Making your own rear acoustic shelf

I’ll share my version of an acoustic shelf and my experience of placing a subwoofer for a 22-year-old Camry...

When the question arose - to make a shelf (since I simply didn’t have my own, like most of the interior when I bought the car), I started thinking - where to place the sub? There were two subwoofers in stock and both were cabinet ones, but I really didn’t want to spoil the bounty of the trunk of my Kamryukha with this large wooden chest... And the quality of the subwoofer in the sedan - riding in the trunk - did not impress me at all (from experience in the driving cars)

I decided to pull the sub out of its nest and install it in the rear parcel shelf. In this version, it will play on the volume of the trunk, since I have not yet begun to assemble the body to the shelf. I noticed that on many Korean cars the sub is installed this way! I’ll try this option for now - if it doesn’t suit me, I’ll strain all my Kulibin brains and make a box. I didn’t make the box, not so much out of laziness, but because of space. The width - which the rear parcel shelf allowed to be cut - will force the box to be of the required volume, quite narrow, and therefore - almost or even to the very bottom of the luggage compartment - and I really wouldn’t want this.

Why didn’t you place the sub in the trunk in the fender well? Yes, firstly: he will start playing in the trunk, and not in the cabin, and therefore he cannot avoid what he so wanted to avoid; and secondly: the width of the trunk allows me to carry a snowboard across it, and for me this is extremely valuable, since I drive it three to four times a week.

In general, not finding other options, I settled on making a shelf out of plywood, which would kill two birds with one stone - the first, of course, is installing the sound, the second, I’ll make a shelf, since I simply don’t have one.

I took a piece of plywood of the required size (with a small margin)

After lengthy measurements, I cut it according to the preliminary shape.

Acoustic shelf in the trunk

The VAZ 2109 acoustic shelf can be easily and easily made on your own. This will be discussed in our article. An acoustic shelf on a VAZ 2109 is installed for a number of reasons, the main one of which is to create a clear and pure sound from the speaker system.

Advantages of an acoustic shelf

VAZ 2109 acoustic shelf

Today you can purchase an acoustic shelf in specialized stores. Its cost is not that high, although it is still recommended to do it yourself. In any case, whether the shelf is purchased or made with your own hands, it will provide advantages:

• The acoustic shelf creates improved sound from the speakers.
• Thanks to the shelf, rattling is significantly reduced and other unnecessary sounds are eliminated.
• This shelf harmonizes perfectly with the interior of a car such as a VAZ 2109.
• After installing the shelf in place of the standard rear panel, there is a unique opportunity to use the entire useful volume of the trunk to play music. In other words, in this case the luggage compartment plays the role of a kind of acoustic box.
• The acoustic shelf protects from external attacks. Therefore, such an installation is called hidden. If everyone saw that you have expensive speakers in your car, the likelihood of theft would increase several times.
• The shelf allows you to install speakers of any size. If you make a shelf yourself, this will give you even more possibilities.

Delivery by transport company (cash on delivery, no prepayment)

Advantages:

Disadvantages: unfortunately, there are branches only in cities.

The estimated cost of delivery for an order up to 30 kg is 450 rubles.

List of transport companies with which we cooperate:

To send your order by transport company:

The cost of delivery is calculated based on the volume, weight of the selected product and the distance from the city of Tolyatti.

To send an order you must:

TC "Business Lines" - Urgent delivery of goods from 1 kg throughout Russia. The exact cost can be found on the official website of the delivery service - https://www.dellin.ru TC "PEK" - Guaranteed safety of cargo for the entire duration of cargo transportation, clear information support, delivery of goods throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in optimal time and accurately calculated cost of services. The exact cost can be found on the official website of the delivery service https://pecom.ru/ru/calc

What can a shelf be made from?

MDF shelf drawing

A common material for an acoustic shelf is MDF or multi-layer plywood. Be sure to cover the surface of these materials with carpet or other acoustic material to ensure compliance with the overall design of the interior. As for the area for installing speakers, they must be made so firmly that they completely eliminate rattling and vibration.

Buy or make it yourself?

The installation of acoustics affects the entire interior of the car. Thus, it can be supplemented with decorative elements or changed completely. Installing speaker systems yourself allows you to:

• Take into account the dimensions of the trunk and column (the holes for the columns must correspond to their diameter).
• Select the speaker connection scheme and the ability to change playback modes.
• Select upholstery, decorative elements, color and texture (natural and artificial leather are ideal for upholstery).
• Possibility to save internal space (the size of the structure may be non-standard).
• Choose the main material, it is better if it is wood (chipboard, MDF, plywood).

Making a shelf with your own hands

Acoustic shelf for VAZ 2109

So, if we decide to make a shelf with our own hands, then go ahead. A ready-made acoustic shelf costs about 1,000 rubles in a store. Why waste extra money if you can make everything yourself, spending some of your time and receiving inexpressible pleasure from the process. A homemade shelf has advantages over a purchased one, and it’s simply impossible not to notice.

Start

To make a shelf for a VAZ 2109, you will need to prepare.

Materials

• Plywood or MDF.
• Macroflex.
• Glue (one can is enough).
• Several meters of carpet.
• Self-tapping screws.
• Polyurethane foam.
• Sanding paper.
• Standard rear shelf made of plastic.
• Small nails (furniture).
• A simple pencil.
• Tape measure or simple ruler.
• Screwdriver.
• Drill with drills.
• Brush.
• Construction stapler.

Tools

Note. As mentioned above, the ready-made standard shelf of the VAZ 2109 is used as a model. Therefore, it will need to be removed. A simple screwdriver, a little patience and time - the shelf is dismantled.

• We place this very shelf, cleaned of dirt and dust, on a flat table.
• We lay a sheet of chipboard on top.
• Take a pencil and carefully trace the edges intended for the seat belts.
• Draw ovals for the speakers with a pencil.

How to mark an acoustic shelf

Main stage of work

Acoustic shelf for VAZ 2109

This includes the manufacture of acoustic podiums, the construction of a box for seat belts, pasting and much more.

Podiums

• We also make the base of the podiums from chipboard.
• We work with a jigsaw.
• To give the structure additional rigidity, you need supports made of bars measuring 20x40 mm. There should be several pieces of bars and they are inserted between the ovals using screws.

Note. The podiums, as mentioned above, are made on a separate piece of chipboard.

• We place the podiums on a standard shelf and trace them with a pencil.
• We also mark with a pencil the places of the round holes intended for air intake from the trunk.
• Between the bars of the podium, voids appear that need to be filled with sealant. As for the holes inside the product itself, they are covered with cardboard. This will prevent the foam from falling out during the drying process.
• Fill with polyurethane foam.

Additional lighting for the trunk of Kalina

Making Kalina's trunk lighting brighter is very simple, and most often an LED strip or a more powerful lamp is used for this. How to secure and connect additional lighting in the trunk is up to you, here are some examples of how this is done on different types of Kalina body:

Trunk light Kalina Hatchback

Trunk lighting Kalina Universal

Trunk light Kalina Sedan

By the way, if you often have to remove the rear shelf, then it is better to secure the strip with LEDs on the plastic sides, next to the standard lamp. And yet, if you make the lighting independent of the dimensions, then using the trunk will be even more convenient.

Similar materials

Shelf reupholstery

Upholstery material

Reupholstering the acoustic shelf on a VAZ 2109 can be the most problematic part of the job. That is why we devoted a separate chapter to it in our publication. Every owner of a VAZ 2109 dreams of making the interior of their “nine” more comfortable and attractive. An acoustic shelf is not only an element that serves a practical purpose, but also a separate component of the entire interior. For this reason, she needs to be able to give a style that is beautiful and consistent with the overall design. The material most often used is carpet. On the other hand, if the interior itself is covered with leather or a substitute, or maybe Alcantara, covering the shelf with the same material will come in very handy.

Carpet reupholstery

Re-upholstering the shelf with carpet

Experts recommend paying special attention to working with carpet. The following points need to be taken into account:

• This material does not stick together. In other words, it will be impossible to glue two pieces of this material together.
• Carpet can take on any shape if you sprinkle a little water on it, and then dry it with a hairdryer after shaping it.
• Carpet is best glued to chipboard or plywood using an aerosol compound.
• The carpet will adhere firmly if the layer of glue is thin and evenly laid on the surface.

So let's get started:

• We apply glue to the shelf (you can use not only an aerosol composition, but also Armenian glue Nairit, which also holds very well).

Note. Nairit holds firmly, but takes a long time to dry. It is recommended not to lay the carpet right away, but to wait until the glue dries a little and its adhesive functions increase.

• Now you can lay the carpet and smooth the material from the center to the edges. This is done so that irregularities, if they appear, are removed to the edges.

Advice. It is recommended to work with gloves. This will make your work easier and your hands will remain clean. In addition, if you do not have the skill to do this kind of work, it is recommended to pull the shelf in parts: first one half, then the next.

• We leave it to dry for a certain time (usually a day). To prevent the material from suddenly peeling off in some places during the drying process, some kind of weight is placed on top. This could be a bag of sand or just bricks.

Finished rear acoustic shelf

That's all. If the instructions are complicated and doubts arise, then it is better to entrust the work to specialists. On the other hand, you can learn everything with your own hands, so it’s worth the risk. During the work process, it is highly recommended to watch the video and study photo materials. Thus, the price for purchasing and installing an acoustic shelf in a VAZ 2109 will be significantly reduced, because you will only need to spend money on consumables.

Trunk Kalina hatchback

Just recently I began to notice that the shelf in Kalina’s trunk began to rattle and sag. It was secured with rather weak plastic sides that could barely hold them up. I have the speakers installed on the front door, but I haven't had time to install them in the back yet, so I decided to install side supports under the shelf. Of course, I didn’t plan them myself from valuable wood, but ordered them from a specialized workshop.

They carefully examined my car, took the necessary measurements and got to work. I didn’t bother them with my presence and retreated towards the house. But still, after a couple of hours, curiosity took over and I came back to the auto repair shop to watch the process. However, to my great surprise, all the work had already been completed and all I had to do was pay the bill, which also pleasantly surprised me; in principle, I was expecting a larger amount than the one that was presented to me.

The work itself pleased me with its accuracy and reliability. Now even if you sit on this shelf yourself, it seems like you won’t bend in life. Plus, on top of everything else, there were additional pockets that were not planned by me, but they also made me happy, you could hide some valuables there and no one would have guessed that there was a pocket there. I left the auto repair shop in such a good mood. I've been driving this car for quite some time, and so far the Kalina hatchback has never let me down with shaking in the trunk. And the pockets serve as tools. Naturally, you can’t put particularly bulky tools there, like a jack, but it’ll do just fine for small things.

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Tools and materials

First of all, you will need to stock up on materials and tools with which you can make a shelf. This list includes:

• Sheet of plywood - 2 pieces with a thickness of at least 5 millimeters;
• Cardboard sheet;
• Set of self-tapping screws;
• 2-3 furniture curtains;
• Electric jigsaw;
• Sandpaper;
• Marker;
• Shelf covering material;
• Roulette, ruler, etc.;
• Glue.

The design involves the creation of two main elements. They are combined into a single system - a podium for the speakers and a folding part with which you get access to the luggage compartment.

Main stages of the procedure

The process of installing and fixing any podium in any part of the car is as follows:

Take a ready-made podium with a speaker built into it. The podium is screwed on the inside of the casing with self-tapping screws. However, to achieve truly clear sound, you will need to experiment with the installation - some screws will be screwed in completely, and some will not. That is, you need to give the podium such a position so that the speaker can reveal its sound to the maximum. It is recommended to soundproof the doors and ceiling (in this case, you can achieve even clearer sound). After completing all the work, reassemble the ceiling, racks or doors (depending on where exactly the podium was mounted).

Algorithm for making a podium for a car ceiling

The podium on the ceiling of the car is characterized by large dimensions, since the largest speakers are usually located in this place.

Despite this, any car owner can make a podium on the ceiling - you just need to very carefully install the structure:

It will be necessary to dismantle the ceiling lining so as not to damage it during work. The shape and appearance of the podium are selected based on the size of the speaker. Usually, plywood and polyurethane foam are also used.

Obviously, the procedure for manufacturing ceiling podiums is similar to the similar process in the production of door podiums.

It is noteworthy that these schemes for the manufacture and further design of podiums are suitable for any type of speakers - both round and oval. Regardless of the available speaker dimensions (13, 16, 20 and 25, as well as oval 6*9), the podium will fulfill its main purpose - to improve the sound quality of the acoustics in the cabin and securely fix the speaker in the desired position.