Need suggestions for speakers for the back seat/second row in my wagon. I have speakers in the dash and the rear inside quarter panels but you can only hear the radio in the front seat or 3rd row seats. The kids sit in the middle row and complain they can’t hear the radio. I don’t want to cut the door panels, One thought was speakers on the floor under the front seat facing rearward. I’m sure I saw this one time in a convertible at a car show, just not sure how it would work.
When you own convertibles, you learn to hide things like speakers. 25 years ago I installed two 6" mids and a pair of 2" tweeters in my interior quarter panels. I cut away the foam backing from the vinyl in that area, and simply allowed the speakers to play through the upholstery. It works great! Decades later, with cleaning, sun and wear you can just make out the bigger speaker on that side is in the picture below. If I didn't tell you they were there, you wouldn't notice. I installed a fader under the ash tray door in the dash to balance the sound from my factory 8 track deck. I don't know what your door panels are made out of (carpet, vinyl, fabric) but you can hide your speakers under it. It may not be concert hall, Bose sound reproduction but I can hear it even with the top down and I'm half deaf. Funny memory, I didn't want the hardware to show under the vinyl so I spot welded the speakers to the metal piston covers (quarter panels). I didn't even take the upholstery loose, just wetted a towel, laid the panel on it and hit it quick with the MIG. The crossovers are welded in there as well. What a goofball I was, glad I grew out of it.
Great story to tell the grandkids, “ Back in our day, we welded our speakers in”. I’m going screw with them next time I see them. Thanks BB.
I'll tell them I was afraid of the hardware breaking while I was cranking out some Zep, and I couldn't find grade 8 1/4x20s.
Hello, My wife and I usually do not listen to music while driving together. There is too much going on during our conversations and outside of the station wagon on the roads with crazy drivers. Distracted driving is a major cause of accidents. We are seeing more folks in a hurry to run red lights across an intersection. Yes, most will say it was yellow when we started across… etc. but, why be in a hurry in the first place. Just leave a half hour earlier in a normal traffic condition… But, when my son and his wife moved around in their family station wagon, our granddaughter sat in the back seat. The music the parents listened to while driving was not the same as the ones our granddaughter liked. So, they gave her an old Apple Phone version one. It had enough room to load all of her “kid” music and sit in the back seat happy as a lark. The new Apple Phone 3g was for her parents and so the old Apple version one was for music play only. When we took our granddaughter in our own station wagon, she played her music over the main stereo. We were happy to listen to all of her music. No need for head phones or ear plugs, we all listened to the music she liked. We also liked the “new” music and were happy to follow along. That made her feel as if we were participating and not just nodding our heads. Jnaki The old Apple Phone did its job in the early days. If she dropped it in the car or got banged around in a toddler bag, so what. It was a music play device. Not for phone calls. We both had portable phones. My wife and I both had Motorola Razr phones. So, that could be a solution for your back seat difficulties. (Old phones with music capabilities.) The other thing is the vast market on wireless speakers from little pocket size to beach going, loaf of bread size for all listening needs. They can be quietly listened to in the back seat with headphones or at low volume. These days, the panel speakers are old school and inefficient. Sure, we all liked those huge 6 x 9 speakers that blasted plenty of rock music while driving. But, these days, it is quality music via new versions of stereo radios, portable music play devices, wireless headphones, and/or wireless speakers. Or no music as we all listen to the conversation while driving to our destinations… that way there is no running the red light in those wide intersections… YRMV
Years ago with the van craze I installed head phone jacks in the back of the van and in the headliner above the driver & passenger. Just a thought but why not use today's technology and incorporate ear buds for the kids, most kids today live with them in their ear while listening to music or watching videos on their cell phones. I haven't done it but it should be a simple job. HRP
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