We were challenged with this project. We were presented with an original 1964 Ford Galaxie with a basic stereo system installed by the original owner. Although better than the original stereo, the system still lacked any front speakers and bass. It didn’t sound good. Our goal was to build a great sounding system that has a very clean look, audibly excel in sound quality, and keep it’s trend with the factory style appearance.
We added front 6-1/2″ Alpine Type-X component speakers, rear Alpine Type-X 5-1/4″ rear component speakers, a 10″ Pioneer shallow subwoofer, Alpine PDX 5-channel amplifier, and Alpine multimedia navigation receiver with iPod and iPhone music control. We also added over 72 square feet of Dynamat extreme to the entire vehicle cabin to help with sound deadening and noise control. This was an important stage as it can be easily overlooked but vital to the sound quality of the system.
For the front, speakers were installed into custom built and factory matched kick pods. The pods are completely sealed to increase the mid bass and front stage imaging. Black grill cloth was installed to allow the music to audibly flow out but completely cover the speakers.
The rear speakers were installed into existing locations that were already cut from the original stereo installation under the rear seats. They too were covered to keep a factory style appearance. On the rear package tray, a grill was molded into the original panel to hide the subwoofer and box that was built and installed. The box was loaded in from the bottom of the panel through the trunk. A shallow subwoofer was used to minimize the loss of trunk space and allow the factory spare tire to go back into its original location.
The entire system is controlled through the Alpine multimedia receiver that was built into a custom console in the center of the lower dash. Aftermarket gauge pods that were installed are seamlessly integrated into the console as well. An iPod/iPhone cable was routed to the center console to ease its accessibility and storage. The entire iPod’s music collection is now assessable and displayed from the radio’s LCD touch panel. Navigation with voice guidance alerts was also installed to the Alpine unit.
Interior panels that had aged and are no longer in production for replacement were recovered in the same matching black vinyl that the custom panels and pods were covered with. The final project resulted in a very clean flowing system that can be used as a show car and everyday driving and listening.
David Leong
