YEAH I did it!
I never heard the custom Pioneers but the ones I used (Hertz, 60W RMS, +-2 mm Xmax capable) sound personally nothing short of
outstanding... especially considering I drive the speakers unamplified, just via the 4x50W (25W RMS) of my Clarion h.u..
I don't even need to boost the bass such is the pressure and lack of distortion, I'm flat except "-1" on treble and "+1 front" on fader. (I always prefer EQ as flat as possible, everywhere)
However it's been a LOT of work
Nothing impossible or expensive, but I had to modify the speakers, obviously the doors, then even a couple of screws
and buy/have at hand a lot of bits of parts and substances...
I took pictures in the making, from beginning to end result; here follows the sequence.
I don't think it's so useful for the masses
for a few dollars more and zero work you can drop in custom speakers; however it's still a bit of information to share.
DISCLAIMER:
THIS IS A PERMANENT MODIFICATION TO YOUR CAR, WHICH MAY GIVE OR WORSEN PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
NO RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ASSUMED.
IT ALSO INVOLVES THE USE OF HIGH SPEED CUTTING TOOLS.
EVERYTHING YOU DO IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
- End of disclaimer -Regarding
waterproofing, after to job the car underwent both light and heavy rain, for at least a week, and not the smallest hint of water could be seen on the inside of the door, both in the pocket or in the speakers region.
Although it might be just luck.
• SPEAKER CHOOSING AND MODDING(this picture was actually taken with shield already removed)Here I measure the available depth before glass at the shallower point (bottom of hole)
The result is
59 mm or about 2"5/16.
Anything shallower will fit perfectly (the choosen Hertz speakers are 56 mm)
A comparison between OEM speakers and the newly acquired substitute.
Notice the massive magnet and the orange, clever rubber protection preinstalled at the factory.
Hint:I think it's - always, not only in this case! - a good idea to "run in" the speakers
before actually installing them, so in the car they will sound at their best immediately.
I attached them to a home stereo, turned on its radio and let them function at a decent volume - not enough to hear distortion, but to witness a nice cone displacement - for a couple of days while I was at work (about 20 hours total), before proceeding to mod.
Since the Renault wires are short, barely an acceptable length, when installing
you must "point" the speaker contacts towards the front bottom of the door, where the harness emerges from the door.
Since the mounting screws are not simmetrical in this sense,
you have to decide in advance which speaker you're putting on which side!Then cut the excessive flaps accordingly.
Here I accurately masked with tape the new speaker, on both sides.
Warning: you better wear gloves, goggles or any kind of apt protecion, and use extra careThe cutting of the unwanted flaps, and the afterwards result.
(There's a vacuum hoose sucking cutting particles.)
Hint: with an air compressor blow away the fine metal residues which are magnetically attracted to the speaker, just before removing masking tape.
Hint: every time I am about to stick anything or apply glue or sealant, I clean the interested surface with acetone.
With self sticking aluminium tape (100% metal, thick variant) I mask the frame of the speaker, on what will become the upper half (exposed to rain etc.)
As previously posted, I initially thought of using fiberglass but Al-tape is fantastic, much cheaper, easier and cleaner/safer to use.
Plus it has a good adhesive and it doesnt' tend to "retire" or change shape, once attached it will assume the one you model it into and keep together with the speaker frame.
Since I could not determine the exact profile of tape before sticking, I started at mid-width and then cut the excess aluminium while proceeding outwards sticking/modelling. Finally cut the exact "borders".
Here I put silicone sealant at the junction between frame and magnet, at the same side ("upper half") as the aluminium tape.
I leave the lower half free, because I want moisture to be able to leak away should it enter the speaker.
(BTW I should have put it also on the back of magnet - top of picture - where the rubber protection ends and you see the black label)
Here you see the finished, ready speaker. All along the mounting rim (except near the screw holes) I carefully glued - aiding with a bit of cianoacrylate at the ends - self-sticking profiled rubber strip, the kind for fixing window/door gaps.
• DOOR MODDINGBeware! On the driver's side (left in my case), there are the wires of the side mirrors control
dangerously close to the rain shield, where you're going to cut; I nearly severed them!
Block/stick them in a safe position, and use extra care when cutting.
With a blow torch or lighter, heat to red a long iron wire then
quickly pierce the shield; wait it to cool down then bend it, like in the picture.
This is to prevent the shield and attached debris to fall down inside the door just after cutting.
Here (with masking tape) I stuck in position the hoose of the faithful vacuum cleaner. It will capture part of debris during cutting.
Ready to cut! The cutting blade
must be at least 40 mm in diameter (as justified below) and must be stated as "compatible for plastics" or PVC, otherwise it will almost exclusively melt the plastic instead of cutting.
Warning: you better wear gloves, goggles or any kind of apt protecion, and use extra care
Left door shield cut away!
Notice the screw nest (they're the top one for each speaker, towards the rear) at the left extreme of the shield. With a smaller cutting blade you wouldn't be able to cut it away altogether.
IMPORTANT: for each side, only the "rear" (and upper) screw/holes are going to be severed - because they're part of the shield - and later replaced with an appropriate nut.
Front/lower screw and hole in the plastic must be kept INTACT.
Manually removing melted residues, aided with vacuum cleaner.
New edges, quite clean!
4 mm screws are to be used. The speaker mounting holes accept 5 mm, but I think 4 it's more kind to the door plastic.
Enlarge to 4 mm the aformentioned screw hole (top, rear one); result follows, with screw inserted as a reference.
Use an abrasive tool,
don't use a drill or its bit will stick and heavily damage the plastic!
I initially wanted to use a harness adapter, but I feared its wires would come in the way of the descending window.
So I cut away the original connectors and soldered fastons.
Pay attention to polarity! The positive is on the side of the locking spring on connector.
NUT PREPARING AND FINAL INSTALLATIONNotice: screws, washers and wingnut must be made of stainless/INOX steel.. They won't stick together with moisture, in case you want to untight them in the future.
Here comes a funny part
surely there are better or easier means of achieving.
First, I glued with cyanoacrylate a washer (4 mm hole, 12 mm ext. diameter) to a wingnut, to increase its contact surface (remember we will tight this where we cut away the original plastic thread)
Second, I wanted to be dead sure nothing would fall and get lost inside the door.
So I took a sewing thread (strong, polyester type), simply tied it to the wingnut and then put a small drop of glue.
Now the nut can be hanged in a safe way!
And masking tape keeps it from falling and at the right height.
With a bit of effort in handling at the same time the speaker and the wingnut in the correct position (a third hand would be useful), I've been finally able to connect, put it in place and tight everything.
Here is the end result!
(right door. Cutting pictures instead were referred to left door)
Notice the hanging surplus thread (you can cut it like in picture and leave it behind the grill when putting everything back: it will be useful in case of removal) and an extra washer added between the screw head and the speaker mounting flap.
Front/bottom (in this picture, at the left) screw and hole, instead, are the orginal ones.
One more recommendation:
since you are hopefully not going to remove the speaker for a long time, right before mounting
lubricate the window guides (they're still easily accessible, see very first picture)
I tried with PTFE-based spray but it's really too dry, window movement squealed. I finally got away nicely with
spray graphite.
but just made a make shift shield from lead, and bubblewrap, so to deaden the sound and protect from water, it works really well, and no speaker vibration 
)
