Other: studebaker sound system

[studelover]

Did studebaker in "61" have stereo? In my hawk there is a place for a speaker in the package tray area and in the front dash board.I just remembered am radio no stero[V] In the modern era how are you all coping with this?

Studebakers forever!

[ivorydan]

No, I don't believe they did. I would like to leave my old stude delco am/fm in the dash, and hide a cd radio somewhere, maybe the glove compartment? Where are folks putting the cd player?

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I don't know about factory stereo for AM but I know they did have an optional switch for fade between front and rear. My factory radio is in the dash and rear speaker with grill is NOS but I installed a great stereo system in my 64 Hawk. I mounted 2 6X9's in the rear shelf with an adapter plate that converts 3x7's(?)to 6x9's. I put two layers of black speaker cloth over the rear deck to hide the rear speakers. installed small 4" speaker pods in the front kick plates then carpeted them. They almost disappear into the carpet. Installed an 4 channel amplifier under the passenger seat and a CD player under the drivers seat. The CD player plays MP3's off a 4 gig USB storage device and also has a small remote that I point between my legs to crank up the tunes or change files. I drove to South Bend from Toronto and back without hearing every file.

1964 GT Hawk soon to be R2 Clone

[Tom Bredehoft]

The rear speaker cut-out is a left over from the '50s 'fader', sound from in front and behind. With a 'fader' switch, you could fade the back speaker in.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Bothcars1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'60 Lark VI
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All three Indiana built OD cars

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

Here are the pictures of my stereo install, excuse the mess on the carpet I drive this car every day.

Rear speaker with 3"x7" to 6"x9" convertor

Invisible rear deck speaker under speaker cloth

Front 4" speaker pod

CD Player with MP3 memory stick

Old alpine amp


1964 GT Hawk soon to be R2 Clone

[John Kirchhoff]

I put a 4 speaker system in my Hawk last winter. I used speakers from a GM car. I cut two holes in the rear deck for the 6X9 and covered then with carpet. I couldn't bring myself to cut holes in the doors and the new door panels, so I mounted the 4" speakers up under the dash with zip ties. The right was no problem at all but I think I had to drill a hole somewhere to mount the left one. The sound quality suffered somewhat, but not that much and installation was very quick and easy. The way I see it, if absolutely necessary, I can always cut holes later. I'd rather have that option than be crying later because I chopped up my new interior. Other than the carpet on the rear deck and seeing the two speakers from the inside of the trunk, you'd never know it's not the orginal set up.

[StudeRich]

studelover; I like your title![^] That is so laughable! "Sound system"!

As you know in those days you had AM monaural radio, and that's about it unless you had the optional "rear seat speaker kit"! If you were real lucky you had the premium 8 tube "PUSH BUTTON" model so you had 5 station presets! Wow!

They "warmed up" and played in only about 45 seconds too! In '61 the new Studebaker Delco had a partial Transistor system, faster warm-up, less tubes and a few "transistors" no one knew what those were, but it sounded real high tech!

Then in '62 we had "FULL TRANSISTOR" radios, INSTANT on!, a BIG WOW!! [^] In '64 Studebaker came out with the AM/FM but still no Stereo had been developed, and no stations playing it!

In 1962 I had a Reverberator unit from Sears Allstate, so the rear speaker was delayed for an auditorium effect, that was the coolest thing going!..until my cousin bought a Craig 8 track tape player in '64 or '65 I think, that was the greatest.. real Stereo!

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[bams50]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

...until my cousin bought a Craig 8 track tape player in '64 or '65 I think, that was the greatest.. real Stereo!

Jeez, Rich, you skipped over the previous technological advance: 4 track tapes!

Man, you West-coasters... always in a big rush...!

Back on topic- I have an AM/FM/CD player mounted in the glove box on the 60 Lark wagon; plugged in the original antenna; uses one speaker (87 Tempo front) in the stock dash location. Mostly use my iPod with over 3000 songs on it![^] I have too many old cars to install fancy stereos- so I'm looking at a portable iPod dock that has it's own speakers, that can be just plugged in in any car or run off batteries.

A lot will depend on the quality and volume level you need.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

[studelover]

I too remember the "Reverb" we had it in the 66 charger. Don't know what became of it. I will put two 6x9 speakers in the back and mount speakers on the door panel, these have spacers that allow you to put the speaker in a cup so ypi don't have to cut a hole in the door panel. I will drive my car alot so I have to have sounds in it. They don't have to be loud just rich and full.[] You see I like my Chuck Berry leads riffs to be unmoffed when I'am riding the road I will sell the original if anyone wants it.

Studebakers forever!

[Mr Mike]

FYI -- SI has dual stereo speakers in both 5x7 and 4x10 sizes for $30 each. Beats cutting up door panels and adding more holes in the package tray.

Mr Mike

[Bobcat]

Speaking of cutting holes in the package tray, I am trying to do that to my Hawk GT, but getting my butt kicked in the process. I have a construction company and am quite adept at using my tool. So far I have used about every power tool that I have!! Metal cutting 2 1/8"hole saw that has already burned up, broke a metal cutting jigsaw blade, and a titanium drill bit. Has anybody found a method that works?

[r1lark]

Wow, a 16 year old thread!

[Hawklover]

I now "board" the memory machine and push the lever way back to stop in 1965. I had occasion to test drive a 1963 Avanti that was being sold in Brooklyn, New York. Yes driving that car was an exciting experience for a newly minted licensed driver, but what really sticks in my mind is the fact that the cars owner had installed a reverb unit. I absolutely adored and was knocked out hearing am top 40 radio with that early form of sound processing. I wish I could find and install such a unit today, but then I would have to install a rear seat speaker run wires etc. My Avanti will not suffer that ignominious fate:-)

[StudeRich]

After marking a 6X9", 5X7, or 4 Inch Hole location, the proper tool is a Sabre Saw and a fine metal cutting blade, after all, it's just sheet steel, not Kryptonite !

OR: There are already square holes in the shelf on each side that can get plates over them with 4 Inch Stereo Speaker holes cut in them to cover the factory holes, NO cutting required !

Of course you would not want them to be visible, so you cover the whole shelf with "Package Tray Speaker Cloth" like the Factories did on 1980's Cars.

[Ron Dame]

Since this dead thread has come back to life, there's no harm in changing course is there?
The Blaupunkt in my '80 Avanti II was dead, so I put in a RetroSound head unit, and replaced the front 4" speakers, and also replaced the rear 4" speakers with 6x9s. ( both Pioneer). Damned if it doesn't sound like the 1970's, kind of tinny. I was hoping for better quality sound. Reckon an amp will help, or do I need to upgrade yet again?