I have done this to both my NA and NB Miata. Had same issue with fuel tank. Never used a custom cut board underneath it. Just screwed 2 6.5" speakers in directly to the metal. This video gave me an idea though.
@@murray6188 YOU NEED A 7 AND 7/4" ring to screw it into the metal and mount the speaker gives you just enough space to drill it into the metal and mount the speaker, maybe even an 8" ring MDF.
@@murray6188 The size you cut into the back plate is critical for your speakers to fit properly and allow enough room to drill it into otherwise you will need to use adapter rings like I mentioned.
Hey great vid! It inspired me enough to try it on the Miata I just got! I got a couple questions, apologies first if it’s a bit much... What thickness plywood would you recommend under the parcel shelf? Also how thick were the weather strips you got, the little black things you had between the bolt holes? Did you throw out the original insulation that was underneath the carpet and plastic layer for the parcel shelf? Also where is the gap that your glamorous assistant Rachel was sanding down plywood for? Thanks !
Glad you found it inspiring! I can't recall exactly how thick the plywood was now but I think it was about 1cm / 0.3 inch. My car only had the carpet and then a thick plastic mat under it, I left the mat in place and cut holes in it to match the ones in the carpet, then installed the speaker grills on top. The weather stripes were I think about 2.5cm / 1 inch wide, doesn't matter exactly though as it will get compressed when you bolt the parcel shelf in place. The little plywood pieces were for some triangular gaps on either side of the parcel shelf at the bottom. Not strictly necessary but the more gaps you can plug up, the better the bass response will be from the speakers. Hope that's helpful!
They also sell foam or plastic speaker baffles that cover the rear of your speakers for better sound and protection from the elements(like the case of door speakers)
Yes that's true. In my case though I want the sound from the rear of the speakers to propagate into the boot space for extra bass so I've left them open. In a door installation though they are definitely a good idea
I'm seriously considering doing this now. I've added headrest speakers to my NA and I'm currently in the process of enlarging the door speaker holes to fit my replacement speakers but I suspect it still won't be enough. My main concern is that speaker covers on the parcel shelf will prevent my roof from folding flat and will mean my tonneau cover won't sit properly.
I can definitely confirm that the sound quality is WAY better with the speakers in the rear shelf. The key is to seal off all the areas where sound can bleed through from the rear though, as that gives better bass response. My roof has no trouble folding down, and I've also measured it with the type 2 roof with the glass screen and there is still enough space for that too. I'm not sure how it would affect a tonneau cover though, I suspect you might have some trouble with that.
@Anand Vaid Dude, what is your problem? Why do you feel the need to keep spamming my videos with these messages? Do you want some personal congratulations from me or something?
Without dismantling it all I cant check the exact amount, but I would say you have somewhere between about 10 to 15 cm. The problem is more the width than the depth. I think you could probably squeeze 8-inch speakers in there, but the fuel tank takes up quite a lot of room. You would definitely have enough depth for them though
Good job Rob. I was wondering before you started this product these parts had rust from water run off the roof and other moisture issues a soft top usually has. By insulating and adding all these soundproofing materials are you having issues with moisture retention and mold?
I've had mine on for about a year and a half now and have not noticed any additional mould or moisture build up in the cabin. However the car does live undercover so doesn't get wet very often. All of the drain holes are still open however so as long as these are kept clean I don't think I'm likely to have any issues
clean your frame rail drains so that the water doesn't back up and cause t to get wet back there and that won't happen again. Use PB blaster on rusted bolts, much much better than WD40.
I think the damage was from long before I owned the car - I had a new roof put on when I bought it and checked the rain rail and drains at the time and they was clean. So I think this must have been the result of a leaky roof from a previous owner.
It is a possibility, but the bond between the insulation and the metal is watertight and I was quite careful not to leave any gaps, so hopefully there won't be any way for water to get in. Will keep an eye on it though for sure
Rob G I was talking about the cotton loose fill insulation, but you have either painted or used butyl insulation under it. Surely this would be enough to prevent rising.
@@chinnerz2 Ah right got you. Yeah hopefully by preparing the surfaces first that will avoid it, also its plastic insulation so it won't absorb any water itself. Definitely will keep an eye out though
No, the speakers are still fully visible even with the top down. If I unzip the plastic screen a small corner of it lies over each speaker, but not enough to affect the sound quality. The mohair hood with the glass screen folds down slightly differently to the plastic one, so I'm not sure if that would get in the way of the speakers or not. From looking at some friends' cars though I think it would still be fine.
@@camjinx4262 I think it would depend on the type of bar you have, but if it's the type that bolts onto the sub frame on either side of the tank, you should probably have enough space to place a speaker behind the front tube of the bar. You might need to go with 5 inch drivers though
Hi Rob - can you give a bit more info on the placing of the tweeters - are they facing forward or sideways - are they any good soundwise ? I have normal 6×9's in the door but I have a set of component speakers and I wouldn't mind giving this a go - Phil
Hey Phil. I placed mine facing upwards on the top of the seatbelt turrets. It does the job ok, but one thing I've found is that sound from them is a little obscured, particularly when the roof is down. Still a big improvement from the doors though. One thing I thought of trying was relocating them into the headrests of the seats. My car has the seats with the headrest speakers, so I'm thinking that could be quite a good location for the tweeters.
@@RobGMyMX5 Cheers for the reply Rob - I've just bought a windblocker with the speakers in on e-bay - i think it was an option on the 2.5 version - I'm goin to see what the sound is like on it - I know it's already got the cable there as I noticed it when I stripped the car when I first bought it . If the sound ain't great I plan on sticking the tweeter in the windblocker speaker and doin the speaker in the parcel shelf like you - I'm leaving the speakers in the door connected as I think it will help when the tops down - I'll definately be using all your tips on sound deadening etc - by the way is the insulation you used just normal loft insulation ?
@@PhilM62 Yes, that would probably be a good shout. I should imagine the speakers in the windblocker won't be particularly good - there isn't really enough space in them for a decent size driver. But they would definitely be a good location for a tweeter I think. Yes, the insulation is just standard loft insulation. If you can get the stuff made out of recycled plastic bottles I would recommend that, since it's non-itchy and very absorbant.
Hey dude, I got it on Amazon. The seller I bought from is no longer there, but there are similar products from other sellers if you search for "aluminium bitumen insulation mat"
Rob G I bet they do with my headphones they sound crispy clean i wanna get a set for the doors and for the back and hook them up to a 4 channel amp and my headunit seems like you really don't even need a subwoofer they're that clear
Absolutely! As long as you seal the area properly like I've done in the video, then you will get a very decent bass response from them. Obviously they are only 6 inch speakers, so you won't get extremely low bass, but music sounds full and punchy, and crystal clear.
I think you are right, because there were some drill holes on either side of the petrol tank where it would have been mounted to. As you say though, a pretty rubbish job!
hi this is a big help for me,but would you mind if u can give me the site where can i buy that thing "metal thing" ?i want to change mine also its the same too rusty!thank u
Hey there! I'm not sure if you're also in the UK, but I got mine second-hand from a company called EurolinkMX5.com. They also supplied replacement screws and bolts since mine were in a very sorry state! If you're outside the UK I'd say your best bet is to find a scrapyard, particularly one dealing with MX5s/Miatas. Hope that helps! :)
Do you mean the parcel shelf panel? I don't think there is anywhere to buy them new anymore. I got mine second-hand from autolink mx5. A good scrap yard would probably keep some as well.
Why go through all the trouble when you can just build a box under the speaker to seal it from the rest of the car? That's what I'm doing with mine lol
I’ve got agree. I put components in the door and the tweeters sit on the dash with a 6” sub in a box in the footwell and it’s plenty loud, with more bass than you’d think possible from a tiny box. Even at highway speeds with the top down. It’s a great job, but you just really over engineered a problem you didn’t really have.
Basically you've done a good job there. Thanks for the info.
Those holes cut in the metal were for installing a roll cage
bro are u fr
I have to do this to mine. Thanks for being so through in your video!
I have done this to both my NA and NB Miata. Had same issue with fuel tank. Never used a custom cut board underneath it. Just screwed 2 6.5" speakers in directly to the metal. This video gave me an idea though.
do 6.5 inch speakers fit nicely into the original piece of metal without interfering with the fuel tank?
@@murray6188 YOU NEED A 7 AND 7/4" ring to screw it into the metal and mount the speaker gives you just enough space to drill it into the metal and mount the speaker, maybe even an 8" ring MDF.
@@murray6188 The size you cut into the back plate is critical for your speakers to fit properly and allow enough room to drill it into otherwise you will need to use adapter rings like I mentioned.
@@ZacharySound do you reckon there is still enough room for the oem wind deflector with speakers there or not
@@murray6188 I removed mine so I can't say. I don't see why not though. That will just muffle the sound anyway.
I had no idea there was that much space under that panel. I can see an upgrade happening, lol.
Yeah there is a lot of wasted space under there, and down the tunnels on either side
Hey great vid! It inspired me enough to try it on the Miata I just got! I got a couple questions, apologies first if it’s a bit much...
What thickness plywood would you recommend under the parcel shelf?
Also how thick were the weather strips you got, the little black things you had between the bolt holes? Did you throw out the original insulation that was underneath the carpet and plastic layer for the parcel shelf? Also where is the gap that your glamorous assistant Rachel was sanding down plywood for?
Thanks !
Glad you found it inspiring! I can't recall exactly how thick the plywood was now but I think it was about 1cm / 0.3 inch. My car only had the carpet and then a thick plastic mat under it, I left the mat in place and cut holes in it to match the ones in the carpet, then installed the speaker grills on top. The weather stripes were I think about 2.5cm / 1 inch wide, doesn't matter exactly though as it will get compressed when you bolt the parcel shelf in place. The little plywood pieces were for some triangular gaps on either side of the parcel shelf at the bottom. Not strictly necessary but the more gaps you can plug up, the better the bass response will be from the speakers. Hope that's helpful!
They also sell foam or plastic speaker baffles that cover the rear of your speakers for better sound and protection from the elements(like the case of door speakers)
Yes that's true. In my case though I want the sound from the rear of the speakers to propagate into the boot space for extra bass so I've left them open. In a door installation though they are definitely a good idea
Over the time you’ve owned and driven the car, do you believe it was worth it getting those rear speakers?
I'm seriously considering doing this now. I've added headrest speakers to my NA and I'm currently in the process of enlarging the door speaker holes to fit my replacement speakers but I suspect it still won't be enough.
My main concern is that speaker covers on the parcel shelf will prevent my roof from folding flat and will mean my tonneau cover won't sit properly.
I can definitely confirm that the sound quality is WAY better with the speakers in the rear shelf. The key is to seal off all the areas where sound can bleed through from the rear though, as that gives better bass response. My roof has no trouble folding down, and I've also measured it with the type 2 roof with the glass screen and there is still enough space for that too. I'm not sure how it would affect a tonneau cover though, I suspect you might have some trouble with that.
+1 on sealing any air passageways. It is amazing how much better the speakers can perform with them being properly sealed.
ARCHmatux just get a sub in the boot!! Send me ya email i send pics
Rob G loool u aint gonna get bass from a pair of 6 inch!!!!!!!!!!!
@Anand Vaid Dude, what is your problem? Why do you feel the need to keep spamming my videos with these messages? Do you want some personal congratulations from me or something?
Looks good. Would you be able to tell me aproximately what depth you've got to mount speakers there? I'm looking at doing this myself.
Without dismantling it all I cant check the exact amount, but I would say you have somewhere between about 10 to 15 cm. The problem is more the width than the depth. I think you could probably squeeze 8-inch speakers in there, but the fuel tank takes up quite a lot of room. You would definitely have enough depth for them though
Awesome work
Good job Rob. I was wondering before you started this product these parts had rust from water run off the roof and other moisture issues a soft top usually has. By insulating and adding all these soundproofing materials are you having issues with moisture retention and mold?
I've had mine on for about a year and a half now and have not noticed any additional mould or moisture build up in the cabin. However the car does live undercover so doesn't get wet very often. All of the drain holes are still open however so as long as these are kept clean I don't think I'm likely to have any issues
clean your frame rail drains so that the water doesn't back up and cause t to get wet back there and that won't happen again. Use PB blaster on rusted bolts, much much better than WD40.
I think the damage was from long before I owned the car - I had a new roof put on when I bought it and checked the rain rail and drains at the time and they was clean. So I think this must have been the result of a leaky roof from a previous owner.
Cool video man!
Love you work mate! but isn't that insulation material is going to hold water and cause rust over time?
It is a possibility, but the bond between the insulation and the metal is watertight and I was quite careful not to leave any gaps, so hopefully there won't be any way for water to get in. Will keep an eye on it though for sure
Rob G I was talking about the cotton loose fill insulation, but you have either painted or used butyl insulation under it. Surely this would be enough to prevent rising.
@@chinnerz2 Ah right got you. Yeah hopefully by preparing the surfaces first that will avoid it, also its plastic insulation so it won't absorb any water itself. Definitely will keep an eye out though
@@RobGMyMX5 Thats true. Please make a video if it becomes an issue
@@chinnerz2 For sure. Would be good to do a follow up actually now that a few years have gone by
What is Auto Link and where do I find them??
Great job.
When putting the top down will the top cover the speakers.
No, the speakers are still fully visible even with the top down. If I unzip the plastic screen a small corner of it lies over each speaker, but not enough to affect the sound quality. The mohair hood with the glass screen folds down slightly differently to the plastic one, so I'm not sure if that would get in the way of the speakers or not. From looking at some friends' cars though I think it would still be fine.
Rob G - Would you happen to know if the speakers would get in the way of a role bar ?
@@camjinx4262 I think it would depend on the type of bar you have, but if it's the type that bolts onto the sub frame on either side of the tank, you should probably have enough space to place a speaker behind the front tube of the bar. You might need to go with 5 inch drivers though
Hi Rob - can you give a bit more info on the placing of the tweeters - are they facing forward or sideways - are they any good soundwise ? I have normal 6×9's in the door but I have a set of component speakers and I wouldn't mind giving this a go - Phil
Hey Phil. I placed mine facing upwards on the top of the seatbelt turrets. It does the job ok, but one thing I've found is that sound from them is a little obscured, particularly when the roof is down. Still a big improvement from the doors though. One thing I thought of trying was relocating them into the headrests of the seats. My car has the seats with the headrest speakers, so I'm thinking that could be quite a good location for the tweeters.
@@RobGMyMX5
Cheers for the reply Rob - I've just bought a windblocker with the speakers in on e-bay - i think it was an option on the 2.5 version - I'm goin to see what the sound is like on it - I know it's already got the cable there as I noticed it when I stripped the car when I first bought it . If the sound ain't great I plan on sticking the tweeter in the windblocker speaker and doin the speaker in the parcel shelf like you - I'm leaving the speakers in the door connected as I think it will help when the tops down - I'll definately be using all your tips on sound deadening etc - by the way is the insulation you used just normal loft insulation ?
@@PhilM62 Yes, that would probably be a good shout. I should imagine the speakers in the windblocker won't be particularly good - there isn't really enough space in them for a decent size driver. But they would definitely be a good location for a tweeter I think.
Yes, the insulation is just standard loft insulation. If you can get the stuff made out of recycled plastic bottles I would recommend that, since it's non-itchy and very absorbant.
@@RobGMyMX5
Cheers , nice one - a trip to B+Q it is then
Might do this! The car is too loud to just have door speakers, and headrest speakers just seem dangerous!
Could have saved money using wire brushes, rust converter chemical, and prevention spray. No one sees these items.
That's true. But I still would have known it was there, haha
What year model is this car?
great
Yo dude. What’s the name of that sound deadening and where did you buy it from?
Hey dude, I got it on Amazon. The seller I bought from is no longer there, but there are similar products from other sellers if you search for "aluminium bitumen insulation mat"
Rob G cheers bud! Thanks for the help. I really like your videos, content and just how well you explain everything. Keep up the good work boss!
Are those infinity kappa's? That's what i wanna do too my na miata all 4 around
Yes they are. I can thoroughly recommend them, they sound fantastic
Rob G I bet they do with my headphones they sound crispy clean i wanna get a set for the doors and for the back and hook them up to a 4 channel amp and my headunit seems like you really don't even need a subwoofer they're that clear
Absolutely! As long as you seal the area properly like I've done in the video, then you will get a very decent bass response from them. Obviously they are only 6 inch speakers, so you won't get extremely low bass, but music sounds full and punchy, and crystal clear.
Maybe the previous owner cut those bits out of the piece to fit a roll bar of some sort? Still a pretty poor attempt
I think you are right, because there were some drill holes on either side of the petrol tank where it would have been mounted to. As you say though, a pretty rubbish job!
"Quite frankly, I don't give a damn"
hi this is a big help for me,but would you mind if u can give me the site where can i buy that thing "metal thing" ?i want to change mine also its the same too rusty!thank u
Hey there! I'm not sure if you're also in the UK, but I got mine second-hand from a company called EurolinkMX5.com. They also supplied replacement screws and bolts since mine were in a very sorry state! If you're outside the UK I'd say your best bet is to find a scrapyard, particularly one dealing with MX5s/Miatas. Hope that helps! :)
thank you so much for the info!
Euro link? Don't you mean auto link?
Links broken
Where do i order the new panels?
Do you mean the parcel shelf panel? I don't think there is anywhere to buy them new anymore. I got mine second-hand from autolink mx5. A good scrap yard would probably keep some as well.
Why go through all the trouble when you can just build a box under the speaker to seal it from the rest of the car? That's what I'm doing with mine lol
A smaller box will give you less bass response.
@@RobGMyMX5 maybe but what you have now is basically free air so it's definitely not better.
@@gloriousrunningpotato Its not free air, its confined to the boot space. That was the whole point of isolating all the gaps. Anyway, you do you dude.
most of it was just surface rust so dw
Thankfully so. Still not great to find on a supposedly rust-free car.
Rob G yh ikr once it goes slighty surface rust it makes u wonder what’s underneath😬
Waste of time man!! Just upgrage and AMP em.. ton of deadning also !!!come and hear mine!!
...that's literally what I did.
I got a 12 inch in trunk..2 amps..LOADS of space..send me ya email mate i show ya .
Infinity r great!
I’ve got agree. I put components in the door and the tweeters sit on the dash with a 6” sub in a box in the footwell and it’s plenty loud, with more bass than you’d think possible from a tiny box. Even at highway speeds with the top down. It’s a great job, but you just really over engineered a problem you didn’t really have.
No need! I have a 12 sub in the trunk ..fits EASY! upgrade the headrests ans doors.GOOD amp ..not ebay crap.dynamat whole car