I was just wondering if any of you would like to share their thoughts on stereo set ups. I have an old AM only in my 914, that just isn't cutting it. Now that the car's on the road, I need some tunes. I have to admit, I like the look of the old, and would love to keep it looking original if I could get away with it. Anyone use an ipod? How do you have it set up? Pics? Any other locations for stereo? Thanks.

Brian

check out morphenspectra's speaker pods in the 914 Resource section. They are very nice.
I've got a couple sets here right now and am impressed with them.

Yeah, I've checked out their stuff, but am wondering more about stereo head units, amps, and or any alternate locations of these units. I really want to keep the dash looking original, but can't really find anything on how others have accomplished that.

iPod works well. I use an iTrip to transmit to original (to me, anyway) blaupunkt. I havent gotten around to dealing with stereo stuff since I have been having gas leak scares :-).

iPods are cool :-).. But I am biased since I work at Apple.

David

Any standard DIN head unit will fit. You might have to take a file to the corners of the opening to fit the metal sleeve in. Amps must go in one of the trunks, most often. Don't cut your doors if they're uncut. If you ride with your seats forward enough you can put a set of 4" speakers behind the seats. I have them back there.

If you have an iPod you need an Alpine head unit and their new link control for the iPod, all digital connection and you control it from the head unit. It is a sweat setup, saving the bones to toss one in my driver. My 914 does not have a radio yet. Not really sure I want one thou I have the stuff to put it in.

check out new Kenwood "EZ-500"

Very retro, I wish I didn't just buy a Sony

Personally, I'm hyped up on the Sony with the full resolution TFT screen with video input. Video rearview mirror anyone? Might be cool to put a camera on the front under the bumper for a neat-o driving perspective displayed on the head unit.

Sony Head Unit

Oh I get it you want the stock look with a killer stereo behind. Easily done still I sugest the Alpine if you have a iPod. But build a recessed stereo box, put it in there behind a cut open AM stock front plate. You glue up all your current stuff and make a fact pannel that pops off or flips down this hides your head form the pring eye and makes it look stock. If you get really wacked you can have the display show thru the stock AM chassis, keep the pod in the glove box or between the seats.

Old looking stereo in none op times, and killer tunes with 20,000 songs at your finger tips. Thou I listen to maybe 100 most of the time. It is fun to whip out a gem of a tune when somebody goes do you have. I say yes I do.

I've been contemplating the options of running an iPod directly to an amp and leaving out the head unit all together.

Some great suggestions guys. I appreciate it. I too am considering running an ipod directly to an amp. Although FM radio would be nice now and again. Any other locations to put the head unit? I really havent' inspected the stock location too much, but do you have to cut up the basketweave to install a stereo there? Has anyone found an amp that fits under the seat? Questions, questions, questions.... Thanks. And any pics would be awesome (arent' they always).

Brian

The piece that your stereo goes through (three holes) is a false front.

hey Brian,

I've had great luck with Pioneer heads, Cerwin Vega speakers and a very cheap bass tube.


BTW, great dobie in your avatar. Our fourth dobie is laying at my feet as we "speak"

best stereo is a six with webers a WOT

scott

Thanks, her name is Chewbacca. She's 9 months old and a holy terror. Actually she's by far the coolest dog I've had. (First Dobe) She's laying on the couch with me now. Where do you fit a bass tube? Pass floorboard area?

Mark, thanks for the pic. That makes alot more sense now. Hate to asks stupid questions ...but, where do you get extra matching basket-weave material if you dont want to cut up that original piece?

As far as I know it's available at all the usual sources. Of course it's better, IMHO, just to cut the one you've got. You're not destroying a national treasure or anything. As I've said it's available. And anyway there are no "stock" stereos, they were all dealer installed, so generally there's no value in the old stereos.

I didn't know that they were all added by dealers. I guess I'm not super attatched to the radio in there. It just seems sort of strange to see the super high tech stereo flashing in that old cockpit. I checked out that kenwood ez-500, looks pretty nice. Anyone else seen some sleek heads that might go? I know, I know, "form follows function", but...It's gotta look good, right?

See if you can find a HarmonKardon "TrafficPro" it's like $1100 but you can get one for around $300 because it's being discontinued for the release of the "TrafficPro II". I got mine from CarToys a couple months ago, but maybe check ebay, etc. Did I mention it has GPS and displays directions on screen and/or by male/female voice prompts. It is not a super hitech looking unit, no multi-color, dancing equalizers, etc. Just a nice traditional amber readout that you can change to green or red IIRC. It also has a removable face plate and is a single disc unit with plenty of connections for amps, changers etc. I was told that it's the unit that's installed at European BMW dealerships for customers requesting GPS.
I was also told that an ipod could easily be hooked up to it - I'll definately be doing that once I get it installed in the 914. This is my recommendation, FWIW.

Doug C

Just a thought: could you use the ash tray to mount the ipod. If you modified the ash tray so that it could hinge downward after pulling it out, the ipod would be facing you and perfect position to be operated. Once you get the tunes going, flip it up and push it in, and it all disappears.

Following this theard with great interest as I'm no longer racing my daily driver 914, so now willing to upgrade the sound and accept the weight penalty.

Anyone fooled around with adding speakers to the head rests ala Miatas?

Andrew

My bass tube is on the passenger floor. I paid next to nothing for it (literally like $20 at Walmart), so I don't care if passengers put their feet on it, and it adds just enough low end to sound really good. It takes up some floor space, but my usual passengers are my kids, who are young, or my wife, who is only 5'3"ish. My buddy, who is 6'2", rides every so often, and he says it doesn't bother him.

I like the ash tray idea. I had thought about getting 4" separates for behind the seats and then mount the tweeters in the backpad.

iPod club discounts?

Whatever you choose make sure it's loud!

I am only about 5'6" and my wife even shorter so we have plenty of room behind our seats. I was thinking of just getting those little "truck" boxes with 8's in them. Shoot, that alone would probably be more than enough in a 914?

Wait until you see my subwoofer box. It's being drawn up in CAD right now. Very complicated box.

I ordered the new speaker enclosures after trying to find something to fit the originals (good luck). And I bought a pioneer deck. I don't remember the model off hand, but it plays MP3/WMA, etc. Now I'm just trying to decide if I want to put it in the stock location, of get tricky. I'll probably just put it in stock. I guess I can always put the old false front on with the old radio. If I mess with the glove box, I have to cut. No cutting shit up around here. I figure I don't want to be the one after 30+ years to do damage. Now its a waiting game. Until then, I'll have to enjoy the sound of the open road...

BTW, where are you puting your sub box? I saw one that went where the pass foot area is, that looked decent, but was pretty expensive. If I'm not happy with 6.5"'s I may be looking into it.

I find the 914 a bit tough for stereo install.
This especially with the top off where it needs a lot of bass to move the air!
I have this nice high power JL Audio 8" sub, and nowhere to put it. I wish someone made a passenger foot rest replacement box out of fiberglass that holds a 8" driver.

I guess I should mention that I'm used to moderately high end car audio. My Stretch VW has 11 speakers and 750+ real low distortion watts of power and my last EVs also could provide a nice massage with the stereo.

In the 914 there is a great amp location right under the dash. I put a Sony amp under the dash, flat side up with one lip above the lower dash lip and you could not see it from the seating positions. (It's only the user interface that sucks on Sony products, so I was OK with a amp) It does block access to the head unit when it's installed. Sorry I don't have pics since I recently pulled it out in an attempt to save weight at the drag strip.

On the iPods, I love mine too and am tempted to buy a Alpine setup to run it, but has anyone used one? I hear the new Alpine displays are practically unreadable in daylight. I like the iPod capability, but I hate the fact that they try to make head units like a video game, instead of making them user friendly.

Rock on!

My speaker box will be 100% undetectable (except for the speaker itself) and will house an 8" sub. Should have about 0.33 cu. ft. of volume. But I'll know exactly once the CAD is done.

Anyone ever tried something like this? AA Subwoofer install

I would love to see a click of the speaker set ups behind the seats!!

A shot of the passenger foot rest subwoofers would be helpful too!!

T-out

8" subs behind the seats and 5.25 in the doors, I plan on installing the 6.5 kick panel speakers in the near future . All my speakers are old and need to be replaced so I have been putting it off as the very last improvement I do on the car.

door

I like the straight into the amp iPod idea, I like the ash tray idea also. But why not just add the remote to it, and drop the remot into one of them nice balsa wood shift knobs else where on this sight. Control at your finger tips and pod out of sight.

Here is what I want ot do with my 914 for the streets car.
I am going to pull the gas tank and run a 12 ga fuel cell down low in the front trunk, I am then going to use that space once ocupied by the tank as my sub box, plenty of holes to port it into the cabin. If you run a bass band box this will work really nice. I like my sound stage to be front and center, yes bass is none directional, yeah right! If it all comes from up front, my ears like it much better. You don't have sound stage shift from in front to behind, like you get with most systems. I understand why you get this but I don't like it none the less.

The iPod FM receiver has been cancelled, by Griffen so no luck with that.

Griffen cancellation letter

I kinda' like that 8" woofer behind the seat, built into the backpad like Chappy has. Even if it wasn't the "optimal" arangement, I don't really care...it's a 914 after all, music is secondary, iceing on the cake. I like that it's not taking up space in the foot wells or center console. My question though is, does the speaker magnet touching the metal of the firewall cause any problems? How does that work? Maybe the backpad is pulled away from the wall a bit...Chappy?

Doug C

i believe they protrude into the engine bay.

As long as those speakers had some enclosed air space behind them (ones on backpad), they would proabably sound great! What a neat idea!

If you're looking for better sound, one of the basics should be to minimize the engine noise level that you have to drown out. Cutting a hole in the firewall makes that much harder, not to mention the fire safety issues (hence the firewall name for that panel.) It might work ok, but it isn't a solution I'd personally choose.

Andrew

I did have to cut a hole in the firewall, I used stainless steel mixing bowels for the enclosers, but any type of box or bowel welded in would work, there is plenty of room to go bigger. As far as sound goes, you really need to crank it up to drown out engine and top off noise, not the right climate for pure audio file sound but the volume is there when its needed.
You can see the encloser behind the driver seat in the right side of the picture, I will look around to see if I can find a better shot for you.

914-6 turbo with 8" subs

here are more pics of the salad bowels

again

one more.

OK. I like the idea but won't be cutting my firewall..I guess. Well I'll be adding a V8 so it might not work with space anyway.

Doug C

Bowls are for mixing, bowels are for shitting.

I would be happy to take an original stereo faceplate and am/fm off of someone's hands if they are thinking of upgraing. Trying to find a stock unit to put in before Phoenix Flight on October 30th.

Not looking to spend an arm & a leg (or I would buy one of those Becker Mexicos on eBay) but willing to pay what is fair plus you can use my FedEx account number to send it to me.

PM me if interested.

I have a stock unit that I'm willing to part with, but I won't be able to pull it before 10/30. If you still want it/need it afterwards, please let me know and I'll be happy to work out something for you.

Regards,

Carlos

Thanks Carlos, if all else fails I'll get back with you. I really need it before 10/29 if at all possible. Call me old fashioned but I just can't stand to pony up $100-$200 for an old 911 style Becker on eBay. I'll be more than happy with an O.E. 914 Blaupunkt. It just needs to look right, plus I can play my iPod through any old FM rig.

Thanks again,