I had an idea for a somewhat portable, partially unstealable stereo set up and thought I'd share. I decided not to use a cd player or radio. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't want to spend $300 on a Tuffy. At some point I'd still love to get one. With this setup, I can put my ipod in my pocket and take it with me. I used an old amp, so if somebody wants to steal it, well, hopefully karma will take care of that.
Instead of a head unit, I started with an iPod. A friend had a Palm Pilot type of clamp that attaches to any smooth surface with a suction cup. The clamp pictured is awesome. I don't know the brand, but it's been attached to the windshield for a few weeks without falling down. It worked well on the dash also, but I liked it better on the windshield. Any mp3 player that's close to the same size would work. I can fit my Pioneer Inno XM radio in the clamp also.
Since I drive a '66, I don't have nice door skins to install speakers. After reading a lot of threads on the board, I decided to put some 6-1/2's in the rear corners. I picked up a set of Sony speakers at Sprawl-Mart for about $40. I made some 'boxes' to support the speakers in the rear. I wasn't too concerned with making actual boxes because the speakers didn't require them. However, it will be easy to box the back of them in if I decide it's necessary for sound quality. My top leaks some water, which tends to pool on top of the wheel wells if the truck is parked. I was worried about the boxes soaking up water and swelling, so I sprayed them with some aerosol rubberized undercoating before I carpeted the fronts of the boxes. I don't know if it will really help, but it can't hurt. To secure the speakers in the corners, I used strips of velcro attached to the curved corner of the tub so I can pull the speakers out when I need to.
Eventually I'll add a pair of speakers in the front, ideally in SOR's overhead shelf like bsevans has shown in other threads.
To power the speakers, I installed an old Pioneer amp I had laying around that fit inside the glove box. I didn't want to drill any holes, so I used velcro on the amp and in the glove box to keep things from bouncing around. All the wiring is fed right over the inside edge of the glove box and behind the dash.
I'll attach a few pics to show what I've done. Comments and questions are welcome. I wasn't sure if the iPod output would be enough for the amplifier, but everything works and sounds great, at least for a cruiser.
Enjoy
Instead of a head unit, I started with an iPod. A friend had a Palm Pilot type of clamp that attaches to any smooth surface with a suction cup. The clamp pictured is awesome. I don't know the brand, but it's been attached to the windshield for a few weeks without falling down. It worked well on the dash also, but I liked it better on the windshield. Any mp3 player that's close to the same size would work. I can fit my Pioneer Inno XM radio in the clamp also.
Since I drive a '66, I don't have nice door skins to install speakers. After reading a lot of threads on the board, I decided to put some 6-1/2's in the rear corners. I picked up a set of Sony speakers at Sprawl-Mart for about $40. I made some 'boxes' to support the speakers in the rear. I wasn't too concerned with making actual boxes because the speakers didn't require them. However, it will be easy to box the back of them in if I decide it's necessary for sound quality. My top leaks some water, which tends to pool on top of the wheel wells if the truck is parked. I was worried about the boxes soaking up water and swelling, so I sprayed them with some aerosol rubberized undercoating before I carpeted the fronts of the boxes. I don't know if it will really help, but it can't hurt. To secure the speakers in the corners, I used strips of velcro attached to the curved corner of the tub so I can pull the speakers out when I need to.
Eventually I'll add a pair of speakers in the front, ideally in SOR's overhead shelf like bsevans has shown in other threads.
To power the speakers, I installed an old Pioneer amp I had laying around that fit inside the glove box. I didn't want to drill any holes, so I used velcro on the amp and in the glove box to keep things from bouncing around. All the wiring is fed right over the inside edge of the glove box and behind the dash.
I'll attach a few pics to show what I've done. Comments and questions are welcome. I wasn't sure if the iPod output would be enough for the amplifier, but everything works and sounds great, at least for a cruiser.
Enjoy
I like your idea, and will probably end up doing it sometime!
