Aloha from Maui...subwoofers for double cab?

Just bought my first Tacoma yesterday, been waiting for years!! What an incredible truck. I would be interested in instaling a subwoofer. I looked in the audio forum but there was nothing posted. Does anyone know of something that will fit behind the seats in the double-cab?
Thanks

 

Welcome to TW. Congrats on new truck . Good question about the sub. You beat me to it. Lets wait for some feed back.

Hey Jesse, (Mr. Custom Sound) if you are reading this, we need your expertise. Thanks.

 

I found a few links...
One was for a company called tacotunes, they do custom boxes that will fit behind the seat if you take the factory storage panels out, but they only make the boxes, not a fully wired sub. (tacotunes.com)
There was one product on Crutchfield, but I wasn't too impressed because the cabinet was made out of molded abs plastic...it just seemed kind of cheap and I had never heard of the manufacturer.
I really would like the MTX Thunderform, but it appears that they haven't made them for the new generation Tacomas yet.
I am also interested to find the best (highest quality) replacement face-plate. There are a few, but the ones that I've seen are just black or silver and they don't seem to match the texture of the rest of the dash trim.
Any ideas?
Thanks
G

 

Hi there MapMasterG, Tacotunes is the place to get your subwoofer box. The only thing wrong with those boxes is that they don't really look factory. They look to square and you have to remove the existing storage compartments behind the seat in Double Cabs. You can go to www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/customcar/showroom/magana_tacoma.html to look at my 05 Tacoma for some ideas. I also had to remove the storage compartments but made a custom fiberglass/Mdf enclosure that looked like factory. It takes a while to build something like that but it makes all the difference. If you are in a hurry, just buy the box from Tacotunes but if you are like me take the time to build your own. I can tell you however that you can only fit 10" subwoofers and smaller. If you decide to use 12", you will have to do your homework and find some that are thin. Otherwise there is not enough room. I suggest using the Kicker Solobaric 10" or 8". Those sound great if powered correctly. I used a 12 " Rockford Fosgate on my 05 but had to modify the seat to move it a couple of inchers forward. Let me know if I can be of any help.

 

Hey Jesse, thanks for the reply. Nice system, I bet it kicks. How long did it take you to build the sub box? I'm just not that talented...and I don't have the tools/knowhow to build anything like that...I'm envious. The guy who installed the last system in my old Ford Exploder told me that MTX has a Thunderform coming out this month for the 2nd-gen Tacomas. On the otherhand I might see if a buddy of mine who is a woodworker would make a box like yours. Did you sketch out any plans for it? Is there much of a difference in dimensions between 05 and 06?
Thanks again man, your ride looks awesome inside and out!

 

Hi there MapMaster. Thanks for the compliments. Sorry but I did not make any sketches. There is no difference in dimensions from the 05 to the 06. I now own an 07 and is identical. If your freind is a good woodworker, he can build you a box. That box is actually my first box made of MDF and fiberglass. I usually just build them out of MDF but I wanted for it to look factory and not boxy. All you have to do is take your time and do some research on working with fiberglass and read a few articles. Once you do that, you will have an understanding of what to do. Try it. You will be surprised. Take a look at this website www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?TID=74519. Hope it helps.

 

Thanks Jesse...Great link, i'm inspired! I've used fiberglass and epoxy resin when I worked on sailboats...doesn't seem too different. I'll keep you posted and may ask for advice as I get into this project. Also, did you get your face-plate at TacoTunes?

 

Hey Greg. I assume you mean the radio kit. I actually got that from Crutchfield. They are free if you buy the head unit from them as long as it is over $129.99. They also give you the wiring harness. For head units, you can't beat Crutchfield. You might get them cheaper somewhere else but then you have to buy the install kit and harness which keeps adding up. Tacotunes actually has one that matches the interior more. They cost more also. The one I have is black. Good luck on your project. Should look great if you have worked with fiberglass. I've only worked with fiberglass twice. Still playing around with it. I am working on a friends truck right now.

 

Hey Jesse, What have you noticed with the sound quality of the sub-woofer firing directly into the back seat? Do you usually have the back seats down until you have passengers? ...also, was the custom sub enclosure that you built ported or closed?
thanks,

....and thanks for the comeback re: the BullBar too.

 

Hey MapMasterG, Sorry I haven't answered. I just go back from vacation. Took me forever to read all my emails. To answer your question, the sub sounded great behind the seat. Remember, I had to move the seat forward a little. I recently traded in my 05 for an 07. Same exact truck but 4x4. I am going to do something different with my new one. Havent really decided on what to install. Thinking about two 10" or 2 shallow 12". Even though the system sounded awesome in my 05. I don't want to use the same setup because it will take to long to duplicate the exact same setup and I cannot use the enclosure I built because it is tan. My new truck is grey inside. I'll keep you posted on what I do to it.

 

Gentlemen, gentlemen, I have done much research and installed the perfect set while the best priced also. For the in-dash kit you'll want to go with the Scosche TA2053B 2005 - Up Toyota Tacoma Double DIN Installation Kit (Factory Color Matched Silver). They also have a single DIN as well. The Silver is damn near dead-on but it doesn't have the raised bumps like the original. Not that big a deal though - at least to me. I just care about matching.
Regarding subs; Scosche also makes a sub enclosure which comes with a 10" EFX sub. The enclosure has matching plastic to the storage compartment plastic and, best of all, it just drops in. No cutting or anything. I got it for $199 off of ebay and the DIN kit was $25. You are just left to get an amp which you can put under the seat. Here are some pics:

 

Is the sound quality good? Do the steering wheel audio control buttons work with the new set up?

 

First, I do not have the steering wheel audio controls. However, I have read that it is just a matter of wiring into the stereo. Any semi-high end stereo will allow this functionality but again, I am not speaking from experience I merely read this from some audio gurus. Sound quality is great. Of course, "great" is in the 'ear' of the beholder. I don't plan on attending auto audio shows, demo-ing my music within earshot of a two block radius, or hangin out in mall parking lots so it works great for me. By the way, the aftermarket stereo I installed was a double DIN Kenwood Excelion DPX701. AWESOME! And, it allows for steering wheel controls...as described earlier. I give a better description with links in the Audio forum on this site.

 

Can you send me the link to that description?

 

Do you have a link for that sub enclosure?