New Rear Shelf Install/speaker Upgrade

[jrampton]

Yesterday i did an install of a custom shelf, and 6x9 install into the shelf.

First thing we did was chase the cables to the dash Speakers (easier than the doors, just means on a standard stereo the balance control needs to be set differantly F becomes R)

We did one speaker cable each side, this worked out easier as we didn't have to try and get across the dash, altho there is alot more room in the cable holders on the pass side as there is only 1 cable for the boot light running that side.

Next was the rear shelf, we used a bit of laminated chip board as we were working to a budget but i would reconmend a nicer piece of wood, mdf is good but a stronger wood would be better.

It helps to have a friend who has a jigsaw,belt sander,workshop drill and router in his garage with light and power.

First we looked at the shape of the wood and after cutting the shelf out and realised we had to router the edges to make a better fit.

we then fitted the shelf and drew around the pegs (note: this was a mistake. what we needed to do is leave about 1mm then mark it again.)

once we got the indent for the peg correct we added blocks to sit it on

Note that the Speakers holes aren't cut out here, sods law says if you do this you'll mess up and have to start again, don't cut them until your happy with the shelf.

another lesson learned is don't solder the speaker wires onto the speaker, we broke the bit the cables attach too and in my wisdom connected chocolate blocks to the cables running to the speaker and connected those to the cables, the cables that run from the speaker to the connector on the speaker are fixed for a reason, they have just enough length for the speaker to move so if you do what i did the choc blocks vibrate like mad.

Thanks to HH for all his help, use of his tools and mess in his garage.

[chrisb]

Hey!

looking good! Are you going for the wood effect or covering it? :P

Have you got the Speakers connected up now?

CB

[jrampton]

Hey!

looking good! Are you going for the wood effect or covering it? :P

Have you got the speakers connected up now?

CB

Yes i am going to cover it, the Speakers are connected but don't sound too good because of the cockup but i have another set coming soon hopefully.

[chrisb]

Cool!

You may wanna make your pictures a bit smaller as they are pretty massive!

CB

[jaxx]

shrink you pics please fella

(photobucket can do it for you ;) )

[Akshay]

Have you made that shelf out of Chipboard??

Sorry to say this but all custom shelves are made out of MDF to maximise sound quality, unless of course this is only a temporary measure for you? Also those corners which hinge on the car will soon start crumbling away with the weight of the Speakers on the shelf.

I bought a high-quality custom shelf from Auto-acoustics which was pre-cut for my chosen Speakers and carpeted. (for my old car) :)

[DaveSR]

Not bad !

I want to do mine properly but at the mo I can't be ubikd

[dicey2k]

Good job coming on there... Although i would steer clear of chipboard as said earlier as it is poor for sound quality and also breaks up like you wouldn't believe! I think the general consensus is that shelves and boxes should be made from MDF for a much better quality of build.

Your photos are huge dude, and i'm on a very high res monitor!! You might want to shrink them a bit?

[jrampton]

Good job coming on there... Although i would steer clear of chipboard as said earlier as it is poor for sound quality and also breaks up like you wouldn't believe! I think the general consensus is that shelves and boxes should be made from MDF for a much better quality of build.

Your photos are huge dude, and i'm on a very high res monitor!! You might want to shrink them a bit?

Hi sorry about the pics hopefully thats a bit better.

I used chipboard because we were working to a budget and used what we had rather than spending money on wood, we will prob use it as a template and make another one later on out of MDF.

what thickness MDF do people use ?

[jaxx]

if i were you id have ran your new speaker wire directly into the doors, using some good quality stuff then hopping back onto the cars original 'bell-wire' loom is going to counter-act the goodness of your new cables ;)

[Akshay]

Hi mate, the stuff you need for a decent shelf is 18mm MDF which you can pick up in huge sheets from B&Q for around £6-7. This is what the pro's use. I had a look on the Auto Acoustics website last night and they sell completed Yaris Stealth Shelves for around £60+vat. This is the price for a complete shelf contoured to look identical to the OEM shelf, pre-cut to house your specified Speakers, covered in your chosen colour of carpet, and all the mounting brakets fixed. But if you're good at DIY you could probably do this for half the cost. :)

[jrampton]

Hi mate, the stuff you need for a decent shelf is 18mm MDF which you can pick up in huge sheets from B&Q for around £6-7. This is what the pro's use. I had a look on the Auto Acoustics website last night and they sell completed Yaris Stealth Shelves for around £60+vat. This is the price for a complete shelf contoured to look identical to the OEM shelf, pre-cut to house your specified speakers, covered in your chosen colour of carpet, and all the mounting brakets fixed. But if you're good at DIY you could probably do this for half the cost. :)

Yeah i will prob do it myself (with some help from my mate) its much more satisfying doing it that way.

Jaxx i know what you mean about the cable, i will hopefully change the headunit soon so thats why i have good cables so they can go straight into the new headunit, i will also do the door ones when i get the sound proofing that i have ordered.

[Kerby]

18mm MDF is the best one to use. i have made 6 shelfs now and nothin has gone wrong yet and the sound quality is so much better. nice effort tho. looks like i have some competition now :P

[dicey2k]

You'll always be our resident wood boy Chris, no man can make a Hi-Fi cabinet like you mate!!!

[jrampton]

An update on my rear shelf is that i now have RCA connectors fitted to the cables so that the rear shelf can be lifted out very easily. I have also covered the shelf and the material is the same colour as the cars interior which is nice so it looks original minus the mouldings on the original shelf but the main thing is you can't see the Speakers from the outside which is good, but it sounds awsome !!