Rear Speaker Replacement
Author: Travis Graham. Special thanks to Kirk Brandon for the use of his DeLorean for this article.
Level of Difficulty: Front: Easy / Rear: Moderate, somewhat time consuming and delicate
Equipment needed:
Front: The basics, 7mm
(small) socket driver, cellophane tape, extra nuts that fit in
the socket driver (or you can improvise with a paper wad)
Rear: The basics, 17mm socket, X-Acto knife, rubber
cement or some sort of sealant, sea clamps, right angle phillips-head
screwdriver.
Overview: The De Lorean came with a Craig "high output" stereo system as a standard feature. The speakers are equally luxurious too: Craig Powerplay models. They are made of paper and can handle up to 15 watts! With this in mind, maybe it's time for new speakers in your De Lorean. The front speakers are 3.5" and there are many brands and flavors of this size speaker on the market. The rear speakers are 4x10" and there seems to be only a few types of 4x10 speaker still in production. But you still have another option: there is adequate room for any 4x6" and you could probably fit a 5.5" in there too. Using one of these other sizes opens many possibilities for your new stereo system.
1) Remove the black rubber weather stripping all around the roof area and completely along the panel. You will find that the panel will not come off with ease because it is attached to the fiberglass lip by use of a plastic layer.
Note: I have heard that this rear panel went through some design changes. In the two cars that I have seen, (mid and late 1981s) the plastic of the rear panels was "sealed" around the fiberglass lip that held the rubber weatherstrip in place. In this design, it was necessary to cut the plastic in order to remove the panel. Don't worry, the cut will not show after the job is done!
Remove the rubber weather seal to expose the lip
2) Using the X-Acto knife (or any sharp knife), cut the thin plastic along the tip of fiberglass lip. You will see that the cut will be completely hidden once the rubber weatherstrip is returned. The cut will have to run from the roof to the floor. After several feet, you should be able to see that the panel will come off with ease once you have completed the next two steps. A brownish cement will also be exposed.
Cut along the edge of the fiberglass lip.
Cut along the edge of the fiberglass lip (closeup).
3) Remove the two black screws which help secure the rear panel to the fiberglass underbody. One is at the top and the other is at the bottom of the panel.
4) Remove the seat belt holder on the rear panel with the 17mm socket.
Dismantled seat belt assembly.
5) Use the knife to pry around the thin edges of the plastic and cut the brown cement. You should be able to pull the panel back enough to expose the rear speaker. It is attached to the wall by a bracket that grips the magnet. Use the right angle phillips-head screwdriver to remove the three bolts and remove the speaker.
You should be able to pull back the panel once the edges
have been adequately loosened
The rear speaker revealed! Note the three bolts which
secure it to the wall.
Ever wonder why the stereo sounded lousy? Notice the
thin foam gasket which is
attached to the rim - this will probably break, don't worry about saving
it.
The new speakers should vastly improve sound quality!
6) Remove the old speaker from the bracket and
replace it with the new speaker. Do try to match the position, then
you won't have to adjust it when you put it back in. On this
particular speaker, the magnet of this speaker was smaller than the magnet
of the old speaker - I improvised by simply skipping one of the guides -
this didn't seem to pose any problems.
Attach the bracket to the new speaker
7) Place the new speaker back into it's place. Be sure that you reattach the speaker wire! Do check and make absolutely sure that the speakers work before you proceed!
After everything is back in place and you are ready to reattach the panel, use some rubber cement to glue the plastic back onto the fiberglass. Note the color of the cement that you use. If you positioned the cut properly, the color won't matter, but if the knife slipped or if there are cracks in the plastic, the cement may not be completely hidden by the rubber strip. I used "Amazing Goop" - it was clear.
8) If the panel refuses to stay in place, use a sea clamp to hold it until the cement dries.
9) Once the cement has dried, replace the weatherstrip (now you can't see the cut anymore!) and replace the screws and seat belt attachment.
10) Start enjoying your stereo for a change! Or, think about replacing the front speakers.