I just installed a second-hand JL Audio Stealthbox in the MINI (thanks mardav!). It sounds really great and fits perfectly in the corner of the boot. One thing I'm trying to figure out is the following: The Stealthbox driver fires directly toward the little door on the driver's side boot cubbyhole (where the tool kit is). The cubby-door vibrates significantly (for good reason) and I'm trying to figure out a good way to eliminate that vibration. I would like to keep the door in place, and somehow damp it or seal it or ??? If anybody has any ideas, I'd like to hear them.

BTW, I'm driving the StealthBox with a Blaupunkt PA2150 (ebay special, ~$98 each.) It runs in bridged mode at around 400W @ 4ohms, which I don't really need but it is a good price-performer.

 

Thanks for sharing! Any pictures? :smile:

 

I can take some pictures maybe tonight and get them up here. I mounted the amp on the back of the passenger side rear seat. I'm not sure it will stay there, because I would like to not worry about bumping it or pulling the cables when I move things around in the boot. Also, the Blaupunkt PA2150 has a bit of a cheezy look to it, the case is transparent plastic with 5 or 6 different colored accent panels. It reminds me of the original iMAC computers a bit.

I may end up building a false boot floor and sticking the amp under it - but that didn't lend itself to the *instant gratification* which I tend to need when installing this kind of stuff.

 

Any home center will sell adhesive-backed closed-cell foam insulation tape. It comes in various widths (3/8ths) and thicknesses. It's used around windows and doors to seal gaps (like where the sash meets the sill.) Apply a few strips short (~2 inches) on the back of the door where the door attaches to the panel, including the latch. The foam compresses easily but still offers some resistance. The idea is to lift the door off the panel by putting the foam tape against the lip opening. The foam can be layered or cut to provide a good thickness. The adhesive is non-permanent and non-marring. Being that the foam is wedged in place when closed, the adhesive is only required when the door is open. It should work just fine. I've not done it in this situation but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, and I've used this stuff many other times in similar situations. Let us know how it works.

 

'Cones, you lost me. Although I understand your suggestion about the weatherstripping.

 

If the door rattles then pop it out and remove it. The gap is small so leave it open or cover it with speaker cloth.

I have the same setup and nothing rattles.

 

Finally, here's a few pictures:

Here's the Blaupunkt PA2150 attached to the back of the rear seat. The cables are a mess because I have to leave quite a bit of slack to allow the seatback to fold down:



Here's a shot of the JL Audio Stealthbox installed in the boot:



In this one you can see the Blitzsafe adapter I'm using for IPOD connectivity, and on top is the David Navone engineering variable LOC that I'm using to drive the amp from the rear speaker outputs on the stock headunit.


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BigBrownDog
2002 MCS Chili Red / White
Webb EVM Package
Collinsville IL / St. Louis MO Area