KevinG

When doing the stereo in my '69, I knew I wanted some more bass than what the 6.5" speakers would produce. So I decided upon a JL Audio 10" W3 subwoofer. Figuring out where to mount it was a challenge. So I decided the best place would be the jack storage compartment behind the passenger seat.

Not much space back there, and I was able to create a 9" x 9" box out of MDF without having to do any weird angles with how its shaped down in there. After I made the MDF box, I then attached dowel rods to support the MDF speaker ring that I had custom made for my application.



Subwoofer test fitted for clearance.


Angled slightly towards the rear.


Once you are satisfied, get some fleece from a fabric store, stretch it tightly over the MDF ring and onto the box. Staple both MDF ring and the box to secure the fleece. Trim any excess off. Now you mix up fiberglass resin and soak the fleece with a cheap paint brush. Let it dry then apply 3 coats of fiberglass cloth and resin to the outside layer.


Another test fitting - looking nice already


Now repeat the fiberglass cloth and resin process to the inside - 3 layers and be sure to connect the MDF ring and MDF box using the fiberglass cloth.


Looking alright so far...


The next step is optional, but I figured I'd be safe than sorry. I used bondo and applied it to the outside, sanded it down for a smooth finish.


Looking nice so far still...


I then had my local upholstery shop do the carpeting. I figure there was too many curves and a big joint that I wouldn't be good at doing. $63 later it now looks like this.


Now its time to attach the box to the inside of the storage compartment. After drilling (2) holes, I used bolts, fender washers, lock washers and nylon lock nuts to hold it in place.


Now you can bolt your sub into its new home (be sure to predrill these holes as it could split the wood if you don't.


And here's how it looks sitting behind the passenger seat. Professional looking results!


This 10" subwoofer sounds really GOOD! Very pleased at the fit, finish and sound quality of my installation. Best of all this is reversible if you decide to go back to the stock access compartment doors. No cutting was done - only drilling 2 holes (which can be easily patched).

Adjust your amplifier settings and enjoy some awesome 80's tunes from Whitesnake!

F22

That looks really, really good! Nice work and great craftsmanship! Man, I'd buy one of those. Solves a lot of problems. Did you base the volume of the box on the woofer requirements?

AGVI

That's a good question.

KevinG

No, I did not. The recommended volume dimensions required an 11" x 17" by 9" depth. The depth part I got correct, but no way I could have done 11" x 17" in that storage tray.

Needless to say it still sounds great and I am very pleased.

F22

You did do the diligence and that's great! I'm sure it sounds great too! It may not be exactly what was called for, but I say, hey, it's good enough for what you had to work with and it sounds great to you! Again, great job, I may do this to my 74'!

billcarson

very nice, neat work.i would have done similar but i want that space to put the t-tops.in addition i have a rollbar which further limits my storage.10's can be mounted in that useless cavity on the sides but it is a compromise in acoustics.i'm sure yours sounds a lot better than mine but my car is sooo loud it doesn't matter.great work and enjoy!

7T1vette

Nice fabrication work. But where is the 'pressure relief' port on the box (for when the speaker flexes in and out)?

KevinG

Thanks guys


This is a sealed box and does not have a port. It all depends on what kind of sound you are going for when considering the two enclosure choices.

F22

Actually, there's two schools of thought concerning that. Sealed enclosures work really well and are very efficient, especially at lower volume levels, but sacrifice very high SPL's, because there's only so much movement or excursion that can be accomplished against the air sealed in the box.

Ported enclosures aren't as efficient at lower volume levels, but are better at high SPL's because the air can move in and out of the box.

airtime

when i biult my box for my 10" sub in my 71 vette i stuffed the box with poly fill from walmart. it makes the box act like a bigger box than it is. works great and is cheap. i built my box like you did but i removed the factory door frame that covers all 3 compartments and replaced that with a piece of 3/4 mdf. then i cut another smaller piece for the sub to give it an extra 3/4 inch space. then i put a sub grill cover over the sub to protect it. i mounted my very compact alpine amp on the rear trunk wall next to the trunk light. the amp is small enough to fit perfectly. i then just bought an extra piece of my factory carpet to cover the box top. most folks will not even notice the difference. i cut another piece of 3/4 mdf to make a top for the battery compartment. then used velco to hold the top on. plus i wanted to be able to store my t-tops in the back, which i can still do.

airtime

airtime

airtime

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airtime

sorry, i am trying to post some pics up but i guess i have forgotten how to do it.

airtime

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...1-coupe-3.html

heres a link to my build. plenty of pics. my box is sealed also.

kevin what amp did you go with and how much power? that alpine amp i used is 117 rms for 4 channels and 400 rms for sub. plus its super small and easy to find a place to put it. i also used a rca jack base sub controller. about 20 bucks. goes in between the sterio and amp. it lets you controll the bass by turning a know. very handy

BeansWorld

Excellent work! You're install is extremely organized and well-positioned in the rear compartment. I enjoy seeing different variations of custom stereo installations in the C3 models. Now I'll have post a few of my mods for the C3 team:







Green LED to the left of Kenwood head unit is for dual electric cooling fans, Red LED to the right is for alarm system (with auto lock via key fob).

Subwoofer enclosure was made to exact specifications per JL Audio (.8 CF sealed for 13TW5-3) then covered in 80/20 loop carpet to match interior. Still waiting on my glass shelf that will cover the amplifier. LED's have been added around amplifier to reflect off glass shelf. The shelf will sit .75" above the enclosure to allow for air flow.



All that and I can lower the convertible top without issue, as well as use all storage compartments.

If anyone is interested in the enclosure specifications, I have a write-up I can send via email.

airtime

nice job

baja216

I ended up using an 8 inch shallow mount sub in my '80.

Doug Kraft

Good job! I put a 10" kicker solo baric back in the same area just not as high out of the inclouser. Sounds great and it's out of the way.

Roco71

Nice work