You could apply this technique to any 3rd Gen Dodge Ram, or any other vehicle, for that matter.
Some people add gauges to their drivers side A-Pillar, and other folks put tweeters there. You can apply this technique to either of these applications. For the sake of this "How To:" I'm using Point Source speakers.
Definition of Point Source: Midrange and tweeter components where the tweeter is buried deep into the pole-piece of the midrange, so their oscillating pressure wave is "Time Aligned" to coincide with one another.
Step 1:
Decide where the speakers will be placed. I like to actually connect the set of speakers, and then try them in a few different positions. Listen carefully to a well recorded music track with the doors closed. Use a bag of rice to hold the speakers in place as a temporary enclosure if you need to. Listen for tonal accuracy, staging, and imaging. These are a few of the positions that I tried:
Step 2:
Sand the ENTIRE A-Pillar with 60-grit sandpaper until all of the texture is gone. Don't forget the inside of the OS handle. You can skip this step if you intend to use vinyl to upholster the final pieces, but since the Ram has OS handles molded into the A-Pillar as one piece, there is no way to make vinyl look right without stitching a seam. (I don't sew)
Step 3:
Cut the trim rings from 1/8-inch masonite. The inner diameter of the ring is the mounting diameter of the speaker, and the outer diameter is the outer diameter of the speaker grill.
Step 4:
Cut into the A-Pillar, and create a framework that will hold the trim ring in place.
Step 5:
I used my laser level to be sure that each (left, right) speaker is at the exact same angle to the listener. I also used the level to be sure that the speakers are at the same exact height. The hood of the dash is higher on the driver's side, so it's misleading if you use that as a point of reference on each side.
You could also clamp the A-Pillars together, to be sure that you're cutting your holes at the same location and shape.
Step 6:
Finish the framework of the trim ring, and secure it temporarily with hot glue.
For the parts of the A-Pillar that are cut away, I filled the area with a piece of card stock. (This will be fiberglassed later.)
Step 7:
Find some very thin and stretchy material. Some guys use fleece, but I prefer grill cloth or and old cotton T-Shirt because it's thinner. Stretch the cloth over the area, and form a shape that will be close to your desired end result. Use 3M-spray glue, and a couple of rubber bands to hold the material in place.
Step 8:
Now mix up some fiberglass resin, and apply it to the cloth with a paintbrush. Once the first application of resin is hardened, you should also make another batch of resin, and it inside your pieces for strength. (Move it around by tilting the piece, and make sure you get full coverage all over the inside of the piece.)
Step 9:
Once the resin is hardened, trim off the excess cloth material, exposing your shapes.
Step 10:
Use a good quality lightweight body filler to shape your piece close to your final look and feel. (Sand with 60-80 grit, then 150-grit)
Step 11:
Once you've got your final shape, mix up a "MilkShake" to do the final skim coat of the pieces.
Directions for "MilkShake":
Step 12:
Sand the entire piece with 80-grit, then 150-grit, then 220-grit sandpaper. Feather the edge of the body filler, so that you can't see the transition where the body filler meets the plastic. The piece should be completely smooth, and in your final shape before continuing.
Step 13:
Do a test fit with your pieces, and make adjustments if necessary.
Step 14:
Spray a light coat of Bulldog Adhesion Promoter. This will make your paint stick.
Step 15:
Spray with SEM #42013 Gray High Build Primer Surfacer. I would suggest several coats. You will go through this product quite quickly because it is "High Build". I used 2 16oz cans for this project.
Step 16:
Spray with SEM #39853 Texture coating. Make sure that you get a uniform texture inside the OS handle. (Use several light coats of this product) I'm doing the texture because I want an original appearance. If you intend to leave the panel smooth, be sure that you have sanded your shapes to be absolutely perfect.
Step 17:
The texture will be abrasive after it's dry. I don't want these pieces to be abrasive, so I'll sand them with 400-grit. Be sure and wipe off all of the debris after sanding.
Make sure you perform each of these sanding and finishing steps on your cap pieces that cover your screws.
Step 18:
For the color, I had my local auto-body paint supply mix up some "Elastomeric Coating" (vinyl die) that matched the color of my interior.
I don't have a spray gun, so I spent five bucks on a disposable sprayer for the vinyl die. Use several light coats. the Texture will help prevent runs in the paint, but I wouldn't take any chances.
They got the color really close. I actually decided to change the color of the A-Pillars to match the color of the top of the dash. You can choose to keep these the original color, or you can change them to some other color of your choice.
Step 19:
Since I need these panels to be removable, I decided to put quick-disconnect plugs on the speaker wires. Since this is actially a component set mounted as a "Point Source", there are two sets of wires, and an external crossover. (They're bi-ampable too)
Step 20:
These final few images are of the finished product. This could be a guage pod, a tweeter pod, or you could do your component speakers up here like I did.
