MaineIrocer

I want to custom build kick panels for my car.....can anyone help me out on how to do it or where i can go to find out?

Huckster's '84 TA

If you do a search, I know this question was just asked recently and you should be able to find some answers there. Good luck.

caleb

I recently did this job myself. Heres what I did, I started out with the stock kickpanles, then I cut out wooden rings, so that when the speaker was mounted the grill would be flush with the rest of the kick, if you dont know how to make the wooden rings, go here and it will teach you how to build the rings. you dont need to counter sink the tweeters because they will come with flush mounting hardware. Once you have your wodden rings, you will want to put the kickpanels in the car, take the rings, aim them where you want them, then use wooden dowels about 1/4" is good and use hot glue or whatever you want to attach them to the wooden rings, and to the kickpanel, MAKE SURE THE RINGS ARENT GOING TO MOVE!!!! Then take something like fleece, or an old t-shirt stretch it across the kick panel stretch all the wrinkles out of it and wrap it around to the back the hot glue it to the back of the kick panel. Mix up your resin/hardner and brush it onto the t-shirt covering everything except the inside of the tweeter and speaker ring, that cloth doesnt need resin it will be cut out later. I used 4 layers of t-shirts and they are plenty thick for my speakers (CDT CL-61A's) just make sure that you use a fiberglassing roller and make sure there are no air pockets as air pockets create weak spots in the glass. Once you get them thick enough, you can sand them really smooth and paint them, or wrap them in vinyl, or carpet them, and your done. I will try to get pictures up of mine, they arent covered yet but they are finished and installed! Good luck, if you have any questions PM me, or ask on here.

holov1

you can buy kick panels made for a 5.25 and a tweeter component sets for the 82 thru 92 firebird or camaro just check the local stereo stores for them if no luck get with me and I'll get you prices for them( work at a stereo store and I can get them) they are made by a company called Q-form.

MaineIrocer

how much do they usually cost?

holov1

they run 159.50 plus shipping and would need to know what color interior that you have because they come color match to your interior.

MaineIrocer

See what i was wondering is if there is anyways to buildthem from scratch becasue thats alot of money i would rather spend someplace else then on some kick panels ya know.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

i am currently making them, in shop class

this is what i have done so far, i will be putting the first layer of glass on tomorow

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

another

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

and one last one,

i have already taken fiberglass mat and cut strips and taped it to teh kick and to the ring, so i can glass it on, sorry no pics of the mat, but i will be getting somre more tomorow

then i can show you better

i plan on putting 3 layers of glass and then sanding, bondoing, and painting

Boomin Boy

http://hem.passagen.se/gute/Corrado...ilder/front.htm

http://www.completeaudio.8m.com/kick_pods.htm

http://www.elitecaraudio.com/instal...mages/index.php

q forms are very overpriced...your money could be spend much better in other places. The build quality on them isnt up to par as far as im concerned. I would much rather build my own and make sure i know they are strong and well built, and its much cheaper. It just takes some patience

MaineIrocer

Thanks man! Is that your site?? Or just one you came across?

Boomin Boy

no those are just sites that ive come across

GarageToys

iTrader: (6)

I am about to start on a pair of custom kick panels to house 5-1/4" components. I did a search & this was the most complete thread on this subject.

Unfortunately, since Boomin Boy's links were originally posted, 2 of them are now dead. Anyone have anymore links to this process or any 1st hand info on building fiberglass kicks?

White91Formula: did you ever finish yours?

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

well one of them is done.... i never got around/ was to lazy to start the body work on teh second

the fiberglass is done and all trimmed out, all that is left is bondo to smooth the second one out, and then paint


firebird383 if you have any specific questions you cna talk to me on AIM : yzz89

and just to point out a mistake that i made when i made mine, if oyu look at the pics, make sure you put a spacer between the speaker ring that you cut out and the kick panel, if you are covering the whoel thing in fiberglass then you will want the space for the speaker grille and speaker to fit properly in the kick panel, i had to cut up the one that i have finished a bit to get teh speaker to sit flush.

Kj Rockz

Wish dj sexay was still making them and coming here.
I got mine from him like about 2 years ago now, It was the best investment I ever made.

caleb

DJ Sexay sold his molds to Resn8r or whatever, and he is making them and selling them now, excellent quality, and good prices. I had a set of his for about 8 months then decided to sell them and build my own to fit my new set of CDT's :hail: anyway, he has a website, its called well hell i just went and searched for it and it apears that he is in Iraq

Kj Rockz

Yes he is, so no new kick panels for the moment.

br()bert

For the price of a set of kicks purchased you could make a set your self and a sub box easily.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

for $50 of fiberglass materials i have some kicks and 5/8 of a sub box

AJ_92RS

white91formula,

All I can say is..... You got some little feet.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

size 12

CamaroStud1988

i made these ones

Slow89Iroc-Z

here's mine I made anout a year ago... they fit nice and tight to the car so plenty of foot room.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

camaro stud1988

i hope that is a 4th gen dash or it is not a third gen because there is a glove box.... do you have anymore pics of oyur dash install ?

CamaroStud1988

its a 96 dash, ill take some more pics of it later,its in my 88 which i dont really drive since i got the 91..

Boomin Boy

nice choice in components

GarageToys

iTrader: (6)

CamaroStud & Slow89: Do you have any "in-progress" pics? I'd like to see the different stages of the build. I know I need to build speaker rings and some sort of framework to attach the rings to the kick panels. What did you do after that to get to the finished product?

CamaroStud1988

i posted some a long time ago when i was building them,i posted pics of the framing,fiberglass and bondo stages. ill avhe to try n find it

CamaroStud1988

found em...

CamaroStud1988

fiberglassed

CamaroStud1988

n formed.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

very nice, i have some hanging aroudn ehre i will look for them and then post them if i can find them

GarageToys

iTrader: (6)

I found a link to another board (for Ford Contours ) that has a how-to on this. This guy did it a little different:

Kick Panel How-To

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

yes that is a way to do it, and ihave seen it done before, but i did iut like i have it becuase i do not have components ....

i am going to be making some more for my truck soon, i can take more pics of how i do those if you would like.

checkout www.the12volt.com they have alot of different forums including a fiberglass one and they can tell youi anyting you want to know.


i have learned alot from that site, anytrhing you woudl ever wnat to know about a 12v system

once the snow melts AGAIN and i can get my car out of storage the first thing that i am doing after i mount my amp is putting in a relay to turn the dome light on and keep the radio going when the ignition is turned off until the door is opened :lala:

bnoon

Easy on those Contour boys. I've been a member there since '99 and the site is easily one of the most respectably run sites on the net. We just recently got a N/A Contour solidly into the 13's and several turbocharged and supercharged variants waiting to break into the 12's.

On topic: Kicks are very easy (but messy) to make. One tip to lower resonance that I haven't seen mentioned yet though... Add lots of silicone to the inside of the chamber once it's all glassed up. Even at 1/4" thick of fiberglass, mine seemed to pick up a hum right around 3,000 Hz on a test sweep. Silicone added the mass needed to lower that resonance.

camaro of solar

iTrader: (2)

what kind of silicone?

very nice link there by the way...read a few articles and I think I might try it once i get all the materials collected...

Kj Rockz

I think I have the biggest feet of them all, 15's the frikken huge.
I really can't go into a shoe shop and look thru the shoes and "I would like this one" I have to say "What do you have in 15's" then pick out of what they have.

GarageToys

iTrader: (6)

Great link! Thanks. The first thread in the first forum I looked at answered a bunch of my questions.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

i found that site and i got htere for anything electrical before i go either here or any of hte other forums that i belong to


its great for other stuff to

in the spring i plan on adding a relay so i can dimm the lights w hen the door is open, and keep the radio going untill the door is shut after the ignition is shut off

super_kev

iTrader: (4)

I noticed that my key won't stay back (like all our other cars) to keep just the radio on, is this the problem on all thirdgens? So you're installing a switch to bypass this and just run juice to the hu and amps, right? What size relay are you planning on using? And how are you going to dim the lights? I don't have a bulb in my dome light, and I put some of those blue colored bulbs for the two lights by the doors. Not very bright, but enough so you can see when you get in. Plus they match the color of the car.



Have 5 1/4 or 6.5 kicks have been used with a manual? I've searched but haven't found an answer that convinces me one way or the other. I have an auto but I'm thinking of swaping in a T56 just because I've always wanted a manual car. Plus with the gas prices it would be nice. Do you have room for your feet (mine are size 10) with 6.5" kicks? I'm thinking that 5 1/4s would work better, but the reason I'd be moving the speakers to the kickpanels (custom built) is for more low frequency, because the dash-mounted speakers that are in it now don't play very well down low, and the imaging isn't very good. Do 6.5s thump pretty good in that limited space? bnoon suggested that putting silicone inside the fiberglass kicks would help slow down the sound, but wouldn't poly fill do the same thing? (plus it's removable) I'm not looking for headache bass, just something comparable to our '98 Suburban with factory 6.5"/6.75" in the doors. :rockon:

CamaroStud1988

mines manual and i made pods with 6.5's. no prob.

white91formula

iTrader: (4)

not what i had in mind, this is what i was talking about

http://www.the12volt.com/relays/page5.asp#drto


http://www.the12volt.com/relays/page4.asp#iep


hope this helps you out

super_kev

iTrader: (4)

Oh ok, now I know what you're saying. Pretty cool idea.

CamaroStud1988 (or anyone else w/6.5 kicks), how do your 6.5s sound bass-wise? I'm thinking a 6.5 speaker in that small enclosure won't do very well, but then again, they're not like subs which need a cubic foot or two.

br()bert

a 61/2 in "that small enclosure" is one of the best things system wise you can do to your car.

super_kev

iTrader: (4)

Ok thanks. I'll start building mine here soon.

camaro of solar

iTrader: (2)

i feel your pain...i sport 15's as well...went to get fitted for a Tux and Lady was like "What size shoe do you wear?" and I was like "Ughhh 15" hey eyes bulged in surprise and I was like "yea it sucks, do you ahve any in that size?" "well sir im not so sure...ill have to call you back tomorrow"

CamaroStud1988

the highs and mids sound great when i hook those pods and the 6x9's to an amp. the bass is taken care of by the subs.

ScrapMaker

how do these "home-made" kicks compare to the Q-Logic brand? I hear differing opinions about these. Then again, most people just put the components right in the door, no box at all.

super_kev

iTrader: (4)

The difference is that you can position the speakers exactly where you want and use the size speaker you want (for the most part.) The homemade ones take time, the Q-Logic ones take money.