tj884Rdlx

hey all,

i have been having a really difficult time making up my mind over something that, well, it's SERIOUS. it's pretty much a life or death, once you go you can't turn back, kinda thing.

i cannot decide whether or not to cut the panels in the cargo area to put in speakers.

right now, they're in perfect shape, other than that the exterior side is completely discolored to a brown/grey mud. the interior sides are perfect lt. grey as original. i have both access hatch panels and the interior light fixture. i have the metal clips and i'm pretty sure i have all the press in plastic fasteners.

i traded my original grey DX interior for a tan SR5 interior, so to match they'll need to be color dyed to brown. i plan on having a recently acquired, crack-free dashpad dyed brown to match the dashboard, so i could include these in the work.

the panels in general are really flimsy. i was considering adding some peel n' stick sound deadener, like RAAMMAT or similar. it would beef up the panel and reduce vibration for speakers i'd install.

the original configuration is a 5 1/4" mounted on a bracket, behind the panel. it's a lame config because it doesn't offer much separation between the front and rear of the speaker driver.

i was considering using a 6x9" adapter plate behind the panel, cutting a 6x9" oval, and locating an OEM 6x9 grille from some vehicle that would make it look stock. I don't want the look of black aftermarket speaker just cut right in to original panel.

but i've also considered making completely new side panels, using black FRP. The texture would match my new rubber floor matting.

creating custom replacement panels would mean saving the original panels from the dremel, but it'd also mean they'd sit in my garage and collect dust.

***

i've also considered putting the speakers into the side panels at the rear seat. part of my wanting the SR5 panels was to get the cool side storage pockets. But that's the location ideal for a 6x9, unless i want to cut in 5 1/4"s directly in front of the pocket. Not only would i be cutting the side panel up, i'd have to cut the sub frame metal to make that happen.

the side panels i have for the front doors and rear seats don't match. the rears are velour, from the SR5 interior which included the seats. my door panels don't match them, instead they're vinyl and for manual window.

none of the panels are cut. i don't want to sacrifice the side storage pockets. my mind gets stuck on minutia like this until i want to hit my head with a ball peen.

are these panels, in good condition, really that rare that i should save them from the cutter?

or should i just customize my truck the way i want and stop worrying?

this stems from a constant good vs. evil battle in my mind, where the little angel on the right says "restore the truck to original" and the little demon on the left says "customize that beyotch so it's a bulletproof trail blazer".

i swear the only way to be happy is to have two trucks. gah! did i just consider getting a 2nd one of these?? noooooooooooooo



i think i need a and a

opinions welcome. i find i'm able to make decisions easier after a little discussion, and i don't know anyone who understands this topic well enough to offer constructive input

thanx,
Tj

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

it's your truck and your garage storage space on the panel.
Flip a coin: heads up you store your original panels]
tails you say screw it and cut them and save space in the garage.

personally I think you are putting waaaaay too much thought into this.

just whack yourself with the ball peen now

tj884Rdlx

i just did some searching for info on rear panels. figured i'd share the links in this thread for future searchers' easy reference.

bedlining interior, making plywood side panels
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...runner-234667/

canback and custom side panels
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech...rk_canback.htm

collection of grey rear interior pieces
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419770

diy panels
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...panels-224021/

Adk_Yota

its your truck man.... you plan on keeping it for a while? make it the way you want it. just take your time cutting what ever is necessary so its not a hack job

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

get some wake board tower speaker enclosures and bolt them to the roll bar.

2 members i've seen have done this.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

rattlers

I wouldn't cut it , I wish mine in the back weren't cut but the PO did it

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Get rid of the radio then it won`t be a problem.

tj884Rdlx

you're absolutely right, OC.

since it's been about 100* every day for the last few weeks by the time i get home from work, i've only been able to work on the truck on weekend mornings.

so all week long, i'm wondering "should i do this or this?" about little things.

another annoying, and completely trivial thing: what color should i make my grille? keep this 87-89 painted grey version, or go all black?

i have mental issues with trivial decisions that have no relevancy to anyone but me.

ya see, there's at least 30- of these guys running loose in my head at any given time:

it helps for me to talk it out. of course, talking to a forum full of people with different ideas will just reaffirm every possible option i've been considering.

haha note to self:

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

My 90 2 door the PO put speakers everywhere and hacked up many a panel that cannot just be replaced easily.

IMO, get a speaker box or hide your speakers behind the panels without hacking them to death.

A clean install produces just as good a sound without advertising "I have a booming system come bust my windows and steal my stuff."

Good clean sound can be had without hacking but takes more effort.

:wabbit2:

4x4climber

i once saw a very clean set of rear panels that had the speakers set behind the panels... and just had small 3/16" holes in the panels where the speakers sit behind. Looks oem. Speakers still sound good.

WD_40

Not only are those panels kind of flimsy from the factory, but at their current age they're probably really brittle too. If you start hacking them up I'm willing to bet they'll crack and look like poo.

My rig's PO cut my panels and now they're cracked and look like poo.

Nervo19

Pretty much what Wabbit said...why advertise that you have nice speakers? I'm far from worrying too much about stereo improvements but I'm thinking I'll put 5 1/2" Infinity Kappa speakers in the back. I'll have speakers baffles and use sound deadener on the body panels. I almost never see nice uncut panels for sale.

tj884Rdlx

you're absolutely right. i'm investigating putting 6x9s on a spacer ring, then mounting it to the back of the panel. i'll then cut the 6x9 oval only through the fiberboard and not the surface fabric/foam. i may be able to pull this off, since these panels are the SR5 velour fabric covered panels, not vinyl. my door panels are vinyl and i'm not cutting them up.

the cargo area panels, i'm still not sure what to do there. i am starting to lean toward using black FRP, which would make the rear of my truck look a lot like this:


(this image is bedlined plywood)

tj884Rdlx

i just found a build thread where 6x9s were mounted behind the stock 5" perforation. here's the relevant pictures:



i may try this method, but i'm wondering if it made the panel in front of it vibrate badly.

jrobertson4runnner

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! This made me roll dude!!! Mind if I put it in my sig?

I agree with Wabbit, keep it stock lookin if you can.

runneroffroad

heres what i did u dont have to cut anything that i can remember and its still holding up good.

justt take the cover off the cargo box, glue a piece of plywood to it, cut a hole in it for speakers, put sum old rags in it to keep from vibrating and thats it. You could always just get new box's later if u want to remove them. This is in a 2nd gen 4runner but its pretty much the same as a 1st.

tj884Rdlx

no problem, always glad to provide a laugh or two!

stock is what i definitely want to stay with, and stealth too, which is why i'm so hesitant to just buy FRP and make custom panels. the material will work awesome, but it might look "home made", which i'm not down with.

i like things that look OEM or "industrial strength". like someone who remade the panels in diamond plate, that qualifies.

tj884Rdlx

i've got an 8" sub going in the left cubby just like you have, and my amp is going in the right cubby.

my problem is a location for the rear speakers. cut into the rear seat side panels, cut into the cargo side panels, or make new side panels?

your later model appears to have larger speaker grilles built into them, between the belt retractor and the cubby. that would have solved my problem.

1styota4X4

im my buddies 85 we took later model rear speaker buckets 5.25 outta a 90-95 4 runner and mounted them behind the stock panel it really bumped up the sound coming out of them. I have 6.5 mounted in the panal infront of the rear seat with tweeters mounted there real clean i like it.