72 GMC Stereo Installation

[KY_GMC]

I posted this in the build forum section and decided to share it over here also.

So, I never installed a radio in the truck when I built it and after driving for a couple of years, I decided I needed something to keep my company on my drives.

After a long search and investigating various options, I pulled the trigger on a 5 speaker system. I couldn't convince myself to cutting the dash for a single DIN unit and I couldn't justify buying a RetroSound head unit. So I came up with a solution where I hid the head unit in the glove box and ran an infrared repeater out to the dash and am able to use the remote control.

I chose a Pioneer multimedia head unit, Pioneer 5 channel 1000W amp, Pioneer 10" subwoofer and enclosure, 6-1/2" Kickers in kick panels and 6x9's in the cab corners. I built a board to mount the amp and sub woofer to put behind the seat and ran the wires from the glove box to the amp via RCA cables. The install kit I got from Crutchfield came with 4/0 power and ground cables and I was able to run a ground from the amp straight to the frame, and the power cable from the amp all the way to the battery.

The passenger kick panel required some trimming but the drivers when in with no problem. After covering them with speaker cover carpet, I just pulled away the door jab seal, removed the floor vent screws and placed it in there. The seals and screws hold it in there pretty well. I also made my own spacers to move the speakers out so that the backs didn't hit the cab kick panels.

After getting the amp finally setup, I am really impressed with the tonal quality and the ability to crank it up without very much distortion. And this is over bluetooth.

Now I am working on a mount in the ash tray to hold my iphone so that I can change music and charge it at the same time. I also need a place to mount the infrared eye (you can see it in the dash picture) so that it is not noticeable.

[SunSoaked]

Nice work! How deep are those 6.5's? Did you have to cut the sheet metal on the kick panels to mount them? I'm contemplating doing the same in my 85 but I want to get them as deep as possible in the body.

[KY_GMC]

They are Kickers 6-1/2" Model # 44KSC6504. They say that they are 1-13/16" deep, but I still had to put a 1/2" spacer in the kick panel. Not for hitting the cab kick panel but because the speaker grill housing would not fit down in the kick panel hole. It was larger in diameter by less than a 1/4" in diameter. The spaeker itself would fit, but not the plastic ring that the grill sits in.