Howdy, I have a 67 Skylark that I want to take out the parcel shelf out and modify it and the rear deck so I can mount a pair of 6x9s back there. How do I get the parcel shelf out without damaging it? For you tune heads and audiophiles out there, whats the bad part of mounting the speakers under the metal and carboard of the parcel shelf? Thanks,
If you can buy a parcel shelf that has speaker holes cut out with mesh over it you'll find that it really does a pretty good job of letting sound through, especially if you use high end speakers and have enough power. When I buy speakers I pay close attention to the advertised dynamic range. The wider the range the more high frequency sopund they reproduce. The high freq is most likely to suffer from grill material in front - even the speaker's grill. On my car I hacked away the sheet metal with tin snips to provide a clear shot for the sound. IMO having speakers sticking through the package tray looks a little "trailer park," if you know what I mean. :error:
Does anyone know how to get the parcel shelf out? I've decided what I'm going to do so now I need to get the shelf out so I can cut the metal under it. Thanks,
You'll need to remove the rear seat, first the bottom and them the back. After you do that, pull loose the vinyl that is glued to the metal behind the seat and gently pull the shelf forward. You should be able to slide the sides out from under the sail panels if you are careful. I would agree with Brad, however, that a new one with speaker cutouts would be the best route. They are cheap and it would look factory original.
if i remember correctly , legendery upholstery & year1 supply the parcel shelf . buy the one that has the speaker cutouts marked on the underside . there were two different parcel shelves - one had a screen-like cover & the other did not . correct me if i am wrong , guys . my parcel shelf is the one with the cutouts marked & had the covering . u can buy the covering separately .
I bought the mesh package tray with the provisions for speakers...I haven't installed it yet and it's still in it's packaging. Let me know if you'd like a picture..I got it from Original parts group or year one (can't remember).
As stated, Year One, Legendary, OPG all sell them. Do yourself a favor and buy the jute padding too. Provides some extra insulation from noise behind the car and trunk. You will have to cut out speaker holes in this stuff. I also suggest getting the fiber board and jute padding for between the rear seat and trunk compartment (if your car does not already have these). This stuff is cheap but really cuts down on road and exhaust noise. Some day I'm gonna come visit WPAFB - The museum looks awesome.
Another option to consider is using a single, but dual voice coil stereo speaker sold by custom auto sound. It takes up the same space as a single 6x9, but contains two seperate voice coils and two sets of leads (left and right channel) to give full stereo sound from one single speaker location. This way you wouldn't have to take tin snips or a sawzall to the rear package shelf metal. Once you do a thing like that the car is molested forever. This is the route I went, and also used the front kick panels that are reproed and molded for 6 1/2" speakers. All this stuff is available through numerous distributors. I used directsource.com, they were the cheapest around. Just a thought.
Speakers: What I did... In my 70 I bought the insulation and package tray. I made my own jute/fiber board for behind the rear seat. Used the old as a template and cut a new one from heavy cardboard... painted the cardboard heavy with black paint. Then took tare paper and laid it over that. Works great and very quite. however I would recomend just buying it. It's cheap stuff. How I did the speaker mounting?... I took a few (8) bolts and JB Welded them down through from the top, then took my speakers and positioned it up into the bolts and put nuts on and tightened flush with bottom of rear deck. No cutting! This way I can replace speakers without the top bolt moving on me under the package tray do to the JB-Weld holding the top of the bolt (when I loosen or tighten the bolt). You can make a spacer for 6x9 speakers that have seperate highs and mids to clear the metal without cutting it... keeping it mounted a little lower. Just take and outline a 1/2'' or 1/4'' thick piece of wood using the outside of the speaker face down (preferably pine) then retrace the line about 1/2" to the inside and copy the line you already made. Then with a jig saw cut it out where your lines are and drill the holes for the bolts. Be sure to use long enough bolts and paint the wood to keep it sealed from moisture. I used a cheaper 6x9 without all the separate highs and mids so I could just mount it flush with no spacer. The sound is more than my ears can handle. It really is clear. Just for the record. I have a 2,100 Watt stereo in my Cavalier I installed myself. The best of everything! Exclusively Alpine and Kenwood! Very clean factory looking, except when you open the trunk and see amplifiers in a row and 2 large subwoofers staring at you! Heehe! I hope this made a little sense and helped you or someone else. Just be creative and you should'nt have to chop-up the car, or molest it as someone put it. Mike
