How to Have a Speaker Enclosure Constructed for a Door Panel

If you are serious about the music you listen to in your car, you want the location of the speakers to be just about perfect. This may call for the construction of a custom speaker enclosure in the front doors of your car. Here are some ideas on how to find a shop to do the work.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yellow Pages

Investigate Before Visiting a Store

1. Consult with friends who have had sound systems installed by a retailer. Ask the manufacturer of the speakers you have purchased to recommend shops in your area.

2. Check the yellow pages after you have compiled a list of potential dealers. The good shops will probably have a large ad in which they list the brands they carry. Select shops that carry brands you are familiar with. If the shop has a Web site, check it out.

3. Call the shop. Are the salespeople willing to talk to you? If not, they probably won't spend much time with you when you visit the shop, or provide you with after-the-sale assistance.

4. Ask over the phone if the shop is an authorized dealer of a major manufacturer. Inquire how long they have been in business and how many years of experience their installers have.

5. Narrow your initial list to about three to five stores.

At the Store

6. Look to see if there are any plaques from manufacturers on the walls: awards; trophies won at sound-off contests; displays of magazines or newspaper articles published about the store; testimonials from customers.

7. Does the shop have a photo album documenting their work? Ask the salesperson to show you the photos and explain installation techniques exhibited by the photos.

8. Ask to see demonstration vehicles.

9. Ask if the shop has a woodworking room. Wood is used to construct enclosures. If the shop has a woodworking room it means it does the work precisely and is concerned that wood chips and sawdust do not get on your vehicle.

10. Ask if the installers have experience working with upholstery. A good shop has installers who are well-skilled in using upholstery to trim their installations and make them look stock.

11. Inspect the installation area. Is it clean? A dirty, unorganized installation bay is a sure sign that the installer may not take good care of your vehicle when he is working on it.

12. Watch installers do their work. Are they careful when they take door or dash panels off the car?

13. Ask an installer how he would design and construct the door enclosure.

14. Ask the salesperson about their labor guarantees.

After You Visit the Stores

15. Evaluate your findings and choose the store which makes you the most comfortable.