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Old 06-28-2012, 12:06 AM   #1
Sticman
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Default 2012 Impreza custom sub box

This is my first thread here and my first project on my 2012 Impreza hatch. I wanted a sub but didn't think the one from Subaru was a very good deal at $500 so I decided to try and make my own box since I had all the materials and only needed to buy a sub. Any info or tips would be great as I go along since this is the first custom box I have ever made.





I started out covering the area that I wanted the box to go with some plastic so I could use some paper mache/plaster of paris to make a mold of the wheel well area.





This is the mold as soon as I took it out of the car after the paper mache had dried out. The next step was to start fiberglassing the area near the wheel well and cutting out the front wood supports that would actually hold the sub.





I will try and update as much as possible but dont know how far I will get between working and taking classes.
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Old 06-30-2012, 06:34 AM   #2
doomedromance
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Nice, can't wait.
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Old 07-01-2012, 03:23 AM   #3
bri_n_m
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i dont know about using a paper mold to make your box out of. Fiberglass may twist when drying and making your end result fit bad. the boxes i've made were done in the car.
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Old 07-01-2012, 11:35 AM   #4
Sticman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bri_n_m
i dont know about using a paper mold to make your box out of. Fiberglass may twist when drying and making your end result fit bad. the boxes i've made were done in the car.
That's kind of where I'm stuck at I haven't figured out what materials to use that will mold to fit without being overly bulky. The fiberglass was only being used to make the shape of the wheel well and so far has dried really well. Do you have pictures of your box?
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Old 07-04-2012, 06:25 PM   #5
chet24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticman

That's kind of where I'm stuck at I haven't figured out what materials to use that will mold to fit without being overly bulky. The fiberglass was only being used to make the shape of the wheel well and so far has dried really well. Do you have pictures of your box?
I have a pic of my finished product. I'm debating another layer of body filler to make it a smooth surface instead of the texture I originally had. And this is an 08.


My problem areas, even after I did a full fiberglass mold in the car, was a drooping of the top right corner in my picture. I overlapped my front layer and cut it to be a better fit, but there is a bit of a gap. I tried to do mine in like 50 degree weather, so I am pretty sure it just didn't set up all the way. I can see that area being a problem with the paper, if it isn't super solid.

Another tip, something I forgot about because I got too excited about the glassing, but make sure you drill and set your t-nuts or whatever you use in your ring before you put everything together. It was a huge pain trying to do it while in the box, and I think part of my ring is collapsing because the t-nut fell out twice trying to put in my sub because it wasn't in all the way. And use superglue to make them solid.

Last edited by chet24; 07-04-2012 at 06:33 PM.
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Old 07-08-2012, 06:34 PM   #6
bri_n_m
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticman View Post
That's kind of where I'm stuck at I haven't figured out what materials to use that will mold to fit without being overly bulky. The fiberglass was only being used to make the shape of the wheel well and so far has dried really well. Do you have pictures of your box?


Thats from making the mold in the car. I laid one layer of chopped fiberglass to get a good mold and waited for it to harden. While still in the car added about 4 more layers, letting it dry between layers. I think 2 more layers when I pulled the mold out, then trimmed to size. What did you use to make the front of the box once you got the mold and ring? Usually fleece is pulled over tight and resined. Then you fiberglass the fleece for strength. Look up kitty hair, its a mix of fiberglass and bondo, its stronger than bondo. looks pretty good, just do a bunch of sanding and clean up the front.
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Old 07-08-2012, 08:23 PM   #7
yerrow
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use fleece for the mold
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Old 07-09-2012, 12:13 AM   #8
Sticman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bri_n_m View Post


Thats from making the mold in the car. I laid one layer of chopped fiberglass to get a good mold and waited for it to harden. While still in the car added about 4 more layers, letting it dry between layers. I think 2 more layers when I pulled the mold out, then trimmed to size. What did you use to make the front of the box once you got the mold and ring? Usually fleece is pulled over tight and resined. Then you fiberglass the fleece for strength. Look up kitty hair, its a mix of fiberglass and bondo, its stronger than bondo. looks pretty good, just do a bunch of sanding and clean up the front.

That looks great, I think I will have to wait until I have a few days off when I can fiberglass in the car and not be overwhealmed by the smell. I have a hatch and was trying to avoid doing any of the glassing in the car to prevent the odor from staying inside the cabin for too long. Thanks for the pics it definitely helps to see what everyone else is doing.
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Old 07-09-2012, 01:13 AM   #9
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http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...nstall-10.html

That link has a build log of his audio system and has a lot of pics that might help you, it's basically what most people do to build a box. You can plastic off the hatch so the smell doesn't get into the cab, I was lazy and the smell was there for about a week.
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Old 10-26-2013, 09:27 PM   #10
jhutch2115
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What was your end result for your custom made enclosure? -- Jim
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