Mounting depth specs in the front doors of a P5?

[redcalimp5]

I'm trying to get MDF baffles custom fit for my car, and the guy making the baffles for me needs to know a couple of specs about the P5's factory door speaker holes in the front doors. Can somebody help?

Here's what he needs to know:

1. The distance from the door metal where the baffle mounts to the closest thing behind it with the window down?

2. The distance from the inside of the door panel to the door metal.


Input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[chuyler1]

1. Enough to fit most speakers...

2. if the baffle is 1/2" thick.

Just tell him to make it out of 1/2" MDF or birch ply. That will give you a good 3+" of depth before you run into anything. With a 1/2" baffle you will have to trim the ring around the speaker opening on the back side of the door panel but once that is removed there is no danger of the speaker touching the door panel. If you increase it to 3/4" you may find some speakers will hit the door panel at full extension. So I recommend 1/2".

 

[redcalimp5]

With a 1/2" baffle you will have to trim the ring around the speaker opening on the back side of the door panel but once that is removed there is no danger of the speaker touching the door panel. QUOTE]

Thanks, Chris. Is what you're describing in the sentence above called flush mounting the speaker to the MDF? And you do that with a router, correct?

 

[chuyler1]

I just surface mounted the speaker to the MDF. You can cut the hole with a jig saw if you wanted but I use a router and a perfect-circle jig for precision. Nothing fancy.

 

[redcalimp5]

Thanks again for the input, man.

The guy making the baffles for me asked me if I wanted round adapter rings made, or if I wanted the 5x7 baffle I make that adapts to a 6.5" speaker. I was thinking the 5X7 baffle that adapts to a 6.5" speaker might be a more secure option. Which do you think would be better?

Here's a look at how my mids are mounted in my doors.....just a standard spacer in the factory locations, currently....

 

[FoxPro5]

A larger baffle is probably going to exceed a smaller baffle in terms of less diffraction anomalies. Therefore I'd go with the 5x7 to 6.5". That's what I did originally. Then I took the plastic factory rain guard and traced holes to countersink the factory screws. IIRC I thought I needed to get them down about 1/2" if you're using 3/4" MDF.

The main recommendation I'd give based in my experience using MDF is to coat it in either liquid sound deadening, fiberglass poly resin, or bed liner spray. Or something that will have a good affiliation to the semi-porosity of the MDF (ie soak in). Otherwise, expect....

That's why I switched to a composite of PC or HDPE plastic and lead in my baffle building. A combo between moisture, improper screws and lots of them over time basically destroyed them.

I also switched because at 3/4" MDF, I found the cone would hit the door under high excursion. Went to 3/8" HDPE and it did the trick. Had Lotus Ref and Rainbow Profi mids on them and it cleared both the window and the door panel just fine.

PS..... if you are working with Marv, tell him to finish my baffles one of these days too!!! Try to do it right away before 3 hours 45 minutes goes by and you forget.