I am looking at installing a sub in the center console of my 05 QC - but I don't have the $160 + S&H for the Hotbox setup being sold on ebay. What I do have is $20 for some MDF and pretty good woodworking skills. Has anyone ever built their own center console sub enclosure? Plans? How about just building an enclosure for an 8" that drops right into the lower storage compartment and fires upward. Would this work? Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

 

I couldn't find that "hotbox setup" you speak of on ebay to see what you are talking about, but I have built a few enclosures in the past. If you have the skills then here are a few tips.

check if your sub needs a certain volume if the box is not ported
(subs classified as "free air" do not have a volume requirement)

glue and screw EVERYTHING

for contoured installations or odd interior angles use a cardboard mockup before you start hacking up your MDF

allow a little wiggle room if you intend to upholster later

have a plan for mounting before you start so you dont end up with screws and brackets and such showing on your new finished work

 

Here's a link to the "Hot Box" on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hot-Box-Dodge-Ra...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Holy crap!!! That is really cool!If it is possible to peel the center seat like a bannana, then you could just make a box yourself to mount on the seat crossover bracket and just recover it with the factory upholstery. Butfor all your time and effort plus material this guy looks like he is offering a pretty bang up job wired and ready to go. You just might want to spend that $160+ after all. This idea has me going though. I think I'll have a look at my seat tomorrow and investigate this some more. Time for bed..... later.

 

This is something that I was thinking of doing as well.

I had looked at the stealthbox options from JL audio.

 

There was a post on here about a year ago by a guy who made the area under his back seat into a speaker inclosure. He just took a single piece of mdf and covered the top and cut holes in it to mount the speakers and covered it in vinyl. I think he replaced the bolts that hold the seat down with longet ones. I think thats all there was to it. You might see if that works in the front or just do that in the back. I just bought the woo yesterday so I'm gonna give it a shot this week to see if I can duplicate it.

 

Well, I was looking up under my center section today (gross! ) and it seems like there is quite a bit of room in there...lol. Kidding aside, I'm sure you can make a box to fit right in the factory seat. It looks as though there is at least five inches or so in depth to work with plus that little bit of room between the bottom of the seat and trans tunnel. I think building a box independent of the seat might be the easiest way to go. Make a boxthat wouldhave its own brackets that would mount tothe existing seat brackets and shaped such that you could just slip the factory seat right over the whole thing. The factory harware can be used to hold everything in place. If it was warmer out I would have taken out my seat and given this a little more thought, but for now it seems to be a very do-able DIY.

 

Why not just get a set of BoseHead Phones. ?

 

That would be too easy......

 

Besides being illegial, there is no way you can get that "feeling" of a hard hitting sub in a set of headphones.