Has anyone fabbed a good set of kick panels for speakers that could give me an idea how to do it? I know I could buy a set, but they are hideously expensive (especially compared to stockers!) and I understand that ehy don't allow for speakers with to much depth to them.
They do make spacers for the kickpanels...that's how I fit mine in the pre-made speaker panels.
Not the best pic sorry, it's the piece of plastic between the speaker and the panel.
I think I'm going to go PCH's route (I found his site...) but I don't want to use vinyl. I wonder if he has some tips for getting that original texture into the kick panels? Will rattle can paint or maybe Krylon fusion work well with the fiberglass?
I used the prefab speaker kick panels, also. I opened the access hole for to the hinges and used a spacer to fit the woofers of my Kenwood Excellon componets. I mounted the tweeters in the hole left by my window crank, after I installed power windows.
I know Corpse fabbed a nice set of kick panels up, but I doubt the search will go back that far.
Also, check out this site - http://jr.stangnet.com/mustang.htm - There is a great how to article on custom speaker kick panels.
Edit: OK, so PCH is Jeff. That is a great site.
I'm not really sure how to get a grained look if you didn't want to use vinyl. Perhaps after you got the bondo nice and smooth, you could spray on one of the textured paints. Sort of like doing the texture on sheetrock in your home. It wouldn't match the grain on the door panels, but it wouldn't be totally smooth either.
Im working on some now. Im taking some ABS sheet plastic and plastic welding them. Im also doing a custom center console the same way. The ABS sheet is textured and is relatively inexpensive. It also bends easily when heat is applied to it. A plastic welder is also fairly inexpensive.
The tuner car dudes are all over this sort of thing. Get some MDF some fiberglass products and its not that hard!
They have all of the fiberglass materials you would need. I was watching Tuner Tv on speed channel a couple of months ago and watched them do a custom panel from start to finish.
Modifying PCHs methods, something i like to do is make a wooden frame like he did, but, instead of using foam, ill take a stretchy fabric, glue it to the frame and stretch it to the base board. glue some more, then add resin to the fabric just like fiberglass. then ill follow it with fiberglass, body filler, and then vinyl.
the stretchy fabric allows for smooth curves, but only works in some cases. also, you can use carpet instead of building up layers of fiberglass matting. i know it sounds crazy, but it is a trick of the custom auto sound trade.
Modifying PCHs methods, something i like to do is make a wooden frame like he did, but, instead of using foam, ill take a stretchy fabric, glue it to the frame and stretch it to the base board. glue some more, then add resin to the fabric just like fiberglass. then ill follow it with fiberglass, body filler, and then vinyl.
the stretchy fabric allows for smooth curves, but only gives certain types of curves (think the sub boxes in the back of rappers escalades). some desired curves must be created with other methods (like PCHs foam). also, you can use carpet instead of building up layers of fiberglass matting. i know it sounds crazy, but it is a trick of the custom auto sound trade.