Front speakers in full-width dash

Yes, I have a pickup and there was no need to have vent holes as they don't have vents. Once you have blocked up the holed in the metal work (if you have any), you need to go and get some speakers the rights size. Mine were about 1/2 cm too big so I used a wood file (rasp?) I borrowed from the CDT department at School to make the hole bigger.

BTW, teacher not pupil.

The Muffin Man

Should be relatively easy as long as you can find some the right size, I would have thought.

Personally, though, I'd rather have the fresh air vents. I find the ability to have cool external air at face level whilst having the heater running to be one of the great advantages that Minis - and most older cars, for that matter - have over moderns.

Also, having the air vents and rear windows open gives a good through-flow on a hot day without excessive wind noise when motorway cruising.

Regards, David Betts snipped-for-privacy@minilist.org The Mini Gallery:

I think it's a bit silly to sacrifice the air vents. You can easily fit speakers in little pods screwed into the wheel wells just underneath the dash. Any pods that are at 45° will fit perfectly well, even 130mm ones.

And I seem to remember there are some export door bins around with very neat inbuilt front speakers.

Regards, David Betts snipped-for-privacy@minilist.org The Mini Gallery:

Metro door bins exist in 100mm and 130mm sizes, but you have the extra hassle of routing the wires to the door.

I've found them to be too big. Managed to get a set of the small rear ones from a Ford Galaxy, which butt up nicely to the veneer from behind.

Then I cut the vents up and used them to make grilles from with speaker cloth from Maplin.

erik.

Finding the right size is not straightforward 8-(

I just open the window. I'm normally to be found smoking a cig so having the window open is a must.

Ah, opening rear windows. Bane of my Mini owning life. If the seals haven't shrunk, the locking mechanism hasn't snapped or the screws pulled out of the B-post, they've fallen out if I've slammed the door too hard. I'd much prefer to do without, but I can't find any suitably tinted fixed ones to fit in their place.

erik.

Tried 'em. Have scars on shins to prove it.

erik.

Exactly what I wanted to avoid.

erik.

Wierd. I have a pair of 100mm speakers, one on both side, and I my legs never even touch them.

You are quite free to do whatever you want with your Mini. If putting speakers in the air vents is your thing, then go ahead!

I appear to have long legs in comparison to my torso, so while I have plenty of headroom, my legs are quite bent.

Whilst the pods do give you more choice in the quality and size of speakers you can use, and of course keep the air vents, I've never been overly keen on putting stuff below the bottom dash rail. I even avoid the area for switches and the like.

And if you like your pods, good for you 8-)

erik.

Personally I would rather block up the vent holes and fit speakers, as I have never used the vents ,not even on a long run, I find opening the rear windows much better,

Fitzy

It's a generation, nationality and sex thing. Some of us older British gents like fresh air at face level. Women and young people don't.. They call it a draft. Manufacturers don't even bother to provide fresh air at face level any more. They say it's only and issue with older men in the UK. My vents are always open, whatever the weather.

Regards, David Betts snipped-for-privacy@minilist.org The Mini Gallery:

Dammit! I like fresh air and sitting in drafts, and I'm only 34!

Have you considered mounting component tweeters up in the headlining? I have seen it done nicely on Minis before as it gives you a bit more flexibility to mount the mid range speakers wherever you want without sacrificing sound quality too much!

miniman

I hadn't seen or heard of that before - however my previous experience trying to fit a Metro roof pod (clock & map lights) resultedin the need for a new headlining 8-(

I had considered fitting some to the dash top rail next time the windscreen's out. However, the best fitting (and flush fitting) ones I've found came from a certain make of car - the parts of which make up 0% of my Mini. I'm sure you can guess the make ;-)

erik.

That's not young, mate . Still, mustn't apply the general to the specific. There will always be plenty of exceptions. Just not enough to make the marketers put fresh air vents in modern cars.

Regards, David Betts snipped-for-privacy@minilist.org The Mini Gallery: