Stereo/speaker placement: need help FAST! :)

My wife was nice enough to buy me a nice head unit and four 6 1/2" Polk Audio speakers for my '69 CJ-5 for my birthday. I have until TODAY to return them.

I'm debating returning them because as much as I love music and love the idea of cruising with the bikini top on and music blaring in the summer, but I have no idea where to mount them. I've read all the old posts in the forum, and I was in love with the idea of one of the console boxes, but I have something like 4" or so between my seats (most of the boxes are 7.5-8" wide). I'm pretty skeptical of cutting into the dash for aesthetic reasons, but I CAN if necessary...but I'm honestly wondering:

1. How well will one piece of sheet metal (the dash) support a normal single-DIN stereo (I may have RCA cables coming out of the back later, or add on the Alpine unit that snaps on back to boost the power?

2. Is moisture that big of a concern if I always, at a minimum, have the bikini top on?

3. Is there a feasible solution to mount speakers on the round roll bars on these old CJs? Most of the rollbar enclosures are for later Jeeps.

I love music when I'm riding, and I love to turn it up loud when my wife isn't in the car (which I'm sure will be necessary...my 225 and dual side exhaust is pretty loud).

I do want it to SOUND GOOD...I don't think I'd be happy with an all-inclusive solution like the ammo box idea (or a speaker or two in the center of the vehicle. I like the idea of the front speakers out of the way against the walls in front of the doors, but I'm a n00b builder and don't know where to get the boxes (unless I used Versapods or something similar).

Thanks for the help...I need to make a decision fast!

 

You should brace the head unit. Braced mine to the firewall. Moisture can be a problem. I mounted the speakers under the seats, works ok.

 

Here is a pic of the space. I actually have 6.5" down to the space b/w the gas tank and the little "wall" to the right of it, but below that I have around 5". This was what I hoped to use:
http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-95-024-deluxe-stereo-security-console-6-12-wide.aspx

And then there's this one, which WOULD be awesome, if it weren't for the fact that the distance between my windshield and the front of my rollbar is 30.5"...2" too short.
http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-118-048-overhead-security-console-2-compartment.aspx

Which brings me to think that the dash is my only option. Is moisture THAT bad of an issue? Because if that's the case, I need to return this and find a marine unit (which also look terrible, IMO).

 

You might want to check out how bkd did his. Look in the build threads for Kahuna 66 CJ6, i'm on my phone now or I'd find it for ya. He mounted his head unit under the dash and his speakers on the kick panels, not to hard of an enclosure to make, really nice setup.

Sent from my Motorola PHOTON 4G using tapatalk

 

Can you move your rollbar? Or mod the console?

 

I did see bkd's build. I like his boxes, but I'm not a fan of the hanging mount if I can avoid it (prefer a cleaner look). I think I can figure out a speaker solution, but the head unit problem is killing me.

As for the roll bar, I'm not sure. And go figure I'm not at home to look. The tuffy guys are looking into the possibility of modding the overhead ones and are going to call me back.

 

Ours are in the kick panel mounted on the verticle metal seam.

 

I don't want speakers in my CJ based off the fact... I like it quiet and simple

 

I'm in the same boat as you are. I don't want the stereo to look like cats butt and if I put one in, I want it to sound good. I'm either doing the ammo box deal or the overhead deal and find a place for speakers.

Still have not figured it out.

 

i put one in the dash and two in the rear corners on the wheelwells but i run a full top at all times and the dash hole was already there. also the deck shorted out once because the windshield leaks somewhere i think t leaks down from the center duct somehow. In my 2a i have 2 pods also fender mounted. you might wanna look into marine units. You can try mounting some under the dash facing down or at a slight outward angle. i think that would work just fine

 

my plan for the stereo i my cj6 is to mount the head unit in the glove box and mount 1 or 2 6x9's under the dash facing down with custom boxes

 

:iagree:

 

Head unit in glove box. Triaxial speakers at our feet in the front panel of seat bracket (aftermarket seats and homemade brackets). Box with 2 base speakers between seats and lock box

 

I've been thinking about something like this-
http://www.pyleaudio.com/products/Motorcycle-Audio
a motorcycle unit, with no radio head unit at all, just an amp, speakers, and an MP3 player connection.

Or, just do what I do now-listen to the Warn O/D & Dana 18 duet