# Stealth install: how I hid some stuff (56k go home)



## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

I didn't want to have everything taking up space in the trunk. First of all, here's the system diagram:









I haven't found a way to hide the Soundstream amp, and the subwoofer will obviously always take up space, but here's how I tucked away the crossover and mounted all the wiring distribution. There's a small space I had to work with between the spare tire and the back seats, underneath the trunk floor.

You can see the flexible metal brackets I screwed into the chassis









Shelf mounts up on top of those. It's carved into a curvy shape so it will sit nice and low, and allow a spare to mount. 









Here's the thing installed, with everything on it. 


















Then it was time to hide the 30-band equalizer. I wanted it someplace where I could tune it from the cabin. But where to?!?
For this operation, I decided to hollow out a back seat cushion.  

Cushion is torn apart









Hollowed out the foam and glued a piece of ABS plastic to protect the EQ from people leaning. 









Made a plastic enclosure so the cushion can still bear weight. There is still foam on the front side, so you can lean back on it and not feel a difference. 









The EQ is mounted on the metal part. I can lift up the cloth part and tune it by reaching back from the driver's seat. 









The seat cushion looks fully stock from outside and from in the trunk, and functions as such. People have leaned on it and never suspected the difference. It also still folds down to expose the ski hatch, while the system is playing. 









Now to hide the Helix amp.









This goes under the passenger seat, where there is <2" of clearance. That's why I bought this amp: 35mm thick.  

Installed. When the seat is back, you wouldn't suspect it's there. (Sorry, crappy phone pic).









And that's all for now. 

Dan


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

That's how you install a system. We need more stealth installations 'round here!


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## durwood (Mar 7, 2007)

Sweet! I'm a big fan of stealth installs. keeps away the sticky fingers. My buddy has a 97 lude and he hid is soundstream ref604 in the trunk. Pull back the carpet on the passenger side and mounted it in between the outside panel and the inner trunk metal panel. Then put the carpet back and no one will EVER find it. Just hope you never get hit in that location in your car  If he his his 604 (twice the size of your ref300) there then you should have no problem fitting it there. Never gets hot either becasue the outside air duct vent to vent the car is located in there too.


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

Wait a minute, he hid it where? Are you talking about the space between the rear fender and the metal panel on the side of the trunk, like behind the taillight? The 97 Prelude is a boxier body style and might have more space in there. I thought about using that but I can't imagine how I would ever get my hands in there to install the thing.


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## durwood (Mar 7, 2007)

yep...hmmm I'd have to see it in person. Take a picture and maybe I can describe it. I wish I had a pciture of his so I could show you. He had the long side of the amp going vertically. He put some speed clips on the mounting holes of the amp so he could quickly screw the amp in. Just leave yourself enough slack in the wiring so you can tune the amp. Once its mounted you won't be able to access any of the controls since the top of the amp faces towards the outer panel.


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

I see what you mean. That would be a pain in the ass to install, but it wouldn't be the first, so that's okay. The problem is, on the 94, besides there being less space, there's an antenna motor in that space on the right side. On the left side you have wiring, the gas hatch release cable, etc. The 97 has an antenna wire in the rear windshield instead of a retracting one, so he has no antenna motor taking up space. Since I never listen to the radio though, I guess I could install a crappy stick-on antenna and not notice the difference.


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## durwood (Mar 7, 2007)

Ah I see said the blind man. Ok that makes sense, I was thinking about that after I saw that picture in your diagram and I was wondering if you had a power antenna back there but it was too hard to tell. So you think you would have the room if you took out the antenna and put a non-motorized in?


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

Unlikely. The back of the 4th gen is more tapered than the 5th gen. I'll pull back one of the panels and check it out.

Here's the back of my 4th gen, and you can see how small that space is from the outside. You can see where the antenna mounts. The inner metal panel is somewhere between the antenna and the edge of the trunk lid. There's also a 5th gen, so you can compare. 










Vs. 5th gen


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## Ludemandan (Jul 13, 2005)

BTW, here's how the trunk looks now with the floor installed. Took a crappy phone pic. There is a panel that's supposed to cover all that ugliness at the back of the trunk. 

The bright spot on the trunk floor is the light coming in through the grills on my rear deck. 










And here's where the Soundstream amp is now. I would love to be able to hide that thing behind the trunk panel instead of on it. 










Didn't feel like tearing the panels out and checking for clearance just now on my lunch break in the office parking lot.


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