Fiberglass speaker box is done

Okay, my last thread was dedicated to connecting the aftermarket amplifier and sub-woofer, using a PAC, to the factory system.

In this one I will show and explain step by step how to build you own fiberglass sub-woofer enclosure for so that you still may use your trunk and so it looks nice and neat.

I will not explain everything in details in every step because it will take me a week to write this but you should be able to figure it out as I will explain in general

You will need:

1 One gallon of fiberglass with hardener

2 Fiberglass matting

3 Many disposable brushes or just one and some acetone to clean it

4 Rubber gloves

5 Send paper

6 Sender

7 Respirator

8 Jigsaw

9 3/4 MDF

10 Stapler gun with staples

11 Velcro

12 Old T-Shirt

13 painters tape

14 Little bit of common sense and creativity

15 Carpet

16 Spay glue

17 A blade

18 Super glue

Step 1:

Open your trunk and remove bottom carpet cover, covering your spare time. Now remove insert that covers your jack and some other tools. Next remove you carpet trim from the right hand side of your trunk. To do so, fold rear right seat, remove 4 Phillips screw holding strap latches and the carpet, remove black plastic tab on top, remove plastic cover (where trunk latches comes in).

Pull the cover out.

Step 2:

Insert the square insert back into the trim and start taping with your painters tape.

To make sure fiberglass doesn't leak though, as in will never come off so be careful, tape another layer and overlap them.

Step 3.

Cut some fiberglass matting to 2"x4" strips, mix the resin with hardener according to your "resin bottle" instructions. Apply resin on top of painters tape using your brush. Then place a strip of fiberglass matting and do another layer to resin on top of your freshly place matting strip. Apply until desired surface is covered. Let it dry for at least 2 hours.

Step 4:

After first layer has dried, do another layer. Then do another one and another. I suggest doing at least 5 layers. You can do layers on both, in and out, sides for faster process. Make sure not to leave any bobbles as they will create weak spots. If you found a bubble. After is has dried, send that area off and re-apply resin with matting. After all layers has been dried out, you may now pull you mold out of carpet trim and sand it, sand it, and sand it.

Step 5:

Take you 3/4 MDF and cut it in shape to cover your "box"

Step 6:

Cut desired shape.

Step 7:

Cut a hole in you already shaped 3/4 MDF

Step 8:

Measure otter diameter requires for your sub and make circles. In my case I had to cut two pieces and screw (glue) then together as JL Audio requires 1 1/2 MDF

Step 9:

Measure inner diameter required for your sub and cut it using jigsaw or any other handy to you tool.

Step 10:

This is where your imagination comes in. Think and choose how you want to angle your sub-woofer and create legs to support the ring so it doesn't wobble from left yo right and from front to back. Use nail/staple gun to secure then use fiberglass to re-insure stability. Apply fiberglass to you mold and already fitter piece of MDF and "glue" them together. Let it dry. Make sure no holes cracks in between the mold and MDF. If so, fill in with more resin and let it dry.

Step 11:

Take any fleece, cloth (i used my old white t-shirt) and stretch it over your ring, mold, legs etc. Make sure not to leave any wrinkles.

Step 12:

Apply resin just like we did in step 4. Do at least 5 layers. Apply from in and out. No bobbles. Lots of sanding. Do not apply the resin inside of the "ring" as all that cloth will need to be cut out.

Step 13:

After you completed 5 coats, did all the sanding, ensured there aren't any bobble and weak spots, now time to carpet it.

Use your spray glue, use a blade to make cut to fit the carpet property

Step 14:

Drill a small hole, run your speaker wire though it, insert your sub and secure it with screws. After you drill a hole and run a wire though it, I suggest to clog the hole with resin so ensure you would lose sound quality as the pressure of the sub (once in operation) will cause air t escape from the hole.

Step 15:

I decided to use velcro that was if I need to get to my jack, I can simply pull the box with sub out and get to the tools.

Since the the industrial Velcro in not strong enough by itself you will need to stale it to the trim and glue it to the mold in order for it to hold it.

Stale strips to your inset and glue the other piece of Velcro to the mold and make sure they both line up once you insert the mold into the "insert"

Bent the exit tips of staples to ensure they don't come out.

Staple more Velcro on the edges where the "insert" comes in contact with the trim.

Step 16:

Take you box, drill a hole in the "insert" that way the speaker wire runs from the mold though the "insert". Once inserted, insure that Velcro in secured.

Step 17:

Final result before putting in back in the car.

Step 18:

Assemble the trim (without the insert and the speaker box) back into your vehicle. Once the trim is back place the insert and the box into the trim. This part is bit tricky since the Velcro will catch and won't let you fully insert it. Do you so, simply take plastic bag, paper out of you printer and place in in between two Velcros when inserting that way then don't come in contact. Once inserted and adjusted, pull the plastic, paper, whatever you used out from in between Velcro allowing them to stick to each other.

Step 19:

Connect all the wiring according to my previous post and you are done.