Installing 165ca1 - Focal 6.5" 2 Way Coaxial Speakers without cutting your sedan

[r3v]

Today is my birthday. One gift I received is 165ca1 - Focal 6.5" 2 Way Coaxial Speakers. So I had to face the dilemma—give up the dream speakers or cut my car.

I don’t own a saw.

So, when my friend came over with his saw, he presented this genius idea—invert the inserts from the grills!

Here we go!

You should probably install some washers on the back of your screws, so you’ll have to fold back the plastic stuff. Watch out for that nasty stick stuff beneath:

Take everything out, then. . .
First you pop the insert out of the speakers.

Then you remove the nasty glue.

You hold the speakers up and mark and drill holes.

In addition to the stuff that came with the speaker, you add some insulating—that stuff for windows from any hardware store is best.

Then you line up the holes and screw in the screws

And put your car back together

and check out your cats having a convention during the install.

I know this is some very speaker-specific information. But, although I think everyone deserves a set of Focals, I hope this also can help you out with other oversized 6.5" speakers.

[Zeuceone]

lol wut

[tearsofblood139]

nice DIY

[SOLO8thGenSi]

lol cats.
always there to lend a helping-paw

[jrMartinez24]

nice DIY

[Si Speed 317]

Job well done

[24boosted]

Hows it sounding now?

[r3v]

Originally Posted by 24boosted

Hows it sounding now?

OMG! I knew my Alpines were crap. But now I KNOW they were. With my test CDs, I even heard the rustling of paper from the live audience from a really well-recorded show.

I want to sell my house and move into my car . . .

[Nomar06]

were the kitties yelling out instructions???

[r3v]

Originally Posted by Nomar06

were the kitties yelling out instructions???

immer so.

my kitties are teh bomb.

[vlonjati]

How do they sound compared to the Alpines? What did you do with the Alpines? Place them on the rear deck?

Thnx

[lyttleviet]

Originally Posted by vlonjati

How do they sound compared to the Alpines? What did you do with the Alpines? Place them on the rear deck?

Thnx

If you are comparing side by side installs of the same speakers, The focals will be smoother, less bright, more detailed, and yield more midbass.

[lyttleviet]

Also, anyone wanting a complete seal, just build a 1/2" MDF or Birch ring.

[r3v]

Originally Posted by vlonjati

How do they sound compared to the Alpines? What did you do with the Alpines? Place them on the rear deck?

Thnx

lyttleviet answered your sound comparison question better than I would have.

I already have alpines in the rear deck, so I'm just going to sell the fronts to a friend of a friend.

Originally Posted by lyttleviet

Also, anyone wanting a complete seal, just build a 1/2" MDF or Birch ring.

An MDF ring worked out fine in the rear, but there wasn't enough room to place a ring and the speaker--either the plastic or the metal would have to be cut. Maybe birch would have been ok.

[Micah]

happylate b-day

[splew]

You probably should have sprayed a little rattlecan primer on those holes you drilled for rust protection. Although it's probably no big deal. Little or no moisture gets on the inside of the door.

[r3v]

Originally Posted by splew

You probably should have sprayed a little rattlecan primer on those holes you drilled for rust protection. Although it's probably no big deal. Little or no moisture gets on the inside of the door.

I know. I thought of that after the fact. Even though I had used primer for the cargo net install. Oh well. I've already ripped my door panels apart 3 times now. When the 4th time comes around, I'll touch it up.

[JeShUa]

You should add how to take the doors off or a link to it.
Also is the wiring straight forward from stock LOL.. I've never dealt with speakers.

[r3v]

Originally Posted by JeShUa

You should add how to take the doors off or a link to it.
Also is the wiring straight forward from stock LOL.. I've never dealt with speakers.

Well, I used the factory wiring, but bypassed the factory amp and wired them to my amp in the trunk. When I had originally wired the Alpines, I had to use a little wire adapter that Crutchfield sent me. (If you order your speakers from Crutchfield, they'll send you one too.)


And you are right. There are lots of good instructions out there for the coupe, but no one seems to share too many instructions for the sedan.

To take the doors apart on a sedan:
1. Pull the window and door lock panel off:

Squeeze the little plastic tabs and unplug the wires in the bottom. Two sets for the driver, one for the passenger.
Sorry, but I don't have any pictures for the rest of this
2. This will reveal one screw.
3. On the handle, you unscrew one Phillips screw and pop out one of those little plugs where you push in the middle and pry off the sides. This thing is not easy to remove.
4. Pop the door panel off. Start by the speaker grill and pull. You will have to lift up to get the window sealant off.
5. From behind the door panel, squeeze the 4 tabs around the door handle and hove it through the hole in the door.
6. You can now install your speakers.