well i have sort of taken an ongoing project to hide everything in my stereo. so today me and a buddy decided to hack away at the x and hide my amplifier inside the rear wall (drivers side). here are some pics.

this is what it looks like normally (its the other side i know but its pretty much the same)
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/jakecody/IMG_0308.jpg

here it is all cut out. took a little bit but we finally got it.
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/jakecody/IMG_0310.jpg

INSTALLED! wires are all behind the metal brackets, and if you cant tell, its now laying flush with the metal pieces that are surrounding it. the panels fit back on perfectly!
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/jakecody/IMG_0311.jpg

so whoopie there we are. next is my sub being transformed from the box that its in to the other side rear panel. more pics when thats done.

Can't wait to see the results!!!!!

That is what my X looks like right now

exactly what i have done.. i have 2 amps in my passenger side and 1 sub in the drivers side... i need to get some pics.. right now the sub is out because i am glassing the side of the box because the screws started to crack the MDF!!!!

Ok I ran out side and snapped some pics with the cell phone...

My amps: (2) Audioban Amps
http://i29.tinypic.com/23ts08z.jpg


The sub goes here, the box goes all the way back to about the area where the cargo cover is attached..

http://i31.tinypic.com/4tm2qa.jpg

Again my sub box is being strengthened right now, the screws have cracked the wood, but my sub is a SQ10 from Elemental Designs...


I still need to make some trim for them I am just to damn LAZY!!!

oh and my goal is to pretty much make it look like this on both sides...

http://i30.tinypic.com/np11qd.jpg

but instead of it being blue I want to match to the color of the panel and then I just wan to put a black mesh grill over it.. Very simple not to overdone, remember its an Xterra not a show car lol.... remember everything you need nothing you dont :)

Nice. Ya I have seen that before. A lot of skill right there. I managed to be able to keep the panel on without having to cut it. I'll get some pics up soon

how do you plan on making the sub box fit in there without cutting the panel??
I know alot about stereos/box building so I am just trying to figure out your plans so maybe I can give some advice...

i have (2) amps in my panel, there was NO WAY of fitting them both without cutting... It would be really bad ass if I could get away with it..

so what about heat? if that single amp you are putting in the side panel is all closed in, where is the heat gonna go?

id advise cutting 2 holes and putting a lil computer fan in each hole(one for intake and the other for exhaust)

remember,heat saps ALL kinds of power(unless generating heat is your intention, lol)

physics lesson;
just like in engine and trannys, the heat energy generated started off as kinetic energy, the more heat that gets generated the less kinetic energy you get(why tranny cooler works so well)

same with electricity, the more heat energy generated the less electric energy generated

my amps have built in fans PLUS my will not be completely closed in I am going a black mesh grill over the box front.. if there are heat problems I will put a fan in there but I really think it will be ok..

as for his it will not be completely enclosed, he still has the grill from where the 6x9 was... also there is the pressure vent at the bottom of the 1/4 panel that vents to the outside... not the best venting methods but better that nothing.. it wouldn't hurt to run it hard and take a couple temp reading to see how the numbers look...

werd
puttin a lil fan on one of the existing vents would help the amp performance im certain

Jcody

Are you going to be covering that amp up with the plastic or are you cutting it out so you can see the amp??

If you cover that amp up you better make a way of keeping it ventalated cause it will heat up that small area very quickly. And possibly shut down the amp because of not being able to cool its self off. Or degrade over time because of running too hot

something else I have double checked on is water DOES NOT come in through these vents, I have drove though HUGE puddles are various speeds and it stayed completely dry in there.. I wouldn't trust a water crossing though, something to keep in mind..

you guys bring up good points with the venting. I did cover it almost entirely with the plastic panel I will show you a pic later but I did cut a hole in the side panel where the small storage slot was. That was my plan for ventilation. Its right under the amp so there is an ok air flow going in there. I will try it out for a bit and see how it handles. If I have to I'll cut more And put some grille cloth or whatever over it.

As for the sub, I have yet to draw out plans but my basic plan is to have the sub box extend down a little right behind the wheel well for some extra space. I'm also thinking of Getting jl's new shallow sub since it doesnt require a whole lot of space. Any thoughts on those ideas? Thanks for all your input guys

The eD SQ10 shallow sub is $75 bucks shipped from their website.. It awesome, I love it!! It doesnt POUND but it adds really good bass I am more than happy with it...

look at this little beast!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZdZuJreFok

I'll check it out but I'm skeptical about cheaper speakers cause they require more air space to develop the sound and usually will sound kind of sloppy and not as much attack or punch. What's your experience with this one? I listen to mostly rock too. Not sure what genre your listening too.

Cheaper?? They are cheaper but not cheaper quality.. These speakers are AWESOME!!! They make very high quality stuff and their customer support is beyond anything I have ever experience!! Look at the specs:

Xmax: 9.3 mm
Voice Coil: 62.5 mm
Magnet Width: 2.700"
Mounting Depth: 3.000"
Weight: 8 lb
Total Height: 3.400"
Displacement: .03 ft^3
Outside Diameter: 10.250"

Thats is correct, it only needs 0.3 cubic feet!!! 0.5 is recommended but 0.3 is minimum..

Oh and Rock is what I listen to 95% of the time...

mmm I must say you have me intrigued. What's the wattage ok that bad boy?

I am putting 200 watt to it... which is more than enough power for me, I turn it down the bass/volume alot of the time with the controls on my cd player..

but the box was a PITA to build.. I first built a good box out of 1/2 MDF because I thought it was such low power it would be fine.. BOY was I wrong.. I sat the box on the concrete turned it up and box would bounce about 1" off the ground because the 1/2" MDF flexed so much!!!!

And MAKE sure when you are building a box you use MDF and not particle board because particle board flexes EVEN MORE!!!

mdf? How thick of wood did you use?

MDF is medium density fiberboard... I used 3/4"..

here is a good article for you if you are interested about learning about wood lol..
http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/j/ljfrank/MDFvsPB.html

Sorry saw the 1/2"

no problem, better to ask questions than just experiment... I knew in the back of my mind 1/2" was going to be to thin but my gut said go for it..

Oh keep in mind locally for me Lowes only carries MDF in full 4'X8' sheets. Home Depot carries it in 2'X4' sheets which worked perfect to build my box...

what is mdf? i saw the 1/2" but i dont know what mdf is. thx

Got some pics, check it.

this is it. you can kind of see the bottom of the amp peeking through where I cut the storage compartment.
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/jakecody/IMG_0312.jpg


now you can really see it.
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/jakecody/IMG_0314.jpg

i think you will be fine.. but you know if it begins to cut out you have a heat problem you need to deal with...

where the hell did my post go about MDF?? its floating around the server somewhere.. MDF is medium density fiberboard..

Here is a site to read up on it so you make sure you get the right kind of board..
http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/j/ljfrank/MDFvsPB.html

ah gotcha. alright ill let you know how it goes.

Man that is pretty slick... I like!!!