# 69 GTO - Recommendations for sound system upgrade



## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Howdy - Bear here.

I'm down to the 'short strokes' I hope, getting my 69 done. Right now I'm working on getting the dash and wiring back together and installed so it seems like the right time to also "do" a sound system if I'm going to.

I'd prefer for the head unit to install in the stock location in place of the factory AM radio, and I'd prefer one that doesn't require me to cut up anything (fit in the orignal opening). I'd rather not go the route of hiding the head unit in the glove box. Space there is going to be limited already due to the aftermarket a/c unit. 

I thought I'd found one on RetroSound's site but then I read the fine print and saw that it won't work with dashes that have a "bar" between the radio dial and the row of push-buttons -- which all 69's do. Admittedly, the bar is only on the plastic insert that sits in front of the dash and not on the dash itself, but still I'd rather not cut it up especially since I just bought a brand new plastic insert and wood grain.

The second part of the equation has to do with speakers. Due to the a/c system I'm using and the plenum I had to fabricate to adapt it to the center a/c vent on my dash, I'm not sure that it's going to be possible to install the 6X9 speaker in the original center position on the dash. I've seen replacement kick panels "various places" that come with speaker pre-installed, and I can always put some good ovals in the normal spots on the rear package tray - but I'd also like recommendations about speaker systems that will sound "decent" but also won't require me to cut up the car a lot. I'm a heavy classic rock guy who's also a drummer, so I like lots of punch and bottom end in my music. Jury's still out on whether or not I want to go to the trouble of installing a separate amp and sub (probably in the trunk) and I understand that not having that is going to affect how things sound.

OK - lemme have it 

Bear


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Bear, I'd start with 2 very good quality 6x9 speakers in the rear package tray. You can get the "mesh 2 speaker package tray" from a repro place. You can mount them underneath in the trunk without cutting (ok, maybe a little). They should give real good sound with a good head unit and a clean amp. Eric


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Performance Years part#RPZ187 will fit your dash with NO cutting. They also sell the kick panels with 6.5" round speakers in them...this will fill in what the back misses. Personally, if I was gonna run a subwoofer, which is a good idea, I would build a box and duct a 10" one thru the middle of the rear package shelf (best sound). The sub, with the proper crossovers will "releive" the other speakers of trying to produce the deep base. That way they will be free to produce great mid range and highs.........Songs like "highway Star", "Iron man", and "Ziggy Stardust" will sound great...Rock On, Ericarty:


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Now that's what I'm talking about. That head might just be the ticket.

Thanks Eric!

That unit looks very similar to one I found on this site, but it's way cheaper on PY. 

Is there a particular sub/amp system you like?

(p.s. Bear don't "do" Ozzy - the city of San Antonio may have forgiven him for what he did, but this Texan never will.)


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Sorry about the Ozzy song Bear.....some Rolling Stones perhaps? I will look at my "notes" and post later tonight about Amps and subs. Eric


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Hey no pressure no problem, Mon... :cheers

I do appreciate the pointers. Dunno why I waited this long to start thinking about a sound system. At first I planned to just install the original radio and not worry with a sound system at all, but fiddlling with the dash and figuring out that I probably don't have room for the original speaker due to the new a/c ducting I had to build got me to thinking I might as well do it all now.

That has been one of the big overriding lessons from this whole project: once you modify something, get ready --- you're going to wind up being forced to modify everything else that's within 2 feet of it. :willy:

Bear(GFR)

(the GFR part stands for Grand Funk Railroad - my all time favorite band)


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

GFR- love it a bunch of home town boys....my cabinet maker toured with them (when he was a sound engineer) for three years. Well Bear you know what my set up is....LOL. your right about doing it now before you get the dash all in and have to take half of it back out again, also if you are gonna run an amp you will want to run your cables under the carpet .


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I could listen to D. Bowie till the cows come home. I need to put together a good system for the GTO because I mostly listen to music when I drive.....:cool


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

same way here E, gotta have a good cruisin tune on when i am rolling...how bout "Radar Love" thats a drivin' song...the intro just makes you want to apply pressure to the go pedal.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Radar Love...excellent song! Ever listen to the 'Smiths"??


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## 69Goatee (Aug 14, 2009)

There is a system called Hidden Audio or Radio I think. The head unit is mounted under the package tray in the trunk and controlled by a wireless remote. And it has a USB input for iPod if you have one. The iPod is the greatest thing ever for a music lover, 2000+ songs at your fingertips.
Anyway, I love hard rock and heavy metal, and I play it loud!! I used to do installs. My system is going to be a JL 12" sub in a sealed box bolted to the trunk floor right behind the back seat facing forward. Two 6x9's in the stock location on the package tray, and a pair of 8" subs in their own sealed boxes next to the 6x9's bolted to the underside of the tray facing up. Gonna have cut the package tray a little, plus a custom cover. To power these I'm gonna use a 5 channel amp and crossover. Sub to the 12, low pass to the 8's, and bandpass to the 6x9's. The sealed 12, and 8's should give a bunch of low end punch, but not too rap-like.
My dash was already hacked up when I got it, so I just made the hole cleaner for a nice Alpine with iPod control. For front I am going to use the kick panels with speaker mounts, but buy my own speakers for it, and mount the tweets inside of the outermost A/C vents. Whew, words words words


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## DukeB-120th (Oct 19, 2009)

> "he's lucky he ain't been caught in this town, cuz we'd nail his d*** to a fence post, light it on fire, and give him a rusty serrated knife to cut himself off. After that, we'd probably beat the crap out of him for a while."


Haha!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

"Twilight Zone"...also by Golden ear ring......


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## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

I had my 66's radio "rebuilt". Cost about 400 but it is the stock radio. They replaced the internals and now have am/fm and aux input. I bought a pac adapter to add amps.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

xconcepts said:


> I had my 66's radio "rebuilt". Cost about 400 but it is the stock radio. They replaced the internals and now have am/fm and aux input. I bought a pac adapter to add amps.


...and...



> My system is going to be a JL 12" sub in a sealed box bolted to the trunk floor right behind the back seat facing forward. Two 6x9's in the stock location on the package tray, and a pair of 8" subs in their own sealed boxes next to the 6x9's bolted to the underside of the tray facing up. Gonna have cut the package tray a little, plus a custom cover. To power these I'm gonna use a 5 channel amp and crossover. Sub to the 12, low pass to the 8's, and bandpass to the 6x9's. The sealed 12, and 8's should give a bunch of low end punch, but not too rap-like.
> My dash was already hacked up when I got it, so I just made the hole cleaner for a nice Alpine with iPod control. For front I am going to use the kick panels with speaker mounts, but buy my own speakers for it, and mount the tweets inside of the outermost A/C vents. Whew, words words words


Whoa!  Now be gentle, guys --- I can talk engines but get me off into this sound stuff and I'm a little bit over my head.

I ::think:: I'm leaning in this direction, so I'd really appreciate the opinions of you folks who know this stuff and have done it.

This radio/head unit because it has the inputs/functions I think I want and doesn't require cutting anything up.

These kick panel speakers to get the 'good' Pioneer speakers and these seem to be the right panels to use with my aftermarket a/c.

A pair of decent 6x9's that I'll mount in the factory package tray locations with some sort of enclosures behind them.

A powered sub, perhaps like this one, mainly because it seems like a simple way to get some bottom into the system.

Questions:

1) Will this combination work reasonably well? I'm not trying to build a high-end system, just something somewhat respectable.

2) Are there any components I'll need (other than cabling) to hook all this up that I don't know about? (Does that powered sub just piggy-back off the same speaker connections or do I need "something else" to connect it?)

3) I've recently become a fan of satellite (XM) radio. Is there a tuner/add-on that I can use to get that capability on this system?

4) If I want to add a cd changer - recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

Bear


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Bear, A good radio USUALLY has a seperate output for a sub woofer. If not there is still a way to hook one up, I just forget how. You must check to see if the radio will CONTROL a CD player, and/or XM radio. Otherwise, it is still doable but requires an extra control panel each....usually a corded remote....inconveinant, but functional. That's why I am going for a 1 DIN aftermarket head. A: I am not worried about a stock look (took care of that many mods ago) B: I like everything to be simple to operate, as I am tired of thinking (my brain hurts).......arty: Eric P.S. Yes your system as described should sound OK, IF you put (2) 6x9s in the rear deck!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

DukeB-120th said:


> Haha!


Cool!:lol:


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## xconcepts (Jan 4, 2009)

BearGFR said:


> ...and...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Bear,

1. The radio will work fine, just won't be exactly factory looking, but please don't buy that Boss crap. Get this one Infinity Basslinkif your wanting a amplified subwoofer without doing a seperate amp and sub or this one Soundstream.

2. You will need 8ga power to the battery, ground and a 18ga wire from the amp to the headunit for remote. And RCA's from the amp to the RCA's of the radio.

3. As far as XM you can get universal car kits to use it or a direct connect like this one 




4. Get a ipod/mp3 instead of a cd changer.

X


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