Shawn Stanford

So, I'm working on interior panels this winter. I also want to upgrade the speakers while I'm at it.

I'm pretty confident the answer is 'yes', but before I go spending my money I want to confirm: Will later door skins 'drop in' to my '82? There's a nice pair from an 88 S4 on eBay now that I'm eyeing.

I poked around using 'search', but 'will 88 door skins fit in my 82' is a bit beyond its capabilities.

Thanks for any input.

Mrmerlin

they will fit BUT the speaker indentations will be different so you may have to cut some metal

James Bailey

correct the later doors have a big dimple on the inner metal door so that the speakers fit,,,,,you WILL HAVE TO CUT HOLES.

Jerry Feather

Shawn, the one issue I think you might come up with is the alignment of the replacement doors. If the gaps are not true all the way around I have fabricated some door hinge shims in various thicknesses that can be used to either lift or lower the rear of the doors or to move them forward, but not back. When you get to that point and need some shims for alignment, let me know and I'll send you what you might need.

James Bailey

Jerry he is talking about just the interior trim panels.....not the metal doors.

jheis

i.e., door cards - not door skins...

Jerry Feather

Oh.

I thought his nomenclature was off, but I was hesitant to say anything about it. It wasn't off the way I thought, however.

The door skin is the outer metal covering of the door. The inner part of the door, the frame sort of, is commonly called the door pan. Together those two components are called the door shell. The cover on the inside is called the door panel or the door card. Then there is the armrest and window and other misc items. All together it would be the door assembly.

James Bailey

Jerry given your love and skills of cutting, welding, grinding , and bending......no wonder you thought metal work....
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Shawn Stanford

Yeah: Cards, not skins. My bad. Thanks for the input.

The Forgotten On

Door panels fit just fine. Have a set of late ones from an 84 in my 81. I used spacers to fit the rear 4 inch speakers onto my car.

Otherwise you will need to cut metal.

Shawn Stanford

Pics?

Petza914

I used '90 GT door panels in my '79 Spyder build. Have Focal 3-ways in the front doors. Used a Harley Davidson Fairing Speaker pod as a starting point for the 6 3/4" woofer, then shaped it do conforn to the door panel. Used a small spacer to bump out the midrange a little, but still had to drill a hole in the door sheet metal since the indentations in the inner door skins of the OB cars aren't very deep. Made a plate to mount the tweeter and covered all spacers, adapters, & pods with CF vinyl.

Looks like this:


Completed Door Panel Speaker Installation



Rear 6 3/4" 2-way Focal Speakers



Modified Center Console from Rear A/C Car is where the 6-channel amp for all the speakers & the Sharkwoofer lives



Blue tape is covering the Focal Crossover for the Door speakers to protect it during construction



Woofer being fitted to door panel with customized speaker pod



Focal Midrange & Tweeter installed in '90 GT Door Panels



Sharkwoofer Installed in Trunk

Shawn Stanford

Awesome. Thank you.