Classic Plymouth Road Runner Audio Upgrade for Lehighton Client

A repeat client from here in Lehighton recently dropped into Mobile Edge to discuss how we might be able to upgrade his 1973 Plymouth Road Runner audio system. The car had a pair of 6×9 speakers bolted to the rear deck, but the system didn’t play loudly enough to drown out the big V-8. After having a look at the decaying cardboard parcel shelf trim piece, we proposed an upgrade that would ensure the client could hear his music clearly and add some style to the vehicle interior.

Rear Speaker Upgrades

Plastic speaker adapters were fabricated and bolted in to allow fitment of the new speakers.

The client’s tunes will sound crystal clear thanks to the new Memphis Car Audio speakers.

Mike planned to create a set of PVC mounting adapters for the Memphis Car Audio PRX603 three-way 6.5-inch speakers. Mike made a template for the driver’s side 5×7-inch speaker opening. He looked across the car and much to his surprise, the passenger side speaker had a much larger 6×9-inch cutout. We can’t even begin to imagine why the factory speakers were different sizes. Unfazed, Mike made a separate template for the passenger side.

The speaker adapters bolt to the rear deck using the factory mounting holes and hex head cap screws that fit into threaded inserts. Mike finished the speaker installation with a few sheets of Hushmat sound deadening to seal up the parcel shelf.

Custom Parcel Shelf Trim Panel

Mike works on blending in the shapes to the new rear deck.

The new rear deck is a huge improvement over the aging stock piece.

The layered Road Runner in the rear deck adds some style to the build.

During our discussion with the client, we showed him a Dodge Charger that we were working on. He liked the three-dimensional R/T logo we created in the trunk of the Charger and asked if there was something similar we could do in his Road Runner to add some extra style.

Mike made a set of pentastar-shaped grilles for the new rear speakers and wrapped them in red vinyl. Perforated steel inserts protect and conceal the speakers. Next, Mike added a circular trim piece to the center of the parcel shelf. We cut two layers of vinyl in the shape of the Road Runner and stacked them under the red vinyl to give it some unique character.

Plymouth Road Runner Audio System Amplifier

Rivet nuts were installed in factory holes to allow secure mounting of the amplifier.

All of the wiring for the amplifier was neatly routed and secured.

Powering the rear speakers is this Hertz 2 channel amplifier.

The convenient cable easily plugs into the client’s phone for music playback.

We mounted a Hertz HCP2 amplifier on two steel bars that span the opening at the back of the trunk. The amp provides each speaker with 65 watts of power. The client has owned the car since he was 16 and certainly didn’t want to cut it up in any way. To keep the dash of this classic muscle car looking completely original, we ran an auxiliary input cable from the amp to the center console. When the client wants to listen to music, all he has to do is plug the amp into his smartphone. He can play music stored on the phone or use a streaming service like Pandora, iHeartRadio or Tidal to enjoy whatever genre of entertainment he chooses.

Classic Car Audio System Upgrade

Our team was sad to see this awesome Road Runner leave the bay.

The client was thrilled with his Plymouth Road Runner audio system upgrade and loved the look of the new parcel shelf. He was happy to have some great music in the car and was pleased that we were able to provide it without modifying the vehicle. If you are looking for an audio system upgrade for your classic or muscle car, drop by Mobile Edge in Lehighton or click the button below to send us an e-mail.