Installing speakers in Roadster RS

Ha I also have a Miata - and a Roasdster RS is a non-US Miata MX5 model.  Probably depends on manf.  On a FF, CMC, pan based IM, and VS, cutting a hole there would put a 5-6" standard speaker in the wheel well open to tire spray.  You could build a waterproof fiberglassed in area for it to be mounted in.  Down low there is a massive steel 2x4" perimeter frame.  I've seen more in the door panel - especially on a Speedster (since no roll up windows to get in way.  I've mounted up under dash to the 2x2" steel cross bar.  There are flat ice chess looking foam speakers that you could hide behind the kick panel carpet.

I'd be curious to see what is being done with speakers in the kick panels. Either a fiberglass enclosure is being formed to mount the speaker into or the hole is being cut and the back of the speaker is being protected somehow. Crutchfield sells a product called a speaker baffle that is inserted into the hole when it is cut, then the speaker is inserted after that, but it's designed to protect the speaker in a door enclosure so I'm not sure how it'd hold up fully exposed to the elements. I suppose you could glass over the area at the back of the speaker in the wheel well but that doesn't seem as practical.

There are surface mount speaker enclosures you could get to mount in the footwell area but the mass produced ones are usually pretty bulky. I'd get some construction foam and shape my own enclosure to make a mold then construct my own fiberglass enclosure and mount it. That way you could get the speaker up a little higher and it won't get in the way of the passenger's feet.

Click on the blue links in my comment to see what I'm talking about.

 

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Couple of the ones I have seen. I have the Intermecannica Roadster RS, 1992.

Your IM has a tube frame -- different from pan based Speedsters I mentioned.  I'd peel back the carpet there.  It may have foam there to space carpet out.  Those appear to be smaller speakers - maybe 4" ones.  You want shallow speakers of maybe 2" - not 4" for sure.  If existing foam,  it could be cut out for adding speakers or add foam (like styrofoam not sponge foam) to space carpet out.  Would you even need the add-on looking chrome grills?  Just let sound go thru the carpet and you won't know speakers were added.

Not sure about your build but normally there is a panel on both sides of the footwell.. ie following into the body from the door panel... Try to see if there are not 2 screws hidden in the carpet to remove them and see how much room you have in the back of the panel. 

after that 5-6 inch speakers should be doable IMO

 

 

It's a panel. The screws are buried in the carpet. 

Try and get the speakers as high as you can and point them at your ears. Plus, the higher they are, the more invisible to the outside they are.

Is it double wall or single wall, I don’t want to be in the wheel well, exposed to the elements.

I would use the door or under the dash on the cross bar.

Why Bill?  The IM panels are pretty stiff

I should of mentioned that if you have an AC panel they usually are the place where IM mount tweeters

If you look at the wheel well you can see that it is totally closed and there is no issue with anything going into the cockpit.  

Baxman posted:

Is it double wall or single wall, I don’t want to be in the wheel well, exposed to the elements.

@Baxman

Can't see the photos.

For the best quality sound reproduction.......get separate woofer and tweeters. You can typically adjust the tweeters firing direction for better high frequency to reach your ears. Also it is an absolute must to install Dynamat fully in your doors. This will greatly improve the bass response. Of course ideally you should also put in a small powered Sub-Woofer. Another fringe benefit of the Dynamat is your doors will sound solid when closing, not just plastic.