How to Make a Fiberglass Enclosure

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greggk

Member - Posts: 30

Joined: April 28, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: April 28, 2007 at 8:17 AM / IP Logged

yes i know i am a rookie,but, i have a few questions. i have installed a few car stereos before but they were the easy prefab types where it is really a no brainer... and i just bought a new chrysler 300c and i need some info..

a) how do i know how much space to give a sub in a custom built fiberglass enclosure?

b) is there going to be a difference if i angle sub up ,down, front, back etc?

c) how do you run the wiring into the box? becasue in your writeup it doesnt show that.

d) what is the approximate cost ratio between building a fg box to a prefab box?

as i said before please excuse the newbie questions. thanx Greggk

Velocity Motors

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Joined: March 08, 2002

Location: Manitoba, Canada

Posted: April 28, 2007 at 8:47 PM / IP Logged

kustomizedtib wrote:

I would like to make a full trunk(hatch)/backseat enclosure for my 2000 Tiburon... I've fiberglassed before, including basic sub boxes, a TV in my steeringwheel and pass. air bag ETC ETC...

1) How do I get the enclosure to go around the sides of the car perfectly, Do I take a mold of the side of the carpet, all the way around the hatch?

If so, then I would not be able to remove it because of the way the interior comes outward

What I've done in the past is build a frame up about 1/2-1 " away from the edge of the hatch area. Fiberglass the entire enclosure and when it has enough layers and realatively smoooth ( 180 grit ) then you can lay in tin foil over the hatch lip and connect it about 3" into the enclosure. Fiberglass this " bridge " layer all the way around the enclosure and do this several times ( about 3 layers ). This will give you the peice to fill in the gap and remove the foil and glass this permanently to the enclosure. Smooth out and use body filler to shape and hide the seam of glass.

kustomizedtib wrote:

2) IF you can't remove your enclosure and must build it inside the car, How do you get a sealed box for subs if the whole trunk is going to be fiberglassed with TV's speakers and amps, how do you get the box underneath for the sub to seal to the rest of the FG without looking bad?

Read response to above question. The above method will still allow you to remove the enclosure as long as the design of the enclosure accounts for a narrower side design and doesn't tuck into the corners of the trunk.

Jeff

Velocity Custom Home Theater

Mobile Audio/Video Specialist

Morden, Manitoba CANADA

Velocity Motors

Moderator - Posts: 12,488

Joined: March 08, 2002

Location: Manitoba, Canada

Posted: April 28, 2007 at 8:57 PM / IP Logged

greggk wrote:

a) how do i know how much space to give a sub in a custom built fiberglass enclosure?

Each sub manufacturer has their own optimum volume for their enclosures. Use this link to help you with volume in a custom enclosure

greggk wrote:

b) is there going to be a difference if i angle sub up ,down, front, back etc?

Yes and no. It will depend on the vehicle, the enclsoure and also how many subs.

greggk wrote:

c) how do you run the wiring into the box? becasue in your writeup it doesnt show that.

I ended up drilling two holes through the subwoofer basket and slipped in (2) 8 gauge wires for the (+) & (-) wires and ran these inside the enclosuer and through to the amp.

greggk wrote:

d) what is the approximate cost ratio between building a fg box to a prefab box?

as i said before please excuse the newbie questions. thanx Greggk

A custom box is going to be more for obvious labor reasons. Cost will depend on where you go to and what part of the world your in. Prefabbed boxes are not going to sound as good as custom built ones but cost for one will be significantly less as well.

Jeff

Velocity Custom Home Theater

Mobile Audio/Video Specialist

Morden, Manitoba CANADA

ridiculouscivic

Member - Posts: 1

Joined: April 22, 2007

Location: Canada

Posted: April 29, 2007 at 7:27 PM / IP Logged

How did you secure the box to the car?

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my_shed

Member - Posts: 1

Joined: May 08, 2007

Location: United Kingdom

Posted: May 08, 2007 at 3:01 AM / IP Logged

Hey there, first post for me. How to Make a Fiberglass Enclosure - Page 14 -- posted image.

I live in the UK and don't have access to the type of body filler that was used in this build. Can anyone tell me whether there is any difference between that body filler and any others, or is it ok to use pretty much any filler as long as it isn't fibre reinforced?

Thanks, great thread so far, really informative.

In the beginning there was God. Then he got bored and made Dave. Thus I am here.

gr85z

Member - Posts: 1

Joined: May 09, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: May 10, 2007 at 10:15 AM / IP Logged

Great write up. I am going to starting a project car and this just the ideas spinning in the head for what I want to do.

Reading through the whole article and seeing what people were asking and all I found this company that has some how and whats on resin and fabrics and some good calculators for estimating resin needed for materail etc...

Hope people find it helpful.

www.fibreglast.com

It is better to know a little about a lot the a lot about little.

jujupr

Member - Posts: 1

Joined: May 10, 2007

Posted: May 10, 2007 at 7:52 PM / IP Logged

when u mix the resin with the bodyfiller do u mix the resin with the harder / then mix the body filler by it self / then mix both to gethere??

br1anbae

Member - Posts: 2

Joined: May 11, 2007

Posted: May 11, 2007 at 3:17 AM / IP Logged

couple questions

1. every picture i saw of a custom build never showed what happens to the dowels that hold up the subwoofer rings? can you keep it in there or take it out?

2. since the sides of the box is only help up by mdf and glue gun.. doesnt it easy tip over when the fleece is pushing on it from all sideS? can u take it out after the resin is set in or is the resin/fleece bonding to the mdf?

br1anbae

Member - Posts: 2

Joined: May 11, 2007

Posted: May 11, 2007 at 3:42 AM / IP Logged

sorry for a double post.

when drilling into the mdf should i predill it? or would it be better to drill it straight on.

hookedontronics

Member - Posts: 12

Joined: January 30, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: May 31, 2007 at 9:48 PM / IP Logged

nice

If you can't be good, be good at it!

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