> When I bought my '74 GT the guy kept his expensive radio. So I have no
> radio or tape/CD player. What brand/model do you folks suggest. I'm not
> interested in a high dollar rig. I think the sound of the 'B sounds better
> anyway. Also where is the best place to put the stereo speakers? Are their
> places in the doors? I would hope to receade everything as space in our
> LBC's is at a premium.
>
>
> Tom Buchanan
> buchanan@preferred.com
> http://pages.preferred.com/~buchanan/mg.html
> 1974 MGB-GT
> Kingsport, TN
>
Tom,
I don't have a suggestion for a specific make or model, since I
don't know how much depth you have in your GT, and that will be the
determining factor. I can make some general suggestions as to
speaker placement and the like.
If the kick panels on the GT are as large as the 'B, you may want to
look into having some kick-panel buildouts done by a reputable shop.
This will give you the benefit of a more "hidden" install compared
to door speakers. You also don't have to worry about running wires
into the doors. The kick panels will also accept larger speakers, or
a midrange/tweeter component setup. Lastly, the stereo imaging tends
to be better with kickpanel speakers, since the path lengths from the
speakers to your ears are closer to equal than if you put the
speakers in the doors.
I would also recommend an external amplifier, even if you don't
consider yourself a "boomer". The reason is that older cars are
noisy in general, and the MGB is particularly prone to this, with
its almost total lack of soundproofing. If you have to turn the
radio's built-in amplifier up to clipping levels just to overcome the
road/wind noise (Even hard-tops are subject to wind noise), you'll be
sending a distorted signal to the speakers, risking blowing the
speakers in short order. If you're just going to have the two
speakers in the doors or the kick panels, I would recommend a 2 X 50
watt external amplifier. Even the best in-dash units aren't good for
much more than 20 watts of clean total power, regardless of what the
faceplate says.
Speaking of faceplates, get a stereo with a detachable face. Even
with your hard-top, it wouldn't make sense to tempt fate (or car
thieves). All but the cheapest radios have detachable faceplates now
anyway.
I used to compete in IASCA sound-offs, and have had several
different systems in my previous cars, so if you want any advice on
running wires, placing components, or individual component selection,
let me know. If the GTs have the dual-battery setup like the
tourers, I can tell you a slick dual-battery isolation scheme that
the two battery wells almost beg for.
Scott
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