ol' yeller Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) I'm replacing my stereo today with an Alpine unit. I also have new speakers, Alpine 2 way 5.25" for the doors and Kicker 4"X10" for the rear of my convertible. The speakers are not here yet but will arrive in a few days. I also bought all the correct Metra adapters for the stereo, the antenna, the speakers and the dash. As all my current speakers are working OK now I hope to install the new head unit today and make sure all the connections are correct. That should make the new speaker install somewhat easier next week. So I have some questions and would like my assumptions verified if possible. I plan to solder the connections between the Metra plug adapter and the wires off the back of the head unit and then tape over. It seems to be universally recommended over scotch locks or crimp connectors. This eliminates hacking up the factory wire harnesses. I have read here that the stock tweeters are in a better location for sound than using the tweeters that are installed on the cone of the new speakers. I am assuming that my new 2 way speakers are called 2 way because they have tweeters. I also seem to remember reading that the sound is much worse with leaving the stock tweeters and the new tweeters hooked up. Question, how do I disconnect the tweeters on the new speakers if that is the case. I might be able to better understand once I have the new speakers in hand but from the pictures, it appears that it is all one unit. I also understand it is important to keep polarity the same on all the speakers to keep them in phase. Finally, I haven't removed the rear speakers yet but is there a foam backing behind the rear factory speakers? I see on Amazon that there are aftermarket ones available but I didn't order them yet. If there is anything else I should know about, please pass it along. The last car audio I worked with was an AM/FM converter on my '65 Skylark. I think things have changed a lot since then. Please try not to be too technical as I am not an audiophile. I will post up pics and description when finished. If Ronnie is interested, I can do a write up with pictures for the ROJ. Edited January 30, 2016 by ol' yeller (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 If it were me I would leave both tweeters connected. I think you will like the sound. If your ears are old like mine you can probably use the extra sparkle in the high frequencies. Be sure you reuse the stock crossover for the factory tweeter. It's in the wore going from the speaker to the tweeter. I'm always looking for tutorials. Might be a while before I can get it posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I think you are on the right track........the wires for the back of the radio come thru a square opening in a plastic sub-structure of the dash. Sometime they are stubborn and do not want to pull out for more room to work. Also with the stock radio, there is not a lot of room for wires behind it so adding crimp on connectors would add to the bulk of the harness.I also like the idea of soldering the connections. On the speakers, unsolder the factory wires and connector from the old factory speakers and resolder to the new speakers, This reduces the number of connections or cuts in the wires (if you were going to splice) and makes it easier to remove speakers or cables should you need to do other repairs in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) On my new radio there are wires for 12V switched and for 12V constant. I assume the the constant 12V wire is to protect the memory and clock functions. Unfortunately, the Metra intermediate harness that plugs into the existing dash wiring harness doesn't have a provision for the constant 12V, only the switched 12V. My plan is to first try the radio without the constant 12V and see if my assumption is correct, then to find a constant 12V source somewhere and just splice into it, probably either from the fusebox or the lighter.I found in a previous posting a list of what color wires from the dash harness match their function and there is a mention of a constant 12V (I think it was an orange wire) but there is no orange wire that plugs into the Metra adapter in the connector from the dash harness. I think it is lost somewhere in the huge CD wiring harness. I may try to remove that harness and see if I can find the constant 12V wire as My new deck has a CD slot and the factory CD player never worked anyway. If anyone knows if my assumptions are right or not, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Barney, as for the speakers, Metra makes an intermediate wire harness ($5 for 2 speakers) that plugs into the Delco harness and then plugs onto the aftermarket speaker which eliminates the need to hack up the cars existing wiring. Also there is no need for soldering. It also enables a smooth transition back to stock if that is ever desired. While I don't see any reason why someone would want to go back to inferior, non visible speakers, I like to keep things as original as possible or at least able to return to original without a lot of trouble. Edited January 31, 2016 by ol' yeller (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Today's update, the wiring diagram for my stereo had the 12V constant and the 12V switched wire colors reversed. Both were required. I got so focused on that that I installed the unit and then remembered that I didn't plug in the microphone for the bluetooth so everything had to come back out. Upon reassembly the plastic Metra din adapter's glue came apart. Today I have get some glue and finish putting it all back in. This stereo was a little longer (deeper) than the original so it took some judicious trimming of some of the plastic support behind the radio to get it to fit. It sounds great even with the old factory speakers. The new speakers are coming this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) If anyone is following, I got the job 66% done today. The head unit is in and wired correctly. I was able to accomplish this without hacking up the wiring inside the dash. The Metra adapter harness worked great. As I stated earlier, the manual for the stereo had the wires mis-labelled for 12V constant and 12V ignition switch. I grabbed my 12V constant from the cigar lighter as I didn't think it would be a huge amp draw. I assume it is for the keep alive memory for the clock and presets. Everything else connected up perfectly through the Metra harness. The install also required a Metra adapter for the Delco antenna to the more common larger one. The Metra adapter plate came apart from the cheap glue they used to hold the 2 plastic pieces together. Some Gorilla glue and a couple hours of cure time took care of that problem. The adapter plate does move the stereo about a 1/2" out from the old location which was helpful as the new unit was almost an inch longer than the stock unit. I also had to trim away some of the plastic support behind the old radio to make room for the longer unit. Both the antenna and the microphone for the phone stick out from the back of the unit which adds to the overall depth of the unit. The Metra adapter harness tucked nicely up in a cavity behind the firewall. The hardest part was trimming for the antenna adapter as it hit right where the plastic behind the stereo had a screw mounting. I was able to trim away enough for the antenna connection and yet leave enough so I didn't disturb the screw mount. I love my Dremel tool. The wire for the Bluetooth microphone tucked neatly under the dash and up behind the A pillar pad. The microphone was placed at the top of the A Pillar which was very close to the driver. It had excellent pick up as my wife heard me very clearly when I tested it. The microphone had plenty of extra wire which I just tie wrapped it in a neat package and tucked it under the head unit. This was a pretty big job as it required removal of the dash panel, the console, and the old CD player as well as the knee bolster under the dash on the driver's side to effect the installation. The new unit sounded good with the old speakers. My convertible fortunately has spent most of its life in a garage so the speakers aren't sunbaked or rotten. The rear speakers arrived on Saturday so after I had the head unit installed and verified all the speakers were operating correctly, I changed the rear speakers out to the new ones. The Metra speaker wire adapters I purchased were useless. They didn't match to the Delco harness at all. Fortunately the speakers came with a harness which I spliced into the factory wiring. The rear speakers were Kicker 4"X10". They are very superior to the factory speakers. My test drive was with Grand Funk Railroad Heartbreaker at a high volume and the separation and the bass was amazing. Given that they were not round speakers, they did tend to distort a little at volume but they are a hundred times better than factory. There was no foam core behind the factory rear speakers so I will order them from Amazon and see if that doesn't help some. My door speakers came today but I was too tired to tackle that installation. I will first try them with the double tweeters hooked up as Ronnie recommended as I also have old ears that could use some help. It appears to be very easy to disconnect them as they have slide on connectors to spade terminals at the wire terminations. The head unit is a great unit, I found it easy to program and pair my Smarter than Me Android phone. I hope to experiment in the future with MP3/4 players. It sounds great and the true sound and separation is very good for a $100 unit. I'll post up some pictures tomorrow. Edited February 2, 2016 by ol' yeller (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) If I did this right there should be 2 pictures attached. One showing the mess I had when pulled off the door panel on the drivers door to install the speaker. Obviously, someone had been in there before me. The watershield was hanging loose as was the foam padding. Both were torn in several places. It was obvious why my door panel master switch plate was askew as the wires were just jumbled up and jammed into the door. It only took a little time to lubricate all the window and lock mechanisms and then spray some glue around the perimeter to reattach the watershield. The watershield did require some patching with duct tape and some clear plastic I had hanging around in the garage. The passenger side was almost as bad and the manual door lock switch was not engaging the post which was why it never worked since I got the car. Both front speakers were trashed so I was amazed that they still sounded OK to me. There were paper remnants of the cone all inside both of the speakers cavities. FYI the Metra speaker wire adapters for some Delco cars don't work here either so I had to splice and solder the harness supplied with the speakers. I was very pleased with how nice everything went back together and how it all worked after I reassembled it. So this takes us to the end of my saga. The only thing left is to install the new foam baffles behind the rear speakers when they arrive on Friday. It sounds so great I am in love with my little roadster all over again. By the way, I don't see a need for an amp or a sub as this setup will deliver great sound, even with the top down which I was able to try yesterday. It was cold but beautiful so why not take a top down cruise and listen to GFR Heartbreaker at high volume. The only problem is that I may get kicked out of my over 55 community for being too loud. The costs were $111 for the head unit, $94 for the rear speakers, $50 for the front speakers, $10 for speaker wiring harnesses that didn't work, and $10 for the rear Speaker foam baffles. I bought the 1.5 DIN adapter a long time ago along with the wire harness adapter for the head unit and the antenna. If memory serves I think it was around $30 total for those. So the grand total for this immense improvement is $305 which included shipping. It was well worth the time and money. The other picture is how the unit looks installed in the dash. Edited February 3, 2016 by ol' yeller (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I put the DIN adapter in with the slot on top. Made it easier to fit the radio in the dash.. Used a Clarion CZ702 for the adjustable light colors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 I debated doing that too Padgett, but determined that the antenna plug adapter would hit the screw mount of the plastic dash support structure and be in the way with my deck. Putting the slot on the bottom allowed me to trim the plastic dash support without destroying the mount for it. I looked at several decks and decided this one was the best for the money despite the blue color illumination. As claimed earlier, I am by no means an audiophile but I love the way this unit sounds. It is light years better than the stock radio and the new speakers. The separation is like you are sitting in a concert hall. At a high volume, you can feel the base from both the rear speakers and the lower door speakers. I left the tweeters connected in the doors for both speakers and it does deliver a much crisper sound than it did with the old stuff. I imagine it will lose some of the cachet when the top is down but it will still be much better than it was. The next project after my wallet recovers is to replace the ugly Reatta wheels with something more suitable to my tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machiner 55 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 The next project............. is to replace the ugly Reatta wheels............. Blasphemy .... sheer and simple Blasphemy!If I were you I'd be very careful moving about as the ground may open up and swallow you whole whilst a bolt from the blue smites thee in the arse. The Reatta gods are very unforgiving. John F. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 The next project after my wallet recovers is to replace the ugly Reatta wheels with something more suitable to my tastes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) After my car won a Gold award at the Portland National, I felt it had reached the pinnacle of appreciation from my Reatta brothers. After that I decided to make it a car that I would enjoy, built to my tastes, and yet do nothing to keep it from being returned to its originality in the future if desired. I have mostly achieved this. First I added the Riviera wood styled dash and console which I think looks richer than the original. Second was the radio replacement as repairing the original equipment was too expensive and the results were not as good as replacement. The only irreversible change was some trimming of the plastic support behind the radio so the deeper aftermarket head unit would fit. This modification cannot be seen without tearing the dash apart and effects the dash support in no way structurally. I am keeping all removed components and they will be passed on to any future owner who may wish to return the car to an original state. As for the wheels, it is a matter of personal taste. My stock wheels are beginning to show signs of their age with some minor peeling and some scrapes and gouges from careless parking and the wrong wheel weights being used by previous owners. They are also 15" which in my opinion look small on this car. My thoughts are that the brushed finish of the original wheels should have been chrome as the car could use a little more bling. I never liked the stock wheels and to spend money refurbishing them just doesn't feel right when the money could be put towards replacement with something I like better. I replaced the wheels on my previous 2 Reattas and thought their looks were improved immensely. On my first burgundy Reatta coupe, I bought some chrome wheels (15") from Les Schwab a tire dealer here in the Northwest. They looked great to me when I first got them but they became dated looking quickly. On my second maui blue sunroof coupe, I put on chrome 16" wheels from a '98 Buick Regal GS and to this day I think they are the best looking wheels for this car. The center caps even have the Buick tri-shield which is completely missing from the Reatta. If I can find a nice set in a wrecking yard for not a lot of money or at a swap meet I may pick them up. The only downside is that it will also require a tire change and my current tires have a lot of tread left so this mod will have to come later. I will keep the original wheels with the car as well if John wants to buy the car after I am done with it. He will probably have a long wait. LOL I am lucky that the paint and body on my car are beautiful. The leather interior is also in amazing shape. While I think it would have been a better car with a Series II supercharged V6, I am happy enough with what I have. My car does have just over 100K miles but everything is working the way it should. So barring some catastrophe like a an ABS or transmission failure, hopefully I will get many more miles out of her so why not make her something that puts a smile on my old face? Edited February 6, 2016 by ol' yeller (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Blasphemy .... sheer and simple Blasphemy!If I were you I'd be very careful moving about as the ground may open up and swallow you whole whilst a bolt from the blue smites thee in the arse. The Reatta gods are very unforgiving. John F.Blasphemy? Since I swapped out my wheels I was blessed with getting two more Reattas! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machiner 55 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Blasphemy? Since I swapped out my wheels I was blessed with getting two more Reattas! The Devil's reward for Blaspheming and Fornicating. John F. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 ol' yeller, check out these ROJ wheel tutorials:http://reattaowner.com/roj/component/content/article/77-suspension-a-brakes/suspension/96-what-wheels-will-fit-the-buick-reatta and:http://reattaowner.com/roj/component/content/article/77-suspension-a-brakes/suspension/283-aluminum-wheel-refinishing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks Kerry. I've read those both. On the second link, where it says, "Stop". I did. Too much work for this old guy with half a heart and a frozen shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Re-finishing wheels is a labor intensive job that requires a lot of time to do it right. However, if you have plenty of extra time like I did, it can be quite satisfying and gives you a sense of accomplishment as you see the wheels transformed from a dull gray rough sanded finish in the beginning to an almost chrome finish when you're done with the polishing process. If it wasn't such a messy job I would say I actually enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) I just put 16x7 Enkeis on the coupe and 95 Bonneville 16x7s on the 'vert. Edited February 12, 2016 by padgett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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