Project "Fattening the Pig:

[IwantMKIII]

FYI, i pretty much copy and pasted this from another forum i belong to, just thought i'd share. I've never done a project to this extent before...A LOT of hard work.


This project is basically adding my old car system which i miss oh so much. I got a Poineer Premier DEHP690UB for Xmas so i figured i'd upgrade the rest too with some subs.

The main idea behind this was to get that bass feel without weighing down the car too much and re-gaining the ENTIRE rear trunk space....thats right....all of it. I say regain because the battery is already back there. How will i do this? well, since i don't have a spare.....you do the math. This proves do be a rather difficult project to say the least.

Additions/mods include:

relocating the already relocated battery

Mapping and cutting a new, stronger hardboard in the hatch (the one you can lift up to get to the spare)

New, larger hinges/fittings

1 - 1200watt amp

1- 12" Audiobahn sub

all necesary wiring

1 - useless doggy wash station.........oh wait, shit, this isn't pimp my ride, i forgot

I was going to use the second 12" sub i had but space is a concern also, it got water damaged in my last car so at low volumes i here scratches coming from the piston of it. Never really lost its kick though.

Anyways, I was trying to figure out how to fit and mount the amp, retain as much space as possible, and still look shiny haha. I brain stormed awhile, then it hit me like a brick to the groin: STEEL TECH!

lol, i remembered i had a bunch of old sets from when i was younger still in my closet. My mom saved it just in case along with a ginormous bag of legos. Woo! turns out it works PERFECT so far. i spent like an hour dissassembling old things i made from like 3rd or 4th grade to get teh parts i needed but it was worth it. I was getting pretty into it for awhile lol.

So that's my story for now. I will be posting pics as soon as everything is done. Hopefully it will look as good as it does in my head....but then again, that never really happens now does it...


Update 1:

After two loooong nights and some of the days ive got the:

Battery fitted, supports installed

Amp fitted (kinda, i factored in for some spacial leeway but not quite enough aparently but still works)

idea of how to fit the sub...this by far is the hardest and taking me FOREVER due to the circular, parabolic shape of the wheel well, and that little piece that sticks up in the middle to secure the spare...WAPITA


Update 2:

UPDATE 2 --- Not quite finished yet but thought id share the bling bling --- i still need to add plexi glass, neons, and seam the carpets

This project continues to prove to be very difficult mostly because of the curvature of the wheel well playing a big part in fitting everything below. The piece that sticks up from the car wheel well to secure the spare also played a large...very frustrating...role


Compared to OEM mine is much stronger, the stuff they use in 1/4" maybe and the hinges they use are a joke so i made my own above



My old large HEAVY box i;ve used since 10th grade made of 3/4" MDF.....now used for parts lol ( i used this box for multiple parts including the battery mount and speaker mounts!):





Cutting and fitting:




Just an ordainary trunk hatch????? I think not......check out whats under that carpet



FINALLY, on the 3rd night things fit and started coming together! And as far as the steel tech thing goes...well the amp is being solely supported on it lol






Underneath it all, a battery sits comfortably:





The adjustable height i can use thanks to the steel tech allows me to control everything the subs do simply by lifting the 'floor' up:




Thinking about adding an extra 12" and having a double layer effect:

 

[cool chuck]

I like it! I would like to do something similar in my car but my concern is doing away with the spare.looks great tho.

 

[IwantMKIII]

I like it! I would like to do something similar in my car but my concern is doing away with the spare.looks great tho.

Thanks! See i never had a spare when i got the car so the wasted space never really did any good till now :icon_bigg

 

[fiyota]

I would put some grey speaker cloth over the holes... will clean it up a lot. And make it harder to see expensive stereo stuff through the windows.

 

[IwantMKIII]

I would put some grey speaker cloth over the holes... will clean it up a lot. And make it harder to see expensive stereo stuff through the windows.

the cuts will be cleaned up around the edges. as far as seeing it....i will be using the cargo cover primarily

 

[TurboToy-R]

Nice project, gives me ideas to do with my two 12" audiobahn subs, but I have a 1500W "rack mount" amp and a 2.4F CAP Though I like the idea of putting a battery down in the "hole". Would most likely be a good idea to throw a second battery (lighter Optima) down there just for the sterio (probably replace my stock battery with an Optima so shave a pound or two)

Are you planning on just running your subs like that? cuz without a sealed box, or a properly ported box, they are gonna sound like a bag of crap hitting the floor.

 

[supraguy@aol]

What is steeltech?

 

[Adjuster]

I would reccomend at least putting an enclosure around the sub mount, so the entire rear hatch floor becomes a soundboard of sorts. (With a recessed mount for your sub...) You could also add "perimiter" boards around the sides, and use weatherstrip foam to seal it up to the hatch floor to improve your bass response/sound. (Sort of a sealed enclosure, but your port would be the space around the amp, and anywhere else you do not seal up the mounting board to the floor/hatch area..)

I made a sealed 1sq. ft. box for my 10" sub, and it works fine for me. (But that sub was designed for small sealed boxes.. Is your sub designed for free air installs?)

I'm no stereo guru, but you have done 90% of the work, why not go the extra 10% more and improve the sound even more?

I have a 5 chanel amp under my stock panel, and it works very well. (It is only 2" high, so it fits, barely. Also just used double sided 3m tape on the mounts to secure it. It will come off if you are careful, but not very easy, and it does not move around at all. I also have a CD changer mounted on the right side of the hatch area, cut down the rear board slightly to fit it standing up there... and a fire extinguisher on the left side.. Just flip the carpet back, and you can either change CD's or put out fires! (Lucky, never had to use the left side...)

I have no spare, use the space there for cleaning supplies and other crap... but carry two large Semi truck sized cans of fix a flat! This stuff rocks, and it is way faster than trying to change a tire. (Besides, there are no spare tires that will fit over my BBK, and I'm too cheap to buy a single rim/tire that will fit in both the rear hatch area, and over my brakes as a spare...)