I've tried and tried on several occasions. The speaker is located in the middle of the dash, above and behind the central air vents. The best I can do is get to the speaker from underneath the entire dash, contorting my entire body just to get up to it, and just BARELY unscrew a couple of the mounting screws, but even then, knowing full well that I'll never get that speaker out from below the dash, nor will I ever be able to get a new one back in.

So does anyone have any experience with this? Will I have to remove the entire dash? Jeez... if so, I don't even know where to start with that! Please clue me in on this. I would dearly love to update that speaker along with the rest of the sound system in my Vista Cruiser.

Thanks!

Buz

 

With lots a patience and preferably small hands. Remove the stereo and vents. it took me two hours to replace once i could get to it.

 

This is it. As noted, you need to remove everything else in the way first. The speaker went in from the bottom and it comes out the bottom. Remove the front seat and lay on the floor.

If you plan to update the sound system, why even screw with the stock dash speaker? Just abandon it in place and put new speakers where you want them.

 

I have already updated the rest of the speakers, including putting speakers where I want them. However, because the previous owner had already apparently mounted a speaker down in the side trim by the floorboard, I did the same on the opposing side. These, however are quite small speakers, and I'd like the dash speaker to kind of even out the 6x9's that I mounted in the back.

I guess I'll try again, and remove as much as I possibly can, including the seats, because they are a huge hinderance. I will post my results...

 

Here's a good tip. I've done this twice with an A/C car, one with a console, one without. You do need to remove the middle A/C plastic manifold and probably the radio too, but, here's the trick. Remove the clock (or clock delete if that's what you have). and you will be able to get at it and line up the replacement speaker for installation a heck of a lot easier by accessing it that way. This is really a 3 handed job so if you have someone to assist that would be a plus. You can do it this way yourself but it will take genuine patience. As mentioned by someone else, preferably an assistant with small hands.

This is a really tricky job, especially the A/C console cars. My 2nd job was easier as it was a bench seat car. Also, you may have already purchased speakers, but in my opinion Turnswitch.com (the company is called ElectroTech) has great speakers that replace the old factory ones. I have speakers from them in my factory 72 Cutlass S am/fm stereo unit (1 front, 1 back) and they are adequate. They make a nice front replacement that sounds far superior to any NOS front speaker and it has the same profile.

 

actually it didn't. It was already assembled onto the dash pad by Fisher body works before the dash was assembled and installed as a unit. But the recommendations you gave to replace are spot on.

 

And I bet the speaker was the first part that was assembled in, meaning it will be the last to come out.
I would stick with a 4x10 unit, either a stock reconed unit or dual voice coil if you are getting a stereo 'upgrade'. The ones with two smaller speakers in it would sound so tinny it would not even be worth the time or money.

 

I think I removed the glove compartment also, as well as the clock, A/C vent and radio. No matter how you slice it, it's a tough job. At 6' 4", I don't have small hands!

 

Now that I think of it, in addition to taking out the clock I also removed the glove box door and also the inside glove box liner. Man, that sure slipped my mind and I don't doubt why. This was one job I'd soon rather forget.

 

Gene, likely it's because you only want to do that job once. It's almost as labor intensive as taking out the dash pad itself. IIRC the radio static strap also connects to that speaker bracket.

 

I've got the one with the two smaller speakers in my GTO, and it's not worth the time or money.

 

Thank you so much for the replies guys.

I will try again, removing as much as I can of the stuff that might possibly get in my way, including the seats. I simply cannot stand it when there is a speaker not being used, it gets on my nerves so much. And, of course, there's the whole sound balancing issue. As it is, I use the fader to tone down the rear 6x9's and it just doesn't sound.... right.

Thanks again. I'll try to tackle it sometime this week and post my experience, hopefully along with a conclusion!

 

Have you considered therapy? :~)

 

I tried it with my project and it just made it worse.

 

No doubt as to add the dash speaker you'd have to tap one of your front channels already running your L or R kick-board speakers. So front to rear is fine on your fader but your L-R balance will be strange as the center dash speaker is in parallel with one of your fronts.

Stereo field? Um, more of a center channel home theater deal going on here. Not to worry, you have lots-O-speaks kickin' it.

 

Understood on the home theater aspect with all those speakers.

For my 72 I stuck with the original "stereo" set up, 1 in the front and one in the back. As mentioned, with my newer more powerful speakers the sound is adequate and since there's only 1 6 x 9 in the back, I can get a really nice balance when using the fader, so it sounds like the sound is coming from right next to me.

In 72 Olds went to a window glass defogger but the hole for the fan defogger is still there and it's easy to convert that for another speaker hole for a 2nd 6 x 9. But, I thought that would be too much rear sound and would drown out the front D shaped 4 x 10. Also, I was told somehwere along the line that running another 6 x 9 off that speaker might be too much strain for the factory radio.

And besides, I don't even use the radio that much anyway so it just didn't make too much dollars and sense to upgrade. When i'm not listening to my wife, I'm usually enjoying the exhaust rumble........

 

Lol. Both of my Olds wagons are cruising cars. Superb and up to date sound is essential because I like to drive fast and listen to loud and fast music. Especially on hot summer days when I have all the windows down.

After realizing the amount of work and patience (of which I have none) that will have to go into this, I think I've decided to upgrade the kicker panel speakers instead for the time being. I found a seller on ebay that sells these kicker panels with 6.5" Pioneers installed, so I believe I will see what that does for me.

As for not being able to stand having a speaker in the dash, unused, it doesn't go for just speakers. The clock didn't work when I got the car so I absolutely HAD to tinker with it and when I failed at that, I bought a NOS one off ebay. Stuff like that just gets to me. If it's there, I want it to function. I just hope that the better positioning and bigger speakers of the new kicker panels will help me forget about the dash until some other project comes along that might require me to get under there again and push me to decide to replace that speaker as well.

I will definitely be using you guys' advice when that time comes, so THANKS!

 

Right on, you probably have the right idea as you have a wagon. That's a huge cavern to fill up with sound!

Per the clock, my current 72 had none, just the delete. I bought a NOS clock years ago, and installed it when I first got the car in 2010. True to form, it croaked within 3 years. I tried my luck with one of those quartz conversions, I did it myself and it came out really well. Food for thought when yours dies, which could happen any day now. PLUS, the quartz conversion uses up alot less battery juice, so much so that you won't need to worry about it killing your battery (as much) during long term storage.

Take care, best on luck with the 6.5's

 

Lol. Thanks! And thanks for the advice about the clock. I may start looking into that just in case! Might have to become a clock builder as well as an engine builder, carpenter, metalworker, machinist.... etc.,

 

Ugh, my story is sad. I'm experienced with 8-channel, multi-amp systems including DSP (digital processing) devices for sound "modeling". These exotic systems with balanced, separate component speakers and tasty subs sound amazing. We're not talkin' kid stuff rattling the sheet metal. So what's in the ol' Olds?

A working Delco AM (mono) radio with a snappy push button tuner! Problem was the last owner hacked the dash to install a snotty head-unit. I ripped out miles of cable, door speakers and enormous 3-way 6X9's stuffed in the rear shelf. I spent a couple days fabricating brackets and what-nots to mount the 20 lb. radio (pig). There are no shaft holes for shaft mount radios. The idiot cut out that section so it had to be suspended from behind.

Okay, 20 pound radio is in. Test it with the factory dash speaker and - nothing. Great the weird shaped dash speak is toast. I find a supplier for this exact 10 ohm freak and order her for $50. Spent two hours inventing tools while practicing contortion moves under the dash installing this beauty. Fired up that beast and she works perfectly and surprising loud before clipping. My 24 year old son asked how to set the push-button channel presets? He was amazed when I demonstrated the pull the button out trick. (Man - I feel old )

That's the thing, out with that audiophile junk, retro is fun. This car is a blast from the past as it would have been rolling then. I have Flowmaster 40's and like another poster, I listen to the rumble too much to consider tunes. Ha, I even have period lapbelts without retractors purposely. Guys get in my Olds looking around nervously seeing no headrests, manual adjusted lap belts where not an air-bag is to be found. Kind of scares 'em being out of today's cushy comfort zone. Chickens!

 

Man, your spot on with that comment on the radio! I've had several people get in my 72, look at the radio, and they didn't know how to work it! I kind of liked it that way though, since they wouldn't touch it. That can't be bad. Then there's the under dash 8 track. I swear it hurts and feels good at the same time when the younger set out there looks at it and has no idea what it is or how it works.

That's one of the reasons why I kept everything period correct in the 72. Granted it came with the AM radio (I was fortunate it had the fader/rear speaker set up). The amp in it was shot and both speakers were blown. I upgraded to a 1972 Cutlass Correct AM/FM Stereo. It's worth the price of admission just watching the stereo light go on when I hit a stereo station. And the under dash 8 track, this is the 3rd car that unit has been in. Still works fine after being serviced.

It's why we live for this stuff. This car gets more looks than my 79 Hurst.

 

Too true Gene. BTW did you hear that Brian may be pulling the trigger on a 79 HO?

 

Update: I found kick panels with speakers installed on ebay and ordered them.

Got them in yesterday and they are in fact, and exact match to the original kick panels, minus the fact that they're black. I'm having a hard time locating the correct paint color for them, so I installed them as they are and they look fine.

I was skeptical at first, but these things really are an exact match and fit right in place. The 6.5" speakers are pretty decent Pioneer 180w 2-way speakers. After installing them, I went for a ride and the bigger, better mounted speakers really made a difference! I no longer have to fade the sound.

In case you were wondering, I tested the new sound with Judas Priest.

So in conclusion, since the dash speaker seemed like too much work (lol), I decided to upgrade kick panel speakers to balance out the sound and that more than did the trick. When I have other dash work to do in the future, that is when I'll go ahead and replace that dash speaker. For the time being, I can live with the fact that it's not hooked up,..... I guess. Knowing me, I'll be sitting around someday soon without a project and decide to go ahead and tackle it. In which case... this thread will be here!

Thanks for the guidance for the future and the inspiration for the upgrades I did end up doing!

 

Priest rocks!

 

Replaced the dash speaker (removed factory speaker, replaced with repro speaker) on my 70 with A/C. It was not fun.......

 

Where did you get those panels? I would like to have that information please.