glad you could find them easilly.
1971 Journey
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I decided to wire up my AAR radio with and amp for the front sets of speakers.
The amp is being used so i can get clearer sound and cut the bass out of the speakers with the amps inbuilt electronic crossovers rather than using capacitors as passive crossovers.
The problem is the AAR radio causes a pop in an external amp when it shuts down so I needed to fix that using a Stinger Pop Stopper and a couple of relays.
The idea is the amp powers down when the ignition goes off but the deck stays on for a few seconds longer - and no pop.
The relays give the deck clean power direct from the battery and cut the amp trigger signal with ignition.
All works well in testing so I needed to mount the parts up and build a new wiring harness.
Connects to standard radio plug and the AAR deck.
I also removed all the extra pins in the AAR plug that were speaker wires to reduce clutter.
Mounts up behind deck.
Now I can set up the front kick panel and dash speakers like component sets with most of mid and treble coming from dash and lower notes from the kick panels.
Next steps are to test it while driving and the adjust crossover and overlaps then decide on how much bass is needed to round it out.
The amp is being used so i can get clearer sound and cut the bass out of the speakers with the amps inbuilt electronic crossovers rather than using capacitors as passive crossovers.
The problem is the AAR radio causes a pop in an external amp when it shuts down so I needed to fix that using a Stinger Pop Stopper and a couple of relays.
The idea is the amp powers down when the ignition goes off but the deck stays on for a few seconds longer - and no pop.
The relays give the deck clean power direct from the battery and cut the amp trigger signal with ignition.
All works well in testing so I needed to mount the parts up and build a new wiring harness.
Connects to standard radio plug and the AAR deck.
I also removed all the extra pins in the AAR plug that were speaker wires to reduce clutter.
Mounts up behind deck.
Now I can set up the front kick panel and dash speakers like component sets with most of mid and treble coming from dash and lower notes from the kick panels.
Next steps are to test it while driving and the adjust crossover and overlaps then decide on how much bass is needed to round it out.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:10 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Also shorter body rear coil-overs are all in.
I needed to get some thinner washers for each side of the upper mount bolt to get the nuts to fully engage with the new UNF bolt sets Van Steel use.
Car sits very nice. Will need to take it for a run to settle it all in and then will take some shots.
Probably have to adjust the heights slightly but I am somewhere under 26-3/4" to rear guard lip.
I needed to get some thinner washers for each side of the upper mount bolt to get the nuts to fully engage with the new UNF bolt sets Van Steel use.
Car sits very nice. Will need to take it for a run to settle it all in and then will take some shots.
Probably have to adjust the heights slightly but I am somewhere under 26-3/4" to rear guard lip.
Last edited by CraigH; Mar 27, 2021 at 01:25 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Continuing with my stereo install V11 I have been testing the front speaker options.
I originally went with 2 sets of plate speakers in dash and kicks.
Ok but missing body.
I then went to 5.25" 2 ways in the kicks, much better but both sets needed bass removed to stop them over extending on heavy notes and distorting, (capacitors in line)
The issue with 5.25 multiway speakers was the height of the tweeters as they often hit the kick panel trims that I wanted them to sit behind so I resorted to modifying them to fit.
I am now using an amp so I can adjust the rolloff of bass etc so I experimented with using a mid bass speaker in kick and used dash as mid high with crossover controlling what went where.
The speaker on top below was used
Sounded nice in garage but on road with all the exhaust noises etc was not sounding right, did not sound connected enough.
So I found Polk now make a better 5.25" DB522 that has a mid tweeter mounted flush so no modification.
Will mount them up and see how they sound.
There will probably still need to be a small sub to round it out.
I originally went with 2 sets of plate speakers in dash and kicks.
Ok but missing body.
I then went to 5.25" 2 ways in the kicks, much better but both sets needed bass removed to stop them over extending on heavy notes and distorting, (capacitors in line)
The issue with 5.25 multiway speakers was the height of the tweeters as they often hit the kick panel trims that I wanted them to sit behind so I resorted to modifying them to fit.
I am now using an amp so I can adjust the rolloff of bass etc so I experimented with using a mid bass speaker in kick and used dash as mid high with crossover controlling what went where.
The speaker on top below was used
Sounded nice in garage but on road with all the exhaust noises etc was not sounding right, did not sound connected enough.
So I found Polk now make a better 5.25" DB522 that has a mid tweeter mounted flush so no modification.
Will mount them up and see how they sound.
There will probably still need to be a small sub to round it out.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:10 AM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Just because I thought it looked nice.
Needs to have the left side raised a bit to get it even side to side.
Currently ground to lip is 26" front and 26 1/2" rear
Needs to have the left side raised a bit to get it even side to side.
Currently ground to lip is 26" front and 26 1/2" rear
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:09 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Got back to the stereo install.
The amp for the front speakers is mounted under the seat. I added some mounting blocks to keep some airflow under the amp.
.
The amp is set to send mid high to the dash speaks and mid to the kick panel speakers. It then feeds signal to a powered sub.
I added a new ground post on the bulkhead behind the seats.
For now I am mounting the sub on the rear storage bulkhead so made a mounting piece for it and a small fire extinguisher.
It seems to round out the sound fairly well. I am not after huge bass just a well rounded sound.
I may stick with the sub mount or possibly build a recessed fibreglass box to mount it through the rear bulkhead. there is between 5 and 7 inches of space back there.
The amp for the front speakers is mounted under the seat. I added some mounting blocks to keep some airflow under the amp.
.The amp is set to send mid high to the dash speaks and mid to the kick panel speakers. It then feeds signal to a powered sub.
I added a new ground post on the bulkhead behind the seats.
For now I am mounting the sub on the rear storage bulkhead so made a mounting piece for it and a small fire extinguisher.
It seems to round out the sound fairly well. I am not after huge bass just a well rounded sound.
I may stick with the sub mount or possibly build a recessed fibreglass box to mount it through the rear bulkhead. there is between 5 and 7 inches of space back there.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:09 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
To make sure the kick panel speakers fit behind the trim panels without touching I had to remake the plates they mount on so they sit a bit further back. I also modified the speakers metal frame slightly.
Previously I had used 6mm MDF but I swapped to acrylic with aluminium on each side that is around 3mm thick.
One side done now need to do the drivers side.
Previously I had used 6mm MDF but I swapped to acrylic with aluminium on each side that is around 3mm thick.
One side done now need to do the drivers side.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:09 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
My 71 turned 50 on Thursday.
After its first wash in a while I went for a good drive and now its back in the shed.
After its first wash in a while I went for a good drive and now its back in the shed.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:09 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
When I first fitted the new rear suspension I had a bad creaking noise over slight bumps.
It turned out to be the strut rod inner heim joints so I swapped in some polly ends and the noise went away.
So yesterday I decided to swap the heims back in and ensure they were properly spaced, tightened etc.
One drive and the noise was back so this week I will swap them back out and go with some johnny joints I got from Dan @Vansteel.
The noise is probably amplified by the fact I have delrin rear crossmember mounts etc etc but I don't like it.
It turned out to be the strut rod inner heim joints so I swapped in some polly ends and the noise went away.
So yesterday I decided to swap the heims back in and ensure they were properly spaced, tightened etc.
One drive and the noise was back so this week I will swap them back out and go with some johnny joints I got from Dan @Vansteel.
The noise is probably amplified by the fact I have delrin rear crossmember mounts etc etc but I don't like it.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:09 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
. Enough room for 4 cars but one space is used for extra benches etc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1,196
From: Canberra Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Heims replaced with Johnny Joints on the inner sides of the rear strut rods.
Last edited by CraigH; Apr 10, 2023 at 07:08 AM.