Stereo Setups - without altering original dash

**HZ1178** · 07-03-2011, 02:29 PM

Has anyone here installed a modern stereo in a very immaginative way as to not cut into the dash?

I am thinking of ways to mount the head unit and not spoil my recently aquired pristine dash facia. I would like to leave the original AM yellow needle radio installed for looks.

I have thought about installing into the center console. Has anyone done this?

Cheers,

Peter

**wbute** · 07-03-2011, 03:40 PM

In the glove box is pretty common. But..... if you have a ute, where do you put the speakers without cutting the door trims?

**V6HQUTE** · 29-11-2011, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by wbute

But..... if you have a ute, where do you put the speakers without cutting the door trims?

just like this, this is what ill be doing i hate seeing speakers especially in my new door trims, scroll down a bit and you'll see it in a orange cab, ill probally have 4 speakers down low, 6x9 3way, pair in the kick panels, and mabey tweeters or small speaker in the vent on top of the dash just to make it clearer where factory speaker goes, i think the seats will muffle the sound abit
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/...-tonner-9.html

**Q set** · 30-11-2011, 10:20 PM

I put in a couple of 8 inch good quality duel cones in behind the seats in the ute bolted hard onto the framing that projects from the head board low down behind the seats. The purpose of these are to give the lower base notes while a pair of heavy little mid/ tweeters mounted onto dence kick panels (making use of the little recesses located behind the kick panel), provide the higher notes and clarify the sound. I did have a couple of high range micros which I was going to mount up high in the corners of the cab, but I couldnt pick any difference with or without them.
Ute cabs are tricky to direct speakers without cutting anything and interior space is limited to start with without any 'air-box spaces' like a boot to use. Good quality speakers make the difference, besides, the music is for me, not the pedestrians.
I've tucked a mini amp into the corner of the glove-box and just used a iPod for sounds. It just sits in the console and connects with a long lead. I recon if u got really tricky, you could rig up a slide out panel for an iPad that came out from under the dash. That way you could access your music, gps, radio, weather, MySandman etc etc.

**HK1837** · 07-03-2011, 03:41 PM

I recently put Eclipse (Fujitsu ten) AVN726EA double DIN units into both my Hilux SR5 and V2 CV8. Both are CD/DVD/AM/FM/reverse camera/GPS. The exciting part is the IPOD connectivity. In the CV8 my mrs simply has an Ipod touch plugged into a cable in the glovebox and she can control all Ipod functions from the touch screen. I have an Iphone4 and its firmware won't work via the cable, but bluetooth audio does and I simply play an album on the Iphone and it works on the stereo. Bluetooth phone (handsfree works well too).
None of that probably bothers or interests you too much, but this unit can be programmed to work with steering wheel controls. So all you need is a box with buttons to replicate steering wheel controls (which are just 3 wires with varying resistances for each button). So you could hide the head unit and use the little box with buttons to control the unit. Buttons would be Volume Up/Down, Mode, Next plus more. If it was me I'd make the unit fit in the console in front of the gearstick, even if you just use a vinyl boot to go around it, or make something more elaborate. This way you could use the reverse camera, GPS etc too. Keep all music on a hidden Ipod. And have the liitle "steering wheel control" box handy to the driver. I'd consider maybe building something about the size of a matchbox that you could velcro to the cigarette lighter head or even mount the buttons in the blank panel that goes over the wiper dwell control spot, or velcro it to that removable panel.

**jennie285** · 07-03-2011, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by HZ1178

Has anyone here installed a modern stereo in a very immaginative way as to not cut into the dash?

I am thinking of ways to mount the head unit and not spoil my recently aquired pristine dash facia. I would like to leave the original AM yellow needle radio installed for looks.

I have thought about installing into the center console. Has anyone done this?

Cheers,

Peter

Hello yes Rodney put a kenwood system (with Ipod compatability) in our glovebox, also a switch so we can put the electric aerial up and down, so people don't break it off...I will take a pic when I have the van out next....we put the speakers in the Arch, and 2 in the back cupboards...it worked really well, we have the dash fascia looking great thanks to Absinth who poly welded a piece in it, and you can't tell...the original GMH radio may work but we haven't hooked it up, as we couldn't get a speaker, and it would sound hopeless anyways....

--- Updated ---

Originally Posted by wbute

In the glove box is pretty common. But..... if you have a ute, where do you put the speakers without cutting the door trims?

Good Question....:Chin:

**HK1837** · 07-03-2011, 05:13 PM

I reckon if push came to shove I could gut an original radio, and make all it's knobs and buttons act as "steering wheel" controls for a modern unit. How cool would that be! Speakers you'd have to creative. Mount small piezo tweeters up high (off the sunvisor brackets), bigger midrange units in the kick panels (like a WB) and a tube/box subwoofer behind the seats. There is enough room behind the seats to fit small amps, and those long box subs have an inbuilt amp so only need a pre-out from the head unit to drive them. If you buy a good head unit these will drive the piezo and midranges fine, just use a pre-out for the sub woofer(s). I'm not talking about doof-doof hat back-to-front wanker subs, just small ones to give you some bass which you won't get from the midranges. If you have a van you could use the side panels for subs if you like too.

**wbute** · 07-03-2011, 06:22 PM

You have a van right. Miles of room in the back, put it in the back or in the arch somewhere and get a head unit with a remote control? That way you can easily set the mood music whilst in the back (which you can even pick from the awesome selection that has been entered into the ipod competition)!
Those Custom Consoles that were around in the 90's were awesome for fitting headunits and UHF's into. I am sure if you were a bit cunning you could build a roof console that hardly anyone would notice in a van as well.

**agr071** · 07-03-2011, 06:35 PM

Aftermarket stereo - EASY!! Just get another lower dash cover that has had the pocket cut out and mount the stereo there.
Speakers - Put them into a box which goes on the shelf between the back of the seats and archway. Hidden but still practical.

Pain in the bum bit about the glovebox - If your buy yourself it's a pain to get at, if there are 2 of you, the glovebox lid will hit your knees each time you change station/cd etc.

OR (for a ute)do a small bracket off the seatbelt mount, and put a small box speaker up there.
EVEV make a box that fits behind the armrest (between the seats) mount a forward facing speaker there with the original type one in the dash.

--- Updated ---

All these are removeable/replaceable with the greatest of ease and no damage to your prestige interior.

**playwme** · 07-03-2011, 06:44 PM

I did stereo in the glovebox and speakers in new kick panels on my statesman. Made a surround for the stereo that fit snugly in the glovebox and was secured using one of the existing screws. 2 decent speakers mounted in MDF kick panels gave good enough sound quality for me and not a single hole was drilled in original parts. Stereo had an infra red remote so I'd just leave the glovebox open if it required a lot of use. Otherwise just set and forget.