Step by step door panel removal!
 

Here are the steps! Beware, it is possible to damage a few of the door clips. They are $9.95ea for themale pieces (the part that attaches to the door panel)and $2.95ea for the female pieces (the part that attaches to the door). Most Jaguar dealers have several of them in stock. I snapped 2 of them while removing the panel. There are about 7 clips total. If you snap 1 or 2 than you can simply move some around and they will work just fine. I ordered new ones though.

Step 1... Remove the two screws from the bottom of the door panel.
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Step 2... Using a small and short flat head screw driver, remove the screw cover behind the arm rest and remove the screw.
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Step 3... Use a medium size flat head screw driver and pry door panel away from the door carefully. (I wrapped the tip of the screw driver with a cloth to avoid scratching the metal).
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Step 4...Usingyour hands, work your way around the doorpanel pullingit away from the door.
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Step 5... Pull the panel away from the door about 3" and disconnect the door locking cable by lining it up with the hinge it is on and pulling up (you'll see when you look at it. very easy).
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Step 6... Done! (total time about 5 minutes tops)
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RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Did you replace your speakers?? I put some pioneer's in mine.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Yeah what'd you swap em out for? From what you saw think it'd be hard to wire a component speaker system up into there?

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Actually I wasn't swapping them out. I wanted to see how much room I would have to mount some component tweeters. I am going to install some Polk DBs probably.

The only issue I see is finding room to mount the tweeters flush.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Where are you wanting to mount them now that you've seen. I would like to someday put some component speakers in my car as well. I was looking into the area at the front corner of the door where the black plastic is at that has nothing going on there but havn't tried taking door off yet. What about the spot right in front of the door handle of the car like the ones that come stock?

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

I would recommend putting it where I have drawn in the picture. The problem with putting them infront of the handle is that they won't provide direction sound that tweeters need. Placing them up a little higher gives you the ability to pivot the tweeters a bit towards the people.

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RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Excellent post my man!

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Thanks!

I am actually planning something pretty simple.

I am going to keep all the factory speakers installed but do some additions.

I have the basic system (4 speakers total, 2 in the front and 2 in the back).

I purchased a Component system (6.5 midbasses and 1" Silk dome tweeters.)

I am going to install the tweeters in the doors and put the 2-6.5 midbasses in the rear deck. If you lack the Alpine system, as I do, you will notice there are 2 6.7" holes for in the back deck. I plan on taking out the 10" Alpine sub and box I installed and hooking my Alpine amp to the 6.5 speakers in the back deck.

I am then going to build a small box out of ABS plastic that will seal the rear deck speakers in about a 1' cubic airspace encloser that is attached to the bottom of the deck.

After than, I am going to makea small cutout from the rear deck cover (on the interior) and put a mesh sheet to allow the sound to get to the cabin.

The reason I am doing all this is because my sub can't get much sound into the cabin. I don't want a lot of bass, I want a GREAT stock sound. I think this will give me that.


BTW, I have 8 years Car stereo installation experience and WAS an MECP for 6 of those years. So if you plan on trying to do any of this, be careful!

Oh yeah, my mounting locations and installation plans may (and probably) will change. If you plan on installing anything based off of the pictures I posed up top, use caution. I haven't measured anything yet, so I'm not 100% sure of fitment. I will be planning in much greater depth while I do the work.

I will take detailed pictures when I get started.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

cool, can't wait too see it!

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Hey cobra would the area at the corner of the door work or not?

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RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

It would probably fit, but I'm more interested in sound quality. I am going to be measuring the cabin volume and staging to determine the best placement for optimum imaging. I don't believe in the "mounting where ever the speaker fits" idea. I think if you mount them at the front of the door facing in it will stiffle much of the frequency. Most tweeters have the ability to be adjusted in angle. I am taking that into account also and trying to avoid messing up the imaging and staging.

I don't want to have to invest too much time in fabricating an enclosure or kick panel, so I'm just going to do the math and install them in the best existing location available.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Hey cobra,
Im looking to install an amp buy not very efficient with doing it myself!! I understand the basics and Ive installed my own front door speakers...so what Im saying is...

When adding an amp to my factory(non-Alpine) system are there any issues I need to look out for...Ive had a few people say its a difficult car...maybe give a little insight from your install since you did it yourself

Thanks

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

It's not hard at all!..

Run your power wire through your harness that goes through the firewall on the driver’s side. Just use a coat hanger to punch a hole through it on both sides.. Loop the hanger so you can tape the wire to it while you push it through the grommet.

Run your Blue wire (remote lead to turn the amp on) from the main power harness under the steering column. Test the wire with a Multi Meter to make sure you are on the correct wire. (forgot the wire color).

Remove the bottom cushionof the back seat (just pull up on the front of it from both sides of the car and feed the seat belt through the holes).

Remove the driver front and rear floor trim panels and also pull the center trim panel (between the front and rear doors) so you can get to the wiring behind it.

Do the same thing to the passenger side.

You need to do this to get to the speaker wires in there and to hide your wiring that will be running to the trunk.

Add wire to reach the trunk. Make sure you have at least 3 extra feet of wire lying in the trunk. The wire feeds through behind the back of the Rear Seat Back Cushion.

Run your ground wire to the vehicle body under the back seat cushion.

Just make sure you connect your line-input wires to the amp correctly to the factory speaker wires.

Oh yeah, be careful not to hit any AirBag wires. They also run through the sides of the car. They are marked and wrapped through.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Hey anderson are you using your stock radio? I used a rca line converter in my pick-up truck because I couldn't afford a radio back in 03 when I was in high school so I used the rca line converter sold at any car audio shop and I didn't get that great of sound from the set-up. The problem was that it wasn't 1/10th clear as rca's from the back of an aftermarket head unit. Just my experience with this but maybe cobra knows a better brand or something. To me it didn't do a very good job of keeping the low frequency going to the sub and keeping the high frequencies out. I don't know whether you are trying to put subs or speakers in but I will for sure never use the rca converter again. Just my personal experience cobra might have a better one. Personally I'd just put a aftermarket head unit into the car and do the speakers later. The tuning of the sounds from a aftermarket stereo make the speakers in many applications sound awesome.

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Hey cobra, don't most aftermarket tweeters have adjustments you can make so that you can direct the sound of the tweeter towards your ears for better sound? Just my thoughts though, I've wanted speakers in that corner of the door since my cousins mustang had the mach 460 sound system. I really like the look of those speakers sitting there and they put out massive amounts of highs up in that area of the door. Just my 2cents though...

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Attachment 200021

Hey Cobra,
cool post mate, very informative. I may have to take my door panel off as the door handle is playin up.


Cheers

Jim C

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Hey aquill,

I might need a converter so I got one from ebay...pretty cheap. Ive used before and didnt have an issue. My amp also has a low pass filter so Ill use that as well. Not trying to win any competitions just trying to add some low end. Its a small Alpine, about 150 watts...pushing a 12" MTX. Just want a clean sound without compromising class...[sm=smiley20.gif]

RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

Took it to my local car audio shop. Took two and half hours & $100...soundsgreat. Ill have pics soon!! My low end has been accomplished:D

RE: Pics of new sub & amp
 

Alpine amp and MTX Sub!!




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RE: Step by step door panel removal!
 

I actually went with a Boston Acoustics 6.5" component set up front.

I had to cut the tab that is in the circular speaker hole once the speaker is out off, to make room for the boston speaker, and drill the 4 mounting holes, but other than that it fit right in. I have pics of the new speaker mounted if anyone is interested. No speaker is really a drop in replacement, although you could probably use a 1/2" or 1" spacer ring and avoid cutting the door panel tab off.

I mounted the tweeters in the kick panels, at the front where it meets the dash. I think that you would be hard pressed to get a tweeter into that spot that aquill pointed out unless you cut it out and flush mounted it. I didn't really want to modify or cut the door panel, so I mounted them in the kicks. They sound great. Plus the equalized pathlengths help to balance out the imaging a bit, although sometimes you still feel like you are sitting ontop of the door midbass.

Take care,

George