Well, I turned and did almost a full reverse --I pulled the stuffing/lining out, and the felt padding on the top panel -- however, I left the felt padding blocks at the back of the side panels -- I bought some 1" polyester bonded batting from Amazon to mimic the original stock lining. The Amazon batting is not quite as firm as the original, however still close. I pretty much lined it as it was in the beginning, which means there is a gap at the top panel left of the port, and between the crossover and port.
The more I listen to these speakers, the more I am liking them -- next week I will get a round trip shipping quote to find out how much it would cost to ship to Dennis for measurements.
Slide show -- if my pictures disappear
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=slideshow;album=24571;start=168430