# Speaker kickpanels VS. Speakers in the doors...



## Freddy_Krugerrand (Aug 19, 2012)

Trying to decide between cutting the door a little bit and putting some 6.5" speakers in the doors or buying those plastic kick panel speaker things and doing it that way.

The kickpanels seem to get lots of complaints like clearance issues, no vent issues, won't fit certain speakers, etc. I'd also like to know if there is speaker rattle when you use these speaker kickpanels.

What problems may arise by just doing a small cut in the door metal and mounting the speakers in the doors. I can't find a lot of discussion about cutting into the doors. Am I the devil if I cut some metal out of a GTO door?


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## 13mpg (Jan 8, 2018)

Either way you are going to have fitment issues. In one of my '65's I bought the kick panels with built in speakers. And for the most part they are ok without too much modification BUT to get a good tight fit you may need to grab a torch and hammer and heat an beat the metal to make enuf rook for the magnets. The biggest pain was moving the parking brake a tad to the right so it would clear. Door panel speakers are OK sometimes depending on where you live. Water seepage then moisture damage, dust and crud. Just my experiences.

In my new 65 I'm not cutting or beating anything and am going with the old style look high tech component system that comes with a dual cone speaker that replaces the front under dash AM radio speaker and some wedges in the back.

Depends on what your preference is and value and condition of what you have and overall goal.

Just my 2 cents worth.


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## Sixty7GTO (May 4, 2017)

My thought is, kick panels are cheaper than door panels. You can always reinstall your vented kick panels and go with what 13mpg said about installing a dual-cone speaker up in the dash. I'd also look into under the seat speakers instead of cutting up your door and door panel.


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## Freddy_Krugerrand (Aug 19, 2012)

Are there multiple companies making these? Can the demand be that high or are these the same things?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Aut...ash=item1a28d8cf67:g:dwIAAOSw8bpahzkU&vxp=mtr
https://www.opgi.com/gto/CH28445/


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## 13mpg (Jan 8, 2018)

What year is your car? What is your desired outcome, originality or resto mod? We don't have enuf info for much more than offered so far. If you have a near perfect mid 60's no cutting or goofy kickpanels. If your car is already not correct with #'s matching etc., do what satisfies your taste? Give up some more info maybe someone else here has done something to the same year?


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## Sixty7GTO (May 4, 2017)

My Buddy has a 67 and he put the kick panels in with the speakers with an aftermarket high-end stereo. 
He likes the sound. He also installed dual speakers on the package tray. I can try and find out where he got his kick panels but I'm willing to bet, he got them from "Ames"


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I've got kick panel and package tray speakers in my '69, but I didn't add any auxiliary amplification to the system and I also don't have any kind of subwoofer (I've seen some that you mount under the seat - bass frequencies that low are supposedly non-directional so "stereo separation" doesn't matter - or so I've "heard".) The aftermarket radio/stereo I bought (the only one I know of that fits the factory dash opening) is wimpy on power, and it'd be tough to hear it over the engine anyway, so what am I doing commenting on this thread? I have no idea.... 

Bear


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## 1968gto421 (Mar 28, 2014)

BearGFR said:


> I've got kick panel and package tray speakers in my '69, but I didn't add any auxiliary amplification to the system and I also don't have any kind of subwoofer (I've seen some that you mount under the seat - bass frequencies that low are supposedly non-directional so "stereo separation" doesn't matter - or so I've "heard".) The aftermarket radio/stereo I bought (the only one I know of that fits the factory dash opening) is wimpy on power, and it'd be tough to hear it over the engine anyway, so what am I doing commenting on this thread? I have no idea....
> 
> Bear


Thank you, Bear!

I can see all this high end stereo equipment in a modern car that's like a tomb inside, but part of the GTO mystique is the rumbly exhaust and engine noises which tend to do in sound equipment. To me you can have the great sound system working great in a bland modern car OR you can have the visceral experience of a GTO. Making the GTO soundproof is beyond my comprehension, why not a LeMans fordor instead? IMHO


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## cij911 (Oct 25, 2017)

FWIW - I have the plastic kicks panels in my 56' Bel Air (I'll post a picture later) and while the hold my nice 6.5 woofer just fine, the acoustics pretty much suck. So if you are just looking for some sound, then yes they will work. If you are looking for a really nice setup, then I am afraid you will want to make something custom either in the kick panels or door panels.

The other thing to consider is road / engine noise and how that will affect your audio setup. Again, with my Bel Air there is so much engine and exhaust noise (crate 350) that it really outpowers / destroys my very nice audio setup.

Good luck


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## 1968gto421 (Mar 28, 2014)

cij911 said:


> FWIW -
> The other thing to consider is road / engine noise and how that will affect your audio setup. Again, with my Bel Air there is so much engine and exhaust noise (crate 350) that it really outpowers / destroys my very nice audio setup.
> 
> Good luck


Yes, That's been my experience, too. (Also my wife prefers we spend our audio $$$ on the home system where she and I can enjoy the sound range more fully.


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## Christine (Jul 22, 2020)

For my 66 hardtop I purchased to kick panels and 6 x 9 speakers to go in them. Apparently the speaker stick out a little? Did anyone else have this problem or do you think it was something in the door when they restart it as far as a plate. Sounds like the workaround is going to be to move the emergency brake over about an inch. Which is fine and probably hardly noticed and as long as it works! Just wondering if anyone else ran into this issue? I just assumed since I was buying the kick panels for this car that it would work out well. But it seems every speaker is a little too thick once it’s mounted. Thoughts?


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## Hootchi (Apr 7, 2021)

Christine said:


> For my 66 hardtop I purchased to kick panels and 6 x 9 speakers to go in them. Apparently the speaker stick out a little? Did anyone else have this problem or do you think it was something in the door when they restart it as far as a plate. Sounds like the workaround is going to be to move the emergency brake over about an inch. Which is fine and probably hardly noticed and as long as it works! Just wondering if anyone else ran into this issue? I just assumed since I was buying the kick panels for this car that it would work out well. But it seems every speaker is a little too thick once it’s mounted. Thoughts?


I changed the kick panels on my 68 but found that I could only put 6 inch diameter 3 way speakers. Anything bigger just did not fit properly. Even the 6 inch speakers stick out about 1 to 1/1/2 inches from the kickpanel itself.


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## Christine (Jul 22, 2020)

Hootchi said:


> I changed the kick panels on my 68 but found that I could only put 6 inch diameter 3 way speakers. Anything bigger just did not fit properly. Even the 6 inch speakers stick out about 1 to 1/1/2 inches from the kickpanel itself.


Thanks. Yeah that’s what they said- it stuck out about 1.5 inches. So We’re moving over the emergency brake about an inch. I said hey as long as it still works. I’m good. Nobody will be able to tell.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

I have a '65 and I did not want to cut perfectly good door panels up like I did when I was 18 so I did the kick panel speakers with vents and they look nice, but I did have to move over the e brake with a home made bracket. Then I upgraded from Pioneers to Alpines










































but the magnet was to deep so I used a hole saw a little bigger than the magnet diameter and went through the first layer, worked great...took all the badging off front and back for a cleaner look and generic grilles in back. I'm running a Restosound period correct bluetooth head unit with the AM decal, new 4x10 in the dash hooked straight to the unit, 100 watt alpines all the way around with a Rockford Fosgate 100 RMS amp and a RF 8" electric sub with level control hidden in my ashtray ...sounds incredible but after all that I find myself listening to the exhaust which sounds pretty sweet too


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## Christine (Jul 22, 2020)

Baaad65 said:


> I have a '65 and I did not want to cut perfectly good door panels up like I did when I was 18 so I did the kick panel speakers with vents and they look nice, but I did have to move over the e brake with a home made bracket. Then I upgraded from Pioneers to Alpines
> View attachment 142482
> View attachment 142488
> View attachment 142484
> ...


Awesome information and great pictures. That’s exactly what I have the alpine speakers the newer look like old radio from classic car stereos. I do have that USB thing but I didn’t want to put it in my cigarette lighter so that’s a great idea for the ashtray


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

The control in the ashtray is only for the subwoofer gain, and the head unit has two USB phone outs that I put charging cables to that are in the glove box, one Samsung for me and an iPhone cord for my wife. Here's my microphone for the phone.


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## Christine (Jul 22, 2020)

Baaad65 said:


> The control in the ashtray is only for the subwoofer gain, and the head unit has two USB phone outs that I put charging cables to that are in the glove box, one Samsung for me and an iPhone cord for my wife. Here's my microphone for the phone.


Cool. A friend is installing mine at their performance shop. All wires are hidden. Should get it tomorrow... pending the typical Florida storms!


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