October 8, 201213 yr Here's my latest job. Nice gear - Hertz HDP5 amp, Hi-Energy speakers, Rockford p3 12" sub. sealed enclosure, 1.4 ft3
October 8, 201213 yr Author trimming out the box the foam was all for shape. Just temporary. It's all gone, and the trim fits perfectly in place. It's no less than 1/4" thick! Poly primer blacking everything out, and sealing up any bits of wood.
October 8, 201213 yr Very nice! Can I ask what kind of stuff you used to make the mould of the trunk, and also what kind of filler you used for the box? Wouldn't mind trying this myself at some stage.
October 9, 201213 yr looks like its all fiberglass. you coat whatever you dont want the stuff to stick to with car wax and glass it in. Once its dry remove it and you have your mould I like the idea of the side pod setup. I might have to do something similar in my SVX.
October 9, 201213 yr Author thanks the fiberglass is just .75oz CSM, with some Knytex combo mat thrown in there. Black dye is what makes it the color you see. Both layups are about 1/4" thick. fillers used are Duraglass, Evercoat Rage Extreme, and a cheapo evercoat filler for the bulk of the rough stuff. This is by far the most filler I have used on a single job, at least in many years. I had to fill a lot more than I planned up on top..... When the glass is nice and smooth the filling and sanding work is cake.
October 9, 201213 yr Nice work! How are you planning to attach it to the interior structure? Curious as I would like to do something similar for an old 12" Kicker Solobaric L7 I have laying around.
October 11, 201213 yr Author Nice work! How are you planning to attach it to the interior structure? Curious as I would like to do something similar for an old 12" Kicker Solobaric L7 I have laying around. Nothing attaches to the flimsy plastic trim. 2 bolts attached to the steel. One with a nutsert, other through-bolted through the wheel well.
October 11, 201213 yr Author Here's the conclusion Everything was sprayed with some black urethane primer I had laying around. Everything is 100% water-proof, and blacked out for looks. The vinyl was wrapped with NO heat.... the gap closes up nicely. the radii of the box and grille look pretty good! I'm really pleased with the shapes here. Tweeter pods wrapped, and in place.
October 11, 201213 yr Author installed tight fit Here's the double beveled amp window. pretty cool, but cheap and easy. Floor back in. Still has full access to jack and spare. dirty floor mat back in. Trimmed it to fit.
October 11, 201213 yr Amazing work. Very impressed with the result! Looks pretty much factory in there.
October 11, 201213 yr nice work! I miss doing car audio, its been about 7 years since I got out of the business. I always enjoyed doing jobs like this one. Ben
October 13, 201213 yr Thanks Glad you guys like it Tractor pole, what pulled you out of 12v? The shop pay structure was changing for the worse, I wanted a more stable career so I got into aviation... don't know if it's more stable but the pay is better and doesn't fluctuate like commission baaed pay. Ben
October 13, 201213 yr That looks really good! I have been wanting to learn how to do fiberglass work for a while now would be nice to be able to do custom stuff like that.
October 16, 201213 yr am i seeing things, or did you just cover everything in green tape and glass right onto it? I want to do something like this for the outback but I will hide the amp under the driver's seat to keep it a lower profile. I want to close the cargo cover and not see it.
October 16, 201213 yr Nothing attaches to the flimsy plastic trim. 2 bolts attached to the steel. One with a nutsert, other through-bolted through the wheel well. Cool. That finished install looks great. Dean
October 16, 201213 yr I would use two layers of tape then spray with parting agent. Just make sure the tape is down securely and you dont mix the resin too hot. Works great
October 16, 201213 yr Good work! Looks really good. Where are the wires? I would like to see how you got everything (including wires/rcas/etc) stuffed into it. This obviously isn't your first rodeo! Was this personal or for work? Think I am done with 20 questions! I like it very much!
October 20, 201213 yr Author am i seeing things, or did you just cover everything in green tape and glass right onto it? I want to do something like this for the outback but I will hide the amp under the driver's seat to keep it a lower profile. I want to close the cargo cover and not see it. Yes, but there are quite a few tricks. If you lay some mat on the tape, and brush on resin from a cup, you're doing it wrong. Plus, the tape has to be thoroughly waxed so the glass doesn't stick. Cool. That finished install looks great. Dean thanks
October 20, 201213 yr Author I would use two layers of tape then spray with parting agent. Just make sure the tape is down securely and you dont mix the resin too hot. Works great I use a silicone mold-release sometimes. Works really good, but it's more expensive than wax, takes the same amount of time (need a couple coats plus dry time.) I ended up going back to Partall release wax. PVA is only so-so in these applications, if that's what you meant. More trouble than it's worth, for sure. Good work! Looks really good. Where are the wires? I would like to see how you got everything (including wires/rcas/etc) stuffed into it. This obviously isn't your first rodeo! Was this personal or for work? Think I am done with 20 questions! I like it very much! Thanks The wires for the amp were planned from the git-go. You'll notice on the end of the amp rack nearest the seat there is a few inches of space as it gradually curves down. Wire channel! And the amp is spaced up 3/8" so the signal cables run underneath it to plug in on the other side, and allow for a little extra cooling via convection. Wires down each side of the car are zip-tied about every 6", and loomed anywhere they need protection - under the hood, above the drivers feet. The battery was re-grounded, and the amp was grounded to the floor below the back seat. I own Bobwires Audio
October 23, 201213 yr Nice! Looks like you carry some good brands too. That's always nice to see names like Audison and Hertz along side of JL and Fosgate. Not too many places carry really good high end stuff. At least you got some good taste! I am personally a Phoenix Gold (old school zx and ti stuff) biggot and love to install stereo stuff on the side. I also repair amps in my free time, so I get some great stuff that doesn't work for cheap and then use it in my own cars. They seriously don't make amps like they used too, that's for sure. Good luck finding real gold traces on any boards in the new amps, it just doesn't happen like it used to. Thanks for sharing man!
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