Hi all,

I have a 72 Cutlass S. I'm thinking about replacing the center dash speaker with a new aftermarket one.

How much of a pain in the pants is it? Does it require taking apart the dash?

I did some searching in the forums, but didn't really find a step-by-step, or specific details of the easiest way to get the old one out and new one in. (probably my terrible searching abilities).

The dash was cut when I bought the car , if that makes a difference. I've already got a an aftermarket stereo, going to the rear two speakers only (they also cut up the package tray...bastards!). The car has factory AC. I also have a rare condition known as sausage fingers...now you have all the details .

Thanks again, Olds friends.

R

 

It should be a royal PITA, as even the defogger nozzles need to come out, after a bunch of other parts. I never pulled one but i have seen how well it is nested up in there...

 

I fear the air conditioning combined with "sausage fingers" is going to make changing the front speaker without pulling the dash a very frustrating experience. I recommend pulling the dash out. On another note, I got a dual 4" speaker to replace the original speaker in my car. Even though the car isn't finished yet I have turned on the stereo and it sounds incredible. If you replace the front speaker I recommend going that route.

Chris

 

Having just done this, I can tell you that it's possible to do without removing the dash but it ain't easy or fun! It may not be so bad on a non-AC car but I had to remove all of the ducting to get at the speaker. The biggest problem encountered was getting access to the 2 screws that attach the center duct section to the center vent. You basically have to remove and install these by touch unless your head is really small . Since I usually don't have a helper, I had to use a piece of wire to temporarily hold the duct in place while I installed the screws. Also used a dab of silicon adhesive to help hold the screw in the driver while I fished for the hole. This actually worked pretty good. As stated by the others, removing the dash is probably the way to go but that job comes with it's own set of headaches. Once all of the ducting is removed, the bracket is just held on by 2 screws...piece of cake at that point. Also a good time to clean all of the old dust/dirt from the ducting and possible eliminate some of that old car musty smell although some guys actually prefer that. Let me know if you have any questions about it. Good Luck!


If you're using the factory radio, you should use an 8 ohm speaker which ain't easy to find either. There is a company that makes exact factory replacements but they're pricey. I discovered that many BMW's use 8-ohm speakers so I picked up one from the local salvage yard for next to nothing and modified the factory bracket for the round speaker and all is well! Now I have to figure out how to install and hide my aftermarket radio after reinstalling the original AM...another rainy day project.

 

It is a PITA. Here's something for you to look at that may help you with your project. See page 102 (bottom left corner) The speaker is a 4X10. But, IIRC it is 10 ohm, not 8
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/membe...ct_1_-_1.2.pdf

 

Thanks guys! As always, great replies and links to nice resources.

As I read, I kept thinking, man, those back speakers are sounding better and better .

One of these days, if I get ambitious, I'll take it on. The worry, of course, is that once I get the dash off, I can't get it back on...Who knows how long it's been on there, what's brittle, what's broken, what's reshaped by the sun....and it looks so good right now! On the other hand, I think it was restored at some point in the 90s...and I've had it in a garage since I've owned it (since 2006 or so)...so it might not be that bad.

If I have ANY other reason to remove the dash, I'll definitely go for it though...but not JUST for the center speaker. If/when I do, I'll definitely be looking into the dual speaker.

Thanks again for the advice and details!!

Russ