1966 c10 speakers

[mwipp]

hello, i am newer to the form and was wondering what people do for speakers. i am not moving the gas tank from behind the seat. i was planning on putting componets int the doors and 6x9 up in the back top corners. i want to put a sub in but i am not sure where i would find room. please help. i would like examples of what you did and it would be great if you had pictures.
thanks mwipp
p.s it is a 1966 c10 short bed stepside my first resto job, with my dads help

[Hillbilly Deluxe 65]

somebody sells a panel that will replace the orginal bent with 1 speaker on each side, or i was plannng on putting one on each side of teh door like under that panel or something

[forcedinduction]

LMC (and other companies) sell new plastic molded kickpanels with 6 1/2" coax speakers in them. The LMC part number is 38-8510 and the price is $89.95. Kinda pricey and without knowing what brand of speaker it is, I would doubt it is a very good brand.

On the up side :

The factory kick panel areas are flat so you could make yer own using 1/8" or 1/4" masonite for a base then mount a ring to it to angle the speaker. Pick out yer own speakers, cover the new kickpanel in matching carpet, install the new speakers and mount the whole assembly. Easy stuff.

Two 4" speakers can be put in the factory speaker location in the middle of the dash. Using the same masonite, cut the appropriate size rectangle to cover the hole, cut the two holes for the speakers, paint black so it doesn't show, mount speakers, then mount the assembly under the dash. Easier than the kickpanels.

For a sub, w/o removing the tank behind the seat... how bad do you want it? That's what you have to ask yerself. Relocating the gas tank to the back would make the sub solution A LOT easier and provide more safety for you and your passengers if anything was to ever happen along the lines of a crash. There are several options for tank replacement and LMC has a kit for that too. Part number 32-5925 and the price is $199.95 There are cheaper options out there but a small price to pay for the safety you gain the work that will have to be put into the sub enclosure location. Think about it...

Pretty much the only way to accomplish this one would be to figure out what size sub you want and the enclosure size needed. A 10" or 12" sub should provide enough bass to get the inside of the cab rattling pretty good. Get under the truck and look for anything that is below the seat area of the floor. Figure out where you can move it to so you can cut the floor. Then get handy with cutoff wheel and cut a portion of the floor out for the sub enclosure to fit. Weld up a metal box to hold the sub enclosure and weld to the floor. Make the sub enclusure to fit new metal box and blah, blah, blah. If ya can't figure it out from there, you shouldn't be doing the job. lol

Amp placement : Next to yer new sub enclosure screwed to the floor under yer seat. OR If you got smart and moved the tank out back... you get the idea.

This next part is the most important point that I cannot stress enough! (If you want yer truck to sound halfway decent)

6 x 9's next to head is a HUGE no no!!! If you put them right next to head, all you will hear is the left rear speaker. Forget about hearing anything other than that and any bass you might add. Putting the speakers in the front kickpanels and the dash will provide a decent soundstage and keep the sound clear. You will be able to hear all your speakers and get a much better stereo sound. And don't count out the 4" dash speakers. They will bring the soundstage up and the tweeters will reflect off the windsheild for a nice balanced sound when mixed with the mids in the kickpanels.

Decide what speakers to purchase by listening to them. Let YOUR EARS decide which ones are best. Don't listen to what yer freinds say, don't listen to what the salesman says, and try not to let your wallet sway yer opinion. YOU have to listen to them, not anyone else so make sure YOU like how they sound. More often than not, what sounds good to you may not sound the same to anyone else so when it comes to speakers, don't let anyone else try to tell you what to buy.

OR

Run straight pipes and listen to the engine. My 2 cents.

Regards, Dave

[mwipp]

thanks for the info forcedinduction. i acually do want to move the gas tank to have ample room for a sub and amp, but my dad is vary against it. i dont know why ether. he just tells me it is just as safe having there and i dont need a sub. i gonna try to convince him but he's pretty stuburn

[hewlett2002000]

well if hes anything like my dad it goes something like this... "that truck has worked fine for 40 some odd years and now you wanna change it?!?" lol my dads a fan of completely stock vehicles. even the old am radio. lol myself if its a mint all stock vintage car/truck ill leave it, but if it has been changed from stock before i got it ill go ahead and do it my way. thats the case with my truck.
good luck,
John

[mwipp]

well he likes the idea of looking stock, but hes letting me lower it, put a built 350, and meats on the back. he just isnt keen on subwoofers and moving the gas tank. he thinks i would play my music illegaly loud

[forcedinduction]

If that's the case, just do the 6 1/2" & 4" speakers now. It'll give you decent sound off the headunit and maybe you can try revisiting the sub situation later.

If it's yer dads money and yer dads truck... Ya gotta play by yer dads rules. BTW... Ya may wanna thank him an extra time or two for letting you have yer "say" on the project as well. He sounds like a good guy to me.

[SkylineNXS]

Hey hows it going, i have pretty much the exact same truck, and am about to do the same thing, gotta have some bass though, no doubt. The stock bench is up high enough (without the adjuster bar thingy under there) that you can fit an enclosure underneith. U should be able to get away with building an enclosure outta 1/2" or 3/4" particle board and there is such a large market for subs out there and there are plenty that have low profile designs. You can look at ultra low proflie ones (but normally they cost a bunch) or if u just look at the specks of most 10 inch subs, they have a depth of around 5 inches, whihch should make it. Careful planning under the seat is obviously needed, and may i recomend 2 subs, one for either side for equal bass all around. Like forcedinduction said, 6x9's right by ur head isnt the greatest idea, in my 72 the po put some there, and all you hear is the left one, its not the best. Keep em up front. What i plan on doing is possibly getting some newer model buckets and building a console / enclosure between the seats, where there is ample room for subs and an amp. My tanks in the cab too and i dont plan on moving it anytime soon, so ive been thinkin of other stuff...sorry for the long post...have fun...

BRAD

[mwipp]

i am replaceing the seat to a newer bench or bucket seats. it is acually my truck and all my money. but since it is my dads garage, my dads tools, so i have to follow his rules. now i am thinking componets it the kickers, 6.5 or 6x9 in the doors(aound dending too), and the four inch under the dash. they ethier will be ma or jl speakers. the doors and componets will be powered by a 400watt rms amp and the 4 inch will be ran off of the deck. i most likely will have a pioneer premier or a jvc arsenal deck. i pick these cause the have a reasonble price and at leaset a 4v preamp. thats what im planin. tell me what i think

[Sam59]

i have 2 kenwood 6x9's and the fit under the seat, box and all.. and sounds great.. whenever you hit a big bump though, you remember they are there

[blackedoutharley]

When I did my stereo everybody said "you cant have a sub with the tank in the cab'....

HOGWASH!!!!!

I don't have pics and it's raining cats and dogs here but here is what is in the truck. '65 C-10

Kenwood KDCX-815 Excelon deck in dash with Excelon 10 disc changer under passenger side seat. One Kenwood 4 channel amp (forget model #) for speakers and one Alpine Mrt-305 2 ch amp for the sub mounted under drivers side.

6.5" Bostons mounted in forward portion of doors and 6X9" Polk 2 ways in rear portion of door.. insulated doors, door panels, floor and back of cab with aluminum sided bubble wrap and then installed carpet kit.

Alpine amp is bridged and powering a passive 6.5" Bazooka Tube which is standing up on end on passenger side of cab next to the tank.. deck has 3 sets of pre-outs and one is non-fading for the sub. This is not a competition set up by any means but it rocks and the bazooka tube inside the small cab absolutely pounds with very little power going to it (100 watts max) & best of all no cutting!
Given the limitations of the cab and still having the tank in there this was the best option.. I plan on moving the tank which will make this setup only better.

Give it a try, the bazooka tube is less than $100.00 new and works great. This set up was installed about 9 years ago (I got the deck from a buddy that worked for Kenwood 7 months before it was available anywhere else).

If you are local you are welcome to check it out and take photos for your use.

[mwipp]

thx that sounds like a good idea blackedoutharley. i am not local to take pictures im up in wi. if you could get some pics though it would be awsome

[64Magoo]

I would definitely not put speakers directly behind my head. I would go with kick panel 6 1/2 mids with flush mounted tweeters in your dash angled to reflect off the windshield. I want to put subs in my truck as well but I figure I HAVE to move the gas tank out of the cab no matter what. It only benefits me in every way possible IE 1. Less dangereous 2. No gas smell in the cab 3. More weight on the rear wheels for traction 4. Room to store more than a spare belt behind the seat. I have Infinity Perfect 6 1/2 components in my fiance's Hyundai Sonata and they are amazing. Hook them up a properly powered amp and those things sing.... pun intended.

[kris's66lwb]

what i did was mark out a hole on the lower door and cutt it out brilled holes and put two sony explodes 6" in there and hooked up the oriinal dahs speaker and it sound pretty damn good and i still have my tank in truck and its the over sized 21 gal tank and you could get the slim subs and biuld a box composite wood and mount them under the seat one under each side and a amp in the center on the trans hump under the seat put in some sound deadener and run your cables under the sound deadener and carpet all hiden

[muddpile]

Oversized 21 gallon tank??? You've peaked my interest. I have a big block and an 11 gallon tank right now.....

[kris's66lwb]

it was the opition that came stock in my 1965 k20 and i have proof from the origial build sheet that was semi put together and it was installed in freemont ca 21 gal with a 292 i6 four speed granny and tow hooks that as far as it got