1968 Barracuda Dash Speaker Access, Size & Replacement

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Mopar Virgin

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Before we finalize the interior and place the new windshield on, I'm inquiring about the speaker contained in the dash. The entire dash is not final mounted, as we anticipated needing to replace/repair parts of it. I'm thinking a pair of 4", but looking for people's experiences with this before tearing into it.

That said, I have the following questions:
  • What option(s) are there to access the area to remove the old speaker one and install a contemporary one?
  • What was the OEM speaker size in underneath the dash?
  • What new size(s) have others mounted in there?
 
I believe it’s easiest to remove dash and you will have access to the speaker. I never measured one but I believe its 6”x 3”. There used to be places that repaired speakers, but I haven’t seen ads for that lately.
 
ch1ll said:
I believe it’s easiest to remove dash and you will have access to the speaker. I never measured one but I believe its 6”x 3”. There used to be places that repaired speakers, but I haven’t seen ads for that lately
Click to expand...


No need to remove the dash.

Remove the front seat/s and you have all the room to work.

If you have AC it will be more challenging.

The speaker is a "deep" 10x4"

There are 4 screws that attach it to a grill that attaches to the dash with 2 screws.

Remove the 2 screws and it will come out. Might help to remove the defroster vent tubes.

.
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What are you planning to do for a radio? Are you just using the stock AM unit? Are you using an aftermarket stereo?
Depending on which direction you go, you'll want to make the appropriate choice based on the radio's ability and recommended impedance. If using an aftermarket stereo, by all means install the dual (probably 4 ohm) speakers. If staying with the factory unit, a mono speaker rated at 8 ohms is what you need. Or at least there's no reason to get anything better.
 
Just remember the stock unit only puts out 5 watts. We had our stock am/fm refurbished and it was pricey....in hindsight that money should have went into a "hidden" unit and left the stock one for looks.
 
Sadly, I'm a bit of an audiophile, so intending to put a higher-end system in (more $$$), ideally an aftermarket retro fit with a separate amplifier. My time in the car seems to be were I get the best opportunity for listening to music these days.

@Dana67Dart thanks for the details on removal. Interior is being finalized next week and the seat is already out (good news for a change) !!!
 
Mopar Virgin said:
Before we finalize the interior and place the new windshield on, I'm inquiring about the speaker contained in the dash. The entire dash is not final mounted, as we anticipated needing to replace/repair parts of it. I'm thinking a pair of 4", but looking for people's experiences with this before tearing into it.

That said, I have the following questions:
  • What option(s) are there to access the area to remove the old speaker one and install a contemporary one?
  • What was the OEM speaker size in underneath the dash?
  • What new size(s) have others mounted in there?
Click to expand...

Howdy, sort-of-a-neighbor. I've done this upgrade a couple of times. My 66 Valiant had some kind of oddball speaker (like a 5x8 or something?) that was shot. As the PO had installed a modern DIN radio, I added a pair of 4" speakers that I mounted in a piece of 1/2" plywood I made to fit the hole in the dash and the mounting holes. Here's what it looks like.

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I also just upgraded the tunes in my 72 Coronet wagon. I used a different bracket than the one listed in post #4, but the concept is the same. It took a pair of 3.5" speakers.

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I used one of the Retrosound 4x10 dual voice coil speakers in the dash of my truck to go with a modern DIN radio also installed by a PO. It's surprisingly good.

I'm with you on wanting quality sound. I've spent a medium size fortune in my lifetime on audio equipment. In each setup above, there are solid rear speakers and subs to fill out the sound. All the above dash setups sound very good. For a head unit two of these cars have a reasonably good aftermarket unit (one Sony, one Kenwood). Having installed and used two of them now, I'm a real fan of the Custom Auto Sound line of retro-looking but modern guts units. They have a ton of adjustments available to run and control different response curves and custom curves, subwoofer with separate crossover points and volume control, and so forth. They sound really good. Plus, they have many models to match your car. The wagon is a real oddball radio setup but their unit fit like a glove and looks stock-ish.

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You're only about 75 miles away. If you get down Vancouver way, feel free to shoot me a PM. I can give you a demo on how these conversions turned out.
 
I made my own speaker bracket by tracking the original speaker. I think I was able to mount two 4" round speaerkers, but they may have been 3.5". I think they were Infinitys. For a head unit, I used a round marine guage pod radio in a homemade console. Radio is about the same size as my tach that still isn't connected.
 
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