My in-dash speaker solution

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70Duster440

70Duster440

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Let me preface this by saying if you plan on installing dual speakers in the stock location of your dash you should just order the 4x10" to dual 3.5" adaptor from Jerry Landes in Texas for $20 and be done with it.

I went the direction I did partly because I had the materials already and partly for technical reasons.

I started with a pair of Boss 3.5" 2-way speakers rated at 200 watts peak/100 watts RMS. Check out the little tweeter. That's a familiar looking shape isn't it? I also had a 4x10" to 3.5" adaptor. These items came from www.hifisoundconnection.com via ebay. (Careful, they gouge on shipping). $20 for speakers and under $5 for the adaptor.

The plastic adaptor (intended for GM vehicles) was not a bolt in as I had assumed. The two mounting holes at either end fall short of the mounts in the a-body dash frame. I also found that the tweeters in the speakers extend above the mounting surface of the speakers by about 3/8". A flat adaptor plate (like the one Jerry sells) would cause the speaker to interfere with the grille in the dash frame. That would require a different adaptor, spacing the speakers away from the plate, or different speakers.

So, I took the original speaker mount, blasted and repainted it. Then took the plastic adaptor and zipped the ends off with my table saw. I sandwiched to two pieces together using matching holes in both the factory mount and plastic plate. Bolted the speakers and we're done. Sandwiching the two got the speaker low enough to not interfere with the dash grille.

barespeaker01.jpg


Plasticadaptor.jpg


barespeaker02.jpg


Plasticadaptortrimmed.jpg


adaptorsandwich.jpg


finished speakers.jpg
 
funny you posted that. I just pulled my dash a part today and will be doing the same thing.
 
I just picked up to 4" speakers that had square mounting flanges and bolted them together by the flange. Then on the outboard edges I bolted on the brackets that were on the stock speaker. They went right in with no issues.
 
Very nice, I`ve seen that fellows adapter on other sites. That should sound much better than the 4 x 10. I`ve heard though that you might want to install an in-line 300hz filter though to control those bass frequencies that are too much for those little speakers.
 
Thanks for the plug, Preston. I didn't hear back from you so I guessed you figured out a solution to your problem. Looks like it'll work fine.

Since all the available speakers out there are different in their design, some will, in fact, have the problem you described about protruding beyond the mounting surface. However, my simple solution, requiring no bracket modifications, is to cut short spacers from a rubber fuel line. These spacers slip over the screws - sandwiched between the speakers and bracket. Because of differences in speakers, the length of the spacers will vary among the applications. Cut them just long enough to get the required clearance.

Then, the bracket simply mounts under the dash using the original mounting studs and nuts. The rubber spacers will also act as vibration dampeners to prevent any potential annoying buzz caused by metal-to-metal contact.

I always say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

Jerry

Bracket D74_2.jpg
 
'74 Sport said:
Thanks for the plug, Preston. I didn't hear back from you so I guessed you figured out a solution to your problem. Looks like it'll work fine.

Since all the available speakers out there are different in their design, some will, in fact, have the problem you described about protruding beyond the mounting surface. However, my simple solution, requiring no bracket modifications, is to cut short spacers from a rubber fuel line. These spacers slip over the screws - sandwiched between the speakers and bracket. Because of differences in speakers, the length of the spacers will vary among the applications. Cut them just long enough to get the required clearance.

Then, the bracket simply mounts under the dash using the original mounting studs and nuts. The rubber spacers will also act as vibration dampeners to prevent any potential annoying buzz caused by metal-to-metal contact.

I always say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

Jerry
Click to expand...


I still have the bracket you sent me, it's going in the Dart as soon as I can find a stock AM/FM radio that is under a bazillion dollars.
 
Longgone said:
For you guys that have done the speaker swap, what 3" speakers did you install?
Click to expand...

FWIW, I still have an extra boxed pair of the same 3.5" speakers I installed if someone is interested.

(Surprised to see this thread re-surface after a year)
 
70Duster440 said:
FWIW, I still have an extra boxed pair of the same 3.5" speakers I installed if someone is interested.
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Looks like some nice speakers. Somebody needs to jump on them.

My son has gotten good service out of these in his Dart: Volfenhag 3.5" 2-way
He bought another set for his Duster. You can find them all over the internet for a decent price.
Someone else installed these Boston speakers
And another used these Blaupunkt speakers
 
Yeah I was doing a search for threads on using the speaker adapter and what speakers people used. There wasn`t very much printed about the actual speakers people used though, mostly just talk about the adapter. Were the speakers most people used 3 or 3.5"? I`d love to know what brand of speakers were used as well as their ohms, watts, and whether filters were installed? I`d also be interested in what fed the speakers? Were they hooked up to mono or stereo feeds and/or used in conjunction with rear speakers? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
All the brackets I made are for 3.5" speakers, except for one that was cut for 4" speakers. Go up this thread a bit and see the three links I provided.

My son Aaron put the Volfenhag speakers in the front of his Dart Sport and 6"x9" in the package tray. He will use the Volfenhag again in his '74 Duster, but it has the fold-down rear seat, so we need to come up with something else for the rear.
 
74 Sport you inbox is full......hey I'm a customer from like 10 years ago or more....but this time instead of my 64 Valiant I'm needing one for a 69 Cuda.
 
I bought the adapter from Jerry a few months ago. Simple yet more than worth the money. Installation was a snap and really looks nice with the speakers mounted on it.
 
moparlee said:
74 Sport you inbox is full......hey I'm a customer from like 10 years ago or more....but this time instead of my 64 Valiant I'm needing one for a 69 Cuda.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear from you again! Thanks for the heads-up about the in-box. Since my son took our father/son project Dart Sport back home with him to Houston last year, I don't spend much time here on the site. I still keep a few speaker brackets on hand, so if you would like to order one, please GO HERE to my online order form.
Thanks for the interest,
Jerry
 
supertruck said:
I bought the adapter from Jerry a few months ago. Simple yet more than worth the money. Installation was a snap and really looks nice with the speakers mounted on it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the plug, Kenny. I'm glad you are satisfied with the results.
 
'74 Sport said:
Got your Paypal payment and the package is going in the mail tomorrow.
Thanks very much, and let me know how your installation goes.
Click to expand...
I'm looking for a dual speaker adaptor for dash of 65 Valiant. Still available? Thanks!! Brad
 
There's a radio conversion shop in Blaine, Minnesota that has the 2 speaker that bolts right in. I have them 2 cars, unless you want to make your own.
 
I've got a '72 and a '75 and need speakers for both. Are these adapters still available?
I'm not a radio guy, do you just tie the two together and hook up to the original single wire?
 
jos51700 said:
I've got a '72 and a '75 and need speakers for both. Are these adapters still available?
I'm not a radio guy, do you just tie the two together and hook up to the original single wire?
Click to expand...
No, the speakers are different from factory. You can't use afermarket speakers with a factory radio. If you want new dual speakers in the dash you will need a modern unit to power them.
 
Well said, Halfafish. As I understand it, the original speakers were on a single channel. My dash bracket allows you to replace the single speaker with two new modern speakers which are connected to separate channels for stereo sound, not capable with the older style radios.
 
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