fake floors

[blu73]

So i have stripped out the back of my sei with the intention of putting a fake floor in there a bit like the one in the pic below, except i want mine to go over the arches then down at an angle to the front. Will be putting amps and stuff under it with the sub mounted in the floor on the forward facing bit.
I've never done anything like this to my cars before and my question is what materials should i be making this out of, i'm intending to use mdf for the sub-enclosure but it would be a bit heavy for the floor - so what can i use thats strong enough not to bend under a bit of load (as stuff will still blatanly get chucked in there) but not very heavy like mdf.

a bit like this....

 

[Andy_sx]

hows about some say 5 mm ply??

will have more than enough strength as it will be supported etc, but also it wont weigh a ton, and can also be screwed n glued to the sub enclosure

 

[chaos]

Quarter inch MDF won't be too heavy, and the extra density may help.................but personally I would use ply as I prefer working with it

 

[blu73]

Cheers peeps,
i was thinking ply but wasn't sure. Well i have no bread right now (oh suprise) but will post some pics when i get started (when i get paid).

 

[Andy_sx]

some nice ply should be spot on, make a simple frame aswell and it should hardly flex either and wont add much weight (the frame that is)

 

[Luke M]

just be careful if your removing you back seats. they may not look it but theyre a major part of the cars structure so need something putting in instead. probably why they have put that chrome bar across the arches in that pic above

 

[blu73]

i thought of that mate and tbh i think he's being overly careful (plus it looks ace). It don't seem to make any difference at all, went out for drive before and after taking it all out and you can't tell any difference. However am thinking about doing what hes done, where it is attached is where the bottom of the rear part of the seat attaches to so would be easy to fabricate the bar.
PS. when you take the seats out, theres not one piece that goes across the back, yes all together and thus has some bracing effect but it would bend easily as so doubt it has the effect of a anti-roll bar.

 

[Luke M]

its not a major problem! if you want the floor raising above the arches im sure you could hide a metal bar underneath it. i think that chrome one in that pic looks a bit obtrusive IMO doesnt look very professional

 

[blu73]

if i made one it would under the floor, could also be used to further strengthen the floor.

 

[Savage]

how high is the floor going to be of the floor. i think the floor would look better in the pic if it was level with the bottom of the boot

 

[Luke]

In the cento's, there is no need at all for the rear strut brace - the suspension is on its own rear subframe, so adding a rear strut bar will have little to no effect on the handling of the car as the struts dont sit on the rear arches

 

[blu73]

how high is the floor going to be of the floor. i think the floor would look better in the pic if it was level with the bottom of the boot

Its going to be level with the boot across top of the arches, but at front there will be a bit at an angle downward, not sure what angle yet though, initially thought a very shallow angle, but thinking about around 45* down in front of the arches then flat again to behind the seats. I need to get out and have a mess around, just waiting for pay day so can get some materials.

In the cento's, there is no need at all for the rear strut brace - the suspension is on its own rear subframe, so adding a rear strut bar will have little to no effect on the handling of the car as the struts dont sit on the rear arches

Cheers Luke, done quite a few miles now and the back might be slightly more slidey (technical term) on entry to roundabouts but nothing that noticeable, could just be my imagination.