Where does a guy start?

[BIGglaSS]

John, there is no 'perfect' solution. Mid and high range speakers are designed to be aimed within about 30 degrees of the listener. So, that rules out under the seat. A center speaker does not have stereo separation. I chose to use the vents for installation in my 57. It was a last resort decision because I wanted to keep the system stealth.

Under seat subwoofers lack authority, but may be OK if you're only looking to fill in a missing frequency.

I agree to not cut doors for speakers. Worse case scenario, if you want to hide everything, use 2 speakers in the center grill. Other wise, some kind of dash or kick panel pods are a must have for good quality sound.

Putting mid and high range speakers under the seat or the rear corners will never sound like the recording is intended. You would never go to a concert and turn your back the the stage, right? But as a last resort, a lot of guys do that, and are happy with it...

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

John, there is no 'perfect' solution. Mid and high range speakers are designed to be aimed within about 30 degrees of the listener. So, that rules out under the seat. A center speaker does not have stereo separation. I chose to use the vents for installation in my 57. It was a last resort decision because I wanted to keep the system stealth.

Under seat subwoofers lack authority, but may be OK if you're only looking to fill in a missing frequency.

I agree to not cut doors for speakers. Worse case scenario, if you want to hide everything, use 2 speakers in the center grill. Other wise, some kind of dash or kick panel pods are a must have for good quality sound.

Putting mid and high range speakers under the seat or the rear corners will never sound like the recording is intended. You would never go to a concert and turn your back the the stage, right? But as a last resort, a lot of guys do that, and are happy with it...

You make very good points on all.....I do like my music and I like it a lil loud from time to time....mainly country but nowadays country is putting some bass into it.....soooooo

I talked with an interior man and he said he could hide the speakers in the fresh air vents, only seeing the speaker grill...but then I lose the fresh air vent and since I am not putting AC on my truck at this point and the Alabama humidity fresh air would be a plus.

The under seat speakers I looked at are from Undercover Speakers II
250 Watts Peak Power Handling per Speaker
• 8" Woofer in Each Speaker
• 2 Piezo Tweeters in Each Speaker
• 11"(W) x 12"(L) x 3"(H)

Not sure what all that means or how it will sound....These run bout 140.00 a set.

Since I will be wiring my truck I really don't want to take it to a stereo shop, or as I call them...wiring harness destroyers, not interested in the rattling bass that you can feel 3 blocks away....more of a clearer sound. We have several local shows that play oldies music which Im kinda fond of as well.

I looked at head units and have found them any where from 189.00 to 399.00 but these look like the older more stock units...again wont be cutting the dash so gotta get something that's gonna fit....My only requirement besides fitment will be a USB port so I can play my music that I have stored on a flash drive. It was suggested that I could send my original unit off and have it rebuilt but that's extremely expensive.....I had thought about XM/Sirius but know that it has its own antenna and not sure how well it would do inside the truck...definitely not gonna put it on the outside.

Not sure what power requirement I need as far as the radio, speakers, amp etc.....I have seen 2 channel 25 watt RMS???? 4 Channel etc....

I understand you get what you pay for but life posted earlier not wanting to spend a kings ransom on it either.

I am definitely open for suggestions and really do appreciate you taking the time to explain this to a not so young fella...lol

[BIGglaSS]

Originally Posted by Johns 66

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I am definitely open for suggestions and really do appreciate you taking the time to explain this to a not so young fella...lol

No problem! It will take me a while to address everything you said. When I get a chance, I'll take a look at the speakers you mentioned, but my first thought is gimmick...

First, set a budget with what you're willing to pay.

If you don't want to cut the dash:
1. Retrosound radios get a solid reputation, AND, I own one. (But haven't installed it yet).
2. Bluetooth interface + amps (but no FM radio options that I know of!)

Meanwhile, check out my Squarebody stereo from the thread in my signature. It is a very simple head unit, amp, speakers, and 8" subwoofer. Total investment $257. This won't fool an audiophile, but will impress many folks that spend 3x that amount.

For my '57 pickup, I spent $1000 total for Retrosound head unit, component speakers, 5 ch amp, 8" subwoofer, and digital signal processor. All name-brand quality stuff! Granted, I bought this a few years ago. In today's dollars at full retail would be north of $1500.

You don't have to spend a fortune to get great sound. Thoughtful design and seeking out great deals will save you a lot of $.

If you put speakers in the vents, you should close off the air vents. I am sealing the fresh air intake on my cowl, and running A/C. I installed quality co-axial component speakers into my fresh air vents. Not perfect, but an acceptable trade-off.

The speakers will be covered with these 63 impala vents: