SKEEMASK'S 97' Thunderbird Build

[SKEEMASK 3]

Ok, Been gone from the site for a while but havent forgotten about u guys. Been in my lil shop doing some work for the past few weeks This is what my setup will be and is becoming. Ive already posted this stuff on another site. So if u see me talking in between saying "yea I did this one day".....dont pay it any mind cause Im being lazy right now and copying the posts from edit then pasting them here. some of these pics are a few weeks old.

1997 Thunderbird LX 4.6L V8

1* PWK Design and PWK enclosure build

(active 3way front stage)

4* Kenwood 0.75" tweets

4* Dayton 4" full range (front bandpass)

4* Mach5 MLI-65 6.5" midbasses

2* Fully Loaded BTL 12s (old 3magnet versions)

1* 7" flip out touch screen (still undecided)

1* 30gb Apple Ipod (will be functional through the touch screen)

1* 17" rear fold down screen

1* AudioControl DQXS Digital Processor/EQ

1* RF T3002....does around 320rms x 2 @2ohm (front bandpass)

1* Scosche EFX HD4600 a underated 140rms x 4 @ 2ohm (tweets and midbass)

1* Atomic AT-5K

1* Reman MotorCity 250amp Alt

1* Deka Intimidator 9A78DT (front battery)

2* Deka Intimidator 9A31s (rear batteries)

2 runs and big3 using 1/0 welding cable

Hey!!!! Whooos that leaning on my box? Oh thats the world famous Pete K.

got in my little ghetto wood shop and made my rings to start my glass work. A-pillars and doors are next on my list to be built.

Edited September 13, 2008 by SKEEMASK

[SKEEMASK 3]

Drilled lil holes in the panel to help the resin/fleece sink in and stick more to the original pillar. Then did a light sand with some 80grit paper

all glued and covered with fleece

then used a lil over 1/2 pint of resin on each panel

started mounting my trim pieces and resining them. The passenger side one wanted to peel up a a lil. It has a few spots that will have a few wrinkles when it dries. Just have to use a lil more glass putty and elbow grease when I get ready to mat and bond. I usually sand it with 80grit in between each stage any way. Helps the next process stick more to the previous.

Did a couple layers of mat and resin. Might sand and bondo tomorrow.

[ABXX49 20]

Lookin' good so far! I just got my 2nd bird a month ago....'93 supercoupe

[jonbearsmt 919]

niceeeeeee

[SKEEMASK 3]

worked on it for a brief period today.....tried the milkshake thingy and it was pretty effective. I just did one and did a lil sanding on the other. Got some 40grit from Carquest today too. Still a ways to go but its looking better and better the more I sand it with that 40 grit. Imma be doing sanding a few mins out the week so I wont have so much to do saturday when Im off.

Oh and I know the edges are kinda ruff looking but once I get it halfway smooth Imma trim it down with a small saw and sand/grind them down

I was test fitting them in the car and I had to force the passenger side one in there but it finally went in. I'll have to trim about 1/-16"-1/8" off the the edges for them to go in even more and to compensate when I cover them with vinyl. Yes covering them, they arent perfectly smooth but in this case they dont have to be.

Next after I trim them down a hair will be the doors. Got 2 Mach5 MLI-6.5s going @ the bottom of each door. And another 4"and tweet in the factory location. Was debating and scrathing my head today on how I should go about doing this as the bottom of the doors dont have much room due to a hump and a tray which would be cut out. I called the junkyard and asked them if they still had the other Bird that I pulled the pillars out of and he said he would give me both door panels for $100. So what I may do is get those and have the 4" and tweet sitting out and angled like the 6.5"s will be; instead of putting them behind the original speaker screen. More pics once I make my mind up

[SKEEMASK 3]

{these pics are actually from today}

did a lil work today. Im getting started on the doors. Each door will have (1) 4" midrange, (1) 0.75" tweet, and (2) 6.5's @ the bottom for midbass. My main goal today was getting the bottom tray off the door panel which was molded from the rear. So I had to break all the tabs just enough to get them off. I was going to get 2 door panels from the junkyard but Imma let that be a last resort. so far so good. This is where the 6.5s are going.

[jonbearsmt 919]

i wish i had skills

[SKEEMASK 3]

did a lil more work again once I got the doors apart. Since the ,midrange and tweet thats going in the door will be behind the factory opening and will be unseen....I just made a lil template out of cardboard and made a milkshake resin/bondo to make it hard enough to support the 2 speakers. Kinda ugly but it was a quicky and its not going to be seen anyway

big 5x7 on the left is the tired ass factory speaker

Edited September 14, 2008 by SKEEMASK

[SKEEMASK 3]

i wish i had skills

lol, just try it man......not hard @ all, but its not easy either. Just time consuming. LOL, would u believe this project here with doors and pillars is my first experience with glass? As I mess around with it more I can tell Im getting better from section to section.

[drapedupDTS 0]

If I was to send you some a pillars of course after yours is complete would you be willing to tackle my set??? PM me a price if so...

[SKEEMASK 3]

did a lil sumthin sumthin today. Getting the base ready for the Mach5 6.5s

ran out of the blue fleece had to go into the stash and find the baby blanket fleece, lol

[SKEEMASK 3]

Did a layer of mat first thing this morning. The pics from yesterday when I did the first stage of the base with the fleece I used all resin and hardner. This time I cheated a lil; since this is a area that has curves but is still basically flat I didnt have to break off lil pieces of mat.....I just cut 2 long strips and pulled them at the ends so the ends would be jagged. Straight cut ends are harder to sand and have a tendancy to cake up. And since I was only using 1 layer of mat and it could soak through more than several layers....I went sith something a lil thicker. I took resin and mixed in a nice size chunk of duraglass bondo (duraglass already has short strands of mat in it). Did resin hardener and a tab of duraglass hardener. It didnt come out quite as thick as the milkshake mix I have used but it was still much thicker than just using resin and it was still easy to pour/spread and it would sink down into the crack and crannies. Kinda more along the lines of a smoothie

Time for the smoothie mix

I was rushed a lil cause the rain looks like its comming in pretty fast. Hopefully 2morrow if it doesnt rain; It should be hard enough for me to peel it off. Then I can put my door panels back in. Ive been riding around with my doors naked for 2 days now, lol. I'll put a layer of resin on the back of it and place my trim rings where they need to be positioned.

[SKEEMASK 3]

was kinda lazy today; didnt really feel like doing too much. So I peeled the mold off the panels and threw the panels back in the car.

The one on the left is the back of the drivers side and on the right is the front of the passenger side. I was going to glass the back of them but even though its some dry spots on the back of them.....The resin soaked through like a champ and they are both hard as a rock. so Imma just leave it, lol. Lazy!!!!! I know but these things are harder than a coffee table as is.

[Adrian_D 520]

Nice job man !

Can't wait to see it finished

[SKEEMASK 3]

still didnt do much today. wainting till Im off work Fri, but I did however trimmed them down with the jigsaw. I still have to knock off about 1/8" off the bottom and sand the edges but for the most part they match up to the original doors like a champ

I promise, more pix 2morrow

[SKEEMASK 3]

Did alot since I was off work today......on a Friday that chit is like a comet that only comes around every other century, lol.

Got the trim rings together for a family portrait

Mounted and ready for fleece

Spray glued and fleeced up

Just some materials. Resin, duraglass short strand bondo, resin and bondo hardener, a cheap but good $1 brush, a orange tray to hold my resin and a cup of acetone to keep my brush clean between jobs.

time to get messy, resin mixed with a chunk of bondo......used a lil more hardener this time cause its kinda cool outside today.

If it dries before it gets too late I may have some more pix later on this evening of a layer of mat. If not look for more 2morrow

[bristabrock 0]

looks real good man nice work bout to start experimenting with the fiberglass my self, see how bad of a job i can do lol

[SKEEMASK 3]

got into the last stage which is sanding, . Hate sanding.

This is what I woke up to today after letting it dry over night

trimmed off some of the extra fleece on the back

Did a light layer of mat any though it really didnt need it. But due to the location they will be mounted at. They are more prone to being kicked. I did a mix but i had a accident, lol. I mixed too much putty hardner so I had to peel it off before it set. Lol, lets just say the Rock wasnt the only one with something cook'n. Didnt really use as much of a mix, it was more resin this time. And I started sanding on 1. Should have them finished sometime this week.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

That is a lot of glass work!

[nitro_freak1 0]

looking good bro should look saweeet when all is finished. That box looks sick man. So happy ppl are starting to build NICE box's LOL

[SKEEMASK 3]

looking good bro should look saweeet when all is finished. That box looks sick man. So happy ppl are starting to build NICE box's LOL

thanx but Pete W. Kulicki designed and built the enclosure. Its a universal compressed pressure chamber. What it does is builds up pressure in the back of the port. Kinda like a assembly line of bass. It helps the bass stick to the front of the car, so even @ lower volumes its still uncomfortable to listen to, lol. Its also horizontally screwless and by it being universal.....I can throw it in as a basic enclosure, sub and port facing license plate or wall it off like Im doing. Once its walled off I was told it acts kinda like a 6th order bandpass, idk how true that part is but I was told that by someone whos been into this for yrs. Probably tomorrow Imm have to pull the door panels out and tape them up again, mount the molds like Imma have them and glass around the edges. I have about a quarter inch gap around the edges, so Im trying to get them as close to the original door panel as I can and make it look as factory looking as possible.

Edited September 23, 2008 by SKEEMASK

[SKEEMASK 3]

got a lil sanding done today. also filled in some of the rear lip. Not much further to go.

[SKEEMASK 3]

got a lil sanding done today. also filled in some of the rear lip. Not much further to go.

[ChiTownTBird312 0]

i love that ive been trying to find someone thats doing 2 12" btls and your build was here all along lol.

looks clean, nice work...that box looks amaizing.

Edited October 4, 2008 by ChiTownTBird312

[ABXX49 20]

Any updates?