Part 2:

The dual 10" Rockfords I had running are being replaced as well. The new sub will be a single JL 13TW5. I highly recommend this sub, it sounds amazing and only requires .80 ft3 airspace. The sub is only 2.5" thick so it can be fit just about anywhere.

I had to build a new box, so after some quick measurements I had what I needed. The box will be very simple, nothing fancy since it will be hidden under the seat. JL recommends .80 cubic feet and this box came in at .8001.... dead on. The box is sealed and T-nuts installed for mounting.



Clamped, glued and screwed and allowing to set overnight.



I decided to use pocket holes to secure this box, so the remaining holes were filled with wood filler, dried over night and then sanded smooth.



Next I wanted to build a flush mount trim piece for the top of the box, this will give the sub the illusion of being flush mounted in the box.

First I cut the hole 1/8" larger than the outside diameter of the sub.



Next, using the jig saw I cut out the mounting tabs for the sub.



A quick test fit and its perfect.



Lastly, the trim piece is glued and stapled to the top of the box. The outside fit wasnt perfect, so a quick pass with a flush trim bit on the router and its spotless.



Finally the box is ready for carpet.



Wires are run, then its all buttoned up and ready to go.







For a small comparison, the two boxes side by side. Out with the old, in with the new.




I also ran the wire for the 500/1 sub control. For the knob I used an empty spot next to my tow/haul button.



I added some white craft paint so the center point was more visible.




Finally the new amps and crossovers are installed on the amp rack and all connections are finished up. I dont expect this to visually win any awards, but I feel its run cleanly and keeps with the overall simplicity of the install. I spent a few extra minutes to properly set my gains with a DMM. I used a 50hz test tone for the 500/1 and a 1kHz test tone for the 300/4. Then the seats were ready to go back in. Since the amps are installed right side up, tuning and making adjustments is difficult once the seats are in. I keep a small mechanics mirror in the back in case things need tweaked, and the JL's have a great feature where the adjustment dials click at every increment, so making minor changes is pretty simple.



I would like to fabricate a beauty board in the near future to hide the wiring and showcase the amps, but once the seats are back in the wires are hidden and out of sight.



And the sub in its final location.



Again, clean, simple and stealthy was my goal for this build. The sound is nothing short of amazing. The Rainbows and JL 13TW5 are an awesome combination, I'm loving the warm and natural sound that the Rainbows produce.... they are an awesome speaker. The CAL 25 silk dome tweeters are buttery smooth and there is virtually no listening fatigue at high volumes for extended periods.

I wasnt quite sure what to expect with the JL 13TW5, but I was pretty surprised to hear just how low this thin sub can get. It can easily handle some of the lowest notes I've thrown at it so far, yet as far as sound quality is concerned, it handles rock music like a champ. Bass notes are clean and tight, kick drums sound fast and accurate and response is very quick. I'm very happy with this sub.

Next phase will be running them active.....

Thanks for looking,

Mark
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