Center speaker for 1973 road runner

[Ralph Cali]

Does anyone know where to get a replacement center speaker for the dash of a 1973 RR.

Also it looks like it need to be removed from the top which the glass gets in the way. Maybe I am wrong.

How is it removed ?

Thanks Ralph

 

[72 BLUE 400]

dash speaker

i see them for sale on ebaymotors $99.00 which seems very pricey.to remove it just unscrew the speaker cover screws by windshield vents and the three towards the back pop the cover off and its just 2 screws holding the speaker in place.you need a small phillips head screw driver to get them out(windshield gets in the way)but can be done with a small screwdriver.

 

['74 Sport]

Ralph,
This doesn't answer your question about where to get a replacement speaker, but would you consider swapping the single dash speaker for two smaller ones? For several years, I have been making and selling these aluminum brackets which allow you to install two 3.5" speakers for more of a "stereo" sound. I have been a member of the sister site Forabodiesonly.com quite some time, and my brackets have been a hit with that crowd. Below is an example of a typical A-body installation.

I also make brackets for early B-bodies that mount under the dash like you see here, and I have the "football" shaped bracket for the top-mounted center of dash speaker like you are seeking in later B/E-bodies. Oddly enough, I recently posted a thread here about this very thing. My brackets are only $26, and you can find a multitude of 3.5" speakers in a wide price range. If you are interested, please send me a PM and we can discuss it further.

Jerry

 

[Dodger3000]

Very interesting! Already thought of replacing the center speaker of my '71 Charger by two smaller speakers and already thought of such a bracket, too. The according bracket from you could make things easier. Why always reinventing the wheel ?

What do you want to have for the "71-74-B-Body-Bracket"? Pics would be great. What kind of speaker(s) do you recommend?

 

['74 Sport]

Dodger3000,
Please refer to my previous post. I edited it to add a little more information that I left out earlier. Any other questions, please ask and I'll do my best to answer them. I'll add photos as soon as I can find them (I changed computers recently).

 

[Deleted member 214]

I put a pair of 3 1/2" speakers in the dash of my 70. One ear went on a factory bolt hold the other tab I wedged between the grill and the speaker support. Bad pic, but...

 

[73plymouth]

get a cheap screw driver and heat it with a torch and bend the tip t get into the tight space

 

['74 Sport]

Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread. I owed you guys a picture of the late B-body bracket I make for the dual speakers. Here it is...

 

[T2R9]

I used one of Jerry's brackets on my 72 with 3.5" Polk Audio DB351's. Fit was great even with all the AC duct work in my dash.

 

[1ol74charger4me]

I know this is a old thread but I just ran across this info. doing research for my car.www.turnswitch.com has 8 ohm replacement speakers for $40 for the 4x10 which will work with the oe radio and the 5x7 8 ohm replacement for the rear speaker. Napa lists 4 ohm replacements for both under the Balkamp line for around $20. These are for modern stereos as the ohm rating will overheat OE stereos. Neither are good enough for any audiophile but will work for us other guys. I looked into reconing but it seems to be a gamble whether the magnet is good or not. Looked up some NOS speakers and I think I'll leave those to guys with deeper pockets. I actually had Jerrys bracket on my shopping list till I decided to leave the stock radio in and just get rid of the rice crispies in the speakers. You know, the "snap, crackle, pop...":icon_brilsmurf:

 

['74 Sport]

I'm going to repeat something about which I have absolutely no knowledge, but I read on another website. Those of you who do know about these things can jump right in and call me a fool if it is incorrect. At least, it will educate us all.

For those of us who want to use the newer speakers, like those shown in this thread, but keep the old radios functioning, just wire the speakers in series to get your 8 ohms.

There, jump on it...

Jerry

 

['74 Sport]

I used one of Jerry's brackets on my 72 with 3.5" Polk Audio DB351's. Fit was great even with all the AC duct work in my dash.

Hey, Jeff, looks like you finally decided on a pair of speakers. Nice looking assembly, and I'm very glad it worked out so well for you under the dash. It can sometimes get a little tricky with some car models.

 

[T2R9]

Cannot wait to try them out, installing the new Retro-Sound stereo this weekend.

 

[Randy73]

Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread. I owed you guys a picture of the late B-body bracket I make for the dual speakers. Here it is...

Seems like you would get a lot of vibration from a plate like that.

 

['74 Sport]

Cannot wait to try them out, installing the new Retro-Sound stereo this weekend.

Excellent, keep us posted on the outcome.

 

['74 Sport]

Seems like you would get a lot of vibration from a plate like that.

Vibration from where? Speakers are mounted tightly to bracket and bracket is mounted tightly to dash.

 

[1ol74charger4me]

I'm going to repeat something about which I have absolutely no knowledge, but I read on another website. Those of you who do know about these things can jump right in and call me a fool if it is incorrect. At least, it will educate us all.

For those of us who want to use the newer speakers, like those shown in this thread, but keep the old radios functioning, just wire the speakers in series to get your 8 ohms.

There, jump on it...

Jerry

I'm interested in this also. I thought you could decrease the ohm rating by how you wired it but in series the rating for the 2 speakers stayed at the single speaker ohm rating. Def not a expert....

 

[Randy73]

Vibration from where? Speakers are mounted tightly to bracket and bracket is mounted tightly to dash.

Seems like the bracket is not stiff enough, so that when the speakers are turned up, they would vibrate the bracket. Seems like you would need some padding between the bracket and the dash, not an expert, so I am just going by how thick the bracket is.

BTW: Not trying to put a wet blanket on this, as I think it is a great idea.

 

[jessipup]

Boy I wish I saw this two months ago:gah:

 

[uk-maxie]

Hi guys

I was just about to post a new thread, asking if anyone had added 2x front speakers in their 69 b-body, and came across this thread. Could be just the solution we need!

I've been looking at trying to fit 2x smallish speakers somewhere under the dash (facing down and towards the front seats), as we've recently had our original AM thumbwheel radio converted to stereo AM/FM/mp3, and would like to have 2 speakers in the front to add to the 2 Pioneers we put in the back shelf years ago.
But with the heater, steering column, pedal assy etc etc, there's not many options if you dont want the speakers to stick out like a sore thumb :confused:

Does anyone reading this know how to go about replacing the original single in-dash speaker with a bracket like this, fitted with a couple of 3.5" speakers?
Last time I looked, a couple of weeks ago, it looked like quite a job to get to all the nuts that hold the speaker in place. It looked at first glance that some other components would have to be removed to get to all the fasteners?
The dash is still in the car tho pretty much all of the other interior parts are out, and i was hoping not to have to remove the dash.

Can the speaker be removed and swapped over without removing the dash?

Grateful for any advice

Rob