I am starting my install and have a question about under seat area use for a processor.

Under my right hand seat there is a plastic cover so I guess there is something there or designed to have that available. Util I removed seat and cover I cannot look.

Under the left seat there is no cover just carpet. Looking at threads it seems people cut the carpet and remove som styrofoam from this area to fit audio items.

My JBL MS8 Processor will not fit in the boot due to floor area taken up by 2 amps. Would it fit in one of these underseat areas?

If anyone happends to know free space there I would appreciate a heads up.

MS8 dimensions are 20.3cm x 7.6cm x 27.9 cm

 

First, I think you are in the UK (...saw your turbo posting recently and in past) so I want to be careful about seat labeling left and right. When sitting in car facing forward I label the seats left and right from that perspective--the normal nomenclature. Hopefully you are meaning the same.

I don't know what is in the left hand box (the one under a U.S. driver's seat/UK passenger seat). Seems like something is there on mine--it has the plastic case in place and the wires come up from the floor to connect under the driver's seat. I have accessed the right hand box (U.S. passenger/UK driver). In there is the ESP sensor you should find on all newer Mini's (at least for U.S.). Also in there is the satellite radio box, if your car is so equipped. Mine is. I opened it when I was installing the Mini Alpine retrofit amp and speaker kit for upgrading the base (Boost) stereo. I found I couldn't fit the amp in there because of the sat. box--it isn't that large, but just large enough to hog the available space in the box in such a way another compact amp wouldn't fit. I also considered cutting the box lid for more vertical height clearance, but noticed the seat mechanisms hang too low to clear much of anything above the height of the cover as it stands now. Mini does spec. that its small amp does fit in there fine, but only if it does NOT have sat radio. Now having opened it, indeed they were right. If you don't have sat., hopefully your space/location issue solved.

As an idea to know more what is in your car (particularly for the left side box I am not familiar with), look at the realOEM parts listing for those under seat areas.

FWIW, after finding my right side box too full, I found a small space up under the dash--again in a U.S. car--right near the HVAC filter box (right side, U.S. car) was a vertical space that was just big enough to slide the amp up into, plus it was very convenient to fuse box, battery and wire routing under dash.

Last, per the warnings in other posts, do NOT disconnect the airbag connector for the seat unless you have disconnected the battery. If you do, you will get a dash light only the dealer can clear.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Managed to get an answer from the only other Mini owner I know of who has fitted the MS8 and apparently it fits under the right hand side seat.

As you say it must depend on what car was specced with. We do not have satellite radio in the UK so that can't be in there. And as I have no plastic cover under the left hand seat that must also be empty and carpet there cut to get at this area, like I have seen on some peoples install posts.

So hopefully my fitter will get it in the right hand location. As I have the JCW Recaros on lowest setting the MS8 dies not fit with carpet in place. No room eithther under the glovebox, that was also looked at.

I already have the airbag warning light on despite disconnecting neg battery when fitting the recaros. Once my install is done teh car is going in for coding as getting JCW brakes, JCW seats and Ipod Integration all coded at same time.

 

I also have an MS8 that I'm going to install. Curious if you did the audio install yourself or if you had someone do it for you ?

 

Currently with installer, pick it up on Monday.

Supremo 6 in lower door and CDM54 in upper door. I have Morel Supremo Picollo which will require custom A Pillar fabrication or I can swap from Morel MT23 Tweeter which will fit in the Hifi A Pillars I provided. I would prefer the Picollo but this will add to install costs.

Rear Morel Tempo 6x9's have been rejected in favour of Morel Integra Ovation Point Source 4" coaxials for rear fill.

Hoping it will have enough low end for me with just the Supremo 6 as never ran subs and due to wanting boot space only sub options would have been running something like CDT's HD-690CF in the rear 6x9 area or the CDT ES06 and that would have meant no Logic 7.

Before install I listened to 2 x MS8 equipped cars and loved the Logic 7 compared to the one I heard with 3 way active and sub.

PS MS8 is going under left hand seat.