33 replies to this topic

[Ruckus]

Quick Guide for building a 10" sub enclosure in a mini boot.

This is how i built mine.

First covered the whole right hand side area of the boot with black bin liners and held in place with double sided tape. Then I took a mold of the area by sticking strips of glass fibre matting to the plastic. Molded the bottom and sides but not the top (because the matting just fell down).
For the top once the glass had cured i just placed a flat bit across the top and fixed it there with resin.
(dont have any images of this bit sorry, But it was VERY messy and took 3 go's to get it right!)
The finished Fiberglass enclosure looks like this:



The enclosure was then coated on the inside with 3 layers of Noise killer blue, Speaker dampening wool was also placed inside.


The front panel was then cut from MDF and covered in Black lightning cloth to match the interior of the car. This was then sliconed in place, The sub was then bolted in place. A second piece of MDF was then cut, covered and screwed to the first panel. This panel would be the outer for the custom grill to hide the Sub.


The whole lot was then mounted in the boot (with much sweating and swearing as it was a VERY tight fit). Here you can see the box inplace with its custom cover in place.
The cover was made from a MDF frame attached to that was a grill made from 'Magic mesh' that was inbossed with the Rockford Logo. the whole grill as then covered in acoustic cloth.

Edited by Ruckus, 12 August 2008 - 09:21 PM.

[Down&Out]

great guide there am i right in thinking this was on minifinity before it crashed?

[Ruckus]

Yep i'd posted there a while ago but it has disappeared..

I first posted it on Mini Classic...back in the day.

[insamoufonyx]

good idea, another way that i would imagine to be qutie good way to do it would be to do the bit with the bin linners but then fill that area with expanding foam then pull it out once set and fibreglass over that, just imagine it being slightly less messy

[screech]

Good guide, is what iv done, but with a wavey front rather than flat.

Gotta re-make mine tho as the sub has blown up and got a bigger one

[screech]

The cover was made from a MDF frame attached to that was a grill made from 'Magic mesh' that was inbossed with the Rockford Logo.

Tell me more.....

[Ruckus]

The cover was made from a MDF frame attached to that was a grill made from 'Magic mesh' that was inbossed with the Rockford Logo.

Tell me more.....

mmm Cant get it any more.. was a plastic mesh that when you heated it went very plyable and would take the shape of say and MDF logo etc.. this was MANY years ago by the way (over 10 LOL)

[jwb_moto]

You need to find a school that has a vacum forming machine in the design and technology department my old school had one i made a few things

you just make a positive mould of what you want and then use non thermosetting plastic

[Ruckus]

You need to find a school that has a vacum forming machine in the design and technology department my old school had one i made a few things

you just make a positive mould of what you want and then use non thermosetting plastic

or mesh

[animammel]

I know this is an old post but ruckus you're still alive here lol.

could you not use release agent for the FG resin instead off bin liners?

[Ruckus]

Not really as the GRP would get in a right mess in the back of the lights and the tight gap between the wheel arch and panel etc.

You could also use tin foil, that holds in place better and can be molded to some extent.
Or go mad and smooth the whole area with clay, cover in release agent the once the fiberglass is out clean all the clay off! Loads of work but would make for a smoother finsh.

Since this box/guide was made (10 years ago!) the MDF face was cut out and a new thicker one put over the top, this pushed the box out in to the boot a little more bu gave me the extra depths i needed for the Seas Subwoofer i now use.

[Ruckus]

Also its cool to dig this one up, as a few user seem to think i just turned up LOL when all i did was have a gap for a few years while me and the wife had babies...

Its funny to think that i had my first mini install before some users on here where even born! make me feel very old!

[magicTrev]

Hi, im a newbie here and don't own a Mini but thought I'd help out some fellow Car Audiophiles if you don't mind. I have two of 2 metre lengths of the v.rare original 'Magic Mesh' in my shed, still in the packaging which I'd be willing to sell if anyone was interested. Looking for £30 each roll. Each roll is a flat sheet 2M x 54CM so you'll get many grills / attempts at grills from one roll. PM me on here if interested.

As hinted at before its a non-thermo setting plastic that can be heated and reheated (to a certain extent) to form shapes around a mould. So if you have two mating parts (make a a mould from some wood) you sandwitch it between the two parts, chuck it in an oven (which is what I have done in the past with good results) or using a hot air gun also works too but be careful as it will melt.

Cheers,

Trev.

[Ruckus]

I'll take a roll. PM me
Been trying to find some more for years!!

[magicTrev]

Nice, Ruckus you have mail

I've also just upload some scans from an old mag I used that has a Guide in it if anyones interested, please see them here --> http://www.mediafire.../?dfyyy4y36tt4n

cheers,

Trev.

Edited by magicTrev, 13 September 2011 - 09:53 AM.