I would like to upgrade my original AM/FM in my '71 Cutlass Supreme rag. Going to get some aftermarket kick panel speaker enclosures . What do folks recommend for the stereo. A cd player would be great, but not necessary.

 

I would purchase a CD player and put it in the glove box or below the dash. I have a 6 CD changer in the trunk of my VW and I don't like it very much. You always have to open the trunk and change out CDs becaue they get old after about 4 days.

 

I bought aftermarket kickpanels and mounted thin-mount speakers in them. (The sound is mediocre at best). I installed a cd player in the dash. I own a 69 Chevy, so this required cutting the dash as the original radio-posts came thru the dash in separate openings. Fortunately/unfortunately someone had already cut the dash, so this was no big deal. To do it again, I would buy an aftermarket speaker to replace the factory speaker located in the top of the dashboard near the windshield and skip the kick panel speakers altogether. I recently saw an ad for just such a speaker. I think it is 4" x 10", handles 70 watts(?), and I think I saw it in Summit or possibly in one of the Camaro catalogs I received recently. Had the dash not already been cut, I would not have cut it (sacrilege), but I dont know where I would have put a modern radio with cd player. Mounting stuff in the trunk doesn't seem like a good idea and I already have stuff in the glove compartment. Mounting stuff under the dash reminds me of my first car and looks amateurish. But of all the options, if my dash wasn't already cut, I would mount the radio under the dash above the console.

 

I know they make products now that have a seperate head unit and amp unit. The head unit is very small and some are even remote controllable via infrared. Then the amp unit can be mounted under a seat or someplace else out of site. I think the upper end stuff is all going this way. I work at a Motorola Service Center and we don't do "sweet music" equipment but all of our professional two-way equipment is like this. Of course the amps are much larger as they generate between 35 to 150 watts of rf power but still, the same principle applies.
About the single speaker replacement, those do probably give a good quality sound but remember, that won't be stereo. Using slim mount speakers in the kick panels is a trade off at best because slimmer means smaller magnets, and usually the bigger a magnet, the better the speaker (I know, I know, there are other factors too). I bought a set of super small tweeters that I mounted up near the sun-visors on a car I owned when I was stationed over in Japan. They worked great, brought a lot of clarity to the front so the voices were crisp, the horns were piercing, the top end was just the best. Then to round it out I had some really good full range speakers on the back package tray. All I did was adjust the balance front to back for more base in the back and the sound was really great. I have never seen any speakers like those since then and sadly I failed to keep those when I rotated back to the states. Another option for us might be to find some good sounding small 3 inch units and if you are going to cut up the dash for the radio then why not cut it up for the speakers as well, and mount one in either corner of the front dash, either facing up toward the inside of the windshield or facing back towards the people (depending on the car model and shape of the dash). For those of us who don't desire to do this there aren't many choices left.

 

Some of the items mentioned in the posts are made by custom auto sound. I think they are available throught Summit and other mail order companys. Might check this out. Some of the systems can be "hidden" and remote controlled.

http://www.casmfg.com/

I have the little 4x10-acutally two speakers, that mount in the original dash location in my 71. They work fine with a modern radio/cd player. My dash was allready cut or I would have hidden it in the glove box etc.

You have choices, so keep looking and thinking about it.

 

Take a look at this vendors web site, they have some neat solutions to upgrading speakers. http://www.turnswitch.com/speakers.htm

As far as the custom auto units, they are quite expensive. I think I can come up with a system using what I have already ( amps subs ) and get a common aftermarket head unit that is Satelite, HD, Ipod and Infared remote controlled. I plan on mounting this in a ABS plastic enclosure that is commonly used in the marine industry, then puting it under the seat. CD changers are going the way of the Do Do bird. With an Ipod you can have every CD you own on there!