How To: Make A Retro Speaker Box

An idiots guide on how to make a cool* home made speaker box to rock some tunes in your retro ride! Perfect where you can't fit decent speakers in the door cards or kick plates and want to be able to move the tunes for a festival/ camping trip…

(*the level of 'coolness' may be questionable - I like it!)

You will need:
Vintage suitcase
Speakers
MDF
Speaker cable
4 way connector block
Stickers...

Tools & sundries; wood saw, jigsaw, drill, tape measure, screwdrivers, screws, PVA glue, craft knife, cups of tea...

This cost me under £80 to build and fit… though you could do it for half the price if you bought smaller cheaper speakers and hunted around for a vintage suitcase/ sewing machine case/ second hand travel chest for a few quid in the charity shops.

I found the perfect sized suitcase at the volksworld show to fit between the front seats in a bay.



Bought some 3 way Rockford Fosgate 6x9s for maximum bass without needing an additional amp, recommended by my local independent car audio shop - don't go to Halfwits; they are useless for advice and if you know what you are after then not very good on price either.




Measure, measure again, cut some holes.


Build an MDF box to fit the case




Measure and cut the MDF


Fit a connector block to allow ease of removal of the case from Big Red.


Wire up inside then seal it all so it is robust/ rigid, could even dampen the rear with sound deadening foam


Test. Screw everything into place


Make sure the stickers look good. Then add some more anyway


Cruise with the tunes pumping. Or park up and position your new case for maximum partying round the picnic table


What ya think?

Pretty simple project with basic tools and the soundsystem now sounds brilliant in the front of the bus.

Bring on the Summer...

Thats a really great idea, never seen that before. David

Cool thanks Andrew . . .

Looks cool dude would look wicked in the back of a bug!

Yeah, you could easily make one for the back of a bug. Be perfect for cruising with the tunes, then you could easily take it out if you needed to fit camping stuff on the back seat.

Or you could run the cable out of the window and put the speaker box up on a rack with a load of other hood ride junk in a rat look...

Like it. Next project...get a trunk and fit a sub in it?

No sub planned. Dont want to run an amp on the system I have.

Might add on a DAB tuner then I have the cash but as I have a little portable one for camping trips I'm in no rush.

Not sure what my next project will be though...

Liam wrote:Looks cool dude would look wicked in the back of a bug!

Check out my attempt I'm readers rides! Sat on the back off my parcel shelf! Sounds really good especially as their only small speakers!

Your readers rides pics look great, love the cracked old case. Great stuff, glad it sounds good too. Did you build an MDF box inside?

I also found this blog, the cases look very cool:

http://blog.theboomcase.com/

But they should do for $800! I like the 'Desperado' speakers in a violin case, amusing.

No I didn't make a mdf box inside. The speakers are only light so should be ok! Have also bullet connectored half way along the speaker wire so I can move the box outside the car and have a portable speaker box!

Great idea andrew! Thanks!

No probs!.

I came up with doing the idea when looking round Volkswold as I found the perfect vintage case and had seen something similar but with a record player in it at the Blenheim VW and mini show. Since making it I've seen lots of other cases, seems very popular/ common.

Now you just need more stickers on it...

These guys were at Volksworld and I got the case, stickers and luggage label from them

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Revival-Vintage-Luggage-Labels