Installing Component Speakers

Installing component speakers in a Miata is do-able for the average stereo technician provided you do A LOT of research on where to mount your tweeters. I thought I'd be OK mounting them where I did and as you'll see from the pictures... well it leaves something to be desired. A word of caution: the miata uses 6.5" speakers, but you'll find you want to order the 6.5" Oversize speakers from Blaupunkt. I got the regulars and they don't fit as well as the oversize would. If you have any trouble with any part of this install, drop me a line and I'll help you out as best I can. I check my e-mail frequently. That said, let's get into this!

What's Involved:

When I did this install, I wanted to do it right. I went a little overboard, I admit, but it's all in the name of good sound. I replaced the factory wiring with 12GA Monster XLN blue/silver cable. This feeds from the amplifier to the crossover, and from there the wiring Blaupunkt provided has held up quite well. If I were to go back and do it all over again, I'd use 14 or 16 GA wire. It's cheaper, and it's what these electronics were designed for. These speakers are powered by a Blaupunkt ThinLine 275 amplifier feeding them 75W RMS. The amplifier installation is covered in it's own section.

What You'll Need: Wire Cutters/Strippers, Phillips screwdriver, Razor knife, dremel, sawzall, soldering iron, dynamat

Step one is to take the door panel off. Do so by removing the 3 bolts holding the door handle on, then the one screw holding on the door escutcheon. Now gently pull on the edges of the door releasing each of the tabs from it's port. The panel should now lift off revealing the image to the left. Remove the speaker from the door and sell it to your best friend.

Now, starting from where the speaker SHOULD be, start running wire. Run it through the grommet in the door and down through where the dead-pedal is. Take out a trim retainer and remove the plastic covering. You can now hide wires under there! Replace the trim once you've moved on to the next step. Do the same on the passenger side only instead of running it along the rocker-panel, you want to run it under the glove-box and into the transmission tunnel.

Now remove 3 screws from the scuff-panel trim and remove it! Now continue to run those wires along the driver's side back towards the trunk (or wherever your amplifer(s) are). Once the wires have cleared the driver's side, feed the wires behind the next trim panel and up under the rear-deck carpet. I fed my wires through the fuel-pump access plate, but you can find a safer way I'm sure.

For the passenger side: After you've passed the wires under/behind the glove-box, you can feed them into the transmission tunnel. Just run it behind the stereo console and underneath the DIN box. It's a bit frustrating, but you'll get it. Continue to run it down the transmission tunnel towards the trunk release. Keeping it off-center will make life easier when it comes time to bolt things down again.

Feed the wire through the carpet where the trunk release is. This will make for a nice, stealthy install. Run the wires under the rear-deck cover and into the trunk so you can hook things up! Congratulations, the tedious part is over. Now put the trim back except the door panels.

If you're using the factory grille, this step is not necessary at all. Otherwise, you will need to remove the factory grille and trim the hole so that it is close to lining up with the hole in the door. You are going to mount the speaker over the trim to create a custom look. This is a case where you need to measure a hundred times and cut once. I put Highway in charge so if it got messed up I had someone to yell at.

Test fit the speaker and mark your holes for drilling. Yes, you get to drill. Unfortunately, the factory speaker holes don't line up. It's not bad to drill. Honest. So mark those holes, drill them, and pick up the crossover (silver shiny box).

Now's a good time to figure out where to put the crossover. I put mine in the door with velcro. You can put yours anywhere. Under the dash is a good, dry place. I don't do a lot of wet-weather driving, so this setup should be fine for me. That aside, put your freshly hidden wires into the 'INPUT' side and tighten. Run the woofer wires to 'WOOFER' and the tweeter wires to 'TWEETER'. Now fasten the crossover however you'd like and get back to business.

Now, select a good place for your tweeter. Pick a place that will present a good sound stage. Do not pick the place in the picture to the left. It will make the door-panel jut-out and seem gangster. I am working on a solution to this, but in the mean time don't do it! Once you're done, cut out the hole and install the tweeter. Connect all lines, fasten the speaker to the panel and door, install the new grille, and you're done!

This is what happens when you install tweeters without thinking. Notice how my finger disappears behind that panel? Yeah, that's not supposed to happen. I'm thinking about cutting the door-metal out behind it. More on that later.

Back to Stereo Installation

	Step one is to take the door panel off. Do so by removing the 3 bolts holding the door handle on, then the one screw holding on the door escutcheon. Now gently pull on the edges of the door releasing each of the tabs from it's port. The panel should now lift off revealing the image to the left. Remove the speaker from the door and sell it to your best friend.
	Now, starting from where the speaker SHOULD be, start running wire. Run it through the grommet in the door and down through where the dead-pedal is. Take out a trim retainer and remove the plastic covering. You can now hide wires under there! Replace the trim once you've moved on to the next step. Do the same on the passenger side only instead of running it along the rocker-panel, you want to run it under the glove-box and into the transmission tunnel.
	Now remove 3 screws from the scuff-panel trim and remove it! Now continue to run those wires along the driver's side back towards the trunk (or wherever your amplifer(s) are). Once the wires have cleared the driver's side, feed the wires behind the next trim panel and up under the rear-deck carpet. I fed my wires through the fuel-pump access plate, but you can find a safer way I'm sure.
	For the passenger side: After you've passed the wires under/behind the glove-box, you can feed them into the transmission tunnel. Just run it behind the stereo console and underneath the DIN box. It's a bit frustrating, but you'll get it. Continue to run it down the transmission tunnel towards the trunk release. Keeping it off-center will make life easier when it comes time to bolt things down again.
	Feed the wire through the carpet where the trunk release is. This will make for a nice, stealthy install. Run the wires under the rear-deck cover and into the trunk so you can hook things up! Congratulations, the tedious part is over. Now put the trim back except the door panels.
	If you're using the factory grille, this step is not necessary at all. Otherwise, you will need to remove the factory grille and trim the hole so that it is close to lining up with the hole in the door. You are going to mount the speaker over the trim to create a custom look. This is a case where you need to measure a hundred times and cut once. I put Highway in charge so if it got messed up I had someone to yell at.
	Test fit the speaker and mark your holes for drilling. Yes, you get to drill. Unfortunately, the factory speaker holes don't line up. It's not bad to drill. Honest. So mark those holes, drill them, and pick up the crossover (silver shiny box).
	Now's a good time to figure out where to put the crossover. I put mine in the door with velcro. You can put yours anywhere. Under the dash is a good, dry place. I don't do a lot of wet-weather driving, so this setup should be fine for me. That aside, put your freshly hidden wires into the 'INPUT' side and tighten. Run the woofer wires to 'WOOFER' and the tweeter wires to 'TWEETER'. Now fasten the crossover however you'd like and get back to business.
	Now, select a good place for your tweeter. Pick a place that will present a good sound stage. Do not pick the place in the picture to the left. It will make the door-panel jut-out and seem gangster. I am working on a solution to this, but in the mean time don't do it! Once you're done, cut out the hole and install the tweeter. Connect all lines, fasten the speaker to the panel and door, install the new grille, and you're done!
	This is what happens when you install tweeters without thinking. Notice how my finger disappears behind that panel? Yeah, that's not supposed to happen. I'm thinking about cutting the door-metal out behind it. More on that later.