Hey there-
Anyone put in a mid range stereo into a 4th gen?
Thoughts on these configurations?

2 6 1/2 in in two small boxes either behind seats pointing upward or in the doors up front and 2 little tweeters in the dash. Or just some 4 way six by nines in the back in a box. Am replacing lower door panels, so will cut in wherever they need to go. Old speakers were installed (multiple cutouts already) in the old door panels in back, but am not a fan of that. Not going to get into amp range, just 4x50w receiver/CD to replace current audiovox tape player.

Almost waterproof, and thinking on soundproofing next...is the Menard's silver sound insulation really as good as anything else?

Guess I should take some dimensions on where they might go.

What did you put in yours?

Thanks-
Jeff

Mid range might be a stretch, I mean like <$200 on speakers...

I've got two 6x9 boxes with some mid price range 2-way pioneer speakers. The boxes are mounted facing upward. I've also mounted a 1/2 thick piece of particle board on the back wall of the cab covered with auto carpet. The head unit is a Kenwood as well.

The boxes are mounted to that as is a kenwood 4-way amp. The front channels are hooked up to a pair of 3 1/8" JBL's that are mounted in a piece of hardwood cut to fit the original center speaker basket. The front channel has the crossover set to drop anything below 1Khz so I don't kill the little speakers up front.

I have tried the rear speaker mountings in multiple positions and found the best spot to be just below the rear window shelf rail behind the seats. As for the fronts I tried the kick panels for 5" speakers for awhile but you never got to hear them. Bad spot and made the panel fit badly. I'm not a fan of cutting up door panels and they have the same problem as the kick panels. Too low to hear them well. A 4th Gen El is not a great soundstage for audio so you have to keep things high. The doors aren't great for mounting speakers anyway because of the way the window rides down into the door and the regulator can get in the way too.

I would not recommend a 4 way speaker for the rear. You'll get two many high frequencies too close to your ear. I've tried everything from Blaupunkt to Pioneer in 4 ways and got too much high freq response.

Go with a speaker with better Bass response out back and a set of smaller speaker with a bias toward higher frequencies or component mid and tweeters. I wold also recommend a small subwoofer no bigger than an 8" in its own enclosure behind the seats. Nothing major just a supplement to the 6x9's.
8)

Mine is a lot like elcamino74guy's. In the back, boxed Pioneer 6x9 4-ways, with a self-contained Pioneer 6" flat powered subwoofer in the middle. All 3 are on a nice solid 8" x 1" board that goes across the rear of the cab just below the shelf. To mount it, I used strapping material and screws to hang it from the same mounting pads that are used for the shelf (they are little inward dimples so you can sink a screw without going through the rear wall of the cab). On mine, the 6x9's point forwards, so the top of the seat back absorbs a lot of high-frequency energy (probably why I never was bothered by the 4-ways sounding too tinny).

Fronts are Pioneer 6" 2-ways with shallow cones. These are in the upper door panel (the vinyl-over-cardboard part). I had to remove some sheetmetal behind the holes and route the wiring carefully, but never had any problems with the regulator hitting them. I will say that had I understood at the time how impossible it would be later in life to replace these panels I would have removed and saved the originals and found repros or custom made panels vs cutting my factory upholstery (so I could easily go back later, not that I would have to date), but when you are 16 these things do not come to the fore in your mind when working on an effective mating display. I have found the location works pretty well since it is high enough you can hear them, though the stereo imaging suffers slightly.

Pioneer head unit and EQ.

Of course, all my hardware is almost two decades old by now (except the head unit, which is a mere 12 years old). I haven't seen anything like that subwoofer in a very long time, but I can tell you it made a huge difference in the sound while taking very little space.

Ony real problem I ever had was some resonance vibration with the back of the cab, which I fixed with a little insulation packed between the hanging board and the back of the cab.

Hey super cool!
I think I will be able to put together a good setup with your advices. Will post what I end up with after the Memorial Day Weekend Waterproofer Extravaganza. Drain holes, trim removal, maybe new seals, rear window work, good times!
Thanks!
J

i just wanted to bring this post back because i am doing audio on my 4th gen elky soon. does anyone have pictures?
i was thinking 4 speakers (2 under the dash, 2 in the back), a tweeter in the original speaker place in the dash, and a 10" sub in the back.
any other ideas?
thanks

Here's some recent photos. A couple of years old but nothing's changed much. Same components etc.
Here's the back http://members.cox.net/jwalk6/pix/elco-int-rear.JPG

And the head unit..
http://members.cox.net/jwalk6/pix/elco-int-radio.JPG


8)

hey thanks! that looks great, good job.
about the head unit. what do you do with the thing behind the face (the silvery box thing lol)? do you need to get one from another car?

I pretty much had to forget about it and permanently mount it. Most of the head unit work involved using a dremel to size the opening and make up a bracket that ties into the firewall support that runs right behind the opening.

Believe it or not I used industrial velco (not that crap that the auto stores sell) as part of the mounting. It doesn't move at all either. I had to make up a kind of shelf back behind the opening that the bracket is bolted to.

It took about 2 weeks to get the mounting figured out and about 4 tries before I got what I wanted.

Couldn't really use the radio sleeve because there was really no way to secure it behind the dash and still have the radio look right. The way the sleeve protruded was really ugly. You could see about 1/8 of an inch of it sticking out of the radio opening. It looked way too amateur for my tastes. I tried all kinds of bracket setups but none of them worked well and the radio bobbed around so much that the CD player was pretty much useless.

When I had a ISO/DIN Blaupunkt CD/radio in there I actually built a console that tucked up under the dash and blocked off the shaft radio hole. That way allowed me to use the sleeve but it wasn't very secure and I didn't care for the look of it after awhile. You don't realize how tight the inside of an El Camino really is untill you try to do stereo work in it.
Sometimes I think the later 5th gen guys got a big advantage there.

I had entertained an idea to modify a console from an 87 Camaro or Firebird by lopping off the front of it. The radio is mounted in the console on those cars and will let you put almost any kind of radio in there including the newer DVD navigation systems. They're a double DIN style so they have a big opening. I was going to locate the console, mod if for the install and have it upholstered to match my interior.

Good luck with your installation!
:D

On another note. I'm still not completely happy with the look but I couldn't get the radio mounted any further back. I tried to get it flush with the faceplate but it didn't work out too well. Also it's over to the side of the opening because there's a brace in the way that's just behind the dash.

Someday I think I'll go the camaro console route but probably not anytime soon. Probably when the current radio dies.

:D

I am so grateful there is finally some 4th generation audio talk around here. I have a 1977 and put 2 JL 6X9's in boxes in the back with 2 Audiopipe Blue Titanium 5.25's in cut outs in the door panels I did myself with the speaker baffles bought from http://dixiemontecarlo.com/items/DM90195.html. I plan on building a wall for 2 JL W7 12" subwoofers with the Fusion 1200 Watt amp...... Although, I would like to know if anyone has dimesions from across the entire smuggler's box, even with the other side cut out. Also what can I do to cut the otherside of the smuggler's box to make my wall? Finally, what size are the factory speakers in the dash as would like to replace them? Thank you and keep the 4th Generation audio talk alive.

http://elcaminocentral.com/albums/PaPa-Johns-77/HPIM0106.sized.jpghttp://elcaminocentral.com/albums/PaPa-Johns-77/HPIM0066.sized.jpghttp://elcaminocentral.com/albums/PaPa-Johns-77/HPIM0076.sized.jpghttp://elcaminocentral.com/albums/PaPa-Johns-77/HPIM0107.sized.jpg

8) I put dual speakers in the dash at the center locatin. Used the original bracket and a piece of plywood cut to hold the two speakers. The amp will go under the passenger seat when I'm done. :cool:

that looks great papa! great idea sinking the speakers into the wall. therefore you can still have some space behind the seats. i also noticed that you have shoulder harnesses on the passanger side. where did you get those?
thanks

I am so grateful there is finally some 4th generation audio talk around here. I have a 1977 and put 2 JL 6X9's in boxes in the back with 2 Audiopipe Blue Titanium 5.25's in cut outs in the door panels I did myself with the speaker baffles bought from http://dixiemontecarlo.com/items/DM90195.html. I plan on building a wall for 2 JL W7 12" subwoofers with the Fusion 1200 Watt amp...... Although, I would like to know if anyone has dimesions from across the entire smuggler's box, even with the other side cut out. Also what can I do to cut the otherside of the smuggler's box to make my wall? Finally, what size are the factory speakers in the dash as would like to replace them? Thank you and keep the 4th Generation audio talk alive.

I've never tried to measure the smuggler's box area, all I know is that it's completely open back there. If you wanted to open it up I'd recommend removing the bed panel that is bolted over the smugglers box nearest the back window. It's pretty open back there and you can see that if you pull the toolbox liner out of the opening in the rear wall behind the driver's seat.

As for the front speaker. In my 74 there was just one and the size was 5x8. It looks like a 6x9 only smaller. I gutted what was left of the rotted speaker cone and used it as a bracket to mount my new 2 1/8 JBL's in there with a thin piece of pressboard cut to fit the speaker's top dimension.

:D

i also noticed that you have shoulder harnesses on the passanger side. where did you get those?
thanks

8) The shoulder belts are part of the original dual retactor belts. The retractors for the lap belts were trash (one rusted away) and they would not have worked with the bucket seats anyway. I cut the lap belts loose. I ordered a set of after market lap belts and left the buckle ends for the original belts too so the shoulder belt has it's own buckle. Sort of like the early cars had for shoulder belts. :cool:

Papa what'd you do to make your wall because I plan on doing the same thing pretty much just with 12"s. Any help would be appreciated. It's hard to find 77's on here so we need to stick together. 8-)

8) Hey Marshall! I had to do some major rust repair inside the floor of the smugglers box. The bottom of the wall was rusted bad where it met the floor. I cut it out about 1.5 inches below the bed floor and opened it up. Then when I put it back in I put it in three pieces. I made a pattern to match the contour of the tunel and floor for the center Then made the two outside panels. I factored in the openings for the speaker boxes when I cut the panels.
I then built the speaker boxes out of 1X4 backed with 1/4" hardboard. Also used hardboard for the box fronts covered with the same carpet I used on the back wall! Got it in a roll from Wal-Mart for around 8 or 9 dollars! :cool:

If your back wall is good and you do not need to open the smugglers box up for repairs. You could just weld in a panel where the plastic cargo box is and then mark and cut for your speakers as you see fit.
I no longer have hardware for the jack or spare tire. I will be putting a mount for the tire in the bed and using a hard cover for a van spare over it. The jack will be a floor jack in a plastic carry box from Sears stowed behind the seat. :cool:

haha thats a good idea papa john. i need to figure out what im going to do with my spare tire. im taking out the spare to put the sub box behind the passanger seat cuz i dont want it thumpin right behind me all the time. maybe i wont keep the spare... i only drive the 73 back and forth to school and around town basically....

would you guys recommend an amplifier for my system? (6 speakers, and a sub)
would an alpine car deck with a "built-in amp" be enough?
thanks guys

elcamino74guy,
what did you do/use to mount the 6x9 speaker boxes in the back?
thanks

I think you at least need an amp for the sub/subs.

Doug

mike124 thinks that 5 speakers and a sub will run off a headunit fine.

Man, I am so low-key. I'm using the original speakers and I'm putting in a Sony tape (cassette) deck.

Woohoo!

I've got two 6x9 boxes with some mid price range 2-way pioneer speakers. The boxes are mounted facing upward. I've also mounted a 1/2 thick piece of particle board on the back wall of the cab covered with auto carpet. The head unit is a Kenwood as well.

The boxes are mounted to that as is a kenwood 4-way amp. The front channels are hooked up to a pair of 3 1/8" JBL's that are mounted in a piece of hardwood cut to fit the original center speaker basket. The front channel has the crossover set to drop anything below 1Khz so I don't kill the little speakers up front.



James, I took some of your advice and copied your speaker approach when installing my sound system in EARLE this week.

I have 6x9 Alpines in boxes for the rear, which are sitting on the floor so far looking for a satisfactory mounting spot. A pair of Kenwood 4" on a piece of MDF in the centre dash position (but no fancy filter). I ran it for a week with just the back speakers and since I installed the fronts I am really pleased with the results. I like the radical stereo separation we used to get from the albums of the 60s & 70s and surprisingly this still comes through from the back speakers with the fronts providing the highs and vocals.

I picked up a nice little "no name" head unit from eBay. It has a 3 1/2" colour LCD screen, TV tuner, DVD player, Mosfit amp and all the usual desirable inputs/outputs (that's what my young neighbour tells me anyway :oops: ) all for A$217 delivered to my door. Great sound.

HELL YES you need a amp for every one of your speakers you have no idea how much better thy sound with amps hooked up to them trust me iv been through a lot of systems i know my car adio. right now im tring to fit 2 6x9's 4 6 1/2's and two 12 inch kicker solo barick's in my 68 and 2 may be three amps i dont know how its all going to fit but damn it it will. i was thinking of one 6x9 and one 6 1/2 in each door you know 4 6 1/2's might be to much i dont know if the door will take it though then put some of those little looking 6x9's i think there 3x5 or something like that i would put three 12's but i dont like rinky dinky box's for proper good bass out of one 12 inch solo baric you need a 3 cubic feet box. i had a 15 inch solo barick in my 89 lincolin with a 6 cubic foot box the thing was a freakin cofin and it pounded hard just one sub. man it would make your nose viberate and tickel and your chest man you could feel your heart moveing around thats with just one i really wanted two but thats big bucks my bass set up alone coast me around 12 or 13 hounder bucks not including all the highs and deck and i was 19 when i got all this i still got it i just need to swap my 15 for two twelvs i wish i could fit my 15 in my 68 its way better bass then a ten or evean a 12

Glad to hear it worked out. The easiest part was the rear section. The dash part is always a pain. For me it's still a work in progress that I won't deal with again till I send my dash in the be redone.

If I'm not careful I may screw up my dash bezel too so I better make a backup plan for that!

:-D

haha good luck fitting all that in an elky! my final set up is a 12 inch kicker sub and 200 watt amp, alpine head unit, 4 6x9's, 2 tweeters, and a 5 1/2 inch speaker. all the equipment is sittin in the garage but i should have the system done in the next month or so.

This is a good place to mention another issue that comes up with Stereo, alarm and other electrical projects on Elky's.

When you're doing an electrical project it's usually best to build a new wiring harness. I built one for the alarm I installed and the stereo. I built another fuse panel just for the stereo that has it's own feed too.

The amp has got it's own circuit that goes to the battery too.

Older cars had pretty bad wiring that can cause all kinds of headaches. Get your power and grounds and then build your circuit from there and you'll be much happier.

That goes for gauges too. Also keep in mind that adding something like a high powered stereo amp can tax a 55 amp alternator when you got tunes blazing, headlights on and whatever other electrical thing you have going.

I run a 105AMp unit right now and I've had a lot fewer problems since I made the change. Check the condition of your battery cables and ground points too.

:D

i have a alpine amp the pdx 1.1000 it has 1000 watts rms and 2000 peak its small the smallest pound for pound thats puts out that much power this amp has great clairity i'v tryed a few amps on the same sub and this amp blew all the otheres away high dallor amps too. one of these alpines is going to one kicker solo baric 12 for now i'll put one 12. i got all these speaker just sitting here for 7 monthes now. the sub and the amp have like 20 minuets of play time on them i got them both replaced after my lincolin took a dump. (got to love those warranties)

your absolutly right on this one elcamino74guy

[quote]This is a good place to mention another issue that comes up with Stereo, alarm and other electrical projects on Elky's.

When you're doing an electrical project it's usually best to build a new wiring harness. I built one for the alarm I installed and the stereo. I built another fuse panel just for the stereo that has it's own feed too.

The amp has got it's own circuit that goes to the battery too.

Older cars had pretty bad wiring that can cause all kinds of headaches. Get your power and grounds and then build your circuit from there and you'll be much happier.

That goes for gauges too. Also keep in mind that adding something like a high powered stereo amp can tax a 55 amp alternator when you got tunes blazing, headlights on and whatever other electrical thing you have going.

I run a 105AMp unit right now and I've had a lot fewer problems since I made the change. Check the condition of your battery cables and ground points too.