Kickpanel Speakers with Vintage Air
 

Has anyone tried using the kickpanel speakers from Custom Autosound with the Vintage Sure Fit Air Conditioning System? I was just wondering if the A/C kickpanels speakers will fit with this system or are there issues with the compatability?
Thanks,
Dale

Reviving this one - anyone?

I ended up using the one for A/C on the driver's side and just blocked off the outside vent with a piece of metal. I used the one for a vent on the passenger's side because the hoses pass through where the vent would go. I had to do some minor trimming, but it worked out well. That means you have double the expense because you need to buy both the A/C setup and the one for the vent setup. If you don't mind having the vent louvers on the driver's side, you could probably leave the driver side vent in place and working or just block it off and use the kick panel with the vent and it just not be operational, you can get away with just buying the kick panels for the vent setup. If I remember right the with A/C kick panel would not fit on the passenger side because it hit the Vintage Air system. Let me know if you want some pictures and I will take some and attach them. You will also have to bend the parking brake to get it to miss the speaker. Also, not a big problem, just be careful. The speakers you use have to be a shallow depth speaker or they won't work in the kick panel. I originally had bought Alpine speakers and they were too deep.
This is the guy I bought them from. https://garytayman.com/kickpanel.htm

Let me know if you need any additional information.

Take care,
Dale

Great info - thanks for posting. Just noticed yours is a 69 while my LeMans with VA is a 64- not sure how different they are. I also have VA in my 69 bird and was able to add speakers in the kick panels 4x6 Kenwood and shallow.

Pretty sure that's just the drivetrain. 428 (from a 69) and a Tremec stuffed into a 65. And he posted it in 64/65 Tech. HTH.

Gotcha - thanks!

My car is a 65 but it has a 69 428 in it. I would think the 64 and 65 would be very close to the same.
Dale

Cool- if you don’t mind posting pics that would be great for me and others looking to do this mod. Here are a couple of pics of my kick panels.
Of note, I bought the car from a friend and haven’t looked at the sheet metal behind the kick panels.

For clarity, did you buy the panels with the hole for the speakers or made your own?

Here are a couple of pictures. You can see on the passenger side where the hoses of the Vintage Air goes through the old vent area. Let me know if you need more detailed pictures.

Dale

Thanks for posting - is there a recessed area in the sheet metal behind the kick panel? Looking at the kick panels in link you posted I would go with the AC panels and the passenger side panel seems it wouldn't be too difficult to install. Of course I'd have to paint them tan. I am concerned on the fit on drivers side and what is involved in bending the parking brake pedal arm.

https://garytayman.com/abante/index....product_id=157

Not that I remember. I think where the vent is that area might be a little recessed, but it is not a lot.
Dale

Do you have any pictures that depict how much you bent the parking brake arm?

No, I don't. I can try to get a frontal shot of it this afternoon to see if it helps. I just grabbed it and pulled on it until it just barely cleared the speaker. Not a real high tech method.
Dale

Did you have to remove it or just manhandled while installed? I'm a bit worried that large rivet will break.

I did it while it was installed. It was already out when I was installing the kick panel and speaker. Then I installed it and gently pulled on it until it just clears the speaker grill. I actually have to be careful when I apply the parking brake because if I push it too fast it will flex and hit the grill.

Dale

Thank you! What is the rest of your sound system and how does it sound?

In the kick panels I have Kicker Speakers. I originally had bought Alpine but they were too deep and would not work in the kick panels. The Kickers are small enough to fit and have a good sound. On the rear deck I have 6x9 Alpine speakers, they were the match for the original kick panel speakers. In the trunk is a Pioneer amplifier. The Radio is from a company called Retro Sound. They are made to look like original radios but are fully modernized digital radios. They are even Bluetooth, and you can hook up a microphone and make phone calls through the radio or play music playlist from your phone. Overall, it sounds pretty good, but to be honest, I rarely have the radio on. I like the sweet music coming from the exhaust. I really like the Retro Sounds stereo because it really looks original but is a modern radio. When the radio is on it has a digital readout, but it comes with stickers that match your car so when it is off it looks original. https://www.retromanufacturing.com/p...xoCW30QAvD_BwE

Dale

Thank you - I like what you’ve done there. I’m considering the kick panels with the kicker speakers and a 4 channel BT amplifier so I can keep the factory radio intact. I’m also looking Kicker 6x9s for under the rear deck - one in the already cut out speaker hole and the other in the area where defogger is. The kick panels I’d have to paint to match the interior.

Regarding the tweaking of the parking brake is the forced bend at the bracket where it mounts to the firewall? Meaning, did you pull on the whole assembly?

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113M50...C-M5024BT.html

Yes, I just grabbed the parking brake peddle and gentle pulled it until it cleared the speaker. It looks like you have a great plan. My car did not have an original radio, it had an old Radio Shack radio that had seen better days. I also looked at buying an original radio and sending it off to be rebuilt with modern components. There are companies out there that will upgrade an original radio bringing it into the 21 century but maintaining the original look. The trick is to find an original radio that is worth rebuilding and then the cost of the rebuild. For what my car is, the Retro Radio was a great fit.

Dale

I thought about upgrading the factory radio. I bought the car from a friend and he put in a factory correct speaker in the dash which matches the radio output. Of course the radio is AM only but it plays well - I’m really surprised it still works. Even though the car is far from original I can’t get myself to cut into it…