Classic Car, not Classic Sound

[Dr. Pimento]

Hi all! I've got kind of an involved issue to deal with here, so this post might border on the longish size.
Basically, I've been working on a '64 Thunderbird - and I've been trying to keep it as original as possible. What I can't do, however, is deal with original audio; I don't want to be subjected to AM/FM only, I don't want to blaspheme my ears with the stereo setup of "back in the day", and I don't want to deal with the road-noise that is pretty much a sign of the times. (I don't think Ford cared too much about acoustical insulation in the 60's, for some reason)

I've never done audio installation before, but I'm ready to learn, and I'm not a novice when it comes to looking up info on the internet; if I get even some basic pointers here, I'll go crusising until I find a way to impliment it.

Having got that out of the way, I have a few general goals in mind:

(1) If possible, I want to get the car to the point where it'll rival any modern production-line vehicle for sound quality; I don't have any delusions about competing with the Real Audioniks - competitions and such are just not in my cards. Having said that, I do want to sit friends down in the ride and have them go, "wow - nice".
(2) I listen to mainly Classical music - I'd like to tune things to full, rich, surround setup; where the music envelops oneself. I need clean ranges, from top to bottom, while forgetting altogether the idea of "ground-pounding" or making the neighbors complain. (That's just not my idea of fun - louder is not, for my needs, necessarily better)

To work towards those goals, I have two specific directions, at this time:
(1) Replace the original stereo in the car with a remanufactured stereo that has been cleaned, gutted, and digitized, with acceptance for an under-seat CD-changer. (eBay link to the product I have in mind: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4568321523)
Again, I'm trying to keep the LOOK of the car, without subjecting myself to the REALITY of the '64's audio system.

(2) Sound-proof, as much as possible, the interior from road noise.

In looking at my vehicle as it sits, I have a few options. I intend to ditch the front speakers, as they in no way look to be in a suitable placement for my needs. For the front two seats, I thought about two speakers in both door panels, with a cloth grille to blend in with the panels themselves, and then two more speakers in the console area, near the feet (maybe for dedicated bass?).
For the rear bench seat, the Thunderbird has a single speaker that sits between the two passengers. I was thinking about replacing that with a two-out setup, taking up the same space, but with the outputs canted left and right. (perhaps that will facilitate surround-sound effects?)


Some directions I'm looking for:
Where should I go to look towards insulating the car from road noise? What brand of product is most trusted/performs best? Do I need to worry about door panels / pre-headliner / firewall insulation?

Does anyone on the board here either have first-hand experience in positioning speakers, or the ability to point me in the right direction of a resource I can turn to?

What combination of audio equipment should I be seriously considering to help me in my quest for "pure classical" output? Are there specific brands that excel in this area, or is it more a matter of just knowing what class of product to buy?


Sorry for the long post - I'm just trying to do this project right, and it would kill me to get everything else done, and then bomb the audio side of things with my "un-knowledge".
Thanks!

>-~~-> Dr. Pimento

[PaulD]

Best stuff for sound insulation is dynamat xtreme .... but it comes at a price.

The only thing that seems to "wow" people is prodigious levels of bass, so don't worry too much about it.

The best place to put midrange/tweeter speakers is in the kickpanel area. Start by aiming them at the back of the radio ... then work from there. Do not put speakers in the back .... they mostly just mess up the image. Lets face it, how many time do you REALLY have more than one passenger anyway ?

You wrote a novel so it's hard to address everything. Try reading thru the newbie thread, there's lots of good info on there - including an equipment rating list.

[pimprolla112]

For sound deadening

http://www.secondskinaudio.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?p=hm

they have spray on/brush on applications and several mat apps.