Car Audio, DIY to a low cost dang fine system the relatively easy way! (other car stuff is welcome as well)

Sorry to keep you waiting, which I have to do a bit longer but basically for now, home audio drivers are the way to go, what I used mostly when deep into this and the only ones I use now. I have used them in car audio since at least the early 1980's.

Since you should be able to figure out what the originals were if using the stock amp then find ones that match them in size and electrical parameters. It has es been a very long time since I needed to pick any so my list would be a bit old most likely. That is where the members on DIYMA can really help you out better than I can right now.

If you can find an amp to fit you would likely be much better off as well, some really decent amps out there that are quite small.

To keep things more simple go with a pair of components up front and coax for rear doors, most likely.....

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I was working on this last night and hit something and thought I lost it, was tired so went to bed, the above is where I left off, it showed up again.
I will post any changes I might of wanted to do before posting it though.

Seems I was doing OK, at least to me it that is:)
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HU, Pioneer makes so really nice ones that are reasonable in price and have great tuning ability and even decent power ratings so you might be able to get by without getting an amp. (many car audio systems have the processor built into the stock amp so you could try that, it might not be to bad a unit but you have to use the stock HU to contol them unless the right interface is made that works on your system). Easier to just get a good head unit and ditch the stock amp.

Amp, a tiny 4 plus a tiny sub amp or a 5 or 6 channel little amp that fits. Of course you can put the sub amp under a seat etc.....

Speakers...Tweeters or wideband in the dash, 5.6 midbass in the doors, seal up withe the second front door speaker is, you do not need a 3 way front.

Coax in rear doors.

Sub, strip out the old drivers and measure using water or permeculite, etc, and see how much volume the enclosure has, add a couple or more layers of good damping mat on the outside or even fiberglass it to make stiffen up. Find a pair of subs to replace the stock drivers, you might be getting some decent bass, enough for normal listening at least, not spend much, not take up any space.

Tune, flat response is not what we want in a car, especially at low listening levels, is is just to lifeless. I generally tune for a bit of rise at both ends of the spectrum, sorter an steeper rise on the sub, dropping down at a gentle curve up the range then a gradual climb up to 20khz. Once that is done tweak to your liking and or use build in EQ settings for different music or listening levels.

Wiring, likely have to so some and do look into interface devices needed to tie in anything you want to work with the vehicle.

Done right you can have a very nice system for not a lot of money.
 
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"Fun" car stuff, not much time for audio when putting in more raised bed gardens, remodeling, building a sweet little customized SFF computer and fixing a broken Fiesta ST. Just finished with a valve job and got the head back on, cams in, in the AM will be checking valve lash, pulling cams, installing the right spec tappets, cams back in, aligning them with TDC of the crank after installing the variable timing actuators, then reinstalling the very custom turbo system...These modern engines are one heck of a lot more work than good old push rods and a great deal more likely to make a mistake working on them.

That and dealing with health issues I am taking care of and will heal using food, herbs, super clean diet, etc....I have far to much fun in life to let some one pump me full of useless, more complications causing meds. (only around 5% of prescriptions help cure anything the rest only treat symptoms and cause more troubles)

There are amazing aspects of modern medicine and I gladly use them as needed, I just do not let big pharma dictate what kind of life I lead.

Just in the last month or so I have reduced my blood pressure to a great level, eliminated heart issues on both ends of the spectrum and now healing my kidneys. Instead of what I call the hypocritic oath I do what it is supposed to be based on, "let food be thy medicine". Not an easy path when most of what is sold as food in this country is not, in fact, food. Though my diet has been far better than most is has not been good enough, we are all massively complex biochemical beings and none of us are the same, I happen to have limits to how much I can mistreat my body as well as survival to me is just not really living. I have to learn and work around what I have to of become after 72 years of Epigentics effecting what I am in body and mind, right now.

And I am having a great time of it:)

Rick
 
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I never had a sound setup that I could hear in any of my early cars. You might at idle, but after that…

‘71 Alfa Berlina
‘75 Opel Manta
‘63 Austin Mini
‘75 Porsche 914
‘74 Opel Ascona
‘77 Lancia Scorpion (2)
‘68 Cortina GT
‘81 Fiat 124 Spider
‘73 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe

Finally picked up a ‘87 Fiero in a trade, and could hear a reasonable stereo. After that, the cars tended to be somewhat quieter.

I miss those cars.
 
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