I have been working on a drop in custom sub-box for my car. This is a one off enclosure that would replace the spare-tire and drop into the well. It has taken me a long time between work and other responsibilities but below is what I have so far. Total time on the project is about 20 hours.
I am now contemplating starting over though and taking a different tact due to there is about a 3/4 rise in the middle of this setup which doesn't allow for a perefectly flat load floor, which was part of my original design requirements. Since I tend to like to factory tuned look, I wanted the design to be more like what one might get if Infiniti/Nissan offered such an option. This design would require building up the areas on either side about 3/4 of an ich for the totally flat load floor idea, which is do able, but I live by... "do it right the first time", thus may start over to have it the way I want it for my car.
I thought I would post my progress to get feedback, and also see if I were to start over if anyone might be interested in the enclosure I have here. I would be willing to work out a deal of my materials, plus shipping. I can't speak for a custom shop but I'd charge at least $500 if I were putting a price on this for my labor; the materials are actually less than $100.

The enclosure is about 1 cu ft and holds a 10-inch woofer and amplifier. It also has two cut outs for storage of an air compressor and fix-a-flat. The hole in the middle is to bolt the thing down to the stock mount, although something slightly onger than the oem bolt assembly will be needed.

 

Great work, it looks extremely promising. I like that you are a perfectionist and want it to look like a factory option.

I think there would be a great market for this depending on what you charge. Did I understand your post to mean that you'd ask $500 for your labor + $100 for materials + shipping??? That might put your price out of the range that many would be willing to pay. I was considering possibly having a stealth install for 2 amps and crossovers in the spare tire well. I'll be going a different route for sub enclosures (2 4080 enclosures for 10' subs). Keep us updated on your progress/changes. And welcome to the forum.

 

What kind of sub is that a W0?

 

wow looks good!

 

I am not set up to mass produce these, nor do I really care to... my pricing was a reference and actually to hopefully curtail 50 people emailing me and saying build one for me. The $500 in labor would be, about what my time would be worth to recreate. The $100 in materails, plus shipping is what I would sell this particular example for since I have decided to rework the setup. I managed a shop and owned my own in the early 1990's, but other than being a hobbist I have left that industry altogether and don't think I could maintain my same quality of living if I were to quit my day job and go back into it, even if I do enjoy the custom work like this.
As for the sub, this one is a w1v2. I had a w3v2 but it was to deep to work in this configuration. The sub can't be any deeper than about 5", or less which does limit the options. I like JL's due to the integrated grill and the sound quality you get.
The box I am offering doesn't include the sub by the way.

 

If your planning on marketing your sub enclosure over here your going to need to become a Sponsor, this isn't eBay. And $500 is a little steep for something that only few subwoofers would be able to fit in. There are other custom boxes that are integraded into the sides for almost half that price and would fit a W3, W6.. Looks like a great idea but unfortunately the trunk is just too small.

 

Before I get thrown off the site for trying to sell something without the right credentals let me clarify my post. I think you guys are totally misreading me.
Maybe it was my fault and if so I appologize. I was just sharing my ideas....

I am not looking to sell this design or any other. I am making this for my own personal car. And as one poster pointed out I am a bit of a perfectionist and due to a couple things I am not personally happy with it and am reworking my design. My mention of pricing was to represent how much labor and time went into it for a regular guy without the facilities to build one of these. As for the unit that is in the pictures.... it will end up in the trash pile unless there is someone who is interested in helping me recoupe my materials.

I am a nerd, I like high quality audio and enjoy the process of designing and building a custom system, which is evident by the effort I put into my old M45 (see website: http://thegreenm45.itgo.com). When I did the system on my M, I used the forums a lot and like to think my expereince helped a lot of people playing with their cars. I posted my design here in hopes that I could establish the same helpful attitude on this site. So don't misconstrue this post as an attempt to sell anything other than knowledge and share my interest.

 

Personally, I welcome your expertise and experience in the field and will probably bug you via PM at some points in the future picking your brain. If you had the time and inclination, you could probably make a pretty penny selling a spare tire well enclosure if you could mass produce it cost effictively. I'll be asking your advice as I just got the idea last week of doing a custom stealth amp/crossover/DSP rack in there from looking at another installer's excellent work. Be sure to show us the final product you end up fabricating for your G.

 

Where is a pic of the actual enclosure? Is that 1 cu ft plus the displacement of the basket/magnet/motor etc? I can already tell my life will be hell when I have to make a rack for my amps and sub enclosures and keep space for my golf clubs!

 

The enclosure is the spare tire well, but a fiberglass mold of it that is removable. I made a reverse mold of the well out of fiberglass and then pulled it out and made the box. Thus it just drops in.

The amp and the areas for storage do take a little away from the enclosure volume. I even had to place some wood blocks to cut down on the amount of airspace inside... the actual design was closer to 1.5 or more cubes which was to large for that sub I used... The biggest problelm with using the spare tire well is room for sub and electronics, and keeping everything below the load floor. I kept my system simple and am only adding a subwoofer, small mono amp and an MTX ReQ. If I had to make room for other amps and electronics for a system where I was replacing all my speakers I would not have been able to do a stealth system like this.

Another options for someone far more creative than me is to remove the plastic panels that cover the factory amps and make up the walls of the spare tire well. They simply bolt to the trunk floor and come right out. Then you could fabricate a whole new trunk floor that might hold everything and still give you room for the golf clubs. Just a thought....

Here is the floor w/o the drivers side panel.


Here is the OEM trunk without the spare.... my enclosure is this shape. The two black peices are plastic and on the drivers side covers the Bose Amplifiers (2) and XM receiver. The Pass. side has I beleive the ABS and another device, but can't remember and don't have my laptop up with the Service manual on it.


On a related note. JL Audio makes a Stealth box for the G35 coupe which basically replaces the drivers side panel and holds the same 10-inch sub as mine. Thress problems with it: 1. requires the relocation of the OEM electronics, 2. makes the trunk about 1/2 higher on the left side than right (it is too tall) and 3. it cost $699 retail, but comes with a subwoofer.

 

I will be going the lazy man's route and using the 4080 enclosures instead of trying to fab one myself. They will diminish my trunk space a little on each side, but then I have the entire spare tire area for the 2 amps, crossovers, and 3sixty.2. I'd like something awesome but lack the skill level with glassing and the patience to do it myself.

 

Bingo my frieed!! this will be my course of action< hence the dreading! LOL

 

yea for now I got the Zenclosures box, but that is also my plan come summer time when the GMAT's are done . To remove the plastic pieces and make my own trunk with spaces for an amp/ms8/drivers/1 diamond audio 10" TDX. Should be enough room for all that.

 

Update:
I am hoping to start the new enclosure this weekend. I just got in about 60 sq ft of Dynamat material that is going down over the entire trunk floor and under the carpet peice of the trunk lid. Also went all out and bought new Stinger Pro wire and fuse holders.

After some messing around I discovered if I move the Bluetooth and phone module on the right side over a little bit. I can fit my Rockford P300-1 Amp under the right side plastic peice. If I mount it there all I have to run to the subbox is a speaker wire and I can pull the whole enclosure out on track days. With out the amp in the sparetire well, it makes the removing of the enclosure much easier... less wires to unhook.
I settled on a quasi- JL Audio Stealth box design, but inside the sparetire well. Since I have the run flats on now, I will remove the spare and not look back. If I invert the sub (Aim it down) I can cut a place for tools, first aid kit and owners manual into the top of the enclosure for a totally stock look.

Wish me luck.