Strange rear speaker mounting, aftermarket speakers less likely to fit, any advice?

Alright, was tightening the spare tire in my '86 Olds Custom Cruiser, when I noticed that teh screws where missing on the lower half of the speaker cover panel in the back of my car, decided to peel back the plastic a little, and see how they mounted

To my dismay, I found this bizarre setup:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Dead-Reckon/1986 oldsmobile custom cruiser 2012/100_2322.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Dead-Reckon/1986 oldsmobile custom cruiser 2012/100_2323.jpg


These are the speakers I was planning to use:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_29880_Kicker-KS410-11KS410.html


To cut too the chase, has anyone put speakers in an '80-89 Olds custom cruiser? Or a B body GM from 80-89 with the same mounting system as my Olds? The biggest issue is the mounting depth and size of magnet, as you can see, the magnet sits in a bowl of sorts, not in a cutout, though I could change that, I'd rather not

I was thinking my three best options would be, in this order:

Find a set of 4x10's that fits with the least amount of modifications

Use a set of speaker boxes with 6x9's in them

Modify in a different size of speaker that has the right depth, 4" or 5 1/5" speakers maybe

So, any advise?

 

I have never seen speakers with legs like that.

I see two options;
find a new set of OEM speakers, or fabricate a mounting bracket to adapt a flush mount speaker.

 

OEM speakers are 100% out of the question, they are terrible. I did find these speakers which appear as though they'd fit:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-YMvf1cGn4dP/p_068R413N/Retrosound-R-413N.html

Anyway, those Retrosound speakers have the two screw mounting pattern, a tiny magnet, and a (supposedly) high RMS rating of 80 watts, (I don't pay any mind to peak wattage), I'm not sure about the sound quality but I'll look into it. Gotta be better than stock, they specialize in stuff for old cars, and the brand seems popular.

So, because of this, I am probably going to simply go the route of 6x9" speaker boxes with some good 6x9" speakers in the back.

Use these speakers:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_31838_Kicker-KS69.html

In these boxes:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7849_Sonic-Speaker-Box-69TT.html

Have 'em behind the middle seat, angled upward, bolted on a piece of MDF so they don't slide, that would give me something to mount the Infinity Basslink sub to aswell, I know those subs don't rock the block, but I just want fill. I may not need a sub with those 6x9's though, I'm not picky.

Probably carpet the whole thing to match, other than that, don't really see any options.

Anyhow, thanks for the heads up. My reaction was not exactly G rated when I happened upon those mounts. There's a Caprice wagon up at the junkyard, I'm gonna see how they mount in the back of it. Maybe I can yank some panels, brackets, or something, I think it's got tan interior too, I dunno, it's kind of sitting on an embankment with it's rear end hanging off the embankment. Feel sorry for wagons like that, if I ever had money, I'd have a field full of wagons waiting to be fixed up.

 

I may have to check out those Crutchfield Retrosounds.
In the past, I had bought some new 4x10 speakers for the back of my wagon, but they were a little deeper than stock and would not fit in.
Right now I have a single box with a pair of 8" and a pair of tweeters. It fits perfectly into the space between the rear seat and the rear facing seat backs.

 

I can see a way to mount any speaker you want there, as long as the depth isn't too great. Use screws long enough to cover the distance, and used thin, rigid lengths of tubing, like gas line, as spacers to keep everything tight. Cut the metal gas line just a little shy of the length you need and put a washer to and bottom. It would work nicely, and let you use the stock mounting brackets to keep things looking stock. I agree, though, the OEM speakers are a total no-go. Even if you found NOS, the paper cones would be drying out by now. Butter a good after market speaker, preferably with polypropylene cones. They sound better and they don't go brittle with age.

 

They make liftrings for 5 1/4 and 6 1/2 speakers, up too 1" I think, pretty sure that I could do like you said and just elevate mount it. I think there is enough width, though I'm not sure. I don't really see 1 1/4" being that much of a stretch to find room for, and I know most 5 1/4" speakers aren't any deeper than the 4x10's back there now.

I don't really care how it looks as long as the panel covers the mess I'm sure to make.

I'm pretty sure that I could make a set of these work back there:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_31831_Kicker-KS525.html

If you check Crutchfield, and Sonicelectronix, they have a number of adapters, lift rings, and stuff like that for various cars, as well as universal parts.

I know if I use those locations, I'm gonna have to break out my dremel and drill.

I believe these lift rings, or maybe 3/4" lift rings would work:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_1915_American-International-SG-600DX.html

The speaker sits about an inch higher than the metal at the highest, so, with a 2 1/4" speaker, I'd need to raise it up an inch or so.

Hell, if I was good with fiberglass, I'd just make some pods to go behind the panels to fit speakers. I'm going to do some more in depth measurements when I gut the 1989, I'll probably create a new thread then, with more photo's.

Either way, thanks for the advice. I only got four hours of sleep last night, had to weedeat and run some errands, I'm running on empty here, so I'm going to go pass out. If any of this post seems out of place, that's why.

 

My '89 Buick had same mounting and the old 4 x 10 was cracked. Put in Polk Audio 4 x 6 for the magnet fit in the recess and the depth was about the same. I didn't give up too much sound qulaity for the 4x10 were never the best. The Polk have a solid sound and a high capacity tweeter in center.
Now I just need to build out a sub and regain the lost bass (in fact, gain a lot of clear bass!)

 

In my '89 Olds Custom Cruiser I installed Pioneer 4x10's in the stock locations. I did have the Dremel the hole larger to fit the magnet, which was MUCH larger than the stock speakers, but other than that it was a bolt-in job, and once in, you could not tell anything was different from stock, but MAN it sounded better!

-Mike

 

It looks like Pioneer discontinued their 4x10's, but Kenwood still makes them.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KFC415C/Kenwood-KFC-415C.html

 

X2 on the drumel, I put Alpine(?) 4x10s in my '88 OCC I had a few years back.

Mike

 

Thanks for the input, probably gonna just put a couple of these in a double 6x9 wedge hatchback box I've got:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_11504_Kicker-KS6930.html

However, these may fit in the stock location:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068R413N/Retrosound-R-413N.html?tp=99

Not sure how I can justify paying $10 more for speakers that are only worth about $40, I know the box would be tacky, but it's a better option as far as I'm concerned.

However, if you have more advice, send it my way. I don't mind dremeling, I'd just rather not, dremeling metal makes you feel like you've rolled in the grass for about three days after the fact.

 

My beef with a decent speaker array in my wagon is really limited to stock locations. When I get more time, I'll make contoured boxes to fit up in the top rear ceiling corners on either side of the tailgate/hatch.

What I did for now is I got two 6 X 9s Premium sound base units from a 1989 Lincoln Town Car, two Premium Sound 5" rounds for the front doors, and 2 3" Tweeters for the dash replacements.

The Fairmont wagons had optional 4" X 6" rear side-panel ho-hum speakers. The Lincoln rear-deck 6 X 9s have an angled cover and a rear sound seal cover to push the sound forward. The Fairmont also had stock round speaker openings in the door, but I had to mod the door panel. The 5" Premiums from a 1979 2-door Bill-Blass Lincoln had angled mounts which fit right onto the door sheetmetal, and angled speaker covers - pointing up (toward the ceiling).

My beef is that when you fold up the rear seat, or fill her up with luggage or groceries, you can barely hear the rear speakers, so higher means clearer base. I prefer using Q-Tips to clean my ears, rather than melting the wax out of them, so clean base is my goal.

Once I find one of the original Fairmont Amps (25 watts per channel on rear speakers only), I think that'll do it just right.

The mid-range door units are decent units. They're also treated to repel water from anything that gets past the weather-stripping (about a 3" magnet).

By using the stock units (rebuildable too), I can usually find aftermaket or even stock units from a Ford Dealer.) Lots of Lincoln Limos around still.

 

Problem with that is, GM stereo equipment is, and always has been garbage. Besides, I'd rather get new speakers, as I said.

Cool setup though, I have no way to mount door speakers in my wagon currently, there isn't even really any room for it in the GM's.

 

Way back in the middle 80's I did a Red Green designed rear speaker mount system in my 55 Chevy wagon. This was before I met Red Green. But being related I just figured it out myself.
Used two plastic butterbowls, empty. Cut a hole in the rear quarters to slip the butter bowl in which was slightly larger than the round accesory speakers. Attached butterbowls with brackets made of "plumber's strap". Liberally applied liquid insulation from a spray can. Installed speakers, wires, recovered the side panels, added speaker covers, turned on the new stereo and sat back to enjoy. Still work to this day.

 

You will enjoy this site... You can get lost in there...

http://www.the12volt.com/

Check out their tips on good grounding too. Amazing how the old halogen headlights shine out to forever :

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~73496~PN~1