Our technique of the month is a really fast, easy way to use factory panels in your car to build custom speaker or gauge housings. This method involves taking a factory panel, adding rings to house a speaker or gauge pod, and then covering that with grille cloth to form a new shape. In our case, we've decided to add a 6 1/2" component speaker set in the A-pillar area of our Honda Element show car. This technique can also be used to build quick custom kick panels using the factory plastic kick panels as a base. As always, your project is only limited by your imagination, so spend some time designing your project before you start to build. All of the materials used in this project can be found at Select Products (www.selectproducts.com) and check out SteveBrownUniversity.com for some cool hands-on projects.
 The first step in our Honda...  The first step in our Honda Element pillar pod project is to make some space for the back of the 6 1/2" midrange. We decided to open up an existing hole in the A-pillar to allow the speaker to sit more flush with the pillar. If you're not willing to cut into your A-pillar, the following steps will be the same, however the speaker will stick out of the pillar farther. |  Since we're obviously making...  Since we're obviously making a matching pair of these A-pillar pods, it's important to make sure that both sides are the same. A trick that we use is to make two of every ABS mounting strip and then attach them in exactly the same place on both sides. This assures that the ring is properly placed. |  An MDF ring was routered to...  An MDF ring was routered to hold each 6 1/2" driver; then this ring was held in place on the pillar with CA glue. The speaker is being test-fitted here to make sure that there is enough depth for the magnet, which is fairly large with this particular model. |
 This shot shows the speaker...  This shot shows the speaker ring mounted in the pillar. ABS plastic strips were used to hold the ring in place, one of which is visible through the speaker hole. Notice that we've roughed up the surface of the factory plastic panel with a 36-grit pad on a DA sander to promote fiberglass adhesion. |  We stretched grille cloth...  We stretched grille cloth over the panel tightly and then stapled it in place. The excess cloth was then trimmed off before the fiberglass was added. |  We like to tape off all areas...  We like to tape off all areas where we don't want fiberglass resin, making clean-up much easier. We taped the speaker hole in addition to the top and bottom of each pillar. Notice that we'vemade a set of rear speaker pods to match the fronts using the same technique. Also notice the holes for the tweeters in the front pods-these are simply the flush cups (which come with the speaker set) CA glued above the 6 1/2" rings. |
 After some reinforced body...  After some reinforced body filler and some sanding, the front pillars are ready to test fit in the car. An overall shot of the dash shows the great placement and symmetry offered by this arrangement. |  Fiberglass resin and mat are...  Fiberglass resin and mat are now added to the grille cloth to strengthen it. We use five layers of thin 1/2-ounce mat. |  The matching rear pillars...  The matching rear pillars can be seen here. Since these had plenty of depth for the tweeter, we simply drilled a hole above the midrange to accommodate the tweeter flush cup. |
 All of the pieces were then...  All of the pieces were then sprayed with polyester primer to fill the sanding scratches and pinholes in the surface. Notice that we made a wood stand to hold each piece, making priming and sanding much easier. |  The polyester primer was sanded...  The polyester primer was sanded with 220-grit then 400-grit paper, making the surface smooth. We had our local paint store mix up some interior paint to match the Element's factory color for a nice integrated look, and here we're using a detail spray gun to apply the paint to the pillar pods. |  The final panel shows off...  The final panel shows off a nice integrated look, as well as great speaker positioning for our multichannel sound system. |