161 replies to this topic

[meade916]

used in this install.......

24" Lexani Roma on 305/35/24" Kumho Tires (installed previously by owner)

Stock Navigator Touchscreen deck (built in Navigation, etc.)

JL Audio Clean Sweep Processor

Apple Ipod Ready (and being used)

Nav-Tv Module  to make the stock screen into a Monitor

4 10.2" Savv Headrest monitors(2)with Side loading DVD players

(4) Savv Personal Headphones (wireless, one for each screen)

Rockford Fosgate T3000.1 Sub amp

Rockford Fosgate T4004 Mids/highs

(2) RE MT 12's (Resonant Engineering)

(1) Set MBQuart 6 ½” Premium Componants (front)

(1) Set MBQuart 5 ¼” Premium Componants (rear)

Fiberglass, Plexiglass Ported "Meadebox" with custom LED Endlit “Lincoln” Logo (RGB style, ALL colors available at the touch of a button)

Box wrapped in Fine Italian Leather with French Seams to match stock interior

Custom in dash mounted Rockford Fosgate bass level, frequency and JL Audio master Volume knob( to match stock interior)

Rockford Fosgate 12ga Speaker Wire

250amp Iraggi alternator

150 feet Stinger 1/0 cable (every connection Soldered to Stinger Terminals)

Stinger Helix Series Interconnects

Stinger Distribution Blocks

Stinger Road Kill Sound Deadening

300Amp Fuse

Odyssey pc2150 Battery

Lincoln Navigator Upper/Lower Vertical Billet Grilles



This wont be a crazy install at all, should sound nice, get loud if needed, and be nice and classy.  Everything is behind the third row so i dont have alot of space but i think i have just enough........

   

   

   

   

[meade916]

[meade916]

[meade916]

[meade916]

 


 

 

 

2 4" Aeroports will be molded into the top with the fiberglass so it will all flow like its "one" rather than seeing ****ty screws holding the ports to the box.  This is very rough, gimme time  ;)

[meade916]

some of it is particle board- some of it is MDF.......but the thing is, im using ALOT of fiberglass so it dont really matter.



Ran out of fiberglass matt and had to go to my emergency stash....no worrys, ill re-up my supply tonite at least this crap-mat will keep me working.


Look it even gave me "hairy palms"  :D

 

Ill end up 45-ing as many 90's as i can get to.....the ol' resin in the corner trick works great.

[meade916]

Time to go over the top with Kitty Hair to make it a little bit stronger and to build up some spots that needed it.

 

 

The part everyone hates, time to sand.....
 

 

 

 

 

[meade916]

the stuff i use is called "Nytex X-Mat"  It is half "heavy chopped" and half "weaved" i guess you could say.  Heres some pics of it.





Notice a piece from my "emergancy stash"....its so thin you can see right thru it.  The Nytex is so thick when you bend it, it stays, the cheap stuff just flopps back over.



The "chemist" is in the house.....this bottle with the little measuring cup on top is like the greatest thing ever invented.  For the MEKP, I dont go by "drops" anymore, im all about the "CC's"  ;)

[meade916]

looks like the same pics, but really its progress  :)  I took it "easy" last nite and only worked a couple hours on it after i got home from my regular job (at 5).  Im starting to feel confident this box would stop a bullet....its so strong now.  :)    My next mission is to make it pretty and prepping the built in amp rack for some wires.









Any doubts on the integrity of this box?  :D 
Ill probably end up coating the inside with something to smooth it up some and not have that ugly fiberglass look.  Im thinking of a plexi window in it so of course it cant look like crap on the inside.

[meade916]

time for filling and sanding......

almost starting to take shape

[meade916]

Time to take the metal tape off the 4" Aeroports and see what they look like. So far so good  :)  These are going to be 12" long i just havent put the other ends on yet.  Ill save that for last.



 

 

 

[meade916]

Time to figure out how to get the plexi in the front opening......i used a 1" window for this box.  Only trouble is, the wood is 3/4MDF so i had to compensate for that when building the "frame" it will sit in. (notice the 1/4" "Shim")

[meade916]

After the shim is made and dropped into place, its not over yet, a 2nd frame (3rd if you count the shim) needed to be built but a little bigger so ill have something to fasten the plexi to.



 

 

 

Should be tight when i finally get to pull the protective paper off the plexiglas....but for now it stays.  That little 9" x 45" x 1" window was $85 and i damn sure dont wanna scratch it.    :D

[meade916]

Time to shift gears and head back to the amprack portion of the box.  I had to prep it for the amp wiring and also fix the flanges on the sides. 




Heres a good spot for some distribution blocks when the time comes to hook everything up.  From here, the wires can drop down out of the truck and out to the HO alt up front (when i get it in of course)

[meade916]

whats a little more fiberglass.....may as well

[meade916]

 

Ok so now its got some shape to it i start with more dynaglass or "kitty hair" so i can sculpt it without the negative effects of using straight bondo.

[meade916]

ever try and sand this stuff by hand?  Its like sanding concrete.....i have tools but this thing has a "flare" shape to it and its hard to get in the bend so i choose to go caveman and do it the hard way.

 

 

 

[meade916]

Not bad huh.......its like almost a full foot below the third row back seat! (at the low point anyway) Fits like a glove.  :) 


 


 

 

so one more coat of filler.......ill use bondo for the final coat to give it one more "cleanup" session.  Thats tonites work (after work  :p )

[meade916]

Got a few more pics but it seems like more of the same stuff really.  Saturday i went down to discuss "my next move" with my NEW upholstery guy.  This thing is getting wrapped in leather to match the interior and will have french seams at all the curves.  Should look super clean when done.  I had a problem though, i flush mounted and molded the Aeroports into the box and made it next to impossible to get a clean "terminatation" at the ports for the leather.  He said he needed a way to wrap the leather around and tuck under in those areas so i took it home and thought about it for a few and this is what i came up with.  NOTHIN LIKE  RE-DOING something youve already done but hey,thats the way it goes.  Its not the mistakes you make, but what you do about them that counts  ;)


Ok this is my solution.  I grabbeds some chip-board and cut circles where teh ports are and intentionally left it "loose" about 1/4" under the "lip" of the new templates so he has something he can tuck the leather under. 


Taped the new template over the ports so it would hold its shape, then i soaked it in resin to give it some strength while keeping it flexible enough to pull up just a slight hair later.


Once it set-up, i could take the tape off and pop a bunch of staples into it to pull it down in spots that were coming up, plus hold it in place too.



Now its time for some Dynaglass.  I didnt want to glass it in all the way because this needs to stay low profile and flexible at the port opening.

[meade916]

After knocking that down, time for some more filler.


More sanding, then more sanding.......