lightweight audio components?

[j.fuggi]

i want a system that really pounds, but i want to keep it light. i want to have a car with go.. and a car with whoa when i drive by and YOUR mirrors shake...

what is a good setup to go with? i want 2 12's no matter what!

[LjasonL]

kinda hard to have both... maybe just a box thats easily removable so u can take it out when u race? a good speaker box should be built of very dense material and will therefore be heavy, the weight of the speakers and other components will be minimal compared to the box itself. the only thing i can think of is just take it out when u race thats what i do now, well at the dragstrip anyway i leave it in on the street (in case a hasty getaway is necessary ) but soon mine will be non-removable or at least not-easily-removable and if u go that route youll have to do the same as me and just deal with it. anybody know a better solution post it cuz id like to know as well.

[xivera]

If weight is a concern, your main issue is with the sub box. You can either go with a removable box (easier) or, do a fiberglass composite (more difficult).

[j.fuggi]

explain this composite.. if you dont mind... :sun:

[LjasonL]

like a fiberglass body part for your car, only making a speaker box out of it. i am currently building one to flush mount in my spare tire well, but it will be difficult to remove. its quite a bit lighter than mdf, which is what a good wooden box should be made of. its a lot more expensive than an mdf box though, when i built the mdf box for my car i had maybe $40 in materials, with the fiberglass box i am currently at $100 just in materials and still not done! im glad i know how to do this so i dont have to pay someone else to do it cus an average mdf box with $40-$50 in materials costs like $120, i shudder to think what a fiberglass box would cost!

[j.fuggi]

got any pics? is what you're talking about, that shit i see in import tuner and other magazines with cars that have systems? nice colored material with speakers sitting in them nicely?

[LjasonL]

yeah thats exactly right! usually painted up nice to match the car, and mounted in places where youd never get wood to go. when u see the really nice, custom systems, inset into the floor or wherever, it is almost always fiberglass.

[j.fuggi]

sweet, i want one!! lol if you got any info, ir'd be appreciated. but i don't think i'll be too good at it.

[LjasonL]

heres a couple examples of the use of (a lot) of fiberglass. help out any?
http://www.caraudiomag.com/images/co...a6_iasca09.jpg
http://www.carsound.net/assets/image...na2000_161.jpg
http://www.carsound.net/assets/image...na2000_154.jpg

[j.fuggi]

hmm i like that setup in the supra! (2nd link)

[LjasonL]

its really not as hard as youd think. for my spare tire well i just laid masking tape inside it into the exact shape i wanted (use several layers so its strong enough, and try to avoid making it a shape that will hang up on the car cuz once its dry if it hangs youre not getting it out! 3 o 4 layers of tape will be plenty of strength even when stretched through the air over a potential hangup) then u go buy some fiberglass cloth and hardening resin, if u go into a car auto body supply store and ask for fiberglass cloth and resin theyll know what youre talking about. the fiberglass cloth is very soft just like any other cloth. just cut out little strips circles squares whatever to cover the area u wanna cover, then apply the resin with a paintbrush and let it dry. youll need 4 or 5 layers to be strong enough, try to make sure the pieces on each layer cover up the seams of the previous layer. if u have any seams or anything after youre done u can cover them with 2 or 3 layers of strips over that spot, dont worry about the stuff looking great for now just make it decent. its easier to make 2 separate pieces top and bottom then join them with more strips than trying to build all one piece. u can make some sort of mold if u like just make sure to put something (like more masking tape, plenty of layers) in between the fiberglass and the mold or itll stick to the mold and u prob wont get it off. the piece that the speaker will mount on, usually the top piece, can be made of wood, even like 1/4 inch paneling, to be sure its the exact right shape hole for the speaker and for something for your screws to screw into, then u can coat that with a layer or 2 to make it look nice and stick it to the bottom piece. once you have your "box" or whatever shape you make, sand it to smooth (dont sand too much though) then u can paint it or take it to a body shop for painting. i dont really have any tips for painting thats my friends department. hope that helps!

[j.fuggi]

cool, but what about sound quality and whatnot?

[LjasonL]

well your subs will have a recommended box size, try to go by that, but u gotta be good with algebra and shit like that which im not, so i either get somebody else to figure it out for me or make a box that... ahem... looks close to right. u can make a mold out of paneling, cardboard, anything remotely stiff and make it the right size, then just layer the stuff on that and itll be the right size. if u use enough layers of fiberglass it will be pretty strong and sound like any other sealed wooden box, and if youre gonna use 2 subs try to make a separate box for each, the easiest way to do that is to figure out the recommended size, double it, then put a divider down the middle. making a fiberglass box is a lot harder than wood, but is lighter and looks a lot better too. plus u can get really creativ cuz u can make just about any damn shape u can think of.

[LjasonL]

my 12 inch jl has a recommended box volume of .75 cubic feet, luckily thats about the size of my spare tire well, so ive already got my mold on this one! i just hafta just lay the tape and go at it.

[j.fuggi]

how did you figure out the volume of your spare tire well? i wonder if its in my service manual