Custom Fiberglass Box Anyone?

[Atreidies]

I am building a custom, ported fiberglass box for my sedan next week. I was wondering if anyone else would be interested in one. Once the base is laid, it will be easy for me to make a mold and repeat the process.

I am not looking for someone to place an order, just want to know if that is something the 6ga general public would be interested in. Thank you for your time and thoughts.

 

[Erik123456789]

sounds like a fun project.. I made one for my car once and it was pretty awesome. I just never finished sanding it and painting it because I was too lazy.. so I ended up selling it to a local shop for 80$ lol. They prolly sold it for a lot more.

 

[bdeitemeyer]

Too bad it's not for a coupe...

 

[ryan s]

a "stock" ported enclosure is really not possible since all subs are different.

with that said, where would this be located in the trunk? i'm assuming in the rear corner(s).

make a sealed one with ~1.5 cu ft of airspace and ~8" of mounting depth, and you could even do 10" and 12" versions.

theres probably some people that would like one instead of a premade box. i'm going infinite baffle so i dont need a box at all

 

[Atreidies]

a "stock" ported enclosure is really not possible since all subs are different.

with that said, where would this be located in the trunk? i'm assuming in the rear corner(s).

make a sealed one with ~1.5 cu ft of airspace and ~8" of mounting depth, and you could even do 10" and 12" versions.

theres probably some people that would like one instead of a premade box. i'm going infinite baffle so i dont need a box at all

I could easily adjust the port length to adjust tuning for each individual. The mold I would make would only be for the base, so adjustments could be made. I could add bracing to adjust volume as well.

I am actually wanting to do a single 12" sub and amp rack up against the rear seat. I have an RD Audio custom Sonance that I push a true 800w rms to.

I was thinking about doing some sealed corner boxes just to be able to sell. I can get a little over 1 cuft on each side without losing too much trunk. I think they would sell and be easier to make, but I am really a big fan of ported boxes done right.

I'm thinking I'll just have to eat the cost of materials and see what happens

 

[ryan s]

i'm wondering how the "base" would be done, since fiberglass boxes are generally all fiberglass...

you know...put down the base, then attach the MDF sub ring with dowels, then fleece, then more fiberglass, etc...

it seems you'd almost have to make the whole thing in one shot...

 

[Atreidies]

I think the majority of your confusion comes from my incorrect terminology. I would make a jig for the base for the trunk box, and a mold for the corners.

Actually, most FG boxes use mdf on the larger flat spots. FG is only strong on the curved surfaces, so mdf is used. Then the process is as you described.

As far as the corners go, I would make a 2 piece mold. the back half would stay the same to retain the contours of the corner, and the front would be like you said, fleece stretched and resined, with reinforcements after that cures.

The boxes are made in stages. You wouldn't be able to put tension on the fleece if the base wasn't cured. It would deform the shape. I usually do a lay, let it cure, then finish it outside of the vehicle. Some complex fabs will take a week or more, depending on my available time.

 

[ryan s]

ohhhh i see...you'd make the one half as a mold then do the other "to order" if you will.

for flat sections, i've seen people lay down sections of rope in wavy patterns during their 3rd layer or so. for a spare tire well form, i would think the top would need some reinforcement.

FG'ing is something i want to do but i dont have the startup money to buy all the stuff

 

[Atreidies]

If it has curvature to it, it will be fine. I've seen a picture of a guy that jacked up his car, put a corner box under the front tire and lowered the car on it. No problem supporting the weight.

I'm lucky and work in a mechanic shop with a 3 bay bodyshop. When it's slow, I go over there and get those guys to teach me. I've been doing glass boxes for a couple years, and I'm trying to get my boss to start doing car audio, so if I show him my work, he'll probably end up doing it since he's paying me anyways.

 

[bliss_creator]

Interested in seeing the layout of it