Replace speaker fabic on 1999 sport Nautique

[robertdsimpson]

Whats the easiest way to replace the grill fabric on a 199 Sprot Nautique

[east tx skier]

RE: Replace speaker fabic on 1999 sport Nautique

The fabric is mounted to a pvc tube that is screwed into the combing pad from the backside. It's probably just a matter of removing the tube and attaching new grill cloth. There is some vinyl ticking around the circumference of the tube that may be an obstacle though.

Another alternative is to top mount the speakers and be done with the grill cloth. It sounds better (to me) and gives the boat an updated look. To do this, you just remove the old speaker, cut a criss-cross pattern in the grill cloth, and mount the speaker topside. Be careful with the vinyl, of course (that's a whole 'nother thread).

[jjgag60]

replacing the cloth

Before you go and replace the speakers and load them from the front, make sure the new speakers will fit in the PVC pipe. I know my infinity's would not fit. They were to big around to fit inside the PVC pipe.

[Chexi]

I front mounted mine. I bought some fairly thin but still rigid cutting boards from Walmart (3/8" I think) and put them between the foam and starboard (was already in there because I was re-doing the vinyl). Cut 5" holes with a hole saw first and then trimmed the boards with a jigsaw to fit. This allowed me to get rid of the PVC altogether. Where I could (3 of the 4 speakers) I also used the same cutting board with 5 inch holes on the outside back (inside of the glass hull, not between the starboard and hull). Drilled 4 holes and mounted speakers using ss bolts and nylon locknuts through the cutting boards and speakers as the support system. I also added glass reinforcement of the starboard (side the vinyl was not on) to fix the many cracks in mine. The result is very solid. Much stronger than the original. You can kind of see the cutting board in the picture.

[skiking]

Chexi: Any pics of the installed speakers? Also what did you use to glue the cutting boards to the factory starboard?

[Chexi]

I will post some pics of the installed job, but not until the upcoming weekend (weekend after Memorial Day), as my boat is 60 miles away and I won't be there until then. I did not use anything to secure the cutting board to the starboard. The foam was already glued to the starboard, so I carefully separated the foam from the starboard to a sized just bigger than the cutting board. I then just slid it in. It was tight and secure. No adhesive needed. Then I wrapped the skins on, carefully cut a 6-pointed star pattern and tacked the vinyl through and around the back of the hole. I then installed the combing pads, put the speaker where I wanted it, used an awl through the screw holes on the face of the speakers to poke a clean hole in the vinyl, and then used a drill through the screw holes of the speaker covers to shoot through the cutting board and starboard. Had to go slow and be careful, but managed 4 speakers without incident.

Note, I tried to cut the foam a bit bigger than it was so that I could really countersink the speakers. It kind of worked, but to really countersink them, I probably would have need to cut the foam just a bit more. Ultimately, it worked out fine for me, because the combing pad on the starboard side on the 99 Air / Sport gets pretty small by the rear speaker. Getting that one countersunk could have proved problematic.

Also note, my boat only came with 3 speakers (2 on the port side combing pad and 1 on the starboard side - rear). I used a jig saw and cut a 5" hole (more of an arc) in the gunnel just behind the driver's seat and cut a hole with a hole saw through the combing pad there. I then used the cutting board technique to install my much wanted 4th speaker. I think it looks pretty good. In fact, I like it so much, i wish that all of the speakers had been placed in the larger parts of the combing pads... then I could have really countersunk them. I could have filled in the factory holes and cut new ones in the bigger parts of the combing pads. Oh well. Live and learn.