Cutting bigger holes in the door for speakers
06-04-2007, 12:56 PM
#1
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Cutting bigger holes in the door for speakers
How should I go about making the speaker holes larger in my car door?
The car is a 97 Tercel and the factory openings accomodate a 4.5" speaker. For the last 4 years, I've been using 5.25 component speakers in the holes, with a wooden baffle holding the speakers out 1/2" so they still fit into the factory holes, as seen here:
But the mid in this picture is blown so it is time to replace the speakers. I figure this is a good time to upgrade to 6.5 or 6.75 comps. But before I buy the speakers, I want to know how to cut open the sheet metal in the door to fit the bigger speaker.
Tools available: Jig saw, drill, router, & rotary tool.
(also Radial Arm saw and Skill saw but I can't even begin to imagine how I could use them for this).
Kick panels are out of the question - I'm 6'2" and I'm already tight for leg room in the Tercel.
The car is a 97 Tercel and the factory openings accomodate a 4.5" speaker. For the last 4 years, I've been using 5.25 component speakers in the holes, with a wooden baffle holding the speakers out 1/2" so they still fit into the factory holes, as seen here:
But the mid in this picture is blown so it is time to replace the speakers. I figure this is a good time to upgrade to 6.5 or 6.75 comps. But before I buy the speakers, I want to know how to cut open the sheet metal in the door to fit the bigger speaker.
Tools available: Jig saw, drill, router, & rotary tool.
(also Radial Arm saw and Skill saw but I can't even begin to imagine how I could use them for this).
Kick panels are out of the question - I'm 6'2" and I'm already tight for leg room in the Tercel.
06-04-2007, 01:20 PM
#3
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Tweeter location, a few reasons:
(1) The sound blended well at that location
(2) It keeps the install subtle.
(3) The screw I used were too long and that was a location on the door panel where I had 1/4" clearance between the sheet metal and the panel.
That being said, where would you have expected it? If you were thinking higher up (say door handle / air vent height) I tried it there. The sound wasn't unified. I could clearly hear the mid and the tweeter were coming from 2 differnt locations.
(1) The sound blended well at that location
(2) It keeps the install subtle.
(3) The screw I used were too long and that was a location on the door panel where I had 1/4" clearance between the sheet metal and the panel.
That being said, where would you have expected it? If you were thinking higher up (say door handle / air vent height) I tried it there. The sound wasn't unified. I could clearly hear the mid and the tweeter were coming from 2 differnt locations.
06-04-2007, 01:22 PM
#4
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Originally Posted by methodman0666
that woudl be a very easy pannel to do some fiberglass work to. you could make some very attractive pods and reupholster the door pannel.....
06-06-2007, 09:39 AM
#6
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So a simple jigsaw with a metal blade is enough eh?
So here are my thoughts then,
Once I've enlarge the hole, I'll file off any rough burrs - then I'll spray paint the edges to prevent rusting . . . I hope I don't need to prime the metal considering the area of exposed metal is so minimal.
So here are my thoughts then,
Once I've enlarge the hole, I'll file off any rough burrs - then I'll spray paint the edges to prevent rusting . . . I hope I don't need to prime the metal considering the area of exposed metal is so minimal.
06-06-2007, 08:30 PM
#10
Originally Posted by maltesechicken
So a simple jigsaw with a metal blade is enough eh?
So here are my thoughts then,
Once I've enlarge the hole, I'll file off any rough burrs - then I'll spray paint the edges to prevent rusting . . . I hope I don't need to prime the metal considering the area of exposed metal is so minimal.
So here are my thoughts then,
Once I've enlarge the hole, I'll file off any rough burrs - then I'll spray paint the edges to prevent rusting . . . I hope I don't need to prime the metal considering the area of exposed metal is so minimal.
