The Wife and I decided to keep our 73 Cutlass..we had toyed with the idea of getting another high powered pickup to play with but at our advanced years...the Olds is just ducky..and we really enjoy it.

We have the stock plane Jane AM radio with one speaker (not sure where it is mounted except somewhere under the dash) and would like to get something that would let us use our 'I tunes" little player without having to get too techical or get into too much...we only want the music for cruise nights or when we go with friends...old 70's music. I talked to one guy that wanted to cut speakers into the kick panel and put some set up in the glove box, etc to the tune of about $350 or so...not on our radar.

I've heard there is some sort of speaker that has both "channels" built into it but not knowing anything about radios I can't imagine the Mp3 player would work through a monoral Am radio...

Don't want to change the originality of the dash and sure don't want to cut any holes in the car..it's just too nice and too original...

Am I just better off to find a battery player and set it in the back seat or what?

I recall having a 69 chevy Impala that had an 8 track player under the dash..had speakers on the package shelf...came out of a watering hole one night and saw the passenger side door open...2 legs sticking out and a guy up under the dash stealing my 8 track...did you ever hear the sound a human can make when you slam the door as hard as you can on knees and shins?

Any ideas of how we can have a bit of do wop with our hamburger?

 

You can install a decent stereo in your car yourself if your handy at 1/3 the cost you were quoted. Yes they do make dual voice coil speakers, installing them in your car is royal pain. Go for the 6" kick panel speakers and 2 6x9's on the rear deck. Put your head unit in the glove box.

 

You can buy modern radios with the two-shaft style that will fit right into your dash. Here's just one example.





https://www.summitracing.com/parts/r...FQIQaQod3a4Kcg

 

I saw several of them advertised and talked to an installer here and I'll probably go that direction with as little disruption to the car as possible...Seems everyone is so far into units that do everything but bring you a cup of hot soup that they forget some folks just want to go simple...If I get a blue tooth I run for the dentist..that's 80 years old for you.

 

Here are a few pictures of the radio install I recently did on my 71 98.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...y-71-98-a.html

You could probably install a modern single DIN radio cheaper than a Retro Sound or Custom Auto Sound head unit. You can either put it on the floor board like I did or install it in the glove box if it's convenient.

Here is another thread about radio upgrades:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...o-upgrade.html

Your problem is going to be your expected out of pocket expenses. $350 is pretty reasonable if it included a Custom Auto Sound or Retro Sound head unit. Especially if that is with install. The cheapest way you can do it without cutting the dash or package tray is to get a modern single DIN radio. Mount it in the glove box or on the floor and get single cone 6x9 speakers for the back and front.

 

If you just want to play music from your iPhone/iPod/MP3 device, then I'd just get this
Our family has a few of these, and they work and sound great. You can use Bluetooth or the included audio cable to hook it up to your iPhone/iPod/MP3 player. Cheap and easy.

 

It sounds like you are wanting the bare-bones basic stereo that is uncomplicated, sounds a bit better than what you have now, and will let you plug in your mp3 player. The easiest and most economical way to do this would be to find a PepBoys store and get the following.

$35
https://www.pepboys.com/product/details/8655453/00776


$17
https://www.pepboys.com/product/details/20343294/00776


$50
https://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9290965/00776



Mount the 6X9 speakers in the boxes and set them in the back seat, under the front seat, hidden under the front dash even (if they will fit), run the wires to the dash and install the stereo in the dash. This is an analog tuner stereo like you have now but it has AM/FM, cassette (if you can find them) and an aux input for your mp3 player. The output power is highly overrated but will power your speakers well enough to have a very nice listening level. So for a little over $100 you have a complete modern (more or less) stereo. The stereo should fit in your dash without modifying anything. It comes packaged to fin in a DIN opening but can be shaft mounted like your factory radio. Save your factory radio so it can go with the vehicle if you ever decide to sell it. If you are not able to install the stereo in the dash yourself you should be able to find a young car enthusiast or even a professional stereo shop that can do it for you for a reasonable cost. If you are willing to have the speaker holes in your rear dash (package shelf) you can skip the speaker boxes and the speakers will sound a lot better.

 

I didn't know they made shaft mount radios anymore. I might have considered that when I did my radio upgrade if I knew it existed.