Speaker recommendations

Thanks Carey.  If the baffles don't do the trick I'll probably go that route and add some tweeters.

Stuman has the AC panel which would be perfect for tweeters that are small .
Tweeters are usually high but You might be able to do something slightly lower Lane

I recently saw an Audi where the guy Molded the A pillars with a tweeter holder ala 535 BMW tweeter at high dash level ... not original but you get the idea.
like the shark fin antenna camera mod .. choice choices

There is a flat spot on each end of the dash (remember, mine looks different from a Speedster) that I could use, but I think I'd try something else to retain the stock look.  It's moot for now since I don't know yet if I'll add anything.  The baffles should be here in a couple of days and then we'll see.  Again, I'm not pursuing spectacular sound quality.  Just "good enough."

I know several of you have your speakers in the footwell area up in the kick panel. The area behind that is open to the wheel well. I'm wondering what, if anything, you have behind that area to protect the back of the speaker and to enhance the sound?

I'm not sure if the Boom Mat baffles I linked earlier would suffice in protecting the speaker.

In the Coupe the kick panels have some other body structure behind them, so that is probably not an option.  I got the baffles today, but the car is still at the shop for the suspension setup.  Next week, probably, we'll have an answer.

And another question while I'm thinking about it. In your speaker photo there is some type of insert in the fiberglass that the speaker screws are screwed into. What are those called again and where can I get them?

I honestly don't remember.  @chines1, can you help Robert out?

Those are nutserts, or rivnuts. You buy a special rivet gun with different mandrels for each thread size, drill a hole and pop an insert in, then squeezing the gun to set the rivet in place.

They work well in fiberglass panels.

@DannyP posted:

Those are nutserts, or rivnuts. You buy a special rivet gun with different mandrels for each thread size, drill a hole and pop an insert in, then squeezing the gun to set the rivet in place.

They work well in fiberglass panels.

Thank you Danny. I have a few places I'd like to use those so I may have to buy an inexpensive one from HF maybe.

Get the one with longer arms on Amazon. There are several arm lengths/brands to choose from.

Be careful how much force you use on the smaller sizes, you can easily break the rivnuts or possibly the mandrels.

I used them to mount the headlights, among other things.

“Rivnuts” - THAT’s what I was trying to remember!

@DannyP posted:

Get the one with longer arms on Amazon. There are several arm lengths/brands to choose from.

Be careful how much force you use on the smaller sizes, you can easily break the rivnuts or possibly the mandrels.

I used them to mount the headlights, among other things.

I was working on my headlights just today and that is why I thought of the Rivnuts Carey used for this espeakers.

No issues with the thickness of the fiberglass?

Still looking for an answer regarding people who have speakers in their kick panels. What is behind them to keep the speaker from getting wet?

Normally they have some sort of plastic sheet, like 6 mil or more. for doors or anything that is exposed.  Just saying

Robert, I also used them on my old car for a bushing, by drilling out the threads.

You know how Spyders have the headrest fairing? They usually have a long 1/4-20 bolt that goes through the clamshell. I put a rivnut in the hole and drilled out the threads. It doesn't take much effort to drill out the aluminum.

Another good spot is the gas tank. Four there makes tank removal a one-man job.

I have the cheap Harbor Freight tool. It is less than OK. I see they just came out with a two lever design, rather than the pop-rivet type I have. But as I said the ones on Amazon are available with longer handle lengths, and seem to have better reviews.

I've used a bolt, that fits the rivnut, with a nut spun on it and a washer to put them on, that are in a tight spot.

@Robert M posted:

Thank you Danny. I have a few places I'd like to use those so I may have to buy an inexpensive one from HF maybe.

There's something better:

McMaster/Carr has them in various sizes

I used these "plusnuts" to secure my tank, because I worried the normal rivnuts would just smash the fiberglass. Thanks for posting that McMaster tool Stan. When I mounted the plusnuts, I had to fabricate something similar out of nuts and bolts because the mandrel on my tool didn't have a long enough reach, so I got them started with that, then finished with the Wurth tool.

And I second Danny's recomendation to get longer handles. My Wurth tool is more like a rivet tool and I have to add a couple of cheaters to the handles to set the 8mm and 10mm nuts.

eta: Stan, I just saw your link is to something similar. I'm going to have to search for the tool.

The setting like tools I pictured are on page 3574 of the McMaster/Carr catalog. They'll change your life.

I've got the long handled setting tool. It cost 10x as much as the tools I linked, doesn't do as good a job, and doesn't fit in very many places you want to use it.

Anyone ever used one of these?

You can't apply nearly the same torque to pull up the rivnut. Honestly, you can't do better than the tool I keep pimping.

I hold the bottom nut with a wrench, and pull up the rivnut with a socket on a cordless impact. I can pull a rivnut in about 10 seconds,and do it in just about any space.

@Robert M posted:

Still looking for an answer regarding people who have speakers in their kick panels. What is behind them to keep the speaker from getting wet?

JPS uses Boom Mat baffles for speakers in the kick panels. They work.

I got the baffles over the weekend and will install them when I get the car back from the alignment/suspension setup.  I need to work out some spacers to make sure the door panels aren't sitting directly on the speaker cones.

@JR_1979 posted:

JPS uses Boom Mat baffles for speakers in the kick panels. They work.

Thank you. I knew those would work inside the door like in Lane’s situation. But I was sure if they would work in the lock panel seeing as how they’re exposed to the elements in the wheel well.

FYI, inner kick panels on a Beck are not open to the outside, we have an inner wheel well liner that seals them up from the elements.

@Lane Anderson any update on your speakers?

The car is still at the racing shop.  Unfortunately we underestimated how long it will take to make the adjustments, and I took it in as they were preparing 11 cars for Road Atlanta this weekend.  My timing wasn't the best.

I'll test out the baffles when I get it back.  If that doesn't do enough, I'll probably add some tweeters in a more directionally optimal location.  The funny part is that I was kind of "meh" about any sort of sound system, but his car is so much more complete as a car (does that make sense?) that a sound system seems appropriate.

That does make sense, Lane.

Sure it does.

The new car has a roof!