in a effort to get more bass from rear (i'm planning on adding a sub later), i wanted to know if anyone has cut some of the metal behind the panels to get the magnet of a larger speaker to fit. if so, any differences in car performance?

 

I installed rear speakers today and after seeing the design of the metal behind the seats, I STRONGLY urge anyone to NOT cut the metal!!!! Its designed to give the most strength with the lightest weight. If pieces are cut or ground, they could fail at the time they're needed most!!

I found that 6" speakers will fit without the need for cutting. It takes a while to get them positioned right, but definately works. There are some great 6" speakers out there too.

Good luck.

 

You can safely cut about 3/4" of metal to fit the larger magnets. This feels like a seam - 2 metal plates together or about 11 gauge of steel. The rest are support beams which you wouldn't want to cut into.

If you are a tall driver who has the seat all the way back touching the wall it will press against the grill with a larger speaker. The other thing to consider is the shape of the basket of the larger speakers. While the magnet diameter may be fine, the metal basket may not fit the area.

 

The '02 blue plastic OEM doors fit great in rear panel and sound real good. Magnet is about 2 3/4 inches wide so it fits real well. Very efficent and doesn't require much power. When you add 50 watts to them they really smooth out.

 

Welcome to 2001 Chris....