/4 and tweets

components in the doors 6.5's and tweets

find a bench seat from like a 89 f series with the fold down center console/ armrest and build a small enclosure that fits where the armrest /center console flips down and use the space in the backrest part of the seat with a 8 inch sub.......
 
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