Where do you guys mount speakers? Pictures please

[71C10SWB]

I just picked up a simple radio to put in my ’71 C10. Here’s the deal. I don’t care about thumping, high powered stereo systems and I don’t really intend to spend much. This is my daily driver and I just want something to listen to for 20 minutes each way to work.
Somebody already cut out the area where the stock radio was and did a decent job, so I’ll probably just clean it up a little and utilize it. I also have a satellite radio subscription and a satellite receiver from my previous truck. I’ll probably spend the most of my time listening to it. I bought a radio with a face loaded aux. input, so that should work out fine.
My biggest problem comes when I start trying to figure out where to mount the speakers. I haven’t bought any yet, but I want to get some ideas where to put them before picking out a size.
I’ve seen the kick plate set-ups, but I don’t want my speakers getting kicked in. I’ve also seen the headliner setups, but I don’t intend to spend that much. Somebody already butchered up the doors for speakers IO don’t intend to cut into my fresh repairs for a speaker in the door. No better than these doors seal up, I don’t like that idea any way and I don’t like wires running from the cab to the doors.
I’m guessing the only choices that I have left are some surface mount speakers (with housings) on the floor under the seat or up in the cab corners (I don’t really like that idea.) I’ve also thought about building a center console so if you guys have done something like that, I would be interested in seeing that too.

[skyreep1]

I wanted some thump so you probably want to edit out some off this.

First I built a wood sub box under the bench seat that had a 180 degree angle so I could fit large subs in the short height. It has a plexiglass front and blue neons around the edges. Gave a cool effect under the seat and It has a switch on the side so I can turn it off if I want. The amp is mounted to the back of the box.

Next I wanted to keep the stock head so I built a fiberglass headliner with a din on it and put a boss audio head in it with a 4 inch dvd play screen. I also put 2 speaker and 2 tweeters in it. The headliner is secured with MASSIVE AMOUNTS of industrial velcro.

Finally I built a small box under the center of the console that left enough room for the passenger's feet. Again a plexiglass front with a JL audio woofer in it.

Finally I located two extra small plexi glass/wood boxes in each back corner of the cab sitting on top of the gas tank so you can still see it and let the speakers protude with a metal screen front to keep the sound clear but prevent the speakers from getting F%*#&ed up. These each have 1 regular JL audio speaker in them.

No pics, sorry, this was in my old 71.
Originally all it had was a factory head and a zip tied speaker under the seat. All the boxes, headliner, etc were covered with black vinyl.

To say the least... It was bumpin.

The best part is the buyer wanted stock so it all just came right out. No drill holes etc.

Peace

[bigoletruck]

i've just replaced my headunit with a am/fm unit that looks about the same, and replaced the speakers in the top of the dash. Mostly just the stock hardware and it sounds decent to me. I always have my windows down and listen to the engine scream

[big_al_71]

I bought the kickpanel pods with the pioneers in them they look great sound ok and very inexpensive.....

[nickp51chevy]

I was wondering this myself. I hope more people chime in with their pic's and ideas.

[72 cheyenne pdx]

To keep the stock look, you can buy direct replacement that goes in the dash. a pair of 4" speakers will fit in there. You can make your own board to house them or by premade versions through LMC. I believe a few other vendors have them as well. If that won't work, Car stereo places sell premade boxes to house a variety of size speakers. That can be put behind or under the seat. If you also go into the electrical section, there is a sub-topic for stereo and you can see what people have done with their vehicles for ideas.

Good luck

[mycool72]

Im building a console to house a 12in sub, an amp, and air ride guages/switches. Looks like you ruled out everything except a console.

[71C10SWB]

Oh, I don't know that I've ruled out some of the other ideas, I'm just picky and I use the truck as a daily diver and a work truck.

Let's up the ante a little bit.

Let's see all of your consoles. I might see something I want to copy.
I have a Hurst shifter poking up through the floor right in front of the middle seat anyway. I've even considered mount a set of buckets in there and going with a big console, storage area.

[UltraBlue71]

Why not just do like 90% of the kids that had these trucks in the eighties did and hack 6x9 speaker holes in your doors! J/K !!!

[71C10SWB]

Tell me about it! I've got 2 sets of doors and they've both been butchered.

[69GMCLonghorn]

I hate to say it, but the 6 x 9's in the doors are the best way to go... I know, I know, you're hacking holes. These aren't irreplaceable trucks, nor are they worth 6 figures, unless you put 7 into them.

Hack the doors, have a beer and don't lose sleep over it. The ony other thing I would do is buy a dual voice coil speaker from custom auto sound and install that in the stock location in the dash. They sound pretty darn good.

[skyreep1]

Question for big al... did your pioneer kicks cover up your *****in switch? (high beam button) and also how to they mount in??? thx

[eric67m]

Install a radio delete plate, weld up the holes in the doors, shove a pair of earplugs in AND DRIVE. Thats what I used to do when my truck was functional and plan on doing when it works again.

If I were to add a radio in the future. I would go with a basic 80's knob/ cassette deck if your dash is unhacked and either (6x9 or 2 - 4's in the dash hole) or small box speakers under the seat.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by 69GMCLonghorn

..........The ony other thing I would do is buy a dual voice coil speaker from custom auto sound and install that in the stock location in the dash. They sound pretty darn good.

Did you buy one of those? If you did, which one did you get. They have a dual cone and a dual coil, regular and Kenwood ones. The regular ones are a lot cheaper.

[100mph]

Just in the midst of installing but I went with the kick panel speakers like big_al_71 did (they're basically just held in place with the vent knob/bracket and no they don't affect the floor high beam switch)

My truck came with the radio delete plate and I wanted to keep that look so I installed (two face taped) an ipod dock in the ashtray out through a JBL inline volume/level controller to an amp.

Clean and simple and I can take it with me... the interior (seat, carpet) are still not in but its sounded pretty decent on my test run

[mycool72]

Originally Posted by CutlassSMan

Oh, I don't know that I've ruled out some of the other ideas, I'm just picky and I use the truck as a daily diver and a work truck.

Let's up the ante a little bit.

Let's see all of your consoles. I might see something I want to copy.
I have a Hurst shifter poking up through the floor right in front of the middle seat anyway. I've even considered mount a set of buckets in there and going with a big console, storage area.

I'll put some pics up of mine on sunday after I get a little more work done..lol she's not quite to the bragging rights point. I google'd the hell outta console and got my ideas.

[68C15]

I am a red neck and my speaker install proves it. I hacked a pair of 6.5s in the doors. I needed a set of fronts and wanted to mount them under the dash at the corners, kind of like the 73-87 trucks did. but I didn't want to remove my windshield yet for working room. so I did the next best thing. I laid them at an angle on top of the dash pointing right at me and ran the wires down the original grill and to the radio. Shawn (71swb4x4 can attest to my creative effort. it works, what else matters?

[oldblue1968chevy]

made a lil box and put 2 5 1/4 in the passenger cab corner, hard for driver to hear down low but drives pass. NUTS

[DJMAN]

Originally Posted by oldblue1968chevy

made a lil box and put 2 5 1/4 in the passenger cab corner, hard for driver to hear down low but drives pass. NUTS

Any pics? That is what I'm going to do.

[prostreetC-10]

You will only find speakers in my garage.....my motor is my stereo!!!

[highperf4x4]

I built custom boxes for my 6x9's to go under the bench seat and shaped them to fit the seat and the floor hump both. Sound was awesome!! Before I could even paint the boxes though I installed buckets and now I'll have to build a center console for them............. I'll be showing that in the near future though.

Originally Posted by prostreetC-10

You will only find speakers in my garage.....my motor is my stereo!!!

If I had your truck I would have the same religion!!

[eric67m]

My question is how to cut holes in doors. I have seen...

1.Tin snips

2.Hundreds of 1/8" holes to make the desired shape

3.plasma cut

What others have you all seen? Has anyone used a hammer and chisel?

[Piece of Work]

Originally Posted by eric67m

My question is how to cut holes in doors. I have seen...

1.Tin snips

2.Hundreds of 1/8" holes to make the desired shape

3.plasma cut

What others have you all seen? Has anyone used a hammer and chisel?

I used a dremel, worked well.

[nickp51chevy]

Jig saw with a metal blade or a body saw.

[pritch]

Originally Posted by eric67m

What others have you all seen? Has anyone used a hammer and chisel?

That's what my PO used, but he wanted the big sound of quad so he put 2 speakers in each (otherwise fine) door.