Another Question.
Discussion
Probably a different type of question than you guys are used to being asked. But, seeing as how I can't visit the factory and I have yet to see an Ultima in person, I am going to ask.
Is there space behind the seats before the firewall (I guess it is technically a firewall) and if so, about how much?
Is there space behind the seats before the firewall (I guess it is technically a firewall) and if so, about how much?
Ted actually managed to convince me that I'd get a suit carrier behind the passenger seat, as long as I borught along the 'small model' girlfriend. Of course, I was busy drooling over the car at the time, so would have believed just about anything 
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At the end of the day, you fall in love with the cars, then make the best use of the available storage that you can. Doesn't really work the other way around - its an emotive thing - dead easy to convince yourself that something will fit if that's what you want to believe.
I am going to take my stupid idea of still getting a suit carrier behind the seat into my project (should be starting May next year). I will just have to accept that I am going to have to see sense at some point - but I'll have a Can Am by then
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. At the end of the day, you fall in love with the cars, then make the best use of the available storage that you can. Doesn't really work the other way around - its an emotive thing - dead easy to convince yourself that something will fit if that's what you want to believe.
I am going to take my stupid idea of still getting a suit carrier behind the seat into my project (should be starting May next year). I will just have to accept that I am going to have to see sense at some point - but I'll have a Can Am by then
. I am really into music, practically my favorite thing, and I just couldn't deal with a car without a good stereo system, what I was wondering is if there was room to fit some small sub woofers behind the seats. I am average height, about 5'10" and I know you can get sub woofers that fit into about 6 inches of space.
which means I will be running a LS1 or LS6 engine if I ever got around to gettting an ultima which would need real mufflers and cat's. So, yeah, I would most likely be able to here it :P
It will be difficult to hear. The subs will probably be felt through the seats, if you can squeeze them in behind. I only had enough room for a fosgate amp. I can't see fitting two 8" or 10" subs back there. I tried running a set of 6.5" fosgate midrange on the door latch panels with 1" tweeter. I was just wanting a decent sound, and powered this with about 150 watts going to each set. I really couldn't hear much with the engine running, but I'm not running cats. You'd probably want to mount the midrange and tweeters on the dash. Also, if your going to do this right, then you'll want to run two batteries and high amp alternator. One of these batteries, alone, will not support a serious amp. Will you be the first to run 1000 watts in an Ultima? Sounds like good fun! You might try running the subs in the footwell area on the aluminum side panels. You could even make an enclosure that sits in the side pods.
Cheers!
-Mack
Cheers!
-Mack
The thumping bass really completes underbody neon lighting and a wikkid set of glowing blue windscreen washer jets....
On a marginally more serious note - think about using an intercom system in place of a normal car stereo system - I use an Autocom Pro-M1 system, which allows me to talk to a passenger without raising my voice and also provides a decent stereo music feed, cellphone interface and two way radio hookup. The noise cancelling is effective enough to work at over 100mph in an aeroscreened car. If you get your helmets wired up then you can even take your music on the track...
On a marginally more serious note - think about using an intercom system in place of a normal car stereo system - I use an Autocom Pro-M1 system, which allows me to talk to a passenger without raising my voice and also provides a decent stereo music feed, cellphone interface and two way radio hookup. The noise cancelling is effective enough to work at over 100mph in an aeroscreened car. If you get your helmets wired up then you can even take your music on the track...
The base unit doesn't actually include the sources, but they are able to supply all the cabling and adaptors to allow it all to just plug together - definately simpler than a normal car stereo install
The system is designed for motorbikes, but they supply headsets for use in sports cars.
Have a look at www.autocom.co.uk/
The system is designed for motorbikes, but they supply headsets for use in sports cars.
Have a look at www.autocom.co.uk/
That got taken a *bit* out of porportion. I am not talking about running 1000 watt subs, I am talking about some mid-line forsgates.... maybe 300 watts... I was wondering if the sound proofing stuff would help at all in the engine bay... not really sure. but I would like to have a decent stereo system, and no I am not trying to turn an Ultima into some little rice burner that I can cruise up and down the strip bumping Jay Z or something like that, Just want a decent stereo system for my sunday drives. 
Oh! well if you only want sensible replies....
The normal place for speakers in the footwell cill panels as there is room behind them assuming they are protected from cill luggage behind. l placed the main speakers in the door latch panel but size is limited. To avoid the affects of engine noise etc. l constructed aluminium back boxes insulated with padding and anti vibration pads. Small speakers fitted on the extreme corners of the dash. Foolishly l place one of them where the gear lever requires to be in 5th gear so it got moved instantly but survived the impact. There could be room in the rear bulkhead if you set the speakers back into the engine bay as above but this would detract from anotherwise impressive engine bay. To many people this is a sports racing car so they tend to keep it looking that way by using a more subtle sound system than might be found in a teenagers Vauxhall Nova.
The normal place for speakers in the footwell cill panels as there is room behind them assuming they are protected from cill luggage behind. l placed the main speakers in the door latch panel but size is limited. To avoid the affects of engine noise etc. l constructed aluminium back boxes insulated with padding and anti vibration pads. Small speakers fitted on the extreme corners of the dash. Foolishly l place one of them where the gear lever requires to be in 5th gear so it got moved instantly but survived the impact. There could be room in the rear bulkhead if you set the speakers back into the engine bay as above but this would detract from anotherwise impressive engine bay. To many people this is a sports racing car so they tend to keep it looking that way by using a more subtle sound system than might be found in a teenagers Vauxhall Nova.
I ran 6.5" fosgate seperates (woofer and tweeter) in each of the door latch panels. They were supplied power by a 4 channel fosgate punch 200 that I bridged into 2 channels (100Wx2@4 ohms). My experience with fosgate amps is that they're all underated in terms of power. I had an old punch 75 that was rated at 150 watts. I also have owned a power 300 powering 2 15's in a CRX that felt more like 1000watts. This was during my younger days 
I also burned out a few alternators and batteries in those days.
I had a very difficult time hearing my system in the Ultima above idle. As a trade off, I get to enjoy the sound of 8 stacks on full snort! It probably would have helped to make some type of enclosure behind the 6.5's. The problem, as I see it, is the uninsulated barrier of the upper rear bulkhead. It serves the purpose of protecting you from engine bay fumes, but engine noise can probably be reduced greatly with sound deadening and insulation material. Not to mention this bulkhead does get hot! Very hot! The engine sits very close to you. The car is a thoroughbred race car...it just wasn't designed to accomodate a radical sound system. I would insulate the rear upper bulkhead and run components (seperate tweeter and woofer). This gives you a lot more flexibility with installation. You might talk to the factory as well. They've seen it all by now I'm sure. I think I even saw a guy who had one sub enclosure sitting on the passenger side of the footwell.
Personally, I took all my stereo stuff out (to reduce weight) and I'm going to invest in an intercom type system as mentioned. Might consider some high end headphones though which would probably be the best solution.
Cheers!
-Mack
I also burned out a few alternators and batteries in those days. I had a very difficult time hearing my system in the Ultima above idle. As a trade off, I get to enjoy the sound of 8 stacks on full snort! It probably would have helped to make some type of enclosure behind the 6.5's. The problem, as I see it, is the uninsulated barrier of the upper rear bulkhead. It serves the purpose of protecting you from engine bay fumes, but engine noise can probably be reduced greatly with sound deadening and insulation material. Not to mention this bulkhead does get hot! Very hot! The engine sits very close to you. The car is a thoroughbred race car...it just wasn't designed to accomodate a radical sound system. I would insulate the rear upper bulkhead and run components (seperate tweeter and woofer). This gives you a lot more flexibility with installation. You might talk to the factory as well. They've seen it all by now I'm sure. I think I even saw a guy who had one sub enclosure sitting on the passenger side of the footwell.
Personally, I took all my stereo stuff out (to reduce weight) and I'm going to invest in an intercom type system as mentioned. Might consider some high end headphones though which would probably be the best solution.
Cheers!
-Mack
... err here is that thead
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=22224&f=20&h=0
+ RS, if you want driver invisibility ... I'd consider using a pair of flat panel drive units (they work down to 200hz), and a duel voice coil bass drive unit that fits in the metal panel of the passenger footwell. I'd then use a 4 channel amp (you should only need about 30Watts RMS into 8 ohms per chanel). Now chuck in a simple 2nd order passive Linkz-rilley crossover, and buy a headunity with a 3 band Parametric equaliser .. and voila you got a nice sound system.
Tuckshop.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=22224&f=20&h=0
+ RS, if you want driver invisibility ... I'd consider using a pair of flat panel drive units (they work down to 200hz), and a duel voice coil bass drive unit that fits in the metal panel of the passenger footwell. I'd then use a 4 channel amp (you should only need about 30Watts RMS into 8 ohms per chanel). Now chuck in a simple 2nd order passive Linkz-rilley crossover, and buy a headunity with a 3 band Parametric equaliser .. and voila you got a nice sound system.
Tuckshop.
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