Sub and/or speakers in the rear hatch?

[Frankenstein_Casanova]

Hey Gang-

I'm about to start my AVIC-D3 install and I'm just wondering if anyone has modified the rear storage compartment in the rear hatch to hold a pair of speakers or even a subwoofer? Maybe, with a bit of work both?? I don't ever use it for storage and it really is a fair amount of space.

I'm off to do some measuring. Update to follow.

Cheers-

Johnny

[Frankenstein_Casanova]

OK, that storage area is (nominally) about 12 x 36, with a depth of about four inches. I'm thinking about making a carpeted MDF "faceplate" to overlay the thin plastic face of that compartment, which the speakers would then mount to, so I could pick up another 3/4 of an inch there. With 5 or 6 inches of depth to work with (or more of I wanted to get crazy with raised rings and fiberglass resin) I could really fit some real speakers back there. Maybe the 6x9's on either side, with the middle split between a shallow 12" sub and the amp that drives it on either side of the latch. A little partitioning to separate the speakers and the sub and we're good to go.

Right?

So what am I not thinking of??

Cheers,

Johnny

[MP3SMART]

I'm planning to put in a double din navigation system from eclipse. Just waiting on the face plate I ordered from the other side of the world. The guys I am using for the install are pretty good at custom work. I definitely want to put two more speakers in the back somewhere (anywhere) and I hope that they can figure out how to make use of the compartment. Don't want anything that will mess up getting to the engine. If you get it figured out, I would love to hear about it.

[smartune]

Soundstage is built in the front, not rear. Bass is non directional so you can put a woofer just about anywhere and have it sound alright.

I'd concentrate on keeping your sound in front, unless you want to run a dedicated set of mid-woofers from the rear...but seeing as 6x9 is an option I have doubts.

-Dan

[GoMXracing]

you can just put it under the dash like i did .... this is only a 10" ... food for thought i would like to add another amp and rear speakers though.....now in hindsight, may be next

[smartune]

GoMX:

Is that thing mounted free-air or did you build a box?

[GoMXracing]

Originally Posted by smartune

GoMX:

Is that thing mounted free-air or did you build a box?

is a custom box i had made....... it is awesome ..fits well

[Agent86]

When the box was built, was it glassed in place making it impossible for it to be removed, or can the box be taken out if you need to get under the dash?

Had a builder quote me $1,000 to create an enclosure that wouldb ecome a permanent part of the car and wouldn't be removable without trashing the resin work!

[Evilution]

Originally Posted by smartune

Soundstage is built in the front, not rear.

I would have to disagree in this day and age. Frontal sound stages finished in the 80's. If you go to the cinema or a concert now they have speakers at the back. They aren't necessarily spacially balanced but are there to fill the rear sound out a little so the front sound doesn't have to be louder to fill the rear.

Obviously with a lot of people changing their stereos for aftermarket ones with rear channels, it will aid the sound a lot to add rear speakers. The front to rear fader will help in the after market stereos. More care must be taken if using the standard stereo. You don't want to add better speakers to the back as that will give a majority audio to the rear which will sound wrong.

[jwight]

Doesn't address Johnny's rear hatch question but you can see how Cory added the two speakers at the sides of the cargo area:

My stereo install