SkylinesSuck

Where can I find them? After reading some threads on here, I am realizing the 3.5" kickers I shoe horned into the dash will burn out my radio as they are 4 ohms. Is this something that will happen quickly--like should I not even turn the radio on, or is it something I can live with for a couple of weeks until I find the correct ohm speakers? I have found plenty of 6x9 10 ohm speakers on ebay, but no 3.5" ones.

Also, I was thinking, could I just run some 4 ohm 6x9's in series with each of the front dash speakers, but in the holes in the back shelf? That should make 8 ohms I think, and that should be close enough, right? I don't want to burn out the radio from having too many speakers on it too

MDchanic

Don't turn on your radio.

The output transistors on these are rather picky, and too much current through the speakers wil burn them out. You might get away with playing it very quietly, but I wouldn't take the chance.

Yes, you can run two 4Ω speakers in series to make 8Ω, but, if I recall, these sets really want 10Ω. You should get away with the 8Ω but maybe someone else here has had more recent experience - I haven't messed with these things since the early eighties.

- Eric

Lady72nRob71

The 80's ETR radios (the digital ones) were more forgiving - I ran 4 Ohmers with no issue, but do not recommend it.
Not much experience with the 70's units. I think 8 will be fine, but then again, 10 is what they prefer. Do not use 4.

I wonder if those bose home speakers would work? I cannot remember the impedence, but they had 3.5 (or were those 4?) inchers in a lot of their designs.
You would have to search though home speaker replacement parts to find an 8 Ohm 3.5". Then i think the frame is different.

SkylinesSuck

Well, I've already turned it own and decently loud several times. No more though. I might have to shell out the $60 for the turnswitch.com ones. Crap. O well.

Another question then. What does the wiring look like coming out of the back of the stereo? I'd like to install some 10 ohm 6x9's which are actaully fairly easy to find, but how would I go about it? Just piggy back them off of the existing wiring in parallel? Are there spots waiting for rear speakers? Is my stereo even "stereo?"

radioburningchrome

Most stock radios used only 1 wire for the speaker, the ground was obtained from the chassis.

Does your radio have a fader (front-rear)?

You could wire another speaker in parallel, output will drop of course.

All my 65 GM B body cars only had 1 speaker in the front (4x10). There usually is a place for the rear defroster. That is where I would mount the 6x9. Along with a 40 watt amp, it was decent for a daily driver and cheap.
Bump up the amp to 100 watts, add a crossover for a sub and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

You don't need to spend alot to make your system sound good.

MDchanic

If you wire a 10Ω speaker in parallel with another 10Ω speaker, then your resistance will be.... 5Ω, and you're back where you started.

If your radio doesn't have front and rear outputs, you should get or re-create whatever sort of fader setup the factory provided as an option when it was new (and I'm not sure in your year whether the factory provided an add-on fader, or whether it actually used a different radio for four-speaker units).

Or just get a modern stereo and be done with it.

- Eric

radioburningchrome

Putting the speakers in series will give you 16 ohms and will not overdrive the output transistors.

Allan R

I have some 10 ohm OEM speakers if you're interested. Only thing is probably will cost a lot to send to Japan. LMK, the speakers will need a new cheesecloth facing, but for 15.00/pair that's not bad. They are not bench tested, they were taken out of a 71 Toro and were stuck pretty good to the package shelf tray.

MDchanic

True, but it might decrease your volume unacceptably.

- Eric

72 cutlass455

The thing with speakers was not as much the ohm's as the wattage they could handle but you can't mix different ohms all have to be 4,8 or 10's The early bose 901's were 4 ohm speakers.

radioburningchrome

Guess its time to get to experiment on the old work bench!

SkylinesSuck

Thanks for all the input guys, and AllanR, I might take you up on it after some more playing around. These are 6x9's you are talking about, right? Shipping would be to an APO address which is like normal stateside shipping (area code 96367.) I ordered these the other day:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-3...mZ290366220179

so I will throw them in to hold me over until I can do something better. They say they are 8 ohm.

One option I'm thinking about doing now is adding a newer Kenwood unit I have setting around somewhere in the vehicle hidden and removable. I was hoping it would fit in the center console with the little sliding door, but i haven't had a chance to test fit that yet. I don't want to put any holes in anything, and I believe I could run them cleanly out of the back of that little cubby. Then I could run normal and powerful 6x9's in the package tray, the kicker 3.5's I've already got installed up front, and even a sub in the trunk if I wanted. Everything would be hidden and could be removed. I play most stuff off my android phone with bluetooth anyways, so I wouldnt really need to get at the faceplate all that often. I guess I could also mount the 3.5" 8 ohm speakers in little boxes and stash them under the dash somewhere so both radios would still work. Just thinking out loud here really, but I have wired more complicated things before.