**NEW** C5 Speakers Plates are here! See why these are the best available.
12-26-2007, 10:55 AM
#1
Race Director
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Member Since: Jan 2005
Location: Bay Shore, NY 11706 MILD2WILD (M2W)
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07
**NEW** C5 Speakers Plates are here! See why these are the best available.
Now the C5 can have the same quality speaker mounting plates that the C6 guys have named the best mounts available. The plates are made from very rigid 1/4" canvas phenolic high pressure laminate, often referred to as just Phenolic, or Ryertex or Garolite. The expense of the material and the hi-tech machining would exceed twice the price if you had to have these built. The material is sanded on both sides, which makes it easy to paint them trim black so they are practically invisible through the grill.
The plates are setup for a 6.5" 2-way component set with a 143mm
(5.625") hole for the midbass driver and a 46mm (1.8") hole for
mounting a tweeter. For those that mount the tweeter elsewhere, the
space above the midbass can be used for the crossover instead.
Holes are pre-dilled to match the mounting pattern of the door, so all
you have to do is drill the pattern for whatever speakers you're
installing(pilot drilling STRONGLY recommended!).
CLICK TO ORDER
The plates are setup for a 6.5" 2-way component set with a 143mm
(5.625") hole for the midbass driver and a 46mm (1.8") hole for
mounting a tweeter. For those that mount the tweeter elsewhere, the
space above the midbass can be used for the crossover instead.
Holes are pre-dilled to match the mounting pattern of the door, so all
you have to do is drill the pattern for whatever speakers you're
installing(pilot drilling STRONGLY recommended!).
CLICK TO ORDER
12-26-2007, 06:55 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
I want to say a public thanks to member FastHotRod (aka Mark) for providing the AutoCAD drawing I used to create my CNC machining program to make these plates. Mark also spent a good deal of time test-fitting the plates, though since he nailed the initial drawing most of the effort was in helping relocate the mid & tweet locations to make sure they don't get obscured by the door panel.
So thanks Mark and to the customers that have already ordered, your plates will be on their way tomorrow!
So thanks Mark and to the customers that have already ordered, your plates will be on their way tomorrow!
12-27-2007, 09:07 AM
#3
Melting Slicks
Thanks, TK! 
When I did my first install in my C5, I made my speaker plates out of 3/4" MDF. I carefully measured the Bose plate and when I went to install the plates, I noticed that the stock hardware wouldn't work... the screws were too short. So I had to countersink the holes in the MDF to get it to work.
Once I got the plates installed, I noticed that the drivers side was bumping up against the door panel... so it needed to be shaved for clearance. It was a PITA to get it right, but I got it and things were good... for a while.
When I got my Pioneer 720PRS components, I decided to spend a Saturday afternoon installing them. I took my door panel off and found that the MDF in my doors had soaked up some water... it was more like cardboard than MDF. (In my haste to get my system done, I didn't paint/seal/protect the plates before installation.) SUCK! So now I had to make ANOTHER set of plates!
So I got busy with my router, jig saw, table saw, etc... I ripped out about 3 sets so I could try various configurations. By the time I cut the MDF on the table saw, then ripped it out with a jig saw, then used a router to cut the speaker hole, then countersunk the plate mounting holes, then drilled the speaker holes and installed the hurricane nuts...
Even then, I knew that I was going to have to primer and paint the MDF, or find a way to seal them somehow. My Saturday was shot.
When you add up the cost of the MDF, the primer, the paint, not to mention your time... how much are you really saving by making them yourself?
That's why I started asking The Komoman to make us some C5 plates. I saw what the C6 guys had available, and I knew that I had to get a set for my C5. I told him that I was willing to pay for a custom set, just name the price. The problem was, he didn't have a template to cut out the plates or a car by which to measure them.
So I went to work. I took measurements of the Bose plate and laid out a template. I took a lot of time making sure that everything was right on the money... then I drew it up on AutoCAD. I plotted it out and compared it to the Bose plate... and the mounting holes were accurate to within 1/32" of an inch, give or take.
(I'm kinda **** about things like that. )
I have two sets of prototype plates, which you may have seen in various posts here.
Here are a couple pictures of the plates in 'beta' form. Notice the stock hardware:
The C5 door panel is restricted towards the top of the speaker grill in relation to the speaker plate, so I asked The Komoman to move the main driver down slightly (1/2") and to move the tweeter closer to the main driver hole. He made the changes, which are pictured below.
What you see is a result of a lot of time making sure that things were perfect. I have a lot of "sweat-equity" in these plates, because I wanted something that was going to work right the first time, and last for years without failing like my MDF plates did.
For my install, I was able to mount the HUGE Pioneer PRS crossovers on the plate above the driver, and then mounted the tweeter down low and tilted back toward the listener.
I think the plates turned out sweet... and I'm glad that the C5 guys can (finally) get our hands on a quality product worthy of our cars.
Just my $1.05.
Mark
When I did my first install in my C5, I made my speaker plates out of 3/4" MDF. I carefully measured the Bose plate and when I went to install the plates, I noticed that the stock hardware wouldn't work... the screws were too short. So I had to countersink the holes in the MDF to get it to work.
Once I got the plates installed, I noticed that the drivers side was bumping up against the door panel... so it needed to be shaved for clearance. It was a PITA to get it right, but I got it and things were good... for a while.
When I got my Pioneer 720PRS components, I decided to spend a Saturday afternoon installing them. I took my door panel off and found that the MDF in my doors had soaked up some water... it was more like cardboard than MDF. (In my haste to get my system done, I didn't paint/seal/protect the plates before installation.) SUCK! So now I had to make ANOTHER set of plates!
So I got busy with my router, jig saw, table saw, etc... I ripped out about 3 sets so I could try various configurations. By the time I cut the MDF on the table saw, then ripped it out with a jig saw, then used a router to cut the speaker hole, then countersunk the plate mounting holes, then drilled the speaker holes and installed the hurricane nuts...
Even then, I knew that I was going to have to primer and paint the MDF, or find a way to seal them somehow. My Saturday was shot.
When you add up the cost of the MDF, the primer, the paint, not to mention your time... how much are you really saving by making them yourself?
That's why I started asking The Komoman to make us some C5 plates. I saw what the C6 guys had available, and I knew that I had to get a set for my C5. I told him that I was willing to pay for a custom set, just name the price. The problem was, he didn't have a template to cut out the plates or a car by which to measure them.
So I went to work. I took measurements of the Bose plate and laid out a template. I took a lot of time making sure that everything was right on the money... then I drew it up on AutoCAD. I plotted it out and compared it to the Bose plate... and the mounting holes were accurate to within 1/32" of an inch, give or take.
(I'm kinda **** about things like that.
)I have two sets of prototype plates, which you may have seen in various posts here.
Here are a couple pictures of the plates in 'beta' form. Notice the stock hardware:
The C5 door panel is restricted towards the top of the speaker grill in relation to the speaker plate, so I asked The Komoman to move the main driver down slightly (1/2") and to move the tweeter closer to the main driver hole. He made the changes, which are pictured below.
What you see is a result of a lot of time making sure that things were perfect. I have a lot of "sweat-equity" in these plates, because I wanted something that was going to work right the first time, and last for years without failing like my MDF plates did.
For my install, I was able to mount the HUGE Pioneer PRS crossovers on the plate above the driver, and then mounted the tweeter down low and tilted back toward the listener.
I think the plates turned out sweet... and I'm glad that the C5 guys can (finally) get our hands on a quality product worthy of our cars.
Just my $1.05.
Mark
