Aaron and I are ready to start thinking about what to do for a sound system in his "Dartster". We want to keep the stock look with his AM-only in the dash. He doesn't want anything visible to prying eyes; therefore, the deck needs to be remote control. It needs to have a CD changer, but not necessarily an amp, if the receiver has enough wattage. He has only one speaker hole in the package tray ( it has a defogger in the other side).
We're not opposed to mounting small speakers in the kick panels, if some can be found with a shallow profile, so they don't stick way out. Same way with tweeters on the A-pillars, if necessary.

Got any ideas?

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

You won't want to use the speaker hole in the dash, it takes a lot to make that area not vibrate under high wattage modern radios and speaker(metal to metal contact okay with a quiet AM radio, bad with a 140 watt thumping radio). Not that it can't be made quite, and wouldn't be a great spot for a speaker, just a lot of work. Do you know they now make kick panels for A-body's with speaker holes molded into them? I wish I would have knew before I cut up my panels for speakers... Wish I could tell you the place to get them, I saw it in a Mopar magazine but can't remember the manufacturer. Also, many Darts/Valiants will have holes precut in the package tray, take off the board and either cut a hole in it or make a new board with speaker holes in it and your set. Using the kickpanels and the speaker tray will leave you with a system that doesn't hurt anything major, and will look good. If you want Bass you can stick a bass speaker in the trunk since it's just to make a good thump. As for the CD play, you could always stick it in your glove compartment.

For me, I was happy with a cheap 140 watt radio with speakers in the kickpanels and one speaker where my back seat used to be. I find a ton of bass distastefull for the people around you and a lot of work to make sound right in a 30 year old vehickle that doesn't have modern build quality(i.e., the old cars rattle easily). I suggest spending about $300 if you want a really good/long last/name brand CD player, and getting the $50 a pair aftermarket speakers from Walmart. This should give you more bass and loudness than you could possibly use while driving. My CD player was $150 and I honetly can't say I'm pleased with it. It's an Alpine and sounds great, has more loudness than I could use, but scratches CD's and easily skips. This is why I suggest spending so much on CD player.

-Shivadart

Just realized the hole package tray/defogger thing. It's morning....

I made the same mistake the first time I saw the two holes in the metal package tray sub-frame - thought it was for two speakers. Since then, I bought a defogger to install in its proper location. Kind of hard to get stereo sound out of one speaker in the back and one in the front.

I saw those kick panel speakers. Nice, but about $89 each. Same website has two Kenwood 3.5" speakers fitted in the same bracket to replace the single front dash speaker, priced at $29. Starting to think that might be the way to go for the front.

Anyone ever try mounting speakers in the sail panels? Looks like there might be some well-placed holes in the metal subframe.

Just thinking outloud,
Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

In my 65 I installed a panasonic flip face deck UNDER the dash, built a handsome little box around it, its removable, I can hide all evidence of a deck in about 3 minutes, two screws. For speakers, I am running a pair of infiniti 6 x 9 three ways in two of the three holes in the package tray and am quite happy with that setup. I have them bolted in tight with cheap covers over them. You can't tell what I have in there and they dont rattle or anything. The wires are run by the door under the aluminum piece.

What is the website or contact info for the kick panel speakers and all. I am interested in looking into that or modifiying my own.

Could that manufacturer be Audioforms, Shiva?

I knew when I was in that scene in the mid-90s they were the biggest maker of aftermarket door and kickpanel pods.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Possible, but I'm not sure.
-Shivadart

Maybe another manufacturer is taking up production of those, but SoundQuest made the Audioforms, and theyre no longer in that business. My best guess is that would have to be a custom job.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

my 69 had a poorly installed "kraco" brand stereo and speakers, made in compton. i really wish i was kidding

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anything worth doing is worth re-doing, again and again and again...........

ive got a pioneer cd player in the dash of my 73 dart (i know some of u would like to scream).

2 three and a half inch pioneer speakers in a bracket that i made to fit in the location of the original 4x10 in the center of the dash. i havent had any problems with them rattling at all.

2 pioneer 6x9's in the rear deck. ive had a little problems with them rattling.

in the trunk i have a pioneer amp hooked to one pioneer 12" sub and one audiobahn 12" sub.

sounds great to me, but im a young hoodlum. i really just enjoy the fullness of the sound that subs bring to a sound system. i try to keep the sound down to a acceptable level, both for others sake and my ears sake. i find it embarrassing to be at a stoplight and everyone is staring at you or looking around trying to figure out who is making all the racket.

73Dart_Swinger,
What did you use to make your under-dash bracket? I bought my son Aaron a couple of 3.5" speakers for the front, and we will be needing to fab a bracket for them. The problem I am facing with installing two 6"x9" in the package tray is that there is only one speaker hole. A hole for the defogger fan motor is located right where the other speaker should go. We're going to have to get very creative for rear speakers.




By the way, where are you located in Texas? Are you the one over in Big Spring? We are near Temple in central Texas.

Jerry[/img]

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

i used some type of particle board, kinda like masonite (i think thats what its called). i got it for free because it was scrap from a lumber yard. when i made the bracket, i took out the original speaker and traced its outline onto the board and cut it out using a jigsaw. then i traced out the speakers and cut those holes. i used small bolts to hold the speakers to the bracket and used two nuts (so they wouldnt wiggle loose) to mount the whole deal onto the dash.

i dont know about the back speakers, luckily my dart came with two holes. maybe could mount them in the door panels in the back? i dont know how much room is back there or if you would even think of that as an option.

i actually live about an hour sw of ft worth. ive been to temple a few time playing in baseball.

If you're trying to hide the deck, I once saw someone install it UNDER the driver's seat. You have to memorize the buttons pretty well, though. As for the defogger fan motor, I haven't seen one of those setups in an abody, but is that what blows onto the window, or does it blow it into a duct, that blows out of the long slot in the middle? i.e. Could you relocate the motor itself, instead of the speaker? I'm just guessing here, I'm not sure of the defogger setup.

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Zorg,
The defogger is a fan that draws air from the car's interior through the package tray perforations and blows it out through the slotted opening. The fan connects to a plastic slotted plenum with a flexible hose, similar to those running to the dash defroster vents. Once the cabin temperature inside the car warms up enough, the air washing up the rear window should keep it from fogging. At least, that's what I understand about the whole setup. Our car did not have this option, but I bought a nice defogger and will install it when we start putting Aaron's car back together.

As for the speaker location, this defogger fan is right in the same spot that you would expect a right rear speaker to be. The hole is there for the fan to drop into and mount, but it is shaped slightly different than one for a speaker. I haven't looked to see if there is room for it to be relocated elsewhere in the package tray. I guess it's possible, just have to think it through.

Anyone ever try mounting rear speakers in the sailpanels? Not much room, but there are a few openings in the roof subframe that might allow smaller speakers to recess slightly.

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

I'm sorry I can't hear you for all the wind noise comming from the the holes in the floor and the lack of good seals on the windows and doors. Not to mention the rocker arms and dash rattles. But you know what, I love my car.

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