[randy8876]

One thing I love about my car is the storage space available. For a tiny car it has decent room. I also enjoy a nice stereo, but won't give up any my precious space.

I decided to go with a pair of JL 10W6v2's. They almost 7 inches deep, so they're a little tricky to stuff anywhere. Using fiberglass I can get the most out of the space available.

I cut part of the plastic trim panel away so I could utilize the room behind it. Here's a picture all taped up so you can get and idea of the space.

Here it is with the aluminum put into place prior to the first layer of glass.

Here are 2 pictures to show the the initial shell. I know it looks like hell now, but after additional layers and trimming it it will be a lot prettier.
Here's the side:

Here's the front:

Here it is with the flush mount MDF ring in place. I had to test fit the sub and test it in the car a few times to get the ring in a spot where it wouldn't interfere with the cargo bin. After it is in place I used a thick glob of resin mixed with fibers to lock it in place.


Here it is with the initial wrap of fiberglass on the front


I trimmed it up and test fit the sub.


Here it is in the car:


I'm happy with the position of the sub, but the box sticks out about 1/8" further than I wanted. I'll remedy that later.


Next it's coated with a bondo & fiberglass mix and sanded and primered and the cycle is repeated until the shape is nice and smooth.
Bondo:


Primered:


Here it is after the final sanding and painting. I'll mount the subs sometime next month. I still don't have my amp, so it's no rush.

Here is the passenger side. I got lucky and the hatch floor mat can fit under it.


Here is the drivers side. I had to relocate the light for the hatch, but I was stupid and didn't check to see it it would be blocked. I could still change it, but likely won't. Also I made it w/o the hatch mat in, and it won't fit on this side. I can get the mat hemmed for cheap, or buy a Nissan one that fits perfect.


Here are both in the trunk. The tape is still on them and the car is still apart, but it will be back to new this week.



Overall I'm happy with how they look and fit. Hopefully the sound will be good too. They are .60-62 ft^3 each and I'll stuff them with poly fill. JL suggests a box of .693 ft^3 and said within 10% is good, so with the poly I should be good.

I'll update this thread as my work continues. I've touched up the paint and will add pictures soon with the subs mounted.

 

[08versailles]

Been lovin this project.
Keep up the good work.
I'm inspired!

 

[JSanford86]

Those look good, kudos. You should make them to order, I am sure there are some people out there that would like to have something like this too. Big bulky enclosures are outdated.

 

[randy8876]

Those look good, kudos. You should make them to order, I am sure there are some people out there that would like to have something like this too. Big bulky enclosures are outdated.

Thanks for the kind words.

I'll have 4 fiberglass boxes for 8" subs that tuck in those spaces for sale in November. They will require the use of a cargo bin, but no panels will need to be cut. After that I won't do any glass work for a while. It was a lot more work than I expected, but I am extremely happy with the boxes for my 10's.

 

[JSanford86]

yeah glass work is very involved. Thats what people don't get when they want body kits, custom enclosures, etc. They don't realize how involved it is. Now try your hands on custom carbon fiber lol.

 

[APLPIX]

Excellent job Randy! Finally something fresh!

 

[AusTiida]

Hey fantastic work champ, keep up the good work!

I assume those subs only run on small enclosures?

 

[randy8876]

I had a few PM's about making these. I'd be happy to help, but don't think I'd be willing to make them for others. The biggest issue is it isn't as simple as dropping the box in once it's made. The plastic panel must be cut and there is a thin piece of metal that must be trimmed. The metal has no structural value, it's just there to allow the plastic piece to be fastened down.

Here's a better view with the subs out. I tried to draw a red line along the part where metal has been trimmed.




I'll make a separate post showing step by step for the other boxes I made. They hold 8's, but you won't need to cut anything. Not quite the thunder of big subs, but should get the low end to help most people out.

 

[randy8876]

Hey fantastic work champ, keep up the good work!

I assume those subs only run on small enclosures?

The 10W6v2 is supposed to have .625 ft^3 per sub in a sealed box. I swear these boxes look decent sized, but they measure out to be .6 ft^3. It's a great sounding small box sub.

 

[randy8876]

Here they are subs installed:

 

[BluV3R18]

Here they are subs installed

wow, how about the amp? think about how much space can be saved with that set up. I wonder how they sound

 

[randy8876]

The amps are going to be installed later this month. The newer Class D amps can fit nicely under the seats. They measure in at 8"x10" for a few brands, but I'm going with the 2nd generation Alpine PDX. I mounted MDF under the carpet and ran all the wires while the interior was out. My main power wire runs down the center console in a fused distribution block and then 4 gauge wires run to each amp. I'm still getting the console situated, as I chose to mount the fuse block in the armrest it's been a little difficult to get two 1/0 gauge wires and four 4 gauge wires to nicely route up into it. Oh, I'm using one of those aftermarket ebay armrests from Hong Kong too. The system should be as stealth as possible and the car should look mostly stock when I'm done.

 

[BluV3R18]

Here they are subs installed:

great job it does look like OEM
One more question, how many RSM/watts are the subs?

 

[randy8876]

great job it does look like OEM
One more question, how many RMS/watts are the subs?

The owners manual says 400w continuous. On the JL website they show a range that looks like 750w is the absolute max. I'll be pushing just over 600w to each one, so they should sound pretty decent.

The other idea I considered was ditching the spare and building a bandpass box that would be very shallow and cover the entire floor. It would be stealth, allow me to keep the trunk (minus 4" on the entire floor) and it could be extremely loud. But since I wouldn't so it without run flat tires, and my tires & wheels aren't getting swapped until 30,000 miles.

 

[BluV3R18]

oh yeah..600W to each sub is plenty of power =)

and I agree, I would keep the spare just in case.
I would love to pull the trigger and get me a good system set up, but I have a 2 year old boy so...I need the trunk space.... to put stroller......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... but I did have a system before! the 1998 z24 I took to the 1/8 mile track to do time trails had a system installed, got it from best buy, late 90s early 2000 best buy and circuit city was the best place to get the best boom for your car.
2 12" 400W pionner each and a 800W amp and a nice box in the trunk and I pulled the rear seat down so you could see the amp and let some air in and out of the trunk, kenwood head unit, it had a nice deep bass, and the back seat gave you a little massage on your back but a friend had 2 12" JLs and they were louder than mine

 

[randy8876]

Time for some armrest pictures.

This proved to also be a giant PITA. A smaller fuse block with thinner power cables would have made it easier. The 1/0 gauge doesn't like to make sharp 90 degree turns. tomorrow I'll route the cables through the car (it's the easy part).

Here's the armrest and console laying on it's side. You can see all the power cables running up into it. I bundled the positive & ground 4 ga in one piece of split loom for easier routing.


And here it is assembled a little more.


It's a Stinger fused distribution block with voltage and amperage display. I like these, although they are a bit big a tacky.

I'll build a cover later and make a place for the Alpine bass boost knob to mount. This will allow me to continue keeping everything out of sight.

 

[randy8876]

I had run a fairly rigid piece of corrugated plastic tubing through the console routed to the firewall grommet. This allowed the 1/0 gauge cable to be easily routed and keeps it protected from damage. It's also why I could connect up the wiring in my house and easily route it in my car.

Here it is mounted in the car. The center console comes apart very easily, only 2 screws and 2 nuts.


And here's how it looks with the seats back in.

 

[randy8876]

Time for amplifiers....

So my new toys arrived on Thursday. The amps look really sharp in person, very clean and not flashy. I love the tiny footprint, as I'm trying to keep everything stealth. Also I really like the plug type connections.

Here they are boxed up.


The dollar is there to give an idea of size. I put the plugs in so you can see the room they need.


I have a pair of MB Quart QSC-216's in the front doors with the tweeter in the A pillar and in the rear doors another pair of MB Quart components mounted co-axially. They should scream with 150w per channel.

The birth certificates show 164wX4 for the F6 and 1380wX1 for the M12. 2000 watts in a little Nissan Versa should be good enough.

Here are a few pictures...

I mounted a panel under the carpet so I could bolt the amplifier securely to the floor.


After the amps are bolted in the seats are bolted over them.

Here's a little closer picture. You can see the power/ground coming from the center console. Due to the thickness I couldn't run it under the carpet, but luckily there's a space on the seat it can be routed through.


There's an amp under the seat, but nothing can be seen:


If you stoop down really low you can barely see the amp:



I played with these a bit today. I kept the volume at 65% for about 2 hours (I was not in the car) and the F6 hardly got warm. I rarely see it pull more than 6 amps, which is good since I have the stock alternator.

The M12 is hammering my 10W6's. The peak current I've seen was 91 amps, but most of the time it stays under 20. Today I connected up the remote bass boost knob and learned something new. It's not just a boost. In the middle position it's +0db. It was a huge surprise when I plugged it in and the subs suddenly were quiet since the knob was on minimum.

 

[Von Meow]

Man what a clean install.
you do great work, and I have a bit of experience in this area. It is old experience but still valid.
all solid component choices, and yeah the install is awesome.
please keep us updated. do you by chance work in a install shop? It is rare to see a freelancer of your talent, which is why I ask.

 

[Von Meow]

on a side note.. where did you locate the crossovers for front and rear MB quart components?