My '85 MGM, "Maisa"

[Arquemann]

Filled up the tank all the way, seems to be fine now. Also got probably the best fuel economy so far, 16,5 mpg!

A couple days ago I bought new floor mats for the front, to replace the crappy and worn old ones.
A parts store special- elegance incarnate:

[packman]

I had the tank gasket installed backwards; made the installation excruciatingly impossible. Reversed it and didn't have too much of a problem.

That mat looks like a custom job that belongs there; very nice!

[Arquemann]

Audio upgrade?

What can I do with this?


As far as I know, I have 6 speakers, 2 in the dash (I think), 2 in front doors and 2 in the parcel shelf. All of them work, but they crackle from time to time, and they sound like shit. As flat as a phone speaker. Sometimes I get some wierd static popping/beeping, but not too often. It might just be the cassette adapter

My goal is to have a stereo system that would be as good or better than the soda bottle sized JBL Xtreme 1 that I usually throw in the backseat.
Can I equal a travel speaker with the stock head unit? I really don't know much of car audio, but I can swap out some speakers.

If it's not really possible / worthwhile, I guess I can go with a new head unit, but does anyone make a wiring adapter for these? Maybe something for foxbodies?
If this stuff requires rewiring speakers and shit, I'm gonna run out of talent real quick...

[gadget73]

The speakers are by far the biggest reason these things sound like garbage, and usually after 35 years the speakers have not improved any. Before you do anything else, replace them and see what that does for you. If you want to go further thats possible but nothing aftermarket is going to sound good through garbage speakers.

Beyond that it can get a little bit more complicated, depending on precisely what the wiring for the premium sound looks like but its not impossible to deal with.

[Rodentkiller]

Get yourself new speakers and amp, 6 channel preferd incase you want to install subs and get a new Head unit with the 6 speaker hook ups and enjoy the music.

[Arquemann]

By chance does someone know what size the speakers are? I know the front doors are supposed to be 5.25s, but how about the dash and parcel shelf speakers?

[Arquemann]

Poking around today I did find the amp in the trunk, so I guess I'm pretty well set just to swap in new speakers.
This chunk that definitely doesn't look like an amp to me, right?

[VicCrownVic]

That is indeed the premium sound amp. Not the best amp, that's for sure.

[gadget73]

rear are 6x9, front I think you need a 3.5" with the adapter rings to make them fit. Original is I think 4 or 4 1/4 but with an odd 3 screw bolt pattern. aftermarket speakers are all 2 or 4 screw. Not sure if those adapter plates are still around but they used to exist. If no luck, and if you have an old speaker, some stiff plastic or light sheet metal, some markers and some way of cutting stuff you can make your own. Basically just trace the outline of the old, trace the outline of the new inside that, and remove everything that isn't between those two lines.

yeah premium sound amp. Has an EQ curve, good for like 25 watts into 3.2 ohms I think. It ain't much but its better than a sharp stick in the eye. The problem is just the wiring to it. Rear speakers should be 4 wires straight off the radio, so thats easy. Front will use one ground and two hots from the radio to the amp, and 4 going from the amp to the speakers. Modern radios don't work into that 3 wire setup.

[sly]

Front dash speakers were 5 inch with 3-point mount. 4 inch fit with adapter. as stated, the adapter is unobtanium, but the BMW 5 inch speaker adapter might actually fit, but it is easily designed and 3D printed if needed or even made from sheet metal. Door holes fit 6.5 or 5.25 in the pods if equipped. 82 Lincoln Mark VI and the 88 MGM I had used all the same mounts for all of that stuff.
+1 6x9 rear.

[Arquemann]

Thanks for the info, seems like the dash speakers are going to a "whatever fits" kind of case. I should be able to fabricobble a sheetmetal adapter if needed.
I think I'll consult some audio sales guy about low power speakers that will suit the stock setup.

As much as I'd want to rip all of the old crap out and put in a simpler new setup, keeping the original head unit keeps the car looking factory and won't be a problem if I ever want to apply for historical vehicle status. That and I really don't want to tear apart the interior, at all.


Snapped a pic from yesterdays Helsinki Cruising, with Uspenski Cathedral in the back:

There's also my friends Caddy and anothers Ford P100

[Arquemann]

I wonder if I have the four channel or two channel amp system...
You folks say the rear speakers come straight from the radio, which would indicate 2-channel (by looking at a wiring diagram), but the amp looks like 4-channel unit:


Does anyone have actual specs for the amp?

[87gtVIC]

Beautiful pictures. Nice area.

[gadget73]

They look basically identical. The internal boards are the same, just the 2 channel one has half as many parts on it. The other side is just empty holes where parts would go. You can confirm by simply unplugging it. If you still get sound from the back, its a 2 channel amp. If all 4 speakers stop you have the 4 channel one.


I have service manuals for 86 and 87, but I don't think its any different than 85. The amp in my 84 Continental was th same as the 86 schematic. Not really much in the way of specs for it though, just an EQ curve.

[Arquemann]

Today I jumped into this stereo stuff, literally by jumping into the trunk. Determined that I do infact have a 4-channel amp.
Also experimented with the knobs and stuff on the radio itself, realized there's sliders for treble and bass. So I cranked those all the way and actually got something okay-ish out of the speakers, but only at a higher volume and the car not running.

The dash speakers make up most of the volume, the rear speakers coming on pretty well, but on higher volumes and after I adjusted the fader a bit. But the door speakers are toast, low volume and crappy sound, no wonder since those get the most moisture being in the doors (with deteriorated dew wipes).

I've got a couple leads on some 6x9 speakers that should work well with a relatively low power system. Having the 4-channel amp hopefully should lessen the risk of melting wires with new speakers.
I'll have to be a bit more careful with the dash and door speaker power draw as they share the channels. Other than the basic stuff, the factory rear 6x9s are mounted kinda funky. They have a rubber strap that's hooked on to the underside of the parcel shelf.

Someone is actually selling half a dozen unused ones on Ebay.


Also I finally got the new rear tires mounted, they had been sitting here for a couple weeks already. The annoying vibration from 80-95 kmh is now gone and my door panels stopped flapping around.
Now the jerky decel is even more obvious...
Seems like this car has her good and bad days, some days the idle bucks around and sometimes it's nice and smooth, hot or cold. Same with the jerky decel, sometimes bad sometimes barely a nuisance.