Installing Stereo

[salazar44]

Can anyone give me a clue as to whats all involved to install a modern type of stereo into our trucks? I just want an idea of where someone put their sub and mounted speakers. Im familiar with the kick panel thing... but i wont get those. Im not trying to get fancy, just like 2 6x9's, 8-10" bazooka, and maybe tweeters somewhere.

Im also interested in how you had to cut the dash to get the stereo in and mounted.

Thanks!

[protrash64]

Hey Sal.....any newer stereo is "din" style. It basically comes in a rectangular tin box. You fit this 'sleeve' into your dash and the stereo just slides in and locks. Sometimes a trim ring goes on last.

As far as speakers go, the doors are always favorite places. I would use components if you can to get the tweeters out of the ankle area. If you have your gas tank in the cab, you may be screwed on bass. I have seen some very small subs for under seat use but have never heard them. They do offer some pretty nice speakers that fit in the factory location on the dash. There are a million choices anymore.

[blackedoutharley]

In my '65 C-10 I have the following:

Kenwood KDC-X815 Excelon deck
Kenwood KAC-845 (?) 4 channel amp mounted under drivers side seat
Alpine MRH-305 2 channel amp mounted under drivers side seat
6.5" Bostons mounted in forward portion of door
6"X9" Polk 2-ways mounted in rearward portion of door
6" passive Bazooka tube.
Kenwood Excelon 10 disc changer under passenger side seat.

The Kenwood amp drives the speakers and the Alpine amp is bridged to the sub. The deck has 3 sets of pre-outs which is nice and allows control of the sub input from the deck, but the previous deck (now in the wifes Firebird) has only 2 sets with one non-fading. This still allowed control of the input to the sub but I had to set the front/rear fade of the speakers at the 4 channel amp. By fading forward it turned the sub off and fading rear (at the deck) turned the speakers off.

The sub has a max of 100W and I have it set at about 75% of capacity. The Kenwood amp is (as I recall) about 25-30 watts RMS. Not alot of power is needed to get the desired results; the installation is more important than the power. I like Kenwood decks and amps personally but any quality brand will produce the same results.

I am running the high pass filter on the front speakers and the rears are run full range.
This set up was done about 10 years ago at the same time as a new carpet kit and insulation. I used what is basically bubble wrap that has an aluminum siding on both sides for insulation. This was purchased as OSH and is cheap (compared to Dynamat etc.).

I used 3M spray adhesive and applied it to the entire floor, outer skins of the doors, door panels, back side of cab between the tank and cab as well as the cab corners and the tank.

For good info check out www.crutchfield.com ; They have all the specs for different brands and models listed and you should be able to find what you are looking for there and then go to your local retailer to purchase (or from Crutchfield if you choose).

This set up absolutely pounds and even with the limited accoustics a complete metal interior provides, is quite pleasant to listen to. Every stereo shop I talked to told me that a sub was impossible with the tank in the cab and while some may question the quality of the Bazooka (it is not a Kicker or Polk or Infinity etc mind you) it is a great value at about $130 for the 6" passive which I can tell you and prove does indeed fit in the cab with the tank and is completely out of sight.

I will try to get some pics posted of the set-up. Too bad you don't live closer so you could see and hear it.

[salazar44]

hmm... I am familiar with how to install radios and such on a newer car. Im just wonder for instance. On a single din you will have screws to hold it in place vertically. My dash doesnt have anthing to do such. Do you have to run a bracket down or something?

So you guys were able to fit both 6" rounds and 6x9's in the door panels? hmmm...

[blackedoutharley]

I do not have a support strap from the rear of the deck to the dash and frankly I feel that if you make the din sized hole in the dash "press fit" (meaning just enough to push the chassis in with some resistance) you don't need it.

As far as the speakers; I have 6.5" & 6"X9" in the lower portion of the doors, not the door panels themselves. My doors were already cut for the 6.5" speakers when I got the truck.

[64Magoo]

I have a JL competition audio setup in my fiance's '07 Hyundai Sonata and I would think that some of that install knowledge should transfer over to our trucks. To start off, I DO NOT HAVE A STEREO YET in my '64. This is completely off of modern vehicles but if you have a very nice set of 6.5 inch component speakers set in your doors with the tweeters in your dash you should be more than happy with just setting a sub behind or under your seat. I don't see any reason to mount extra 6x9's as they will only make the crisp component sound more muffled with a little extra midrange bass that can be compensated for by the amp settings for the components. I have never cared much for 6x9s as they are not very precise albeit good for what most people use them for. Sorry for the novel, but all in all I would suggest a very very nice set of component 6.5 inch speakers, and install the woofer in the kick panel and tweeter in the dash (in a fashion where the sound bounces off the glass) with an autonomous amp for the speaks. The amp should be rated around the MAX RMS (very important, PEAK power doesn't mean ****) for the speakers, and the same goes for the Subwoofer amp.

[Chevy Fleetside]

You can get ABS kick panels with speaker cut outs here http://www.truckandcarshop.com/trucks60_72/t60_042.html for $69 a pair. I did this about 5 years ago but I don't have the gas tank behind the seat anymore and the sub works ok but I listen to classic rock alot anyway..

[Chevyman680063]

Originally Posted by salazar44

Can anyone give me a clue as to whats all involved to install a modern type of stereo into our trucks? I just want an idea of where someone put their sub and mounted speakers. Im familiar with the kick panel thing... but i wont get those. Im not trying to get fancy, just like 2 6x9's, 8-10" bazooka, and maybe tweeters somewhere.

Im also interested in how you had to cut the dash to get the stereo in and mounted.

Thanks!

You can fit at least an 8" sub under the seat. Before my '68 got messed up I had a stereo system in it. Clarion CD Player in dash, Alpine speakers in doors, Alpine amp under drivers side of seat, and an Alpine 8" sub under the passenger side. Most people couldn't believe that the sub was only an 8" when I told them because it put out alot of bass. A friend of mine who knows alot more about stereo systems even thought it was at least a 10" sub. As long as you put a good quality system in your truck it will sound good. I plan on putting a system back in it with the amp and sub under the seat again but I want to hide the CD player and speakers.

[salazar44]

Cool. I have a 8" bazooka tube that I think will fit behind my passenger seat in the corner. I still have the tank in there but there is space on the passenger side.

To get it behind there I will most likely need to remove my seat though. Its too long to just slide back in there

Does anyone have pics or any speakers installed on the doors?

[blackedoutharley]

An 8" Bazooka tube will not fit between the seat and cab... I have a 6" in my '65 on the passenger side and it is tight.

I will post some pics taken today a bit later tonight.

[Fastrucken]

an 8" tube will fit in the corners next to the gas tank. Now these were the first gen bazzoka tubes but they did fit

Graham

[salazar44]

hmm.. i agree with fastucken. My 8" sub will fit. Like I said though, I will have to remove the seat first. This bazooka was used and im not sure of the generation of it.

and a little bass in ur classic rock wont hurt! Bass guitars were used in classic rock and they also did use a kick drum! Just being a smart ass chevy fleetside... I like bass in my rock!

[blackedoutharley]

If you can get an 8" to fit god love ya!

The current 6" sub in my truck is a new version and it is slightly bigger than the first generation 6" Bazooka I had previously installed. The first one fit with virtually no effort; the new version required a bit of persuasion and does not fit as well.

Here is a pic of the sub installed....



Here is a pic of the speakers installed in the door. 6.5" Boston and 6"X9" Polk.



And the deck in the dash.



And the view from the passengers side with the deck off.

[64Magoo]

Hey Blackedout what kind of seats are those?

[blackedoutharley]

I actually scored that seat from a body shop in the early 90's for a 'C' note. It is aftermarket and I believe the brand was "Dygart" or something like that.

I had it rebuilt and upholstered last fall by a local shop.

The center section folds up for a true bench and the seat backs recline.

[salazar44]

Cool man! Thanks for the pics. How is your stereo holding up behind the dash?

[blackedoutharley]

It seems to be holding up fine after 9 years...

[salazar44]

Well I know the old school PULL OUT stereos had the tray that you can bend the edges to grasp on the install area. But on newer stereos there are screw holes for vertical support on the heavy backend of the stereo. I guess nothing is needed?? Behind my dash is just emptiness! Im afraid its gonna slip through!

[blackedoutharley]

Mine is obviously older and has the tabs in the chassis that bend over to tighten the fit in the dash.

I cut the hole just large enough for the chassis to fit through with some resistance. Then I bent the tabs over while applying a bit of pressure on chassis. No rear strap installed. Somebody tried to steal the deck when I lived in Santa Rosa so after I recently reinstalled the deck there is a bit of play. Not much but I will correct that when I remove it all during the interior makeover that is much needed.

[salazar44]

Oh... thats what I thought. Because a newer stereo would seem to require some sort of mounting for the rear sides of the unit. Otherwise I can just imagine there being WAY too much play.