well i think the components will be worth it if you install the tweeters somewhere near your ears instead of the stock locations. unless youre lazy like me cause i bought components and still have yet to install the crossover and tweeters. i was planning on putting the tweeters in the stock locations for stealth but the a pillar will sound better.

 

Go with components if you are able to. I am not a fan of the factory location of the tweeters. Mine are mounted on the door panels above and to the right of the speakers. To me they look fine and the imaging and presence are worth it.
I agree on the MB Quart speakers MacLeod. They had been my favorite speakers for years but in my current location, Northern NY, none of the local shops carry them and I generally prefer to listen to a speaker before buying. I liked the JL's at first but after awhile the harshness of the tweeters was more than I cared for and when switching over from one car to my Accord I went with the Memphis tweets and am extremely satisfied.

 

I installed a set of Polk slim-fit 5.25 2-ways in my gf's 01 sedan. They fit with the stock brackets, slightly modified. All you have to do is cut the back off of the basket to give the extra eighth of an inch that these speakers need. The screws fit the new speakers.

I have 6.5" MB Quartz components and they fit fine as well. My MB Quartz's are fully custom mounted to the stock brackets. I removed the entire basket and sealed the speakers to the bracket with black silicone caulk. The tweeters are similarly mounted to the stock tweeter grilles.

 

i was considering putting my tweets in the factory location but i have no idea how to route wires from the crossovers that i will install in the doors to the tweeter locations. care to share?

i think it was Macleod who said that placing the new tweets on the little triangle piece will also sound better. i was just a little hesitant because my tweeters looked a tad cheesy because they had chrome grills but i decided to paint them black. still a little unsure

 

my x-overs are in the trunk. I wouldn't put anything in the doors that doesn't need to be there ..... to avoid the potential for rattling. Also, I squeezed the wire for the woofers through the stock rubber ..... what a nightmare! If you cut the wire boot, it would be easier, but then the boot has a slit in it.

MacLeod is right concerning the placement and aiming, however I didn't think that the hassle or cosmetic were worth the "technically" better sound. The difference might be slightly noticable, but I'm not competing like MacLeod is.

MacLeod's sugggestion to reverse wire one front door speaker works beautifully and doesn't require much work. Try it!! I did and that is how mine are going to stay!

 

Its actually pretty easy to run speaker wires to the stock locations. Once you pop off the grill you can fish the wire straight down thru their and it will drop out under the dash. Of course make sure you remove the panels under there.

The passenger side is a little trickier and requires some finese so be prepared to spend a little time negotiating the heater and all the tight spots there. I took out the glove compartment and was able to get to the wire thru there and could fish it thru easier.

Now as for running them into the doors, the passenger side is stupid easy. There is a rubber grommet that you can remove and it opens out to the outside with no problem. The drivers side is much harder. There is a rubber grommet on the outside of the door jamb BUT the hole it opens up into is BELOW it! Go figure!

Pull this grommet out and shine a small flashlight thru there and then crawl under the dash and see where the light comes out. This will show you the hole you need to fish thru. From there, just fish the wires up into that hole and out thru the outside hole.

Now as for mounting the crossovers in the doors - bad idea. There is a lot of moisture that builds up inside those doors and that can completley ruin those crossovers. You can always rig up a tupperware case to protect them or something but I highly recommend mounting them inside the car. Crossovers are made to handle the elements like speakers are.

 

The installer removed the backing behind the speaker grill to help the JL's fit. He also used a 1/2" spacer.
I removed the panel yesterday to see what he had done. Pretty nice job.
I am glad they fit. The sound out of those mids is great. Very clear and crisp and they handle low range...down to 80hz...very well. I have the crossovers velcro'd to the door panel. Good fit and they are sealed from moisture.

 

ok stock locations it is. although the lil triangle piece would be easier, its also kinda ugly. I was really only thinking about puttin the crossovers in the doors for simplicity (less wire to run) but if you put it that way the simplicity may not be worth it. messed up crossover might end up to be messed up speakers too. i guess i shouldnt take that risk. thanks for the info guys. i guess ill be buying a little more wire and taking another weekend working on audio.