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Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

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Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

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Ok, thanks.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Gary, been sitting here thinking about Big blue. This may be a consideration as well for this is planned for Brutus, but a bit later. On the bottom right of the door, as you know there is a speaker grill that matches the one for the speaker. The 6x9's that are in the doors are actually Ford speakers from a 96 crown vic, and after much much testing as far as sound quality goes, these were the winners. Great Bass for inside the doors, paper cone speakers with a paper cone tweeter. now this is just a me thing, but I have always preffered paper cones, they just sound more natural to me. these speakers sound fanfreakintastic in this truck, the only issue is of course when it gets a bit loud, they cant handle the bass all that well. My plan is to install a 6x9 woofer in the bottom of the door to take care of the frequencies the door speakers cant handle. In your situation, you may want to consider this as you will not need to add a subwoofer to get really nice bass that " Thuds" rather then " boom " for as you may or may not know, " boom " is a bad thing, " boom " is not musical in any way shape or form which is why i really like the small subwoofers like the one Jim is using. Nice bass without all that " boom " The 6x9 woofers that are going into the bottom of the door will have a passive crossover, not sharply cutting off the higher frequencies, the woofer will be a 6db crossover, simply a coil. these will cut off at 200 hz or so. The door speakers will then become midbass/range and tweeters. they will have a 12db passive crossover and weill be fed 150 hz and up. The cone tweeter which i aleady have a 18db passive crossover will remain. This is going to turn the door into a true 3 way full frequency response speaker system. Something like this you may consider if the 6.5's that you put in the door dosen't give you the bass response you desire and will require no extra amps just some passive crossover components that i will designe for you if thats the way you want to go

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

George - I think I see what you are saying. On Brutus you intend to put a 6x9 on the bottom/front of the door and put a grille on it. Right? If so, that won't work for Big Blue as he has a carpet storage pocket covering that spot.

But, I think you are saying that you already have 6x9's in the doors. Is that correct? If so, why can't I put the 6x9's that

put on the outside of the door panel in the door? They are decent speakers, so if I don't have to cut the door up I could at least try them.

I'll get the details on what they are later, but what did you have to do to mount yours?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

Ok, I hadn't gotten to your post about Brutus when I responded, but now have and think I see what you are saying.

In this pic you show what someone, possibly

, did to the door to get the 6x9 in. Ouch! I don't think I want to do that to these doors.

And I can see the vent you are talking about placing the 6 1/2" speakers behind. I think that's an '87 and later door pocket/vent combo, and BB's pocket is full length so I don't have that vent.

I'm going to pull the door panels off today to see what I have.....

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Gary, Ford motor company did that, LOL, that is factory equipment. horrible isnt it?
i forgot about that , those door panels are original, but being a half year truck, they are 87's.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

kramttocs

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

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This post was updated on .

Really neat thread and those referenced videos are crazy!

I don't know though. I don't see Ford doing that to the doors but Brutus does have some unique options. On the lower panels, how does that cutout look?

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

I promis you, Ford did do it. If you read my post called " What makes Brutus so special " you will understand. I found the documentation on what is different about this truck, its at the beginning. give it a read. Brutus is a rare bull.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

There is no cutout, just the grill. there is no documentation anywhere about a speaker being there.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

kramttocs

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

In reply to this post by 86 1/2 Brutus

Just read that thread now. Liked the can opener bit

Interesting stuff.

Nice work on the radio restore listed earlier in this thread!

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

it is a royal pain getting some parts. Some stuff is 87, some 86.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

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In reply to this post by 86 1/2 Brutus

George/Nick - How much better are the Polk DB652's than these Sony speakers that are already in Big Blue?

I'm sure the Sony speakers are absolutely entry level, but thought I'd better ask before I buy the Polks.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Gary, some of he Sony xplod stuff is very very good. the amp design in the ranchero is a modified xplod. I would probably say on a compareable level. This i do know, Polk is noted for bass, Sony, not so much, but none of the xplod series was designed by Sony. I know the xplod amps and head units are very very good, so i see no reason the speakers wouldn't be either

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

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Thanks, George. What I'll do is once I get the doors lined with sound deadening I'll put the Sony 6 1/2's back in and go for a ride to see what they sound like. It is now cold enough we can drive with the windows up as I don't have the A/C going yet, and that will let us see how the system sounds.

Do you recommend using speaker baffles? If so, what about doing what Crutchfield recommends? "In many applications we recommend that you cut a hole in the bottom of the baffle, or remove the entire bottom of the baffle, to maintain good bass response while still protecting your speaker from dirt and water damage."

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Yea i hear ya. we are having a cold front this weekend, I can finally polish out Brutus without having the polish dry as soon as i put it on the truck in the shade.

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

I have the Boom Mats in my doors Gary, even though the Polks are marine rated speakers.
It will keep rust from sticking to the magnets and getting in the coils.

I guess I should read the instructions, because nothing that came with them said to cut out the bottom for better bass.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

Jim - I doubt the manufacturer would tell you to cut them up. But the instructions I posted are from Crutchfield.

And it makes sense. The Boom Mats, and all the others surely, have a tiny volume. Far smaller than what a 6 1/2" speaker needs in an enclosure. And while they aren't sealed, the foam will impede the sound waves and act like a small enclosure.

So I'm sure Crutchfield's instructions are the right approach.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

86 1/2 Brutus

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

you need free air behind the cone for any kind of bass. these days, most aftermarket systems utilize subs inwhich case in theory, you would not want to cut it. Definately cut it. It is going to act just like those carpet speaker cozies they used to put behind the speakers back in the day. In all my years of speaker building and reasearch, this has never made any sense to me in any way shape or form.. even using a sub, it restricts the natural action and upper/mid bass of a speaker, and no matter what configuration you will use, you will end up with a hole in the sound. But again, guys, this is me, the picky one. LOL

Nick and George
1986 1/2 F150 XLT Lariat 4X2 300 Six - C6 - 3:08 in a 8.8 - Fully Loaded - 8 Foot Box
Owned since new

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

Better sound for free is always a good thing.

But not today. It's dismal, rainy and windy.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

In reply to this post by 86 1/2 Brutus

My Sony speakers have been in the doors for several years and aren't rusted nor otherwise damaged by rain - unlike the Edelbrock intake that was corroded from the daily rain in Florida. So I'm not seeing the need for the Boom Mats. Just thought I'd ask.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Factory Radio restoration and Modification by Nick

Administrator

I think one of their points is that the speaker frame cannot rattle against the mounting surface, but in my case there's always water and rust in the door (as you've seen)

Keeping the speakers dry and free of iron isn't a bad thing. 💡

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

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