I am going to start production of my subwoofer boxes made specifically for C4s next week and need opinions on which path I should take. I currently have two designs that I have considered making (if not both).


The first design would be a box that fits under the passenger side compartment under the storage doors. This will be a complete stealth install as you will not see anything looking in. The issuses with this box is that it is fairly small and would limit which subs would be able to be used.


The second design would replace the compartment doors completely and the sub would be visible (or how ever you decided to finished by adding a grill etc) This would leave a flat mounting spot for amps, fuses or anything else. This design would allow more subs to be used as the volume will be greater, plus this deisgn will allow more custom boxes to be made. This design offers greater flexibility as I might be able to make a dual box for the different compartments (if both are the same shape or mirror images of eachother) and can lead to more custom boxes that may house multiple subs.


The reason why i am asking this is if there is more interest in the more custom boxes with the exposed subs and the compartment doors replaced i might scrap the original design with having it under the door.

The second design would look similar to this


EDIT: Both designs will not alter the car in any way which can not be brought back to stock. No cutting of the carpet will be required


Mods please don't move this thread to Audio as not enough C4 people venture over there.

 

Sounds like you want to go with the #2 setup.

 

Personally i dont care for the stealth look and would rather have more options, and the second design offers many more "custom" possiblity, but I need everyones opinions before i go forward

 

I voted. Good luck

 

What good is a compartment door if there's no space to store stuff underneath? For that I say option 2. And include a speaker grill.

The bigger question for #2 is... can I bring my car back to stock? IE... does it require cutting carpet or cutting the plastic storage compartment trim?

That part would effect my purchase.

Either way, I support your efforts. curious to see what you come up with. I've got my wallet close by...



As for choice #1... when I'm using the sub, will the door have to be propped open halfway? It doesn't stay open on its own. Will the sub work well with the door shut or just rattle the hell out of it? This is why I suggested modding the door so it opened all the way and laid flat.

 

The compartments back there are pretty good area's for subs, but boxes are almost too much to get into building. Your best bet is to run sealant around the compartment to make sure it's sealed and solid, then mount a cover panel (top panel) on the open compartment and seal it up well.

The inside should be shot with sound deadening material to cut down on resonance from the metal as well as increase strength of the walls by improving ridgity.

Before 9/11 I owned car audio stores and stayed current with MECP certification. I did a few Vette installs at my stores and it always made more sense to do it this way. You can use the chamber after you shoot sound deadner spray in there and it will not be indifferent from a box.

 

I would prefer to have something that looks as stock as possible, or "stealth" as you have described it, or at least something that would not preclude the ability to store the targa top in the hatch area. In addition, one of my obsessions is high-end audio -- I would consider something designed with good quality sound in mind. That is, I wouldn't be interested in the one-note boom-boom subs that are so prevalent on the road. I would want clean and accurate sound. It doesn't necessarily have to go loud, as it doesn't take much to fill the small volume of a C4. Just my thoughts...

 

Same here....

 

this is the reason why i would not recomend just sealing off the storage compartment and trying to line it with sound deadening material as it will never equal the sound of a proper enclosure. All these boxes will be built using MDF and fiberglass and are very stiff and suitable for small box woofers like an Image Dynamics IDQ10 which is an excellent sounding nonboomy sub. Most of the "one note wonders" are mainly from the enclosure design and the worst ones are the band pass boxes, and the ones generally having the best sound quality would be sealed boxes which these all are.

both designs will not interfere with the targa and both will not require any cutting or permanant modification to the interior. Option number one will just require you to remove all the stuff in the passenger storage compartment whereas option two does as well but also replaces the doors. You dont need to cut the carpet, just fold it under itself as shown in the picture i posted above...keep the responses coming as this is helping me finalize my design

 

#1 would have the top closed at all times. Bass should still be very audible...i used to have my "stealth" install with a false floor over the sub which was 3/4" MDF, a material that block much more sound than the plastic door and volume was never really a problem for my SQ based installed...I didnt want the really loud boomy sound and i never had a problem

options to prevent the door from rattling would be to use some adhesive felt strips between any plastic on plastic surfaces to prevent the squeeking/rattleing

 

El problemo (in some cars): there's only ONE box back there, at least in my car, a '96. My vote, altho I probably wouldn't get one, would be for the stealth, and CC's post re returning to original condition would be a requirement.

 

That's just not true. MDF is only worthy of use because it is dense, .... Medium DENSITY Fiberboard. Nothing is more dense in the car than metal....... what the compartment is made of. The density of the fiberboard eliminates flex, which is what happens when you spray the inside of the compartment for final reinforcement and resonance dampening. You'll end up with an equally strong chamber, but more dense when you use the compartment and deadner.

 

If you'll be making both, what is the question?

Larry
code5coupe

 

How can you make that compatable with the Bose?

 

I've had a difficult time searching for audio in the general audio section. I agree that anything C4 specific should be in the C4 section. The radio systems in the other models are much different.

 

The storage compartment is not made of metal. It is made of very thin fiberglass/plastic. You are correct that MDF is dense, but it is also "dead" which means it is uniform in construction and does not have "spots" on it that would affect the sound waves. You do not want to build a box out of metal because it would resonate very easily and sound horrible. just dampening the cavity will not eliminate all the resonance as well as the basic structure is fairly weak compared to a proper box.

The way a sub will sound depends on the enclosure design and to get the best and most accurate sound you will need a properly designed enclosure. Many high end home audio systems (+$50k for a pair of speakers) will use relativly inexpensive drivers (all the raw drivers may cost <$1000 total) but the rest is in the development of the enclosure. The enclosure is what makes or breaks the sound.

 

if there is no real interest in one design then i will not go that route

 

my car is a 96 so it is my template. To build a double box i would have to attempt to make one and get someone else to fit it to their car that has storage compartments on both sides

 

Since I closed my stores I haven't done much in the scene on audio due to the fact it all went bad real quick after 9/11 (the whole block moved out and left me alone in a big complex = no traffic).

Since you are interested in this project however, why not use 8" in the 6x9 spots and glass load them? You can get up to 6 db higher from the 8's glass loading than you can from the 10's in the box in a zero resonance increasing environment (non loading), and enjoy the punchiness of the 8 in IDQ drivers.

You'll also free up the compartments for much needed storage. Ever consider that route? If it's just a matter of wanting 10's, the 8's will outperform on the glass with less space requirements and less power demand, not to mention a weight savings.

 

I voted #1 because I use the space back there and do not want to damage a sub from setting things on it. Would 8" in the back make nice sound? There would need to more woofers then? I think with my car and the Bose there is no dash speaker. With dash speakers, door speakers (6x9?), and the sub or subs in the back this would be good?