This topic never seems to get much activity. I'm installing component speakers in a '78 F100, and I'm struggling with how/where to mount the tweeters. Any option will require holes. I'm trying to keep the truck looking "classic" on the inside, but sound quality matters to me. The three options I'm debating are:

1. Stick-up pods at the dash corners. Requires 1/2" hole for each. Pros: easy install, adjustable for better sound quality. Cons: They're an obvious aftermarket mod.
2. Flush in the upper corners of the door panels. Pros: clean look; could be hidden later with new panel inserts. Cons: Difficult install and a 2" hole in the doors and door panels; sound could be bright.
3. Flush in the dash pad. Pros: less obvious but somewhat visible from inside/outside; could replace the dash pad in the future. Cons: None other than damaging an original pad in good shape.
4. Mounted under the center dash in the CB radio speaker grill area. Pros: Easy install, no holes, and clean look. Cons: Poor sound quality; too much separation between woofers and tweeters.

Any opinions or experience? Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

Ford OEM Tweeter Speakers
An idea. Obtained used Ford OEM Tweeter speakers from my local Junk Yard, installed them in my 77 F-150 door panels as shown in the picture. Used whole saw and then a heat gun to mold the plastic to prevent them looking too intrusive.

 

I would mount them on the A pillars.
That's were I had them mounted in my Chevy PU.


This is where they mounted them in my car.

I have yet had a stereo installed in my '76.

 

Did you use the hole saw on the metal panel underneath, or just the plastic? And are the tweeters physically secured to the metal panel or to the plastic? Thanks!

 

That makes me nervous! I like the position, but I don't have any plastic in that area to drill. There's no going back after drilling a big hole. Thanks!

 

Used the hole saw to drill the plastic door panel, not the actual metal door beneath. If you haven't yet removed one of your plastic door panel, once you do, you'll see a depression at the spot I mounted my tweeter speakers. it was because of the depression area (top front area) of the plastic door panel location that convinced me to mount them there. The OEM Ford Tweeter speakers have two plastic legs with embossed holes to use sheet metal screws to secure them onto the inner metal door. Moreover, I was looking for a thin pair of tweeter speakers when in the junk yard, looked at Ford vehicles first and stumbled upon mine, don't recall specifically, but seem to remember getting them out of a loaded mid ~ 2010s Expedition. The heat gun helped mold the protruding plastic door panel in order for the panel's back side plastic fasteners to sit all the way back into their metal door holes.
With the plastic door panel removed and tweeter speaker installed, I placed the panel in position, removed panel, heated up the hole saw drill area pushing the hole area outward slightly until it was not overly intrusive, as acetic as I was able to make it. Repeated the process X3. Finally lightly sanding both sides of the door panel to remove the razor sharp edge. Hope this information is helpful.

 

Too bad your tweeters would be difficult to install in the A pillars.
I didn't do any of my installations, I had car audio business's do all my installations.
It will be quite a while before I have then install a nice sound system in my '76.

 

The PO of my 78 bronco or tweeters in the door metal, above the window handle. They don't look real good there. I'll try to get a picture

 

Tweeters? I just use triaxle speakers in the original door holes with custom grilles to listen to Willie's Roadhouse or Fox on XM, and listen to the melodious tunes from the 351M under the hood.





I did include round deep silicone speaker shields behind them.

 

I don't know much about speakers and stereos, but since you seem to value reversibility of the installation, have you looked at 3d printed Ford parts? They have some options for tweeters. They are obviously aftermarket looking, but would also be easy to reverse if you didn't like it. This page has the mounts with the speakers, but I'd think you could get just the mounts from them instead. https://3dprintedfordparts.com/shop-...s/tweeter-belt

 

What about this? Or putting them in your headliner? I am not a woofer/tweeter/sub/base guy...at all. I put a Kraco cassette player in my red truck. Lol

Maybe ? https://swclassics.com/1973-79-ford-...aker-holes-ea/

Cheaper? https://autokrafters.com/headliner-w...truck-h409-01/

Or https://www.lmctruck.com/interior/he...lt-in-speakers

 

I almost ordered one of those headliner type speaker mounts with 4 speakers from J C Whittney "years and a few more years" ago, was "just" $109 then. Also allows for a radio or CB. My bad.

 

Speakers, how much power you have going to them and the location of the speakers all play a role in sound quality.
I think it would sound weird if all the sound was coming from the cab's ceiling.
But that's just me.

 

I've heard them in a truck, it's OK at the pleasant volume levels I like, not in competition with road / mechanical noises from below, almost like voices from heaven (Like say .... Kitty Wells, June Carter, Loretta Lynn, and of course, "Patsy" .... or even Jim Reaves, Marty Robbins, or Johnny Horton, etc) if the right tune is on. You have left - right and left - right speakers as you go from truck's left to right, feeding the ears more evenly. Loud levels or some of the crap today would make a MRI sound good.

 

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I think I'll make my door panel inserts and see how those look. If adding tweeters to the doors looks good, I'll go that route. Otherwise, I'll regroup. The dash pad is still intriguing. I can access most of the dash pad bolts, although it appears my bolt configuration is different than I've seen online.

I plan to run the component speakers in a bi-amped fashion (i.e., each tweeter wired to the front amp channels and the woofers to the rear channels. The small amp I have can perform DSP and set the cutoff frequencies. In theory, the amp should balance out any imbalances. More to come!