How to Construct a Speaker Enclosure for a Door Panel

Are your new speakers too large to fit in the factory cavity? Construct a door speaker panel or pod.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spray Glues
• Vinyl
• Measuring Tapes
• Scalpels
• Magic Marker
• Pencils
• Adhesive Tape
• Pencils
• Poster Boards
• Adhesive Tape
• Belt Sanders
• Flat Files
• Hardware
• Staple Guns
• Variable-speed Drills
• Pencils

Preliminaries

1. Gather the following tools and materials: poster board, medium-density fiberboard, masonite, grille cloth, 1/4-inch foam rubber padding, vinyl, velcro, cordless drill, window-crank pin-removal tool, hook tool, pick tool, panel-popping tool, air or belt sander, metal-cutting tool, jigsaw, scalpel, magic marker, pencil, tape measure, adhesive tape, spray glue, file and staple gun.

2. Measure the depth of the speaker, the depth of the factory opening in the door and calculate the additional depth needed to accommodate the new speaker.

3. Inspect the driver's door panel and determine where you want the speaker pod or panel to go. Usually it's put on the bottom quarter of the door.

4. Measure the door and the speaker to make certain that the location you've chosen will work, and then construct two templates for the pod out of the poster board. The first template is the first level of the pod and covers the entire length of the bottom quarter of the door. The second template is the second level of the pod and covers the area where the speaker will be located.

5. Use the speaker and pencil to trace a circle on to the first template in the area where the speaker will be located in the pod, and cut out the hole.

6. Tape template No. 2 over template No. 1 and tape both templates on to the door panel.

7. Inspect all around the templates to make certain that there are no obstructions such as the molding on the doorsill or the dashboard, the window crank, or any factory mechanisms inside the door such as the locking mechanism. If any obstructions are found, adjust the templates' location to accommodate.

8. Remove the templates, the hardware from the door panel and then the panel itself.

9. Cut out the plastic liner covering the interior of the door with a scalpel.

Constructing the Pod

10. Trace the outlines of the templates on to the medium-density fiberboard.

11. Use the jigsaw to cut out the patterns, and then use the speaker to trace a circle on to the smaller board where the speaker will be located. Cut out that circle as well.

12. Assemble the two boards together, making certain that everything aligns properly. Use screws to fasten the boards together but don't sink the screws all the way into the assembly.

13. Place the pod assembly on the door panel and sink the screws into the assembly and door panel.

14. Flip the door panel over and mark the location of the screws. This will serve as a guide when you are ready to mount the pod to the door panel permanently.

15. Mount the door panel back on the door with the pod in place. Close the door and inspect to make certain that the pod fits properly. You may have to shorten it a fraction of an inch in the front (if so, sand it down until it fits).

16. Remove the door panel and take the pod off the panel.

17. Cut out the portion of the door panel where the speaker will be located, using the pod as a guide.

18. Use a marker to note pieces of metal in the door that appear to obstruct the opening for the speaker, remove the door panel and cut out the marked metal.

19. Take the pod off the door panel and sand it to round off its corners and to give it a rounding slope to the section that will hold the speaker. By the time you finish the sanding, the assembly will look like one piece rather than two.

20. Push the speaker into the hole from the front of the pod to see whether it fits. Use a file to trim the edges of the hole and sand a little bit on the top of the pod near the hole until the speaker fits properly.

21. Trace an outline of the second template to the back of a sheet of masonite and cut out the pattern. This will serve as the speaker grille.

22. Draw a circle on to the back of the masonite representing the location of the speaker and use a unibit drill to cut 10 or 20 holes in the masonite within the circle. The holes serve as perforation so that the sound made by the speaker can escape through the cover.

23. Use the sander to buff away excess masonite, which may have built up from the drill piercing through the board, until the surface is flat.

24. Place the grille over the speaker housing of the pod to check the fit. Sand around the housing to create a good, rounded edge.

25. Remove the grille, spray glue on it and wrap black grille cloth around it.

26. Cut out a piece of 1/4-inch foam rubber padding, spray glue on the pod and wrap the padding loosely around the front section of the pod with some excess trim going around the edges to about 1 inch or so of the back.

27. Cut some vinyl. Spray glue on to the foam on the pod and wrap the vinyl tightly around the pod with about an inch or so of trim wrapping around the edges to the back of the pod. Heat the vinyl with a hot gun while you are applying it so that it will be soft and pliable and capable of being stretched.

28. Staple the vinyl to the back end of the pod with an air staple gun and trim off excess material with scissors.

29. Take the scalpel and cut several straight cuts radiating from a center point into the vinyl and foam that cover the hole for the speaker.

30. Push the speaker into the cuts. Secure the speaker to the pod with screws.

31. Mount the pod to the door panel. Sink the screws into the back end of the door panel through the same holes that were made when the unfinished pod was mounted to the door panel earlier on in the construction process. Add more screws to assure that the pod is secure.

32. Place some strips of Velcro along the back edges of the masonite grille cover and along the edges of the pod that houses the speaker. Make sure that the Velcro strips are aligned.

33. Mount the masonite to the pod over the speaker.

34. Take the door panel and the pod to the car, attach the speaker wires to the speaker terminals and re-place the door panel to the door.

35. Take the templates used to make the pod for the driver's door and flip them over and trace the patterns on to the fiberboard and make the pod for the passenger door as described.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash your hands prior to applying the vinyl to the pod. If glue should get on your hands during the process, stop immediately and wash them. You can't properly lay down vinyl with glue on your hands.

on 11/22/2005 Get some waterproof foam baffles for your speakers. They will keep your speakers free from dirt, dust, and moisture. It will also make your speakers more efficient and sounding better on low bass notes. I got some at www.crutchfield.com They are made by XTC.

on 11/22/2005 Make sure that the depth of the new speaker you are putting in will fit without the magnet getting in the way of the window. This could end up a problem.