I'm replacing the truly crappy stock (Pioneer?)speakers in the rear deck of my 95 with Kenwood 6x9 6908s.

This is a two-part question -
1. The rear deck panelling seems stuck/joined around the rear taillight assembly in such a way that removal of the taillight seems necessary. I have the front corners of the deck pried up and the flat latching screw-like holding tabs removed, and can flip the deck upwards (enought to have removed the stock speakers with some difficulty and a tiny little Philips Head screw driver). How do I go about unlatching the rear end of this panel from where it seems stuck under the center taillight? If taillight removal is ncecessary, any tips so I don't break it up?
2. The 6908 has a high space requirement above the deck level (for tweeters etc), so I am planning on using the excellent grills that came with the speakers and removing the factory grills. Now the factory color-matched grills seem attached to the rear deck (hence the need to remove it!) - how do I remove these grills? Any tips on the best way to neatly affix the Kenwood grills so they sit properly on the speakers? I imagine I would have to cut/trim some extra stuff off of the rear felt/ply deck - what's the best tool for doing this?

Also - any opinions either way on whether I should use the speaker adapter/harness from Circuit City or take the trouble to solder the stock wires to the speaker contacts? Remember that this isn't exactly a hi-fidelity system - I'm running it from a 4x40 (PMPO rating?) Pioneer Head Unit, no amplifier and stock wiring. In addition, my car is parked outside, with absolutely no access to a power source for the solder gun (good time to buy a cigarette lighter 120V A/C inverter, perhaps?)

Also - would it be worth the effort to replace the factory wiring with the wires that came with the Kenwood speakers, or even (gasp!) some monster speaker cable? The Best Buy installer who installed my door speakers (Kenwwod 1677) didn't do it because he claimed it wasn't worth it - although I think h was just being lazy! (I had to take it to best buy for the door install as the screws holding the front door panels were rusted through and I didn't have the window lever removal tool.)

Also, since I will already have this all taken apart and install it over the weekend, should I also add in a sheet of dynamat or something? Would this help much? The rear of the speakers is open to the trunk, which makes a convenient bass enclosure already Or is vibration-dampening (and not bass enhancement) the primary purpose of DynaMat? My current speakers vibrated at high volumes, but that may have had something to do witht he fact that the paper cones were torn in multiple locations

TIA!
-ashu

 

Didn't bother with removing the rear deck, or cutting out the factory grills - and installed the Kenwood 6908 speakers with the Circuit City harness (yay! no soldering!)

They fit great, the holes line up with the factory ones, the factory grill doesn't touch the 'good' bits on the tweeters. Didn't bother to use the Kenwood grills or wires, after all.

The sound Q improvement is incredible! Finally - real bass and excellent treble. Pretty perfectly matched (frequency range and db rating) to my Kenwood 1677 Front 6.5 inch speakers. Very balanced, powerful and clear sound! I don't think I even want/need a sub any more

 

hey i was wondering how you mounted the front speakers? ijust bought new ones and the hole pattern is way off

 

I bought those with some other stuff from Best Buy, and as part of some deal, I got (hugely) discounted installation. I'm glad I ended up not trying to install it myself, as the screws in both finger-holds on my door panel were rusted through, and I wouldn't have been able to get them off myself.

Anyway, I bought 5.25 inch speakers first, and the installer said my door would accommodate 6.5 inch speakers, so I did a quick swap. He didn't tell me he had any trouble installing it, except for the rusted screws. I have Kenwood 1677's if that helps! And the removed original speakers seem to be the same size as well - they fit precisely in the Kenwoods' box/foam moulds, when I went back in to pick my car up.

Sorry bud, that's all I've got for you!