Thread: Roadster owners- what are you doing for tunes in your ride?

Tweet

These photos show where my speakers fit. The JVC receiver fits in the console even though the upholsterer hadn't cut and finished the holes for it as well as the center AC outlet and AC controls. I'm with Brian - you wont hear it much while driving. (Yeah - I know - an AC in a roadster )

It looks like I am a little behind in reading this thread. Here are some photos of the install I did on my roadster a few years back. It has been posted on CHR before but it has been a while so I will post again for those of you who were not on the boards back then... The photos show before and after shots of the interior and system that I built and installed.

As for the system, it is all Cadence except for the head unit and the Monster cables. There are two 5" mids mounted in the lower dash extension pointed down twards the floorboard, two 3.5 tweets mounted in the kick panels. The mids and tweeters are directional even though the cone is stationary the main speaker swivels so that you can aim it any direction you want, preferably in the direction of the driver and passanger seats. I also have two 8" subs mounted in the rear corners of the cab behind the seats and a 12" sub reverse-mounted in a speaker box in the trunk and ported into the cab of the roadster. The head unit is a Pioneer rated at 40 watts per channel (4) and a built-in EQ. The tweets and mids are powered by the head unit. The 8" subs are powered by one 750 watt amp and the 12" is powered by a second 750 watt amp both mounted in the trunk above the speaker box. I also installed a cap to keep the power to the 12" flowing.

Just a little FYI... This system has been road tested and the music comes in "loud and clear" over the wind noise even driving at 75 mph!!!

Dave Brisco

Another shot of my roadster at the CES show in Las Vegas...

Dave Brisco

It looks like you might have more money in that sound system than I have in my whole car

Dangeroustoy, that is a magnificant sound system in a great Deuce! I just stopped over to John York's shop to see how he puts speakers into the turnkey Cobras and he has three in progress at the moment! In IC2's setup and in the Cobras the speakers can be behind the seat at shoulder height but assuming I keep my Dodge seat there is no room behind the seat unless I aim them backward into the rumble area. On the other hand I have a medium priced radio with four channels and four medium priced 6" speakers with tweeters in the center of the medium-sized cone. Looking yet again at Ken Thurm's new Deuce (also fantastic) it looks like I could use Brian's idea of padding the speaker mount with a wooden spacer AND regain the arm rests I took off the Dodge seat. Since I have the extra two speakers I could/can mount a wooden arm rest to the side panels with the speakers underneath "into the ribs". The arm rests can be covered with upholstery and will keep the human bodies from fully covering up the speakers and having four speakers (two in kick panels and two in side panels) should make it more likely to hear some of them. When the top is down the "arm over the side in the pinch zone" is natural but with the top up there needs to be an arm rest. The speakers can handle up to 140 watts but the radio unit can only send a maximum of 52 watts per channel. Thanks for all the excellent pictures, ideas and examples!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

only tunes i need is blower whine.............

This thread has been very interesting and mostly helpful to me now that I just installed the front two speakers in the kick panels and I am mulling over the location for two other speakers. The comments about water proofing and the meaningless designation for "marine" units are very discouraging but I am stuck with a large hole in the dash so I am trying to figure out how to add some sort of transparent hood over the radio made from a thin (1/8") piece of Lexan bent into a "L" shape. Big enough to channel any water coming under the windshield rubber around the radio but small enough that it does not project out of the dash more than about 1/2". I think Lexan can be bent into shape with a heat lamp. Anybody out there made such an "eyebrow rain gutter"? It looks possible to me but falls into the range of multiple attempts before it looks OK. The Bebops '29/'32 molded dash already has an eyebrow which can be used to tuck the Lexan mount into position and it probably would have to be sealed somehow. Fabrication scratches can probably be buffed out. Just dreaming an scheming beyond my skill level but usually I get some things right after the third try. Anybody out there fabricated a piece of Lexan into shape with a heat lamp?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I have two speakers in the front at shoulder level, and two in the rumble area. The radio is inelegantly hung below the dash. It really looks crappy, but works fairly well and the hanger isolates it from vibration somewhat. At speeds below 40-45 (around town), I can hear it pretty well without blasting everyone else. At highway speeds I just turn it off.

Dorsey thanks for your comment. I can't see an antenna in your icon. What do you do for an antenna? By the way, your highboy is exactly the car I wanted to build but my wife said I had to have fenders and that leads to more "stuff". A red '29 highboy is tops in my view and steelies with Ford caps really takes me back. I went for baby moon caps but I might switch to Ford caps or even Olds Fiesta wheel covers in the future. With fenders the Fiesta wheel covers might fit in a little better with my aluminum diamond plate running boards. Maybe all the glare from shiny stuff will blind folks to other imperfections? I might even add a stainless luggage rack in the back with more shiny stuff but anyway you sure did it right with the basic stripped down look and in the usual red too, nice car!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Hi Don,

The antenna is at the left rear, just behind the seat roll. It's one of those that collapses and is completely down.

Dorsey

I use an Ipod. Radio's are not to practical on the highways.

I agree, but then I drive on the highway less than 1% of the time. Roadsters themselves are not practical on the highways (or in the winter or on rainy days).

I am working on an idea to cover the radio in the dash (hole) with a smooth shield that will blend in with the dash and cover the radio with a way to put my fingers underneath the cover to adjust the radio but shunt water leakage around the radio. I don't know if this will work but I will provide a picture if/when I get it set up.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don- check w/ boat shops. They used to make a clear hinged cover that would cover the head unit but would flip up to operate the buttons.
Or- use a remote like I do.

Steves32, Thanks for a great idea. I checked out such a cover at nearby "Ed's Marine Superstore" and found the surround size won't fit my dash, being too wide but I am still working on another idea.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder