Reg. Cab speaker location...

[mrdrinksalil]

Ok, no one ever posts/looks in the audio section so here i go in the garage...

For those of us not running doors, where do you have speakers in your reg cab? I am thinking about saying goodbye to the doors for good, but where am I going to put the toons? There are the small (3.5 i think) speakers in the dash, that funny shaped one that is long gone, and the door location. If you remove the doors you remove the bump... Suggestions?! Pics?!

 

[jonrpick]

Ok, no one ever posts/looks in the audio section so here i go in the garage...

For those of us not running doors, where do you have speakers in your reg cab? I am thinking about saying goodbye to the doors for good, but where am I going to put the toons? There are the small (3.5 i think) speakers in the dash, that funny shaped one that is long gone, and the door location. If you remove the doors you remove the bump... Suggestions?! Pics?!

I personally don't like the look of the speakers in the doors. That indent at the bottom bothers me, as I'd prefer a perfectly flush-mounted speaker.

I am probably going to get kick pods. They are availble for C/K's and replace the stock plastic kick panel covers.

Here's the cheap looking (but more expensive) ones from LMC Truck:

http://lmctruck.com/icatalog/bzc/0095.asp (bottom of the page)

I like these better:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Q-Logic-Kick-Panels-78-91-Chevy-Blazer-Black_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38655QQihZ002QQitemZ120130994311QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

They're angled up a bit to point the speakers more at you, plus they're cut for tweeters. The fact that they're cheaper and not a no-name brand convinced me . The only benefit to the LMC pods is that the speakers are included, but I'm sure they're nowhere near high-end speakers.

I'm planning on getting those, and shooting them with whichever bedliner I choose to match the floor. Then I want to use marine-grade (boat) speakers so they'll be water proof. Infinity and some of the other companies make marine-grade stuff.

If I had the fab skills, (or if I get the skills before I get the speakers) I may make some from sheet metal, for added strength. Either way, I plan to cover the back of the speakers with the foam inserts to protect them and pack the space behind with poly-fill.

Hope that helps.

 

[mrdrinksalil]

I've seen those, but am leery about speakers in that location, even if they are marine grade. I like being able to go nuts with the hose and what not.

 

[jonrpick]

I've seen those, but am leery about speakers in that location, even if they are marine grade. I like being able to go nuts with the hose and what not.

Really, as long as it was properly sealed around the back, even a non-marine speaker with a tough poly cone should probably hold up pretty well. Being about to hose everything off--including the speakers--is one reason why I like this setup. Is it just the idea of getting them wet, or are you talking about using such high water pressure that you're worried about busting them?

Those little 3.5" speakers in the dash aren't ever going to do much. You could get one of those ABS plastic headliners that has two 3.5" speakers over the driver and two more over the passenger. I don't like that idea personally, but it would get them up out of the way. And it also has that console on the ceiling for a radio or CB.

Is this a Blazer or truck? I couldn't look at the links on your sig because I'm not a member of that site. If it's a Blazer and you have a rollbar, you could put them on the bar, Jeep-style.

 

[jonrpick]

Nevermind... I registered over there just to look. For whatever reason, I didn't notice that you're also in GA. So it was probably worth my time to set up an account on GTR.

So I supposed the rollbar-mounted speakers won't work...

BTW, NICE TRUCK !

 

[mrdrinksalil]

Thanks. I've seen those ABS headliners and dont really want on of those either. I guess the kick panels wouldn't be all that bad, but I still want some speaker behind me. Ive beed thinking about fabricating some 6x9 boxes for behind the seats, but my fab skills are limited and I really wanted to put them in the rear corners of the cab where GM left a big hole

 

[jonrpick]

Thanks. I've seen those ABS headliners and dont really want on of those either. I guess the kick panels wouldn't be all that bad, but I still want some speaker behind me. Ive beed thinking about fabricating some 6x9 boxes for behind the seats, but my fab skills are limited and I really wanted to put them in the rear corners of the cab where GM left a big hole

I hear ya... I've noticed that some newer pickups use a combo of dash and door/kick panel for a 4-speaker setup. So I had the idea of possibly getting the highest-grade 3.5" speakers I could for the dash to supplement the ones in the kick panels. They wouldn't put out as much bass or low mids, but they would add to the overall sound quite a bit I'd imagine. I also thought of just enlarging the opening on the dash, cutting out a corresponding hole in the dash pad, and mounting something between 4" and 5.25" up there. That'd be combined with the kick panel speakers, and some low-profile, free-air 10" subs under the seats.

Once I get the cab closed in, that would probably provide plenty of 'bump'

 

[mrdrinksalil]

Thats the other challenge... where the heck am I going to put a sub... lol

 

[jonrpick]

Thats the other challenge... where the heck am I going to put a sub... lol

Oooh...I forgot, your floor isn't as low so you don't have the room under the seats like I do.

Hmmm....Ok...then how about this. I'd also had the idea of getting a metal center console made, modeled after a Tuffy, but slightly different and designing it so that a sub would mount in there. It'd eat up some storage space in a Tuffy, so I was going to design it bigger, with the sub being in its own compartment underneath. I stole that idea from somewhere...don't remember where. But I figured I could fit a single 10" sub in there, and in a regular cab that would probably thump pretty darn good. The console could be whatever...Metal if you want security (again, taking design cues from Tuffy) or fiberglass if you want a nice, custom and clean look.

Look for "free air" subs. They don't require a box, so you could put them in a very slim enclosure. They're not as efficient as normal subs, but they're made just for situations where you don't have room for a big box. Crutchfield has 'em. Shop there and buy somewhere cheaper.

 

[Tominator II]

You can fit rear speakers and a subwoofer behind the seat. Youll probably need dash speakers to get decent overall sound quality though.

 

[mrdrinksalil]

I wanted to make a "center consol" out of tube to mount the shifter/ cutting brakes but no sheetmetal surrounding it. I think I've got some serious planning to do...

 

[jonrpick]

I wanted to make a "center consol" out of tube to mount the shifter/ cutting brakes but no sheetmetal surrounding it. I think I've got some serious planning to do...

Well I'm halfway through section #2 of your build on GTR. The last message I read was the one where you posted the vid of the motor firing up for the first time. I'm loving it

Whatever you do with the audio system, make sure to put it in the build thread. I'd love to see what you come up with.

 

[mrdrinksalil]

hahah, dont worry. Everything goes in the build thread

 

[Stump-a-holic]

I used a really small cutoff wheel and "made" some 4x6's fit up in the dash where the 3.5er's were. Quick fabed some brackets and they fit great. They sound a lot better than the 3.5's I had in there. I have 6.5" speakers in the doors, and two 10" super old orion extremes behind the seat. Not a bad overall system but def not comp worthy either.

 

[jonrpick]

I used a really small cutoff wheel and "made" some 4x6's fit up in the dash where the 3.5er's were. Quick fabed some brackets and they fit great. They sound a lot better than the 3.5's I had in there. I have 6.5" speakers in the doors, and two 10" super old orion extremes behind the seat. Not a bad overall system but def not comp worthy either.

Good food for thought... I'll remember that about the 4x6's.

I wish I could find a new dash cover that's something like fiberglass or ABS plastic, just for the weatherproof properties. It'd be real easy to cut clean holes in it and mount whatever speaker I wanted. And it'd be bedliner'd too, of course.

 

[B_to_C]

I really wanted to put them in the rear corners of the cab where GM left a big hole

They didn't always leave a big hole....sometimes they put speakers there. I have this setup. Definitely much better than the dash-only speakers. I originally thought it must have been aftermarket, but there was a GM sticker on the back of the speaker enclosure. They use the same stupid 3x10" (or whatever) speakers that were used in the way back of the blazers though.

 

[Jason4x4]

I had this behind my seat, but with the seat all the way back it kinda muffled it. I has the 4"x10" in the rear corners, and the P.O. put some 6" rounds in the kick panels, but they are cut out, so the speaker sits flush with the kick panel.

 

[jonrpick]

I had this behind my seat, but with the seat all the way back it kinda muffled it. I has the 4"x10" in the rear corners, and the P.O. put some 6" rounds in the kick panels, but they are cut out, so the speaker sits flush with the kick panel.

I'd thought about getting something like that once I get my half-cab top, but I realized that my seats stay all the way back all the time, so I would probably have the same problem.

Sometimes it sucks being tall.

 

[mrdrinksalil]

They didn't always leave a big hole....sometimes they put speakers there. I have this setup. Definitely much better than the dash-only speakers. I originally thought it must have been aftermarket, but there was a GM sticker on the back of the speaker enclosure. They use the same stupid 3x10" (or whatever) speakers that were used in the way back of the blazers though.

Do you have any pictures?

 

[mini_mull]

Good food for thought... I'll remember that about the 4x6's.

I wish I could find a new dash cover that's something like fiberglass or ABS plastic, just for the weatherproof properties. It'd be real easy to cut clean holes in it and mount whatever speaker I wanted. And it'd be bedliner'd too, of course.

Why not just bedliner your current dash? I've seen it done and it looks good. I could dig up a pic if you're interested. Also, for the best sound stay away from metal boxes. Fiberglass or MDF sealed with bedliner would be a better option. If you had to do metal you'd need to sound deaden the whole thing for decent sound.