Kick Panels - Speaker Housings

One of most sought-after installation techniques in recent years has been creating custom kick panel speaker housings. Whether the problem is a lack of a speaker location, lack of space, or a desire for proper image staging, kick panels seem to be the answer. In many cases, filling in the full range of speakers is made easier with a kick panel addition. Because every vehicle has different quirks and issues, every kick panel is unique and has its own unique set of issues and concerns.

When building kicks every aspect of the surroundings needs to be considered. Is there an emergency brake in the way? Is there a computer ECM that might obstruct the speaker depth? How about a dimmer switch on the floor that might not be accessible after the panels are built out? Another important aspect is how the panel will match up to the door sill panel, lower dash panel, and/or the door opening.

When deciding on the design and the shapes you also have to take the final finish in mind. If the panel will be wrapped with material, the shape will need special consideration as some materials stretch around the odd shapes better than others. A panel that will be painted can take on whichever shape you choose, but the edges need special consideration and the paint is not as forgiving on the rough edges as the material is.

Speaker choices are also important. While you could fit a set of 8-inch, 6-inch, 4-inch and a set of tweeters in the kick panels of a Honda Civic, you'll have a lot of compromises to make in order to get them in there. It's always best to fit the speaker to the area allowed. Because unless you're willing to relocate the dimmer switch, and/or the emergency brake pedal, and/or the vents, you simply won't be able to get all of those speakers in the kick panel of a Chevy Impala either.

Putting this all together, here are a few tips for building a clean set of kicks for your ride. First, use your stock kick panel as a foundation. It's already fit to your car's sill panel, lower dash panel, and door opening. Second, build speaker mounts close to the outermost diameter of the speaker that you'll be installing. Wasted space is well noticed in these applications. Additionally, make sure that the speaker mounts are solid. If the resin shrinks an ill-fit mount will move for sure.

Now follow along as our Caddy gets outfitted with a clean set of custom kicks. They will look like a factory installation once complete.

An amazing set of highs like this three-way component set from JL Audio take up more space than we had available in the stock 3.5-inch speaker location. So, a full custom speaker installation will have to be done. And while an '80s Cadillac is a large vehicle, there's no way that the kick panels will house all six of these speakers in a way that we felt was easy on the eyes. For that reason, we'll build the kicks to house the 4-inch and tweeter and will build the 6s in the door panels.
An amazing set of highs like this three-way component set from JL Audio take up more space
With the basic lines laid out, we can begin to hand sketch the shape.

The stock kicks were used with the speaker grilles to figure out the dimensions of the speaker mount. Although this may not be the final orientation of the speakers, the maximum space is a required measurement to maintain full flexibility in this installation process.
The stock kicks were used with the speaker grilles to figure out the dimensions of the spe
With our basic measurements in mind, we can begin to layout the speaker mount. The shape should be determined by the speaker's outer extremities, in this case, the grilles and trim rings.
With our basic measurements in mind, we can begin to layout the speaker mount. The shape s
With our shape outlined, we can now trace the speaker cutouts. Most speakers come with their own templates, but here we're estimating the cuts using the inside of the speaker grilles and trim rings.
With our shape outlined, we can now trace the speaker cutouts. Most speakers come with the

The speaker mounts are then cut out. You can see that the speaker mount fits nicely in the maximum allotted area.
The speaker mounts are then cut out. You can see that the speaker mount fits nicely in the
To overcome this obstacle we changed the angle of the speaker mount. From here, an angle was chosen that wouldn't interfere and would still allow speaker clearance.
To overcome this obstacle we changed the angle of the speaker mount. From here, an angle w
Both kick panels were given the same shape to keep a consistent look.

The poly material was then stretched in place and stapled down using an upholstery stapler. Be cautious when stapling old plastic as it's very brittle. You may find that skipping a few staples will prove very effective.
The poly material was then stretched in place and stapled down using an upholstery stapler
The driver-side kick panel presented a problem in itself. The factory hood pop lever is cut deep into the top of the kick panel.
The driver-side kick panel presented a problem in itself. The factory hood pop lever is cu
A small piece of wood was cut to act as a support for the speaker plate. It should be cut with an angle in it as an increased contact area will always provide additional support. These support pieces should be glued and air nailed in place. Screws do not work well in this application as they're likely to split the wood.
A small piece of wood was cut to act as a support for the speaker plate. It should be cut