Abbotsford Client Gets Classic Corvette Stereo Upgrade

A client from Abbotsford recently visited Certified Auto Sound and Security to inquire about upgrading his 1966 Chevrolet Corvette stereo system. He wanted a system that would sound great and look like it belonged in the vehicle. After looking at the car, we devised a plan to install a new radio, speakers, an amplifier and a subwoofer to ensure he could hear is music clearly over the loud exhaust system. He liked our plan and left the car with us to start working on it.

Rockford Fosgate Speaker Upgrades

An acrylic plate was machined to hold both speakers in the dash location.

The speakers were mounted and neatly wired.

Our technicians were able to squeeze a pair of speakers into the dash location.

Our custom rear enclosure houses the subwoofer and 6×9’s.

We started the project by creating an acrylic plastic mounting panel for a pair of Rockford Fosgate R1525X2 5.25-inch coaxial speakers. Once we had cut the mounting panel to shape and fit it to the vehicle, we treated it to several coats of black interior paint to ensure it wouldn’t be visible behind the factory speaker grille in the center of the dash. An integrated bracket holds the forward edge of the panel in place, while a pair of stainless steel button-head screws attaches to the rear of the dash.

Our fabrication team created a custom speaker enclosure for the cargo area behind the seat. The shallow enclosure houses a pair of Rockford R169X3 three-way 6×9 speakers and a single 10-inch Rockford R2SD4-10 shallow mount subwoofer. We created a three-piece cover and grille for the enclosure. The front panel includes a cutout to let the sound from the speaker enter the cabin. The opening has a classic trapezoidal shape that accents the style of the car and is finished with black grille cloth. We covered the remainder of the front panel and top trim piece with black trunk carpet.

A Retro Sounds Radio for Corvette Stereo

The client brought us a Retro Sounds radio for the dash of the Corvette. These radios are designed to fit into the factory dash openings of classic cars. The control knobs for the radio are on pigtails so we could mount them in the factory locations above the radio. The new radio includes preamp outputs to make it easy to connect to the system’s amplifier.

A Kenwood System Amplifier

The final step to this project was to install a five-channel Kenwood KAC-M8005 amplifier. We mounted the amp in the storage well behind the passenger seat. All of the wiring to and from the amp is completely concealed under the vehicle carpet. The Kenwood amp provides 50 watts to each of the Rockford speakers and 300 watts to the subwoofer. This is the perfect amount of power for these efficient speakers.

Classic Car Sound System Upgrades by Certified Auto Sound and Security

With the installation complete, it was time to set up the amplifier. Setting the crossovers and sensitivity adjustments correctly is an important part of ensuring that the client gets maximum performance and reliability from a system.

Finally, it was time to turn it back over to the client. He loved the way everything looked and was blown away by how great it sounds. If your classic car is in need of a modern audio system, drop by Certified Auto Sound and Security in Abbotsford, Chilliwack or Maple Ridge. You can also reach us by e-mail using our online contact form.