For security's sake or aesthetics, it is possible and often desirable to hide your stereo components, from the head unit to amps to speakers. Many custom installations have been done in expensive interiors that the owners did not wish to mar with objects that would call attention to themselves. Nor did they want to risk lowering the resale value of the automobile. Installers have come up with clever and inventive ways to make the interior appear factory-original and uninteresting to thieves.
Instructions
1. Find a spot for the receiver that is accessible to you, but hidden from view. It needs to be large enough to fit the component and strong enough to mount it securely. Possible spots are a glove compartment, under-seat drawer (minivan) and center console between seats. Some vans have overhead consoles with hinged doors.
2. If using power amps, locate hidden spots where they will fit and receive adequate ventilation. Leave fuses readily accessible. Amps can be mounted under a seat, behind a dash, in the trunk or behind a perforated kick panel.
3. Find speaker locations that will fit your speakers while hidden. Look behind door panels, roof pillar covers, kick panels, dash panels and rear shelves. If you have a van, check the panels behind the rear wheel wells and in front overhead compartments.
4. Cut holes in the pressboard or plastic of door panels, taking care not to cut the fabric, leather or vinyl covering. Scrape foam padding off the back of the covering. Perforate the covering with a perforation roller or hole punch to fashion a hidden speaker grille.
5. If mounting rear-shelf speakers, cut holes in the trunk shelf covering. Cut color-matched acoustically transparent cloth large enough to cover the shelf pressboard, with two inches to spare on each edge.
Lay the shelf covering top-side down over the cloth. Stretch the cloth over the edges and fasten down with double-faced foam tape.
6. Connect, mount and protect speakers against moisture in doors. Refasten door panels. Mount rear-shelf speakers, connect them and refasten the cloth-covered shelf covering.
7. Wire and mount the receiver. Hide all wiring under carpeting, kick panels and console fairings. If mounting the receiver vertically in a center console between the front seats, the receiver might be too deep for the armrest compartment. Measure the space between the bottom of the compartment and the drive tunnel. If the receiver can fit between the armrest hatch and the drive tunnel, use a Dremel tool to cut a hole in the bottom of the compartment. Fit the rear of the receiver through and mount it.
Tags: door panels, shelf covering, bottom compartment, center console, center console between
