Disclaimer: They look ROUGH, because I JUST started them.. But they fit well, and the one I have in sounds GREAT.

I picked up a new-in-box set of Kicker 6.5" Components for $25 bucks Saturday. (I broke the seal on the box and tested them.)

I tried to fit them in the dash, but was unable to fit them the way I wanted. I decided I was going to fit the mid-bass woofer in the door, and the tweeters where the factory 4x10" are located.

I like the door speaker look, sometimes. A lot of times, they look tacked on.

I tried to keep that in mind when I laid out my design. I wanted it to look aesthetically pleasing, and follow the original design cues of the existing panel.
I also wanted to be able to mount the speaker without modifying the door sheet metal at all. Below, you will see the very first draft, before I start sanding, filling and smoothing.

Before:


After (very rough, and the grill will not be staying, most likely.):


The carpet is cut out and peeled off anywhere the MDF is sitting. The pod is attached to the panel using drywall screws with lexan "washers" behind it to distribute the load across the factory door panel.

I tried to keep the angles as close to OEM style as possible for the upper part of the add-on pod. The upper part will have material removed to flush it with the upper part of the panel. The area above and to the left of the pod will become a shallow pocket to store stuff in. Maps, tire gauges, etc.. My panels do not have the map pockets, and I miss having them from when I bought the car.


The back section towards the seat will also have material removed to angle it into the door panel.

Some shots of the panel out of the car for the passenger side, with the speaker mounted...





Once everything is smoothed out, I intend to make a fiberglass mold out of this plug, and then turn out a set of "bolt on" pods for my car. I may look into reproducing them at that point.

I will also be making a full door skin out of fiberglass with the pods integrated. My skin on my driver's side has some seating issues up near the inner dew wipe.

Would there be any interest in a reproduction of these once I get them finished? (Yes, I will be posting photos as I go.)

I think they look fine. I'm still thinking of doing something like that to mine.

quote Originally posted by Synthesis: Would there be any interest in a reproduction of these once I get them finished? (Yes, I will be posting photos as I go.)

In time I would be.....when and if the extra money comes my way.

[This message has been edited by kyunderdawg (edited 04-12-2009).]

I have begun shaping one of the pods to get the look I want. I love drywall compound .

Makes it easy to fill and sand, as well as patch. Then, when all is nice and smooth, you give it a good smooth coat of fiberglass resin, and sand smooth again.

keep up the good work i like em

I started the shaping on these last night. I let them cure up overnight, and gave them a quick sanding. This is the second layer. I am building them up slowly, and then will sand for the final shape. I will then lay a layer of resin and cloth over the top.

Once that sets, I will sand smooth, and then use Bondo to fill any irregularities. Final sanding will take place once that sets. I can then start paint, wetsand, and wax in preparation for making a mold.

It looks like it is coming along nicely!

looks great man i like it

I revised the design for simplicity sake (until I can do the full fiberglass panel on the door).

I cut off that upper part, and contoured the panel so that it curves following the speaker shape. The lower section, and the flat angle in the middle are still there. When I get a spare set of panels, I will permanently attach these to those panels and do a full on fiberglass panel. In the meantime, these will be carpeted, and attached.

Duplicating these would be easy for someone more skilled than I in Fiberglass.

Maybe this might help for inspiration:

quote Originally posted by Fie Ro in Help ID-ing this interior :

[This message has been edited by Austrian Import (edited 04-15-2009).]

I love that interior, but alas, I don't have the skills to build it.

Instead, what I did was finish the passenger door with my slightly modified design. It looks OK. I may opt to change it later, or redesign entirely. But for now, it works for me.



Driver's side is nearly complete.

I contoured and sanded the pod until it was the shape I wanted, I then took fiberglass cloth, laid it over the pod, and stapled it in place around the edges, stretching it tight as I went.
Once it was on, and I had a small lip all the way around, I then laid in some resin by brushing and dabbing it in place.

I helped it cure by using a heat gun on low to set the resin. Once it was cured, I then sanded some more.

Next came the carpet. The pod is carpeted on all the visible sides, with a flap in the back glued in place. I redid the lower half of the door panel, and then lined the pod up.
It is attached firmly with several drywall screws through the backside.

The result: A great sounding system, with a pod that blends into the decor.

[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 04-16-2009).]

They look great, and sound great mounted in the door. But alas, all my Fieros have door pockets. I'll think of something

quote Originally posted by topher_time: They look great, and sound great mounted in the door. But alas, all my Fieros have door pockets. I'll think of something

Remove the door pockets from the door, and mount them on the back panel behind the seats. They are thin enough that they won't affect seat travel, and that way you don't loose that valuable bit of storage....just makes it a little harder to get to.

looks good man if i was you though IMO i would shave the back of the design and make it like a ramp kinda deal inorder to keep it looking more stock or atleast smoother that is

quote Originally posted by BabyVet: looks good man if i was you though IMO i would shave the back of the design and make it like a ramp kinda deal inorder to keep it looking more stock or atleast smoother that is

Beat you to the punch. Building a small fiberglass end piece that will house a reflector for when the door is open.

Synthesis

Those look good. Very Simple, yet you could form these to any design shape you liked.

You've got me motivated to do something on the rear pillar. I hate those small speakers there. The sound out of them is lousy even with new speakers.

I love this forum, most of the time anyway.

quote Originally posted by Earl-R: You just had to post those pics didn't you. Shame on you for making me want them.

I've been following that interior probably since I first got a Fiero. (see my thread) I'm very close to renaming it the "White Unicorn interior" since it's equally rare. Fie RO seems to know a bit of background info about it, but nobody seems to know anything recent about it.

Pods are finished. I have to finish the corner pieces, but those are a lower priority as I repair my center console.

bump-nice work.