Mac Sub/Amp Relocation Project Status


ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
:thumbsup With support from Shadowman, and given that business travel has thwarted rapid progress, design fundamentals have been established. In a nutshell:

Remove the entire Mac amp/sub assembly.
Reroute the wire harness so it exits the console on the passenger's side and under the shift cables.
Install the OEM panel (as used on non-Mac cars) or the clear engine cover as discussed on this website.
Remove the amp and sub from the OEM enclosure.
Remove the child safety seat anchor and storage pouch from behind the passenger's seat.
The Mac amp and sub will be mounted behind the passenger's seat.
Both units will be panel mounted (design TBD).
The replacement non-ported speaker enclosure (box) is in the final design stage.
One design retains the 0.15 cf internal volume and measures 8"W x 16"H x 2"D (ID dimensions).
A second design measures 8"W x 8"H x 2"D (ID dimensions) which reduces the internal volume by 50%. This may be not be too detrimental to sound quality.
Both designs will use fiber fill to enhance sound quality.
The new enclosure will be fabricated using 1/4" fiberglass covered with high quality fabric or carpet (TBD).
The reduction in sound quality is expected to be minimal.
The reduction in passenger seat travel will likewise be negligible.
I fabricated cardboard mock-ups for a dry run this weekend.
I hope to collaborate with a local resource within the next week to finalize the design.
The available space will accommodate this design with ~ 1/2" remaining horizontally.

The system can be removed and the vehicle restored to 100% stock in ~ 2 hours. The wire harness will not need to be modified in any way (i.e. cut, spliced, etc.).

I hope to post another update soon.

Both speaker enclosure designs are shown in the attached zip file.
 
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nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,342
ACRJoe,

Do you have a strategy yet to lengthen the cable to fit to the new amp location? I'm assuming that the stock harness will be a bit short. Ideally, it would be best to find a proper-length short extension cable with the right male/female plugs on it. However, that's probably hard to source. The alternative is to cut the wires and extend the cable. That's not really a problem but I understand that the channel signals use a shielded wire and that care needs to be taken to mitigate chances of introducing engine noise.

Another owner wants me to tackle this job of amp relocation (he already bought and installed the non-MAC panel.) I would just like to make sure I have what I need on hand to do the right extension of this aforementioned cable.
 

ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
nota4re said:
ACRJoe,

Do you have a strategy yet to lengthen the cable to fit to the new amp location?
The cable will not need to be lengthened, simply repositioned. No cutting, slicing, splicing, etc. An initial dry run on my car has confirmed this. The amp will need to be positioned adjacent to the console with the "MacIntosh" letting on the vertical plane and the wire connectors facing downward. I'll create and post a drawing ASAP.
 
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Beach-GT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 8, 2006
887
Seminole Florida
Speaker case.

This looks like a good Idea. I'm thinking the box could be made from 1/4 inch aluminum plate welded together. You need something with stiff walls so it does not boom. 1/4 plywood would not work and I'm curious about fiberglass with straight flat walls. I've been looking for something to try my spool gun on. I'll have to see if I can get the Big Mac with extra sauce out of my GT. :biggrin

Does it need a back? where does the port go in the small one?
 

ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
Beach-GT said:
I'm thinking the box could be made from 1/4 inch aluminum plate welded together. You need something with stiff walls so it does not boom. 1/4 plywood would not work and I'm curious about fiberglass with straight flat walls. ..... Does it need a back? where does the port go in the small one?
I plan to have answers to all of these questions next week. Thanks for the input.
 

ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
Further research has indicated that because of its small internal volume, the enclosure should not be ported.