TAKerry Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Does anyone here have a secret/hidden audio stereo in their car? And if so, what is it and your thoughts. I have the stock radio in my 77 trans am and it is not hooked up. I did put new speakers front and rear in the car during restoration so that part of the problem is resolved. I think I may want to put some music in there now. Hooking up the original is not an option. I bought a small jbl bluetooth speaker that works great, but its too small for the job. Dual exhaust with a healthy sound was no match! My first thought is to just get a better speaker. For another $100 I can get a 'secret audio' system. My gut feeling tells me to hit up best buy and just get a better blue tooth speaker, def. the easy way to go. My biggest gripe is having a big, bulky speaker floating around inside the car, which could be dangerous in the right/wrong situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 There are a bunch of these systems on the market now. All I play in my cars are MP3s from my phone, so hidden with bluetooth is the easiest for me. I recently got a Pyle bluetooth amplifier, but haven't hooked it up yet. Pyle has a large selection, all pretty reasonably priced. https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/EB95F03A-C40C-4825-AFC0-CEFCFF8E7B64?ingress=2&visitId=deb8f99d-4e3e-4e09-847f-9d221056b873&ref_=ast_bln Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 Put an AUX input in the original radio. Then you can use all the equipment you already have in the car. You can also add a Bluetooth input to the original radio. If the original is AM/FM then any of those FM transmitters will work too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 10 hours ago, joe_padavano said: There are a bunch of these systems on the market now. All I play in my cars are MP3s from my phone, so hidden with bluetooth is the easiest for me. I recently got a Pyle bluetooth amplifier, but haven't hooked it up yet. Pyle has a large selection, all pretty reasonably priced. https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/EB95F03A-C40C-4825-AFC0-CEFCFF8E7B64?ingress=2&visitId=deb8f99d-4e3e-4e09-847f-9d221056b873&ref_=ast_bln Thanks, this is similar but diff. brand than I was looking into. I have a app on my phone for music hence the plan to go with a blue tooth something. As far as altering the original radio, I did not want to get into that expense, plus it is such a nice original piece I didnt want to alter it. I doubt in the long run it would make any difference at all though. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 The alterations can be no modification to the face and reversible. I know the big names in modifying remove parts and make it not easy to return to stock, that's why I did my own. The Bluetooth/Aux adapter does hide in the glovebox. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioguybill Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 You might want to look into tech-retro.com Dealers and poducts are listed that will give you 4x45 watts per channel stereo. You can get bluetooth USB HD Aux. All the bells and whistles and keeping it with original appearance. You radio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 I had the OEM radio in my 67 Delta 88 converted to late model electronics. It was quite pricey but they did a wonderful job in restoring the faceplate. Having said that, I doubt I'd do it again. Given that all I listen to are MP3s, it makes no financial sense to put the money into the stock radio when these aftermarket bluetooth amps are so much less money and are completely hidden. The stock radio just fills the hole in the dash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted July 16, 2022 Author Share Posted July 16, 2022 9 minutes ago, joe_padavano said: I had the OEM radio in my 67 Delta 88 converted to late model electronics. It was quite pricey but they did a wonderful job in restoring the faceplate. Having said that, I doubt I'd do it again. Given that all I listen to are MP3s, it makes no financial sense to put the money into the stock radio when these aftermarket bluetooth amps are so much less money and are completely hidden. The stock radio just fills the hole in the dash. I am looking for the best bang for the buck. I listen to an oldies radio station most of the time. I have no music stored digitally. I am not the audiophile I was in my youth. I have literally hundreds of albums and at one time a high end stereo system. My car stereos were typically an Alpine system. I would buy a new one every six months or so and sell the used ones to friends. I was young, and had a lot of disposable income, LOL. Anymore I rarely even listen to the music in my dd, let alone my 'hot rod'. One of the hardest parts to find when I restored my trans am was a good radio at a decent price. Beat up ones are out there for $600 and up. I got lucky and found one from a guy that removed it the day he bought his car new in 1976. He put it in a box and stowed it away. I got it and all of the wiring for a song. He was happy and I was happy. Its pretty much a brand new radio, hence why I am hesitant to have it mucked with. I dont really need music in my car, but my grandson harps on the 3 things that dont work and I would like to check one off the list. Still looking, may just get a better blue tooth speaker. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 3 hours ago, TAKerry said: I listen to an oldies radio station most of the time. Unfortunately here in the DC-metro area, the oldies stations are long gone (or they consider "oldies" to be 1980s music). That's why I made the switch to MP3s. My playlist is pretty much everything from 1956-1972. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRA Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 (edited) I enjoy listening music during my rides in old cars, so I have installed hidden audio systems in all of them. In almost all cases, I took the same approach: motorcycle audio systems. They work well under noisy conditions, the speakers are installed under the dash panel, as the unit. They are only avaible in 12v, so I had to install a step up power transformer (6 to 12v) to make them work. My first experience with these systems happened more than 10 years ago, and I am very satisfied with the solution. I have always used Shark Motorcycle Audio Systems bought at Amazon.com. All my cars are equipped with these systems, and the last two I bought had also bluetooth connection. Great solution in my view, it is completely hidden, the controls are wired and small, the source can be an usb flash drive or from the mobile. The only exception is my 1928 Ford Model A, that I could not hide anything under the dash panel, because it is the botton of the gas tank. For this car, I used an small boat audio system with built in speakers and bluetooth connection, installed under the front seat, also completely hidden. Edited July 16, 2022 by JRA (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LG566DS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details This is what I purchased and installed in the glovebox to get Bluetooth and an AUX input into a stock AM Corvair radio. It does offer an FM tuner, but I have not wired an antenna to it. It is a somewhat simple modification to the stock radio. I used a small 12 volt relay to switch the audio. Most people use a hidden SPDT switch for an AUX modification over the years. I put a switch on the plastic case I mounted the adapter in to feed 12 volts back to the radio to switch the relay. I also bought these 5 volt regulators, one to power the adapter, 4 more for future radio modifications. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0758ZTS61?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 No part number of the plastic box, just something from the junkbox I used for a previous project. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHuDWah Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Maybe more time/effort/expense than you want to invest, but... Custom car stereos for your 1977 Firebird You can replace OEM radio with minimal dash modification and later return to stock if you want. Crutchfield also has custom fit speakers, installation kits/tools, etc. I haven't had need lately to upgrade car audio. But some time ago, I did use one of their custom fit systems in a vehicle that had no audio but did have OEM provision for it - easy-peasy installation and great sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted July 17, 2022 Author Share Posted July 17, 2022 Thanks Chudwah, a bit more than I want to get into though. But yes, Crutchfield at least in the past was very good. I havent dealt with them in a few years, I suppose they still are. I started buying from them probably as far back as when they started business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 Our home town Charlottesville Virginia store! They started business while I was still in school there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 (edited) My 1941 Cadillac has never had a radio in it. the chrome factory radio delete plate covers the top over the speaker grill. i play my smart phone music thru a blue tooth speaker when desired. it’s loud enough with my quiet engine. i suppose i could mount the blue tooth speaker behind the speaker grill. a future project i suppose. Edited July 18, 2022 by mrspeedyt (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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