Fiberglass Amp rack

[neoturner]

So I was putting my interior back in my car and getting ready to drill holes in my new rear seats when I started thinking about other places to mount my amps so i don't have to.

I built my sub boxes (for the sound of course) to get them off to the side so i would have trunk space again.

I see these as my options for mounting amps in the trunk. Wheel wells are taken by enclosures. I have two 4 ch amps.

Option 1: Right behind the back seats on the floor and then build a vinly overlay pannel to cover the wiring and make the trunk level again.

Pros - looks ok, very easy to wire up or make adjustments to the amp

cons - not the best airflow for the amps even with a hole to expose them partially, false top takes up a little trunk space. more to move should i ever need to get to my spare tire.

Option 2: Underneath the rear deck pannel similar to the mazda speed 8" sub mount. I saw one for the first time this weekend and thought that was a good use of space. I know the pros on here feel that rear speakers are a waste of space but for this question lets just agree that I would like to keep them for astetic reasons if nothing else. (I do actually use them a bit though)

So all that being said I am sure you are aware that the mount for the subs in the MSP does not give enough room for the 6x9's in the rear deck with the stock setup. So I am going to cut into the rear deck where the speaker grill is, being careful not to cut into the 1" ring that supports the grill underneath. And then build up an angled mount for the speakers just enough that the bottoms of them don't protrude into the trunk.

Then all I need to do is figure out how to build something that will be sturdy enough to hold both my amps under the rear deck. I'd like the "shelf" to swing down so i have access to all the connections and controls but I want it to be secure when it is locked up.

Pros: way out of the way, might be tougher for the would be thief to see in the dark. just as easy to wire, cleaner look

cons: need to fabricate some type of hinged mount that is rigid when locked down

So, has anybody messed around with mounting something up there or is anybody familiar with how the OEM sub box mounts to the rear deck. I didn't get a good chance to look at the mount. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

 

[chuyler1]

Mounting them to the rear seats would be much easier and you can quickly fold them down to gain access. I don't think you need to worry about putting skis in your car like us New Englanders.

 

[neoturner]

Mounting them to the rear seats would be much easier and you can quickly fold them down to gain access. I don't think you need to worry about putting skis in your car like us New Englanders.

The whole point is to avoid mounting them to the seats. I think I got it figured out.

 

[Greg S]

Another option, but one I don't think it sounds like you want to do, is to mount them in the rear seat. You pull the cover off, make a box to mount them in and then put the cover back on with an opening for the heat sinks to show through and cool down. Did this in my old 89 Eclipse when I started to really run out of room for equipment and it worked great. Best thing is you just need to replace the back cover or buy a seat cover when you want to sell it.

 

[neoturner]

I hear ya. I have amp racks and all the mounting hardware from my old seats so that would definately be the easiest route. I never seem to take that route though. I have two worthless seats sitting in my garage that nobody is going to want cause the backs are all cut up.

This is the plan. going to build a mdf template to mount the amps to. I will cut a hole big enough to fit the body of the amp but the mounting lips will remain on the backside. then i will secure them from the back.

Then I will make a fiberglass overlay to cover the connections and edges of my template that will have hinges and some industrial velcro so i can easily get to the connections if needed. I'm still working on some way to mount it under the rear deck so that it can flip down for easy installation. It would be nice to access it from the trunk but i just don't think there is enough to secure it to under the glass so I will have to make it swing down towards the seat opening. Plenty of access holes and places i can even drill if I need it all along that pillar. I belive the msp sub boxes are mounted using the brackets for the seat hook too.

The amps will be upside down when it flips down but if I can even pull this off I don't think I really care. It's gonna be pimp. the amps will have plenty of air too. I plan on doing this in a couple of weeks so I'll snap some pics.

 

[1sty]

Yikes, tough one.

My real concern here is the amount of rattling your going to get from the track system. The onyl way to aviod that is to have a track that actualy clamps down on the rollers and use as much rubber as possible. Also, welding is going to be neccassary as wood is not likely to do the trick here. Essentialy in most such installs a metal frame is wleded, a track is premanufactured and bought or plasma cut. Then that frame is what get covered with fiberglass. The real expense is the actualtor to do the motion. Otherwise everything is manual and typcicly very loose.

To do this more cost effective, don't go off the rear deck. Instead fasten in 2 support beams accross the botton of the rear deck to stiffen it up. Then hang from those. Then make a bottom board that is carpeted and that is larger then the foot pring of the amps. Then route it out so that you can recess and secure another board into it form below. This will be the swing out board the amps mount to. If these 2 are tight enough and you carpet around the top of the first board and put the latch on the swing down board ( can can add a beauty panel to cover the amps mount, wiring and latch.

This way, the only thing suspended is a flush mont amp setup and one board across the bottom of the rear deck that makes it look like more then it really is. Then its just a trip to the home depot for some reverse hinges, so nothing is seen when closed and some locks of your choice. Locks like a tool boxes has as an example.

Also, since you are going to be coming down probably 8-10 inches from the rear deck for all of this you could use the cover panel to display your crossovers if you have them. This would be the cover panel that hides everything on the side, facing someone looking in the trunk when the rack is closed (probably be 35" x 6").

 

[neoturner]

To do this more cost effective, don't go off the rear deck. Instead fasten in 2 support beams accross the botton of the rear deck to stiffen it up. Then hang from those. Then make a bottom board that is carpeted and that is larger then the foot pring of the amps. Then route it out so that you can recess and secure another board into it form below. This will be the swing out board the amps mount to. If these 2 are tight enough and you carpet around the top of the first board and put the latch on the swing down board ( can can add a beauty panel to cover the amps mount, wiring and latch.

Yeah this is more along the lines i was thinking. I'm not trying to completely make this thing all mechanical or of the sort. just gotta figure where I'll put the beams and then work from that. the board for the amps could be one solid piece but to save a little weight I was going to cut holes for the amps. but i like the idea of having a solid backing to run everything off of. I'll give that a think. skeleton of three bars with some type of rubber bushing as the hinge off the support beam closest the trunk. And then the beauty pannel could just be stuk on with some industrial velcro. less hardware and i only would take it off for installs.

And I gotta find a way without any welding or torch cutting equipment. me and the dremmel. if it all works out i might pay to have somebody weld on some brackets for the support bars.

 

[neoturner]

Got some pics of what I worked out for the mounting here:

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123631389&page=2

 

[neoturner]

Ok I've started glassing this piece. Basically it will bolt on (somehow) to the end of my amp rack and blow air down on the heat sinks for the amps. I will have two more fans on the back end to pull so there should be some pretty good airflow. I have two more fans hanging down from the old 6x9 spots blowing on the bottom of the amps.

status: first layer of glass applied

pic 1 - amp rack under back deck
pic 2 - fan frame
pic 3 - fan installed

 

[neoturner]

First layer of glass.

I have no idea how I am going to rig this thing up but there is plenty of wood on the backside to work with. I'll cut the rest out to save weight.

 

[chuyler1]

I'm not quite sure I see your vision, but it looks like things are taking shape. Keep up the good work!

 

[neoturner]

yeah i had the garage all locked up last night so i didn't slap it up there for a better picture but i'll be out there shortly for a demo.

 

[neoturner]

Ok here is the vision.

The fans will go where the holes are currently. This thing is basically a cover that will be painted to match the car and it will flip down so I can get access to the gain controls on the amp. I will also have a cover for the amps that will attach to the fan cover. it will have some aerodynamic curves to pick up the air from the fans.

 

[JCell]

that looks very interesting, good luck!!

 

[neoturner]

This pic might help too.

From the inside of the car between the amps looking out. Kinda dark but you can see where the fan will be on the other end.

 

[chuyler1]

Cool!

(pun intended)

 

[neoturner]

Ok I am officially certifiable. The damn thing is too heavy after I re-enforced it with some bondo glass. It weighs as much as my 4ch amp. Novelty is cool but not when it goes beyond reason.

I have decided to reshape what I made a bit and use it as a mold to pull another shirt over. I'll just put a couple layers of fiberglass behind it and I bet it weighs a lot less. Not sure how to attach the fans after that though.

*thinks*

 

[neoturner]

Updated Vision.

Ok I've figured out how to suspend the damn thing. I am going to put two rods in the middle on each side of the big fan so that it can slide forward and still work when my amps are hanging down so I can do a pimp ass display.

ne way. I tried the mold wrap thing and it sucked. came home a little tipsy last night and destroyed it.

So I'm back to the original frame. I had to sand the s*** out of it today inside and out but it took a lot of weight off and i have plenty of area to give if i need to take more off.

a few pics of the slimmer version.

 

[neoturner]

pics of the rack cover

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2527308&postcount=91

 

[chuyler1]

Hows the project coming along?