I needed to add an amp and cap rack to for my woofer that I am working on and am waiting for the fiberglass so decided to work on the rack while I wait. I could not find any tutorials on the net, so I decided to try myself and see how it turned out.

Well it turned out okay but It would have been nice if the edges of the carpet were not as noticeable. The rack is in the trunk so I tried to lay the carpet so few edges would show.

Material list:

MDF or good fiberboard
Carpet, enought to cover board
4 6" long bolts
8 metal washers
8 rubber washers
8 non-locking nuts
Thread lock

Step 1: Determine Size of Wood Holder

Cardboard is easier to work with and is less expensive if you make a poop-up. The first step was lay on my back in the trunk and measure the largest size of wood that I could put in with out interfering with anything else. I might end up replacing the speakers so I made sure the wood would not obstruct the speaker if a future one ended up being deeper. Also my car had a rear center break light. I forgot about it till the end when I put the finished product in but I was lucky because there was just enough room to install and plug the light back in.

So once the I determined the size of the board I cut it out in cardboard. Where the rear speakers are there is a carpet piece and had to disassemble the the whole rear just to take it out so I could drill screw holes. To drill the holes I stuck a board between the metal and the rear window and drilled up from the trunk. Wear goggles to make sure you dont get metal in your eyes.

I forgot to take pics of the bolts but I bought 6 inch bolts from ACE. I also got 1" diameter metal washers and rubber washers. I needed 2 of each washer for each bolt, so 8 metal and 8 rubber. Also needed 8 nuts, dont get self threading because it takes too much time to thread. Just use thread lock when ready to assemble. When finished the bolts can be trimmed so the end is recessed.

After I drilled the holes in the rear deck, I put the bolts in and tighten them so I could determine the hole locations in the wood. I took the piece of cardboard and cut slots just wide enough that the bolts could slide in them. Then I found the center point for the board and placed tape where the side of the screw was. Then it was easy to transfer to the board and drill the holes. Make sure to drill straight through the board. I dont have a drill press so I used a carpenter's square to make sure the drill chuck was plumb and it worked very well. Just make sure to take your time.

Step 2: Time 2 Carpet

Get your carpet, I found some at Wallymart for $8.88 for 2 yards or so. They just had grey and black. I just bought it there because I did not wait for it to be shipped. I just layed the board down and made sure there was enough to cover all the sides, just like wrapping a present. It helps to have 1/4" of overlap when it comes time to trim the excess after gluing, else it is a pain in the butt to cut.

Use spray adhesive and you only need to spray the board or carpet. Follow the can, and wait for the glue to become tacky, mine said at least 30secs. It is easier to glue one surface at a time and start with one of the larger surfaces. Spray the board or carpet then fold the carpet over, make sure it does not touch the glue and lay it down starting with the "short" end of the carpet. See image.

Then trim the two identical sides which need trimmed. See diagram. Glue and trim the back piece last.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Trimming the carpet turned out okay and I tried to minimize the number of edges which would be seen. But it was not really necessary because the rack is not necessary seen. The only trouble one might run into is the color of the carpet. I could not find a carpet which was the same color as my trunk interior. The carpet was a light grey while the truck was like a washed out black. See pic for difference.

I was not sure how well a carpet dye would work but a had some black spray paint. I used a test strip of carpet and held the can about 1.5 feet away and lightly sprayed the carpet. It actually worked. Though the color texture is not really the same it matches a lot better. After the paint had time to dry i used my fingers to see if the the paint would "dust" off. It did not so I sprayed the amp rack.