Upgraded Speakers and Stereo Install

Therberg

Member
(some one moved this post from the thread about back-up cameras and I was answering a question about the Alpine 7" flip out that I installed for a monitor for the back-up camera)

I did upgrade the stock speakers with some alpine 4" coaxials, they sounded much better but were still unsatisfactory.

I ended up doing a complete custom install with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound with the 4" coaixials for the center, 2 pair of 6.5" components for the front and surrounds and a pair of 10" subs.

Add an aux battery along with 1500 watts of amplification and goodbye road noise and wind noise. Classical Music never sounded better!!!!

Here are a few pics of the install.
 

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kkanuck

LUV my T1N
That cargo partition looks very cool, what did you make that out of?

Also, the door pods for the speakers, where did you get the parts to make it?

One last question, the set of speakers in the roof above ones head, how did you mount the speakers in there? I understand cutting the hole in the roof panel, but how where they secured to the body?

Thanks for any tips,


kkanuck1
 

Therberg

Member
The cargo partition is made out of 3/4" baltic birch plywood with 1" aluminium channel on door and edges of door opening,then painted black with Rust-Oleum hammered finish spray paint. The sliding door tracks are made from Accuride ball bearing drawer tracks, I did not want any rattles from the door.

The speaker pods on the doors are made from 3 layers of 3/4" birch ply glued together,and cut to shape with a Bosch jig saw with the blade set at 30 deg angle. I also hollowed out the inside the same way. I ordered vinyl from a local upolstery shop to cover pods, it took a bit of flipping through there samples but I found a close match for color and texture. A bit of gluing ,streching and stapling for a wrinkle free covering.

The stainless steel bars over the speakers were added several months latter ,the speaker grilles were getting pushed in from knees hitting them. The bars are cabinet drawer and door pulls that are available in various sizes from 3" to 16".

The speakers in the headliner are supported by the headliner, but a ring of 1/2" ply was installed behind to reinforce the opening and give the speaker mounting screws something solid.
 

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hammerdown

New member
love that partition, and stereo install. working on a similar project on mine now. i have rear window though, so i'm putting a circular window in my partition door.

heres a peculiar question: what kind of music do you listen to with that boomin' system?
 

maxextz

Rollin Rollin Rollin.....
"by self" seems to be a handy dude to have around, how much does he charge by the hour i wonder:hmmm:
 

Kubbie

'06 2500 140" Std Roof.
The speaker pods on the doors are made from 3 layers of 3/4" birch ply glued together,and cut to shape with a Bosch jig saw with the blade set at 30 deg angle. I also hollowed out the inside the same way. I ordered vinyl from a local upolstery shop to cover pods, it took a bit of flipping through there samples but I found a close match for color and texture. A bit of gluing ,streching and stapling for a wrinkle free covering.
Had to resurrect an old thread,

I would like to make similar speaker pods and I have a question:

Are they cut open into the door panel so the enclosure uses the door volume, or are they "sealed" and just fastened to the surface? (with just a hole for wiring.)

P.S. - Just put in a new head unit and would like to use some larger drivers.
 

Kubbie

'06 2500 140" Std Roof.
I have the pods now made - 3/4" ply. I went with about 15° on the side angle.

Pick up some Marine Gray vinyl from a fabric store, $6 yard.
(No flipping or ordering, just took what was close enough.)

Now to figure out how to stretch this stuff enough to get it to look like the ones above. The lady at the fabric store pretty much said "good luck" when I explained what I wanted to do.


Rob.
 

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maxextz

Rollin Rollin Rollin.....
I have the pods now made - 3/4" ply. I went with about 15° on the side angle.

Pick up some Marine Gray vinyl from a fabric store, $6 yard.
(No flipping or ordering, just took what was close enough.)

Now to figure out how to stretch this stuff enough to get it to look like the ones above. The lady at the fabric store pretty much said "good luck" when I explained what I wanted to do.


Rob.
rob................good luck.:hmmm:
 

Kubbie

'06 2500 140" Std Roof.
Had a little time to try one today.
1st suggestion is to go with large radius curves and roundovers. Getting the wrinkles out on tight bends is a challenge.

I hit both the back of the vinyl and the wood with 3M 90 spray adhesive. I mounted the speaker with epoxied brass 10-24 inserts and hex bolts to hold the vinyl around the cut out.

I was fighting it all around with the wrinkles, but got close enough.

I found this to remove wrinkles from leather, worked so-so on vinyl.
I'm sure I won't be getting a job at West Coast Customs Interior department with Ish any time soon...

 

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bcman

Active member
Therberg & Kubbie, are the pods attached just to the trim panel, or are there fasteners that run through the trim panel and attach to the sheet metal? And did you cut a hole in the trim panel to connect the airspace behind the speaker to the door cavity?
 

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