My Honda Element Build

Discussion in 'Subwoofer Box and Custom Fabrication' started by H8glasswerk, Jan 28, 2011.

  1. connerray2010

    connerray2010 Full Member

    dang, yea i need to invest in some tools before a next system install.
    ok enuff with talk, i want more pics....
     
  2. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    I got my first car before I got my drivers license. So I was fifteen when I did my first install. A Pioneer cassette deck (don't remember the model number), a Pioneer GMH-22 amp (I think the model.). I built an enclosure for a M&M 15" with only a jigsaw, a hand screwdriver, and a caulking gun of silcone. That's right, I hand screwed together my first box.
     
  3. connerray2010

    connerray2010 Full Member

    I dont know, but i dang sure aint screwing one together by hand. lol. more pics? :)
     
  4. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    This is the build for my front stage. Starting with my A-pillar pods.

    I first start by cutting the plastic A-pillars, then clearance the sheet metal behind them.

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    Mock-up of the rings.

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    Stretched grille cloth over them to check the shape and clearance from the dash.

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    Glassed with a layer of matte.

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    After curing and a quick grind down. Fitted them again to check for shrinkage and dash clearance again.

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    After body work and some heavy spray polyester.

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    After finish sanding. Sprayed them SEM texture spray. And painted them in factory plastic color, to simulate a factory option.

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    I never could get the texture in a way I was happy with, so in the end I wrapped them in grey suede.

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  5. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    i like how the trim rings match the a/c vents.

    very nice work.
     
  6. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    You are the first to notice! Thank you!
     
  7. connerray2010

    connerray2010 Full Member

    i noticed after he said it lmao. looking good.
     
  8. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    you are very welcome. it's little touches like that, that I notice. it gives it a factory look.

    i have a friend that wants to tackle something like this and i'd wouldn't mind helping him, to learn for myself.

    roughly how much can it cost for the materials needed?
     
  9. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    Well, using my Honda as an example. The entire install, doors, dash, center console, pillars, sub enclosure. I probably went through roughly 10 gallons of resin. At about $50 a gallon=$500. I will not use Bondo brand resin from auto parts stores. It's thick and doesn't penetrate fleece very well. It also shrinks badly and takes too long to cure. I get mine specially mixed by a guy in Tulsa. It's watery and easy to use. If you are doing a big project like this I highly suggest you call around to places who do fiberglass repair. Ask them where they get their resin. In just about ever major city is a guy who makes his own resin. And if you are telling him what your doing with it he could probably adjust his mix.

    I'm a big fan of Duraglass, a lot of the stuff I build is made out of solid Duraglass. It doesn't shrink at all, and because it has fiberglass strands in it, it's very strong and even if you build it up 1" thick it won't break or crack.
    $50 a gallon, figure about 5 gallons=$250

    I recommend not using Bondo brand plastic filler. Everyone has their own preference, a lot of people say use Rage Gold. I try to use very little filler in my builds. So I'm not picky when it comes to filler (as long it's not Bondo). Our local auto body supply store stocks PPG Techifill, so that's what I use.
    I probably used 3 gallons at $40 per=$120

    So that's about $870. Not counting MDF and other misc materials.
     
  10. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    Build of the door panels. I didn't take pictures of the beginning steps. I told you guys earlier, I'm awful at documenting things. But I taped off the door panels in several layers of painters tape, being careful not to distort the original shape of the door. (i.e. no wrinkles in the tape.) Then I sketched out my shape using a Sharpie marker. When you glass something, the resin will lift the Sharpie outline so you can easily do all of your trimming later. Then coated the whole area in Vaseline, this is my release agent. After all that I laid down 5 layers of matte coating each layer as I went.

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    After curing overnight. I used the Sharpie outline and cut out the shape using an air saw. I routered out a set of rings for the speakers and tweeters.
    I simply glued the rings to the fiberglass using CA glue. I placed the panel back on the door to do Duraglass and body work. When you build an overlay panel like this, you always want to try to keep the panel against the surface you are trying to duplicate. If not it might get distorted.

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    I made of set of overlays to go on the back side of the door panels using the same steps as above, so the front pods didn't look so out of place.

    I know I said to keep the panels on the original surface to do body work, but I got lazy here. (Do as I say, not as I do! Haha.)
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    I did little build-ups on the door panel plastics, so that the painted pieces just didn't look like they sat there. Wrapped the plastic panels in suede afterwards.

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    I Dynamated the doors, both the outer door skin and inner.

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    I also added DynaXorb to the back of the mid locations.

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    Finished product. I also added blue leds to the door pockets.

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  11. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    i was only wondering about the pillars. i think he knows a guy that gets the watery resin you spoke of.

    i want to try a simple door panel for two 6.5's. it would only need to be 1 layer of .75'' mdf and two speaker rings at the same thickness. similar to your pics.

    my speakers are thin enough to not need to be 6 in deep like most guys i know.

    he wants to do pods in his 04 impala. 4 mids per door. i think its over kill, but i have 8 speakers up front in my truck,lol.

    4- 6.5's 2 per door
    2- 4'' dash.
    2- 1'' silk tweets. 1 per door.
     
  12. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    Holy crap! That's a huge front stage! I bet it'll be pretty awesome thou.

    I probably used less than hundred bucks worth of material on those pillars.

    So the base is going to be 3/4" MDF and a set of 3/4" rings placed on top?

    If that's the case, I can teach you some tricks where you wouldn't have to use fiberglass at all. And have them built in just a few hours.
     
  13. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    speaker grille clothe makes for an OUTSTANDING method of fibreglass resin application. Makes real purdy like contours in the shape.
     
  14. connerray2010

    connerray2010 Full Member

    pics pics pics pics, chearing you on brosiv lol.
     
  15. connerray2010

    connerray2010 Full Member

    i want to see some more :)
     
  16. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    Sorry guys, been hella busy. Will post the last of pics as soon as I can!
     
  17. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    Alright here are the last of the build pics for my Honda.

    I wanted to mold a SXRC controller to the dash to control the Kicker SX amps.

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    After the initial shape I decided it needed more. So I added some 1/4" ribs to the sides to give it more shape.

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    When I first bought the Element in 03' I molded a 7" monitor to the passenger side dash. But now 3 years later I needed to redo it for an updated one.

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    Also I molded the trim rings for my aftermarket headunits in 03' and now have to redo it for the updated equipment.

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    And finished product!

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  18. H8glasswerk

    H8glasswerk Full Member

    I then decided I wanted a "Toaster on Nitrous". So I bought a single stage 75 shot NOS wet kit. Now I wanted a cool center console to hold it.

    I first built the base with the seats and everything still in place to check all of my tolerances. I'm building the console in the same shape as the enclosure.

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    Once I got all my measurements, I gutted the entire vehicle (again). I took the door panels off because the guys doing my seats were stitching me some armrest covers.

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    You can see all the rings that I routered that fit over the NOS bottle. I'll cut them in half to build a cradle.

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    Console after frame work, fleece and glass. I added a plate to install my arming switches and purge button. Started on the body work.

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    Test fit.

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    Finished console. I completely taped off the NOS bottle and Duraglassed in some contours to make it cleaner looking.

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    My new seats thanks to the guys at Leather Seats.com

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    Nitrous solenoids installed. Bent a piece of aluminum on our sheet metal break, and polished it to hold the main system fuse holder and the solenoids.

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    Had to replace the fuel rail with one from an Acura RSX with a pressure check valve on it.

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    Last edited: Feb 17, 2011
  19. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    yeah..... it's 10 speakers now O_0. i added a soft dome tweet to the 4''s in the dash. they are getting 25~30 watts rms each on the front channels. 6db per oct cap for the highs, untill i find what i need for the 18 db slope passive im looking for.


    the doors are the same. 220 per door 2 ohm stereo. sounds real nice.


    i was thinking of using craft foam for a simple rounded shape, then grey vinyl wrapped and stapled to the rear of the panel. then i would secure the panel to the door with 1/2 screws from behind.

    what's your trick?
     
  20. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    awesome work by the way.

    top notch!