# 2005 Lincoln LS SQ build with 3-way active front stage and center Ch :)



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey Guys,

So this is the first car I get to work on since coming back from my China trip. A project that has been planning and brewing for over a year. The owner of this 2005 Lincoln LS is my friend and fellow member Bluenote (Thomas).  Having had another system installed in the car a couple of years ago, he caught the SQ bug and wanted to revamp it all, but in between, the decision making process slowed things down a bit as we kept trying to iron down what to do. The main point is this time, do it once, and do it for good... (We hope )

So the goals:

1. Achieve a high level of sound quality fully utilizing the abilities of the JBL MS8 processor, meaning center channel and rear surround

2. Build a subtle, clean and spacing saving design in the trunk fit for the car's role as a daily driver. 

3. Properly install all the equipment that the customer have chosen and provided. 


So, let’s get started...as mentioned, almost everything was provided by Thomas except the MS8. 

The signal starts with a Pioneer Avic-Z120BT navigation headunit, residing in the stock location. Also note the remote bass control knob installed next to the shifter trim.










The Pioneer's usb/iPod cable is routed to the glove box, where the MS8's display unit resides; in addition, a long extension for the microphone cable is run into the compartment for easy plug and play tuning.










For front stage, Thomas chose a set of Morel Elate Limited Edition 6.5" three way component set with Piccolo tweeters substituting for the LE tweeter.
The midbass drivers went into the stock door location.

The doors were already treated to a single layer of well installed sound proofing from the previous system:










So I added another layer of foam for better noise blocking and wired up the Morel driver:










Close up of the beautiful LE midbass:










The outer door skins were treated with a layer of Raamat to reduce buzzing; this results in a very dead and heavy door:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

The passenger side received the identical treatment:





































Moving to the rest of the 3 way front stage. the LE midrange and the Piccolo tweeter were molded into the A pillars, firing about 30 degrees off axis towards the opposite listener. This was a challenge because the stock A pillar isn’t exactly huge and both the mid and tweeter rings are nearly as wide as the cross section of the pillar itself.

So here is what I came up with, the LE mid is on the bottom, and the Piccolo above it. The entire pillar is wrapped in black grille cloth which matches the headliner material almost perfectly:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

here are the build pics of the pillars. First the flush mounting ring baffles were aimed and secured to the pillar via CA glue and hot glue:



















Next, grille cloth was pulled across the shape and resin applied. Once that cured, a duraglass/resin mixture was poured into the inside to fully strengthen the pods. Looking at this picture, you can tell that there are a lot of jagged surfaces between the upper and lower ring, as the orientation of how they are aimed doesn’t allow for a smooth shape to be pulled from mold cloth:










So all that has to be fixed with body filler. So here it is, after about 6 hours of shaping, sanding and reshaping, the two pillars have the desired contours and are sanded smooth, you can see how the section between the upper and lower rings have been built up and rounded off to form a smooth shape.




























Next, a light coat of black paint went onto the pillars, this is so the lighter colors of the pillar and filler don’t show up through the black grille cloth:










And finally, the pillars were wrapped in black grille cloth, and the drivers installed:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Next up is one of the more difficult parts of the build. We threw around the idea of the center channel, and after taking a listen to a few MS8 cars I did recently, we decided that to maximize the potential of the unit, we should incorporate a center.

Ideally, we want the center to be able to play as low as the left and right channels, which meant a driver capable of going down to 80hz. However, the LS is really not well suited to adding a center speaker. In the middle of the dash there is a raised profile that centers around the instrument cluster hood, so where the center channel would like to reside, the dash angles downward and features a ledge at the back. Furthermore, right below the dash surface are the center air vents, so we can’t really sink a speaker into the dash cavity, instead we have to build a pod.

So I went to work knowing that the pod will NOT look OEM, but tried my best to make it look as pleasing as possible. I experimented with several different shapes and settled on this rounded over triangular design, the back side of the pod follows the raised ledge mentioned earlier, the front surface follows the opening to the air vent trim piece, and the third side has a curve that is aimed at breaking up the lines of the pod a little bit. A Morel Maximo 5.25" coaxial is flush mounted into the pod trimmed in black vinyl:




























Build process of the center channel:

first, a large mold was laid down on top of the center dash area, this would give me plenty of excess fiberglass for me to trim down to the desired shape as I sampled one mock up design after another:










once this cured and I settled on the design, I trimmed the shape and sanded the edges down. A center hole was cut to fit the motor and basket of the Morel coaxial, and four markings were made for holes to secure the pod to the dash.










Next, this hole was transferred to the dash:










And the four mounting holes were transferred as well:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Four bolts were then epoxied into the base mold, and tested for proper fitment:










The ring baffle for the driver was then aimed at a flat orientation and secured to the mold:










Mold cloth was then pulled, resined, and reinforced from the inside via the dura-resin milkshake, and the edges sanded clean:










then, the pod was smoothed out using filler:



















Finally, black vinyl was used to finish them:



















Here is a snap shot of the entire front end of the system:










The rear doors had a set of Hertz High Energy coaxials from the previous install, they were left in place to be utilized as rear surround speakers running off the MS8. I forgot to take a picture of these, since I didn’t do the installation.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Now comes a few quick wiring pics...

first the wiring bundles traveling into the trunk from the back seat area, Every wire except the MS8's mic extension and display cable went in from the driver side...the passenger side speaker cables crossed over under the rear seat:




























on the passenger side, the two MS8 cables were tired to stock wiring loom and drops into the spare tire well via the oem entry point:










the driver side required a bit more work, with the speaker cable bundle traveling with the stock loom to the back of the trunk, and the rca cable going a shorter route. Both entire the well at the back, as to not interfere with the top fake floor cover. (As you will see later)










So, moving onto the trunk. *Let me begin in saying that this was perhaps the most difficult fake floor installs I have ever done.* The shape of the floor really doesn’t lend itself well to this design.

For best results, the portion around the equipment of a fake floor build should to be flat. unfortunately, the floor pan of the LS's trunk is anything but. From the front, behind the back seat, the floor is higher and flat, then dips downward at a slight angle, both front and back AND laterally, this angle becomes even steeper as you near halfway point of the trunk, and then levels out towards the back and finishes with a slight upward kick to it at the very end.  this is why the stock trunk floor cover is actually several bendable pieces so it can conform to this shape, and it even sits a bit higher than the floor itself.

Adding to this is that the LS's trunk, while wide and long, is VERY shallow. this means, if I simply made a fake floor that is flat and level with the highest point (upfront near the seats), Thomas would be left with a trunk that is about 8" deep from floor to ceiling...pretty much useless, not to mention cosmetically awkward.

So, the decision was made to put EVERYTHING in the spare tire well, and somehow manage a flat surface around the component. So what I came up with is to have a fake floor top cover that is part mdf, part fiberglass and conforms fully to the curvature of the OEM floor pan/carpet.

So here is the final result, with everything covered up, you don’t see much. A new fake floor with two cutouts covers the center of the trunk. The Lincoln's trunk liner is a pretty oddball color that I can’t match perfect...but the lighting makes it look lighter than it really is.

if you look closely, you can see the back section of the fake floor matching the shape of the floor, dropping down to the flat board on top of the spare tire well, so I can proudly say that this is the first fake floor build I have done where the customer actually GAINED trunk space compared to stock.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Lift up the main grille cover, and here is what you see. Three JL HD amplifiers form a corner around a Morel Ultimo 12" subwoofer, the trim panel is done in black vinyl. One 600/4 provides each midbass with 300 watts RMS, the second 600/4 powers each mid and tweeter with 150 watts RMS. an a 750/1 sends 750 watts to the Ultimo sub. The arrangement of the equipment is actually a matter of necessity as the stock battery is on the right side of the spare tire well. 





































If you are wondering what the smaller cutout is for, here is what’s below it. By removing this cover, you can access all the battery related accessories. The full line of EFX Delta products was used, two battery terminals, a fuse holder and a fused distribution block. The goal here is that Thomas can jump start the car, remove and replace fuses (main and individual) without having to unbolt the entire fake floor:



















So let’s finish with some build pics of the trunk:

first, the entire well was covered with a later of Raamat:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

next came the process of building the top fake floor cover. This was quite a time consuming process to figure out. 

Initial step was to cutout a piece of MDF that matches the opening of the well almost perfectly, and the outer edge rabbeted.










then, this piece was placed in the well, spaced up at a precise height, the edges masked off with tape, and 8 layers of fiberglass cloth was laid down around the edge of the MDF, flowing onto the OEM carpet:










Once the class cured, this mold was lifted out of the trunk:










Meanwhile, the top floor piece was marked and the cutouts made:



















The fiberglass mold piece was then carefully trimmed to form the exact shape I was looking for, and the inner opening matched to the rabbeted edge on the wood:










The two pieces were then mated together using high strength epoxy:










A strip of MDF was added at the front ledge to form a straight surface, and then a lot of filler was built up and sanded down to form a nice smooth flowing shape with a flat center. This piece alone was a good 3 day project to sort out.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

This piece was then wrapped in dark trunk liner:



















Here is the piece that goes over the front of the trunk:



















The trim panel before and after vinyl application:



















and the little ring that allows the cover over the battery to sit flush with the rest of the fake floor:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

The MS8 and a Cache Audio active crossover (providing band pass to the front mid/tweeter) resides on their own board below the amps. Here they are, all wired up and ready to go:










and finally, here is a shot of the wiring of the entire trunk area:










and a close up of the EFX power accessories. 











Even after just some rough tuning, I am pretty psyched about this car. Stage is really high and what really surprised me was the depth, despite having the center channel right there visually, the vocals appear to originate from way behind it, at the windshield. Overall tonality is excellent as you might expect from the Morel set. The Ultimo provides effortless extension and blends in very well.

I think with some additional tuning, this car will really be a joy to listen to on a daily basis  

Time to rest up for a couple of days…

Cheers!


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## six2six (Mar 25, 2007)

very nice, as usual


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## jrs1006 (Sep 19, 2010)

Wow this is _THE_ install and set up I have seen in a Lincoln ls. I am working on one but am modifying the door panel to house both the midbass and midrange speakers. the tweeter was also mounted close to stock location. Any input on set up would be very helpful. Again great job.


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## fastev (May 28, 2007)

I saw this car during the build. Turned out awesome! Great work as usual Bing!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

jrs1006 said:


> Wow this is _THE_ install and set up I have seen in a Lincoln ls. I am working on one but am modifying the door panel to house both the midbass and midrange speakers. the tweeter was also mounted close to stock location. Any input on set up would be very helpful. Again great job.


hey since your local, stop by sometime...my preference for sq setup is to place the midrange (IMO the most important speaker in a 3 way) as high and as far forward as possible, but it depends on what you are running in your set up. feel free to throw me an email anyway: [email protected]


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## perfecxionx (Sep 4, 2009)

what is that blue thing you wrap around the pillar baffles to give the flush mount?

btw, fantastic looking work as usual


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Bing is a phenomenal craftsman! He executed this build with remarkable precision (in spite of the inherit challenges of the LS.) I wanted to "go all out" with the Morel/MS-8/Ultimo combination after having read some many great things about these products with hopes that it will kill my SQ bug for a while. I must admit that I am very satisfied with the outcome. As Bing noted the stage is very high and deep. Sonically, the center channel blends into the front stage almost as if it's not present. Honestly, this is my first 3 way set-up so I am still taking it all in but I really like what I am hearing! The center pod although highly visible - is not overly obtrusive nor is it an eye-sore from the driver position. (With all he had to accomplish with this build the center channel by far was my greatest concern  and Bing really delivered.)  

In addition to the build I want to make note that Bing is a great guy to know, on both business and personal levels. He brings a lot of experience to the table and will offer solid recommendations if/when needed. Personally, with all the work he as displayed on the forum over the years...I just let him do what he wanted in terms of he install (the results are self-evident.) 

Props to SimplicityinSound & Cheers to all the DIYMA forum members, because I literally became a SQ student on this forum and have learned so much from your shared knowledge and experience! 

Bluenote


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## nittanylion64 (Oct 3, 2007)

Bluenote-Do you have any exterior shots of the car? Have you done anything performance wise to the LS? My brother has an LS and I love it! 
Bing-This definitely gives me plenty of inspiration to work on his car!! Top notch work, as always.


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

No exterior shots just yet, my car is still completely stock minus the Sound upgrade.


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## mr.metoo (Feb 20, 2010)

Amazing!


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## wdemetrius1 (Aug 16, 2007)

Another great Bing install. Glad to have ya back.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

Nice work as usual. Every time I see your work I want to gut my car and redo everything haha


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## BaSiCEvil (Mar 14, 2007)

Unreal install Bing! Nothing short of your other work!

Did you mention where the center channel is getting power from?


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## mrstangerbanger (Jul 12, 2010)

So did adding the center and rears help the sound????


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## jab4au (May 31, 2010)

Hands down, my favorite build on the forum..... Well done!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

mrstangerbanger said:


> So did adding the center and rears help the sound????


absolutely  but i knew that before this car.

the last 4 MS8 installs i did, i toyed around with shutting the center and the rears down, and it really helps.

the center does indeed reinforce the center image without making the stage narrow..

and the rears, adds a touch of ambience...but after being explained how these speakers work in the L7 frame work by Andy, i am not at all surprised.

b


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

How are you configuring the rears? With an L-R configuration, or just TA'd from the fronts? 

Very nice craftsmanship. Looks great!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the MS8, in L7 mode, configures the rears automatically.

it essentially plays only out of phase information that is present on the front channels.

very effective at adding depths and ambience to the whole system IMO.

b


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## khanhfat (Feb 4, 2008)

Very nice set up you have ,Bluenote  TIme for me to get started on a Pillar like that.


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## derickveliz (May 15, 2009)

*Very nice!* in deed...


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

khanhfat said:


> Very nice set up you have ,Bluenote  TIme for me to get started on a Pillar like that.


Thanks Khanfat, it's been a long time coming but the end result on the pillars is far less obtrusive than I imagined.


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Okay...it's been a few days and Bing and myself got together to tweak the calibration some more...These are my findings...

This MS-8 is No Joke! The Center Channel actually projects voices behind it...so the effect is that voices are generated from the bottom of the windshield...and on some tracks even the hood of the car. Background voice effect is like they're coming from outside of the a-pillars & side windows...The Rears bring a nice ambient touch - throwing all kinds of detailed ear candy into the mix w/o taking anything away from the front-stage ( when a recording warrants it - otherwise you don't even know that rears are playing.) 

What really amazes me is the amount of detail that is reproduced throughout a recording and everything is displayed on the dash and above -like an audible mural. The Sub plays and blends very well. Honestly, I did'nt think I wanted a transparent sub, but I found it's only transparent (if you want it that way) I find myself turning the bass knob down with the Ultimo in this set-up and I listen to a range of bass heavy tracks - regularly  

I am very happy with the outcome of this *Morel / JL Audio / JBL *set-up...I am certain that 'other ears' would have other preferences and could detect room for enhancements...But right now for me...I don't see too many areas for improvement and I am sure they do exist (I am open to constructive advice-always.) 

Again, props to Bing for quality craftsmanship and DIYMA for quality advice! 

Bluenote


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## d5sc (Aug 14, 2007)

Wow, that's a super clean install with some extremely nice gear! Nice job as always, Bing.


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

d5sc said:


> Wow, that's a super clean install with some extremely nice gear! Nice job as always, Bing.


I was fortunate enough to have auditioned this vehicle at the MECA event in September.

Absolutely amazing in it's ability to recreate the finest details.
When Bing, and I believe the LS owner's name is Thomas, say the stage is on the hood, it truly is coming from on the hood.

By far, the most enjoyable system I heard all day!

One last comment, The MS-8's ability to produce a center channel signal that doesn't dilute the left and right stereo separation is by far it's most incredible feature IMO.

Just an outstanding vehicle.
I wouldn't change a thing.

Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Bret, thanks for the compliments! I owe ALL the credit to Bing for his vision and thorough execution of the design. It's been 1 year since the install and I still thoroughly enjoy this set-up


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## Lorin (May 5, 2011)

so basically, your tweeter mid is only using two channels of the ms-8? Is that what the outboard crossover in the trunk is for? Just wondering, as I have a three way system and dont have enough channels left over for the rear surround. Please verify and ease my peace of mind.


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Lorin, that's correct. I have a Cache CEX electronic x-over that is combining the mid and tweeter to accommodate the 2 channels of the MS8. It's worked out good and have had zero noise issues. So when I do calibration setup I am choosing a two way configuration instead of a 3 way configuration.


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## Lorin (May 5, 2011)

I see. thank you for verifying. I have considered going passive between my mid and tweet to allow me to hook up my rears, but have yet to do so. Did the rear fill make a significant \ noticeable difference? Im trying to justify the work involved and whether or not I want to chase that part?


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

Looks like I resurrected this thread.
Sorry T! 

Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Bret it's fine! I'm glad there's still interest in Bings older work lol
@Lorin, yes the rears work great and are not over powering at all...they only play out of phase info for the most pArt. MS8 does that sooo well!


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

@ Lorin, go for the full Logic 7 if you can! Frt/Ctr/rears and Sub. The MS8 will do some awesome things with this configuration.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

still on vacation but next stop for this car is jewels sewn into the pillars!


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

FINALLY!!! Bing I've been waitIng a whole year for you to finish my
Pillars!!! Im glad those rhinestones you special ordered finally came in we'll discuss the layout when you get back!


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## Frank Drebin (May 30, 2011)

simplicityinsound said:


> *One 600/4 provides each midbass with 300 watts RMS, the second 600/4 powers each mid and tweeter with 150 watts RMS. an a 750/1 sends 750 watts to the Ultimo sub*.


So the center and rears are powered off the MS8's internal amp? I had always thought it wouldn't be enough power to keep up with the rest of the system, especially the center.

Would you recommend this layout over (bridged mids) over sending 150 W to all 7 speakers with a spare amp channel?


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Frank for my set up powering the Ctr and rears off the MS8 has worked well. I would like to try having at least the CTR powered off an amp but that will require a different speaker and amp configuration. Most of the time I am reducing the Ctr volume below half way using the MS8. It works quite well.


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## Frank Drebin (May 30, 2011)

Bluenote said:


> Frank for my set up powering the Ctr and rears off the MS8 has worked well. I would like to try having at least the CTR powered off an amp but that will require a different speaker and amp configuration. Most of the time I am reducing the Ctr volume below half way using the MS8. It works quite well.


Thanks. How did you set up the amp gains? Adjust about half way (2v), then let the MS8 do its sweeps and leave them there? Or did you bring them up after the sweeps? I think the MS8 kinda brings every level down to the lowest common denominator which would be it's own internal amp?


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Frank, on the HD600/4 2V is full minimum or bottomed out on the gain knob. So I would keep it there during calibration and turn them up below the 9o'clock position for the best effect so far. Truth is I dont know if that is too much because some distortion is inaudible. One of these days I plan to get a solid reading so I'll k ow exactly where my max gain setting is


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## tuner culture (Jul 14, 2010)

on the pillars, what are blue rings you are using? Very impressive work and attention to detail


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## thrillofthephill (Feb 23, 2015)

Are those speakers under the back seat ? I have a 2005 Lincoln ls sport v8 and I want to put a system in that will sound really nice and I'm trying to avoid doing the usual sub box in the trunk. And having all the rattle going on I'm looking for a way to do it inside the car ?

I was told you can't put speakers under the back seat because of the gas tank. Please respond with info.


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

There are no speakers under the back seat. front doors, pillars and spare well.


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