I say it often – paying attention to the smallest details is the difference between repair and restoration. Whether that’s applying the correct finish to an original part or choosing a period-correct accessory, details matter. Which is why I chose to restore rather than replace the 23-year-old speakers in my car.
Normally OEM speakers wouldn’t be worth saving, but the car (a 2001 Porsche Boxster) has a unique factory option. A two-seat roadster, mine was equipped with an optional soundbar behind the rear seats. Looking much like a modern home theater soundbar, it packs four small (3.5-inch) round speakers into an enclosure. And while there are quality 3.5-inch speakers in the market, they all require some modification to install.
So when the sound quality finally went from rich to flatulent, I decided to order a rebuild kit from SimplySpeakers.com. While they offer a whole range of components to rebuild most speakers, I only needed new “foams” for my repair. The foam rings connect the speaker cone to the frame. Made of thin rubber, they deteriorate with age and use, eventually separating the two components. The result is a loss of projection, tone, and resonance from the speakers.
Three of my four speakers were completely separated, and the other one disintegrated with the slightest touch. With four new foam rings in hand, it took about an hour to overhaul the full soundbar. Here’s how it’s done.
Preparation
Remove any remaining foam rubber from both the frame and the cone of each speaker. Use cation to avoid damaging the delicate cone. Fingertips work well at rolling off the old material, although it’s gummy and may discolor your fingers. A firm nylon brush or old toothbrush will also work on the cones. I used a small nylon scraper to remove reside from the speaker frame.
With the old foam material removed, I applied some Eastwood Pre solvent (it’s not just for painting) to a cotton swab to remove any old adhesive from both components.
Installation
I used the special contact adhesive and acid brushes included in the kit to attach the new foams. Working one speaker at a time, I applied a small bead on the edge of the cone first, distributing it evenly. I then moved immediately to the speaker fame, laying down a thin bead and spreading it. Given the size of the speakers, a smaller applicator brush would have been appreciated, but I did my best not to get the cement where it wasn’t needed.
No cement was required on the back of the new foams. I lined up the first foam with the center of the first cone and pressed it into place. The bond was almost immediate, meaning adjustments would be difficult. Luckily, it was pretty much a bulls-eye landing, so I moved to pressing the outer edge to the speaker frame. Before moving to the next speaker, I spent about a minute ensuring the foam was fully contacting both edges.
The other three speakers went just as well, though cement buildup on the applicator brush meant the last one looked a bit less precise than the first. According to the instructions, I let all four new foams set up for about an hour before reassembling the soundbar.
Before reinstalling the soundbar in the car, I took a few minutes to clean up the black plastic housing. A quick shot of Eastwood Concours Interior Cleaner and Conditioner brought it back to life. All cleaned up and fully restored, I plugged it into its harness and waited to hear the results. In the two years I’ve had the car, I never realized how much sound those two small speakers could produce.
