Fitted new door speakers

[CJJ]

Today my JBLs arrived so I just had to go and fit them. It took about and hour and, to my amazement, the speakers are an exact replacement for the standard ones. The only modification I had to do was to cut a bit of the lip of the rear of the speaker cowls to stop the speaker connections from fowling (See pics).

The speakers are amazing. My ears now give out before my ICE does. I now have clarity and volume.

The pictures, hopefully in order are:

a. Mmmmm. New speakers (£33 ish from www.caraudiocentre.co.uk)
1. Door card off
2. Speaker ready for removal
3. 3 self tapping screws and..
4. Remove the speaker
5. Speaker is held in place by 4 rivets under the stuck on foam
6. Drill out rivets and....
7. Use a screwdriver to prise the speaker out (Glued in place)
8. and you are left with the empty cowl.
9. Remember to remove rivet stubbs and swarf from inside the cowl (Behind more foam) otherwise it will rattle while playing music.

[CJJ]

10. Remove part of the lip to clear the speaker connections.
11. The speaker is an exact fit (thank god)
12. Secure speaker into cowl (If rivets are good enough for MG they are good enough for me - and I didn't have any screws big enough)
13. Speaker and cowl secured in the door
14. Door card refitted. You would never know, which is why I chose not to
15. fit the supplied JBL speaker grills (Bit chav).

Now I just need that sub to finish. Although saying that the bass is really good as is. With a good bass line the door mirrors blurr slightly and the rear plastic window shakes. He He.

Hope this helps someone.

[DaveD]

What! Speak up! I can't hear you! The music is too loud! What!

Great job CJ and thanks for the pictures and tips.

[Petevick]

excellent CJJJJJJJ, I'll link it in me ICE section if you don't mind ??

[CJJ]

Would be honoured fine sir.

[Yigit]

Very nice CJJ they are a big improvement after the oem items arent they? I was also busy in the ice dept. this weekend and installed dynamat extreme stuff to the doors, well worth it really.

[CJJ]

Originally Posted by Yigit

Very nice CJJ they are a big improvement after the oem items arent they? I was also busy in the ice dept. this weekend and installed dynamat extreme stuff to the doors, well worth it really.

Might be tempted with that myself sometime.

One thing I didn't mention is that the standard speaker connection is two large female spade terminal crimps set at right angles in a plastic connector. All I did was remove the crimps from the connector (Stick a small screwdriver into the front flat edge of the connector to unlock the spade and pull from the cable end). The JBL speakers have a large spade terminal and a small spade terminal. You could buy the correct crimps for the small terminal, but I just flattened the large crimp a bit with some pliers and pushed it onto the smaller spade.

[Catweazle]

I need to replace all my speakers, and your article has helped a lot. It has illustrated the fact that I need an expert to do this....

Can I just go to a car stereo place and say "please can I have some new speakers for my TF, and can you install them please?" or are the way they are fitted different from the standard, and will require someone that has replaced F/TF speakers before?

[CJJ]

They are pretty standard fittings.

You can either go in and say "This is my budget and I want a good sound" and they will look at the cars accoustics etc and fit the speakers that that they think.

Or you could go in and tell them exactly what you want fitted.

Replacing speakers yourself is pretty easy, in fact the hardest part is getting to them. i.e. taking the door card off. The only time it starts getting tricky is if you have to start modifying the hole that the speaker sits in. As I said, the JBLs were a direct fit apart from taking a small bit of plastic off the back of the speaker cowls.

In all, my 4 speakers have cost £140. £99 for the rears and £41 for the fronts (Including delivery). There are cheaper rears, but what I can say is that I really do reccomend the speakers that I bought. These were all chosen with research and advice. Not all speakers are the same.

[zilla]

superb, I've been waiting for you to do this so I can follow suit.

what did you do about the tweaters? take them out? leave 'em in?

I assume that the new speakers just sound excellent enough not to need the tweater seperation?

oh and I strongly recommend getting the dynamat in, made a huge difference to my doors. Just remember that it's worth paying £10 for two new door membranes as you will need to take the old ones off to fit the stuff.


oh, and it would be useful if you could add the exact part number/model number of the speakers

[Catweazle]

Originally Posted by CJJ

They are pretty standard fittings.

You can either go in and say "This is my budget and I want a good sound" and they will look at the cars accoustics etc and fit the speakers that that they think.

Or you could go in and tell them exactly what you want fitted.

Replacing speakers yourself is pretty easy, in fact the hardest part is getting to them. i.e. taking the door card off. The only time it starts getting tricky is if you have to start modifying the hole that the speaker sits in. As I said, the JBLs were a direct fit apart from taking a small bit of plastic off the back of the speaker cowls.

In all, my 4 speakers have cost £140. £99 for the rears and £41 for the fronts (Including delivery). There are cheaper rears, but what I can say is that I really do reccomend the speakers that I bought. These were all chosen with research and advice. Not all speakers are the same.

Thanks CJJ.

My problem is that the little things like removing the door cards, and then getting them back in as good a shape as they started. I know that the ICE place will probably have a similar problem, but if they get it wrong I can shout and stamp my feet until they put it right or compensate me. If I get it wrong, I just have to get depressed every time I look at it.

So off to a reputable ICE place to get it done.

[zilla]

remembered CJJ had linked me the speakers in a previous thread....

http://www.jbl.com/car/products/prod...at=MEL&ser=GTS

those are the ones he refered me to and would assume they are the ones fitted.

which makes these:
http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/prod...?product=21940

the ones at the caraudiocentre...

and even better than that these are available from fleabay for £26 + £9 postage, making them even cheaper:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JBL-GTO-6527-S...QQcmdZViewItem

following the points above, I've already drilled out the spare cowl I had from my previous refit. Took two minutes and most of that was putting the bit into the drill

[CJJ]

Originally Posted by zilla

superb, I've been waiting for you to do this so I can follow suit.

what did you do about the tweaters? take them out? leave 'em in?

I assume that the new speakers just sound excellent enough not to need the tweater seperation?

oh and I strongly recommend getting the dynamat in, made a huge difference to my doors. Just remember that it's worth paying £10 for two new door membranes as you will need to take the old ones off to fit the stuff.


oh, and it would be useful if you could add the exact part number/model number of the speakers

To be honest, I just left the old tweaters attached. I don't think it will be breaking any big rules of ICE.

These are the speakers, but the details are on the box in the first photo.
http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/prod...?product=21936 These are the 16cm ones.

You can get the same speakers from Halfrauds if you want them straight away, but be prepared to pay £59.99 for them.

There is also the same speakers in 16.5cm http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/prod...?product=21940 and there are some new 16cm 3 way ones for £38.99 http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/prod...?product=21980. I might have tried either of these, but I had heard the ones I bought and stuck with them. Don't know if the 16.5 cm lines up with the holes as well as the 16cm.

[zilla]

well, looking at the specs, the 16.5 (wrongly assumed on my part... as usual *sigh*) are 145mm mounting rather than the 16s 131mm. Think I'll stick with the same as you

[CJJ]

I maybe should have checked that myself before I bought them. Not like me to fall lucky

[zilla]

well, I've ordered them... so let's see what happens. You do realise this is all your fault right?

[CJJ]

Hey, you sound just like my wife

[zilla]

Originally Posted by CJJ

Hey, you sound just like my wife

you never take me out any more, you can never just say I look nice, you're always in that garage with your silly car....

make you feel at home?

anyway, just to report that the speakers arrived this morning, and having removed one of the speakers already I can say that they are indeed an exact fit for the MG cowls.

will fit to car when I get back from work later and report on the awesomeness of the new sound

btw, did you leave the tweaters at 0db or switch up to the +3db setting?

[Stiff]

Originally Posted by CJJ

Today my JBLs arrived so I just had to go and fit them. It took about and hour and, to my amazement, the speakers are an exact replacement for the standard ones. The only modification I had to do was to cut a bit of the lip of the rear of the speaker cowls to stop the speaker connections from fowling (See pics).

You pain in the arse!!
I bought the exact same speakers (But they cost me more than £33!) and I had a pig trying to get them to fit! I used the bracket type things that came with them. And the live kept hiting the body, so they whole thing shorted out. I got it in the end though.
Then, one day after I fitted them, you go ahead and post a "How to"!!!!
Arrgh! Never mind. Mine are in. Thats the main thing. And you're right. They kick too.

I didn't fit the JBL grilles for two reasons. One. They look awful! Two. With a soft top, I don't want to give any scally an excuse to slash my roof.

[zilla]

yeah, the supplied grills are "ew".

Nice bit of kit tho, I'm looking forward to how they sound.

Also cant wait to get the rears replaced in two weeks time at the MGFC open day. Those rears are utterly SHOCKING in their sound.