1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I have about 4 of these, with only one 'good' one (it's in the '86). The above comments are right on, but there is a bit more to getting it installed and repaired correctly...
I'm assuming you have a 4dr sedan, as the package shelf is a bit trickier than the 3dr...
Anyway, as noted, your shelf probably absorbed moisture somewhere along the way. (Check your trunk alignment and seal. Also coolant/water bottles are awful for creating this problem.) As there is no moisture barrier that I'm aware of on the 4dr, it's doubly important to repair the shelf so that this same problem doesn't reoccur.
The shelf in my '86 has actually been cut for 6x9 speakers and adds to the weight and the tendency to drop. I bought some 6x9's since the 4x10's I had were all garbage, and reused the package shelf. I did a couple of things to make it work. First, I removed the sail panels, in order to get at the right and left mounting tabs. Next, I had to repaint the shelf to match the car. The shelf I had was maroon, and the interior of the '86 is sort of sand. I chose to repaint the shelf the same color as the dash. I used vinyl paint, as I've found it has less tendency to fade over time. Anyway, I repainted it charcoal. I took a scotch brite pad to the speaker grilles and repainted them charcoal also. Once it dried, I put the speaker grilles in. I should have put some sort of plastic over the 4x10 openings before installing it, and I will at some point. This should help with road noise and moisture in the car. Before I put the whole shelf back in, I bought two 2' black rubber bungee cords with 's' hooks. I put one end in the hole below where the tube mounts, up by the seat back release handle. The other end went in a tie wrap looped through the 3rd brake light mount (it's a tab that sticks out into the shelf area). This created a sort of 'V' to support the 6x9 magnets. Before installing the 6x9's in the shelf, I laid the panel face down and used carpet adhesive, a 2' 2x6, and my tool box to get it to lay flat and stay glued together. When the shelf is face down, the package area actually sticks up, the 2x6 gets placed under the center, the two pieces of fiberboard get spayed with adhesive and the toolbox goes on top to flatten it out. When it dried, I sprayed the back with clear spray paint, I used a little Varathane with a brush for the edges. I bought a couple of fiberglass repair mesh panels (sort of wire things with sticky backing), cut them and wrapped them around the left and right tabs. A little JB weld to hold them in place and some Varathane to keep 'em dry. I redrilled the mounting tab holes before putting it back together. As with most of these I've seen, the original tab corners were long gone. Put the 6x9's in and laid it all in the back. Fit pretty well, but I found the tube did not line up with where I thought it was supposed to go and the rear window gasket was stuck underneath the shelf. Took it all out, and removed the shelf tube. I put this on the shelf (it uses these funky 'tube holder' grip clips, and made sure it was centered. Then, I got a shoe lace and looped it around the back edge. I put the whole thing in again, and was able to get the shelf up under the rear window gasket using the shoelace (much like using a wire to remove a windshield). Once it was in, I hooked the bungee cords under the speaker magnets, put all the little screws in from the top and reinstalled the sail panels. Anyway, it hasn't fallen down or faded since this spring, the speakers sound great and I'm happy with it....
Sooooo, I don't recommend plywood, it adds weight and is prone to moisture absorbtion...but hey, I live in OR. Everything is prone to moisture absorbtion here....*grin*
Good luck,
Todd in OR
'83 900T 'Mocha' 273K
'86 900 'Waffle' 399K
posted by 205.240.23...
, Sun, 28 Sep 2003 06:23:17
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
