Rear Speaker Wire Routing
 

I'm ready to install my new AM/FM stereo and new rear shelf speakers and wondered the best path to route the speaker wires up to the dash.

Out of each speaker, down the inner rear wheel well, under the sill plate moldings, next to the kick panel to the dash then over to the radio, for each side. Or down the wheel well then across the rear floor and follow the hump up to the center of the dash.

Or doesn't it make a difference.

I am replacing the carpet as well so that is out.

There should be a wire channel specifically built from the rear of the car to the front on the driver's side. It's where the wires are routed from the fuse box to the trunk. If you're removing the carpet, you should instantly see the channel. Realistically though, you can route it almost however you feel like doing it.

My 69 ragtop came with an AM radio but because it also had a factory 8track it had and still has the factory 4 speaker wiring. The front speakers wires run straight up out of the kick panels and cross under the dash more or less in conjunction with the door jam light switch wires. The rear speaker wires follow the right front speaker harness to the kick panel area and run under the floor shields adjacent to the sill plate. The wires go under the right armrest (ragtop) and then over the tub and under the top well to the cardboard speaker boxes.

Thanks for the responses.

North, can you tell me how and where the speaker boxes mount on the vert?

Ill post a few pics tomorrow but they are facing into the top well.

Thanks North. The boxes are pan shaped. I don't even know if the pans mount upside down or not. Hopefully the pics will show me.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to get to my garage and I'm at my cottage for the weekend, I'll post some pics Monday when I get back home.

Thanks North.

Here is a pic, they mount in behind the rear seat back in cardboard housings (I think they repro them) facing the trunk, they use the same metal mesh covers seen on the hardtop models.

Hope this helps, can't take a picture of the housings because the mesh covers hold the top well liner in place.

Here is a thread I started with photos on the rear spear for convertible. http://firstgenfirebird.org/forums/u...=285956&page=1

Thanks for going through all the trouble to help me guys. North, the photo is worth a thousand words. I still haven't found the mounting holes, but the well is in the way and I'm too old to bend over very long looking for them. I have pretty much decided that the cardboard trays aren't going to be strong or deep enough for the aftermarket speakers I bought. I'm toying with the idea of mounting wood speaker boxes to the back of the seat frame. First I need to see how far the top actually folds down into the well to see if I have room. I'm not that concerned with originality, and figure the well, spare tire and other "junk in the trunk" will pretty much hide them.

firstgenbird, I'm sorry if I hacked your post. I believe you received the answer you needed.

I think a better solution is to mount them in the normal spot without the boxes.. it's very easy if you remove the rear seat back and leave the top up

The speakers bolt to the existing bolt holes in the seat brace panel. They use those bolts that have a hole in the head to receive the mesh cover retaining screws (Ames repops them).

Btw in the very back of the Pontiac shop manual there is a diagram showing the convertible Firebird installation of rear speakers.

I took the back seat out, and can't find any holes in the seat brace panel that would work with 6x9 speakers There are a couple that look like they were made for the 4 x 6 speakers. I checked the PHS and it shows code U58 Radio, stereo AM/FM & man. ant. The option for rear speaker is not highlighted. The radio does have the detached amp with the blue wire for rear speakers, and it does have power to the back to run speakers.. Maybe someone installed it later? With the top down, I don't have room to instll the speaker boxes like I had hoped. Back to square one.

69 firebirds with a stereo radio and/or an 8track came with two front kick panel speakers and two rear speakers.

Otherwise with an AM or AM/FM mono you got a front dash mounted speaker with a single rear speaker available as a separate option (reverb was not available on Firebird in 69).

I need to remove my rear armrest to fix a 1/4 window problem so I'll remove my rear seat and send you some more pics.

I probably need your pics. I tried to add attachments of what I have, but they might not work. It seems like there should be cutouts for speakers somewhere. I guess I am dence, but I can't put the pieces of the puzzle together.

I probably need your pics. I tried to add attachments of what I have. I tinnk the first one is from the trunk, and the third one is from the back seat. I guess I'm dense, but I can't put the pieces of the puzzle together. It seems like there should be cutouts for speakers somewhere.

By the way, the photos are upside down.

I pulled my back seat and realize what the issue was, there is no opening in the back of the rear seat brace. The boxes mount on the top well side of the seat brace you can see the two screws that hold the box visable from the front side. Then you use those same special bolts (that receive the screws to hold the speaker grill) seen on hardtop speakers to secure the speaker to the box.

Then you lay over the well liner, trim it to expose the speakers then screw the grill into the speaker bolt heads to hold the well in place.

By memory the speaker boxes are cardboard but have built in bracing where the screws to the body brace go.

OK north, Tell me if I;m wrong, but I think I got it figured out. The cardboard box actually mounts from the trunk side. The two screws that you show in the pic mount to those slide on clips that go over the holes in the box. There are two holes in the support that line up with the holes in the bottom of the box, which I think will work to mount the bottom part of the box. Am I anywhere close?

Exactly, top screws go in from the interior side to hold top of box, bottom two go in from trunk side (rear and front seat brace are touching at top but separated as you go lower so you don't see lower ones from interior side).

I can see where the top screws go in your pictures.