advice for custom cover for front speakers...

Thats kinda need, I have a 95 SC2 and I've been working on custom type pods for my speakers in the front. I've done away entirely with the factory part of the door that holds the grill. I used the old dust/water covers and have them bonded to rings of mdf. I used two rings on each side glued together and cut and sanded a bevel so that the speakers now angle up and towards the listener. I also used some super thin foam insulation I had around for a gasket between the speakers and the new mounts. And sprayed undercoating all inside of the things to help dampen back there. And it seals up the MDF from possible water vapor inside the door.

It sounds pretty nice but so far I haven't got it worked out to look all that pretty. Though the 6 and 3/4 pioneer REVs I got in um sound pretty. I'll probably need to glass the door to get it lookin nice too. I'd love to see what you did if you ever get that done.

I had room underthe hood of mine for a 140 amp alternator. I agree with the sound dampning part though. Road noise is a **** and if I had more power to my sub it would rattle like a ****. the panels just behind the front doors I've treated with undercoating already anyway. The only real advantage of undercoating that its cheap and better than nothing. But more because I have cut and placed into them 3 way memphis 6 x 9s. And I've reinforced the rear deck with mdf and am leaving the factor rear speaker holes opens to essentially let my sub vent into the rest of the car. It helps. I need to make pretty much a big grill now for the rear deck though. And I need to finish the bondo and paint work on the panels for the 6 x 9s. So much to do and so little time. We won't even get started on money. The saturn is not so bad to work with. And not so many people are pimpin out their satties.

I found a 3000 dollar DIY bolt on super charger kit that gives a 4.5 PSI boost and uses stock internals. Waaaay more power and it replaces your airconditioner. One day...

... a... hole... in ... you... hood..... ..... ... k

you just passed the point of "i'm as crazy as vince" ... you're now into "i'm crazier than vince" -- which is unseen territory as of yet.

You want the speakers to be visible, correct?

If so, you are going to have to do so custom work and it may not be easy.

Do those door pokects come off? If so, you might want to try this idea. To get it looking "pretty", you don't want to butcher up the plastic door panels. They are costly to replace. If the door pocket/speaker grille comes off, take it off.

Get yourself some expanding foam and cooking oil spray. Cover the inside of that door pocket with cooking oil spray and then squirt the expanding foam insulation into the back of the removed door pocket. What this will give you is a negative of teh inside of the door pocket. That will be your mold for the fiberglas. The cooking oil keeps teh foam from sticking to the plastic. if you don't want to used oil, lay some thin plastic down in the panel and spray the foam into the plastic. That would be even better because then you could leave the plastic on the foam.

Anyway, lay your fiberglas. It really is easy, just messy and tedious. Take your time and follow directions, you'll be ok. I'd do like 3 or 4 layers of glas fabric. It isn't going to support any real weight.

Now get yourself som MDF. It'll work great as a spacer. Cut some rings to mount to the door of the Saturn to push your woofer out to lay flush with the new panel. Or maybe recessed slightly if you like. Next, take the new door pockets you just built and cut the hole in them for the speaker. Find a grille you like, either that kicker that was suggested or see ifyou can get a 6.5 inch grille someplace else. When you get the grille, take the mounting ring and mark holes where you will drill pilot holes for the grille to be mounted. Drill those holes out large enough to accept a small bolt. On the other side, run a flat washer, a lock washer (if you can find one small enough, if not a star washer will do) and a nut and mount the grilles to the fiberglas grille/door pocket.

Put that aside now. Now take the MDF and layer it to get a decent space if you have to. Bolt that to the door frame using teh stock speaker mounting holes so you don't have to drill new holes. You may need to get longer screw though but you can find something at a hardware store that will work well enough. You should probably coat the MDF with a polyurethane to keep it weather proof. Also, dynamat the MDF on both sides, where the spacer meets the door and the speaker meets the spacer. Now, run your wires and mount your speaker.

When installing things, this may be difficult but it should look snazzy enough. Next, find a color paint or dye to match your interior and cover the new speaker grille/door pocket to match or a contrast if you like. Since teh speaker is mounted, all you have to do is mount the door panel and then the door pocket deal you just made.

If you cover the grille with the same paint, it will all match and look like one piece. You may have to sand the fiberglas before painting to get it looking even.

This is all going on the idea that you want to showcase yet protect the speakers and that the panel and door pocket/speaker grill are removable. You can always find junkyard pieces to make this work too. It is some work but it will be worth it in the end. Take your time with whatever you decide to do though. Rushed projects look like crap.

If that isn't what you are looking for then I'll try again.

Uh...hmmm...goto an auto parts store and look for car paint that will bond to plastics and fiberglas. I know they have it. If not, a marine supply store should have paint that will stick. Just make sure you rough up the fiberglas surface with a fine grit sand paper. That will give enouh of a texture to help the paint stick.

Yeah, I know, I saw it. They think that I made you up as an "alter ego". Just let them think that, I don't care. They are digging thier own holes.