seanoj

I just put my 1984 Targa into the upholstery shop to get a serious interior facelift. While it is there, I figure I should update the speakers and maybe the head unit.

When I did this the last time (10 years ago) the rear speakers did not fit well and the door speakers were pretty feeble. I used cruchfield to give me sizes and ended up buying the whole kit from them. I caught myself doing this again and figured I would access the brains of the experienced here on the list before I did something stupid (again).

Thinking of buying one of those newfangled iPods, hence my interest in a new head unit. I have a Blau (Mexico I think) and it looks like stock. Last thing I need is a lightshow on my dash.

I would like to keep it stock looking if possible...


-Sean

84_Carrera

I went with a Nakamichi CD400 (aux in ports out back), with Infinity Kappas front & rear & a Clarion SRV303 (?) powered sub that slides under the pass. front seat on my 84. A nice 4-channel amp would be good, though not critical.

RoninLB

6.5 in the doors and a sub.

4x75 amp

Add rears later if you think you need them.

Real

Hey guys,

Can you take & upload some pics of your upgraded installations?? I think this will be one of my winter projects this year in my '86 911 Cab.. Like most...I love to listen to my p-cars engine but next year I want to hear some Jazz also.

I'm interested in where to place a small sub, amp and how others installations went.

Thanks,
Real

Dan Cobb

Hey guys, i too dislike the look of most modern head units. The flash and bling factor was way too hig on some of them.
I used to own a 66 Chevelle, and I hated the idea of ruining that dash just to get new capability and better sound. This lead me to discovering a few companies out there that can actually customize the original post-mount radio to have new 'internal organs' and provide pre amp outputs, ipod interface, etc.
I wonder if this might be an option for those of us that simply dislike the look of most of the new crap, but would prefer to have the input and amp options?

I can relook at my old paperwork and see if I can find those sources to see what this might entail and cost.
if anyone is interested, I can post my findings.
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r911

Dan - YES - please post them!

RoninLB

www.caraudioinnovations.com

Rod Birch's shop is around Sac Calif. His site is loaded with 911 info. His attitude is no bs 911 audio. He recommends head units that have the needed options, amp placement, sub boxes, speakers, etc

he's a 911 class act imo.

on a personal note I feel that the stock sized 5.25 door speakers are a netural speaker in a 911. The 6.5 delivers the necessary bass. The 5.25 don't. If our cars were silent and didn't transmit so much road and engine noise then the 5.25 would probably be good enough. What's happening is that you want to play it loud enough so it remains clear without distorting. An amp is necessary for this.

I've also found that angling the seperate tweeter up to ear level and at the center area between driver and pass delivers more punch. I also have the bass speaker angled.

I use the Ecplise head unit which has a lousy rep for skipping the CD, although it never gave me a problem with 21/27 t-bars and Welt bushings.. I bought it because it seems to fit and look like in belongs in the dash.. otherwise don't buy. The plastic gearing that operates the disc is now out getting repared.

911 Rod

I put in a new Alpine system last year.
The speakers that the spec book said should fit, did not.
Ended up taking out the old and just bringing the car in to find what did fit.
I just had them pass me speakers and I'd drop them in.
Made the purchase and went home to do my own install.
I preferred the factory speaker grills, but could on get the rears to work.
The head unit I used was pretty basic (and has an iPod connection) without a big ugly screen.

Dan Cobb

Custom Autosound They offer a completely remote unit that basically replaces the original that gets left in the dash. It has plenty of input options and seems to be priced about the same as many of the new head units i have seen with similar options.

Bob's Radio Restoration is another place that can restore and upgrade an obsolete radio with today's technology. (Who wouldn't like an old Blau to actually work, right?!)

DandM is another.

ClassicRadio is yet another that may offer what some need.

These were just a few of the most promising sites. I know there was at least another place that could strip the insides out of an old radio (even if it was juat a rotary tuning AM radio) and fit solid state components in the chassis, putting the new LCD screen behind the original glass lens so that with it turned off, it still looked like an old AM radio. I cannot locate the source though.

I hope this helps someone.
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