Final Design of Speaker Enclosure

So I sat down and calculated the volume in my previous speaker enclosure design.  It was quite low even if I took into account that poly batting would add 15-18% to the calculated volume.  So I tweaked the design a little bit.

The depth is now the maximum I feel comfortable with and I removed a messy angle that was going to be a pain to make.  I actually measured where the connectors on the amp are located to come up with where cut-outs would be located.  Also scaled down the size of the wire conduit after measuring the thickness of the entire bundle of wires.  The final volume for the sub, assuming a 15% increase for the poly, is approximately 0.47 cubic feet (manufacturer suggested between 0.4-0.6 and optimal at 0.5).

I have everything I need to build this except the glue and MDF...  Next step is to mock up the sides with cardboard so the box will fit snug.

Speaker Box - Draft 2

Took some much more accurate measurements and used the exact dimensions of the speakers and amplifier.  This design maximizes the amount of space for the subs while attempting to keep it as little impact as possible (storage space is a premium in this car).  I discovered that the speakers have to be isolated from the subs, so now they're placed in separate chambers (which reduces the amount of space for the subs).  The tweeter is in the sub chamber so that it doesn't fire into the soft top when it's down.  I'm planning on using baffling to isolate it from the sub chamber.  The back of the tweeter is pretty isolated by itself, so foam baffling should be plenty of isolation.  The MDF was switched to 1/2" but that should be fine as long as I use a hardening agent on it (resin/bondo mixture, epoxy enamel, etc.).  Also considering using the left over sound dampener from the insulation project as well.

The next step will be to do more calculations on this design to see if its sufficient (with the use of a speaker poly-fill).  If the design has more than enough internal space, I'd like to move the amp back to the rear of the box.  It would simplify the design and make it more hidden.  With  the amp in the front like this, it will be exposed for cooling purposes.  In the back I'll have to install a fan or something.

Trying to find the time

It seems like I've been fairly busy lately and just haven't had the time to work on the car.  Did take a few days break because I felt like I was neglecting the wife...

I was working on reconditioning the doors.  Since I'm doing power locks, I had to figure out how to wire the modules into the system.  Been doing a lot of testing with the multimeter and doing trial circuits to make sure things operate.  I did unfortunately burn out one of my new LEDs (the rear "dome" light).  However, after all the testing I have run the wire into the driver's side door and figured out how to wire the system up to the original alarm, dome lights, parking lights, and siren.  So it's just a matter of finding time to work...

Got lots of parts waiting for me to finish the interior work.

• Complete parking/emergency brake stainless steel rebuild kit
• Aluminum radiator with dual electric fans
• Electric water pump

I've just ordered the subwoofers, component speakers, and amplifier that I'm going to install in the back.  My initial design was used to just make sure everything was going to fit the way I want.  I really don't want to show off the giant stereo (in my opinion that's something high school kids do...), so I'm working to make the speaker box as minimal as possible.  A friend of mine that has built speaker before is advising me on the design.  Too bad the head unit I want is out yet.  In case you're wondering here's what I've got so far for it:

• Rockford Fosgate P400-2 400W Stereo Amplifier
• Dual Clarion WF2510 10" Shallow Mount SVC 4 ohm Subwoofers
• Polk Audio DB6501 6.5" 2-way Component System (front speakers are the same line)
• Auto Custom Carpet 812 Royal Blue Cut-Pile Carpet

Here's my initial design...  Measurements are approximate and the volume is insufficient for the subwoofer specs so there's going to be modifications, but at least you can see where I'm going with this.