staax
09-01-2014, 06:53 PM
Hi guys,
I have been asked to share my experience with creating my own false floor for my 2012 MZ3 Hatchback so feel free to take any ideas if you decide to make something like this of your own. The possibilities are endless so be creative! I do apologize that I hadn't originally intended to make this thread and I didn't take too many pictures of the build stage, only the finished product.
If you want to see exactly how I built my floor, skip this section and scroll down.
So what is a false floor?
Basically, a false floor is a raised bottom that normally hides something below, or creates the illusion that nothing of interest lies below the surface. Now everyone know's that normally you'll only find a spare tire, maybe some oil bottles or jumper cables in the trunk of the car, but not too many people would assume that you have a bangin' sound system beneath the carpet in your trunk.
What's the purpose of having a false floor?
Well first of all, you don't have to have a subwoofer in your floor... you can essentially raise the floor and create an additional storage cubby for items you may want to store in your car. In my scenario, I wanted to 1) have a decent sound system that doesn't take too much space up in my trunk and 2) create something hidden that wouldn't encourage a thief to peek in the side glass of my hatchback and see a subwoofer and try to steal it. While most Mz3 hatchbacks come with the little cover to prevent visibility into the hatch from the outside, some SUV's for example don't. My father had his 2006 RAV4 window smashed as he left his laptop in the trunk of the vehicle. The thief peeked in the side of the glass and decided he want it.
What are the cons with building a false floor?
In my scenario, because I wanted to cram two subwoofers in the trunk of my car I had to remove the spare tire. This may be a deal-breaker for some people but some car manufacturers are no longer giving you a spare tire with your new vehicle; instead you get a mini 12V air compressor which you can buy at Canadian Tire for $50 and a can of Fix-a-Flat. I purchase a tire plug kit and a mini air compressor so I could fix my car on the side of the road if need be. Now I'm aware this would be terrible in the winter time but it's a chance I'm willing to take.
How much can I look to spend if I want to built a false floor?
Because my floor involves pieces of 2x4, a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" MDF, and 3 cans of polyester resin and fibreglass mat I believe I spent around $150. I could've built the same box for $100 but I had trouble sourcing out some materials. You can also build just a wooden sub box for about $60.
What do I need to build a false floor?
Materials list to the best of my knowledge:
5/8" - 3/4" sheet of MDF
2-3 1L cans of Polyester Resin
3 Packages of 9 sq ft. of Fibreglass Mat
3-4 2x4's
Painters, masking, or aluminum tape
Silicone Caulking
Screws
Paint, Carpet, or Vinyl Wrap
Speaker Terminals
Grill or Grate
Tools list to the best of my knowledge
Table Saw
Mitre Saw
Drill
Drillbits
Screwdrivers
Jigsaw
Orbital Sander
Sandpaper
Pencil (for marking)
Air Stapler or HD Stapler
Hammer
6-8 Cheap Disposable Paintbrushes
Now onto my build....
1) First of all, I decided I wanted to fit 2x Alpine Type R's in the floor of my trunk. In order to do this I had to remove the spare tire, so I began assessing the stock form of the car with the spare tire removed. Ignore my amp in the top left - this is not where I'll be placing it.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_131103_961_zpse26929cb.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_131103_961_zpse26929cb.jpg.html)
2) Next I began measuring the dimensions of the frame for which I used pieces of 2x4. If you don't want the stock floor to be raised by too much you can use pieces of 2x3 or 2x2. I assembled the frame as follows, at this point I do not have the other piece of 2x4 on the left hand side of the spare tire well which I used to mark the end of my fibreglass box and the beginning of my storage cubby.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_152518_508_zps20070bd7.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_152518_508_zps20070bd7.jpg.html)
3) I then taped the inner spare tire well with green Painter's tape in preparation for my fibreglass mat and resin. I would recommend using aluminum tape before the painter's tape just to ensure no fibreglass resin seeps through as you apply your first coat. In my case it did.
4) I then applied the first coat of resin and fibreglass mat and let it cure. Once cured I could remove the whole assembly from the vehicle to apply additional layers afterward, again my apologies I didn't take pictures here but here is a good guide for you!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulDFGYpg0o
5) Once removed, I applied additional layers of fibreglass mat and resin to give the proper strength the box needed. Keep in mind that the strength comes from the strands of fibreglass mat which is horrible, messy crap if I may add. The resin "melts" the mat into the structure of your box. Please read other threads on how to properly fibreglass as I could spend a day explaining it. Here are some photo's of the box with around 5-6 coats of fibreglass mat and resin applied drying outside of my car, pleasure excuse the texts at the top - I was trying to explain to my girlfriend to take the pictures I needed. (LOL!)
Top:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-22_zpsfd4fdabb.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-22_zpsfd4fdabb.png.html)
Top2:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-54-40_zpsabff0691.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-54-40_zpsabff0691.png.html)
Bottom, note the little notch in the centre from where the spare tire bolt threads into the floor:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-49-17_zpse93f1482.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-49-17_zpse93f1482.png.html)
Side, see the formation of the spare tire well:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-32_zps57006c47.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-32_zps57006c47.png.html)
6) Once I had the fibreglass and 2x4 shell completed, I cut a piece of MDF to fit on the top and cut my two holes for the subwoofer. I also added a piece of MDF in the the centre to create two individual chambers (1 per sub). I screwed, fibreglassed, and siliconed the piece in place. After I test fitted the top piece and subwoofers I siliconed and screwed it down:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/falsefloor_zps5effcb89.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/falsefloor_zps5effcb89.jpg.html)
7) I added my two speaker terminals as shown below which have been covered by the following: I placed a bunch of small pieces of 1/2" plywood on top of the 3/4" MDF to create an elevated platform to extend past the lip of the subwoofer. I finished by adding a 5/8" piece of plywood on the top so the floor sits higher than the subwoofer:
The black indicates where I placed my terminals beneath the 5/8" piece of plywood. The red indicates how my wire runs into the terminals (also beneath the plywood).
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/9005465d-11ff-4cf5-b908-e7e6a7a013ab_zpsb9364649.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/9005465d-11ff-4cf5-b908-e7e6a7a013ab_zpsb9364649.jpg.html)
8) I added another piece of MDF to create a small storage cubby for crap, It has a single door hinge on the back. I also lined the side and front of this cubby with foam tape to ensure it doesn't rattle when the subs hit:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140826_152203_535_zpsf91c91ce.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140826_152203_535_zpsf91c91ce.jpg.html)
9) Night shot:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140823_210425_033_zps95a6880b.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140823_210425_033_zps95a6880b.jpg.html)
10) Today I added the grate (finally) to protect the subs when they hit. I raised the grate slightly more with the two pieces of plywood which are painted red. I ran out of black paint but the red actually complements the writing on the subwoofer. I stapled the grate into the plywood with an air stapler, excuse the crap on the surface I just came back from a weekend camping trip.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150524_182712_249_zpsq2qhmpd4.jpg
11) And lastly with the carpet piece on top, this is pretty much the finished product.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140901_161417_696_zpsb260b546.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140901_161417_696_zpsb260b546.jpg.html)
Oh and no that isn't the permanent spot for my amp. Still trying to find a good place for it.
12) Lastly, finish this thread by leaving and listening to some good music \m/:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtft6LqgFSA
Questions welcome!
I have been asked to share my experience with creating my own false floor for my 2012 MZ3 Hatchback so feel free to take any ideas if you decide to make something like this of your own. The possibilities are endless so be creative! I do apologize that I hadn't originally intended to make this thread and I didn't take too many pictures of the build stage, only the finished product.
If you want to see exactly how I built my floor, skip this section and scroll down.
So what is a false floor?
Basically, a false floor is a raised bottom that normally hides something below, or creates the illusion that nothing of interest lies below the surface. Now everyone know's that normally you'll only find a spare tire, maybe some oil bottles or jumper cables in the trunk of the car, but not too many people would assume that you have a bangin' sound system beneath the carpet in your trunk.
What's the purpose of having a false floor?
Well first of all, you don't have to have a subwoofer in your floor... you can essentially raise the floor and create an additional storage cubby for items you may want to store in your car. In my scenario, I wanted to 1) have a decent sound system that doesn't take too much space up in my trunk and 2) create something hidden that wouldn't encourage a thief to peek in the side glass of my hatchback and see a subwoofer and try to steal it. While most Mz3 hatchbacks come with the little cover to prevent visibility into the hatch from the outside, some SUV's for example don't. My father had his 2006 RAV4 window smashed as he left his laptop in the trunk of the vehicle. The thief peeked in the side of the glass and decided he want it.
What are the cons with building a false floor?
In my scenario, because I wanted to cram two subwoofers in the trunk of my car I had to remove the spare tire. This may be a deal-breaker for some people but some car manufacturers are no longer giving you a spare tire with your new vehicle; instead you get a mini 12V air compressor which you can buy at Canadian Tire for $50 and a can of Fix-a-Flat. I purchase a tire plug kit and a mini air compressor so I could fix my car on the side of the road if need be. Now I'm aware this would be terrible in the winter time but it's a chance I'm willing to take.
How much can I look to spend if I want to built a false floor?
Because my floor involves pieces of 2x4, a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" MDF, and 3 cans of polyester resin and fibreglass mat I believe I spent around $150. I could've built the same box for $100 but I had trouble sourcing out some materials. You can also build just a wooden sub box for about $60.
What do I need to build a false floor?
Materials list to the best of my knowledge:
5/8" - 3/4" sheet of MDF
2-3 1L cans of Polyester Resin
3 Packages of 9 sq ft. of Fibreglass Mat
3-4 2x4's
Painters, masking, or aluminum tape
Silicone Caulking
Screws
Paint, Carpet, or Vinyl Wrap
Speaker Terminals
Grill or Grate
Tools list to the best of my knowledge
Table Saw
Mitre Saw
Drill
Drillbits
Screwdrivers
Jigsaw
Orbital Sander
Sandpaper
Pencil (for marking)
Air Stapler or HD Stapler
Hammer
6-8 Cheap Disposable Paintbrushes
Now onto my build....
1) First of all, I decided I wanted to fit 2x Alpine Type R's in the floor of my trunk. In order to do this I had to remove the spare tire, so I began assessing the stock form of the car with the spare tire removed. Ignore my amp in the top left - this is not where I'll be placing it.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_131103_961_zpse26929cb.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_131103_961_zpse26929cb.jpg.html)
2) Next I began measuring the dimensions of the frame for which I used pieces of 2x4. If you don't want the stock floor to be raised by too much you can use pieces of 2x3 or 2x2. I assembled the frame as follows, at this point I do not have the other piece of 2x4 on the left hand side of the spare tire well which I used to mark the end of my fibreglass box and the beginning of my storage cubby.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_152518_508_zps20070bd7.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140813_152518_508_zps20070bd7.jpg.html)
3) I then taped the inner spare tire well with green Painter's tape in preparation for my fibreglass mat and resin. I would recommend using aluminum tape before the painter's tape just to ensure no fibreglass resin seeps through as you apply your first coat. In my case it did.
4) I then applied the first coat of resin and fibreglass mat and let it cure. Once cured I could remove the whole assembly from the vehicle to apply additional layers afterward, again my apologies I didn't take pictures here but here is a good guide for you!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulDFGYpg0o
5) Once removed, I applied additional layers of fibreglass mat and resin to give the proper strength the box needed. Keep in mind that the strength comes from the strands of fibreglass mat which is horrible, messy crap if I may add. The resin "melts" the mat into the structure of your box. Please read other threads on how to properly fibreglass as I could spend a day explaining it. Here are some photo's of the box with around 5-6 coats of fibreglass mat and resin applied drying outside of my car, pleasure excuse the texts at the top - I was trying to explain to my girlfriend to take the pictures I needed. (LOL!)
Top:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-22_zpsfd4fdabb.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-22_zpsfd4fdabb.png.html)
Top2:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-54-40_zpsabff0691.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-54-40_zpsabff0691.png.html)
Bottom, note the little notch in the centre from where the spare tire bolt threads into the floor:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-49-17_zpse93f1482.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-49-17_zpse93f1482.png.html)
Side, see the formation of the spare tire well:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-32_zps57006c47.png (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/Screenshot_2014-08-18-12-46-32_zps57006c47.png.html)
6) Once I had the fibreglass and 2x4 shell completed, I cut a piece of MDF to fit on the top and cut my two holes for the subwoofer. I also added a piece of MDF in the the centre to create two individual chambers (1 per sub). I screwed, fibreglassed, and siliconed the piece in place. After I test fitted the top piece and subwoofers I siliconed and screwed it down:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/falsefloor_zps5effcb89.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/falsefloor_zps5effcb89.jpg.html)
7) I added my two speaker terminals as shown below which have been covered by the following: I placed a bunch of small pieces of 1/2" plywood on top of the 3/4" MDF to create an elevated platform to extend past the lip of the subwoofer. I finished by adding a 5/8" piece of plywood on the top so the floor sits higher than the subwoofer:
The black indicates where I placed my terminals beneath the 5/8" piece of plywood. The red indicates how my wire runs into the terminals (also beneath the plywood).
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/9005465d-11ff-4cf5-b908-e7e6a7a013ab_zpsb9364649.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/9005465d-11ff-4cf5-b908-e7e6a7a013ab_zpsb9364649.jpg.html)
8) I added another piece of MDF to create a small storage cubby for crap, It has a single door hinge on the back. I also lined the side and front of this cubby with foam tape to ensure it doesn't rattle when the subs hit:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140826_152203_535_zpsf91c91ce.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140826_152203_535_zpsf91c91ce.jpg.html)
9) Night shot:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140823_210425_033_zps95a6880b.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140823_210425_033_zps95a6880b.jpg.html)
10) Today I added the grate (finally) to protect the subs when they hit. I raised the grate slightly more with the two pieces of plywood which are painted red. I ran out of black paint but the red actually complements the writing on the subwoofer. I stapled the grate into the plywood with an air stapler, excuse the crap on the surface I just came back from a weekend camping trip.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150524_182712_249_zpsq2qhmpd4.jpg
11) And lastly with the carpet piece on top, this is pretty much the finished product.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/False%20Floor/IMG_20140901_161417_696_zpsb260b546.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/False%20Floor/IMG_20140901_161417_696_zpsb260b546.jpg.html)
Oh and no that isn't the permanent spot for my amp. Still trying to find a good place for it.
12) Lastly, finish this thread by leaving and listening to some good music \m/:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtft6LqgFSA
Questions welcome!