I am looking at putting speakers in the t-top headliner above the rear passenger seats and wondering if anyone knew of posts or threads where someone has done this. Speakers are Alpine Type S 6" or so 2 way.

 

I doubt you will have enough room to clear a speaker in that location. There is metal behind the headliner and also behind the trim piece between the headliner and rear hatch. I would not cut any of it as it is structural.

 

You wont have any room unless your speakers are an inch think. That and there isnt enough ways to support it with the extra weight of a speaker.

 

Not looking to cut into the metal of the roof and compromising the structural integrity of the vehicle. Simply looking to take out headliner and fiberglass either the dame one I have of building one to retrofit speakers. I have to modify the sail panels to fit in a 6x9 which is much bigger than was stock in the 88. Searching to find if anyone has done this around here or if anyone has any suggestions.

 

as already mentioned, there isn't enough room to put speakers in the headliner; not deep enough and the headliner's way too weak to support the weight (they barely hold themselves together as is).

what has to be modded in the sail panel? the opening, the mount? you can build yourself a new speaker mount out of hdpe (common plastic cutting boards) or mdf (just make sure to cover in resin so it doesn't absorb any moisture and get moldy.

 

Hence why it would be modded and fiberglassed to reinforce. In the 88 Trans Am in the sail panels there is a ported box for two speaker a 6" round and a 5-6" square speaker. Speaker I have to to deep to fit 6" round so going to fiberglass a mount plate for a 6x9. I will just have to see if a local interior shop could assist in headliner venture. Thought maybe a member may have tried this before.

 

I just don't see the purpose of putting speakers there. 2 up front and 2 in the sail panels are plenty for a good sounding system. Why add more unless your going for a Pimp My Ride look.

 

ahh, you've got the "premium" sound in there; most of these cars came with a 6x9 plate instead of that enclosure. may be worth grabbing a set from a local junkyard to see if it makes things easier for you.

 

I am also against the headliner idea aswell.Id be more inclined to suggest 6x9 in the rear and do a component set of speakers in the front and if anything..mount the tweeters in the pillars and have them molded in nicely and mount the mids in the kicks.Are you just trying to be screeching loud for others to hear you coming a mile away lol?

 

Unless you build the fiberglass enclosure in such a way that it points the speakers directly toward the front of the car, your overall sound is going to be much worse than if you were to utilize the stock sail panel location for a number of reasons:

1. Soundstage will be narrower because you've brought the speakers closer to each other
2. Bass & midbass output will be drastically reduced because of inadequate enclosure volume
3. Upper midbass will be bloated and unbalanced, though this can be largely rectified with equalization.

If there was a drastic improvement to be had in imaging/soundstage by doing this, I'd be willing to deal with the drawbacks that it will impart, but since this mod would degrade the soundstage, I don't see any benefit. It would just be different for the sake of different, and when I see that in a stereo system it just screams "amature" no matter how well fabricated it is.

 

Lol Jim I didnt want to say all that,sounds a lil harsh but I do agree.When I look at cars like that I shake my head and all I can say is why?

Its the classic mentality of more is better and guys think sticking as many speakers where ever they can makes it better louder cleaner.False

I love when i get customers that bring me just a pair of tweeters or horns and want me to wire them upto the front speakers and just screw them to something to hold it steady.When will they learn lol.

The hardest part of making our cars balance musically is the position of the subs,they can easily over power a clean system on some notes.I still think my best sounding system was with a single 10 vega and 5 channel amp with my current kick/6x9.

 

Actually, we're lucky with the shape of our cars. A sub all the way back in the well will have a smooth transfer function. Build the right box and you get a nice smooth response, or biuld it to boom and eq it flat for higher efficiency. The real challenge in our cars is getting a good soundstage.

 

I dont have that issues having a carputer with time alignment and mic built in lol but not all of us are that lucky.Our cars actually did very well for sound quality cars for iasca but as mentioned..very good tuning ear is what makes it get there.I had alot of friends as Spl and iasca judges build and tune cars and taught me alot when I was just getting into custom audio and competition.I miss those days when is was a nice balance of flash but sounded good..and the car was still a car.Now..if you can put a screen..speaker or subwoofer in an empty and wire it up you got a show car that makes noise.