I’m looking to put a power amp in my 77 Corvette. If I was going to put one underneath the passenger seat has anybody ever done that before and if so, what were the dimensions of your amp you used? Any other suggestions where the best place to put a power amp in this car, either way I’m going to bolt it down. I know that much. I’m putting in a five channel amp. Thanks.

 

So Gary. This power amp. Is this some electrical gadget that makes your radio so loud that everyone in the neighbourhood can hear every bass note in your car? Just guessing of course.
Some reason you need to raise the dead and wake up sleeping baby's as you drive by in your vintage car?
Sorry if I come across as a smart ***. But truly wondering how making a beautiful vintage corvette going down the road with with every down beat of your music breaking windows and annoying absolutely everyone while you can't hear a car coming up on you as a good thing.
Why?

 

I’m sure the amp could be used to power a car stereo loud enough to wake the dead, and set off every car alarm within a block as it approaches…
It could also be used to add enough quality volume to overcome the interior noise level that comes when using a noisy *** exhaust either from within the car or because you’re sitting right next to open header little Johnny Side pipe .

Who wakes the dead, and sets off every car alarm within a block as it approaches.

A quality car audio system benefits from an amp. Much in the same way a bigger engine makes more torque than a smaller one. And when compared to the volume **** on the head unit, the acceleration requires less “go pedal” on a 454 versus a 327 to make it move the car at the same pace, an amplified car stereo requires less volume on the **** to move the speakers to produce adequate sound levels. And just like an engine, the less harder you have to push it, the better.

I’m 65. My car will have a pretty decent audio system. It will have a stupid amount of power that i’ll never use. ( much in the same way a lot of guys have with their engines). Despite that, You will not hear me coming in the next neighborhood, or if you’re sitting at a traffic light right next to me. Especially if you have a loud assed exhaust.
It’s all about sound quality, not just volume output.

 

An alternative location is the tray above the jack storage compartment which I had done.

 

Another place to hide an amp is under the dash pad in front of the passenger I don't have air conditioning or anything fancy but there is plenty of room under the passengers side dashboard. It also makes the connections short since it is close to the radio and power. I have a 40 watt amplifier which is fairly small and that is as much as I need to hear the radio or listen to the music.

My engine is an L88 replica breathing through a set of Chambered pipes. It can trigger car alarms from over a block away without any effort. It is the bass rumble that comes from a performance 427 that wakes the noise sensitive devices. I can hear inside the car while it is moving but not when the gas pedal is too the floor. I am almost 65 and it is a bit noisy but after all those great concerts in the early to mid 1970's I am lucky to hear at all. To me the engine makes music like nothing else in the world.

 

God forbid someone actually wants their stereo to sounds good. I know, absolute shocker.


As for the OP. I've placed them in the storage space behind the passenger seat, I've placed them directly behind the passenger seat if it's a slim amp, and the current system I'm putting in my 78 is mounted in the way back upright portion, where the original speaker location is.

It's nothing crazy. I have 2 Kicker 6x9s in the rear, 2 Kicker 3.5s in the dash, and a single Kicker 10" sub. I'm thinking about adding some component speakers in the kick panels to help get a little more sound up front.

 

thank you everyone for the advice. Has anyone ever put one underneath the passenger seat or the driver side seat and if so, does anybody know the clearance as far as height goes because I know they are pretty low.

 

I put my amp and sub in the center of the rear compartment. Since Ive found others have mounted them to the rear compartment and had luck there. Im going to move mine this winter to that location...I just need to lengthen some wires now.

 

Wow, just wow!

 

Do your legwork...
You really need to know what clearance you have, reasons being asking others what they have varies depending on how much the seat was actually used and average weight of person(s) using it, very difficult question to answer.
Here is what I would do...
Do a Google search on how to make kids play dough, make a double batch, no need to color it.
After it chills in the refrigerator look under the seat to roughly gauge how tall to form a block of dough.
Remove the seat, lay down wax paper on the floor and tape a double layer of wax paper to the springs of the bottom of the seat.
Form the block of dough in the area where you think you want the amp.
Carefully set the seat back in and sit in it.
Remove seat and measure the height of the block of dough, this should give you the actual clearance you have.
When choosing a amp the specifications are easily found and can be viewed online.
Consider the height of the amp and "IF" the amp will be mounted on something other than directly to the floor...

 

You do have enough room under the seats of early C3’s for a small amp. As long as your seats don’t sag too much 😀

 

Depends on what type of system you are going for and how much you want to spend.
I am looking at this amp for the Mid/Tweeters up front. Going with a three way component.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTA....html?tp=72995
Then depending if you choose to add a sub you can get its brother.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTA....html?tp=72995
300w should power a 8in sub pretty well.
Pretty penny but it is small and compact.

 

I bought an amp to install in my '70, but replacing the leaky calipers is more of a priority right now!

Hoping Santa shops at Lonestar Calipers!!

 

Craig: do you know the height of the forward component in your photo. Or mfg and part #. I am looking at putting a powered subwoofer there (a bit too late for Christmas but I have lots of other toys!). The Crutchfield components I am looking at are 3" or so. I have a 69

 

My amp is an MB-Quart RM440.4 and measures 7.09” x 6.5” x 1.97”.
So about 2” thick and that leaves enough room above it to allow the seat base to drop when someone sits in the car.

I tried fitting my small kenwood sub there and it was too tall. I ended up putting a bit bigger one in the bottom of the storage compartment



fits nicely under the removable storage box.

Details of how are in my build thread.

 

A bit discouraging, but thanks for the info

 

I put the following amp under the passenger seat of my ‘65

Audison SR 520w 4 channel . Sounds great. I highly recommend it.

length 7.48”
width 6.10”
height 1.87”

 

Why not?

 

Seriously, my son's 74 has a working cassette player. The previous owner had some mamma's and p00pa's cassette. I told him that will not do... So for Christmas:

Sammy Hagard Unboxed (heavy metal not to get confused with another great song (heavy metal by Dan Felder). Poor Dan Felder Eagles screwed him over for years.
Whitesnake - Whitesnake (because here I go again on my own)
AC/DC - Who made who (GM made)
Rush - Show of hands (really that one is for me)
AC/DC - 74' Jailbreak. Its a 74 corvette so very fitting.
Quiet Riot - I was a ninth grader still riding the bus when that album came out. My son really likes Quiet Riot.(*** On Feel the Noize). Clever spelling if you ask me...
Van Halen 1984 - Ten anniversary of the 74.

Now, I do need to pick up an amp, 8 inch bazooka and some pioneer 6x9s. Now, bringing it all back around. When I was a kid I had 10in pyle drivers, mids plus tweeters with an 250 Watt amp in my ride. You could hear Great White playing a block away... No Millie Viillia ICE... Maybe some RUM DMC or Beastie Boys. Definitely, you shook me all night long!