Kick Panels - again
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Kick Panels - again
Decided to change out the dash speakers for some in the kick panels instead, so this is my trial run. I looked around for some for awhile, and didn't really think that the shapes of existing ones fit my taste - I felt as though they were too round for the lines of the car. I went with more straight lines and angles.
Materials:
1 set of old kicks
1 set of 6.5" speaker baskets
1 can Large Crack Great Stuff
Fiberglass/resin
Bondo
Vinyl
Contact cement
Sandpaper
I had a set of 6.5" speaker baskets from an '00 T/A laying around, so I used those instead of building an MDF piece. First, I cut a hole with a hole saw in the kick panels. Once I had the baskets lined up and angled correctly, I taped them down and went to town with the Great Stuff. I used it very generously to ensure I had alot of foam to work with.
After the foam set, I began cutting and trimming it into shape. This is the final foam covered product:
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....ylPkw2aRbXD_gF
After the foam was shaped correctly, I covered the whole piece in fiberglass. After the fiberglass was set, the Bondo was next. Much sanding followed. The final step was to cover the kicks in some black vinyl to match my interior and install the speakers:
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....ylPkw2aRbXD_gF
Let me know what you think.
Materials:
1 set of old kicks
1 set of 6.5" speaker baskets
1 can Large Crack Great Stuff
Fiberglass/resin
Bondo
Vinyl
Contact cement
Sandpaper
I had a set of 6.5" speaker baskets from an '00 T/A laying around, so I used those instead of building an MDF piece. First, I cut a hole with a hole saw in the kick panels. Once I had the baskets lined up and angled correctly, I taped them down and went to town with the Great Stuff. I used it very generously to ensure I had alot of foam to work with.
After the foam set, I began cutting and trimming it into shape. This is the final foam covered product:
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....ylPkw2aRbXD_gF
After the foam was shaped correctly, I covered the whole piece in fiberglass. After the fiberglass was set, the Bondo was next. Much sanding followed. The final step was to cover the kicks in some black vinyl to match my interior and install the speakers:
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....ylPkw2aRbXD_gF
Let me know what you think.
Last edited by 87GTAj; 04-02-2009 at 05:57 PM. Reason: Attached pics as well
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Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: 350 Carb'd
Transmission: 5 Speed
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: Kick Panels - again
Those look great to me! I bet they sound really good too, I hear adding kick panels with some nice speakers makes a huge difference in the sound quality.
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Kick Panels - again
Thanks, I haven't hooked them up yet, but I picked up Pioneer Premier 4 Way 6x9s for the rear and these 4 Way 6.5s for up front, running off of a Premier head unit. They should sound great. I had a set of Pioneer 3 Ways in my '95 Grand Prix, and I loved em. I think Pioneer is a great middle ground for car audio - not too expensive, but they deliver a punch.
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Re: Kick Panels - again
That looks great. I just made mine this past week. Did it with a baffle board, t-shirt, dowels and glass.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...k-imgp1176.jpg
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...k-imgp1176.jpg
Last edited by EDGE; 04-01-2009 at 06:40 PM.
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Kick Panels - again
Yeah, I saw yours - they look awesome. I had trouble with vinyl on the curved edge that follows the door.
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Re: Kick Panels - again
Oh my Lord was that ever a **** show. I ripped a little of the outside of the passenger one and wrinkled the edge of the drivers side. It's really tough at that corner. How did you do it?
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
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Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Kick Panels - again
What I ended up doing was wrapping it as best I could while keeping the interior side smooth, then cutting a straight line down the edge and transitioning from vinyl to plastic with a universal trim piece from an auto parts store. It looks like it belongs, and once the door is closed, you wouldn't be able to tell. I think the next time I try this, I may start placing vinyl at that edge instead of at the center where the speaker is; maybe then the vinyl would wrap better.
Oh, and I looked into that stretchy vinyl 88TransAmFreak posted in your thread, (that could make the edge wrapping easier) and decided $25/yard plus shipping was too steep. I ended up paying $3 for a half yard at Jo Ann Fabrics
Oh, and I looked into that stretchy vinyl 88TransAmFreak posted in your thread, (that could make the edge wrapping easier) and decided $25/yard plus shipping was too steep. I ended up paying $3 for a half yard at Jo Ann Fabrics
Last edited by 87GTAj; 04-01-2009 at 07:01 PM.
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Re: Kick Panels - again
What I ended up doing was wrapping it as best I could while keeping the interior side smooth, then cutting a straight line down the edge and transitioning from vinyl to plastic with a universal trim piece from an auto parts store. It looks like it belongs, and once the door is closed, you wouldn't be able to tell. I think the next time I try this, I may start placing vinyl at that edge instead of at the center where the speaker is; maybe then the vinyl would wrap better.
Oh, and I looked into that stretchy vinyl 88TransAmFreak posted in your thread, (that could make the edge wrapping easier) and decided $25/yard plus shipping was too steep. I ended up paying $3 for a half yard at Jo Ann Fabrics
Oh, and I looked into that stretchy vinyl 88TransAmFreak posted in your thread, (that could make the edge wrapping easier) and decided $25/yard plus shipping was too steep. I ended up paying $3 for a half yard at Jo Ann Fabrics
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
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Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Kick Panels - again
I had thought about that rubberized coating followed by paint, because I had picked up some texturizing paint that only worked minimally before I tried vinyl, and saw some of it. I really wanted to get the factory textured look, and the vinyl looks very much like the factory texture. I have also heard of truck bed liner to add texture but don't know how well it would work.
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Kick Panels - again
Got all the speakers in the car today to try them out - they sound great. The imaging sounds alot better having them in the kicks versus the dash. Glad I went that route.
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