280Z stereo upgrade. Could use some input.

[nienberg.11]

Hey guys, I need some input on my upcoming speaker install. My 280z is going to be my daily driver throughout this spring and summer, and most of fall, and I'm figuring on putting a decent sound system in it so I don't go into withdrawal after driving my Avenger with its nice stock system. Long trips w/ no Rammstein make me very grumpy . Anyways, I'm a student and while at school I live in a very bad neighborhood, so a flashy deck and large visible speakers are sure to get stolen. That's why I'm planning on keeping this crappy deck:

It's pretty lame, but it works and has an input jack on it, so I can directly connect an mp3 player into it, and take that out of the car while it's parked so there's nothing good to steal in sight.

 

Currently, the car has the 2 stock speakers as well as 2 small speakers in its doors. For reasons unknown to me at the moment, I can turn the volume all the way up on my deck and it's just barely loud enough to hear over any road noise. Also, the sound quality from the stock speakers sucks, so I have to get rid of them.

 

Here is what I plan on doing with the speakers. I plan on sinking two subs just below the floor of my rear deck surface and putting some metal mesh over them to avoid damage from things being dropped over them, like this:

As for the stock speakers, I would like to use this location to hide yet another midrange? set of speakers, much like the ones in the doors of my Avenger, but smaller.

 

I would also like to keep the speakers in my doors and use them as tweeters.

This is just an idea, and as you might be able to tell, I've never worked with car audio b4, so I'm sure there are some flaws in this plan. Let me know what you guys think. If anyone has suggestions on good speakers I could pull at a jy, please let me know. I would like to take some from an Avenger or Sebring b/c I know those are decent, but I'm sure there are better stock speakers out there. I want to get some stock ones and nothing new and flashy since it all has to be hidden anyways.

[Eric]

i have 2 6x9's right behind my seats. just some cheep walmart box's and low grade clarions. they sound great. if u realy want them to be out of site tho, put them in the storage compartments behind the seats. u'll have to remove the wood floor to get to them. or, msa sells a 6x9 box that replaces the tail light access panel. theirs not much room between the wood and the floor, so i don't think subs would work well the way u have them. i'd pull the spare tire and use the whell for a sub box.

[Guest Z Draci]

I recently replaced my 10 year old Kenwood CD player with a brand new Alpine unit. Even with the 10 year old Kenwood speakers, the improvement in sound quality was unbelievable! It sounded like I got completely new speakers. The bass level was greatly increased. The overall sound clarity was like switching from analog to digital.

 

My point is to get yourself a decent stereo deck and perhaps a secondary equaliser unit. I have an Alpine unit that can read MP3 files from CDs. I can fit in 12-15 full albums into a single CD. It reduced by CD book in my car from 100 to less than 10 CDs.

 

Sorry, that's all I can share. I'm not very knowledgable otherwise.

[nienberg.11]

Eric, I am not aware of any storage compartments in my car. I have the coupe, not the 2+2, if that makes any difference. Someone re-carpeted the car and may have covered these compartments, but I have seen no sign of anything behind my seats. I could very well use the tire compartment though, I just hate to lose that space for storing some tools etc.

 

Z draci, I really would love to put a better deck in the car, but like I said, I can't.... certain elements in my neighborhood have a tendancy to smash and grab for anything shiny or new that meets their eyes. Thats interesting that a new deck can make that much difference though.

[Phantom]

Go to my photo album and look at the Alpine stereo install done on my '77 280Z. The installation is very similar to what you have in mind and it has awesome sound. If you search under "LS1 / T56 update" You'll also find a summary of the actual installed equipment.

[b__sosick]

speaking of sound systems..... what problems should i expect to run into when installing two 5 & 1/4th inch speakers in my doors? i'm also going to put two 6x9's in the storage compartments like i did in my old z

 

 

my dad bought a couple of speakers that aren't huge thickness wise and are made to be placed in doors. suggestions/tips?

[Phantom]

A flush mount 5 1/4" speaker in the door will be a very snug fit. Check everything (whole in metal part of door behind facia panel, armrest clearance & window crank handle clearance) very carefully before you start cutting. Mine has 6 1/2" speakers but they are in custom enclosures that make them more of a surface mount than a flush mount. It is extremely tight with them.

 

The 6x9's in the back deck area behind the seats should not be a problem. Again - check out the underneath structure before randomly cutting any holes in the hardboard deck.

[Guest zfan]

I too mounted 5.5" 3 way speakers in the doors and 6.5" 2 way Alpines in the rear deck. I also mounted a Rockford amp and 10" sub woofer behind me in the deck area.

 

I wish Id purchased a Alpine stereo instead of the Pioneer I am running. It's ok but the Alpine is better. Santa got me a second amp just for the speakers, an Alpine 4 channel perfect for powering the 4 speakers in the Z.

 

Now I'll be bumping says my Son, what ever that means?

 

Mike

[Eric]

Eric, I am not aware of any storage compartments in my car. I have the coupe, not the 2+2, if that makes any difference. Someone re-carpeted the car and may have covered these compartments, but I have seen no sign of anything behind my seats. I could very well use the tire compartment though, I just hate to lose that space for storing some tools etc.

u and i have the same car, 77 2 seater. i thought the same thing till i pulled out the wood floor. pull the rear carpet out an unscrew the wood floor. i found my tire iron in the driver side compartment. something i plan to do is totaly remove that wood floor and the risers for it so the deck is lower. that way i can build a sub box to fit in the corner under the hatch strut with the sub facing sideways. u could make the box to look like the side, and no one would know just by lookin that u've got sub.

[Phantom]

I'd look at the structural contribution before I started removing metal back there. The risers are one thing - just bolt-ins but the front facia which pretty much sets the height definitely adds rigidity to the body structure.

 

I put a second piano hinge just in front of the strut towers so that the front of the deck could hinge up just like the rear. Then I framed around the 'compartment' areas so that I have front access storage space now. Some of it is taken up with a capacitor and some cross-overs for my sound system but there is still space available. It would also be a good area to foam if you're not going to use it to reduce road noise.

[Ed260Z]

I put one of these from MSA, and it works great. I still need to get some speakers in front, but I don't want to cut a hole in my door panel. There is a thread where someone is making Fiber Glass panels for the Z with Speaker insets in the panel.

 

http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SP

[nienberg.11]

Phantom, I could not find the photo gallery you mentioned, and I didn't have time to look through all 50 of your update threads to find the one that described your system, but it sounds like you have some good ideas that are real close to what I'm trying to do. If you could clarify a bit on where I can find the info on your setup I'd appreciate it. -Mike

[Phantom]

I put one of these from MSA' date=' and it works great. I still need to get some speakers in front, but I don't want to cut a hole in my door panel. There is a thread where someone is making Fiber Glass panels for the Z with Speaker insets in the panel.

 

[img']http://www.zcarparts.com/store/graphics/00000001/group505351.jpg[/img]

http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SP

 

I had one in my 280Z for several years and just recently gave it away when I upgraded. Sound quality is pretty good if you put good speakers in it. The big downside is that you have to take it out if you want to access your spare tire or anything else under the deck. That is a real pain.

[Guest Z Draci]

Z draci' date=' I really would love to put a better deck in the car, but like I said, I can't.... certain elements in my neighborhood have a tendancy to smash and grab for anything shiny or new that meets their eyes. Thats interesting that a new deck can make that much difference though.[/quote']

 

That's a bummer! All the new decks have removable faces and comes with a flashing red LED. This doesn't guarantee that the stereo will be safe, but it is a deterrent.

 

I really shouldn't be pushing you for a new deck if you feel it's not the right thing to do. Follow your gut instinct!

[proxlamus©]

I would highly recommend a REMOVABLE Faceplate.. as you can take it with you inside, and a theif can't do ANYTHING without a faceplate.. mine is entirely removable!

 

Oh you might notice in some of the pics, there is an automatic tranny, and a manual tranny... some were taken BEFORE the 5-speed swap, and some AFTER

 

 

 

My DVD setup

 

Oh and it's hard to see.. but I have 3 10" MTX subs in the back of my Z...

In order to hide them I use a BLACK beach towel.. it's large enoguh to cover the subs, and no one can tell, looks like carpet from the outside!

 

 

Since that picture I have relocated the amplifier, and have also stored that in a seperate compartment.. so NO one can tell it's there...

 

and ofcourse.. it's all being protected by Alpine Security

[Phantom]

Neinburg.11 -

 

Look in my photo album on this website or go to the gallery at www.cowtownzclub.org and look at "Bill's 280Z". The photos in the Hybridz album are more complete with several 'in progress' photos that show the cross-overs, the capacitor, and other details on the speaker installs - along with drive train and other interior photos. http://album.hybridz.org/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=8281 Page 2 of the gallery has most of the stereo installation photos.

[b__sosick]

prox:

 

while those speakers new the shifter look really cool, isn't that bad placement as far as sound goes? it aims at your legs, lol!

[savageskaterkid]

Why not get a hidden audio system, I'm not sure of the price, but all the hot-rodders use it to get great sound quality and still have it apear to be a stock radio. What you do is mount a CD-changer in the backseat or in the trunk, and you get the faceplate type thing and mount it on top of your sun visor. Knowbody can see it, and it gives great sounds quality. You have a new Head unit-but the console keeps the stock look, Nobody will think about it when they look in your car.

[nienberg.11]

That sounds all right Savegeskater, I'll have to see if I can find an example of what you're talking about. I still don't quite understand what happens to the stock head unit, or where the new head unit would be located. Is the faceplate device wireless or something?

[savageskaterkid]

http://mustangjack.com/SecretAudio.htm

 

Some are a bit pricey, but i think they have a more affordable model too, but I can't seem to find it at the moment. The faceplate is 3/4 inch thick-so it will go just about anywhere.

 

This 30' Ford has it http://hotcarclassified.com/showimage.cgi?1168&1930636MO_369_9356_2.jpg