47-59 Radio project

[1project2many]

Sorry for taking so long to post an update.

I tried using 1/4" plywood to mount the speakers in the speaker cover but the plywood kept coming apart. 3/8" MDF worked much better and was easier to work with, too. It took a little trial and error to align the speakers so they weren't in the way of the mounting studs and the cover screws, but it worked out fine.

After looking around for materials to make a spacer for the speaker cover, I decided to cut holes in the ceiling. Using the MDF mount as a template, I marked the ceiling then drilled the pilot holes. GM originally called for a 3 1/2" hole saw but I know the magnets would fit in a 3 1/4" hole. In order to reduce the chances of the hole saw walking or breaking the bit while cutting the uneven surface of the ceiling I used a cordless drill set to spin in reverse. I had the pilot set at 1/4" above the saw but there's actually a couple of inches of clearance above the speaker mount. Once the holes were cut I could see the mice had been hard at work moving my seat padding (and parts of a blanket left in another car) into the space above the mirror. From there it was easy to run speaker wires over from the visor access hole and to connect them to the speakers. The speaker terminals needed to be bent slightly to prevent contact with the ceiling but everything went smoothly. Sound is ok. Certainly it's better than the old speaker. Turning up the base can make the old cab vibrate pretty quickly.

At some point I may install rear speakers. I really like the idea of a storage space above the fuel tank and I think I could add speakers as well. I'll be looking at vehicles for inspiration.