Infinitely Baffled The Do-Over. :P

[onebadmonte 235]

The goal 140. My previous attempt netted me a 135 and change at 32Hz.

You can see my previous build here:

Original Build

This time I'm upping the anty with a pair of 18s and double the power. A mind boggling 900 watts. That's 900 old school class A/B watts via US Acoustics USB line. Why you ask? Because, they're cheap. The 2150 average about $100 bucks on ebay and the 2080 were about $40, which includes shipping. Here is a run down of the setup:

The car: 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cierra A.K.A The Cream Puff

Head Unit: JVC KD-HDW10 A basic CD player with a built in HD tuner and RCA outputs

Amps: 2 US Acoustics USB-2085 both at 80 watts x 2 @ 4ohms (mids and highs) & 2 US Acoustics USB-2150 both at 450 watts x 1 @ 4 ohms (subs)

Fronts: Powerbass 3.5" coax in stock location

Rear: MTX Thunder Axe 5-1/4" components

Subs: 2 Fi IB3 18"

Electical: Stock

I'll start off with a quick tear down.

Amps coming out. My beloved US Acoustics USB-4085. They'll be back later on for a fully active system experiment.

Bye, bye Ascendant Audio Atlas 15s. You were truely one of a kind. You will be missed.

Here is my artistic shot from the trunk.

The great wall coming down.

This on is at a funny angle

A side by side of what going in versus what came out.

Here is a side shot. the 18 dwarfs the 15.

Here is the backside.

I've got my fingers crossed that these 18s will make some serious noise. More to come.

[altoncustomtech 773]

I'm tuned in just to see how you shoehorn those 18's into that thing.

[onebadmonte 235]

Today I worked on the baffle spacers and the baffle itself. The baffle is two layers of 3/4" MDF. The subs will be flush mounted, so the first layer of MDF will act as a spacer. The baffle will be spaced back from the seatback sheetmetal 1-3/4" with strips of wood. The strips and baffle will be attached with some 1/4" bolts and some threaded inserts. Well enough of my blabbing here are some pics.

Here is the insert I'm using. This is what you get with IKEA furniture. You can buy them at Home Depot in 4 packs. I recommend ordering through Mc Master Carr. What 5 packs cost at Home Depot you can get a pack of a hundred through Mc Master Carr.

All you do is drill the hole and thread them in with an allen wrench

Viola! Nice threaded hole for a bolt.

Here is one of the baffle spacers installed

Up next is knocking out the center brace, it's too wide. The opening in the car is 40" wide. The baffle spacers over hang an inch to give me a mounting flange for the baffle. That leaves me with 38". I'm going to use an inch wide spacer down the center. After that I'll have 37" exactly what the OD of the 18's measure. Here's the center brace out. Yes I used a dremel.

Here is the new center brace. 1" wide 1/8" thick metal strip. With all the wood strips on it should be plenty rigid.

Here is an up close of my weld job. Flux core wire FTW! I know, I suck. Don't worry my flame suit is thick.

Oh no! My first hiccup. The baffle is too wide to fit in through the rear because it's wider than the shock towers. To make things worse that welded brace is going to need to be removable to get the baffle in and out. Double FAIL!

Calling it quits for today. Tomorrow should be better. LOL!

[stevemead08 752]

Damn that sucks. im tuned in for this, the last set up sounded great!!

[inkfx 3]

Hell ya. I want to hear this beast when it's done. If you need an extra set of hands let me know.

[j-roadtatts 1,129]

tuned. Good craftmanship.

Looks like you got the flux core wire feed welder too, the welds aren't pretty but it works good on the thin stuff.

[onebadmonte 235]

Thanks fellas. Should have more posted soon.

[outhopu 70]

Just ditch the center support and build build up the center of the baffle more to do double duty as the support as well. It would be worth doing a frame around the opening with some 1/4" flat bar or angle just to give the baffle a more solid foundation. Bolting the lower edge to the floor pan would also be a good idea. Do you plan on sealing off the trunk from the cabin this time around? I can only imagine that eliminating the potential for cancelation should help you reach your goal. Don't worry about the set back it happens all the time when I build stuff. I'm still trying to get the IB set up finished in my friends Caddy. Looks like your on the right track though.

[sefugi 166]

Hangin' out to check out the progress.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

:fing34:

[onebadmonte 235]

I ground down the welds and got the center brace out. It's going to be a bolt in piece. I'm test fitting the baffle in and taking measurements. It's going to be a tight fit. Here are some pics.

Here is the baffle in place.

With the baffle spaced so far back there is an interferance with the rear speakers and pods. I relief the baffle in the offending areas.

Here is a side by side with the old baffle. It was fun while it lasted old baffle.

I'm using the same threaded inserts to attach the baffle in vehicle and to mount the subs. 1/4-20s for the baffle and 10-32s for the subs

In addition to the glue I'll be using drywall screw to hold the two baffles together

Here is the finished baffle

I couldn't help it, I just had to fit one in. I'm excited, but I have a ways to go.

Here is a shot from inside the trunk.

Tomorrows a new day. Hopefully I make just as much progress.

[onebadmonte 235]

No much to report today. I savored a little bit of family time so the work was light. I notched the baffle corners to clear the rear speakers. Nothing fancy, just manual work. I started off with a dremel, and finished it off with file. Ugh, the dust, luckily I have a respirator.

Here is a full pic.

Here is a close up of the area I clearanced.

I wrapped the baffle today. Last time I used a funky fabric for some contrast. This time I'm going with black leather. Black leather? Well, there's a little story behind this one. I saved this leather from some sofas I used to own. As a mater of fact, these were the first sofas I've ever owned or should say my wife and I ever owned. We bought them when we first moved in together. We brought them with us when we moved from El Paso to San Antonio. They even made with us to our first house. I was bitter sweet to replace them with new ones because of the memories. Now the memories live on with a few new ones.

Here is the beginning

The tricky part is wrapping around the areas I clearance for the rear speakers. I used the 3M stuff that comes in a can. I think it's the 77 line. Any who, here is the area in question.

Here is a closer shot.

The finished product.

Up next the amps. Stay tuned.

[ssh 924]

I like the leather, looking good.

What made you decide to do IB? for the sq? just something different then everyone else?

[onebadmonte 235]

I like the leather, looking good.

What made you decide to do IB? for the sq? just something different then everyone else?

The first time around was to have some boom on the cheap. This time around to be loud and different.

[stevemead08 752]

That look Great. keep up the nice work man!

[altoncustomtech 773]

It's looking great! That black leather looks fantastic, should definitely set off the whole thing. Can't wait to see it finished and I still can't believe there's enough room across there to fit those 18's side by side with room to spare! Wild, just wild.

[ssh 924]

I like the leather, looking good.

What made you decide to do IB? for the sq? just something different then everyone else?

The first time around was to have some boom on the cheap. This time around to be loud and different.

Well your on the right path

When your done, I'm curious how putting different objects in the trunk will effect sq and spl. I guess it'll just make the enclosure smaller, just wonder how noticeable it'd be

[onebadmonte 235]

I like the leather, looking good.

What made you decide to do IB? for the sq? just something different then everyone else?

The first time around was to have some boom on the cheap. This time around to be loud and different.

Well your on the right path

When your done, I'm curious how putting different objects in the trunk will effect sq and spl. I guess it'll just make the enclosure smaller, just wonder how noticeable it'd be

If it's big enough and depending what it is will affect performance. Once, with the old setup, I stuffed a bunch of comforters I needed to wash at the laundromat. Suddenly the lows were really kicking in. Who knows, maybe it was all in my head. LOL.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

I am betting the lows will hurt the cream puff.

[jonbearsmt 919]

i wanna hear it

[onebadmonte 235]

i wanna hear it

I'll let you know when it's done. We'll have a little mini meet.

[onebadmonte 235]

I got some work done mounting the amps. This time around I'm going with two US Acoustics USB-2080's

for the mids and highs and two US Acoustics USB-2150's for the subs. Each sub will be getting 450

watts a piece. Last time around I was giving each sub 240 watts. This should definitely make a

difference in the output department. Placing all these amps was a little tricky, but well worth the

wow factor.

Here is what I started with, a 1/4" thick piece of fiber board. I used the truck carpet as a template.

I'm using standard tee-nuts to mount the amps. These are 8-32 tee-nuts.

Here is my high tech install tool.

Here are the amps on the board.

The test fit looks good.

Here is another shot of the test fit.

Here is a pic of the rats nest of power wires.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, the end is near.

[onebadmonte 235]

I'd like to call this the home stretch. Honestly, projects like this are never done. They are always

in a state of continuous improvement. The big work is coming to an end. From here on out I'll be

testing and updating and documenting. I'd like to get the scoop on weather some changes are worth

while. Well, here we go. I got the rear speakers in along with their corresponding pods. I am quite

pleased with the fit. Here are some pics

Here are the amps in place, carpeting and all.

This is what those unfortunate enough to get stuffed in the trunk see before the trunk lid turns off

the lights.

Here is from the inside of the car. Just the way I like'em, big round and squished together. Too bad

they'll spend their live covered up, huh?

We have power. Note the blue LEDs.

[ssh 924]

WOOT!

How's it sound?

[sefugi 166]

Waitin' on the vids!