[pats70elcam]

I'm trying to find the best speakers for a four way system in a 70 El Cam interior. (probably '68 to '72 all the same) The fronts would be installed in the kick panels and the rears would be in the panels between the back wall and back of doors; both of these panels don't present a lot of mounting depth, so I need the best performing speak with minimum mounting depth. I estimate max 2", maybe only 1 or 1.5"??
Thanks to the audiophiles in the house..enjoy the virtual brews.

 

[Harley]

Please,please,please, figure out some other way. The kick panels and rear panels are hard to replace. I would rather see the door panels "butchered", at least they can be had at a reasonable cost.
The local stereo center has some boxes that mount under the rear window with minimal damage to the car.
Of course it's your car, and you can do as you please, but I just hate to see this kind of short term gratification butchery.

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Harley
69 461 El Camino Nitrous Model, 69 Chevelle coupe
70 El Camino,71 SS Camaro
79 Corvette
Kerrville,Tx.
A Camel is a Horse designed by a commitee

 

[DJRisberg]

Amen, and don't go there...If you don't wanna mount 'em in your door, build a box to go under your rear deck...lots of space there, or I've even seen them installed under the dash in the defroster vent duct...The sound comes out through the top of the vent just like the air, w/o much distortion & its totally hidden!

-Rock On!

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68 El Camino...Slow, Much Work Required
98 Z28...Fast, No Work Required
Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, TX -- Where? That's what I said..

 

[MikeyTn]

I agree with the others who have answered about destoying the kick panels and side panels. I'm an installer and a Chevelle owner . I understand that the kick panel install is the trend now but don't do it to that classic automobile you will regret it later. I would go with a Kenwood 2-way component set (KFC-P602) in the doors. Mounting the 6 1/2 at the bottom of the door with the tweeter flush mounted above it. don't forget to put a foam baffle behind the woofer to protect against the weather and some dynomat on the door wouldn't hurt either. The Kenwoods sound great for the money and will image well in the doors. Then I would install a pair of subs behind the seats. Space is tight so go with 8's. An 8 inch sub in the proper size incloser will perform better than a larger sub in a box that is too small. A pair of Bazookas would sound good there too, which ever you prefer. You shouldn't need anything else speaker wise, all the frequencies will be covered. Before you add any major amplification make sure you upgrade your alternator. I beleive the stock alternator is around fifty amps or so, not enough to handle a high current modern stereo. Trust me on that on, I've sucked my battery dry with the engine running before.
But, if you must go with a kick panel install , remove the originals and use them as a template to make new ones out of fiberglass and hack those up instead.
BTW, Crutchfield.com is an excellent place to get your new gear from.
Mikey

 

[pats70elcam]

Well everybody,
I do respect your points of view as far as altering those panels; I don't really want to do it either. On the other hand, it seems that those door installs are always subject to moisture (washings,rain etc.)and shock/vibration of door closings...they always seem to suffer sound distorts over time due to the above. It's with that in mind that I look for alternate to door install..I think the install back on top in the original underdash positions will be my only alternative...2 minus pts. there though;
sun exposure, and indirect sound projection (into windshield, then back at you.) Oh well, there are worse problems to have. Still, even if I do go back to the dash mounts, aren't the retrofit speakers still underdesigned for todays sound systems...ie.:speakers designed to fit into those small openings, by the very nature of their dimensions, can't generate the full power and range of sound that the larger speaks in other mount locations? Someone tell me there are dash mounts available that will produce...which,where,how much? I probably will mount rears in enclosures up under rear dash panel or against back wall.
If I do this, what would be a good matched combination of original dash mounts and rears in enclosures? Should they all be the manufac.? If stereo has 3 range tone control, do I look for a more specific speak?
By the way, if the retrofit into kick panels bothers you, this will put you over the top.
I,ve looked at stereo after stereo designed to fit the original GM dash opening, all 4 of them. Not being very impressed with what's available I'm considering commiting the following act of heresy against the church of restoration dogma; I looked at all the CD systems that are self contained (ie: ones that don't have a CD player mounted separetly in some convenient location like behind the drivers seat or the trunk). Of those out there, the one that appeals most to me is the Nakamichi CD45z.
I know that the dash panel will have to be modified to accomodate; but I'm willing to live with this single departure to the original config. in order to have the best of the most convenient steups available in the price range; it also has other features I like more than the comparables.(its more convenient to me to change one CD at atime from my drivers seat than to realize that what I want to listen to isn't in the load magazine and if I want to hear it, I've got to pull over, get out and reload.)
This machine puts out 45 watts per; from what one of us is saying, I'll need to compensate the power output with a larger alternator. How do I calc. how large an alternator I'll need?
I'm not trying to make my rig a rolling boom box (those guys really annoy me anyhow), but I know that the more power you supply a speak, the cleaner the sound reproduction is at low volumes...I would think 45 watt per channel is sufficient for a 50 cubic foot room.
Anybody care to tell me more of what I'm not or haven't seen or understood about my sound expectations or endeavors.
Thanks for your patience, I appreciate that the most about this forum.

 

[SS396ELKY]

Want to come listen to my stereo???

I have a 70 SS El Camino and didn't cut a single panel or cut a single hole, some screw holes though. A little creative thinking goes a long way.
I designed a center console with 5" speakers. I have a bench seat and the console has my gages and mug holder in it too. I relocated the spare tire to back, put in 4 ea 8" speakers across the back under deck shelf and a bazooka tube and 10 disc cd changer in the cubby hole. The center console is afixed with velcro. I seal the bed cover lid and installed a drain tube for water. I did this before installing the system.

This baby when cranked will make your hair stand up!!! A system you feel.

I love it when the little rice burner cars have there stereo banging at a stop light and I'll select a C & W CD give it a little volume and completely kill there Wicky Ticky Music. Then I get "The Look" from them and I smile...

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JR
70 396SS El Camino #'s Matching.
69 396SS Chevelle, project "Street Bruiser"
H-D Ultra Classic E-Glide
72 Chevy C20 Flatbed, $500 DRMO sale. Thanks Uncle Sam
I live to own toyz...



[This message has been edited by SS396ELKY (edited 12-18-99).]

 

[RT]

My '69 assembly manual shows an optional radio/speaker setup with the front speakers in the kick panels. Back in the early 70's I had a '69 SS with something like 3x5's in the kick panels. They had rectangular perforated black steel covers, and I always thought they were factory.
Now, concerning those hard to replace plastic kick panels, if yours are anything like the ones on both my '69s, they have begun to deteriorate from UV rays and the slightest bump creates a gouge in the surface graining.
How do you get these 30 year old panels to look good again when paint won't stick to them and the graining is getting scratched off anyway.
What I'm trying to say is, if these panels are deteriorating and can't be repaired, what are we so protective of them?
Thanks,
Rich

 

[rick]

SS396ELKY
Please e-mail me. I'd like to see your console. I'm planning a similar setup and so far my "design" has been less than satisfactory.


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Rick (Abilene Texas)
72 El Camino
TPI350/700r4

 

[rgriff]

Re: Best minumum depth speakers for 70 ElCam kick panel and rear cor. panels?

I just installed a system in my '71 El Camino that I am really happy with. Since I didn't want to cut any panels I bought a set of Autosound kick panels designed to accept a speaker. I got them from JS Classics http://www.jsclassics.com/kickpanels.html. The speaker area was raised a little to accept a deeper speaker. Since I wanted a set of Memphis Sound 2-way speakers that were pretty deep, I fashioned a 6 1/2 circle from MDF that I mounted above the existing hole for more depth. I installed a Rockford Fosgate 10" woofer in the minimum size suggested box behind the drivers seat (bucket) and mounted a 300 watt Rockford Fosgate amp on the wall behind the seat. I mounted the Clarion CD Receiver below the dash in an aftermarket box designed for such an application. My original radio is still in the dash. Sounds great, no holes, and my original kick panels are in the attic.

Ron Griffith

http://elcaminocentral.com/gallery-album_rgriffs-71-SS-Clone.html