Fiberglass enclosures....

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scottp11

The Seniorest Member....
Has anyone done a fiberglass enclosure in their car? If so can you give a step-by-step on how to go about doing one myself. Can you add a list of materials and also the amount of time a step takes. Any advice or links would be greatly appriciated.
Thanks hondaswap!! :worthy:
 
it is not cheap at all, its messy as hell and it takes a ton of time.
but if you were going to do it you need a shit load of fiberglass, resin, catalyst, a few paint brushes, a shit load of laquer thinner and about a week depending on the size ya want :D
 
A brief pictorial step-by-step:

Frame it first-
fb66d807.jpg


Lay up the 'glass-
fb66d7e7.jpg


Add a baffle board and mount the subs-
fb66d791.jpg


Basically, to make the job easier, and the box removable, I lay in a poly sheet before I lay the glass. That way there is much less mess to clean up. Depending on the size of the box, you may need 1-2 gallons of General Purpose Laminating resin, and 4-10 yards of 1.5 ounce mat. 4-6 3" paint brushes, and a couple 2 quart poly pails for mixing.
:thumbsup:
 
Hey Thanks for those pics! I have my sub mounted like that over the spare tire space! I dont not have it sealed though.. just batting and it leaks! I knew I wanted to use fiberglass to form the bottom but i didnt know how! now i do thanks!
 
I built one for my car. I took it a step further for shows and built it 3-D ish. Start with a wood frame, and if you want contours and curves (if it isnt flat) strech fleece around the whole thing, then lay the glass. It will have a smooth rounded surface and look pretty good.
472720_7611489485398391278_vl.jpg
here is mine. It is covered with bright red tweed now. I wouidve kept it fiberglass but I cant get that stuff smooth if my life depended on it. :roll:
 
Originally posted by commador@Oct 13 2003, 09:33 PM
I built one for my car. I took it a step further for shows and built it 3-D ish. Start with a wood frame, and if you want contours and curves (if it isnt flat) strech fleece around the whole thing, then lay the glass. It will have a smooth rounded surface and look pretty good

I stold this pic from Nick over at the PG Soundoff forum. It shows how 3-D surfaces are made:
Nickglass1.JPG


I myself needed more stealth in my hatch:
fb66ce4c.jpg


The woofers are hidden, and I have a cover for the amps to hide them from prying eyes.
 
just curious but what does something like a single 12 and two amps weigh in a box like that? mounted in the spare tire area? any idea?
 
Originally posted by xcscivic@Oct 14 2003, 01:38 AM
just curious but what does something like a single 12 and two amps weigh in a box like that? mounted in the spare tire area? any idea?

It is hard to say. There are so many variables. If you have lower end equipment, I would say 20 pounds for both amps, 10 lbs for the 12", and about 50 Pounds for a fiberglass box for the one 12". Factor in another 10 pounds for wiring and that would be pretty close. I have probably added 250-300 pounds to my hatch.
 
man, thanx!!! Especially Jim Truett, that is exactly what i'm looking for. Can someone go more into detail what "fleece" is, and where do you get it from. Thanx again everyone!! :worthy:
 
Hey Jim what did you use to coat the bottom like that? Where can i get it? Also did you use any special wood or is it just the kind you can get at the hardware store?
 
Beleive it or not, we do alot of fiberglass in this small TN backwoods, no stop light, one save-a-lot havin, cow infested town :lol: . Anyways, fleece is a decent material to use rather than paying unbeleivable prices for other mold making materials. Just a few tips for ya.

1.) Watch your resin use. Most people have a tendancy to pour it on. Too much resin makes your part really brittle.

2.) Watch your catalyst mix. Most people have the mindset that if a little is good, more is better. Too much catalyst and at best you're going to kick off your resin way before your finished laying up the part. At worst, you'll ignite your glass and have a dandy little fire.

3.) If you're making the part for show quality, you will have to make the mold first! Your mold will be the reverse of your part. If you're only interested in creating an inclosure to carpet or cover, the job will be so much easier :D

4.) Have fun and be careful around catalyst and acetone.

If ya need a hand or have any questions, feel free to email me, I'll be glad to help you out anyway I can.
 
where you located, i can build you a box, i have been doing it for 3 years now, my last one was for an xtended cab s-10, it had 3 subs mounted magnet out, and it lookd like someone tried to pull them out of th efiberglass before it set up, so it had a stretched look, and we also fiberglassed a skull to the box between the seats just for xtra points
joe
 
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