How to upgrade your Vanagon's "hanging down" speaker pods. No screws or glue required. This is a fast, easy and great looking solution to the classic Vanagon audio problem. EXIT
Rear Speakers
Get yourself a pair of the Infinity Reference 3022cf speakers. These are not hugely loud, but they are a lot better than the original speakers! |
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Cut around the seam with a small hacksaw, remove the old part and chuck it.
With a needlenose, bend the inside tabs down flat against the plastic.
Use coarse sandpaper to smooth off the inside and outside edges of the pod where you cut it. |
Line up the new speaker where to mount it inside the pod. Use a small drill (2mm) making a line of holes 7/16 to 1/2 inch inside the pod, a little wider than the mounting tab. Ream out the perforation back and forth with the drill creating a slot for the metal tabs. |
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Plug the connectors in (I had to compress the small one for better gripping), then insert the tab top first in the slot and snapping the bottom tab into place with a little pressure. The case is now holding the speaker tight and no fasteners are necessary. |
Mount the upgraded speaker pod in the rear of the Vanagon and rock out! UPDATE: After 4 years these speakers are great! This has proven to be an excellent solution. |
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I used the Infinity Reference 4022i speakers in the front door. They mount in the same place as the originals, exactly fitting in the holes. Drill through the fiberboard to mount them. It is fairly routine, but you will need the little window crank extenders. I just left the covers off, and filed off the sharp plastic points from the ring holders to avoid hitting my hand on them. The rings are probably not even necessary if you don't want covers. These new speakers are a lot tougher than the old paper ones so covers are only really needed if you are mounting in a package tray.
Observe the speaker how around the edge it has a 4-part flange running all the way around it. The trick to positioning the cut oval perfectly is to position the board on the door by a few buttons and locate the center of the tweeter with an awl.
Remove the board and cut a crude hole through the board to clear the tweeter, then hang the board back up.
Tap with a small hammer around the speaker. There is a flange protruding that leaves black paint on the inside of the board. You may need to press hard while tapping to force the warped (like mine) board down onto the metal.
