speakers in rear deck/center console

[Guest Anonymous]

I just purchased a 73 tii with 23K original miles. I'm not going to do much to it...it doesn't need it, and i'd like to keep it stock/original but i am putting in a 1973 becker europa radio to replace a poor looking/perfoming audiovox original to the car. i'll keep it but since none of the stereos are original i don't think this matters...my question is, the PO put some audiovox speakers in the rear deck..i'm considering replacing them with either 1) period correct but better performing speaker, 2) new MB Quart or just replacing the rear deck with a new one without speaker and just put in a central mono speaker for now...or perhaps something in the kick panel that could be removed easily

any thoughts? what speakers were in the center console of most cars?

where would one find a 73 speaker?

[esty]

audiovox is a dime store radio & was never original to a bmw....blaupunkt was the o2 radio...becker was mercedes but looks nice and fits the 02 as well

i have a pair of vintage blaupunkt speaker with original covers i might part with with proper persuation

[mikem]

For the rear deck, I use surface mount speakers since my deck was not cut. I can remove them if I really want the stock look. My '76 did come with a Baupunkt AM/FM/Cassette and Blaupunkt speakers in the door panels probably from the dealer.

[winstontj]

I just purchased a 73 tii with 23K original miles. I'm not going to do much to it...it doesn't need it, and i'd like to keep it stock/original but i am putting in a 1973 becker europa radio to replace a poor looking/perfoming audiovox original to the car. i'll keep it but since none of the stereos are original i don't think this matters...my question is, the PO put some audiovox speakers in the rear deck..i'm considering replacing them with either 1) period correct but better performing speaker, 2) new MB Quart or just replacing the rear deck with a new one without speaker and just put in a central mono speaker for now...or perhaps something in the kick panel that could be removed easily

any thoughts? what speakers were in the center console of most cars?

where would one find a 73 speaker?

There was a thread a little while ago that will give you more info on this. Apparently H_Kryx on the FAQ knows what he's talking about:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,278686/highlight,/

MB Quarts kick arse! Look into some alternatives if you don't already have holes cut. There are plenty of cheap-o 02's out there that are hacked up... if yours isn't it may be a nice gesture to keep it that way. I just got a 71 Nevada with 6x9 holes cut in the rear shelf and it feels like someone cut out the whole rear firewall... those will be patched up after the rebuild.

[H_Krix]

Heh, I wouldn't say i'm that good, i just type so much that people give up reading and just assume I know what i'm talking about.

If your car has A/C and a radio, then there is a chance the dealership drilled those holes in your back hat shelf. Usually it was in the form of a set of 5.25" (cheap) speakers that were positioned too close to one another to really give any decent stereo imaging. Not only that, but sometimes dealers would only do the rears, and no fronts.

Most Behr and Frigiking AC units i've seen have Blaupunkt 2-shaft radios. AM and FM only. A Becker will look awesome, i've been toying with putting a "dummy face" in my dash, with the gee-whiz CD/MP3 player hidden behind a more stock looking faceplate.

If you're going the mono route, you'll need to track down a center console with a 5x7" speaker grille in it. I think (and I may be mistaken here) that the original speaker in there was a 4x6" Blaupunkt 4-ohm, but good luck finding one of those. Besides, if you're going to do a mono speaker, may as well toss a modern one in there with a seperate mid and tweeter to give you some moderate frequency seperation.

In my opinion, if you want a stock set-up, cover the rear holes (put metal over them, then the parcel tray shelf - otherwise you'll be getting a lot of road echo noises from the trunk) and put a mono speaker in the center console.

If you want a stock "look," then cover the rear holes, and put two 4" or 4x6" plate speakers (Infinity makes some beautiful ones) in the underdash panels, firing towards the floor. This is kind of crummy for sound imaging, but it will give you some decent sound, without having to sacrifice that nice stock appearance. *Do not mount the speakers TO the underdash panels!*

Put a plate or something up in there to take the weight off the cardboard, or you'll go over speed bump one day and have a speaker whack your foot when it falls out.

[dlhoovler]

Audiovox radios WERE installed as original in at least some US '02s (like my car). Since they were dealer-installed, almost anything from the same era as the car was a possible "original" radio (meaning in the car since new on the dealer's lot). Does a Blaupunkt look and sound better? Probably. But there were no "factory BMW" radios 35 years ago, as far as I know.

-Dave

[H_Krix]

Not in a 2002, no. But your Bavaria or 3.0 of the time likely came with a Blaupunkt Frankfurt model 2-shaft AM/FM.

[EDIT]: Actually, the 2002tiiLUX came with a factory radio, and all '02s had the option of the single-speaker mono set-up radio in the center console. I *believe* that was a factory-installed option, seeing as how the wiring harness has a provision for radio power, but nothing for speaker wires (They'd be contained in one unit in the console.) After all, if there were no factory radios, why would we have factory antennas?

If you want pure vintage stereo sex appeal, find yourself a Grundig. Nowhere near stock (I think they came in VW's, actually) These things are pure hotness.

[Mike Self]

probably per Max Hoffman's orders. That gave the dealers some additional profit to install 'em. And you see all sorts of "OEM" radios in '02s.

I installed the radio in my car (wouldn't spend $147 for a Blaupunkt in 1969)--a nice mono AM-FM straight from JC Whitney, complete with a proper installation kit that went in just like the Blaupunkt but for less than half as much.

I later lucked onto several 4x6 surface mounted Blupunkt package shelf speakers when a local radio shop went out of business. I removed the old speakers and installed modern coaxes, then velcro'ed 'em to my rear parcel shelf. They work great, look period and I didn't have to drill holes.

cheers

mike

[Otis]

MB Quarts kick arse!

Amen to that.

It's becoming apparent that it's time to write a FAQ on how to do stereos. Is anyone doing this already? I seem to recall that someone was working on one.

[H_Krix]

That was me.

I'm working on it currently, but I dont like to give instructions to things without pictures.

I have next week completley off of work, and will be working on my car a lot. Hopefully, I can cover some stereo install tips. I need to start one on the "FAQ" construction area soon...

[jgmgti]

Was this the Polaris from 2002 Haus???

Jonathan

[John_in_VA]

to be seriously overpriced for the performance. I knew thay were German-made at one time, but have no personal experience with them.

I DO know that period-correct Beckers had horrible FM reception.

[Guest Anonymous]

Was this the Polaris from 2002 Haus???

Jonathan

Yeah, that's the one. I'm really enjoying it. Presently the dash/center console is apart and i've repaired the tii clock as per Karl's instruction and i'm working on a few other little things.

I just need the driver seat restuffed a little and a small tear repaired and it'll look good as new.

ccr

[jgmgti]

Nice aquisition....