Stereo Setups - without altering original dash

[Blocker]

Great photos everyone.

Not large pics at all, nice size so you can see the detail.

[HZ1178]

Thanks all for The great ideas. Great to see different ideas come through.

[0488TINTER]

just a thought.
In the 90s when i was reading all the audio mags i saw a US one where the guy had a Vette which has a stereo kind of like in a VT-VZ where it blends into the dash in a double din config

what he did was glued the whole face together and cuteverything off behind it then glued a flat panel on the back.

From the front it just looked like a stock head unit and it even had leds that lit up when ignition was on
when he wanted to listen to something the panel could flip around (hinged at the top and bottom - middle) and there was a facia mounted on the flat panel at the back

For those of you who remember, the old FM modulators for fitting stackers to standard head units? it was like that but a stand alone job

the complete panel where the stock stereo is could become a hinge with a new head unit behind that, along with extra switches if wanted

mind you you can just have one of those things that plug into the cigarette lighter and tune throug the FM radio f your stock unit played ok

[V6HQUTE]

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]

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.