Hello.
I am looking to upgrade the AM stereo in my '67 coupe and I am far from a stereo guy. I was considering a Custom Autosounds head unit and an upgraded dual dash speaker. I do not want to change the look of the interior and I definitely don't want to cut anything!

I am using the original alternator (390 motor) and was wondering if I need to upgade that to run a more powerful stereo.

Does anyone have this setup? How does it sound? Which dash speaker should I use? Any other ideas? Is anyone using the Undercover 1 or 2 speakers? I considered using them under the seats as an alternative or along with the dash speaker.

Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

I just purchased a unit from http://www.vintagecarradio.com/index.html, have yet to install but it was the retro look i was going for. All the mustang parts houses sell them for slightly more. I purchase a package so he gave me a fairly large discount plus paid the shipping.

 

The Custom Autosound radios are not worth the money.DO NOT beleive the 200 watt built in amp.There is NO stereo on the market with a built in amp that powerful that that can put out clean power.Those ratings are at a high distortion level

 

I have the Custom Auto Sound USA-66 and the companion MP3 player and have been very pleased with them. 200Watts? No, but it has fine sound for a head unit alone driving 3 speakers. I went with the CAS dual coil front 4x10 speaker and a pair of blaupunkt 6x10s hidden up under the rear package shelf ( you can only see them if you get IN the trunk and look up.) Far better than the factory am radio and looks completely stock. Its not a powerhouse system but it sounds pretty good for an antique cruiser. I need some tunes while driving.

 

If you're looking to just upgrade the stereo unit, that would probably work fine for just cruising around, especially if that is the look you want. But if wanting something that will put out the wattage, you might want to look into something else. Running just the two dash speaker setup, this will work fine.

 

I bought a custom auto sound radio from James and it sounds great to me. I am running 2 - 3 1/2" speakers in the front, 2 - 5 1/2" in the rear side panel and 2 6x9s" in the rear shelf. You can always run an external amp to power the speakers. These radios are built to run 4 speakers but I wired the front and middle speakers so it doesnt cause the unit to overheat.

 

Those are literally the only two good reviews I've heard of CA equipment. I strongly recommend against buying one because of all the bad reviews I've heard from people. I even know a guy who runs a custom auto shop that refuses to sell their products. Most often I hear complaints that decks short out and stop working or start hissing through the speakers.

There are other options. I believe Jensen makes a deck with a vintage look that will fit in the dash. Also, there used to be a guy out here on the CA central coast (Grover Beach? Arroyo Grande?) that would convert your AM radio to an AM/FM unit. I've since lost his info, but I bet you could find it with a little digging on google.

 

There are days I wish that I would have gone with a USA vintage looking unit and some days im happy with the setup I have. One of the reasons I went with a modern stereo install was I did not want to worry about mounting a disc changer just to listen to a cd. (the install was done before mp3's were big) The other reason is I really like Xm Sirus/XM radio and the other units did not offer it. The other reason is my wife, (since its her car) flat out said the USA stereo was too getto and cheep looking for the car.

I ended up contacting a vendor I saw at a show called Ken Harrison. They made the repop bezel for the radio which enabled me to use the head unit of my choice. The final our come was great crystal clear sound. Bottom line it comes down to looks. Everyone is different. Here is a picture. I ended up going with a Kenwood/1 Disc CD/MP3/XM Deck (4x55) that covered everything I wanted. The total cost was right around $350. The new Bezel was $100.00 through Ken Harrison. The kick panels are Ken Harrison as well.

 

Custom Autosound all the way.. I have the new 630... I love it!

 

Thanks a lot for the help everyone.

Any thoughts on the Undercover 1 or 2 speakers under the seats? Any thoughts on needing to upgrade the alternator?

Thanks again, I really appreciate the help!