Forgot to ask this, but does anyone know how the factory Bose kick panel speakers are wired? I'm getting some in the future, but don't want to have any surprises if I can avoid them. Main Q is do they have a special way they are wired to the head unit that a person can't easily do to an aftermarket HU, such as the Alpine cda-855? Thanks all...

 

Why are you planning on using Bose kicks with an aftermarket deck? Aftermarket speakers will give you substantially better sound. The bose kicks are powered by individual, application-specific amplifiers that need to be used even with a new deck. Bose speakers aren't worth the money in any sense of the word unless you are doing a 100% stock restoration on an original Bose car.

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<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

Well Jim, I wanted kick panel speakers and I think from your posts I've read in the past you said the Bose were the best as far as fitment and keeping a person sane after installation. And I figured Bose would sound as good as aftermarket. I know they come with a seperate amp with each individual speaker in the back of the kick panel, or so I've been lead to believe. Anyway, I have all Infinity speakers for the 4x6" and 6x9" locations, and a Rockford sub in a box in the back right now, those are the only things I'll be keeping when I do my changeover. My current HU, Changer, and other Alpine amp are going bye, bye..

 

I like the position of the bose. Nothing more. If you get the empty kicks and throw a shallow pair of aftermarket coaxes in, you will be substantially better off. Option B would be to just do that with the stock kick panels if you have room. Option C is to build them out a bit and would probably provide the best sound other than a full-blown custom set of kicks.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

Very well then, and thanks for your Input! I had thought about putting different speakers in the Bose positions, I'll figure something out after I see them, thanks again.

 

I've got the bose kicks and hatch speakers and it's a pain in the *** to get them to sound right. They need a low powered input like from an rca cable. I had to get a converter to take the speaker out put down to the rca level output. I had to remove the wires and rca cable on it ands solder in speaker wire for the rears. The kicks were missing an amp so I have to get a crossover to kill the lows since they sound like crap if the bass hits. I also need a crossover for the rears to kill some of the highs.

I also have the dash 4x6's in, and I have the UQ7 pods from a firebird that I'm working on that replaces the sail panel 6x9 with a 4x6 and a 5.25" in an enclosure. I figure I can give the rear bose the woofer output and the 4x6 the mid range and highs with the 5.25" getting full range. I'm not sure about how to do the dash 4x6 and the kicks but I know they don't like bass so I'll have to run them through a cross over too. All that and an '84 berlinetta pod radio which I'm getting rid of eventually.

My opinion on the bose is to get something else unless you can get the head unit too. the speakers are a wierd 3 screw type that you can't replace with normal speakers and they are hard to tune right with out the head unit.

Randy

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360ci '84 Berlinetta
000ci '68 El Camino

[This message has been edited by Camaro_Drvr (edited November 07, 2000).]

 

does anyone have any pics of the bose kicks installed? i believe next gen sells the kick panels for $12.95 per side and if they can be fitted with aftermarket speaks, then i would be interested in getting a set instead of the q-forms from cruthfield for $200... i'm not going for a killer system, just nice clean sound...

 

Can you get a link to them I'd rather get $13 kicks and new speakers than try to make these work, plus mine are missing the carpeting and look ugly.

 

I dont have pictures but I just took the bose speakers and amps out,got a 4 1/2 inch hole saw and cut thru the front and put some pioneer 5 1/4 's in my kick panels. It looks really nice too and sounds WAY better than the Bose speakers. I took my Bose speakers out of my rear enclosures and put some Infinity 6 1/2 in there. I agree with the other guys the Bose speakers suck but the enclosures are nice, and easy to modify so go ahead and get them just use better speakers.

 

the link for the bose kick panel is for nextgeneration parts:
http://www.yearone.com/nextgenparts/...nterior18.html

i was up at best buy eariler and found they carried something similair to the q-forms but they were still $100 and not even a complete kick panel.

are the bose kicks good to use for other speakers such as the clarion or rockford fosgate 4 1/2's? i would much rather get the bose kicks and drop in new speakers than spend $200 for q-forms and something that is going to get in the way of my feet...still would like to see some pics of the bose panels though...

 

Those $13 kick panels are the non-Bose version; read the ad carefully. It says EXCEPT Bose cars and luxury interior option.

 

"L43RH 1985-92 Camaro/Firebird (exc. 1989-90 with UQ4 Bose stereo option, or B20 luxury interior option), passenger side, GM"

i think your right about the "exception" but i called them up a week or so ago and talked with a sales guy. i can't remember his name but he said the bose option was about the same price...anyone got any feedback on replacement bose kicks and aftermaket speaks?

 

Those look like plain kick panels not kick panel speaker pods. The bose pods I have front and rear are 3 screw speakers that are sunk into the enclosure but , If your determined you can mod them for normal speakers except for the drivers side kick is curved so it will be a pain.
Randy

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360ci '84 Berlinetta
000ci '68 El Camino