Rear access from inside...

Not mine - but there is a lot of space there.  Room too just behind the door opening for speakers.

Perfect... thank you. I will pull off the glued carpet and see about laying up glass to make a cover before I cut.

Thank you !!!!

Save the piece you cut out....  Then glass on some mounting flanges....   Saves a whole bunch of time and effort....  

Leon...exactly, agree... sorry, I should have been more specific...

My note on that photo says Leon's Oil Cooler.  The Speedster I remember Leon having was Aztek Gold.  Duh, guessing it was first black gel coat?

I suggest that you go to West Marine . Com and look up "access port holes", they come in all sizes and shapes.  I don't know how mjuch or if any stress occurs in that area but it seems to me that a Round hole would be better by not having any corners to give stress a chance to start\. Plus you would not have to fabricate a door from your cut-out. I thought about doing this but then changed my mind and installed meh cooler in the fender well. There IS a lot of room in there though that is wasted...............Bruce

Thank you. My ultimate plan. . . One I have not divulged. . . . Is to cut that area out, put my air tank and compressors back there, design and weld in my air ride supports for my bags while at the same time doing a cross support piece that has 2 roll hoops incorporated into it. When this is completed, I will install my amp and a sub back there to cover the access port. Finally a cover over it that fits tight with the roll hoops. Whew.... as you can see, still in the planning stage.

Hahhaahhaha

Thanks for the input, ideas and time.

RustyTubs used to make a panel to make the rear seat area look more authentic - $895.

WOLFGANG.... WOW... yeah, not interested in that, the rear will be completely taken up. I have "other plans".

Muuhahhahhahaha

Thanks

That's right! You do you.

My amp is under the dash and I have a subwoofer enclosure and 10" sub in my "back seat space".

I am also in the process of moving my mid-range speakers and tweeters for the door cards to the kick panel in the foot well.

Robert, I actually had an old beetle prior to my busses and speedster  and I had a set of MB quart 6 1/2 discus speakers in the same location as you and with the sub (8" RF) in the trunk firing down the soundstage was bloody amazing. That whole car was built before taking photos of everything was the norm...:-(

Robert M.

Thanks for the description and pics. Everything helps. I come from the days of Rockford Fosgate Power series as my go to.

My 2001 Dodge Neon had 3 Power 10s and 3 power series amps, 2-8" for mid bass: 6-6" for mid range: 4-4" for mid highs and 6 tweeters for the highs. I used to run some high power and did quite a few competitions. Ran Nopi Nationals in Tennessee and placed 3rd overall. Hit 152db.

But my hearing is shot now and this little car doesnt have the room. Still she will get a couple of 10" subs in the back as well as some components up front. Simple but effective. 3 ways have been a favorite for me.

Thanks !!!!

@flatfourfan posted:

Robert, I actually had an old beetle prior to my busses and speedster  and I had a set of MB quart 6 1/2 discus speakers in the same location as you and with the sub (8" RF) in the trunk firing down the soundstage was bloody amazing. That whole car was built before taking photos of everything was the norm...:-(

The shape of the old beetles.... suds worked well in them.

I had many competition worthy vehicles back in the day. S10 single cab that had a walkthrough for the bed, the bed was used for subs and lamps only.

Dodge Neon with 3 10" subs and I made this enclosure out of fiberglass

1-1/2 can S10 and the extra cab had 4 10" subs

Civic with 4 12" subs......

Oh the stories....

Here are 2 old shots I found on my phone. So long ago.

I've always been a fan of Polk speakers and JL Audio subs. Had a nice 3 amp system in my Vanagon Westfalia. It wouldn't have one competitions but it had great undistorted sound. Custom enclosure under the back seat for a 10" JL.

DannyP...  I have run Polk and JL... good stuff.

I worked for a few Custom Car Stereo shops, all did full systems from custom dashes, door panels and center consoles to boxes and amp racks.

Very cool days... and very expensive days. Hahahahah

Agree about Polk Audio speakers. Best audio bang for the buck. I’ve installed them in a few cars and use them as deck speakers.

Yeah, I have Polk 6.5" deck speakers under the dash of the Spyder, pointed at my ears. They are mounted to the side of the frame hoop by the wheel wells.

Robert....I really like that you used something like pie plates for your fiberglass forms for your speakers !  I had to make some tail light buckets like that one time and used a plastic serving bowl.  With a coat or two of Maguires mold release my product popped right off after hardening.

I've been thinking about a form for a revised headlight bucket that would easily allow for the LED headlight bulbs or a small fan to effectively cool the LED's that only have cooling fins.

Anyway...Good work Robert !..............Bruce

@Wright Conceptz posted:

DannyP...  I have run Polk and JL... good stuff.

I worked for a few Custom Car Stereo shops, all did full systems from custom dashes, door panels and center consoles to boxes and amp racks.

Very cool days... and very expensive days. Hahahahah

All of the speakers in my Speedster are JL Audio as is the amp and the crossovers. Polk is really nice stuff. There are A LOT more brands now then when I first got into car audio.

@aircooled posted:

Robert....I really like that you used something like pie plates for your fiberglass forms for your speakers !  I had to make some tail light buckets like that one time and used a plastic serving bowl.  With a coat or two of Maguires mold release my product popped right off after hardening.

I've been thinking about a form for a revised headlight bucket that would easily allow for the LED headlight bulbs or a small fan to effectively cool the LED's that only have cooling fins.

Anyway...Good work Robert !..............Bruce

Thank you Bruce.

For the mold I ended up using a foam speaker baffle insert. The insert would normally go in the door to protect the back of the speaker from moisture. I initially was just going to cut the hole and use the baffle to protect the back of my speaker also. But I thought there was a big difference being stopping moisture inside of a sealed door vs being completely open to the elements so I decided to glass the backs of the opening. I'll still use the baffle inside of the glass pocket to help tighten up the sound. On my test run it made a noticeable difference in the sound quality from when the speaker was in the door without the baffle. I will mount some plastic braces under the dash when I get the car back from Greg to mount the tweeters.

You guys are light years ahead of me on this stuff ! .....I lost interest in stereo commensurate with my hearing loss.  Sitting here reading I flashed back to when my first car didn't have a radio. I found one in a junk yard out of a 1948 Buick and installed it in my 46 Chev Fleetline.  It had a "********" in it that you had to wait for it and the radio's tubes to all warm up before you got that wonderful "tin-can" sounding music from our local radio station. But now I had a radio and it was much nicer and romantic sitting in the back seat "necking" with my current girl friend !.............Bruce

Thanks for the description.... I have used everything from glass containers to Tupperware to wood and cardboard.

This is a project I have designed from ground up and used cardboard as a base for most of the fiberglass. See pics

https://youtube.com/channel/UCnS_jGstE_lyPlMYtwh-p-A

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