Make Your Own Fibreglass Sub Box

[jrocket]

Hey all. I just started a new project. I am making a fibreglass sub box for the boot of my R33. I wanted to do this because my current sub box just took up too much boot space. I will try and put together a step by step guide showing what i have done.

Here is some pics of where I am currently at.

First layer of fibreglass applied to boot.

I then added a few more layers and removed the mold once it had dried. Now time to strengthen it a bit further.

Added the board to the front and cut it all to fit nice. I trimmed the MDF to shape while the mold was in the car to get it all right.

I have fibreglassed the MDF front onto the rest. I just used a bit of filler to help me seal it all up good. I also fibreglassed from the inside of the box too so hopefully it all holds ok.

Just some more pics before i carpet.

Nearly done.

TaDa

Finished

I started out by removing the stock boot trim. I wanted to try and use as much space as i could behind the boot trim. My mould then will take advantage of this unused space behind the trim. I made out a box shape that i wanted in cardboard and polystrene.

To make sure i dont get any vibrations between the sub box and the outter panel skin, i have added a small spacer so that the finished box wont be pushing up against any panels and cause problems.

I have covered everywhere that i wanted to fibreglass in masking tape so that the glass wont stick to it and i can remove it from the car later. I think you can use aluminum foil or something else to help but i didn' bother with this.

I will post more pics as i go.

Cheers

Edited December 2, 2007 by jrocket

[Craved]

Looks good so far

what type of tape are you using? looks like a painters tape of some sort

what have you got planned for mounting points?

planned wall thickness?

[jrocket]

New pic added. More to come soon.

I just used some masking tape that i brought specially for another job. Its a low residue type tape so that when u pull it off it doesn't leave anything behind. I used it when i was repainting the "Skyline" label on the back of my car. I just removed the mold from the car tonight. seemed to work ok. I just have to spend a bit of time making it stronger. Its only 1 layer thick at moment so a little flimsy. I might brace it with some MDF supporting inside. Also i will be mounting it to the body work of the car where there are structural frame parts . I will screw it all in from the inside of the box then put the sub in and screw in place.

I will take another pic after i do some more tomorrow night.

Later

Edited November 27, 2007 by jrocket

[jrocket]

New pic^^^^. I have removed the mold and now just working on making it stronger. Fits like a glove too when i tried it back in the boot.

[W0rp3D]

you should make up a mould as you go so you can make more of them, im sure im not the only one who would like one.

[inthisglass]

I am still wanting to do something like this!

A sub on each side of the boot, as the one box in the middle of my boot makes my boot basically usless..

how will you go about putting the boot trim back in? will you mount the fibre glass boxes behind and just sort of adapt the trim around the enclosures or will they go on top of the boot trim?

also was thinking about making an enclosure for my sub so it will sit where my amp is mounted (on the shelf next to my battery) that way i will have all my boot

[Fry_33]

Looking good man.

I did a bit of a run through of what I did a while back.. here's the link.

http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/forums...=69345&st=0

http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/forums...mp;#entry823684

I started similar to how you are but then decided to cut the base section off and use a piece of MDF. I think this helped to make is a little mor rigid and helps to keep it bottom heavy. Where ever you have a large flat section it is good to use a piece of MDF. It is cheaper and is quite strong.

I decided to tape over the boot trims and then fibreglass over that. That way when you finish the sub box you just get it trimmed. If you remove the boot trim and fibreglass to match the metal frame once you finish the box you need to trim the box and try to trim the exposed areas around it. You can always trim the box and retrim the existing boot trims.

My boot install isn't very elaborate and one advantage of this is that if I do require all of the boot space for some reason I can just turn the Sub off at the deck, unplug it, remove the box, and the trims are still there.

Good Luck with it.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Fry_33

[jrocket]

Hey all. Yeah i will prob cut the boot trims to make it fit. I am going to make a new floor template and cut some MDF to fit. I am kind of making it up as i go. I will be screwing the box to the frame of the car so it wont be moving round at all.

I thought of making a mold of the box but most people like to customise their boot to their own liking. Prob cost me round $100 in materials at the moment. Dam fibreglass too expensive.

Well i will have more to show tomorrow nite so prob more pics then.

Later

[Fry_33]

Dam fibreglass too expensive.

Where are you buying your fibreglass materials? I don't know what area you live in but I got my supplies from a local fibreglassing place, Solid Solutions.. http://www.solidsolutions.com.au/index.php

Local boat repair shops should have supplies at pretty good prices too.

[jrocket]

Hmm yeah i didn't think of going to a boat place. I just went to bunnings warehouse. I will try there next tho for sure.

[Fry_33]

Bunnings.. that explains it. I have not tried to buy stuff from there myself as others said it was way too overpriced. I had Solid Solutions which luckily was local. One other option is to ask your local car audio store where they get their FG from, that's how I found out.

[jrocket]

New pics^^^^

[Craved]

how many litres is the box going to be ?

[jrocket]

Well i think the recommended size was meant to be 33ltrs for the size sub i have. I made a box for it already that i used to use and that was roughly the same size. I am thinking that this one might be slighty bigger. I could have filled it with water i guess to measure the internal volume. But i dont think that i will have a problem. I think the larger teh box, the boomier the sound.

I am a bit worried tho that i might get too much flex in the fibreglass while the sub is working. I might just add another layer to it tonight. I already have 2 - 2 1/2 layers all over of quite thick fibre matting.

[jrocket]

Woo Yeah. Finally finished. What you all think.

[SABBAi]

looks great.

[W0rp3D]

what size sub is that, if its a 12 how much you going to charge to make another one

[jrocket]

Yeah thats a 12 inch sub i got there. The recommended box size was 33ltrs for that size sub. I dunno if i got the energy to make another one mate.

Took me a wk to build this one. It was easier than i thought. I prob spent bout $80 in materials i think. Then couple hrs each night during the wk to work on it. But i kinda just made it up as i went. Getting the MDF front to fit right was a challenge. But end result is my sub now only takes up less than a 1/4 of my boot space.

Once i had the cardboard base shape all done it was easy as after that. Just remember to mold it so u can remove it.

I will have a think about the replica molds

[swanny180]

Looks almost exactly like what I plan to do. So useless having all your boot space taken with a stupid square sub box.

Was actually considering getting a smaller 10' sub (just so less room is used) but looks like your 12 fits in quite nicely.

Only problem I can forsee is finding a good way of securing it, that is both solid but also easy to remove

[jrocket]

Yeah i thought about removal problems. But the way i have set it up i shouldn't need to remove it unless i need to change indicator globes. I have fitted those LED Alteza type lights so they shouldn't burnout any time soon. I am going to redo the boot floor cover and carpet etc. Just have to get some more materials for that part. I am goign to try and make a hinged setup so i can get the spare wheel out etc.

The 12 inch sub fits very well and sounds great still. Also there is very little vibration of panels on the car.