Upgrade factory speakers & use original speaker grills
08-07-2016, 04:53 PM
#1
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Upgrade factory speakers & use original speaker grills
I recently replaced the original speakers in my 1998 993 C2S; my car has the non HIFi stereo with the CDR 210 radio/CD player. My goal was to upgrade the sound quality of the stereo, but maintain the factory look by using the original factory speaker grills. I also wanted to add an AUX cable to use my I- Phone for recorded music.
I had searched the RennList 993 discussion Boards to learn how to remove the speaker grills and what size/type speakers would work, but did not find as much guidance as I had hoped for. Perhaps this post will help others who want to change out their speakers and add an AUX cable.
I purchased the following speakers from Crutchfield and they fit perfectly without any need for altering the mounting holes or the new speakers. The Crutchfield sales Rep’s recommendations for these two speakers were spot on. Crutchfield also provided a speaker wire adapter free of charge that worked great!
JBL GT7-5 5.25” speakers for the front door
Blaupunkt GTx 462 DE 6 X 4 “ for the rear deck
The AUX cable adapter was from Discount Car Stereo. It was their IP-BKRCD model.
http://www.discountcarstereo.com/iP-BKRCD.html
This AUX adapter was extremely easy to install and works fine. Two reminders. You’ll need the two keys to pull your radio from the dash, and once you have the adapter installed, you’ll need a CD in the CD holder for the AUX Adapter to work. Discount Car Stereo has the keys if you need them.
Removing the front speaker grills was a bit daunting at first. Mine were on tight and it felt as though they would break if I forcibly tried to just pry them off. The key point that I want to pass on is, first spin the speaker grill clockwise and then counter clockwise for a couple of minutes to loosen them up. After spinning the grill for a few minutes I noticed at certain spots the speaker grills were at their loosest. At this very point I would gently pull at the speaker grill….not necessarily straight out towards me, but rather a combination of pulling them towards me but also horizontally as well. They finally gave up without a problem.
The front door factory speakers are an odd contraption. You need to cut the speaker away from the plastic trim ring….so that you can use the trim ring for mounting your new speakers. I used a dremel and cutting away the speaker from the trim ring was easy. You’ll need the plastic trim ring to mount your new JBL speakers. A minor suggestion. As you’re putting the speakers back into the hole in the door panel, put the plastic trim ring on top of the speaker; this helps keep the depth of the speaker from obstructing the speaker grill sitting properly on the trim ring. The speaker grills popped back on the trim ring very easily. The JBL speakers are coaxial with a tweeter. It would have been nice to continuing using the factory tweeters (already in the door) as well as the tweeters in the JBL’s, but I was unsure how to wire the original tweeters to the JBL’s Once you pull your factory speaker out, you’ll understand why it is not obvious how to continue using the original tweeters.
My advice for the rear speaker grills is to use a metal putty blade and a tool like the one pictured to gently pry up one corner of the speaker grill. My guess is if you use only your fingers to pull the speaker grill… you’ll break it. I put the metal putty knife on top of the vinyl and placed the pry tool directly on top of the putty knife to prevent any damage to the upholstery. I worked just fine.
Hopefully the pictures might also provide some assistance.
[ATTACH]10[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]
[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]ATTACH]
I had searched the RennList 993 discussion Boards to learn how to remove the speaker grills and what size/type speakers would work, but did not find as much guidance as I had hoped for. Perhaps this post will help others who want to change out their speakers and add an AUX cable.
I purchased the following speakers from Crutchfield and they fit perfectly without any need for altering the mounting holes or the new speakers. The Crutchfield sales Rep’s recommendations for these two speakers were spot on. Crutchfield also provided a speaker wire adapter free of charge that worked great!
JBL GT7-5 5.25” speakers for the front door
Blaupunkt GTx 462 DE 6 X 4 “ for the rear deck
The AUX cable adapter was from Discount Car Stereo. It was their IP-BKRCD model.
http://www.discountcarstereo.com/iP-BKRCD.html
This AUX adapter was extremely easy to install and works fine. Two reminders. You’ll need the two keys to pull your radio from the dash, and once you have the adapter installed, you’ll need a CD in the CD holder for the AUX Adapter to work. Discount Car Stereo has the keys if you need them.
Removing the front speaker grills was a bit daunting at first. Mine were on tight and it felt as though they would break if I forcibly tried to just pry them off. The key point that I want to pass on is, first spin the speaker grill clockwise and then counter clockwise for a couple of minutes to loosen them up. After spinning the grill for a few minutes I noticed at certain spots the speaker grills were at their loosest. At this very point I would gently pull at the speaker grill….not necessarily straight out towards me, but rather a combination of pulling them towards me but also horizontally as well. They finally gave up without a problem.
The front door factory speakers are an odd contraption. You need to cut the speaker away from the plastic trim ring….so that you can use the trim ring for mounting your new speakers. I used a dremel and cutting away the speaker from the trim ring was easy. You’ll need the plastic trim ring to mount your new JBL speakers. A minor suggestion. As you’re putting the speakers back into the hole in the door panel, put the plastic trim ring on top of the speaker; this helps keep the depth of the speaker from obstructing the speaker grill sitting properly on the trim ring. The speaker grills popped back on the trim ring very easily. The JBL speakers are coaxial with a tweeter. It would have been nice to continuing using the factory tweeters (already in the door) as well as the tweeters in the JBL’s, but I was unsure how to wire the original tweeters to the JBL’s Once you pull your factory speaker out, you’ll understand why it is not obvious how to continue using the original tweeters.
My advice for the rear speaker grills is to use a metal putty blade and a tool like the one pictured to gently pry up one corner of the speaker grill. My guess is if you use only your fingers to pull the speaker grill… you’ll break it. I put the metal putty knife on top of the vinyl and placed the pry tool directly on top of the putty knife to prevent any damage to the upholstery. I worked just fine.
Hopefully the pictures might also provide some assistance.
[ATTACH]10[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]
[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]ATTACH]
08-08-2016, 02:29 AM
#2
Drifting
Search here can be wacky (see link in my signature below for some search help. And its much more sensitive to search terms, unlike Google.). Here are a few things I've been looking at for speakers & upgrade ideas (sorry not going to help you, but perhaps the next person...):
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...n-upgrade.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...fi-option.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...o-upgrade.html
http://www.pcarworkshop.com/index.ph...iSchematic.jpg
http://www.soundmekanix.com/sound-me...eaker-adapters
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...n-upgrade.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...fi-option.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...o-upgrade.html
http://www.pcarworkshop.com/index.ph...iSchematic.jpg
http://www.soundmekanix.com/sound-me...eaker-adapters
08-13-2017, 06:06 PM
#3
I'm 3/4's of the way through replacing front and rear speakers. The rears were the original factory speakers, and I discovered the front woofers had been replaced with generics, which had wonky grills that kept coming off.
I opted for Rockford Fosgate replacements, one reason being the grills for the fronts are very plain, but the rears didn't come with grills. Also this was a budget install and I found a good deal. I got the Rockford Fosgate Punch P1462 4x 6's for the rears, and the Punch P16-S 6" with tweeters for the fronts. I got both to the door for about $160, which is cheap. If this wasn't a cost conscience upgrade, I probably would have went with JL, Infinity, or JBL, but until both kids are through with college, cost is an issue for me. At the end of the day, I'm happy enough just to have a 964 in the stable.
On the rears, I used a jig saw to cut the speaker out of it's integral frame, and under mounted the new speakers with a spacer to hold the upholstery away from the speaker surround.
The replacement fronts are larger than stock, so I had to move two of the mounting holes out a little, and open up the baffle, but I didn't have to cut the openings. The new tweeters didn't fit at all, so I just glued them to the stock tweeter mounts.
I opted for Rockford Fosgate replacements, one reason being the grills for the fronts are very plain, but the rears didn't come with grills. Also this was a budget install and I found a good deal. I got the Rockford Fosgate Punch P1462 4x 6's for the rears, and the Punch P16-S 6" with tweeters for the fronts. I got both to the door for about $160, which is cheap. If this wasn't a cost conscience upgrade, I probably would have went with JL, Infinity, or JBL, but until both kids are through with college, cost is an issue for me. At the end of the day, I'm happy enough just to have a 964 in the stable.
On the rears, I used a jig saw to cut the speaker out of it's integral frame, and under mounted the new speakers with a spacer to hold the upholstery away from the speaker surround.
The replacement fronts are larger than stock, so I had to move two of the mounting holes out a little, and open up the baffle, but I didn't have to cut the openings. The new tweeters didn't fit at all, so I just glued them to the stock tweeter mounts.
Last edited by A914MAN; 08-13-2017 at 06:24 PM.
12-24-2019, 06:22 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Bumping this old thread.
I'm trying to replace my stock front speakers. Both grilles will not come off. I already broke one of my plastic trim tools.
Any extra tips would be great. Thanks!
I'm trying to replace my stock front speakers. Both grilles will not come off. I already broke one of my plastic trim tools.
Any extra tips would be great. Thanks!
12-24-2019, 08:22 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
I changed my head unit to a new Alpine unit 172BT from the original OEM upgraded Alpine 7807 and that transformed my system and left the speakers alone albeit the HIFI option that came with the car and retained the OEM Nokia amp under the seat.
That said....changing head units putting out more power will help.
The 25 year old HIFI System now with the new Alpine unit sounds as good or better than my Burmester in my TTS that pumps out 821 watts total.....can't believe the change as even the audio shop was amazed and wanted info on the speaker and amp...
That said....changing head units putting out more power will help.
The 25 year old HIFI System now with the new Alpine unit sounds as good or better than my Burmester in my TTS that pumps out 821 watts total.....can't believe the change as even the audio shop was amazed and wanted info on the speaker and amp...
Last edited by abiazis; 12-27-2019 at 10:44 AM.
12-25-2019, 03:03 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
^Thanks. I'm sure a new head unit would wake things up. But I would like to start with changing the
front speakers. I can see though the speaker grill that the speaker is shot. Any suggestions on getting the grill
off without breaking them would be awesome.
front speakers. I can see though the speaker grill that the speaker is shot. Any suggestions on getting the grill
off without breaking them would be awesome.
12-26-2019, 12:00 AM
#7
Advanced
My 98 993 was stock when I bought it in January 2018. Speaker cones in the front were dissolved, so I replaced them all (6) with the OEM parts. I do not have a Hi Fi system so I have a total of 2 tweeters (top front) 2 fronts (lower door), and 2 rears.
The front speaker grills in the bottom of the door were kind of tricky to get off but they are simply an interference (tight) fit where the grill trim ring snaps over the circumference of the round metal speaker support frame. Best bet is to use liberal painters tape on the door leather and the circumference of the trim ring to protect from the pry tools. In my experience the plastic pry tools were simply too weak to pop the grill off the circumference of the speaker frame, so you will probably need to use a wide metal blade and a twisting motion between the door panel face and the trim ring edge. I would work at the bottom of the speaker grill (I think I laid on my side so that I could see it under there), it is more safe to work at the bottom so that if you do scuff the door panel it will be low and probably out of sight, rather that working at the top of the grill where any mistake would be obvious. You should see it moving and it will pop off, might have a towel down on the floor to avoid dinging the grill when it pops.
Good luck. I have all the OEM part numbers I used to order the new ones.
The front speaker grills in the bottom of the door were kind of tricky to get off but they are simply an interference (tight) fit where the grill trim ring snaps over the circumference of the round metal speaker support frame. Best bet is to use liberal painters tape on the door leather and the circumference of the trim ring to protect from the pry tools. In my experience the plastic pry tools were simply too weak to pop the grill off the circumference of the speaker frame, so you will probably need to use a wide metal blade and a twisting motion between the door panel face and the trim ring edge. I would work at the bottom of the speaker grill (I think I laid on my side so that I could see it under there), it is more safe to work at the bottom so that if you do scuff the door panel it will be low and probably out of sight, rather that working at the top of the grill where any mistake would be obvious. You should see it moving and it will pop off, might have a towel down on the floor to avoid dinging the grill when it pops.
Good luck. I have all the OEM part numbers I used to order the new ones.
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12-26-2019, 06:06 PM
#9
Advanced
12-26-2019, 08:28 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
I recently replaced the original speakers in my 1998 993 C2S; my car has the non HIFi stereo with the CDR 210 radio/CD player. My goal was to upgrade the sound quality of the stereo, but maintain the factory look by using the original factory speaker grills. I also wanted to add an AUX cable to use my I- Phone for recorded music.
I had searched the RennList 993 discussion Boards to learn how to remove the speaker grills and what size/type speakers would work, but did not find as much guidance as I had hoped for. Perhaps this post will help others who want to change out their speakers and add an AUX cable.
I purchased the following speakers from Crutchfield and they fit perfectly without any need for altering the mounting holes or the new speakers. The Crutchfield sales Rep’s recommendations for these two speakers were spot on. Crutchfield also provided a speaker wire adapter free of charge that worked great!
JBL GT7-5 5.25” speakers for the front door
Blaupunkt GTx 462 DE 6 X 4 “ for the rear deck
The AUX cable adapter was from Discount Car Stereo. It was their IP-BKRCD model.
http://www.discountcarstereo.com/iP-BKRCD.html
This AUX adapter was extremely easy to install and works fine. Two reminders. You’ll need the two keys to pull your radio from the dash, and once you have the adapter installed, you’ll need a CD in the CD holder for the AUX Adapter to work. Discount Car Stereo has the keys if you need them.
Removing the front speaker grills was a bit daunting at first. Mine were on tight and it felt as though they would break if I forcibly tried to just pry them off. The key point that I want to pass on is, first spin the speaker grill clockwise and then counter clockwise for a couple of minutes to loosen them up. After spinning the grill for a few minutes I noticed at certain spots the speaker grills were at their loosest. At this very point I would gently pull at the speaker grill….not necessarily straight out towards me, but rather a combination of pulling them towards me but also horizontally as well. They finally gave up without a problem.
The front door factory speakers are an odd contraption. You need to cut the speaker away from the plastic trim ring….so that you can use the trim ring for mounting your new speakers. I used a dremel and cutting away the speaker from the trim ring was easy. You’ll need the plastic trim ring to mount your new JBL speakers. A minor suggestion. As you’re putting the speakers back into the hole in the door panel, put the plastic trim ring on top of the speaker; this helps keep the depth of the speaker from obstructing the speaker grill sitting properly on the trim ring. The speaker grills popped back on the trim ring very easily. The JBL speakers are coaxial with a tweeter. It would have been nice to continuing using the factory tweeters (already in the door) as well as the tweeters in the JBL’s, but I was unsure how to wire the original tweeters to the JBL’s Once you pull your factory speaker out, you’ll understand why it is not obvious how to continue using the original tweeters.
My advice for the rear speaker grills is to use a metal putty blade and a tool like the one pictured to gently pry up one corner of the speaker grill. My guess is if you use only your fingers to pull the speaker grill… you’ll break it. I put the metal putty knife on top of the vinyl and placed the pry tool directly on top of the putty knife to prevent any damage to the upholstery. I worked just fine.
Hopefully the pictures might also provide some assistance.
10Attachment 1078252ATTACH]
I had searched the RennList 993 discussion Boards to learn how to remove the speaker grills and what size/type speakers would work, but did not find as much guidance as I had hoped for. Perhaps this post will help others who want to change out their speakers and add an AUX cable.
I purchased the following speakers from Crutchfield and they fit perfectly without any need for altering the mounting holes or the new speakers. The Crutchfield sales Rep’s recommendations for these two speakers were spot on. Crutchfield also provided a speaker wire adapter free of charge that worked great!
JBL GT7-5 5.25” speakers for the front door
Blaupunkt GTx 462 DE 6 X 4 “ for the rear deck
The AUX cable adapter was from Discount Car Stereo. It was their IP-BKRCD model.
http://www.discountcarstereo.com/iP-BKRCD.html
This AUX adapter was extremely easy to install and works fine. Two reminders. You’ll need the two keys to pull your radio from the dash, and once you have the adapter installed, you’ll need a CD in the CD holder for the AUX Adapter to work. Discount Car Stereo has the keys if you need them.
Removing the front speaker grills was a bit daunting at first. Mine were on tight and it felt as though they would break if I forcibly tried to just pry them off. The key point that I want to pass on is, first spin the speaker grill clockwise and then counter clockwise for a couple of minutes to loosen them up. After spinning the grill for a few minutes I noticed at certain spots the speaker grills were at their loosest. At this very point I would gently pull at the speaker grill….not necessarily straight out towards me, but rather a combination of pulling them towards me but also horizontally as well. They finally gave up without a problem.
The front door factory speakers are an odd contraption. You need to cut the speaker away from the plastic trim ring….so that you can use the trim ring for mounting your new speakers. I used a dremel and cutting away the speaker from the trim ring was easy. You’ll need the plastic trim ring to mount your new JBL speakers. A minor suggestion. As you’re putting the speakers back into the hole in the door panel, put the plastic trim ring on top of the speaker; this helps keep the depth of the speaker from obstructing the speaker grill sitting properly on the trim ring. The speaker grills popped back on the trim ring very easily. The JBL speakers are coaxial with a tweeter. It would have been nice to continuing using the factory tweeters (already in the door) as well as the tweeters in the JBL’s, but I was unsure how to wire the original tweeters to the JBL’s Once you pull your factory speaker out, you’ll understand why it is not obvious how to continue using the original tweeters.
My advice for the rear speaker grills is to use a metal putty blade and a tool like the one pictured to gently pry up one corner of the speaker grill. My guess is if you use only your fingers to pull the speaker grill… you’ll break it. I put the metal putty knife on top of the vinyl and placed the pry tool directly on top of the putty knife to prevent any damage to the upholstery. I worked just fine.
Hopefully the pictures might also provide some assistance.
10Attachment 1078252ATTACH]
06-07-2020, 02:33 AM
#11
Same problem for me, I am trying to remove the front door speakers but have no clue how to remove the grill. The tweeter's grill above are screwed on, so couple turn counterclockwise and it comes out.
But the lower speakers, I just can't remove the grill.
Anyone could explain how to remove them ? Thanks.
But the lower speakers, I just can't remove the grill.
Anyone could explain how to remove them ? Thanks.
06-09-2020, 02:14 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Same problem for me, I am trying to remove the front door speakers but have no clue how to remove the grill. The tweeter's grill above are screwed on, so couple turn counterclockwise and it comes out.
But the lower speakers, I just can't remove the grill.
Anyone could explain how to remove them ? Thanks.
But the lower speakers, I just can't remove the grill.
Anyone could explain how to remove them ? Thanks.
"Removing the front speaker grills was a bit daunting at first. Mine were on tight and it felt as though they would break if I forcibly tried to just pry them off. The key point that I want to pass on is, first spin the speaker grill clockwise and then counter clockwise for a couple of minutes to loosen them up. After spinning the grill for a few minutes I noticed at certain spots the speaker grills were at their loosest. At this very point I would gently pull at the speaker grill….not necessarily straight out towards me, but rather a combination of pulling them towards me but also horizontally as well. They finally gave up without a problem."
06-10-2020, 12:49 AM
#13
Rennlist Member
I ended up installing OEM speakers front and rear (no tweeters and non hifi). Bought them from pelican for very little money. In the end, I have to say I'm really happy with it. Actually sound pretty decent. I honestly dont really care that much about the sound of the stereo however am happy with the end result!
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norbtx (06-12-2020)
