Mine is almost done. It's trimmed up but puttin a third layer of fiberglass cloth then gonna start on the face. Did u have to milkshake the seams. What is milk shake and where can I get it from? Eecne though mine is halfway done. I can tell the weight difference is very significant!!

 

Post pictures or it didn't happen.

I put milkshake in the front around the ring and seams just to make sure it was sealed.

Milkshake = Bodyfiller + fiberglass resin

I mixed both with their own hardener before mixing together. I used duraglas filler and us composites resin.

 

http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/14348b90.jpg
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/60a0f6ab.jpg
Here is my progress

 

fixed links

 

Hey thanks I guess I don't know how to do that.

 

Alright, got it completed but needs cosmetic surgery. No bondo yet, but the sound isn't quite how I expected it. My box I replaced made my car rumble. This does not. Should I port it?

 

Odds are you shrank enclosure size. This decreases efficiency and inhibits low frequency extension. And there's no way there's enough volume to slap a vent in that tiny box. Sorry man. Just the way it is.

 

Two should sound better right? Thought about going with more power just don't want to bust the box. It is very clear and doesn't over power my stereo. My ported box made it where u had to have all the way up to be able to here the highs and mids.

 

Did you lay up any fiberglass on the front of the enclosure?

It does not look like it in your pictures. The enclosure needs to be thick enough that you can stand on it without any flex.

 

I can stand on it no problem, at least push on it with all my weight.. I am giving it another layer also, this was just to test it and see what it sounded like. For the hole in the trunk how do people run wires to the amp there?

 

Under the carpet and then pulled the back seats out and went underneath them. I'm pulling it back out in a week or so to get a longer power cable run, I'll try to take pictures and post them.

 

Firebird said it correctly, your sub is designed to run in a .51 cu ft box minimum, .75 cu ft optimum.

So you figure to get .51 cu ft your box would need to be roughly 12" Height, 12" Width, 6.25" in deep. Just to get to .51. That is not including the airspace taken up by the size of the basket and the magnet.

(if anyone is wondering about the airspace taken up by the basket and magnet having a effect on volume think of it this way. If you take a glass of water and you put a rock in it, the rock is going to displace the water that amount of volume. Airspace works the same way)

So to get optimum airspace you have to take in the basket and magnet as well. Plus sealed boxes tend to have a very steep roll off on low bass, Say around 60 to 70hz. So a small sealed box will never produce a note like a ported box.

To do a ported box you need almost twice to three times the air space of a seal box, in fact I would be wiling to bet that the box you have your 2 - 10"s now is actually too small and would sound better and louder with only one 10" and a longer port.

 

Thanks for that info. Do u think 2 subs will make any difference?

 

louder yes, deeper bass no.

 

Any updates Hesselrode?

 

Yes it's done and sounds great after a couple more layers of fiberglass and body filler. It needs covered or painted I'll post pics up later. Just need to start on the other side.

 

Hey just went through your whole build im way late on this but would like to chime in..
(excuse me since i didnt read all the comments lol)

IIRC this was your first time? well done sir, i did this too as my first ever FG project back in 05 when i was in HS, great learning experience. mine were knock off of 4080's boxes i would say...
http://muibubbles-design.com/index.p.../rx-8-sub-box/

I like your mounting solution, looks like it works a lot better then mind!

did you use tnuts at the back of the sub ring? just be cautious if you did. I used tnuts and after a few times they ate up the MDF

does 4080 still make these boxes? man if i knew there was so much demand for these boxes still i wouldnt have just thrown my boxes out =(

TIPS for those who want to attempt this (not sure if this was mentioned)
TALC powder, which is used to thicken the resin i believe is awesome to prevent itchiness from sanding fiberglass. I wipe the talc powder on my arms wearing a SS shirt and im NEVER itchy. invest in it, you wont regret it.

RAGE GOLD body filler, the lime green colored one, yes its a bit more expensive but will save you a ton of time sanding. that stuff is like sanding joint compound, it sands VERY easy compared to the home depot bondo crap.

I saw there was a discussion about mold release so i thought id chime in on also using petroleum jelly (Vaseline) which worked great for me.

awesome work lunchbox!

 

Thank you Lil Benny. You sir did a great job on your build as well.

Yes, t-nuts suck big time, just use wood screw on mdf.

Talc powder is a great suggestion while sanding fiberglass. A more common household item that also works is baby powder. The idea is to clog your pores so that you do not get any of the dust in your skin to make you itch.

Also wear a dust mask while sanding, and a respirator while glassing (may not kill you, but may delete a few brain cells).

If there was enough interest (10+ people) I may consider making some of these.

My main concern in doing this would be liability. It would be up to the end user to secure the enclosure in their car as I would not want to be liable for damage created from an unsecured enclosure tumbling around in a trunk. I could possibly include an installation kit (rivnut, rivnut install tool, pattern of where to drill hole, bolt, and instructions) that would allow the end user to properly install these. That would add to the total price by about $30.00 (mainly due to rivet tool).

 

Regarding secure installation: the 4080 box is just sitting there, wedged tightly into the corner, held by just its own weight and an aluminum bracket that goes underneath the trunk seal. So no bolts or any other securing mechanism.
It still sits pretty tight and doesn't come out too easily.
I have no idea how secure it is in a serious collision, but otherwise, the box doesn't budge at all despite the lack of permanent mounting.

 

I owned the 4080s for years. They were an extremely tight fit. I've been in both rear and front end collisions without them budging 1mm. If you experienced the impact it would take to move them, they would be the least of your worries. Even if they did, they're in the trunk.

Secondly, there's no way you could be held liable on the impossible chance they did hurt someone. Simply creating an inanimate object to install in a car doesn't mean anything. What if your amplifier struck you in the back of the head? Would JL be liable? Nope. You should have secured it down better. Case closed. But a super easy way to cover your *** would be to include a note about securing them to the vehicle, then include a few rivets and/or bolts. Not that anybody would use them, but rather just to cover your ***. No need to supply the rivet gun/installation tools.

 

Resurrected for Halloween TTT

 

It is getting time to get outside and do some stuff, why not build a box?

ttt

 

He lives!

 

Yes sir.

Had some problems with the 8, and have mostly sorted them out. Heater core started leaking, car over heated before I bypassed it causing the radiator to kick rocks. Enter the koyo, thermostat, new plugs, wires, coils, rear shocks replaced, and new under motor plastics (still to be installed). New michelin pilot sporrts installed the evening before we headed out to key west. A sidewall bubbled out at homestead, so had that one replaced. She has been a bit of a PIA lately. I am figuring a rebuild will be in order before too long, hopefully she wiill hold out for another year. Right now she is running pretty strong again.

Life of a rotary owner.......

Oh yeah my second gen rx7 is going through the infamous click click start issue loke a boss. Still working to sort that out.