Captain Stupid

2088 watts to work with so you probably could get 1000 watts especially if you wire to 2ohms the amp is significantly more efficient at that "resting" load So, to run the T2500 reliably, I'll need a Mechman Alt and an XS D3100. Since the time I posted this a few days ago I have all but decided that a new Alt and battery will be purchased shortly after acquiring the amp.

My alternator is rated at 145 amps according to Cadillac. Would that mean I could reasonably push a T1500?

It would probably be more for 24s because powdercoating usually is priced on how many square inches a piece is. It also may cost more since the paint on those rims will have to be removed first. I actually had almost $3000 worth of powder coating done on that car including 6 wheels, window trim, front and rear light bezels, grill, motor plate, rear end, valve covers and intake manifold. My wheels were only 15x10. Point is, if done by a good shop, powdercoating can really compliment the look of more than just the wheels. Like so.....

I had the wheels on my race car and quite a lot of other stuff on it powdercoated. I went with a cool special order color called "Bronze Burst" that is basically a dark brown with gold speckles in it. It was about $120 per wheel with the extra charge for the special order color. Before and after on the wheels.....

Truck is a 2006 Escalade with stock H/O alternator and stock battery. I may upgrade those at some point soon, but I do not wish to add extra batteries or alternators. I have made up my mind to use the Rockford Fosgate Txxxx-1bdCP line of sub amps, but I'm interested to hear what folks would suggest to be the largest possible sub amp to use reliably? I have two RE SX 18s to push, but ultimate SPL and competing are not my priority, I just want the loudest possible daily driver with the fewest possible upgrades. I'm not planning on adding other amps or speakers to the factory system, but I will be using appropriately sized power and ground for the new amp. So, which should I go with? 1000, 1500, or 2500?

I'd use a jig saw and a steady hand, but I have many years experience as a carpenter. The layman's best choice is a router with a plunge bit. Then you can clamp or screw 2x4s around the perimeter at the exact desired spot + offset and just go to town!! Easy-peasy!

hey like I stated man you may actually be able to get it to work. Im no genius and im only an expert at drinking vodka and being a certified ninja. Try something small for like an 8 and see if it works. Maybe use some of the processes you use for the plates you were talking about and see if that will work. You never know man. If you need any help with anything just let me know. Yeah, if I do try, it would be a single small sub at first. I'm really curious though, how many layers of CF did it take you to build up to 1/2" and what process did you use? The stuff I build is fairly dense for 1/4", but it takes 28 layers to do it using my process. I'm guessing you didn't build an entire sub box 56 layers thick?

Thanks for the input Sensai. If you couldn't make it work with 1/2" thick solid CF, I'm just not going to waste my time then. Although I AM the only guy building CF motor plates for race cars after quite a few people (wiser than I) told me it couldn't be done economicly. And my motor plates have been on drag cars running 6s and 7s in the 1/4 mile at over 200 MPH, with over 2000 horsepower!! I won't share my secret technique for building the plates, but I will say that prepreg and an autoclave did NOT provide the greatest structural integrity or the greatest density for such CF pieces. I've never been one to shy away from a challenge, but in this instance, I think that your previous experience with it is enough for me to forego attemting to surmount that challenge.

I think that in theory (my own, dumb imaginary theory) the smaller the sub, the less the excursion, the less power is placed on it, the less the box density matters. And yes, I would assume that a sealed box would probably have less issue with resonance also....especially if it was filled with polyfill or the like. But I think Skullz hit the nail on the head. It just isn't practical. And by practical, I'm not speaking strictly about the cost of such a thing, but more so the work involved and time wasted to get it to even work with just a small sub moving little air. Like I said above, maybe I'll try it with a small sub first?

I agree. Box resonance as a result of low desity is probably the one obstacle that could not be overcome just because of the nature of the material and its low density. Afterall, that's why we make our boxes out of MDF and not plywood, superior density. Maybe I'll just make an amp rack out of CF or something else cool. Just brainstorming here, really.

.....if it worked and sounded ok, it would be truly, epicly, badass. I'm just not wanting to waste my time doing something that will never sound good, no matter how well built it is. Throwing away $4000 in CF and resin would suck.

How thick did you go (layers), and did you use any filler at all to increase the thickness?

Anyone ever seen or heard of a subwooker box being built totally or partially out of carbon fiber? And I'm not talking about just a carbon fiber overlay or a fake vinyl wrap. I mean actually structural walls made of carbon fiber. I've got a 100x60" roll of the stuff and gallons and gallons of resin just sitting in my warehouse, so I was daydreaming of doing something stupid with it. Yes, I know it takes a LOT of CF to build a speaker box. And MANY, MANY layers. I build motor plates out out of CF as a hobby and they are 1/4" thick, taking 28 layers and using roughly $300 worth of material, so a true CF speaker box could cost thousands in material alone. But wouldn't it be cool to have a 16 cubic foot speaker box that fits 2 18s and weighs in at under 30 pounds? Maybe I'll build one as an experiment for a 10" or 12" sub for my wife's Lexus first and see how things go? Just thinking out loud here...... Anyone have any links, pics, or stories about such a thing, or am I just a blithering idiot? Pics of my work on motor plates:

Thanks for the reply Joe. That was the type of information I was looking for. I still welcome more responses if anyone has anything to add to what Joe said. I think I have decided to design the box for what RE calls "optimal". At 8 cubic feet per sub, it will be big, but it will allow me to make a smaller box out of it later if it doesn't suit me. I'd rather start on the larger side and cut it down than start small and build an entirely new box if I change my mind. I'm thinking of building a shallow box, 49x49x15-ish and taking up the entire rear cargo area. This would mean speakers up and port up. I know speakers up and port rearward is the loudest design, but this seems more practical. This would also allow me a smaller cross section to cut off if I decide to make the box smaller, as opposed to making a 24x24x24 cube. Thoughts? Also, any thoughts on my pic for an amp? The Rockford Fosgate 2500. It is slightly over powering the 1000 watt speakers, but as long as it isn't cranked up at full volume for extended periods, I should be ok, right?

The truck is a 2006 Escalade SWB (Tahoe size) with the third row seats removed. I don't want to go any taller than 26", width is limited by the fenders at 49" and the lenth from back seats to the rear hatch door is +/- 49". I have plenty of space to make the box significantly larger than the optimal suggested size of 8.0cu ft X2. I'm a master carpenter and I've been playing around with numbers on the Torres calculator, so finding the correct dimensions and building the box are not really my concern. No need for you to waste your time crunching numbers on my behalf, I enjoy that part of the project! I really just want to get to the point where I can make the decision on what cu ft size box to build and whether to divide the box or not. As far as what music I listen to, the range is eclectic. Everything from low, deep screwed bass to quick beat rap, to rock, to ultra-heavy thrash metal. Obviously I need a compromise between all, so one type doesn't always end up sounding like muddy crap. That is why I am leaning toward a slightly smaller 5.5-6.0 cu ft enclosure and dividing it. Am I correct in assuming a ported enclosure will get slightly better transient response with such large speakers if I use a seperate, divided box for each sub?

Hello everyone. I'm new to posting in this forum, but have been a basshead since the late 80s! Been out of the game for a few years and just getting back in. Many things have changed, yet so many others are still the same. Anyway, on to my system: I just recently ordered a pair of RE SX 18s for my Escalade and plan to build my own box, just as I always did back in the day. This will be my first venture into a ported box, and my first box with 18s. The 1.25" MDF is on order and the subs should be arriving here this week about the same time. On the RE website it recommends a 5.5cu ft box tuned to 35hz as "compact" and an 8.0cu ft box tuned to 34hz as "optimal". I plan to power the subs with a Fosgate 2500@1ohm I do not plan to compete with the system, just want to rattle the ground and enjoy my music, but I also want to get the most from the system that is possible without sacrificing an unreasonable amount of sound quality. I know 18s aren't exactly built for SQ, so I am not expecting the world, just a decend compromise between deep, low bass and decent sound. I know the 18s are going to give strong, deep base in any proper enclosure designed specificly for them, I simply seek to not sacrifice any more SQ than is necessary. And before you suggest that I can get better SQ and higher SPL from 4 12s or 3 15s or something of the sort, the speakers are bought and paid for and on their way. I chose them because I have always wanted a pair of 18s, since before I could drive. My decision was based on that, as simple, stupid and childish as it may seem to others. Here are my questions: #1: Which box size should I build, 5.5 or 8.0 or something in between? #2: I have always built sealed boxes with a seperate enclosure for each woofer. Would seperate enclosures help my 18s or hinder them? I am assuming for SQ, seperate is better, but SPL would be lost. Am I correct? And what else should I be considering in the seperate vs. community box debate. #3: When building the box, should I subtract a certain percentage of cu ft per side when using a community box for both subs, or do the recommended box dimensions per sub apply no matter how many subs are in a single undivided enclosure? I'm sure I'll come up with a few more questions as I get these answered, but I appreciate anyone who takes the time to answer.