I have been considering adding a 6" speakers in the foot wells (kick panels) of my vintage. I notice a few people have shared photos with them placed there. Does anyone know is this area enclosed and hollow or do I need to be concerned with the rear of the speaker being exposed in the wheel well? Figured I would ask before I start cutting.
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On a CMC they would be exposed in the wheel well, probably the same with others.
Mike is correct that you'd be in the open --- but there is room and you could make a pod for it and fiberglass it in to ensure its waterproof. I ended up using a piece of flat plastic and hooking it to the 2x2' square bar under the dash out of view. Some have built pods just behind the doors too. I think in front of driver would result in clearer sound.
I had my old MB quarts mounted in the kick panels, but we made pods for them that actually mounted on the outside of the car. This allowed the speaker grills to sit flush with the panel that hid them almost 100% once covered. You do have to cut holes in the kick panels though.
These might not take a direct hit from road debris thrown up by the tires, but they will protect the speakers from water and road grime:
those would be easy to fiberglass over too
Thanks all, the baffles were the way I was leaning too. Fiberglassing over them once installed sounds like a great solution to me. Time to put the car up on jackstands and check the wheel clearance.
They'll work. I had those in the kick-panels of my JPS. John Steele (in his usual "thorough" manner) just shot some rubberized undercoating on them and called it good. In his defense, it worked pretty well.
Not that I would ever do this sort of thing, but what about mounting the speakers in the lower-forward portion of the doors, rather than the kick-panels??? Might look a bit 1960's, but that would be in keeping with the nostalgic, '60's look, no?
Seems like it would be a good bit easier and the sound would be blasting more directly at you when your exhaust is blaring on "spirited acceleration"....
I'm jus sayin.......
I have some panels for the bug that will with a little triming fit the cmc/fiberfab.they make them in plastic&fiberglass.I have the glass ones in my bug and a set of plastic ones &used to see if they would fit the 356 .(I will trim to fit then use them for molds to make the ones for the car )there pretty close to fitting the 356., Remember they shortened the pan in the rear so the foot aere is pretty close to a bug shape. As for attaching them, I dont like drilling through and having screws sticken out in the wheel aera, so I will probably either epoxie some stud mounts or something like that&seal them up good for best sound.I think it's the top portion that needs triming where you cant even see it.and I carpet over them too so they just blend right in.not so sure about rear speakers yet, might make a mold of the rear aera&have a false wall about 3"deep for the speakers to mount to.but all this is way down the road on my car. dont forget to use something for sound deadner so you hear good base¬ just rattels&hum......sory for the u2 pun couldent resist.
First find a set of low profile speakers. I believed Boston Acoustics has a 6 inch speaker that's 2-1/2" deep mounting depth. So you may only need 3 inches sticking into the front wheel well. Mock up a piece of foam to the speaker dimension and Check your tire turning clearance. Then if its a go. Make two fiberglass speaker enclosures. Use some plastic tupaware bowls for molds. Make sure you use the proper saw blades to cut the fiberglass.
why cut a hole in your car when you can just use the bug pannels.
Depending on which manufactured speedster you might have , leg room maybe prime space you not want to lose.
I dont remember loosing much at all in my bug as there tapered to all sides&get deep only where the speaker gos.I dont notice them at all execpt for the sound.there are many slim line speakers out there. I dont think I would want to cut a big holes in my car if there was another way. but your correct some may not be able to do this as easy as others.
Remember that many of these speakers (higher end stuff) actually needs an sealed or ported enclosure.
why cut a hole in your car when you can just use the bug pannels.
why cut a hole in your car when you can just use the bug pannels.
Here's a better view of the kick panels: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_0...&crv=15100883905
Most obvious issue would be that it would block the vents.
I also considered something like this but don't know if I like the way it would jut out:
What about the suitcase on the rear seat idea?????
"why cut a hole in your car when you can just use the bug panels."
Because you don't want to loose 2-3 inches where your size 12 feet go. OK in bug because you sit up right - vs stretched out in Speedster. Plus one cut and fiberglassed in you'd simply cover speaker with the existing carpeting. I actually put a deadman pedal where the speaker pod would intrude.
