Custom subwoofer enclosure for 04 and 05 Prius

OK, here is a picture. The box is in a very unfinished condition but I just wanted to give people an example of what the box looks like. I have a layer of reinforced filler on the front but still need to bondo then sand it like crazy. After that I plan on finishing mine with paint...if I can get the front smooth enough. If the paint idea proves to be problematic I will use vinyl or carpet. The space on the right where it looks like it doesn't quite fit is actually due to the cover in that compartment which I believe is for the HV disconnect. It actually fits very well. It should since the mold was made from the same car.

As you can see, the box does not come all the way to the end of the cubby. This should offer some protection for the sub while allowing me a fudge factor when cutting the final shape. If I tried to bring it to the edge it would have to be cut perfectly and also the box would be too big. This box measures just under .3 cuft.

Let me know what you think.

Jeff

 

Large scale production is not a possibility but I will probably make them in ones and twos if I can sell them. The material cost is pretty high and it takes quite a bit of time. I figure I can probably knock out 3 every three weeks or so once things quiet down at work (I'm at work about 70 hours a week now)

If anyone is interested in the process, I can write it up and post. All the information I used was found online. Once I got the courage to tape up the back of the car and take fiberglass near it the rest was a piece of cake (if you don't mind breathing toxic fumes and glass fibers).

Jeff

 

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The problem with this...and I did think of it because it would be a fantastic idea...is that the mold is then the same size as the cubby. When you then formed the fiberglass over the foam mold it would be too large to fit the cubby.

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The fiberglass is about 5 layers thick. I cannot flex the enclosure by pressing on it. It will also be reinforced by the sides of the cubby since it will fit snugly in the opening. As for cubic inches...I measured out .30cuft prior to cutting the box. I figure that they will each come out somewhere around .25-.28cuft when the speaker mounting ring and speaker cup are taken into account. The ideal size for my speakers (RF Punch Stage 1 8") is .25 cuft)

Jeff

 

OK...for all of you who are following this post and have expressed your interest in this enclosure...Thanks. I had the amp installed this weekend at a local stereo shop and they assembled the sub in the enclosure. They had only good things to say about the box...yea!

The biggest problem is that I drilled the speaker holes before fiberglassing so that I could mount the nuts on the bottom. I didn't realize that I would not be able to find the holes through the fiberglass. I was able to find the holes but they weren't aligned perfectly so they couldn't get all eight bolts in. I'm going to knock the nuts out and fill the holes then re-drill them from the top. I'm learning as I go...

The good news is that I am very pleased by the difference it makes in the entire stereo system. With the sub in the back, I am able to turn the bass down so that the door speakers can supply the midrange they are supposed. The entire stereo sounds better.

As for production...I am planning on making two passenger side enclosures over the holidays. As soon as I am done I will post pictures. When I have a couple ready to ship, I will post the price. I hesitate to talk money now because I want to see how much material and time it takes not that I have some experience....but I'm confident that I can hit the $150-$175 price range I mentioned earlier.

I have decided to carpet mine since it is just too difficult to get the bondo smooth enough to paint. With about 10 hours of bondo and sanding I could probably get there but I don't see a reason to. The stereo shop had a piece of carpet large enough to do both of my boxes (I'm installing one in the driver's side also) that almost exactly matches the carpet color. I'll post finished pictures of the amp and box shortly. Please keep watching this post and thanks again for your interest.

 

I have finished my passenger side enclosure. I am redoing the front of the driver's side enclosure because it interferred with the opening of the deck. That was unacceptable. Anyway, I am attaching pictures.

I am planning on completing 2 other passenger side enclosures this week. I'll post pictures if anyone is interested. Let me know what you think.

 

Thanks for all the feedback...I have completed the first "copy". All I have left to do is smooth the front with a layer of kitty hair and bondo. I'll do that today. The box is Nate's if he still wants it after seeing the picture. He's gonna be my "guniea pig". I have installed the second sub in the driver's side pocket. To be honest...all it adds is some additional SPL. It doesn't really change the sound quality. I'll leave it since I made it but I will only be selling the passenger side enclosure.

Here's what I'm planning on doing. Right now the price for the box only is going to be right at $150 plus shipping (figure $12-$15 parcel post). This is for a roughed out enclosure with a smooth front. By smooth I mean kitty hair and sanded. This is more than adequate for a carpeted box. If you want to paint or vinyl...more power to you. Bondo is about $10 a quart at home depot. Have fun. I gave up on the idea when I saw how much work it was with mine. If I have enough interest, I will order "color matched" carpet and carpet the box for an additional $20. Finally, I can sell it with a 8" punch stage 1 sub for $230. That price includes carpet, wiring the speaker to the speaker cup, adding polyfil, and testing to ensure airtightness. I can only guarantee that the speaker cups are airtight if I install the speaker prior to shipping. If there is an air leak though it is easy enough to fix with a little silicone. Additionally, I will include 8 wood nuts and 8-32 bolts for installation with all orders. The mounting ring is 1/2 inch MDF. This is adequate for support but will not hold a wood screw well enough so the nuts are necessary. I leave mounting the enclosure up to the purchaser since I would open myself to an incredible amount of liability if I suggested or provided a mounting method that failed and caused injury in the event of an accident. All I can guarantee is that it fits my car and will accept an 8" punch stage 1 sub since that is what it is designed for. (See Dr. McNeil...that product liability class has paid off :mrgreen: )

I WOULD NOT recommend connecting an 8" sub to the stock amp. I purchased an MTX 251D subwoofer amp on Ebay for $70 including shipping. I paid $100 to have the amp installed. $60 of this was parts including the wiring kit and low level converter. The installer did not want to use the high levels on the amp. This is probably due to the losses through the small guage wire as compared to the large RCA cables. I can't argue since it sounds great to me.

I can only make about 2 to 4 a month so if you need one immediately this is not for you. If you don't mind waiting then I welcome your buisiness. I will not be making anymore until I get feedback from Naterprius. I want to ensure that the product I put out is good enough for sale. If it's not then I don't want to bother. I'm sure you all understand. I'll post more pictures including the amp and the driver's side enclosure later.

Happy New Year everyone.