Here's the build for the center channel. A large mold was laid down on top of the center dash area, allowing for plenty of excess fiberglass to trim down to the desired shape the design was determined. A center hole was cut to fit the motor and basket of the Morel coaxial, and four markings were made for holes to secure the pod to the dash. Next, this hole was transferred to the dash and the four mounting holes were transferred as well. Four bolts were then epoxied into the base mold, and tested for proper fitment. The ring baffle for the driver was then aimed at a flat orientation and secured to the mold.
Mold cloth was then pulled, resined, and reinforced from the inside via the dura-resin milkshake, and the edges sanded clean; then, the pod was smoothed out using filler. Finally, black vinyl was used to finish them.
An overview of the frontstage:
Now for the trunk install. According to Bing Xu of Simplicity in Sound, this was one of the most difficult fake floor installs they had ever done. That's because the shape of the floor in the LS really doesn’t lend itself well to this design.
For best results, the portion around the equipment of a fake floor build should to be flat. But the floor pan of the LS's trunk is far from that. From the front, behind the back seat, the floor is higher and flat, then dips downward at a slight angle, both front and back AND laterally. This angle becomes even steeper as you near the halfway point of the trunk, and then levels out towards the back and finishes with a slight upward kick to it at the very end. The stock trunk floor cover is actually several bendable pieces so it can conform to this shape, and it even sits a bit higher than the floor itself.
Moreover, the LS's trunk, while wide and long, is VERY shallow. This means, if SIS made a fake floor that flat and level with the highest point (upfront near the seats), the owner would be left with a trunk that is about eight inches deep from floor to ceiling—pretty much useless, not to mention cosmetically awkward.
The decision was made to put everything in the spare tire well, and somehow manage a flat surface around the component. A fake floor top cover that is part mdf, part fiberglass and conforms fully to the curvature of the OEM floor pan/carpet.
So here is the final result, with everything covered up, you don’t see much. A new fake floor with two cutouts covers the center of the trunk. The Lincoln's trunk liner is an odd color that's difficult to match, but the lighting makes it look lighter than it really is.
If you look closely, you can see the back section of the fake floor matching the shape of the floor, dropping down to the flat board on top of the spare tire well. This is the first fake floor build SIS did where the customer actually GAINED trunk space compared to stock.
Lift up the main grille cover, and here is what you see. THe Morel Ultimo 12" subwoofer with three JL HD amplifiers. The trim panel is done in black vinyl. One 600/4 provides each midbass with 300 watts RMS, the second 600/4 powers each mid and tweeter with 150 watts RMS. The 750/1 sends 750 watts to the Ultimo sub. The arrangement of the equipment is actually a matter of necessity as the stock battery is on the right side of the spare tire well.
If you are wondering what the smaller cutout is for, here is what’s below it. By removing this cover, you can access all the battery related accessories. The full line of EFX Delta products was used, two battery terminals, a fuse holder and a fused distribution block. The goal here is that the owner can jump start the car, remove and replace fuses (main and individual) without having to unbolt the entire fake floor.
The build of the trunk started with the entire well being covered with a layer of Raamat. Then the top fake floor cover was made. The initial step was to cut out a piece of MDF that matched the opening of the well almost perfectly, with the outer edge rabbeted. The piece was placed in the well, spaced up at a precise height, the edges masked off with tape, and eight layers of fiberglass cloth were laid down around the edge of the MDF, flowing onto the OEM carpet.
Once the glass cured, this mold was lifted out of the trunk. Meanwhile, the top floor piece was marked and the cutouts made. The fiberglass mold piece was then carefully trimmed to form the exact shape desired, and the inner opening matched to the rabbeted edge on the wood. The two pieces were then mated together using high strength epoxy.
A strip of MDF was added at the front ledge to form a straight surface, and then a lot of filler was built up and sanded down to form a nice smooth flowing shape with a flat center. This piece alone was a good three-day project. This piece was then wrapped in dark trunk liner.
The MS8 and a Cache Audio active crossover (providing band pass to the front mid/tweeter) reside on their own board below the amps. Here they are, all wired up and ready to go:
Finally, here is a shot of the wiring of the entire trunk area:
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