Our North Vancouver client had recently bought this Volkswagen Bus. It arrived in beautiful condition, with no stereo at all. He wanted speakers front and rear and a subwoofer, while keeping the bus looking exactly as it did.
We planned the install around keeping everything hidden.
Working around somebody else's woodwork
The owner had already had a custom wood interior built. We needed to find speaker locations that worked with that cabinetry, even where they weren't ideal acoustically.
The rear speakers went into the panelling around the rear bench. It's low and behind the listener, so there was an acoustic compromise. But there was room to mount the drivers neatly and hide the wiring behind the panels without making visible cuts elsewhere. The open cabin and hard surfaces help sound carry through the bus.
We used Rockford Fosgate's Prime series front and rear. With the windows down and road noise coming in, the owner wouldn't hear the last ten percent from more expensive drivers. It made sense to spend that money on getting the mounting right.
Hiding a subwoofer in a bench seat
The subwoofer needed to stay hidden without taking up usable space. We worked through the options with the owner and chose the empty space inside the front passenger bench, under the cushion.
That space determined which subwoofer would fit. We fitted the Rockford Fosgate P3008P, which carries its amplifier inside the enclosure. With no separate amp to mount and no rack to build, the entire subwoofer system is one box that drops into a space nobody will ever look in.
How it turned out
The bus now has sound front and rear, with proper low end. The equipment stays out of sight, the load area is clear, and the interior still looks right for the bus.
Want better sound in your classic without changing its look? We enjoy these jobs. Bring it by and show us what you've got.