My 63 Spyder had the original AM radio in it when I got the car. The radio faded in and out, the speaker was falling apart, and the sound was terrible.
My first attempt at replacing the radio used a modern DIN format AM/FM/Cassette ( DIN means it mounts in a rectangular cutout, not by the volume/tuner shafts ). I mounted it in an under-dash box purchased from the local stereo shop. I used 6x9 speakers in speaker boxes in the back seat. Sounded lousy, looked worse, and in "spirited" driving the speaker boxes tended to beat up my 5-year old son.
I didn't want to make any holes for the speakers, so I
next looked at using the speaker grille in the dash. The Corvair suppliers
sell a 2-speaker kit mounted on a 6x9 backplane that will fit in the same
spot. Being cheap I decided to make my own as follows.
Here's
all the supplies, clockwise from top left:
1) underdash module, under $20 at stereo shop; 2) Hard
foam speaker surround, saved from old speaker; 3) Radio Shack AM/FM/Cassette;
4) Pioneer 4" 2-way speaker; 4) 1/8" ABS plastic (free with the speakers,
from the stereo shop) cut to 6x9 shape (used old speaker as a pattern)
with holes cut for the new speakers and drilled for each speaker mounting
screw; 5) mounting hardware ( came with speakers, screws and Tinnerman
nuts.); 6) one more Pioneer speaker.
Put
the nuts on the speakers then the screws through the ABS from top to bottom,
speakers mount under the ABS bracket.
Glue
the foam surround to the ABS bracket with contact cement. You will need
to notch the bottom of the foam to clear the tops of the screws that mount
the speakers.
I
got some black speaker grille cloth at the stereo shop and glued it to
the top of the foam surround with contact cement. This stops dirt from
falling into the speakers.
The
back side. Speakers are Pioneer TS-G1040 from the bargain bin. They were
last year's model I think.
Here
is the radio mounted in the underdash module. The module is supplied with
flimsy metal brackets that lock the radio loosely in place. To stop rattles,
I glued the brackets to the module with beads of auto body sealer. I also
stuffed black neoprene weatherstrip on each side and under the radio. It
doesn't move at all now.
Here's
what it looks like mounted in place. The speaker module mounts under the
dash using the original steel bracket; I just put some of the neoprene
weatherstrip on the speaker magnets to stop them rattling on the bracket.
And the radio module screws into holes that would be covered by the original
radio module if I decided to reinstall it. And the sound is not bad at
all, not like a fancy high powered 4 speaker job but adequate for this
( noisy ) car. Not much stereo imaging with the speakers so close together
though.