Subwoofer & speaker installs

[Günter]

all in all, i would fear that the Esprit resin structure isn't that good for real massive *db-drag* competitions. The Esprit is known for disintegrating itself naturally, so why the hell should i support that with an added subwoofer& high-fi system too !?

[Iconic Ride]

Remember the old joke about "What's the difference between Herpes and True Love?.......Herpes is forever."

I thought fiberglass was like Herpes. Not so?

Next thing you're gonna tell me is that the galvanized backbone chassis is prone to termite infestations. Arrrrggggghhhl!

[Advantage]

Because of its dense strucure, glassfibre is almost as good as mdf for speaker enclosures. Sometimes better.

[Günter]

good for speaker body's- yes, i can agree on that. Bud not so good for permanent real massive db-drag -that's what i mean. You can see that most of your cars who are driven constantly and often on *low-category roads* get cracks and disintegration on mounting points and some of the points where lower & upper body is laminated together.

Now imagine you would add an installation like seen on some of those 'tune events'

-even the roofs, doors an other installations on those cars got shaking. I cant believe that 'every day' use of those music terror would work in our (on some points) not perfectly fabricated (or call it *hand-build* ) cars... .

..ohh, and John: It's an other thing, bud have you ever heard something about *osmosis* !? Nothing is forever, or at least it will still need some work over the years..

Edited May 30, 2009 by G

[JetBlue]

I recently installed a subwoofer system into my 2000 Esprit that looks factory stock. It may not be the best system out there, but it does do a respectable job at handling the mid-low end range of the audio spectrum. What I did was install a performance sound system from a 1986-1988 Pontiac's Fiero GT. The Fiero's performance sound system is a cleverly designed amplifier that receives its signal from eight speaker wires and draws it's power from the radio's 12v power antenna line. There is no need to run separate wires from the battery. The amp is very small, runs cool and is able to fit inside the Esprit's cramped radio cavity by positioning it vertically to the left of the SRS control unit. The Fiero Subwoofer intensity control slider switch, which is typically located in the Fiero's dome light, was replaced with a rotary 20k pot w/lotus knob mounted in the Esprit's center console in the hole reserved for the non-USA window override button. For the subwoofers, due to the Esprit's extremely shallow firewall speaker cavities (<2"), I chose Earthquake's SWS-6.5X and they just barely fit the stock factory holes in the firewall. For the sub grills, I used the ones from Alpine's discontinued SPS-1729 (6.5") speakers since they visually match the rest of the car's stock speakers. I was pleasantly surprised that no modifications were necessary to make Alpine's grills fit over the Earthquakes subs. Even the four mounting screw holes of the grill's mounting ring aligned with those of the subs! Be forewarned that the speaker grills for Alpine's SPS-1629 speakers may visually look like the SPS-1729, but are actually smaller by

[ifly]

Interesting post there jetblue! Very detailed, in depth and much appreciated. I am still on the fence as to whether to do this and actually have to install some dump valves when I get back from Europe this next week so the subwoofer idea is still that, an idea!

[JetBlue]

Bob,

There is a very good chance that you wouldn't need to cut holes in the firewall. Even the last Esprit has them (http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/LastEsprit.html). You should be able to verify the existence of the holes without peeling up the carpet by pressing firmly on the carpet behind the seats where they are suppose to be located.

[Iconic Ride]

Very slick, Steve. Where did you run the speaker wire to the subs? What (if anything) is on the backside of the firewall holes? How the heck did you know they were there in the first place? Amazing!

[Günter]

Steve is right, can feel them on my car too... .

@John: mention that I have done my tanks in DIY -so all i can say is there is nothing than body section an the fuel tank area. In LH side the handbrake cables go under the tank, an under the tank in RH side the aircondition-hoses. Both go in an wide radius and on the sidewall level (the area next to the seat, where your ass is). The holes behind the carped are in higher position (more in the hight of the lumbar support), the firewall is mounted in an tilt angle and the fuel-tank goes straight down. So you will have some space to fit speakers or self-build-sub boxes/tubes in. Especially on the cars who have only on RH fuel-tank the additional sump for the fuel-pump, there you can use the free space under the LH fuel-tank. Would be interesting to see if someone gets his fueltanks out too, and builds up an sub-box under the tanks You know, resonances & volume is an important thing for that...

An good illustration for LH is the page-10 in the workshop-book, section *introduction*

Edited June 1, 2009 by G

[Iconic Ride]

Thanks for that, Gunter. Some random searching of the Service Notes produced some "cutaways" showing speaker wires running through the tunnel area to the back of the bulkhead ("firewall"), but I'm not sure if that was only on the "early cars." Do the V8's also have the wires preinstalled? Not holding my breath, but stranger things have happened.

[Günter]

John, i wouldn't wonder if so...

..many wires in the whole car are there to match certain market applications, or just because of the 'evolutionary' things (i have an non functional seat-belt-lock cable in RH belt lock, an *rough road* sensor connector bud no sensor, any many things more..)

Anyway, would be easy to install the wires without to rip the whole carped off. Just use an stiff 'pilot wire' or something you would use to install aftermarket antennas/areal on an normal car.