Anyone ever modify the Spider top cover with circular holes for the speakers? | FerrariChat

Anyone ever modify the Spider top cover with circular holes for the speakers?

Discussion in '348/355' started by ryalex, Aug 4, 2016.

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  1. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    26,063
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    The leather cover for the convertible top goes over the two speakers behind the seat and muffles them. I had actually thought my rear speakers didn't work, until I happened to put the top up, with the tonneau off, and realized they were on.

    Has anyone ever cut and stitched holes for the speakers?
     
  2. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 14, 2011
    8,633
    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee
    Have a net installed where the speakers are

    Do it with an aftermarket one not to ruin a oem one
     
  3. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
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    Ryan Alexander
    That was my thought, I see some for $500. Any pics of yours?
     
  4. eyboro

    eyboro Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    May 30, 2004
    989
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Eitan
    2 speakers behind the seat of 355's??, must be aftwr market I have a 97 355 Spider with no speakers in back.
     
  5. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 14, 2011
    8,633
    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee
    Never did it I am pulling the system out, way to big
     
  6. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
    26,063
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    Ryan Alexander
    #6 ryalex, Aug 4, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Really? I didn't know that. I guess I hadn't paid attention to the name on the speaker.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  7. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 9, 2010
    23,841
    WI
    ^^^^^^^ Aftermarket.

    No such thing in the original
     
  8. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
    26,063
    Las Vegas, NV
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    Ryan Alexander
    #8 ryalex, Aug 4, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  9. Enzojr

    Enzojr F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2013
    14,001
    West of PDX
    Full Name:
    Tomy
    www.cabrioworld.com
    They have a canvas top for the boot.
    $726 for a canvas one, ad is in the Aug 2016 FCA newsletter.

    I need speakers behind my seats ;(
     
  10. andrew911

    andrew911 F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 8, 2003
    2,894
    Northern NJ
    My feeling is if you have a now 20 year old ferrari that doesn't have non-OEM speakers in it it would be a shame to put stuff like that in at this point- it's certainly owner preference (especially if you are using your 355 for daily driving sort of stuff vs. someone like me who is using it for weekend enjoyment/stress relief), but I love seeing cars as stock as possible. Since Ryalex has a car that someone already put the stuff in, I agree with his thought that he can upgrade without remorse :)- although I do have an issue with you listening to the radio instead of the motor though :) :) :) :)

    By the way, the install on your car looks to be top notch- they have OEM looking enclosures so probably a shop that really knew what they were doing!
     
  11. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
    26,063
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    Ryan Alexander
    6,700 miles in four months! Honestly that's the reason for the music... sometimes I am just driving it for errands. A near 1,500 mile roadtrip for the 4th of July too. And that 6,700 figure includes that for the last three weeks I've only had it out about 4 times, since it has been so hot.

    Yes, they did a good job with the enclosures and lined them up well. Each has a ~8" speaker and a tweeter. It's just that the leather cover, with its lining underneath, absorbs too much of the sound and throws off the fade/balance. I'm spoiled by the Bose system in my A8.
     
  12. PhilB

    PhilB Formula 3
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    Feb 17, 2004
    2,338
    Southern New Jersey Shore
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    Phil
    #12 PhilB, Aug 5, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Here are mine. Although it's hard to see from the photos, I fabricated the speaker boxes so that the angle on their inner/glove box sides matches up to the angle/shape of the glove box. Then I devised a way to fasten the speaker boxes in place so nothing is drilled, riveted or otherwise affixed to the car.
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  13. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Those look good too. Hadn't seen a grey/grey 355.
     
  14. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Lou Boyer
    #14 LouB747, Aug 5, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  15. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Lou Boyer
    #15 LouB747, Aug 5, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  16. LouB747

    LouB747 Formula 3

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Lou Boyer
    #16 LouB747, Aug 5, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  17. Christian Sasfai

    Dec 31, 2012
    140
    Heath, Texas
    Full Name:
    Christian Sasfai
    The previous owner of my spider had a really nice (it matches the interior prefectly) subwoofer box built and installed on the rear firewall. Then, they cut two big ovals in the cover. Unfortunately, subwoofers don't care if they are 'hidden' because the frequencies are so low, so the holes are completely unnecessary. Not to mention that I'd rather hear the V8 behind me, anyway. I may put some full range speakers in it just to have some sound on the rare occasion that I have music on. If someone wants to trade a black cut cover for an uncut cover, PM me.
     
  18. hjp

    hjp Formula Junior

    Feb 23, 2013
    591
    Kansas City, Mo.
    Full Name:
    Jerry Peterson
    Yes, there is a 1" diameter x 1/32" thick neodymium magnet sewn under the flap liner as well as under the boot liner so when the flap is opened, they hold the flap up so you have hands free access to the glove box. With them being that thin, they are completely invisible under the liners.

    The little horse is actually embroidered in into the leather flap in matching body color thread. Since it pretty small, it took around a dozen prototype patterns to get it to look right. Also had to make thin aluminum reinforcements for all the flap and boot opening corners to keep them from curling when stretching the leather around the tight radii. Lot of work but it came out just like I wanted.

    Notice that the glove box access flap and two sets of speaker holes in the boot are centered on the console that is centered between the seats. If you haven't noticed before, 355 seats are NOT centered in the car. Instead, they are shifted over about 1 1/2" toward the RH side to give the driver a better angle with the pedals. But the glove box IS centered in the car. If the flap and holes in the boot had been centered on the box, they would have looked odd NOT centered between the seats. The sound from the LH speaker would also be blocked by the seat back on the LH side with the RH open. Not acceptable.

    So, I drilled 5 new holes in the bottom of the box to move it centered with the seats and made a new Velcro attached internal bottom cover that matched the box liner to hide them. I then made brackets that fit under the box for both the LH and RH speaker enclosures that were engaged by 4 of the same box mounting fasteners (since the gas tank is under this area, no new holes in the body panel could be drilled). The speaker enclosures are each 8" wide and match the sloped top and face of the glove box exactly, are covered in padded double stitched leather to match that on the box with a circular perforation pattern for the sound.

    I'm very pleased with how it came out. IMHO, it all looks just like it came that way from the factory. That was the goal. By the way, the rear speakers add a great deal to the overall sound quality. Much better than just having the front speakers only. They have all been replaced with higher quality drivers.
     
  19. cf355

    cf355 F1 Rookie

    Feb 28, 2005
    4,208
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    chris
    I like the speaker "grill" holes.....very nice job :)
     
  20. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
    26,063
    Las Vegas, NV
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    Yes i like that perforated pattern.
     
  21. hjp

    hjp Formula Junior

    Feb 23, 2013
    591
    Kansas City, Mo.
    Full Name:
    Jerry Peterson
    There are around 1500 holes on each side, all punched one at a time through a paper pattern using a spray adhesive to temporarily hold it to the leather. The holes are at 1/8" centers each way. After that it was double row stitched around the perforations to hold the liner in place. Last, the liner was neatly and carefully cut close to the stitching with the cut edges sealed using a black leather dye coat. Its a lot more acoustically transparent than you might think. The sound comes through just fine. The slight wrinkles you see will come out with light steaming.
     

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