Front Door Speaker Install

[ChristianMH]

Hi all, I have a t350c with only factory fitted rear speakers which sound awful and which I can barely hear even when idling in traffic if I have any luggage. I would like to upgrade these and install speakers up front (ideally in the door panels). Can anyone recommend someone who can do this in the South East?

I've read through most of the forums and there are lots of examples of people doing the installation themselves but hardly any mention of installers.

The only recommendation I've found is Carl Baker which I'm considering but he only does full system installs of top of the range speakers which is very pricey (esp. given I only tend to listen when sitting in traffic!).

Thanks!

[alex_gray255]

Dave the Trimmer does them. In fact, he's doing my Sag sometime later this year. I've seen pics of
the installs and looks good.

Price depends on what you are installing. I'm going for some proper speakers.

[alex_gray255]

Also a place called Audiofile in Bishops that does good installs as well. Not sure if they have done
TVRs recently, but Castle TVR used them at one point (may still do) and they did my Tuscan when
I ripped out the entire system that had and put something proper in.

http://www.audiofile-incar.co.uk

Think that's the place...

[SteveSPG]

i gave dave trimmer some moulds which will put 6 inch speakers in the lower door of a sag/tam/t350

i did the fibreglassing myself on mine, worked out well, and dave subsequently trimmed the doors

[AOK]

SteveSPG said:

i gave dave trimmer some moulds which will put 6 inch speakers in the lower door of a sag/tam/t350

i did the fibreglassing myself on mine, worked out well, and dave subsequently trimmed the doors

Do you loose the ability to store things in the compartment/pocket at the bottom of the door card?

In my 350t this is pretty much the only place to store things!

[ShiDevil]

AOK said:

Do you loose the ability to store things in the compartment/pocket at the bottom of the door card?

In my 350t this is pretty much the only place to store things!

An early car without a glovebox or alcove below the radio?

[AOK]

ShiDevil said:

AOK said:

Do you loose the ability to store things in the compartment/pocket at the bottom of the door card?

In my 350t this is pretty much the only place to store things!

An early car without a glovebox or alcove below the radio?

Alcove below radio - maybe its just my 'spirited' driving but things tend to fly around in there

Glovebox - don't be silly. Do you really think my seatbelt pre-tensioners let me find out what I have in there!? Sometimes I'm lucky to even be allowed to change gear!

[SteveSPG]

There is still a door pocket, you just don't loose things right down the end as I also have dave a panel I made to cover the back of the speaker

It's pretty much taken from the latest sagaris door cards I copied

[ChristianMH]

Thanks for the recommendations. I've spoken to Dave and Audiofile and both seem willing to do the full job - now to decide how much I'm willing to pay and what hardware! Seems you can spend an awful lot on this stuff. Anyone got a good 3-way system (e.g. Carl Baker standard) and sports exhausts? Is it even worth it?

[SteveSPG]

Maybe decide how much of an audiophile you really are , then set the budget

[alex_gray255]

I must admit, I hardly listen to anything when I'm driving. So, I just install/will install something which is good, but not all the base, amps etc. that the real hardcore folks go with.

You can spend some very serious money.

[SteveSPG]

i fitted a couple of under seat active subs, which were relatively inexpensive (£100 or so), and do a good job. (though they sit behind my seat rather than under seat as there is insufficient room).

6 inch speakers in the doors are a huge improvement over the 4 inch ones, and a good pair of 8 inch in the rear bulkhead.

thought about tweeters in the doors, or the panels behind the seats where the seatbelt are, but in the end just didnt want that fussiness in the finish.


i could easily spend a lot of money on audio, but think that in a car as damn noisy as this, it would to some extent be a waste.

[jrb43]

Don't waste huge amounts of money on audio. You'll soon run into the limits of it being a fibreglass shell and unless you line every surface with acoustic foam you can't get the most out of expensive speakers. You'll then run into the problem that it's a relatively small car and that you can't get great separation of the speakers. I'm upgrading from the nasty small flat NXT speakers in the front doors to proper 100mm speakers and from a mono speaker in the boot to a stereo pair. I think that should give an adequate improvement. I worked on what would fit with minimal butchering to the rest of the car.

[jrb43]

Don't waste huge amounts of money on audio. You'll soon run into the limits of it being a fibreglass shell and unless you line every surface with acoustic foam you can't get the most out of expensive speakers. You'll then run into the problem that it's a relatively small car and that you can't get great separation of the speakers. I'm upgrading from the nasty small flat NXT speakers in the front doors to proper 100mm speakers and from a mono speaker in the boot to a stereo pair. I think that should give an adequate improvement. I worked on what would fit with minimal butchering to the rest of the car.

[shep1001]

AOK said:

Do you loose the ability to store things in the compartment/pocket at the bottom of the door card?

In my 350t this is pretty much the only place to store things!

No, I will photo mine later

[alex_gray255]

jrb43 said:

Don't waste huge amounts of money on audio. You'll soon run into the limits of it being a fibreglass shell and unless you line every surface with acoustic foam you can't get the most out of expensive speakers. You'll then run into the problem that it's a relatively small car and that you can't get great separation of the speakers. I'm upgrading from the nasty small flat NXT speakers in the front doors to proper 100mm speakers and from a mono speaker in the boot to a stereo pair. I think that should give an adequate improvement. I worked on what would fit with minimal butchering to the rest of the car.

^^ Wot he said.

Doing something similar - larger speakers at front doors and back. Some sound proofing
and that's it.

[SteveSPG]

these are my speakers in the door cards i modified. they were moulded off a late sagaris

[ChristianMH]

Most of the cost seems to be modifying and re-trimming the door cards to take speakers and adding wiring if necessary so it seems may as well go for decent speakers! The only cheap option would be to just upgrade the rears but I think that would have the least impact given they are completely blocked by luggage...

If I had time, equipment and sufficient skill would have definitely tried to go down the DIY route like most people here seem to!

[Spoonman]

SteveSPG said:

these are my speakers in the door cards i modified. they were moulded off a late sagaris

Did you save the moulds? Don't suppose you'd be willing to make more copies and sell them, would you?

[SteveSPG]

Spoonman said:

Did you save the moulds? Don't suppose you'd be willing to make more copies and sell them, would you?

gave them to dave the trimmer.