rotarygod

Did you try the bondo/fiberglass mixture? Most people that try it make it too runny the first time. I'm curious how you did.

PUR NRG

What I've used to good effect is a bondo/gelcoat slurry. Use a 1:1 ratio and add 2% (by weight) fiberglass resin catalyst.
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Vapir no2

Bob The Eskimo

Hello again. I had taken a stereo break while I busted *** for my company. but now I have a few minutes to update everything.

Rotarygod, I will take your advice on my next half of the enclosure but testing this one proved that the glass that took me forever to lay, actually worked for a perfect seal. I placed my hand on the speaker cone and could not find any leak points once the speaker was tightened in place. So, I moved to the next step.

I went to the local audio shop, and purhcased about 12 feet (way more than enough for both halves) of stretch carpet, and then to Home Depot for some spray adhesive. I sprayed the back side of the box first (the side nearest the back of the car). This allowed me to stand the box upright to smooth out the remaining sides.

Take the speaker back out of the box and spray one entire surface at a time. However, you want to leave a ring arround the speaker hole without any adhesive. Stretch the carpet the whole way arround te box spraying in sections as you go. Then go back to cut the speaker section out of the carpet.

Once this is complete, cut about 1/2 inch outside the speaker hole, and seat the speaker. Pull the carpet on top of the speaker so the box and the speaker create as perfect a seal as possible, and then trim excess away. Don't forget to cut the hole for the wires as well.

What you are left with should look like this.

Bob The Eskimo

Here is another angle. Again, There should be plenty of usable trunk space once the other half is completed.

Bob The Eskimo

Now comes the tedious part. Figuring out where to run the power wires. I have this aversion to drilling into my brand new car, so I scoured the firewall for rubber grommets.

I only found one.

But it was useable.

Here is the location just to the left of the clutch, and behind the wheel well.

Bob The Eskimo

Here is from the cab.

Bob The Eskimo

The rubber has two sections to it. There is a center tube for the stock wires, and there is an outside area that can be used for your power wires. Mine went half in the center, and half outside but once it was through without damaging the stock wires, I was happy to leave it this way.

Bob The Eskimo

Here is an image of how I ran the line to the trunk. It will fit in the door jam, but just barely. To remove the jam, start at the front end and lift from both the left and right very carefully. Then gradualy move back as the snaps let loose.

After laying the cable, carfully move in reverse in replacing the cover. You may have to move the cable from one side to the other, but this image should be almost exact.

Oh, and I forgot, Nice feet again, eh?

Bob The Eskimo

This is a critical thing that I left off of my cavalier. I lucked out because I never wrecked my car, But it could have been pretty bad if I would have.

I am concerned with the distance of the fuse from the battery, but this is better than nothing. It is about 22" from the battery. I am using 80 amps.

In attaching to the battery, you simply remove the large cover, and then the terminal cover, you will need to cut a section off. Remove the corner nearest the engine, and the rear snap on the fold up piece. This should give you plenty of access.

Bob The Eskimo

Now I am in the process of PMing people to find the best way to tap the RCA lines into my amp. Thank you all who have helped.

I will run the lines over the next day or so, and then attach a small Precision Power amp to tide me over until the whole floor is complete. With any luck, it should be deafening, yet crisp.

I am planning on building the second half arround the oil bottle and the tire repair kit. This will do two things for me. It will make a nice built in place to stick the oil and repair kit, and it will make a slightly different resonating note for the second box. I should be able to flatten the frequency response quite well with independent gain and InelliQ.

We will see.

mikeb

you did a amazing job
looks perfect

Jaes_rx8

thats lewks soo freakin good man!!nice work!i wanna do that with mines..how long did it take for you to do?

Bob The Eskimo

2-15-04 thru 3-26-04. But I only worked on it a few days for a few hours (if that). I worked 1 hr on one day 30 minutes the next, 2 hours the next, then went to Atlanta, and Jacksonville etc.

All in all I would say about one week working about 2-3 hours per day. But before this, there were many days of planning and learning how to lay fiberglass.

Bob The Eskimo

Tonight I tested the volts on the 8 and noticed that it seems to be running about 14-15 volts with the healights, radar detector, foglights, and stereo on at about 10 volume. Has anyone seen variances from this or should I use this as the basis for when I attach the amps and check for drain?

I honnestly expected about 13 volts, but hey, that's ok as well.

bob

Bob The Eskimo

Here you can see the base of the second half.

Bob The Eskimo

Here is another angle. Notice the Oil can and Tire Kit.

Bob The Eskimo

Now that side two is layed and hardened in shape, trace the sideboard location as in the photos above, and pull it from the trunk to work on it outside the box. Once it is cut to shape, then screw the sideboards together and then into place. Trim the glass to height and cut the baffle the same way side one was made. Once this is complete cut the hole for the speaker and make sure it will sit together correctly. If all is well, then seal the box up.

This time I got smarter and sealed as much as possible before I layed the baffle in place. I will also seal the baffle with a layer of glass between the sideboards to make sure it is easy to seal.

Trim the glass sections to small enough pieces to go arround corners and bends. Fold them in half and stick them in all of the cracks so they fold open and half on the glass, half on teh boards.

Bob The Eskimo

This time around I have found a way to reduce the headache and itching that results from this portion of the project.

After thickening the inside of the box before the baffle goes in place, and taking the time to ensure that all of the margins are sealed well, add resin and glass to the top edge of the box.

The top edge of the side boards will contact the baffle board. If you paint this top edge with resin, and then lay down some fiberglass mat or cloth cut into 1/2" wide strips, then resin this glass, you can form a perfect seal with the board when you screw it in place. Just make sure you seat the baffle board in place while the glass is still wet. It also helps if you have pre tapped the screw holes before you lay the glass. I will post photos very soon.

This leaves only one side of the box that needs sealed once the baffle is in place.

Bob The Eskimo

It is beautiful. Pics tonight. . .

mikeb

very good

Bob The Eskimo

It is in. Attached is a photo of the sealed sides. This will make life easier in trying to get a good seal between the baffle and the sideboards.

Bob The Eskimo

another

Bob The Eskimo

Now comes the time to seat the speaker and run the speaker leads. I had to drill two baffles because I drilled the opening too large. This one is perfect however.

Bob The Eskimo

Now we carpet

Bob The Eskimo

Before I began this fiasco, I ran wires and attached the other sub as a test. The wires have been a disaster in my trunk for days. Take a look

The ground point I found was perfect. I did not even have to drill out a spot. If you pull the side carpeting away from the trunk, and look on the right hand side out near the side pannel (the farthest part from center of the trunk) there are two holes with screw taps already in place. Just get a screw that fits in these, remove some paint, and connect your ground. Easy as pie.