I posted this in another thread, but didn't get much of an answer.


Question for you guys with Firebird/Camaro interiors.....well the ones that used the door panels anyway.

Do you find that door speaker limits legroom at all? Would a 6.5" speaker be able to be used in that location or is a 5.25" really all it will allow?

quote Originally posted by mptighe: Question for you guys with Firebird/Camaro interiors.....well the ones that used the door panels anyway. Do you find that door speaker limits legroom at all? Would a 6.5" speaker be able to be used in that location or is a 5.25" really all it will allow?

I'm not using the F-body door panels, but I am putting door speakers in my car. I think 6.5" shouldn't be a problem there. The mount depth for 6.5 vs. 5.25 speakers isn't usually a big enough difference to really worry. The speakers still mount to the door itself, and the panels just provide the grille (unless you mount in the door panel, which can cause more vibration to occur). The mount depth is more of an issue though, as you want to avoid having the speaker and glass too close to each other when the windows are down.

quote Originally posted by dobey: I'm not using the F-body door panels, but I am putting door speakers in my car. I think 6.5" shouldn't be a problem there. The mount depth for 6.5 vs. 5.25 speakers isn't usually a big enough difference to really worry. The speakers still mount to the door itself, and the panels just provide the grille (unless you mount in the door panel, which can cause more vibration to occur). The mount depth is more of an issue though, as you want to avoid having the speaker and glass too close to each other when the windows are down.

Yeah, the depth was what I was concerned about. I'm modifying the Fiero panles using the FIrebird parts (when I say "I'm", I mean I'll have someone else do it who wouldn't screw it up like I would). I want to mount MB Quart 6.5" woofers to the doors and have the Firebird dash modified to hold 5.25" components. I guess you could say I like my music I just wanted to see if anyone observed depth issues with the stodk 5.25" enclosures on the doors.

quote Originally posted by mptighe: Yeah, the depth was what I was concerned about. I'm modifying the Fiero panles using the FIrebird parts (when I say "I'm", I mean I'll have someone else do it who wouldn't screw it up like I would). I want to mount MB Quart 6.5" woofers to the doors and have the Firebird dash modified to hold 5.25" components. I guess you could say I like my music I just wanted to see if anyone observed depth issues with the stodk 5.25" enclosures on the doors.

The stock 4th gen F-body door speakers are 6.5" I believe. The door panels themselves don't hold the speaker. They only have the grille. And most everyone that installs aftermarket speakers in the doors on the F-bodies, installs 6.5" components. So I doubt you will have any issues with the door panels themsevles, unless you intend to remove the grilles, and mount the speakers directly in the panels. If you do, you'll need make sure the speakers aren't too powerful, or you'll just end up getting too much vibration from the panels, which tend to be a lot more flexible than the doors. The best way to mount a 6.5 woofer on the Fiero doors is to build a spacer with some 6.5" speaker mount rings, and angled slightly so the speakers face the forward bulkhead/floor area. The Firebird panels should still have plenty of room to sit in front of the speaker, and you should be able to avoid interference with the window when rolled all the way down.

quote Originally posted by mptighe: I posted this in another thread, but didn't get much of an answer. Question for you guys with Firebird/Camaro interiors.....well the ones that used the door panels anyway. Do you find that door speaker limits legroom at all? Would a 6.5" speaker be able to be used in that location or is a 5.25" really all it will allow?

IIRC the stock speakers are 6.5". I am sure that is what I used.

I gained more space in the door by swapping the window motors with the oposite door. Instead of the motor point downwards into what will be the speaker area, they point upwards towards the mirror. No real manufacturing was needed to do this other than drilling some new mounting holes so I could rivet the motor into it's new location. Wiring inside the door was moved so that it would reach the plug on the motor (one tie down point).

I have also used the original f-body spacers for the speaker that screw onto the door sheet metal - the speaker then mounts to this and the door panel over top. The tweeter mounts in the door panel - stock, the tweeter mount is plastic welded to the housing - I removed the stock speaker and figured out a way to mount the aftermarket ones using the original mounting frame.

Sorry, I never took any pictures of the relocated window motors or the speaker cutout and mounting. One day I will have to take some pictures when I have the outer panel off.

Edit >> as for limiting leg room, not really - the 'pod' extends 3" max (in my case) from the stock door panel and is really in a location that my leg really never is. The pod/door pocket unit however interferes with the parking brake - you have to open the door to set it as the pocket area covers the lever partially.

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 01-24-2011).]

Thanks for the answers guys. According to Crutchfield's speaker lookup, the stock door speaker is 5.25". So, I was going off of that. I'm sure a 6.5" will fit, I just wanted to make sure there are no vibration issues. My Integra has an issue with this and it drives me crazy. The funny thing is, the Integra came with 6.5" door speakers. Oh well I guess I'll find out when I find out Mickey, I'd really like to know more about the power window thing. Did you use the Fiero motors or the Firebird?

quote Originally posted by mptighe: Mickey, I'd really like to know more about the power window thing. Did you use the Fiero motors or the Firebird?

Fiero motors. I drilled out the rivets that holds the motor to the door sheet metal, undid the plug and slid the rollers out of the lift track under the window. Took it over to the other door and installed. The motor locates itself, just make sure the window is in the same position as when you removed it. Once the rollers are in the track, position the window, mark the holes for the motor, drill and rivit into place. Undo the clip holding the wire to the sheet metal and plug in the motor. The hardest part was getting the rollers in and out of the track.

Like I said, sorry I didn't take any pictures to document this, but it was fairly easy and I had it done in a day. Best if you remove the outer skin as well so you can work at it from both sides. The only tough part that I remember was that the wiring was a little short on one of the doors and I had to pull more of it in from the inside of the cabin (only something like a 1/2", but enough that I could seat the plug).

nm

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 03-09-2011).]