P5Fretless

Anyone have any suggestions, or places to look, for ideas on the best way to remove the carpet in the P5? I've got my speakers in the doors, my power coming in through the firewall, so I'm ready to start running wires and installing the power amp.

I'm putting the amp under the passenger seat, and I've got the seat bottom removed, but not the frame.

I was thinking about just lifting the carpet on only the passenger side, but I don't see a way of doing it without cutting that little bridge piece that runs over the transmission.

Based on what I've read in other threads here, I'm thinking about putting down some sound-deadening material while I have the carpet up.

Anyhow, any advice is appreciated.

1st MP3 in NH

I've stripped the inside of my car a few times now. You have o cut that peice and the peice infron of the dash.

Sir Nuke

I am confused....why didn't you just take out the four bolts that hold the ENTIRE seet to the floor and completely remove it all in one piece....rails and all.

two.....why do you need to remove the carpet? I don't understand what you would need to do this for?

P5Fretless

Hey, I'm confusing me too, that's why I'm asking for help! No, I actually was going to remove the whole seat, but then I saw how easy the bottom would just come out so I just did it (it's also just four bolts), thinking that's all I would need to do to have good access to put the amp there. And I could probably fish the wires and do everything I need to do without pulling the carpet or taking the rest of the seat out.

BUT... when I started researching more and thinking maybe it would be good to just take everything out, put some dampening material on the floor, and run the wires clean and easy without having to do the fishing under the carpet thing.

So, basically I'm just learning and trying to figure this out as I go here. So, you recommend not hassling with the carpet removal and just the fishing thing?

And 1st MP3, did you do dampening material on your floor, and if so, how much hassle is it?

1st MP3 in NH

Thats about the only place I haven't covered yet. I have to buy my third case of dynamat extream. I still have to do the roof too. The floor already has some on it and I have been focusing on the rattles and speaker performance.

Get the seat out all together its eaiser.

Do not mount the amp to the floor. You need to mount a board to the floor and the amp to the board. You probably know it but I thought it best to mention to be sure.

Sir Nuke

I didn't route ANY of my wiring under the carpet....the POWER from the battery cane through the firewall....behind the kickpanel...I removed the sill ledge and bundled it with the OTHER wiring that is there...snapped the sill ledge back on...and then under the seat from there. I ran the power wire to the piller so it was right there.

The speaker wires all when inside loom and from the amp just just under the console...then from there to the head unit inside the console...although there is not loom all the way to the dash, all of the speaker wires are tyrapped togehter nice and neat.

As for attaching the amp to the floor....there is a whole thread here somewhere about locating the amp in a p-5.....one thing for sure....mounting a FLAT board under the seat to the floor will be a challenge....the floor is VERY VERY uneven there....IF you do mount a board...what I would recomment so that it looks nice AND you don't have a problem on the bottom of the car...is to locate the board...drill your holes through the bottom of the car...then get long enough bolts that you can put them up from the bottom so you don't have screws hanging out the bottom of your car....you can use a thick enough board to counter sink the nuts/washers so as to not touch the amp when the amp is attached to the board....

IF you are going to mount a board in this fashion....make it look nice...cover the board with material so it will look professional....

OR you can go to wal-mart...and they sell for a mear $5 a roll of velcro that is 5 feet long...and its got an ADHESIVE back to it....cut two pieces as long as your amp....and stick the LOOPY side to the bottom of the amp....it will grap that carpet like there is no tomorrow.....that is what I ended up doing and that sucker is there!!!.....there is another problem with putting an amp under your seat....but only the drivers seat (where I put mine) on the bottom of the car there is a group of tubing run that goes from the front of the car to the back...and RIGHT where you would need to put a bolt/screw! grrrrrr.

P5Fretless

Thanks for the details on your install. My plan is to use the loopy velcro method, and to put it under the passenger seat. Is there any big tradeoff one way or another as to which seat to put it under? I was thinking passenger seat, just so I could drive around while I'm still working on it. On the other hand, the power is already on the left side, and I still have my old car (an '81 Datsun!) as back-up.

1st MP3 in NH

I personaly would never only use velco, in fact I would be fired for it. Secure a 1/2" thick peice of wood to the car then the amp to the wood.

P5Fretless

How about if I attach the amp to the wood, and then velcro the wood to the floor?

(JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!)

What are the concerns about using velcro? That the amp wouldn't stay put in an accident?

1st MP3 in NH

It wouldn't stay put after a few months of bumpy roads.
We have to do install that will last the life of the car and an amp coming loose would realy **** off a customer. I'd typicaly use screws just long enough to peirce the floor, then use underbody coating spray to cover the screw. Also With Velco its still possible for the amp to be in contact with the cars body creating a ground loop.

P5Fretless

Sir Nuke, how long have you had your amp velcro'ed there, and has it moved around at all on bumpy roads?

At this point, I'm kind of leaning toward the board method, though I am leary of drilling through the floor. I'll have to look and see what's there. Maybe there's something under the car that will make one side a better choice than the other?

P5Fretless

NOW I've got the whole seat out, like I should have done the first time! I went out at lunch and fished some wires, and pulled the seat. I've got it stashed under my desk here at work now. I always wanted a leather seat in my office!

JAC

Why don't you just attach the amp to the floor using a drill ? that's how I've seen it done in most "under the seat" installs.

Sir Nuke

I haven't had it installed very long...but I had a hell of a time getting it back up when I put it down, so I am not worried about it coming loose and moving around....the velcro I used is two inches wide and there are two strips 12 inches long.

I STARTED to do the wood platform thing first...till I found that there was that run of tubing under my car right where the screws would go through....you don't have that problem on the passanger side....SO, attaching the amp in that manner would be THE PREFERED method....it is more secure.

P5Fretless

If I attach it to the floor, I think the board is definitely the way to go. You don't want the amp to have direct contact with the floor (amp to bolt to floor), as that can cause ground loops. The ground connection should be the only current path to ground from the amp.

But yeah, the board itself would be bolted to the floor.