How did you mount your amp(s)?

[DougS550]

I am slowly building a system in my 2016 v6 with the base audio. I picked up a JBL DSP4086, and a SKAR RP800.1D along with an Infinity Kappa 800W 8" sub and a GP Audio Tru Spec box tuned to 34hz. I just wanted a bit more volume than stock, and to fill in the lows.
I have all the cables run, and will be mounting the amps the middle of next week. I'm curious how all of you decided to mount yours. I'd rather not build an amp rack, but I'm interested in ideas. Will they just screw into the rear seat-backs, etc....

Feel free to post pics

For me, I mounted sideways on the back side of my passenger side seat panel using 1/2" screws. When removed you cannot notice the screws were ever in the back seat panel.
NOTE: Where ever you mount the Amp Remember, "DO NOT" Mount AMP Upside Down. This is a Big No No For Amps. Good Luck

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[momalle1]

For me, I mounted sideways on the back side of my passenger side seat panel using 1/2" screws. When removed you cannot notice the screws were ever in the back seat panel.
NOTE: Where ever you mount the Amp Remember, "DO NOT" Mount AMP Upside Down. This is a Big No No For Amps. Good Luck

Why? Heat dissipation?

 

[DougS550]

Why? Heat dissipation?

Why? Heat dissipation?

My JL directions said they highly discouraged to mount the Amp upside down. When I researched why, I guess it has to do with Heat transfering from the heat sink/fins to go back into the AMP.

 

[DeepImpactS550]

I thought about doing the back of the seat but I need to fold the seat down for my rifle cases to fit.

The seats will still pull down. You just need to leave a bit more slack for the wires to move around

 

[DeepImpactS550]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I went with the seat backs, as it seemed the most straight forward way. Marked the amp locations with a sharpie then drilled small pilot holes with a tiny drill bit. Just need to figure out the wiring, mount the distribution blocks and decide if I'm going to flip the Skar Amp around. It has RCA's on the opposite side as the power/ground. I bought 6 channel RCA's, so they need to be close. .
Trunk was still a mess from the retail packaging. Not nearly as good looking as the rest of your installs, but Tesa tape definitely helps. I'll be wrapping the rest after I connect the amps.

 

[DougS550]

The seats will still pull down. You just need to leave a bit more slack for the wires to move around

My seat back lowers and raises without issue. Install the Amp with the seat down with a little slack. Adel wires secured and your done.

 

[The Demon]

Wow! And I wonder why I love the 80s and 90s where you can do your own fucking stereo. The work that goes into these cars to do this is ridiculous.

 

[Evolvd]

Wow! And I wonder why I love the 80s and 90s where you can do your own fucking stereo. The work that goes into these cars to do this is ridiculous.

You still can, I did ALL my own work.

 

[RagmopInKona]

Things to think about, when putting the amps and other gear in the spare tire well.
Yes it hides the gear and allows you to use place under the trunk floor so you still have all the trunk space.
BUT
If water gets in the trunk, it will find the lowest point, and water and electronics don't mix well. At least make sure the drains are clear and the power cables are insulated well . Ever see a wrench across battery terminals, the power and ground leads in water is about the same and you have to hope that inline fuse or breaker does it's job fast.
I am not a fan of trapping the heat amps generate if you push them. lack of air movement is no beano.

 

[RagmopInKona]

You still can, I did ALL my own work.

You didn't need 300-500 dollars of gear just to feed the signal to an amp. you just bought a quality amp and cables, speakers.

 

[DeepImpactS550]

Wow! And I wonder why I love the 80s and 90s where you can do your own fucking stereo. The work that goes into these cars to do this is ridiculous.

The dash kit for the Early S550 Base Models is the worst part. You literally have to tear your original dash panel with that tiny LCD apart, reuse circuit boards, button pads, and transfer them to the new one, cut into the dash behind the stereo, replace the SYNC module with an aftermarket module and manage the rats nest of new cables behind the dash. But at least I have a double-din head unit now, and 13-bands of EQ.

It's nearly impossible for the average person to run speaker wire through the molex connector and grommet in the doors. Older vehicles have an actual wire harness just going into a grommet. The Mustang uses a pinned connector. I had to keep the stock door speaker wiring, but re-ran the tweeters. I actually went one step further and ran both into aftermarket crossovers (which I somehow fit behind the radio), but now I'm ripping all that apart for a DSP amp.

Getting the power cable through the fender grommet was also a pain. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for running the power cable, RCA's, speaker wire, and remote along the factory harnesses so it looks professional, and all of the trim fits properly. In past vehicles I just dumped them into whatever dark opening they would fit in and moved on.

 

[Evolvd]

You didn't need 300-500 dollars of gear just to feed the signal to an amp. you just bought a quality amp and cables, speakers.

I paid $189 for my PAC Amp Pro. Not sure what your point is. There was a specific way I wanted to integrate my system and I did it the best way that works for me. Or, in general parlance, my money my decision.

 

[RagmopInKona]

I paid $189 for my PAC Amp Pro. Not sure what your point is. There was a specific way I wanted to integrate my system and I did it the best way that works for me. Or, in general parlance, my money my decision.

Point was, back before this everything in an infotainment all in one unit.
You didn't need any extra cost gear to just hook into the oem system. You just bought an amp with speaker level inputs, want a new stereo, put a new one in the dash and put the factory one on a shelf.
You really can't put a different head unit in, and to do anything, first you have to spend a few hundred on gear just to get to the signal to connect to it.
You can't just buy an amp and better speakers and go.
oh no. you have to get more gear to hook up to play nice with the factory set up. THEN hook up the amp/dsp/speakers and whatever else.
At one time, you pulled the factory am/fm radio, dropped in a kenwood and wired it up. done.
Or kept the factory radio and just wired up an amp and better speakers. no need for specialized gear to hack into the music signal.
That is the point. do you think this gear needed to tap into the oem set up will be avail. when the cars are 20y/o and in a kids hands, and he/she can't just stream music to it because the firmware won't connect to the 6g cell phone. And they can't just go get a pioneer or alpine,kenwood stereo and drop it in the dash, like we all used to do to the 15-30 year old cars we drove as a youth.

 

[Evolvd]

Point was, back before this everything in an infotainment all in one unit.
You didn't need any extra cost gear to just hook into the oem system. You just bought an amp with speaker level inputs, want a new stereo, put a new one in the dash and put the factory one on a shelf.
You really can't put a different head unit in, and to do anything, first you have to spend a few hundred on gear just to get to the signal to connect to it.
You can't just buy an amp and better speakers and go.
oh no. you have to get more gear to hook up to play nice with the factory set up. THEN hook up the amp/dsp/speakers and whatever else.
At one time, you pulled the factory am/fm radio, dropped in a kenwood and wired it up. done.
Or kept the factory radio and just wired up an amp and better speakers. no need for specialized gear to hack into the music signal.
That is the point. do you think this gear needed to tap into the oem set up will be avail. when the cars are 20y/o and in a kids hands, and he/she can't just stream music to it because the firmware won't connect to the 6g cell phone. And they can't just go get a pioneer or alpine,kenwood stereo and drop it in the dash, like we all used to do to the 15-30 year old cars we drove as a youth.

The price of progress.

 

[RagmopInKona]

The price of progress.

Progress?
I don't call putting every control/setting of a vehicle into one unit that if it fails you are sol. progress.
I don't call, a system that after the oem doesn't support it, you are sol. and can't swap it out.
but ymmv

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