Speaker Box - Fiberglass or Wood?

[srwong]

So I've been thinking about changing the setup of my system to get more trunk space since i currently can barely fit a gym bag in there. I will probably be taking out the spare this time so I have a little bit more space to work with.

I listen to a lot of rap & hip hop, with a little bit of rock/alternative in there. And I like a lot of bass. My s*** hits hard now, and don't want to lose any of the bass. Just looking to get some more room in the trunk and a new look in there too.... I have [2] 10" TREO Subs, and [2] Interfire AMPS, FYI.

So which is the better way to go, and still give an awesome sound with a lot of bass? Stay with a wooden box, or go the fiberglass way?

[mrodrig2]

If you are looking for more trunk space it seems pretty obvious to go with fiberglass. It's a lot easier to get a form-fitting box, allowing you to optimize your box volume without wasting trunk space.

[Infantry1327]

In my opinion the subs sound cleaner in a fiberglass box. I noticed a much deeper and crisper sound when I switched mine to a fiber box. Are u planning on doing the install yourself, including the fiberglass? The fiberglass box is pretty easy to make. I am building my trunk right now. I have one of the boxes done, and will be starting the second in a few weeks, once I get some more mat and resin. I have 2 10" alpine type x. The part I am stuck on now, is re creating the floor to house my 3 amps and con tore to the sub boxs. But yes you get alot more room if you take out the stock floor. But it is a pain in the a$$ to get it all perfect. Then you haft to re carpet everything. But then again, most people wouldnt take it to the level I am. Try and think up every possible detail, about what you want. Then if you are building it, plan every little detail, before you start ripping things apart.

[srwong]

well a buddy of mine owns a stereo shop. i was either going to ask him if he could do it, because i have no clue how to make a fiberglass box, or ask some of my friends here in town if they know how...

how much do you think it usually runs to do the fiber-glassing and then finishing off the trunk?

[mrodrig2]

It can be as low as a couple hundred or as much as a few thousand depending on how you want it finished, i.e. simple box with carpet or large complex box with paint.

[srwong]

ouch.... well i guess i better start asking some of my buddies here in townwher ei live to see if anyone could help me.... or maybe even ask my brother.... is there anything i should remember when doing this?

[Mattv609]

hey srwong, so space was my biggest thing with my system cuz i snowboard, golf in the summer, so i did this fiberglass box.. prob look sweet if u did it on both sides, deffffff will give u alotttt of space cuz ik does for me. the person who orginally did this did with a 10, i did a 12.



Heres my write-up i did:http://forums.altimas.org/zero...te-up

[Broadfield]

Looks good Matt! You should make a trunk matching carpeted panel that flushes the amplifiers in. It would hide the wires and really finish off the install.

[srwong]

i think i remember seeing your post before... love how you matched the blue with your car... looks awesome.... how long did the whole process take you?

[srwong]

Looks good Matt! You should make a trunk matching carpeted panel that flushes the amplifiers in. It would hide the wires and really finish off the install.

maybe i'm pulling a blonde moment, or had too much to drink. but whats that? lol

[Infantry1327]

He means make a fiberglass mold that will come off the back seats up to the edge of the amps, that way it looks like the amps are built into the back wall and hide the wires.

As for the time it takes. Depends on how much free time you have. If you can work on it consecutively maybe only a couple days. Since you don't have alot of experience in making a fiberglass box it will probably take 30-40 hours. Thats only if u want it painted. It will take alot less if you carpet it. So far rebuilding the floor and installing the amps under plexi in the floor has been the toughest part for me.

[mrodrig2]

He means make a fiberglass mold that will come off the back seats up to the edge of the amps, that way it looks like the amps are built into the back wall and hide the wires.

A wood or MDF panel would probably be a lot cheaper and easier. It's not a complex shape so fiberglass would be a waste of money imo. Also, it just has to be a cover piece and not necessarily structural or purposeful except for cosmetics.

[Broadfield]

A wood or MDF panel would probably be a lot cheaper and easier. It's not a complex shape so fiberglass would be a waste of money imo. Also, it just has to be a cover piece and not necessarily structural or purposeful except for cosmetics.

Correct, I didn't mean out fiberglass. No reason to do it out fiberglass when it's just going to be a flat piece. I usually make a piece like that out of 1/4" hardboard. Shouldn't take more than a couple hours or so from start to finish.

[srwong]

Thanks for all the input guys, i really appreciate it....

I just spoke to my brother, he's made sub boxes before back in the day, but not fiberglass. i showed him the tut on how to make it. and he said it didn't look that hard, and that he would help me make it.

So i probably wont start on this till i get my tax return refund, which should be coming in early February... =) It's gonna be weird not having a system during this process... lol because i'ma have to take the box i have now out so i can do the taping and s***... lol

[mrodrig2]

Just take out your current box for the one day. You only need to lay the first couple layers of fiberglass in the car. The rest can be done elsewhere.

[srwong]

Just take out your current box for the one day. You only need to lay the first couple layers of fiberglass in the car. The rest can be done elsewhere.

ok cool...

[Infantry1327]

Correct, I didn't mean out fiberglass. No reason to do it out fiberglass when it's just going to be a flat piece. I usually make a piece like that out of 1/4" hardboard. Shouldn't take more than a couple hours or so from start to finish.

Well yea u can make it out of fiberglass. But it would look alot cleaner if it was painted fiberglass, protrude the amps, and round it out a bit. Well thats what I would do. if you are glassing boxes in the corners ( if they where painted and not carpeted) a fiberglass amp rack would give it a nice touch. But I am building my amps into the floor. Just because I like to be able to put down my seats so I can fit bigger stuff in the trunk.

It all comes down to personal preference. I would say make the boxes first, then if you pick it up quick and you realize it really isnt that hard, glass the amps.

For my trunk I am glassing the the 2 tens in the corner then glassing the 6x9 cover and maybe the trunk lid. But I haven't decided on that yet. I really like mattv609's setup but looking at the second pick, I think it would look a lot more complete if he put another sub in the other corner, glassed the amps and the 6x9 cover. But that's just my opinion.

srwong, I should be done with mine by the middle of February, so if you need any tips, hit me up. I all ready finished one of the boxes.

[srwong]

Well yea u can make it out of fiberglass. But it would look alot cleaner if it was painted fiberglass, protrude the amps, and round it out a bit. Well thats what I would do. if you are glassing boxes in the corners ( if they where painted and not carpeted) a fiberglass amp rack would give it a nice touch. But I am building my amps into the floor. Just because I like to be able to put down my seats so I can fit bigger stuff in the trunk.

It all comes down to personal preference. I would say make the boxes first, then if you pick it up quick and you realize it really isnt that hard, glass the amps.

For my trunk I am glassing the the 2 tens in the corner then glassing the 6x9 cover and maybe the trunk lid. But I haven't decided on that yet. I really like mattv609's setup but looking at the second pick, I think it would look a lot more complete if he put another sub in the other corner, glassed the amps and the 6x9 cover. But that's just my opinion.

srwong, I should be done with mine by the middle of February, so if you need any tips, hit me up. I all ready finished one of the boxes.

yea i have 2 tens and will be doing them in both the corners, and will be painting them. just don't know what color yet though... still undecided on where i want to put the amps. i searched the threads to try and find more pics with fiberglass subs but the results didn't turn out how i wanted them to.

i saw this 1 setup though, i think it was AppleBonker, he had the amps flush with the trunk floor. he added some wood and carpeted it over the hole the amp was in. this looks kinda cool.

i think i would probably do something like that with my amps just so it would give me more room in case i ever did need to push my seats down, and then i wouldn't have to worry about hitting my amps if they were attached to the back of my seats.

[Infantry1327]

I am also putting my amps in the floor. I finally have tomorrow off after I play hockey in the morning, So I am hopeing to get the amp rack and floor built. I will post some pictures if i can

[srwong]

alright cool.... =)

[Mattv609]

Looks good Matt! You should make a trunk matching carpeted panel that flushes the amplifiers in. It would hide the wires and really finish off the install.

Thanks guys ... ye that would be deff a nice finish off, but thing i take my seats down all the time usally the bigger 1 n put my snowboardin , or golf clubs so if i make a whole box tht fits them gotta put down both n then evrything slids around..lol and i couldtn do 2 seperate box cuz to small space maybe... but that amps in the floor is legit i see that alot how in the hell is that done can any1 tell me lol

i think i remember seeing your post before... love how you matched the blue with your car... looks awesome.... how long did the whole process take you?

ye deff wasnt feeling the carpet im matching guy, wait till u see the rims i come out wit loll.. but ye the box took me a min ..... lol first time i was dealin wit fiberglass and i did it in parts took me months cuz i did something had no time for it.. then wen bak 2 it, then left it, had no time.... ect. u get the idea.. lol

[Infantry1327]

Well I got the amp rack built, but I haven't had time to take any photos. I will snap some pics on wednesday

[AppleBonker]

i saw this 1 setup though, i think it was AppleBonker, he had the amps flush with the trunk floor. he added some wood and carpeted it over the hole the amp was in. this looks kinda cool.

I did that for space consideration as well. I can still get two sets of golf clubs in my car with the 60% split side of the rear seat folded down. To be honest, that was probably the longest part of my build though. I could have probably taken care of the fiberglass in just one weekend (if I had made that the only task for the weekend and if I didn't need to go as thick - if I had a slightly less powerful sub that is). The planning and fabrication of the false floor took the longest. I'm happy with the result. But looking back, I jumped into the project before I really had any idea how long it would take.

[Infantry1327]

Yea the floor is defenetly the hardest part, it has taken me 5 times as Long to do the floor than the box. I have been working on my trunk for the last month. But that's only working a couple hours a couple times a week. I work full time, go to school part time, and have a lot of animals to take care of. But haveing the right tools is key. U will defenetly want a table saw, and table router. Plus a dremel. There are a few other tools but those I. Have used a lot on this build.

[Mattv609]

you guys know if theres a write-up on making the amps in the floor like u guys did?? or think any way guys can give me quick understandable sumary how ya did that.. lol

[srwong]

you guys know if theres a write-up on making the amps in the floor like u guys did?? or think any way guys can give me quick understandable sumary how ya did that.. lol

ha ha ha... i probably woulda just made a floor board flush with the trunk, cute a hole a lil wider than the amp leaving room for wiring, then box out the shape underneath the hole or something like that... lol

[Infantry1327]

Its really just alot of wood work. Alot of measuring and cutting. I will try and post some pics of my amp rack tomarro if I get the top down, and I will give you a brief outline on what you need to do. My floor may be a little more complex than what you are looking for, mostly because I have 3 amps and I want them all lined up down the center. It is difficult because our floor isnt level. You have more room towards the back of the trunk and its gets narrower towards the back seats. So every piece hast to be angled. Then you haft to worry about funtionality. You need to be able to access your amps levels and wires, without haveing to disassemble your trunk again. I will do a little write up on how to do the floor after I am completely done. But thats going to be a little while since I still need to make the second sub box before I can finish.

[AppleBonker]

you guys know if theres a write-up on making the amps in the floor like u guys did?? or think any way guys can give me quick understandable sumary how ya did that.. lol

As Infantry said, there really isn't a "write-up" for this sort of thing. What I did was gut the trunk, and then start imagining where I want things to sit. Find dimensions for my specific amps/battery and start cutting some pieces of MDF. Lay them in like a puzzle and keep adding bits and pieces until it all comes together.

I started here:

Then got to here:

Next here:

And so on. I don't have measurements for anything, really. I just cut until it all fit. The big rectangular section was designed around my specific amplifier, so that wouldn't do you much good. As ridiculous as it sounds, these things are kind of like a work of art. So it's comparable to you asking a painter for a tutorial on how he made a painting...

[srwong]

did u keep ur spare in trunk? or did u remove it, because i see u cut a shape around it

[AppleBonker]

did u keep ur spare in trunk? or did u remove it, because i see u cut a shape around it

It's still in there, but it is a *very* tight fit: