I'm redoing the stereo in my 03 vlx and I want to build an amp rack. I'm thinking of making it a bit fancy by adding some LEDs and some plexiglass. Problem is I haven't been able to find any instructions on how I build a good or and I'm looking for some sugestions. Any help isappreciated. Thanks!
Wow, thats a hard request to fullfill because there really isn't a book on amp rack design. I would suggest looking through the archives at boat install pics and find some that you like. If you still need help in how the one you like is made, post some pics and I am sure everybody here will help show you how to build it. But you must start with an idea and it's totally OK if it's somebody elses. Here is one to start. This is our company boat and was done by Ben (Soundbox) at ACME Tops and Tunes.
what do people mount them to? There doesn't seem to be much that wouldn't have ugly screw heads or nuts coming out of someplace you wouldn't want them, or though the outside of the hull. The setup above looks real nice but I don't know how the board is mounted?
Gunnar, that's one of the nicer racks I've seen. All Zapco digital...nice. Would sure like to know what they are pushing? For Amp Rack design, it depends on how many amps and space you are working with. The one Gunner shows is Hi Density but with some good thermal design considerations (all the heat sinks are at the top and not on top of one another). Traditionally, you will see amps just stamped out one next to the other on a flat panel. Two here, two there kind of thing. A couple of amps is usually pretty easy with a flat board. I like to Line X them before mounting the amp. Good luck
Duane is correct about the thermal considerations. I had my two tower amps, that are running at one ohm going to four pair of Zapco blue cones, mounted at the top the first year out. I had heat problems as they were absorbing heat from the lower two amps that are running at two ohms, one each two three pair of blue cones and two digital designs 12's. I have since inverted the mounting and don't have the heat problems i had the first year.
Chucktronics would not make things so difficult to work on or repair by mounting amps in such a manner but his knowledge is far superior to mine and i didn't listen...thanks.....ass But i wouldn't hesitate to take my stuff there if i didn't like doing it myself
so... no one really answered my question so I will ask again . Sorry for the hijack I know how to make an amp rack. But how do most people mount them solid in the boat? Most of the obvious mounting surfaces are either:
a) hull (obviously not drilling holes through to mount a rack)
or
b) the back of an interior wall of the boat (again no holes or mounting hardware going through it)
A lot of people cut out a section of carpet in the shape of cubes, then use either an epoxy or some super strong glue and glue the blocks to the hull then mount the amps on top of them carpeted of course.
A couple yeas back people used metal strips and mounted them to the strips. Bend the bottom bend then the top bolt it down then bolt the amp to the metal strips. I did this in my old malibu got the strips from home depot bent them painted them done.
ok cool that's what I was guessing but had no idea. I don't know much in the way of fiberglass construction and stuff. Would liquid nails be ok to hold it all to the hull?
. Sorry for the hijack I know how to make an amp rack. But how do most people mount them solid in the boat? Most of the obvious mounting surfaces are either: 
Linear Mode
