Installing a sound system in 73 Cuda

[Cudalbs]

Does anybody have any suggestions, ldeas, or pictures of their sound system set up? I am completely uneducated on all the new stuff available out there, so feel free to talk down to me. I want a decent set up but not a ghetto blaster, just something that sounds good and I can get some decent volume out of. Front and rear speakers, maybe amplifier if needed, and sub woofer if needed, blue tooth. All that being said I don't have a clue what is needed or what goes with what or what power is needed where. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks Mike

[Cuda Cody]

I just keep mine stock, maybe that's why I barely listen to it.   

[Cudalbs]

I don't have anything in mine, and it would be nice sometimes to just cruise and listen to some good Eagles tunes or something. :cruising

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Cuda Cody]

I hear ya.  It's cool to have some good tunes.  I'm going to put an 8 track in the Cuda.  Picked this up off ebay....  new still in the wrapper!

[Spikedog08]

My system is years old  . . Amp in the trunk, updated speakers and decent head.  I removed the parking brake and installed a speaker on each kick panel but did it in a way to make hurt the panel.  Also updated all speakers in the dash as well . . I'm sure there is better equipment available now!  Most of my other toys have heads that use a USB port and that is the best for me  . . A few thousand songs on a flash drive is amazing! 

[cataclysm80]

The following assumes that you want something that sounds good, but you aren't trying to go extreme and win sound competitions.


The original R11  2 watt AM radio with a single dash speaker grounded through the chassis just won't do!

First you need to decide on a couple things...
1.  Do you care whether the head unit looks factory original?
2.  How do you plan to listen to your music? (FM radio, CD, MP3 player or IPOD, USB Flash Drive, Blue Tooth from your phone, etc.)

If you need a head unit that looks original, there are reproduction radios that have modern guts inside them.
If you don't care about that, then any standard DIN sized head unit will work and fit in the factory radio location.

However you plan to bring your music into the car, you need to make sure you purchase a head unit that can play it.
It's totally up to you, and it's pretty straight forward.
If your going to carry around CDs, you need a CD player.
If your going to use an MP3 player or IPOD, you need a auxiliary input or hook up on the front or back.  (your preference, the front is easy to access, but some people like the back so that they can run the cable hidden inside their console compartment.)
If your music is on a flash drive, you'll need a USB input.
If your going to use Bluetooth, you need a Bluetooth capable head unit.
Additionally, IF you want a subwoofer, make sure your head unit has a subwoofer output.

Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Crutchfield, or your local stereo shop, find a head unit you like.
Bells and whistles can be neat, but remember to pick something easy to use while your driving so that you don't get distracted while driving.


Next step: Subwoofer.  Do you really want one?  Where are you going to put it?  I've heard of people trying to put a slim line subwoofer under an E body seat, and I've no idea how well that works.  If you don't frequently have rear seat passengers, maybe you could put a subwoofer enclosure on the floor behind your seat.  Next option is probably putting a subwoofer enclosure in the trunk. 
I don't like the idea of severe body modifications, but if your really dedicated, you could cut a subwoofer mounting location right in the middle of your package tray where the rear window defogger isn't at.
Whatever you choose, if you have a subwoofer, make sure it's fastened down.  You don't want the enclosure rolling around when you take a corner, and it will also sound better if it isn't vibrating the enclosure while it's functioning.  Fastening down your subwoofer for better sound helps in the same way that subframe connectors give you better handling.  The subwoofer and the suspension both need something solid to push against.
If your putting the subwoofer in an enclosure, it will be convenient to get a Powered Subwoofer.  That's a subwoofer that has the amplifier built into the enclosure.  It's easier to hook up since there's less wires involved, and it takes up less space since you don't have to find a place to mount an amplifier.
If your not getting a powered subwoofer, then you'll need to install an amplifier.  You can get an amplifier that is only for the subwoofer, or you could get one that will also power your speakers.  (or you could get separate amplifiers for the sub and speakers)
A good place to mount the amplifier is vertically, in the trunk, attached to the V brace behind the rear seat.  If you want it more hidden, you could also consider mounting it upside down under the package tray (if you didn't already put a subwoofer there).

Do you need an amplifier for your regular speakers.  Probably not.  You could get one if you want, or if you really like LOUD volume, but more than likely, the internal amplifier of the head unit will be sufficient, and the money would be better spent on higher quality speakers.  IF you get an amplifier, make sure you run a large enough power wire to it.  The power wire needs to be able to handle all the amps at the distance from the battery to the amplifier, and it needs to be fused for protection.  For what gauge of wire to use, consult the instruction manual, a wiring chart, or your local stereo shop.  Don't expect it to be a 10 gauge wire, expect something that looks more like a battery cable, and it needs to be that big all the way to the battery, not just to the fuse box under the dash.  Electricity requires a full circuit, so your ground cable for the amplifier needs to be the same size as the power cable, AND the ground cable from the battery to the chassis also needs to be that big.


Rear Speakers:  Two 6x9 speakers in the package tray.  Make sure they're mounted solid so they don't vibrate.  I like stainless steel machine thread screws with nylock nuts.
Front Speakers???:  The factory spot is for a single 4x10, and there isn't much space there for a big aftermarket speaker ceramic magnet (unless you cut a chunk out of the internal dash frame, which IS an option).  More than likely, what you want to do is check out Turnswitch.com.  They make speakers with super magnets that have twice the field strength of ceramic magnets, while being small enough to fit without cutting your dash.  Check out their setups that put two speakers where the original 4x10 went.  Since you have two front channels (left and right), it makes sense to have two speakers.

Optional 1: Do you have a factory 3 speaker dash?  This is a factory option that came with stereo radios, and includes two additional speakers on your dash.  (one left and one right)   If you don't have this option, it could be added if you can track down the parts, but doing so will take some work, possibly removing the entire dash from the car?
Anyway, if you have a 3 speaker dash, then you can use those extra speakers.  Again, you'd need to either cut your internal dash frame for aftermarket speakers, or contact Turnswitch.com for something good that will fit.

Optional 2: If you still want more speakers up front, but don't have a factory 3 speaker dash, then you'll have to be dedicated enough to cut into your kick panels or door panels, or try to figure out how to mount them under your dash frame.  Acoustically, you want the speakers to be pointed at your ears.  Speakers pointed at your feet just isn't very good, and speakers pointed directly at each other from opposite sides of the car also isn't good because some of the sound waves from each speaker will cancel each other out when they collide.  To do this right, you need to do some serious fabrication so that the speakers are positioned in a way that points them towards your ears.  If your working in the kick panels, the emergency brake will be in your way.  If your working in the door panels, wiring through the door jamb could get interesting.  Hanging something from the bottom of the dash frame might be feasible if your creative. 
Personally, I don't think anything mentioned here in Option 2 is worth the effort.  Some people prefer Quantity over Quality though.

OK, so if you do have 4 front speakers (2 outboard and 2 center), how do you wire them up?
This is going to get technical for a minute.  Feel free to Google any of these terms.  You can do this!
Original factory radios are designed for 8 ohm speakers.  Using 4 ohm speakers (less resistance) will flow more current (louder), but will run at a higher temperature.  This higher temperature will eventually fry your original radio.
Modern head units (and reproduction radios with modern guts) are designed for 4 ohm speakers.   Some head units (and/or amplifiers) are even stable down to 2 ohms, just check out the manufacturers specifications.
So, if you're hooking up 2 speakers to the front left channel and 2 speakers to the front right channel, then you'll either wire the 2 speakers for each channel in series or in parallel.
Series is when the speaker wire goes from the head unit to the + speaker terminal, then from the - speaker terminal to the next speakers + terminal, then from that speakers - terminal back to the head unit.
Parallel is when the speaker wire goes from the head unit to the + terminal on Both speakers, then the - speaker terminal from Both speakers goes back to the head unit.
Wiring in Series will increase your impedance (ohms), while wiring in Parallel will decrease your impedance (ohms)
Here's some examples...
Two 8 ohm speakers in Series = 16 ohms.  This is pushing the limits at the opposite end of the spectrum.  I can't think of why you'd want to do this.
Two 8 ohm speakers in Parallel = 4 ohms.  This is Perfect for a modern head unit, but would eventually kill an original radio.
Two 4 ohm speakers in Series = 8 ohms.  This is Perfect for an original radio, and will also work safely with a modern head unit but isn't ideal performance for a modern head unit.
Two 4 ohm speakers in Parallel = 2 ohms.  This will eventually kill any modern head unit that isn't 2 ohm stable, and don't even think of trying this with an original radio.
There you go, just buy the speakers with an ohm rating that works best for your chosen setup.
(If you decided to get an external speaker amplifier, also make sure that your chosen speakers can handle the power that the amplifier puts out, usually measured in watts.)



Some tips for good results...
Make sure your speakers are firmly mounted so that they don't rattle.
Make sure your wiring has proper solid connections, don't just twist the wires together with electrical tape.


That will get you really far, but if you want to go a step further, it's going to be battling road noise.
Make sure the factory insulation and jute pad is installed.  (under dash, under carpet, behind rear seat, under package tray, over headliner)
Make sure the factory vapor barriers are installed.  This is a clear piece of plastic that covers the door holes under the door panel, and also by the quarters behind the rear interior panels.  It's just thin plastic sealed to the metal with strip caulk, but it makes a noticeable difference in sound, dust, & temperature inside the vehicle.
You could order some new carpet from Auto Custom Carpets (ACC) with Mass Backing.  It's a dense rubber material on the bottom of the carpet, just like new vehicles use.  Carpet itself is also a sound deadener.  You DO have carpet in the car right.  This isn't a race car.  Race cars throw out their radios for weight savings.
You could step up to something like Dynamat in a few places.
You could go all out and remove the interior to spray the metal with Lizard Skin sound deadener, and then reinstall your interior.


One more note on safety.   If your just installing a modern head unit and some speakers, you should be OK.  If your installing a subwoofer or amplifier (or many other new electronic accessories), you should probably disconnect your factory ammeter, and run a new wire from the alternator to the starter relay.
More info on why and how can be found at this link.
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

[blown motor]

Here's what I did.

http://forum.e-bodies.org/index.php?topic=604.0

[soundcontrol]

There is amplifiers with built in bluetooth now, you dont even need a head unit. Go for good quality speakers. I like Focals.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/cat_i2400_bluetooth-car-amplifiers.html

[Cudalbs]

The following assumes that you want something that sounds good, but you aren't trying to go extreme and win sound competitions.


The original R11  2 watt AM radio with a single dash speaker grounded through the chassis just won't do!

First you need to decide on a couple things...
1.  Do you care whether the head unit looks factory original?
2.  How do you plan to listen to your music? (FM radio, CD, MP3 player or IPOD, USB Flash Drive, Blue Tooth from your phone, etc.)

If you need a head unit that looks original, there are reproduction radios that have modern guts inside them.
If you don't care about that, then any standard DIN sized head unit will work and fit in the factory radio location.

However you plan to bring your music into the car, you need to make sure you purchase a head unit that can play it.
It's totally up to you, and it's pretty straight forward.
If your going to carry around CDs, you need a CD player.
If your going to use an MP3 player or IPOD, you need a auxiliary input or hook up on the front or back.  (your preference, the front is easy to access, but some people like the back so that they can run the cable hidden inside their console compartment.)
If your music is on a flash drive, you'll need a USB input.
If your going to use Bluetooth, you need a Bluetooth capable head unit.
Additionally, IF you want a subwoofer, make sure your head unit has a subwoofer output.

Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Crutchfield, or your local stereo shop, find a head unit you like.
Bells and whistles can be neat, but remember to pick something easy to use while your driving so that you don't get distracted while driving.


Next step: Subwoofer.  Do you really want one?  Where are you going to put it?  I've heard of people trying to put a slim line subwoofer under an E body seat, and I've no idea how well that works.  If you don't frequently have rear seat passengers, maybe you could put a subwoofer enclosure on the floor behind your seat.  Next option is probably putting a subwoofer enclosure in the trunk. 
I don't like the idea of severe body modifications, but if your really dedicated, you could cut a subwoofer mounting location right in the middle of your package tray where the rear window defogger isn't at.
Whatever you choose, if you have a subwoofer, make sure it's fastened down.  You don't want the enclosure rolling around when you take a corner, and it will also sound better if it isn't vibrating the enclosure while it's functioning.  Fastening down your subwoofer for better sound helps in the same way that subframe connectors give you better handling.  The subwoofer and the suspension both need something solid to push against.
If your putting the subwoofer in an enclosure, it will be convenient to get a Powered Subwoofer.  That's a subwoofer that has the amplifier built into the enclosure.  It's easier to hook up since there's less wires involved, and it takes up less space since you don't have to find a place to mount an amplifier.
If your not getting a powered subwoofer, then you'll need to install an amplifier.  You can get an amplifier that is only for the subwoofer, or you could get one that will also power your speakers.  (or you could get separate amplifiers for the sub and speakers)
A good place to mount the amplifier is vertically, in the trunk, attached to the V brace behind the rear seat.  If you want it more hidden, you could also consider mounting it upside down under the package tray (if you didn't already put a subwoofer there).

Do you need an amplifier for your regular speakers.  Probably not.  You could get one if you want, or if you really like LOUD volume, but more than likely, the internal amplifier of the head unit will be sufficient, and the money would be better spent on higher quality speakers.  IF you get an amplifier, make sure you run a large enough power wire to it.  The power wire needs to be able to handle all the amps at the distance from the battery to the amplifier, and it needs to be fused for protection.  For what gauge of wire to use, consult the instruction manual, a wiring chart, or your local stereo shop.  Don't expect it to be a 10 gauge wire, expect something that looks more like a battery cable, and it needs to be that big all the way to the battery, not just to the fuse box under the dash.  Electricity requires a full circuit, so your ground cable for the amplifier needs to be the same size as the power cable, AND the ground cable from the battery to the chassis also needs to be that big.


Rear Speakers:  Two 6x9 speakers in the package tray.  Make sure they're mounted solid so they don't vibrate.  I like stainless steel machine thread screws with nylock nuts.
Front Speakers???:  The factory spot is for a single 4x10, and there isn't much space there for a big aftermarket speaker ceramic magnet (unless you cut a chunk out of the internal dash frame, which IS an option).  More than likely, what you want to do is check out Turnswitch.com.  They make speakers with super magnets that have twice the field strength of ceramic magnets, while being small enough to fit without cutting your dash.  Check out their setups that put two speakers where the original 4x10 went.  Since you have two front channels (left and right), it makes sense to have two speakers.

Optional 1: Do you have a factory 3 speaker dash?  This is a factory option that came with stereo radios, and includes two additional speakers on your dash.  (one left and one right)   If you don't have this option, it could be added if you can track down the parts, but doing so will take some work, possibly removing the entire dash from the car?
Anyway, if you have a 3 speaker dash, then you can use those extra speakers.  Again, you'd need to either cut your internal dash frame for aftermarket speakers, or contact Turnswitch.com for something good that will fit.

Optional 2: If you still want more speakers up front, but don't have a factory 3 speaker dash, then you'll have to be dedicated enough to cut into your kick panels or door panels, or try to figure out how to mount them under your dash frame.  Acoustically, you want the speakers to be pointed at your ears.  Speakers pointed at your feet just isn't very good, and speakers pointed directly at each other from opposite sides of the car also isn't good because some of the sound waves from each speaker will cancel each other out when they collide.  To do this right, you need to do some serious fabrication so that the speakers are positioned in a way that points them towards your ears.  If your working in the kick panels, the emergency brake will be in your way.  If your working in the door panels, wiring through the door jamb could get interesting.  Hanging something from the bottom of the dash frame might be feasible if your creative. 
Personally, I don't think anything mentioned here in Option 2 is worth the effort.  Some people prefer Quantity over Quality though.

OK, so if you do have 4 front speakers (2 outboard and 2 center), how do you wire them up?
This is going to get technical for a minute.  Feel free to Google any of these terms.  You can do this!
Original factory radios are designed for 8 ohm speakers.  Using 4 ohm speakers (less resistance) will flow more current (louder), but will run at a higher temperature.  This higher temperature will eventually fry your original radio.
Modern head units (and reproduction radios with modern guts) are designed for 4 ohm speakers.   Some head units (and/or amplifiers) are even stable down to 2 ohms, just check out the manufacturers specifications.
So, if you're hooking up 2 speakers to the front left channel and 2 speakers to the front right channel, then you'll either wire the 2 speakers for each channel in series or in parallel.
Series is when the speaker wire goes from the head unit to the + speaker terminal, then from the - speaker terminal to the next speakers + terminal, then from that speakers - terminal back to the head unit.
Parallel is when the speaker wire goes from the head unit to the + terminal on Both speakers, then the - speaker terminal from Both speakers goes back to the head unit.
Wiring in Series will increase your impedance (ohms), while wiring in Parallel will decrease your impedance (ohms)
Here's some examples...
Two 8 ohm speakers in Series = 16 ohms.  This is pushing the limits at the opposite end of the spectrum.  I can't think of why you'd want to do this.
Two 8 ohm speakers in Parallel = 4 ohms.  This is Perfect for a modern head unit, but would eventually kill an original radio.
Two 4 ohm speakers in Series = 8 ohms.  This is Perfect for an original radio, and will also work safely with a modern head unit but isn't ideal performance for a modern head unit.
Two 4 ohm speakers in Parallel = 2 ohms.  This will eventually kill any modern head unit that isn't 2 ohm stable, and don't even think of trying this with an original radio.
There you go, just buy the speakers with an ohm rating that works best for your chosen setup.
(If you decided to get an external speaker amplifier, also make sure that your chosen speakers can handle the power that the amplifier puts out, usually measured in watts.)



Some tips for good results...
Make sure your speakers are firmly mounted so that they don't rattle.
Make sure your wiring has proper solid connections, don't just twist the wires together with electrical tape.


That will get you really far, but if you want to go a step further, it's going to be battling road noise.
Make sure the factory insulation and jute pad is installed.  (under dash, under carpet, behind rear seat, under package tray, over headliner)
Make sure the factory vapor barriers are installed.  This is a clear piece of plastic that covers the door holes under the door panel, and also by the quarters behind the rear interior panels.  It's just thin plastic sealed to the metal with strip caulk, but it makes a noticeable difference in sound, dust, & temperature inside the vehicle.
You could order some new carpet from Auto Custom Carpets (ACC) with Mass Backing.  It's a dense rubber material on the bottom of the carpet, just like new vehicles use.  Carpet itself is also a sound deadener.  You DO have carpet in the car right.  This isn't a race car.  Race cars throw out their radios for weight savings.
You could step up to something like Dynamat in a few places.
You could go all out and remove the interior to spray the metal with Lizard Skin sound deadener, and then reinstall your interior.


One more note on safety.   If your just installing a modern head unit and some speakers, you should be OK.  If your installing a subwoofer or amplifier (or many other new electronic accessories), you should probably disconnect your factory ammeter, and run a new wire from the alternator to the starter relay.
More info on why and how can be found at this link.
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

WOW!!! Thanks Cataclysm for taking the time to get me all of this great info. I will be heading out to the stores today a lot more informed then I was yesterday  and shopping around to see what's available and try to figure out which direction I'll be going. Thank you all for your time and input on this ........What a wealth of knowledge on this great web site. I can almost hear the tunes playing already. :clapping

[Cudalbs]

@cataclysm80 do you think mounting the subwoofer behind the back seat in the trunk would be a good idea?
Thanks, Mike

[cataclysm80]

If you want a subwoofer, having it in the trunk is an OK idea. 
It's not as good as having it inside the passenger compartment with you.
Big subwoofers in trunks were pretty popular in the first decade of this century.

Subwoofer sound is non-directional, so placement isn't critical for sound imaging.
The main issue with having it in the trunk is that there are some things between you and the subwoofer that can muffle the sound a bit.
This means you might need a bigger subwoofer or a more powerful amplifier to get the sound you want.

If your going to go this route, try not to acoustically separate the trunk from the passenger compartment.
Remove sound deadener, jute pad, cardboard, etc from behind the rear seat.  You want the sound to come through.
Removing the rear seat entirely would help with the sound, but you probably don't want to go that far.
Make sure the subwoofer is inside an enclosure, and fastened down.
Next would be battling road noise.  The trunk doesn't have much factory sound deadener, so there's a lot of room for improvement.
I don't remember where, but I've seen some kits for installing a clean carpeted interior in an E body trunk.  Something like that with Dynamat sound deadener on the back side of all the panels would probably help a lot.