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  Now it's Done

  Jun 4, 2025

  Yes, it’s finally done!

  The new speaker setup consists of replacement front kick panels with extrusions which accept 6½” round Kenwood
  speakers (KFC-1696PS) and 6”x 9” Kenwood speakers (KFC-6996PS) in the rear package shelf.  The speaker bezels and
  screens were paint-matched brown for more of a factory option appearance rather than an aftermarket add-on look.  The drivers’ side front kick panel extrusion required me to modify the parking brake pedal lever slightly to provide
  enough clearance between the lever and the speaker.  

    

  The rear package shelf has dozens of holes for mounting other accessories like an optional hot-air rear window defogger/defroster in addition to rear speakers.  The speaker holes from the factory are not true 6”x 9” but rather slightly smaller, so they had to be enlarged.  

   

  In the trunk, I have a Blaupunkt 8” 300 Watt powered sub-woofer (GTSH80).  The power feed for it runs up the left side of the interior under the carpet, adjacent to the sill plate, out the speedometer cable hole and attaches directly to a side stud on the battery, with a “remote-on” signal wire from the radio.  All the pre-wiring I’d done last winter paid dividends as finishing the install was a breeze.  But then the real nightmare was reinstalling all of the AC ductwork, glove box, ash tray, and trim pieces.

  It does everything it’s supposed to.  The sound is great, but with one oddity.  The glove box-mounted subwoofer volume control seems to be no more than a gimmick.  I ultimately ended up not using it as it made literally no difference.  Gain and cross-over adjustments are still accessible on the subwoofer itself.  So, rather than cluttering up the glovebox, I disconnected the control and left the wire behind the glovebox.  

  That said, the streaming Bluetooth is perfect.  Drop the phone in the cradle and turn the radio on and it defaults to the last mode used (in my case that’s the SiriusXM app on my phone).  Jan will be happier to take longer cruises in the car now that there is more than just the engine noise!

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