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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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Ok, I've had enough of blasting around sans tunes! I'm not sure I can afford to do a fantastic job on this, for one I can't afford a Becker Mexico, and secondly I don't think the car will ever be worth enough to justify a huge expense. However, I don't want to end up with the interior looking like a saxo drivers wet dream!  My plan is to find the most subtle head unit I can find with an ipod connection in the back. Run some front components on either side of the central speaker box (suitably reinforced with MDF). Hopefully with black speaker grilles these should be pretty much invisible. For rear fill, I was going to remove the useless rear seat and replace it with carpeted panels containing either 6x9's or a pair of coaxials and a small subwoofer powered by a small amp. The rear seat as some of you will know, clips into place. That means I can make a template and build a replacement panel, carpeted the same as the floor but containing the new audio. That way, if necessary the original seat can just be clipped back into place and I will just need to buy a central speaker box to return to original (freely and cheaply available). Or should I just put the equipment where it will sound best? After all, the interior panels are hardly rare or expensive.  The other alternative would be to mount the sub in the central speaker box, although that will require cutting the metal panel 
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shirt
14,292 posts
70 months
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does it already have a head unit? is radio important? i have seen a karmann ghia with no head unit, just an ipod cradle connected to an amp under the passenger seat.
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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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shirt said: does it already have a head unit? is radio important? i have seen a karmann ghia with no head unit, just an ipod cradle connected to an amp under the passenger seat. It has a hole for one, looks to be DIN sized. Might as well fill it up. That might be a good idea if I can just find an MG logo'd blanking plate. I hate the thought of flashing pictures and neon blue buttons... I like driving at night in it, it's like being in a night fighter 
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davepoth
19,913 posts
68 months
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Get onto eBay, find something that looks the part, and send it off to one of the companies that advertise in the classic car magazines to have an iPod hookup added. Shouldn't be any more expensive than one of those ridiculous modern units.
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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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I'm loving the idea of just the amp and speakers, then plugging in the ipod. Very discreet 
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shirt
14,292 posts
70 months
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no charge! 
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wildoliver
7,012 posts
85 months
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6x9s will fit in the rear quarters.
A pair of decent door speakers and a small amp (which you can happily live without) and it should be plenty loud enough. Head unit to suit.
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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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wildoliver said: 6x9s will fit in the rear quarters.
A pair of decent door speakers and a small amp (which you can happily live without) and it should be plenty loud enough. Head unit to suit. Well, I want it loud and clear. I listen to a lot of Indie/Rock stuff and I like it loud when I'm in the mood. Now I know I don't have to have a head unit at all that sounds ideal! Also, that rear seat is fapping useless! I tried to squeeze in there once, I came out of there like the last bit of toothpaste in the tube! 
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wildoliver
7,012 posts
85 months
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Lol I have had 7 in a BGT before  Serious note, if you start removing bits and making stereo builds then IMO the cars start looking very tatty, a neat "factory" look install though isn't noticable so doesn't. I used JBL GTO 6x9 speakers and made a pair of MDF rear quarters to replace the cards, there was a bit of metal to remove behind but it was a simple job. I find Sony make nice clear yet loud door speakers (circa £20) and I'm a big fan of Kenwood stereos both on sound and quality (which is of importance in a potentially damp environment like a classic). Nowadays I save the nice stereo for the daily drivers and the classics usually have an old tape player and one/two "vintage" speakers if anything at all!
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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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wildoliver said: Lol I have had 7 in a BGT before  Serious note, if you start removing bits and making stereo builds then IMO the cars start looking very tatty, a neat "factory" look install though isn't noticable so doesn't. I used JBL GTO 6x9 speakers and made a pair of MDF rear quarters to replace the cards, there was a bit of metal to remove behind but it was a simple job. I find Sony make nice clear yet loud door speakers (circa £20) and I'm a big fan of Kenwood stereos both on sound and quality (which is of importance in a potentially damp environment like a classic). Nowadays I save the nice stereo for the daily drivers and the classics usually have an old tape player and one/two "vintage" speakers if anything at all! SEVEN? Custard test! Seriously?! My god, I struggled with two when things got frisky! WRT the stereo - I don't really mind, that idea just appealed to me. I've noticed you can see the road/wheels in certain places/panel gaps behind trim panels! Noteably under the battery cover! So I take on board the comments about dampness! 
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Electron
365 posts
88 months
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I went for a US head unit on Ebay for $50 !
Ebay US Item Number 360213711688
Shaft volume and tuning means it fits a standard classic car dash. Has in ipod connector but also has a SANdisc in it .... no moving parts and really light. I'm just going to drive a couple of door speakers with it ...
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vodkakid
1,076 posts
141 months
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AJRH
132 posts
98 months
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KingRichard said: I'm loving the idea of just the amp and speakers, then plugging in the ipod. Very discreet  I've done this in my B - just bought a cheap amp with master volume off ebay, fitted in a small tin and it sits behind the speaker unit on to of the gear box. (about 3" square). Then just one headphone jack lead to ipod which controls everything else. Total cost <10 quid. / totally invisible.
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Hugo a Gogo
15,150 posts
102 months
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 ignore the crappy wood, google image result, but MGBs came with that nice blanking plate as standard, years ago my mate installed his stereo behind it, took pictures of the install and got a story in the MGOC magazine
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AJRH
132 posts
98 months
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I'll post a couple of pics of my set up later.
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KingRichard
Original Poster
10,076 posts
101 months
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AJRH said: I'll post a couple of pics of my set up later. Yeah, that sounds brilliant. Cheers  Still weighing up which route to take. Hadn't thought to mount the amp behind the speaker grille. Neat. 
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pilbeam_mp62
732 posts
70 months
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KingRichard said: AJRH said: I'll post a couple of pics of my set up later. Yeah, that sounds brilliant. Cheers  Still weighing up which route to take. Hadn't thought to mount the amp behind the speaker grille. Neat.  All you need is an amplifier, a couple of speakers and connect your iPod to the amp - forget a head unit (IMHO) I did not have much room when building my Ultima, so I put an amp behind the seat. Can't hear it very well with a V8 about 6 inches behind my head, but that's a different matter :-) See here for a couple of pictures. http://www.jouhar.com/ultima2/index_files/Page4379...Regards
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hearselover
279 posts
110 months
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I had 6" speakers in the door panels and 6 x 9's mounted on the c posts, had a standard Din Kenwood head unit in until I put the car back to original and went back to a Motorola radio and the single original speaker. Didnt have a need for an amp but you could always convert one of the battery boxes under the seat with a fibreglassd MDF box. Only got a pic with the Motorola in. 
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AJRH
132 posts
98 months
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