jcabbott13

i have been searching the internet for a while and was wondering if anyone knew of hidden radios and systems with great sounds.... speakers have been harder to come by to keep the classic look. also anyone have any recomendations for radar detectors

Oldsguy

I would recommend visiting some car shows this spring and checking out the large swap meets. I have seen displays of original appearing radios that have been upgraded with digital tuners and better amplifiers, I think some even had a low level input to accept mp3 data! I would say look for some good 6x9 speakers for the package tray and some nice round ones for the kick panels. I think there would be room behind the kick panels for them but you might check first as some may have magnets that would be too large to fit between the cross bracing behind the panels.

Redog

I saw something a long time ago on "Two Guys Garage" about this, but I didn't have a classic back then.

Try something like "Vintange Radios.com" I did look at the sight and was impressed

rocketraider

You should be able to find a good head unit that will hide in the glovebox, or a lot of guys refurb a factory underdash 8-track player housing to mount one.

Pretty sure you can get molded fiberglass kick panels to mount midrange speakers (and sometimes tweeters) for these cars. I know they make them for 68-72 Chevelles and it's the same part. Those may not work if it's a factory air conditioned car since the ductwork might get in the way on passenger side.

www.crutchfield.com is a good place to look.

redoldsman

Crutchfield is a great company to do business with. I fate them up there with Fusicks. I don't think they have the kick panels. I have seen them advertised in the past for A bodies with and without A/C. If you Google you should be able to find them. Somebody was selling them on ebay a few months ago for something like $84.00 a pair. Hidding the radio in the glove box will probably be the cheapest and offer the biggest range of options. However, the conversion of the original indash radio would be the coolest. I thing you can find companies that do the conversions advertised in Hemmings.

ThyPlumber

I had a freind who worked for a Kenwood wholesaler, I can't remember the name of the wholesaler but i do remember they had radios that were exact replicas of the originals but the internels were digital. Check out Kenwood or call a rep or wholesaler I'm sure they are still making them.

rjspen

Custom auto sounds and something called secret audio. I believe it mounts under the seat.They have a web site www.customautosounds.com

68Tom

I went with John to convert my original stereo. Sent him my stereo and it came back looking brand new with new guts and the AUX jack for my iPod. I don't listen to the radio all that much, so I'm not super concerned about the loss of buttons. I think it's a small price to pay to retain the original look of the '68 radio and *****. Was relatively inexpensive as well.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6kave/index.html

Bluevista

The original radio sound is part of the overall experience. Hard to define unless you were around in those halcyon days, there is a certain Je ne sais quoi about it.
Nothing like an oldie coming on that radio, or how bad the 8-track sounds, who cares about stinkin' harmonic distortion.
It's like a time machine of sorts....

I have the kick panel speakers with adjustable tweeters in my goat, sounds okay but nothing like a good system. I don't use it much, the haunting drumbeat and Geeto Tiger Growl of the poncho powerplant is my perferred sound system.

bccan

Don't know about radio options but I know there are mods being done. Personally I would buy an Alpine shaft radio & live w/the non original look there. I actually had a 71 w/ radio delete(more correctly not selected as an option) so there was a radio opening in plastic dash but woodgrain was solid. I zipped the woodgrain @ the edge of heater control & velcroed it to be removable. I fabbed legs & welded them to a DIN radio sleeve & mounted it behind the dash. Pull off the wood, radio face right there flush w/ radio opening-invisible w/ grain on & stock looking.

I would go for the kick panel conversions but have used very plain, flat, generic black grilles over 6.5" speakers in the lower door, grilles nearly invisible on black carpet.

If you are decent fabricator/carpenter, I made a sub box, ported it thru center of pkg shelf, w/ false trunk wall contoured to wheelhouses & spatter painted. Amps & Xovers mounted to front of wall so all is hidden between wall & rear seat bulkhead under pkg shelf. If you don't know what an "A" body trunk looked like, you wouldn't know it was there. Top of package shelf covered w/ fabric so no speakers or port visible. Too Bad I don't have any pics, it was well done and I never had to worry about getting it stolen, car was old, stereo invisible, only way thief would find radio is if they happened to catch the end of the woodgrain & peel it off while rifling the glovebox. I never locked that car, usually just dropped the keys slightly under the seat & walked away w/ no worries (even in the city). Just had to be aware enough not to be bangin' tunes just before parking it.

Doing a 70 Supreme right now w/ 2 10" sub boxes mounted to Rt & Lt "upper trunk", putting small speaker grilles over the angled 4"x8" holes in pkg shelf to help vent the trunk into passenger compartment. 6x9's mounted on 1.5" spacers atop pkg shelf, 6.5" in lower doors w/supplied grilles. I fabbed shelves that mount between the 2 subs a carry the 2 amps. A capacitor is below the shelves, mounted to the center hump of upper trunk. This system is not hidden, but nothing special visible at a casual glance other than regular aftermarket speakers & a DIN chassis radio(tastefully done, not hacked)- lower dash is replaceable anyway but will never need to be done.

I hope to have the pkg shelf & rear speakers installed tonight.

If you are interested in the latter setup, I could take some pics & email them. I don't know how to post pics but someone else could.

jcabbott13

thanks guys all the info is a tun of help... i guess im jumping the gun. got to pay off my 2 g debt to my uncle first. lol but one day it will be boomin

ricdiculus

Totaly off the wall here, but i got to throw it out there..... I'm building a 'carputer' with a touch screen display and runing windows XP-MediaCenterEdition. Now before you laff, I could put one of these headunits together for around $600.00 to 700.00 inculding the touch screen. Why, you ask? I wanted something different and not just a bunch of video screens connected to a dvd player. With a car PC you sudenly have a powerful gps unit, ALL your music(and movies if you so desire, heck even blueray support) AM/FM radio(though i have not personaly heard the quality of these tuners), and i quess even games if you wanted it(basicly a full featuerd PC, so anything you can do with a home or laptop PC you could do with this) all hidden from view and controlled by a 8" touchscreen LCD display. Think almost any new car with a modern entertainment system. Does it look factory, Oh No. but functionality, OhYah.

easytobedead

what no 15' subs in the trunk with a big amp


whistler radars.. i love them {: