How to make a Boombox from Car Stereo

If you into self-crafting and a lover of music as well, it’s time you take your DIY skills to something more exciting than life-hacks. Do you know that instead of purchasing a new costly speaker, you can easily make one from your old car stereo?

Yeah, you heard that right and that too easily, in this article we will take a detailed step-by-step look on how to make a boombox from the car stereo. So ready your tools, because we are gonna have a fulfilling ride.

Materials and Tools

First thing first, of course, you can’t build your Boombox from some pipes and box of cans, even if you already have a car stereo in your possession. You will need the right materials and tools that can turn your old junk into something much more. Here is a quick list of everything you will need:

  • Car stereo, obviously
  • Hot glue gun and spare glue sticks
  • Some screw of the right size
  • Compatible screwdriver
  • Wire cutters, preferably large ones
  • Speakers with AUX port
  • AUX wires
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Some switches
  • Electrical tape
  • Enough wood for the frame of Boombox
  • Duct tape to fix everything at one pace

For battery, choose the one which has the same power rating as to your stereo as it will save you from some serious wiring and confusion. For example, if your stereo is having a power rating of 12V, get yourself an LI-ion rechargeable battery of 12V.

12V is usually the standard for stereo used in cars and trucks. So, it will be much easier to build your entire system especially if you stick to this guide.

8 Easy Steps To Make A Boombox From Car Stereo

1. Building the frame

Use the wooden crate to build the front, sides, top, bottom, and back of your boombox.

Measure using the ruler and cut your wooden piece into a nice rectangular box large enough to fit all the components insider it. Then, use some spare glue sticks with a hot glue gun along with screws to hold and assemble the screws together.

Another thing is that you can plan and mark the wooden box with a marker in advance where you are going to place your switches. Make sure to measure everything very carefully to avoid any troubles later.

2. Attach your car stereo

Get your old car stereo and carefully place it inside the rectangular box along with the markings. The car stereo will act as an amplifier of your Boombox system.

3. Get your Speakers

If you have, just simply use the speakers available in your car for Boombox. Although they can be large, and difficult to use, they will not cost you anything extra. If not, try to look for a small set of dedicated speakers to fit in.

The speakers don’t need to be anything expensive as they are gonna be inside the Boombox. Although make sure they are sharp and lough enough.

Fasten the speakers inside the body of your Boombox setup. You cut holes at the back of the frame if your speaker has any buttons or switches.

4. Turn on the power

A 12V battery is more than enough for all the needs of your DIY car stereo Boombox. They are cheap and easy to recharge, making your overall setup much cost-effective than the old-school speakers that took countless D-size batteries to work.

Get a charger with an appropriate battery rating for yourself. Make sure you never discharge your battery completely or leave it unused for too long. You can even leave the battery connected to the charger at all times. This way, your Boombox will always be packed enough for parties.

5. Add some switches

If you want to make your Boombox look more operatable, then add a mono-switch to control the power to the battery. The switch is also useful to turn your Boombox system on o off without plugging out the power wire. A good off-on switch allows you to choose between a  power outlet or battery as your primary power source.

6. Add plug-in ports and hubs

Just add an AUX cord or a USB adapter to input some music into your speakers. Yes, it is that easy.

7. Add some Bluetooth functionality

If you are comfortable with wires, you can settle with that, or you can add a Bluetooth system to make your Boombox go wireless.

This way, you can connect the Boombox up to your smart device and plat along without any hassle of wires. Get a cheap Bluetooth receiver and add it to your Boombox. Fit it well into your frame and secure it with duct tape.

8. Take all Safety Precautions

Boombox manufactured in factories operate on batteries for a reason. Batteries don’t a line of wire to start any accidental fire, nor they spark anything.

However, a battery of 12V is not something to be played with. Yes we know, it is not much harm on any scale, but we want you to be sure safe while using your Boombox.

Set up the battery very carefully into the wooden frame of your Boombox. Also, close the terminals of your battery with electrical tape along with some duct tape.

More safety points regarding car stereo

how to make a boombox from car stereo

Although this Boombox project is a great DIY idea, it’s not for those who are complete novices regarding the use of tool-kit boxes and electrical instruments. Whenever you are either hooking or wiring something, make sure the power source is always turned off or under the limit as to not ignite any fires or explosions

So, before proceeding any further make sure you are equipped with all the knowledge and required materials so that you can complete your DIY project without any hiatus.

Boombox Modifications

There are many ways to customize the Boombox you just made to suit your style. Once you get the frame right and all the materials, you are just limited by your creativity.

You can get speakers of different sizes and power ratings to make your Boombox louder or to sound sharper or just be more strong and compact.

Instead of a wooden frame, you can go for some other material. Old, rectangular plastic containers can be perfect to fit your speakers. Or, you can build a fancy one from a log of wood, with custom size and cutting to fit in your set of rectangular speakers.

Also, don’t forget to paint your Boombox in the color of your choice. Black is a great choice, but there is no limit when it comes to color combinations. You can even paint it in neon glow in dark lights to make it stand out at night parties.

Conclusion

Crafting things your way is a great way to enhance your skills and have some fun along. If you have never built something before yourself, get yourself a team of friends to assist and you will have some sweet memories to cherish.

You don’t even need to make a very complicated set-up, a simple cardboard-looking Boombox will be more than a great feat. But if you have the skill-set maybe you will become the next talk of the town. Although if you want to avoid going all through all the trouble just look up to any of the Boomboxes from the below links, all of them all well analyzed with detailed review:

For the complete list of the best boomboxes, just visit our 10 Best Sounding Boombox Ever To Buy In 2023 and 10 Best Sounding Vintage Boombox In 2023.

Once you get a purchased Boombox, maybe you get inspired to pick up your toolbox make something useful out of your old stereo box.

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