Door Pods [Archive] - Aleromod.com

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 12:38 PM

I was planning on having these made.. but since I have copious amounts of free time, I guess I can try my hand at fiberglassing my own.

I just want to learn some basics off veterans, before I start. I'm currently waiting for my membership on fiberglassforums to be validated...

So... what do I need to know? How do you guys go about doing this?

I'm guessing:
Remove current speaker pod
make mounting points/baffle??
Spray glue fleece and stretch it to cover
Coat with resin
Cover with more fleece/resin??

also.. i've heard that people use bolts on the back, to anchor the new pod down... and i don't see how/where they do that?

If I do successfully make a pair (functional and asthetic) I may make molds out of it, to be able to produce some a little quicker. If people are interested. Just don't hold your breath.

Nate's Alero

03-28-2009, 12:48 PM

possible interest, i am sill stock stereo though, i want to go like, 8 speaker, amped with 4 tweeters and 1 small sub later on though, so these might be a good investment

lonnie

03-28-2009, 12:57 PM

possible interest, i am sill stock stereo though, i want to go like, 8 speaker, amped with 4 tweeters and 1 small sub later on though, so these might be a good investment
Why?:lol:

Nate's Alero

03-28-2009, 01:10 PM

Why?:lol:

idk, cuz i dont know shit about car stereo's, i tried installing some into my old escort, that was a HUGE fail, they just sat in the door...... not even bolted.... i suck:lol:

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 01:10 PM

ok.. so after drilling out the rivets on one of the doors... i think i might get how the bolts work.

take the door itself, put some mat down, put the bolts through that (still in the mounting holes) glass it, then fleece over top and glass it again? gives a good backing w/ mounting points?

but if i was to do that.. how to i attach said backing to the front half that'll hold the speaker?

also... do i just make a ring baffle to sit underneath the fiberglass, so the speaker has a mounting point? How do i know what angle i want the speaker tipped at?

clutch1

03-28-2009, 03:55 PM

Sounds like what I did cherry.. just drill holes where you want studs in the back, put the screws in, glass over top of them, then you can slide it into holes in the door and put nuts on the rear to hold it.

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 03:58 PM

so.... how do i affix that piece to the actual frame portion that'll hold the speaker?

clutch1

03-28-2009, 04:00 PM

Here's a pic of my mounting bolts:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/clutch1234/fgpodsDONE006.jpg

I just had the panel laid onto the door when I drilled the holes.. that way those studs go right through the holes ready to get their nuts put on.

Also, instead of fleece, use something more like spandex (but a little thicker). Fleece makes the object loose some of its shape and also sucks a lot of resin. You stretch the fabric, coat it with resin, then let it cure. Once it's hard you take your fiberglass mat and start wetting layers of it onto the hard shell you created. For audio panels I'd do 2 or 3 layers prolly.

Ryan from Ohio

03-28-2009, 04:10 PM

Our pods are separate pieces. They fit onto the door panel with plastic pegs which @ assembly get melted over to permanently attach it.

So to take the pods off just drill the pegs out. Thats your punting points then.

1/2" MDF seems to be material of choice when it comes to small panels. Get the base correct, use some small carriage bolts with the square that digs into the wood. Then cut speaker rings. Stretch GILL CLOTH over the assembly and resin it up. Then fiberglass from the inside if possible. Dont use Fleece- takes to much resin and is to thick.

Keep plenty of paper towels and ACETONE to clean your hands with...

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 04:10 PM

2-3 layers... of mat?

and for direction.. i've seen sites say the passanger speaker should point toward the driver's ear, and vice versa... any truth to this?

clutch1

03-28-2009, 04:15 PM

2-3 layers... of mat?

and for direction.. i've seen sites say the passanger speaker should point toward the driver's ear, and vice versa... any truth to this?

Yea.. it'll end up about 1/8" thick then.. give or take. Basically just until it isn't flimsy, lol.

Also.. latex gloves work miracles if oyu don't want to be cleaning your hands.

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 04:17 PM

1/2" MDF seems to be material of choice when it comes to small panels. Get the base correct, use some small carriage bolts with the square that digs into the wood. Then cut speaker rings. Stretch GILL CLOTH over the assembly and resin it up. Then fiberglass from the inside if possible. Dont use Fleece- takes to much resin and is to thick.

ok... so fleece is out. gill cloth? where do i find that?

and i'm not so sure what you mean about "get your base correct"?? you lost me there.

clutch1

03-28-2009, 04:25 PM

It's the cloth they use for speaker grills. In all reality, anything that's super stretchy (in 4 directions) and thin will do fine.. just go to a fabric store and browse the clearance stuff.

I think he means cut out a piece of wood for a good base and get the shape you want and make sure it mounts up good before you start fiberglassing.

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 04:41 PM

about how much resin/hardener per pod? (how much should i buy)

so... i gotta make the whole skeleton outta mdf, then stretch the fabric over it, resin the fabric, then 2-3 layers of mat, on the inside?

would it be better to have a bigger wood ring, mounted just above the actual mounting ring, so the whole thing sits flush?

so.. with the pod removed, what do i do to make a funtional skeleton for the setup? its rather curvy... i figured i'd lay it over the existing to get the shape... but that seems to be opposite of the advice i'm getting here. (btw, i'm at work.. so i can't research it much beyond what i'm getting here)

clutch1

03-28-2009, 04:49 PM

about how much resin/hardener per pod? (how much should i buy)
just buy a gallon, it'll come with about the amount of hardener you need. I use b440 resin from uscomposites.com

so... i gotta make the whole skeleton outta mdf, then stretch the fabric over it, resin the fabric, then 2-3 layers of mat, on the inside?
the skeleton is usually just a base and a raised up ring, and the stretched fabric is what makes the overall shape.. if you stretch the fabric and it isn't what you like, take it off and change it around a bit. The rest sounds right.. you don't HAVE to lay the FG on the inside.. but it'll make sanding it sooooo much easier since it'll leave the outside much smoother.. especially if it's your first time working with FG.

would it be better to have a bigger wood ring, mounted just above the actual mounting ring, so the whole thing sits flush?
what I wish I would've done is a reverse mount setup... just make 1 ring, and use a router to round the top of it nice and clean.. then mount the speaker to it from the back.. looks really good. But yea, you can do what you said to, a flush mount, you're choice

so.. with the pod removed, what do i do to make a funtional skeleton for the setup? its rather curvy... i figured i'd lay it over the existing to get the shape... but that seems to be opposite of the advice i'm getting here. (btw, i'm at work.. so i can't research it much beyond what i'm getting here)
well depending on the shape you're going for, I'd probably just make a flat wood base, then raise the speaker ring about 3" off it and stretch.. but you can do it however you please! If you want to keep the map pocket, then integrate the stock piece into the skeleton.. don't be afraid to hack it us as needed, lol.

here's the reverse mount I was talking about
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8425/mountedroundyi9zy8.jpg

vs flush mount
http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2007/136/p13694022-f-1.jpeg

basically reverse will cut off what you see at the surround.. and flush just sinks it into the panel, you'll still see the screws

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 04:54 PM

i'm ditching the pocket. no reason to keep it. (i have different glow ideas in store)

well... i want to use the original speaker grill... so i'm thinking of recessing it, so when the grill is on it, the grill will be flush. (so the speaker will be recessed back like 1.5")

clutch1

03-28-2009, 05:34 PM

Ah yea if you want a grill flush is the way to go.

Ryan from Ohio

03-28-2009, 05:51 PM

Make and shape the base. Attach it to the door until it looks right. Make your rings. Use Dowel rods and hot glue to get the rings where you want. Reaasemble and check it in the car for it/function.

Grill cloth can be bought at Joann Fabrics. $10 a yard, 54" wide though (54"X36")

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 05:58 PM

Make and shape the base.
thats where i get confused.

so i lay cloth down inside the hole (where the plastic pod used to be) put the bolts through it, and put resin on that... wait for it to try, put more fabric(or do i use mat here?) over the heads of the bolts and re-resin?

then after that is dry, i make the skeleton over that, and then mat on the inside and the seam where the two pieces meet?

how do i go about leaving a hole for the back of the speaker to fit through, when i'm matting the bottom?

my main confusion isn't on how the skeleton/speaker part is going to be done, but how i'm going to affix the bolts into the setup, so the entire assembly can be removed, if need be. If i'm covering the outside, and wrapping around, i'd think the threads on the bolts would be covered. but if i mat in two halves, i don't know how i'm leaving a space for the speaker.... if any of that makes sense. Its gotta be something stupid that my brain just isn't putting in proper order.

although i did just see on a site, that after the original cloth was resin'd they drilled holes where the bolts go, and recessed them in.. then matted over that. that... doesn't seem right. how would you fill the recessed holes where the bolt heads are?

Ryan from Ohio

03-28-2009, 06:03 PM

No, you want to try and use wood to fasten to the door panel itself.

So door panel, wood, bolts, skeleton, fabric, glass.

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 06:08 PM

Ryan from Ohio

03-28-2009, 07:47 PM

Wow those looks so 80s.

Dont make boxy POS's

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 07:54 PM

i mean for build method... not actually the SAME as that. :lol:

HazMatt24

03-28-2009, 08:08 PM

make 'em look like boobies. Get alerogirl to pose for the mold

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 08:13 PM

then i'd go w/ latex mold and plaster. :lol:

HazMatt24

03-28-2009, 08:14 PM

you'd also probably be putting 8" speakers in the doors

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 08:43 PM

...interesting.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/518721/5

anyone know where i can find those bolt retainers?? that'd make things easier.

HazMatt24

03-28-2009, 08:47 PM

try a hardware store

clutch1

03-28-2009, 11:33 PM

ok.. so given the odd shape of the door... how would i get mdf to fit/bend to that shape?

and with that idea, i suppose your saying the bolts go through the wood support that attaches to the door...?

i've been following this plan:
http://diyautomods.com/2008/03/03/how-to-make-fiberglass-door-pod/

but at no point in time does he show how its attached to the door.

That's EXACTLY how I made my door pods.. it works quite well.

Just use my stud method. Once you have the bottom part: http://www.g20style.com/components_010.jpg

Then put it on the door, drill holes (make sure it's just big enough for the threads to pass through, but will catch the head of it), put the bolts in, lay a layer of glass on top of each head to lock it in, then continue with the build.

:yahoo:

cherrington17

03-28-2009, 11:37 PM

alright.. i gotcha now. so just put like a square of mat over each bolt head....

clutch1

03-28-2009, 11:53 PM

Yup, just like that. It doesn't even have to be square.. all my mat is so messy that I put on, I just rip off chunks like cotton candy :lol:

cherrington17

03-29-2009, 12:07 AM

yeah... i'm too nerotic for that. :lol:

mach3

03-29-2009, 01:50 AM

So... what do I need to know? How do you guys go about doing this?

I'm guessing:
Remove current speaker pod
make mounting points/baffle??
Spray glue fleece and stretch it to cover
Coat with resin
Cover with more fleece/resin??

also.. i've heard that people use bolts on the back, to anchor the new pod down... and i don't see how/where they do that?

If I do successfully make a pair (functional and asthetic) I may make molds out of it, to be able to produce some a little quicker. If people are interested. Just don't hold your breath.

Here is a couple of pics of what I did. Sorry it's not very detailed but it will give you an idea. I just cut out the original grill and build out with rings made from MDF and wooden dowels for supports and then wrap the entire piece with very thin stretchy fleece. You may want to add one or two layer of fiberglass on top of the fleece for extra stiffness. For the mounting I just used small screws and attach them to where the original rivots used to be. It's tricky to align them but can be done.

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1568&d=1173329907
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1567&d=1173329907
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1565&d=1173329680

cherrington17

03-29-2009, 08:07 AM

yeah... i'm deleting the whole map pocket, to avoid the small gap you have in the last pic. (at the point closest to the trunk, on the glassed part)

look good... but minor things like that would drive me nuts.

what kind of resin should i use?? I didn't know there were different types.
Edit: Nvm.. use epoxy resin. Its harder.

cloth or mat?

99alerogirl

03-31-2009, 01:41 AM

i hate when i find things late... grrr

colonel6632

03-31-2009, 04:31 AM

wow... those are pretty much exactly what i want... expect i don't have a map holder (manual windows FTL!!!)

Fi-Alero

03-31-2009, 09:58 AM

Hey man,
If you are on AIM later today, I will show you some pics of exactly how I did mine. They turned out pretty nice.

cherrington17

03-31-2009, 01:07 PM

I'll try to be. As much I'm collecting as much info as I can get...

cherrington17

04-04-2009, 08:18 AM

Fi-Alero filled in alot of gaps/stupid questions i still had. I feel like i'm almost ready to get this thing going. Since i'm in WNY, and we get prescious little sunlight, till... late may... i'll probably be doing this in my basement. Any tips on how to get quicker dry times? (other then adding more hardener) I'm guessing in a 65*, humid basement, cure times are going to be crazy long...

So essentially, i'm making a fiberglass sealed enclosure. How to i make sure i'm getting enough space for the speaker? I know that was a big ordeal for the subs i have. What if i don't have enough for this? And lastly... do you put anything in the space thats left from the back piece and the front curved piece? fill it with polyfill, or just leave it?

clutch1

04-04-2009, 01:23 PM

Basement?.. Are you prepared for the house to reek?

cherrington17

04-04-2009, 02:12 PM

Basement?.. Are you prepared for the house to reek?

yes. :lol:

we're always doing some kind of project in here. i COULD use the garage.. but we have 2 cars in there... and its still attached to the house. so its going to reek either way.

Ryan from Ohio

04-09-2009, 12:55 PM

Hooray for speaker pods!

im going to do these now!

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 12:25 PM

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0409Medium.jpg?t=1242318157

1) decent, just need to fix the bolt holes (after they glasses into place, they tipped a little. drill the holes out and it'll be fine.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0408Medium.jpg?t=1242318158
2) doh... someone didn't draw his line right. Gotta reglass the end of this one... :No: Gimme a break.. i'm new to this. Whats the best way to fix this? put the dried glass in there, tape off the missed section, and glass it onto the existing?

does it matter if the base is really wavy? I'm going to vinyl over these, so i'm assuming that'll even the base right out.

I also know i still have more sanding/evening to do. they are rather "angled" in some spots.

...and my thickness is horrible. some spots are really thick, then others are kinda thin... :lol: i'm definitely not a pro at this.

Gr1m

05-14-2009, 12:39 PM

i dont know how thats going to look with FG just bolted to the stock vinyl panel should have FGed the whole thing if you have so much time

Ryan from Ohio

05-14-2009, 12:43 PM

Its a PITA man.

Heres mine:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/basstronics/Alero/100_0409.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/basstronics/Alero/100_0394.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/basstronics/Alero/100_0393.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/basstronics/Alero/100_0396.jpg

We both did this WRONG though. Im going to rebuild mine. Take a look at this pic:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/basstronics/Alero/100_0400.jpg

We need to cut away some off the door panel to allow the fiberglass to sink in more. Also pull the speaker back, slightly. To allow room for the glove box...

lonnie

05-14-2009, 01:57 PM

so how do they attach? confused!

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 02:03 PM

i dont know how thats going to look with FG just bolted to the stock vinyl panel should have FGed the whole thing if you have so much time

who said i'm remotely close to done? i still have to make the speaker baffle, get that angled, cover the whole thing in fleece, then glass over that, THEN cover all that in vinyl. You'll never see those bolts, unless you look from the inside...

so how do they attach? confused!

the bolts go through the holes in the door, then attach a washer and nut to each on the inside. mounts it quite securely.

lonnie

05-14-2009, 02:16 PM

the bolts go through the holes in the door, then attach a washer and nut to each on the inside. mounts it quite securely.Ok so like Ryans pic then you must be mounting it to the door panel before you are putting the panel back on the door?

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 02:18 PM

indeed, that IS how i'm mounting it.

Gr1m

05-14-2009, 02:39 PM

You'll never see those bolts, unless you look from the inside...

im not retarded i was just saying my opinion, ive done a lot more FG work then you lol

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 02:43 PM

I'd like to do a full FG door.. but i think its a little outta my skill set. I think after these, i'm retiring from FG.

lonnie

05-14-2009, 02:45 PM

I'd like to do a full FG door.. but i think its a little outta my skill set. I think after these, i'm retiring from FG.
Sorry...can't do that til I get my set.LOL

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 02:49 PM

I'd have to finish these before i'd even remotely consider doing anymore. and even then... its too much damn work... it might take me the rest of the month to finish these... (and i'm not in school right now)

if i was, no freak'n way i'd do it.

lonnie

05-14-2009, 03:16 PM

clutch1

05-14-2009, 05:12 PM

Look good, I'd fix the one just like how you said. Nice idea on securing them, that's exactly how I did mine ;)

Should look nice when your done.

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 05:24 PM

Ryan from Ohio

05-14-2009, 05:41 PM

now that i know where the mount is going to sit (roughly) and how... i'm more then happy to cut some of that inner (useless) plastic out, so i have more speaker room... and can avoid hitting the glovebox.

The thing is, you will have to cut away some of your current glass and reglass a recess into it.

I cut a hole in mine...

Im not even going to bother with it. How it looks now = into the trash and try again. lol

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 05:43 PM

...i think your wrong. and will fight tooth and nail to prove that. :lol:

Ryan from Ohio

05-14-2009, 07:01 PM

...i think your wrong. and will fight tooth and nail to prove that. :lol:

Well... If youre not going to cut any fiberglass away to rework it why cut the surface under the glass?

:rolleyes2:

cherrington17

05-14-2009, 07:13 PM

clearly.. i have to cut a hole in the center to accomodate the back of the speaker/magnet...

cherrington17

05-17-2009, 03:19 PM

looks like i won't have any trouble getting it to mount on the passanger side... (did that one first, since it looked like mounting would be the biggest issue)

imaging probably isn't the best, but i'm no professional with this.

got a question though. If i'm going to vinyl wrap the pod... so i have to use body filler around the outside? can't i just leave it as fiberglass (sand it a little to remove the pointy parts)

also.. is there anything i should put in the gap between the base and the shell? there is a little gap in there. polyfill? something more rigid?

clutch1

05-17-2009, 08:57 PM

You still need to body fill is, probably, vinyl brings out the little bumps and so forth.. not like paint, of course, but still needs to be smoothed.

If you're a man who doesn't mind being itchy, you could probably just knock down the glass quite a bit with low grit paper... but its harder to sand FG and the dust is the itchiest thing ever, lol.

billytheman1188

05-17-2009, 09:04 PM

where long sleeves and a mask over your mouth/nose and then sand away. lol

cherrington17

05-17-2009, 09:56 PM

i've been going tshirt ninja style while cutting the FG.

i have bodyfiller.. i just hoped i wouldn't have to use it. :lol:

Gr1m

05-17-2009, 11:55 PM

dont put too much on or you will waste half of the bondo lol i know from experience.

pimpalero2003

05-18-2009, 03:39 AM

And go at it in the green stage saves alot of time! And mess

cherrington17

05-18-2009, 07:24 AM

green stage?

and grim.. i'm reading what you posted as "do thin coats of filler, or i'll spend my life sanding these"?

pimpalero2003

05-18-2009, 12:25 PM

When the filler starts to set up take some 60 gritt andsand in a x pattern. If it balls up and fallsoff your golden if itjust moves it around wait a few more minutes.

Gr1m

05-18-2009, 12:40 PM

ill show my own personal experience, DO NOT do this:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q67/alero88/door%20glassing/DSC00144.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q67/alero88/door%20glassing/DSC00140.jpg

because it gets sanded down basically to the FG anyway, most people dont realize that your using body filler to just get the FG leveled and you dont need a separate layer of bondo, with that said, i had to sand all that shit down to this

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q67/alero88/DSC00305.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q67/alero88/DSC00308.jpg

as you can see theres some spots that are sanded down to the FG, this is fine as long as the FG isnt cracked or bubbled there, it will hold the primer without cracking
i also recommend getting an air blower to blow the bondo dust out of the little pinholes that form while your sanding, it is much easier to lay the icing after you get the general shape without the bondo dust on there.

cherrington17

05-18-2009, 12:45 PM

:lol: grim... doing that... didn't even remotely cross my mind.

(looks like you went with the "milkshake method" rather then just plain bondo?)

Gr1m

05-18-2009, 10:27 PM

hehe i guess thats what happens when you just call someone on the phone and ask wtf to do with bondo lol, whatever im not the type to rush which is why im still not finished with my interior.

cherrington17

05-22-2009, 11:53 AM

well... i had to see how they fit. I gotta say, for my very first attempt, its not to shabby. (not the best appearance or quality.. but i'm a noob at everything this project entailed)

Driver's side... Like a glove!
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0447.jpg?t=1243007201
Bottom seam isn't bad.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0444.jpg?t=1243007203
Front end isn't horrible. Just needs some sanding.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0443.jpg?t=1243007204
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0442.jpg?t=1243007204
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0448.jpg?t=1243007207
Passanger side.. isn't as nice. It was the one i worked on the most, at first. Its... rough. :lol:
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0439.jpg?t=1243007206
Ha.. oops (you can't see this old hole straight on.. or unless you look closely. Its covered, I just need to do alot of sanding to get the edge below this more even, so this sits flat.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0440.jpg?t=1243007205
Bottom seam is decent.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0441.jpg?t=1243007205
Just barely sneaking by the glove box...
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w246/cherrington17/Redesign/CIMG0446.jpg?t=1243007201

I gotta thank quad4, for these doors. I'm tearing them up pretty good, but they are spares, so I can. I gotta bondo these still, vinyl wrap them (still deciding on black or pewter) then mount to my actual doors, until I can revinyl these current ones.

So... advice/critique?

Ryan, the new amp sounds amazing with these. I love this setup. I'm sure the imaging isn't great, but it sounds good to me. Much better then before.

EDIT: The purple is just the color of the resin.. I had no control over that. :lol: And I'm aware the passanger speaker is mounted upside down. I was rushing things.

01OldsAleroGt

05-22-2009, 11:55 AM

looks good man good job so far can't wait for the finished product

+1

Ryan from Ohio

05-22-2009, 01:06 PM

Excellent!

Ya that amp should sound good, its a good amp ;)

The beatuy and evil of FG is if you do mess up, grind away and slather more on! lol

I would wrap them in a flat black Vinyl if possible. You can get Vinyl at Joann Fabrics and such, but its not the best stuff. I ordered some from Select Products some time ago. Its very high quality- best stuff there is.

http://74.175.101.66/dealer/items.asp?CartId={057F29A7-0336EVEREST-41CD-8FEF-1FE764106256}&Tp=&iTpStatus=1&Cc=MIA

http://74.175.101.66/dealer/items.asp?CartId={057F29A7-0336EVEREST-41CD-8FEF-1FE764106256}&Cc=MCV&iTpStatus=1&Tp=&Bc=

You will want to probably call them though to get as close of a match as possible.