hidden impact

this is my first DIY write up, so go easy with the criticism.

i've decided to upgrade my factory cr-1 stereo system with factory nokia hi-fi system speakers pods, etc. for obvious reasons...it sounded like crap.

after further inspection, i've noticed that my pods had 5.25" infinity reference coaxials installed. unfortunately, they were not properly installed by the po (big surprise, no wonder they barely had any midbass coming from them). they were not properly seated and had large gaps around the speaker and mounting face of the pod. the speaker baskets came in contact with the plastic of the pod and prevented a sealed installation. the pod is also shaped a particular way to accommodate the shape of the nokia speakers. this prevented aftermarket 5.25" speakers from being installed properly without modification.

i thought about getting rid of the pod and installing 6.5" midbass separates like many others have done, but why not do something different? i got a killer deal on ebay for some 5.25" diamond d3 separates and decided to keep the pods.

first, take a look at what you have to work with. you may have to remove more plastic from inside of the pod in order for the speaker and its basket to fit. the diamonds only required minor plastic trimming. dremel works best.



next, get some clear plastic and draw the outline of the pod's "mouth." i went "el cheapo" and used plastic wrap. you can use anything clear...then cut it out.



using 0.25" fiberboard (home depot), draw the shape of the cut out and cut the piece out using a jig saw:



check to see how it fits and make any marks needed to make a nice clean fit without too many gaps, etc...




the diamonds came with a gasket and i used it to mark out where the speaker will fit though.



drill a few holes to start the saw location, and "bond" with your jig saw




again, check to see if it fits nicely and mark any areas where you will need to trim more wood in order to make it fit properly:



take a look at the GAP!! don't worry, you can fill it later.




i used liquid nails (mainly because it was what i had around) and make a nice bead along the outer rim...you may want to use 2 part epoxy on the underside as well. be liberal, you do not want any holes!!





and there you have it. beautiful midbass, and a sealed installation. all using the factory pods.

there, i did it. who can argue with that?

i have more photos of my install, but i decided to try and keep this diy as short as possible.

hidden impact

DJF1

great job, thanks for the post.

Chuck W.

Great job. This is one of my future DIY jobs. What speakers did you buy on eBay?

hidden impact

thanks guys

i bought the d3 series ('05 model) D351 separates. they are driven from my clarion head unit but sound pretty good.

Chuck W.

Are these the ones....and is this a good price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=260000835894

hidden impact

yep those are the ones...i thought it was a pretty good price for the sound quality.

Chuck W.

Good deal....this will be my next DIY. Standby for all of my questions as I stumble through it. I don't mind being a trail blazer; but it's nice to have someone go before you.

Chuck W.

I am just about to order the speakers and do this DIY project. With the addition of these speakers be a vast improvement over my original HiFi speakers? I also have the DSP amp and control that is less than impressive. TIA