My Honda Element Build

I got my first car before I got my drivers license. So I was fifteen when I did my first install. A Pioneer cassette deck (don't remember the model number), a Pioneer GMH-22 amp (I think the model.). I built an enclosure for a M&M 15" with only a jigsaw, a hand screwdriver, and a caulking gun of silcone. That's right, I hand screwed together my first box.

 

This is the build for my front stage. Starting with my A-pillar pods.

I first start by cutting the plastic A-pillars, then clearance the sheet metal behind them.





Mock-up of the rings.



Stretched grille cloth over them to check the shape and clearance from the dash.





Glassed with a layer of matte.



After curing and a quick grind down. Fitted them again to check for shrinkage and dash clearance again.







After body work and some heavy spray polyester.



After finish sanding. Sprayed them SEM texture spray. And painted them in factory plastic color, to simulate a factory option.





I never could get the texture in a way I was happy with, so in the end I wrapped them in grey suede.

 

You are the first to notice! Thank you!

 

Well, using my Honda as an example. The entire install, doors, dash, center console, pillars, sub enclosure. I probably went through roughly 10 gallons of resin. At about $50 a gallon=$500. I will not use Bondo brand resin from auto parts stores. It's thick and doesn't penetrate fleece very well. It also shrinks badly and takes too long to cure. I get mine specially mixed by a guy in Tulsa. It's watery and easy to use. If you are doing a big project like this I highly suggest you call around to places who do fiberglass repair. Ask them where they get their resin. In just about ever major city is a guy who makes his own resin. And if you are telling him what your doing with it he could probably adjust his mix.

I'm a big fan of Duraglass, a lot of the stuff I build is made out of solid Duraglass. It doesn't shrink at all, and because it has fiberglass strands in it, it's very strong and even if you build it up 1" thick it won't break or crack.
$50 a gallon, figure about 5 gallons=$250

I recommend not using Bondo brand plastic filler. Everyone has their own preference, a lot of people say use Rage Gold. I try to use very little filler in my builds. So I'm not picky when it comes to filler (as long it's not Bondo). Our local auto body supply store stocks PPG Techifill, so that's what I use.
I probably used 3 gallons at $40 per=$120

So that's about $870. Not counting MDF and other misc materials.

 

Build of the door panels. I didn't take pictures of the beginning steps. I told you guys earlier, I'm awful at documenting things. But I taped off the door panels in several layers of painters tape, being careful not to distort the original shape of the door. (i.e. no wrinkles in the tape.) Then I sketched out my shape using a Sharpie marker. When you glass something, the resin will lift the Sharpie outline so you can easily do all of your trimming later. Then coated the whole area in Vaseline, this is my release agent. After all that I laid down 5 layers of matte coating each layer as I went.





After curing overnight. I used the Sharpie outline and cut out the shape using an air saw. I routered out a set of rings for the speakers and tweeters.
I simply glued the rings to the fiberglass using CA glue. I placed the panel back on the door to do Duraglass and body work. When you build an overlay panel like this, you always want to try to keep the panel against the surface you are trying to duplicate. If not it might get distorted.











I made of set of overlays to go on the back side of the door panels using the same steps as above, so the front pods didn't look so out of place.

I know I said to keep the panels on the original surface to do body work, but I got lazy here. (Do as I say, not as I do! Haha.)








I did little build-ups on the door panel plastics, so that the painted pieces just didn't look like they sat there. Wrapped the plastic panels in suede afterwards.



I Dynamated the doors, both the outer door skin and inner.





I also added DynaXorb to the back of the mid locations.



Finished product. I also added blue leds to the door pockets.

 

Holy crap! That's a huge front stage! I bet it'll be pretty awesome thou.

I probably used less than hundred bucks worth of material on those pillars.

So the base is going to be 3/4" MDF and a set of 3/4" rings placed on top?

If that's the case, I can teach you some tricks where you wouldn't have to use fiberglass at all. And have them built in just a few hours.

 

Sorry guys, been hella busy. Will post the last of pics as soon as I can!

 

Alright here are the last of the build pics for my Honda.

I wanted to mold a SXRC controller to the dash to control the Kicker SX amps.



After the initial shape I decided it needed more. So I added some 1/4" ribs to the sides to give it more shape.





When I first bought the Element in 03' I molded a 7" monitor to the passenger side dash. But now 3 years later I needed to redo it for an updated one.





Also I molded the trim rings for my aftermarket headunits in 03' and now have to redo it for the updated equipment.



And finished product!

 

I then decided I wanted a "Toaster on Nitrous". So I bought a single stage 75 shot NOS wet kit. Now I wanted a cool center console to hold it.

I first built the base with the seats and everything still in place to check all of my tolerances. I'm building the console in the same shape as the enclosure.





Once I got all my measurements, I gutted the entire vehicle (again). I took the door panels off because the guys doing my seats were stitching me some armrest covers.



You can see all the rings that I routered that fit over the NOS bottle. I'll cut them in half to build a cradle.



Console after frame work, fleece and glass. I added a plate to install my arming switches and purge button. Started on the body work.



Test fit.



Finished console. I completely taped off the NOS bottle and Duraglassed in some contours to make it cleaner looking.



My new seats thanks to the guys at Leather Seats.com



Nitrous solenoids installed. Bent a piece of aluminum on our sheet metal break, and polished it to hold the main system fuse holder and the solenoids.



Had to replace the fuel rail with one from an Acura RSX with a pressure check valve on it.