PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND – WWW.PASMAG.COM 156 Installer Institute TECH TALK Text and Photos by Jason Anderson of the Installer Institute THE DREADED MUSTANG ENCLOSURE nstallers that have had to build a custom tuned enclosure for any style Mustang between the years of 1994 and 2004 know that getting the box inside the trunk is the hardest part of the job. In this article, we will be showing that you can build a box that slides underneath the rear deck, leaving the customer with a small amount of space to fit probably a bag or two of groceries. When designing any type of enclosure, you must always take into I 1 STEP 1 First, we had to remove the old system to make room for the new one. The customer’s old system included two 12-inch Kenwood subs firing up and tak- ing up almost all of his trunk space. STEP 2 We had to find a speaker that will fit and still produce enough bass for the customer. The speaker we chose was the JBL GTI 10. This 10-inch woofer was built to slam so it was a logical choice for this install. We looked at putting 12s back into the vehicle but the external height of the box didn’t allow for enough clearance. STEP 3 With the box designed it was time to start cutting. At the school, we use two tools when cutting the ¾-inch MDF wood, the first is a panel saw that is used to get the first cut close, then the table saw is used to do the final and precise cut. The purpose of the panel saw is so we don’t have to manipulate a full sheet of ¾-inch MDF which weighs over 100lbs. A sheet of wood slides off our wood rack directly onto the rollers of the panel saw, making cutting wood a one-man job. consideration the customers’ needs. In this vehicle, trunk space is very limited so the customer will need as much space as possible. Because the distance from the trunk floor to the metal trim piece behind the rear seat was only 12 inches, this dictated the maximum external height of our enclosure. Also, the width of the metal trim was 32 inches, meaning the box could be no wider than 32 inches. This box design meant that the enclosure would have to be slid in from behind the rear seats. STEP 4 The design of this box required that it have an angled back. After taking a few measurements in the vehicle, we were able to determine what angle will be needed to have the box match the back of the trunk. Once we found the angle, a strip of half-inch MDF was stapled into place and routered using a flush trim. 4 STEP 5 When building an enclosure, wood glue and crown staples should always be used. The staples will hold the enclosure together while the glue dries. Once the glue is dry, it bonds the two pieces of wood together almost permanently. If you’ve ever broken a well-glued box apart, it will look like material from one side was peeled off. STEP 6 With the top, bottom and sides of the box built, it was time to do a test-fit. For the test fit, the back seats needed to be removed so the enclosure would have a straight shot into the trunk. With everything fitting like it should, it was time to install the port. The port opening for this box was 2 inches wide by 21 inches long. This meant that the port had to make a turn and run along the back wall of the box. Being that the back wall was angled we had to make sure that if fit perfectly. 6 STEP 7 Now that the port was in place and the front of the box was cut, the front of this box was going to be set into the enclosure so we could recess the sub and make a false front for it. Before attaching the front piece to the rest of the box, the hole for the sub had to be cut in. The tool used to make that cut is called a perfect circle, and this tool works by measuring the diameter of the hole you need cut, then dividing it in half to find the radius then use that number and measure from the out- side of the straight cutting bit to the center of the pin. If this is done correctly, you should have a perfect hole with very little play. 5 7