Audio Systems: sub enclosure, rms power, car audio instalation

Question
hello jerry,   i am tackling an instal for the second time and i just have a few questions for you.  i have a q-logic qlh-1.0012ss enclosure housing a diamond audio m612d4 woofer.  it is powered by a california ca600m amp. can i mount the amp on the sub enclosure?..will structural integrity be comprimised?..sound quality?  can i mount other amps on the sub enclosure along with the one powering the sub?  what about my distribution block, can it also be mounted on the enclosure?  i would like to mount the amp powering the sub, another smaller amp(us acoustics usx2050)powering my rear deck 6x9's(kicker ks69), and the power distribution block.  let me know what you think please.  what are pros and cons of my idea? also, is there special solder i should buy for car audio instalation...is soldering superior to crimp connectors?  will gold plated contacts make a noticeable difference?  i noticed in one of my amp owners manuels that rms is rated at 14.4 volts, is there anyway i can insure that 14.4 volts is always being fed to the amps?...is it even worth doing?  i know that is a lot of questions, any info you can give me will be appreciated. thank you for your time.

Answer

Yes, that is a lot :S

As long as there is room, there is no problem mounting most any device to an enclosure.

Silver solder is the best but is hard to work with compared to normal tin. Will either type of solder sound better? Probably not to the ear, but you will feel nice knowing that the connections are done very well.

With gold, the main thing it does is looks nice. Secondly it resists corrosion, so conductivity is not its main attribute at all.  
Gold may provide a very small, but measurable difference in conductivity (and only to the test equipment, not the ear).

Actually, if an amps' power supply is worth a hoot, it will put out rated RMS power from 14.4 down to about 10.7-11 vdc.
Most alternators are internally regulated and this makes adjustments difficult if not impossible.

The best way to make sure the amps have what they need is to have the engine running (all electrical demands are handled by the alternator). Just be careful not to demand more than your alternatior can deliver for the car and the system combined!!