Well I thought I might join in and start a thread on my install I'll be attempting.
Plus this will be my first major install I'm attempting as all previous have been prefab and messy.

So, the plan for this install will be;
Fully sound deaden the boot,
12" sub in a fibreglass and MDF enclosure in the spare wheel,
2 amps on the boot floor near the ski port side by side,
Trimmed in carpet the same as the boot.
With the end result being a flat as possible floor and usable boot space.

As I'm a family man I still need boot space for things like shopping and prams and stuff. However It needs to be finished before July as I'm moving due to work. Family is not coming with me.

So while the missus was at work today and me looking after my 2 kids, I got started on the boot today.
So here is the blank canvas;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/BlankCanvas1.jpg
Where the sub is going;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/WhereTheSubIsGoing.jpg
And starting on the amp rack;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/AmpRack.jpg

I'll keep updating where and when I can. I'll be doing bits and pieces during the week after work so It'll be slow going.

Yet another person was foolish enough to do a boot install lol

Nice amps, and nice wheel hehe

Its good to see other projects out there - just remember, measure 3 times, cut once...... *sigh*

yeah I know the rule.
Was nearly a cabinet maker by trade, then decided to join the defence force :happy:

Hey, do you want me to scan in a street machine article on pretty much exactly what you're doing?

Sub in the spare wheel, hinged, recessed and stealth :)

Is it in the latest issue or previous?
I might have it.

Hey, do you want me to scan in a street machine article on pretty much exactly what you're doing?

Sub in the spare wheel, hinged, recessed and stealth :)

Yes, please scan if possible, I'd like to read this article....

Struggling to find the magazine - will ask my friend if I left it at his place.....

Anywho back to Grelise's install. How you planning on showing off the amps? Or will they be totally hidden?

im really interested, wanting to do an install in mine but dont have the guts/knowledge about what to do and not to do

With the amps there'll be a board over them with cutouts to show them off, but when boot is being used they'll be covered with the factory boot carpet to help protect them.
I've already got a grill for the sub aswell.
All the tyre changing gear will also have there own hidey holes.

Sometime this week I'll be starting on the fibreglassing, first time at it too.

This shows how little i know about this stuff, but im assuming you will be making a false floor for this even if your not how do you get the floor to be perfectly flat?

instead of throwing the carpet over the amps when you wanna put stuff in the boot, what about a peice of perspex or something?
the carpet might catch on fire from the heat of the amps, not saying they will tho
would be nice with the perspex window tho, maybe with a light behind it lighting up the amps when the boot is open?

This shows how little i know about this stuff, but im assuming you will be making a false floor for this even if your not how do you get the floor to be perfectly flat?

Large piece of MDF.

Make sure you paint it (MDF absorbs moisture and warps like nothing else).

Then it all comes down to what you really want to do.....

Large piece of MDF.

Make sure you paint it (MDF absorbs moisture and warps like nothing else).

Then it all comes down to what you really want to do.....

as long as the end grain is sealed then it should be fine
also MDF wont really warp when flat, they tend to bow when leaning up against the wall for acouple of days do
in a car normal MDF will be fine, unless you wanna buy the waterproof one

instead of throwing the carpet over the amps when you wanna put stuff in the boot, what about a peice of perspex or something?
the carpet might catch on fire from the heat of the amps, not saying they will tho
would be nice with the perspex window tho, maybe with a light behind it lighting up the amps when the boot is open?

That was an idea I was toying with, then thought of how to cool the amps being under perspex. I would have to put some cooling fans in to stop overheating, but I don't crank the stereo all that often.
When I do put stuff in the boot, the stereo stays pretty low anyway.
In saying that how much is it to get perspex cut to shape?

Last time I was quoted Perspex cut to size was around $80 for a largish piece (probably about the size of your amps) in 12mm perspex.

Your alternative (provided to me by Woob) is to get 6mm glass cut to size, it will work out cheaper, stronger, and wont scratch like perspex.

If you need cooling fans - I have 4 80mm cooling fans, yours for the cost of postage. If your amp rack is 80mm tall, then its a perfect fit :)

will be watching this very closley, i kinda wanna do the same thing

Tomorrow after work, will be going to Bunnings an getting more MDF then start taping up the spare wheel in preparation for fibreglassing.

Grelise - bunnings will be the death of you :P

So many tools, and not enough money to buy them all :(

How are you securing your floor to well, your floor? Bolts?

Ha!! yes just seen a Ryobi circular saw with table for $349.

Well started to do some more stuff when my cordless died, so down to bunnings and bought a new one
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/DSCF1401.jpg
Then get a phone call with the missus ordering me to buy a all in one steamer for the couch, so did that, got home only to find a brand new Entertainment unit waiting for me put together, so did that and somehow ended up steamcleaning the couches too.
So nothing was done to the car and then I plucked up the courage to tell her I'm off to Adelaide for a week in the last week of May.
It................................................ ........................went...................... ..........................down.................... ...............................................baa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Grelise - got two of those puppies, dont get me wrong, Im all for buying bosch/makita/dewalt tools - however, for $53 - those drills really aint bad.

My main issue is when countersinking a screw (chipboard self countersinking screws) the torque adjustment sometimes goes from 19 down to 14......but eh, not bad.

Just picked up a ozito circular saw today too.....

you should buy one of those drill bits with the counter sinker attached to it
has to be one of the best tools around :)

I tend to slow the speed of the drill to stop me countersinking to far.
I checked under the car earlier to see if there is anything there to stop me drilling into the boot area and looks pretty clear. But that will be a last resort when bolting in the amp rack

Bolt points:

Red lines running towards front of car - chassis rails

Red lines running across back of boot - subframe.

Green is ok.

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4081/greliseboltpoints.jpg
http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/807/grelise2boltpoints.jpg

Thats pretty much what I could see under the car.
Cheers dude.
Hopefully I can get something done tomorrow.

After 3 days this is the disappointing progress so far:
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1407.jpg
The rack is held in place by double sided tape and the board closest is for leaning on while measuring.
Ran out of cash when I bought the new cordless. Now wait for tomorrow as its Defence Appreciation Day (payday):woot:
Hopefully this will take up most of my time on the weekend.

Ozito is great stuff for the money!
I picked up their professional series 14.4V Lithium Iron cordless drill for $150 :woot:
13mm chuck
Metal Clutch
One hand keyless chuck
and a host of other features!

Have yet to try anything where it runs out of torque. Neat little drill. With a 3 yr replacement warranty!!! :facejump:
The new 18V professional series is for sale at Bunnings right now for $198 dammit :(

I did just go and buy a Ozito jig saw and electric plane though, just need a router now!

They might be fine for handyman stuff but I wouldnt like to use one every day or even week, I dare say youd be using the replacement guarantee.

Grelise - dont give up, a good install takes time and effort, and they never seem to move along at any great pace which can become very disheartening, however......dont give up. One bit at a time and it will get done!

They might be fine for handyman stuff but I wouldnt like to use one every day or even week, I dare say youd be using the replacement guarantee.


Yeah they aren't designed for tradesmen, but for home use they are very good value for money.

That said, my brother is a plumber and he has gone through 3 $600 Dewalt cordless drills in 3 years... and they are supposed to be designed for tradies... Needless to say he is not touching Dewalt again.

They might be fine for handyman stuff but I wouldnt like to use one every day or even week, I dare say youd be using the replacement guarantee.

I purchased 5 tools from bunnings about 5 years ago, all $18 each (angle grinder, drill, jigsaw, cant remember the other 2) to this day they still work fine :P

Yeh thats what i meant with handyman stuff, im talking about using them daily or weekly for real jobs. My old man is a builder and wears gear out pretty quickly so he obviously gets the better quality more expensive gear.

Grelise - dont give up, a good install takes time and effort, and they never seem to move along at any great pace which can become very disheartening, however......dont give up. One bit at a time and it will get done!

Ha!! I ain't giving up on this, it's just other things that keep popping up that takes me away from it.

you are doing better than me :P I drew ideas up for my boot install 4 years ago... and that's as far as it got LOL
I did a heap of other stuff to the car but never had a huge chunk of time to actually get started so it never happened! Now I have some tools though I am hoping to get it finished... and then sell the car :(

dewalt, horrible stuff when it comes to cordless drills.

for drills:
Panasonic - Electronic brake will likely die in time
Makita - Chuck will loosen with age
Metabo - No reportable faults
Festool - No reportable faults

Got a new toy on Thursday.

It's a handheld Ryobi trimmer/router. Now I can router out a perfect circle for a sub instead of trying with the jigsaw.
It's got the attachments for circle work and variable height. Plus I got some router bits aswell. So $100 for the router and 14 for the bits, all from bunnings.
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/DSCF1410.jpg

So today gonna try and finish off the amp rack (untrimmed for now) and bolted to the car and get the front speakers hooked up. Then depending on time start the sub enclosure.

Well got most of what I wanted to do done today.
Amp rack is bolted down, used the original screw mounts with the metal tabs in the boot that are used for the stock wheel cover.
And a cover for the amps with cutouts were made, now all thats left is to trim it.
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1411.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1412.jpg

Tomorrow I should be able to start on the spare wheel sub enclosure.
I also got the front splits hooked up again, music again:happy:

Damn very impressed so far - i'de be damn well pleased if it was my car :)

Well, I've stopped work for now to babysit 5 kids while the missus goes out for an hour.

So here is the progress,
Started on the enclosure, using a sheet of 12mm MDF I cut out a piece big enough for the wheel and then traced the inside diameter and jigsawed it out.
Made a frame to go over the top and this is where the fibreglass will bond to and form the basis of the enclosure.

When the missus gets back, I'llbe cutting a piece of 16mm MDF and begin the trial fit for the sub.

Pics:
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1426.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1425.jpg

I should have more of an update later tonight.

That looks awesome mate, very similar to what i want to do!

i bought tools for my boot install today, got some MDF but havn't made a start yet lol. i will eventually haha!

Well, thanks guys for all your feedback, both good or bad. It helps me to keep motivated to get it finished.

Anyway, got the top piece done and the hole for the sub cut out, the trial fitted the sub to check clearances.

So far so good, between the hub face on the rim to the bottom of the sub there is a 15mm gap. Plenty of room.:happy:

So tomorrow will be the taping up of the enclosure ready for fibreglassing. And making cut outs to fill the areas to either side of the boot.

Pics;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1427.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1429.jpg
Now before anyone says the sub isn't central, it's because it is lined up centrally with the rim.

I used to have a similiar setup in my car and if i could give you 1 piece of good advice it would involve your sub grille head down to jay car car and get there 15inch speaker grille take the rubber off aroung the out side and flatten out the lip then cut a hole in the mdf floor so the outside of the sub slips through cut a ring out of 12 or 18mm mdf glur and screw it to the under side of the floor so you have sumthing to screw the sub to and then on the top floor you recess the grille in so it sits flush. once the carpets put on top the boot looks stock. i knew i shoudve put mine in the FS section but instead through it out.

be careful that you dont go to plug that trim router in and find the switch is turned on, its the dodgiest router ive ever used in that respect, the switch actually sticks out further than the shield that stops it from being accidently pressed. other than that, weve been using one day in day out for a few years without killing it so it should do you forever :)

Now before anyone says the sub isn't central, it's because it is lined up centrally with the rim.

how does it look if you put the sub central to the boot ? will it fit ?

how does it look if you put the sub central to the boot ? will it fit ?

+1, i think it'd look better if it were out of line with the rim than the whole car

Grelise - nice work, damn you get more done than I do :(

I'll pm you a link tomorrow to the scanned copy of the street machine article, wont post it up for possible copyright issues. It may give you a better idea about the sub, they had theirs countersunk between two 18mm sheets of MDF. With a hard grill covering it. Once it was trimmed, you couldnt tell there was a sub there, and you could place heavy objects on top :)

Hmmm I am looking for a router right now... For the following:

Trimming the hinge inserts for interior door in the house
Nice recessed holes for speakers in the front panel of DIY boxes
General stuff like putting a nice rounded edge on flat squares of wood for the HIFI rack in the lounge
My boot install when I finally get around to it!

Now I went and had a look in Bunnings today for that router but the circle attachment specifies only 220mm max which would only do a 8" speaker... How did you do your sub?
Also I couldn't find anywhere its max cut depth...
How do you find the 400W? It was less than half the power of any of their others (Ozito, Ryobi) so was just wondering whether it would struggle a bit? It was fairly expensive compared to the power of other models so I would assume its pretty well built... None of the other's had the circular attachment though :(

Do I, Don't I????

Ryobi 400Watt Trimming-Routing Kit (http://www.ryobi.com.au/Products/Power-Tools/Corded/Routers/400-Watt-Trimming---Routing-Kit.aspx)
Ryobi 1250Watt Plunge Action Router Kit (http://www.ryobi.com.au/Products/Power-Tools/Corded/Routers/1250-Watt-Plunge-Action-Router-Kit.aspx)
Ozito 650W (http://www.ozito.com.au/productinfo.aspx?prodid=PRG-621V)
Ozito 1200W (http://www.ozito.com.au/productinfo.aspx?prodid=PRG-632VK)

You make up your own quick tool that bolts onto the router.....

Takes about 5minutes of work....will post up in my thread once I've made a new one. Which reminds me, need new router.

hmmm just found the bigger Ryobi can't but the 2 Ozitos both have a centre pin for circle work. They don't give any indication of max diameter though. The main thing I am worried about with the smaller Ryobi is the small 400W motor...

So Ers you reckon just buy one and make my own adapters? Easy enough?
Hmmm maybe i should start a new thread rather than Hijack this one. I posted here originally because he had the router I was looking at...

Grelise - nice work, damn you get more done than I do :(

I'll pm you a link tomorrow to the scanned copy of the street machine article, wont post it up for possible copyright issues. It may give you a better idea about the sub, they had theirs countersunk between two 18mm sheets of MDF. With a hard grill covering it. Once it was trimmed, you couldnt tell there was a sub there, and you could place heavy objects on top :)

I plan on raising the boot floor for that very reason.





how does it look if you put the sub central to the boot ? will it fit ?

No, won't fit due to the spare. Once I countersink it It will be less noticeable

Update;
I put temporary hinges on the sub floor today.
That is all

Pics or ban :)

errrrr maybe this weekend when I get back from Adelaide :)

Well got a bit more done today.
Using the boot carpet as a template, made some covers for the sides of the boot. With these I made the trace then knowing that the these covers are not flat with the floor, some mods were made to the template to better suit the shape then cut out and trimmed to fit as best as possible.
Also counter sunk the sub to make it as low as possible.
And bought some auto carpet from Bunnings 2m x1m Black carpet for $32

Pics of what it looks like now;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1487.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1489.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1488.jpg
Sub counter sunk;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1493.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1494.jpg

And the carpet;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1492.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/DSCF1491.jpg

At this stage the install will be halted for about 3 weeks as I'll be away, but hope to resume and finish before July.

looking good. so are you gonna put some sort of clear plate over them or leave them uncovered.

I have a grill for the sub, and with the amps as they are. When I need to use the boot, or not being used I'll have my OEM boot carpet over the top for the stealth look.
I wont have overheating issues as I don't crank the stereo everytime I listen. I have kids and need to keep the levels low. Only when I'm on my own and feel the need do I crank it.

Hey guys, can anyone give me a good contact adhesive to use for carpet to MDF?

May do some work to the boot tomorrow, namely doing some trim work. I've only got tomorrow before I go again for about a week or two.

Just spent the last 2 days with 8 others in a leaking liferaft and 1 1/2 days on an Island living off the land as part of a survival course I'm doing. So we have today and tomorrow off before finishing off the final phases, Jungle and Desert.

I currently use Selly's Kwik Grip (green/silver or green/white label) Pay a bit more and get the one for laminating vertical surfaces (thicker, non drip).

Do it in a WELL ventillated area....this stuff really lets off some fumes (for around 24hours afterwards too).

Is the stuff spray on or brushed on?

Brush/spread on - for spray on, as per Woobs thoughts, Bostik Anchor Weld #2701 (fck knows where to get it).

If its thicker carpet, or has any backing, I'd be using brush on - unless anyone knows if a spray on has a good enough bond?

Cheers mate, I'll check it out tomorrow.
Well I think I've done quite well so far, this being my first true boot install. Just gotta go over it and fix up some minor details then wire up the sub up and tune it all and it should be almost done.

It sounds so easy when you say it like that lol

Oh ps - if you use the brush on contact adhesive be carefull, when it gets 'tacky' it tends to be stringy like cheese on a pizza.....and those bits ALWAYS find the piece of carpet you are applying and make it look like garbage.....and you cant clean it off either, it sticks like **** to a blanket......

Well I dont plan on stuffing it up, and yes I always work in a well ventilated area

I know mate - just giving you a heads up, its a bit tricky to work with :)

Keep all glue away from the Sub... The fumes can eat rubber so please be carefull or Uninstall the sub till your done gluing and the fumes are clear...

Yeah the subs coming out, its just sitting there looking pretty at the moment. I put it in there to see what the finished product looked like and to check fitting. It'll be a few weeks before it's finally finished.

Got absolutely nothing done today. Opened the boot, stared, closed the boot and walked away.
Maybe next time.

nice work mate work hard good luck

lol Sounds like you have a plan lol...

Well I have 7 days left before I move so I need to get my butt movin and finish this install.
So I started by ripping the gear out of the boot again and using the Dynamat boot kit I got today proceeded to sound deaden it.
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11511.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11512.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11513.jpg
After I ran out of dynamat, I got the carpet out and started trimming. This is the first trimming I've really done. Only done two pieces today and will finish the rest tomorrow.
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11514.jpg

Well trimmed all the pieces today and test fit them in the car. It's a tight fit but at least a I know the trim panels wont move.
Pics;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11516.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11517.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11518.jpg
All thats left to do now is wire it back up, tune it and enjoy.

damn good clean job their hope mine turns out as neat as yours ;)

damn good clean job their hope mine turns out as neat as yours ;)

If you take your time and dont rush (measure twice, cut once) it will turn out.

Looks great Grelise and just in time for you to enjoy it on your trip south next week!

where did u get the carpet and how much did it set u back and was it hard to work with

looks the goods mate, well done :)
do you have any pics of the sub box? did you end up fibreglassing it?

Wow now thats an install ! nice and neat... Although when you crank it a top firing sub is going to cause the boot lid to rattle..

where did u get the carpet and how much did it set u back and was it hard to work with

Got the carpet from bunnings and wasn't hard to work with. It's proper auto plush carpet, very nice. Get some good quality adhesive and a staple gun and you should be right.

Finally wired it up tonight, with a few glitches along the way.
First glitch was after wiring it up, put the power back onto the battery and went to the boot and noticed that the amps were powered. WTF I thought.
Turned out some copper strands from the power wire on the 4 ch was slightly touching the remote port. Got rid of this and fixed.
Next my driver side speaker wasnt working. After fiddling around with the speaker wire by the amp, I took the door trim off and turned that the idiot at mitsu who replaced my drivers mirror had messed with the speaker wireand over time it had worked loose and got caught on something and was ripped from the speaker terminal by the window going up and down. Secured the wiring again all fixed.

Now that it all works, god its good to have bass again, I did a quick tune by setting everything on nominal and now sounds awesome. Took some more quick pics.

http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11522.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11530.jpg
Not much of the amps showing;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11528.jpg
And a no night shot, no flash;
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11525.jpg

Nice work dude, really nice work :)

I'd definately be happy with that!

Cheers mate, now I just gotta wait for that dynamat from you, hehe

Some better pics of the boot;

http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11564.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11565.jpg
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Boot%20Install/SDC11566.jpg

Went well today, it swallowed up a pram, shopping, a few other odds and ends and still had room to spare.

Yeah mine definately cant fit that much hahaha

Definately a nice clean install though :) god I really want to get back to doing mine......working 7 days a week isnt helping the cause tho!

Nice work man, looks real clean and still heaps of space :)

Thanks for all the comments guys. All I can say is that it pumps!!. You can feel the bass through the car and the SQ is still very clear.
My 6yr old daughter loves it and my wife says its 'nice' lol.

love this install sooooo clean....

with mine ill be putting the amps where your sub is and the subs vertical against the back wall but ill leave the ski port open so i can open and get even more bass ;)

project will start in a few months after i do all my other mods ;)

If I didn't have kids and no need for boot space I would have done it that way also.
Ahwell cant change the mistakes I've made haha

Ahwell cant change the mistakes I've made haha
Don't let the wife see that comment lol

Boot looks sweeet! Doesn't it worry you putting stuff in the boot though, I wouldn't watch to scratch the grille on the sub or the amps!

Don't let the wife see that comment lol

Boot looks sweeet! Doesn't it worry you putting stuff in the boot though, I wouldn't watch to scratch the grille on the sub or the amps!

She says the same about me:redface:
Doesn't worry me. The boot isn't intended for shows, its there to be used. I do have some carpet that I lay over the amps to help prevent them getting scratched.

I'm pretty sure I saw you pull up at supercheap in Kirwan on Sunday afternoon.. Was that you? I was on the bastard black R1 that chewed up my licence when I goto court on Friday. :S

Yeah that was me, nice bike too. Was getting some new car cleaning products. Hadn't washed my car for nearly 2 months.

consider selling the boot setup? :)

definately looking very good now :)

do you have a pic, of the sub flipped up to get at the spare wheel when needed to?

just currious to see it in action/accessibility :)

At the moment its 90% done. When I finally return home next year I'll get it finished off and working right. At the moment theres no hinges, I simply lift the centre panel unclip the sub wiring and remove to acess the tyre.

mate that is a TOP install, excatly how i wanna do mine! you have inspired me :) haha!