installers..fiberglass enclosure

mypfizzle

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2oo2 silver protege 5
im looking to get a fiberglass enclosure made for either 3 10s.. or 1 10.. depending on how this weekend goes.. everyone out here in cali wants 1000 flat to do the box. that seems a little high for me..
if i do 3 subs i want it to go across the back seats and then ill put the amps on the floor.. if i only do 1 10 i just want to put it in where the jack and s*** goes because my spare wont help me with my rims anyways.
please advise me installers
people that have done this yourself what did it cost
people that have had this done what did you pay
people that know how to do this want to make some money? -=)

thanks guys
John
 
1000 is too much. you could do it yourself with about 150. its not hard just have to take your time and it will come out good. there is a thread on building a box with fiberglass. i forget what it was though so do a search
 
If I were you I would take the many how-tos online and learn to do it yourself. It's actualy very easy, the only hard part is buiding a wooden frame =)
 
If you want a finished and painted fiberglass front then $1000 is right on. Damn thing will be over $200 in materails alone.

If you don't want a paited fiberglass front then there is no need to even use fiberglass for your install idea.
I would tell them how you want it to look whne done and don't mention fiberglass. If they an do it all in wood then so much the better and less expensive.
 
the only reason i was thinking about fiberglass was it can be freeformed.. wood is a little harder to work around the angles and humps in the back of the car..alot of the places out here wont even touch it because i have all my own equipment.. im not buying anything from them.
 
They do that to protect themselves. If they mess up there own equipmnet they just RTV it or write it off, they will ahve to pay you for your equipment which may not even be sold any longer.
Wood is by far easier to use. All you have to do is make trim panels to make it look good when your done.
 
well heres the thing.. the way i want the sub set up i want them to kind of wrap along the back seat like a u.. now i know with wood you have to have a flush mounting point.. but with fiberglass you can just put those wound ring things where ever you want right?
 
Painted will all but double the cost as it takes much longer to prepare then the actualy cost of getting it painted
 
so wood and carpet would be better huh? kno anywhere i can order carpet that matches the stock carpet in my car? -=)
 
thanks.. now i just gottah learn how to build a box myself.. and save me some cash -=) <eg>
 
There is always the option to have the enclosure and amp rack finished in vinyl...paint and carpet aren't your only options.

one thing to cosider...build AS MUCH of the project out of MDF 3/4" or 5/8"....and do as little as possible out of fiberlgass.
consider that it takes a lot of fiberglass (in layers) to make up for the strength and rigidity of MDF. RESONANCE is a bad thing for an enclosure, the woofer should resonate, not the box. if you make a fiberglass face for the box, try to isolate that from the actual volume of air that the woofer(s) will use. for instance, build the box as normal, cutout for where you want the woofer(s), then build out from that for the fiberglass and use an MDF ring cut out the same size as the mounting hole and external mounting diameter of the woofer, and use that to form the fiberglass portion how you want it. TRY FLEECE for making the fiberglass form, fleece forms very well and absorbs lots of fiberglass resin.

email me for any more questions etye@satx.rr.com
 
Scaryloudd said:
There is always the option to have the enclosure and amp rack finished in vinyl...paint and carpet aren't your only options.

one thing to cosider...build AS MUCH of the project out of MDF 3/4" or 5/8"....and do as little as possible out of fiberlgass.
consider that it takes a lot of fiberglass (in layers) to make up for the strength and rigidity of MDF. RESONANCE is a bad thing for an enclosure, the woofer should resonate, not the box. if you make a fiberglass face for the box, try to isolate that from the actual volume of air that the woofer(s) will use. for instance, build the box as normal, cutout for where you want the woofer(s), then build out from that for the fiberglass and use an MDF ring cut out the same size as the mounting hole and external mounting diameter of the woofer, and use that to form the fiberglass portion how you want it. TRY FLEECE for making the fiberglass form, fleece forms very well and absorbs lots of fiberglass resin.

email me for any more questions etye@satx.rr.com

Single best first post, EVER!

Well done and welcome to the board.
(hi)
 
thank you, i'm glad my many years of experience in this field haven't lead to ignorance! :) much appreciated
 
how do you know the right dimensions to use when you are fiberglassing your own box. i want a speakerbox fiberglassed, but i dont want to pay someone to paint it, because my dad has been doing body work for almost 30 years.
 
i'm not sure what "measurements" you're looking to get right...or what exactly you plan to accomplish with fiberglass....if you mean to calculate the internal volume...there are a couple of ways...depending on the complexty of the enclosure's shape, you may be able to use simple math (geometry/trigonometry) to calculate it....however, if your box has a really complex shape then screw all the math, fill it up with sand of some substance similar, then dump the sand into a container you can measure easily and do a little math there.
 
Don't worry about the fiberglass just yet. Get you a pencil and paper and draw out what you want your box to look like, then measure your car, and cut your MDF base. That should be the first thing you do. Like all those guys have said, make most of your box out of MDF. Fiberglass is strongest when it's curved (therefore weakest on straight areas). Be sure to add a few more layers to the flat areas to increase strength. Again, fleece is an excellent type of fabric to use. But you need to get your base first...then use scrap pieces of MDF to create interior braces....then cut your speaker rings....mount them, make sure everything is secure, and stretch the s*** outa whatever fabric you're using...and staple it if necessary. Anyways, that's about it. Get some resin and go to town. And btw, wear some old clothes. Resin + fabric = hella mess. And if you're gonna glass inside, lay a few layers of newspaper and/or old rags down to protect your interior. So yeh, that's my input...
 
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