47-55.1 stereo install in AD cab, my ideas

[leegreen]

I never liked the factory AD radio location, it is like they designed the dash the realized they forgot a spot for the radio. I welded it up years ago.
I want a modern stereo, but I don't want to spoil the look and feel of the truck installing it.

I've posted the first part before: a reworked glove box door skin to replace the speaker grill and have a flip up door to hide a stereo:



Next I needed to find a place for speakers. Rear cab corners are an obvious choice, but welding in flat metal there does not appeal, the truck is curvy. I also don't want to block access to get to the lower cab corners so I can keep them clean and dry, I've already replaced them twice, that is enough!

so 6.5 round speakers will fit here at an angle, and mocked up in CAD I like the curvy look. The next post will be building that in metal.



For front speakers, the kick panels are out. Park brake from a 90s chev on one side, heater on the other plus some curtesy lights. I really like the bead rolled inner door skin, not going to hack it up. That leaves the lower access panel / hinge bolt cover. At 4x9 will fit in there if you recess it into the door, and angling it up seems to make sense to get the sound to the ears. (I'm no audiophile, no idea if this is true but it is more interesting to build)
Another post will be how I made this work.

[leegreen]

OK, for those rear speakers.
I bent flanges to follow the curve of cab top and bottom and the rear cab brace to inside. The outer edge follows wind lace channel. The panel angles towards the cab skin as it goes down, to keep good access to lower cab corners.




need a disk to mount speaker to

[leegreen]

[leegreen]

still needs a bit of tweaking, but I need to run wires next and need to pull the seats to do it.
Move on to the door speakers

this is the angle I want the speakers at

so I made a box to hold it there

[leegreen]

I did not want a plastic and chrome speaker grill.
I used this piece of stainless as a template and drilled a bunch of holes.
Anyone know what this sort of drilled sheet metal is called?


and here is my 'speaker grill'


that is all for now. I need to finish the other door, figure out how to get wires into the doors, get wires to rear speakers etc.

[mr48chev]

Pretty slick, I was thinking that a person could hinge the middle to drop down to expose the radio and what ever else you wanted to tuck in behind it. Maybe AC controls or air bag controls or power outlets.

[dsraven]

that metal is called perforated metal sheet.
nice job LG.

[vintovka]

Wow! Great work. I just don't have your energy anymore so this is mine. Hung speakers off back of cab just below top of seat.

FWIW these new units are only like 3" deep and easy to fit in tight areas like AD dashs.

[dsraven]

nice work.

[dsraven]

nice work.

[Tempest67]

I made a metal dash that attaches under the middle and I added a 60's style face plate that hides a newer style unit. I also added 2 3 inch round speakers behind the original speaker grill, and added 2 6x9's to the rear corners.

[vintovka]

Been asked about controlling radio when behind glove door or other enclosure. I used a remote controller that fits up on the dash and is wired to a sensor that fits over the radios IR receiver. This allows the remote that came with the radio to fully control it when the glove box door is closed.

[mr48chev]

I'm thinking that most of the hidden in the dash setups just have a flip up/flip down door of some sort. As Leegreen showed it is all about what your imigination and your personal skills allow for.
I've been thinking about mounting the head unit below the dash and using what looks like the cover off a tissue box that my grandmother had in her 54 Chevy and had transferred to her 61 Brookwood wagon (or had a new one installed in the wagon).

They are way too expensive used unless a guy just happens to find one somewhere now . This one on Ebay right now. https://www.ebay.com/itm/28509708035...Bk9SR5bwseazYQ

I think the second one that is plainer and swung out is what my grandmother had in her 61.

I'm not using a stock dash in my 48 though. I am using the dash out of a car that I used to own. Period correct for the build.

[leegreen]

That is an interesting idea. How do those boxes open? It looks like it hinges down. I like repurposing things like that.

[mr48chev]

My grandmothers swung out hinged at the corner. I'd just use the face plate but those are real collectors pieces now. They do reproduce them but they aren't inexpensive either. https://www.google.com/search?q=chev...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[MD2020]

Nice work

[leegreen]

the face of this looks like a hammer forming project, then stick an emblem on the front.

[mr48chev]

I found this one with the speaker panel hinged with a piano hinge while snooping for something else.

[leegreen]

yeah that is someone on here. I have a floor shifter and sooner or later would ram my fist into that setup.
I see they cut out the divider between the speaker and ash tray in dash and made room for a gauge. This is something I thought about doing, but I need a place for two small gauges (Tach and AF ratio) and that would have been too tight.

I'm still undecided on those gauge locations, either below lower left edge of dash or above rear view mirror. Leaning towards a small roof console, probably incorporate a couple reading lights. But it would be nice to house a screen for camera system there too and suddenly it is not a small console any more.
This dilemma of where to put gauges is what led to me starting on stereo install....once I determined gauges would not fit there I went ahead and built that spot for a head unit in my dash, but then let speaker mounts distract me from the gauge question.

[dsraven]

LG, personally I would think hard on whether or not to install anything below the dash on the left side. I had something down there on an old truck, a hand throttle possibly?, and recall banging my leg on it a few times. it seemed like a good idea at the time but it seems like when you like something enough in the planning mode your brain makes you move differently than normal when you are mocking it up. then you fab stuff and mount it but at some point down the road practicality sets in and wham, sore knee from impact.
I kinda like the tach to be somewhere it is easily seen, possibly overhead would work better than down by the knee but it seems like the gauge would still be small so not easy for eye to find in a hurry. I realise your cluster is likely completed and you've been driving for awhile but thats the spot that I would put the tach. maybe substitute a volt or amp gauge for a tach there and put the other gauge overhead. one that you need but don't look at a whole lot. just my view, everybody is different (especially me, according to the wife. haha)

[leegreen]

thanks for the feedback, I do have some concerns about under the dash for the reasons you state.
I have been driving manual trans for ever and the tach is not something I look at often. This is a 250 with a T5, I wont be racing, I have no need for a 4" tach on the dash with a huge red shift light. My use is more for 'if I hold this gear/speed on this hill how hard am I cooking it', or when family members drive it.

[vintovka]

Not to repeat myself but these remote extenders really mean you can easily and cheaply put a radio/player anywhere in the cab. Even the cheapest radio with a remote can be used anywhere unless you really need to see the screen or have immediate access to it. I find that with a sd player i rarely use the radio.

https://www.amazon.com/remote-contro...&node=11039361

[28TudorAZ]

I used the stereo metal from a 57 chevy.

[leegreen]

that's nice. better than the factory AD location.

What did you use for your indicator lights between gauges? I did not find anything so discrete so for now mine are sharing an old speedometer housing with a smaller GPS Speedo.
And what is the 4th somewhat larger thing between the two gauges? Another indicator?

[fauXGT]

Originally Posted by leegreen

that's nice. better than the factory AD location.

What did you use for your indicator lights between gauges? I did not find anything so discrete so for now mine are sharing an old speedometer housing with a smaller GPS Speedo.
And what is the 4th somewhat larger thing between the two gauges? Another indicator?

To me it looks like a 'check engine' light.