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Old 10-19-2021, 09:01 AM
GoreMaker GoreMaker is offline
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Default 77 Trans Am Front Speaker Location

My '77 SE was originally ordered without a radio. A previous owner has since installed an OEM AM radio and a single package tray 6x9 (looks like an OEM speaker). I'd like to upgrade this sound system while retaining a correct stock appearance.

Where is the front speaker SUPPOSED to exist? I can't seem to find any photos or diagrams anywhere, and the few grainy videos I've come across were supremely unhelpful by virtue of being... grainy.

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Old 10-19-2021, 09:21 AM
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Center of your dash between the defrost vents

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Old 10-19-2021, 09:25 AM
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Oh THAT's what these grilles are for! I thought that was part of the climate control.

Thank you!

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Old 10-19-2021, 10:05 AM
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Oh THAT's what these grilles are for! I thought that was part of the climate control.

Thank you!
the single front factory speaker in the dash doesnt do much for sound quality, if youre just trying to get a stock system in there its ok, but for the price of buying a new or working original you could get one of the more modern adapter plates or set ups with the dual 4" speakers that mount in the stock location.

the dual 4", usually a 2 way with tweeters, will sound much better but verify the ohm ratings, modern car audio is usually 4ohm & factory systems are 10ohm, so you need to add a resistor for a stock radio or get one of the modern 2 knob radios. the modern radios have a lot more power than the originals & can have features like bluetooth or aux inputs & RCA pre outs. & add the 2nd 6x9 in the rear if you can.

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Old 10-19-2021, 10:21 AM
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If you’re interested too, what I did was kept my factory stereo and console 8 track and fed both of them into a small Bluetooth enabled amp I mounted under my console which in turn drives 4 modern speakers. Radio and 8 track still work or I hit a button on the wired remote I hid in the ashtray and now I can stream music from my phone. Just a thought.

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Old 10-19-2021, 02:33 PM
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Oh I said stock "appearance" �� I plan to make it sound actually good. Nobody needs to know what's really under there, I just didn't know where it was supposed to exist

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Old 10-19-2021, 03:42 PM
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Radio delete car, keep,it that way. Putting a base sub where the back seat was?

There’s lines punched out in the sheet metal. Do you have that.

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Old 10-19-2021, 04:06 PM
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I'm adding music to my car, deal with it. But anything I do will be completely reversible and will retain a stock appearance, I'm not making any permanent modifications. Besides, I didn't add the head unit that's already in there, or the crappy manually-actuated power antenna in the driver-side fender.

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Old 10-19-2021, 07:59 PM
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You may butcher your car any way you like. I don’t have to deal with anything.

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Old 10-19-2021, 08:20 PM
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I have no desire to, this car is far too awesome the way it is. Just needs tunes that aren't AM-only and piped through a single rear deck speaker ��

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Old 10-20-2021, 09:37 AM
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I have no desire to, this car is far too awesome the way it is. Just needs tunes that aren't AM-only and piped through a single rear deck speaker ��
you wont "butcher" the car at all putting some tunes in it...

keep the head unit a 2 knob so no need to cut the dash, add some speakers for the dash & a 2nd 6x9 in the rear, should have a opening already cut in the package tray metal for it. with the big trunk on these cars acting as a "box", some decent power & quality 6x9's will have almost subwoofer type bass.

i used to run a small 100w x 2 amp with some top of the line 6x9s in my 78 t/a & it sounded excellent but with the modern radios today most will have ~50w/channel which is enough for some decent sound quality. i also wired some tweeters that i velcro'd to the top corners of the A-pillar trim. it all was all removable & didnt butcher anything.

but just adding a 2nd 6x9 & a dash speaker with a stock stereo radio will be much better than what you have now.

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Old 10-20-2021, 01:21 PM
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the factory front speaker also would have a specific bracket to hold it in place;
If you decide to buy a dual cone front speaker, that one comes with it's own bracket shaped for this speaker - I know this because I have had one in a box for some time.

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Old 10-20-2021, 07:54 PM
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I added the dual front speaker in the front of my 76 Firebird. I also added a Retro Sound radio since my factory radio died. I put in the second rear speaker, so now there are 4 speakers. I got the cheapest Retro Sound radio with an ability to listen to my Ipod. I have at least a 100 old car songs from the 60's. It was a worthwhile modification. The radio looks like the original.

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Old 10-20-2021, 09:42 PM
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What is a good dual cone speaker for the frt....jerry455 what did u install in there on the 76

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Old 10-21-2021, 09:38 AM
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theres a few different brands out there, this one with dual kenwood 4" is decent & says it uses factory mounting, but doesnt say if they are 4 or 8-10ohm, most likely they are 4ohm. could probably email for confirmation. they arent a true 2 way with separate tweeter, just one way with a "whizzer cone" but for the limited freq range of a small front speaker they should sound pretty good.

https://www.firebirdcentral.com/1970...r_p/das-93.htm

heres a single cone dual voice coil version with dual tweeters for stereo sound & uses the stock bracket. & a few other versions listed below it.

https://www.classiccarstereos.com/19...html?rrec=true

& before these were available what guys did was to gut a stock 4x10 & use the frame to install dual 4" or 3.5" speakers of your choice, but for the price of the cheaper ones available its probably easier to use one of them or could even swap out the cheap speakers for better ones & just use the plate...

https://www.rickscamaros.com/custom-...yABEgIES_D_BwE

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Old 10-21-2021, 09:46 AM
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The classiccarstereos one you posted comes with its own bracket it says. I think that’s the same one that I installed in my car which works ok but one thing to consider is if you have A/C. That speaker will not allow the center duct to reinstall correctly. Just a thought to consider.

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Old 10-21-2021, 11:41 AM
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Honestly, most of these are just bare speaker drivers attached to very simple mounting brackets. I've got enough fancy speaker drivers of all kinds of sizes and impedance laying around that I have no doubt I could fabricate something really sweet for practically "free". I have a couple of 4" CDT drivers in mind that would sound really sweet. It's just a matter of figuring out where to place the mounting holes for the bracket, which seems easy enough. I bet I could even angle the drivers a bit to reflect off the windshield and provide a good impression of ambient space and stereo separation

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Old 10-21-2021, 11:43 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bhill86 View Post
The classiccarstereos one you posted comes with its own bracket it says. I think that’s the same one that I installed in my car which works ok but one thing to consider is if you have A/C. That speaker will not allow the center duct to reinstall correctly. Just a thought to consider.
I do in fact have factory AC that's functional, thank you for that caveat

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Old 10-21-2021, 01:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bhill86 View Post
The classiccarstereos one you posted comes with its own bracket it says. I think that’s the same one that I installed in my car which works ok but one thing to consider is if you have A/C. That speaker will not allow the center duct to reinstall correctly. Just a thought to consider.
mine looks to be the one sold by 'classic car stereos' and linked earlier, granted my car is non-a/c, and I;ve only tinkered on a couple A/C cars, but I am skeptical that this speaker would not be able to work with an A/C car.

Mine was purchased from Classic Industores, and is a 'Classic Autosound' part.

https://www.classicindustries.com/product/s5002v.html

I am not saying that there should be no problem, but rather am hoping to show how similar the two are, and the depth difference.

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Quite likely one of few '70 Muncie three speed Formula 400's left.


1991 Grand Am: 14.4 @ 93.7mph (DA corrected) (retired DD, stock appearing)
2009 Cobalt SS: 13.9 @ 103mph (current DD; makes something north of 300hp & 350ft/lbs)
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Old 10-21-2021, 01:42 PM
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The magnet is what interferes with mine. In fact I just went back through my emails and found my PayPal purchase. My speaker is indeed the classic car stereo product, same part number, and it does interfere with the duct.

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