Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
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Joined: Aug 2010
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From: San Antonio
Car: 1984 Z28 T-TOP
Engine: 355 Lt1 w/Hotcam
Transmission: TH700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 4th gen limited slip
Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
I am having some difficulty finding out how to wire up the Bose option I had purchased many years ago. they are all 4 wires while the remaining speakers are just 2 wires. Has anyone retrofit the Bose option before?
I am not interested in the sound quality debate nor do I want to go and buy other aftermarket speakers and subs. I just need some help figuring out the wiring to make my existing speakers work.
I believe they are self powered and 2 of the wires are a ground and signal, but I cannot figure out the other 2.
I am not interested in the sound quality debate nor do I want to go and buy other aftermarket speakers and subs. I just need some help figuring out the wiring to make my existing speakers work.
I believe they are self powered and 2 of the wires are a ground and signal, but I cannot figure out the other 2.
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Oyth
Car: 89RS vert
Engine: Erod
Transmission: 4L65e
Axle/Gears: BW, 3.27
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
Did you purchase the whole system? Cause it wont work as a stand alone part.Each speaker has its own amp.The harness would have the proper connectors.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 230
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From: San Antonio
Car: 1984 Z28 T-TOP
Engine: 355 Lt1 w/Hotcam
Transmission: TH700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 4th gen limited slip
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Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Tyler, Tx
Car: 1991 Z28 Vert
Engine: 305 TPI
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
Unless you use the Bose head unit, you'll be feeding the speakers an already amplified signal from the radio.
Look for (crutchfield etc) a Bose adapter specific the year model Bose components that you have. Wiring diagrams for Bose speakers can be found all over the web.
Look for (crutchfield etc) a Bose adapter specific the year model Bose components that you have. Wiring diagrams for Bose speakers can be found all over the web.
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,276
Likes: 469
From: RI
Car: 1984 Camaro Berlinetta
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56 6-speed
Axle/Gears: 4.11 LS1 Rear End
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
I've got BOSE in my 84; I'm using the factory 84 deck, 2 factory harnesses and a set of 8 BOSE speakers / amps. Your best bet is to get a factory Thirdgen BOSE harness to power the kick panels and deck-lid speakers you've already got. The factory wiring will already have the BOSE power Relay & all the speaker and AMP wiring connectors that you'll need. If you try to make your own harness you'll need to run full-time and ignition power to a rely,... then feed 4 power wires from the relay to each amp. You'll also need to ground the Relay and run 1 ground wire to each amp. Then you have the 4 speakers to run wires too,..... Be advised that the L&R front and L&R rear speakers run a "shared" wire in a 'shielded' harness.
To plug a BOSE speaker system into any factory - or aftermarket - decks/wiring you will need to install a signal converter between the radio and the speakers. Peripheral electronics used to make a converter that had the proper ( 3 large ) radio plugs - but I have not seen one for sale in about 10 years. ( think it was made in the 86 Corvette BOSE, GMAH12 maybe ?? ) I have never seen anyone else making one that's a direct fit for the large radio plugs. In short,... you will almost certainly need to get a radio plug converter to change the 3 large plugs into the 3 smaller plugs used in 88-97 cars for a direct fit into the converter.
PAC ( I think that PAC bought out Peripheral ) is still selling a BOSE converter for late 80's-early 90's GM cars....... The part number for that converter is PAC ROEM-GM21. ( NOT ROEM-GM21A )
1 side of the converter will have the 88-97 connector and get's plugged into the dash harness. The other end of the converter will require you to splice/solder the correct radio connectors needed to plug into the deck you decide to use
The BOSE system sounds GREAT when it's working correctly. Keeping the system in good working order is difficult at times because the BOSE amps fail often & are not easy to find in working order. Repairs / Replacement Amps are not "cheap".
Hope this helps !!
To plug a BOSE speaker system into any factory - or aftermarket - decks/wiring you will need to install a signal converter between the radio and the speakers. Peripheral electronics used to make a converter that had the proper ( 3 large ) radio plugs - but I have not seen one for sale in about 10 years. ( think it was made in the 86 Corvette BOSE, GMAH12 maybe ?? ) I have never seen anyone else making one that's a direct fit for the large radio plugs. In short,... you will almost certainly need to get a radio plug converter to change the 3 large plugs into the 3 smaller plugs used in 88-97 cars for a direct fit into the converter.
PAC ( I think that PAC bought out Peripheral ) is still selling a BOSE converter for late 80's-early 90's GM cars....... The part number for that converter is PAC ROEM-GM21. ( NOT ROEM-GM21A )
1 side of the converter will have the 88-97 connector and get's plugged into the dash harness. The other end of the converter will require you to splice/solder the correct radio connectors needed to plug into the deck you decide to use
The BOSE system sounds GREAT when it's working correctly. Keeping the system in good working order is difficult at times because the BOSE amps fail often & are not easy to find in working order. Repairs / Replacement Amps are not "cheap".
Hope this helps !!
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From: belle fourche,s.d.
Car: '82 z28
Engine: L83 5.7
Transmission: 700r4-1985
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
I remember reading in a 'vette magazine some 15 years ago about bose system problems and one of the problems I recall was the capacitors bose used in their amps were prone to getting electrically"leakey"causing the amp's output transistors to blow.
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,276
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From: RI
Car: 1984 Camaro Berlinetta
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56 6-speed
Axle/Gears: 4.11 LS1 Rear End
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
a web-link to more info on the BOSE AMP repairs:
http://www.caspeed.com/bosegoldamps.html
Sure wish I understood that better !
http://www.caspeed.com/bosegoldamps.html
Bose Gold Amp Repair for Amps that die from bad Capacitors (heard as popping or squealing noises through the speakers.
The front and rear amps are the same except that one capacitor is not used at one end (so if it is not there don't replace it.
All Capacitors are electrolytics. High temp caps are best but not necessary.
As always, higher voltage for the capacitor is better but the physical size increases with voltage rating so make sure it will fit the space. 16 volts is minimum for the 12 volt car system give you a 25% safety margin. Keep the Microfarads (uf) the same.
Note the polarity of the cap that you remove and replace with another with the polarity the same way. You can use a second amp as a sample or do one cap at a time.
You can buy the parts many places but see if you have an electronic parts warehouse in the area that sell parts cheap. I paid about $0.10 average per cap where Radio Shack (Ripoff Shark) wanted a dollar each.
Procedure:
1. Remove the speaker.
2. Open the speaker and remove the amp.
3. Remove the metal cover from the amp.
4. Remove the hot glue from the components on the board:
Needle nose pliers work but this is the hardest part of the job, pull off little pieces a little at a time. If you happen to break a cap just replace it. I have successfully used Exacto knives to remove glue such as this in the past. - AW
The ceramic disk capacitors are the only ones that are really vulnerable. They are 104 value which, if I remember right, is a .1 uf at 25 volts.
5. Remove C150 and C16 which are 1 uf 50v caps and replace with new ones.
6. Remove C3, C31 and C2 which are 10 uf 16v caps and replace with new ones.
7. Remove C203 which is a 4.7 uf 35v cap and replace with a new one.
8. Remove c19 and C25 which are 1000 uf 16v caps and replace with new ones.
9. Replace the metal cover on the amp.
10. Replace the amp in the speaker and close the speaker.
11. Replace the speaker.
The front and rear amps are the same except that one capacitor is not used at one end (so if it is not there don't replace it.
All Capacitors are electrolytics. High temp caps are best but not necessary.
As always, higher voltage for the capacitor is better but the physical size increases with voltage rating so make sure it will fit the space. 16 volts is minimum for the 12 volt car system give you a 25% safety margin. Keep the Microfarads (uf) the same.
Note the polarity of the cap that you remove and replace with another with the polarity the same way. You can use a second amp as a sample or do one cap at a time.
You can buy the parts many places but see if you have an electronic parts warehouse in the area that sell parts cheap. I paid about $0.10 average per cap where Radio Shack (Ripoff Shark) wanted a dollar each.
Procedure:
1. Remove the speaker.
2. Open the speaker and remove the amp.
3. Remove the metal cover from the amp.
4. Remove the hot glue from the components on the board:
Needle nose pliers work but this is the hardest part of the job, pull off little pieces a little at a time. If you happen to break a cap just replace it. I have successfully used Exacto knives to remove glue such as this in the past. - AW
The ceramic disk capacitors are the only ones that are really vulnerable. They are 104 value which, if I remember right, is a .1 uf at 25 volts.
5. Remove C150 and C16 which are 1 uf 50v caps and replace with new ones.
6. Remove C3, C31 and C2 which are 10 uf 16v caps and replace with new ones.
7. Remove C203 which is a 4.7 uf 35v cap and replace with a new one.
8. Remove c19 and C25 which are 1000 uf 16v caps and replace with new ones.
9. Replace the metal cover on the amp.
10. Replace the amp in the speaker and close the speaker.
11. Replace the speaker.
Sure wish I understood that better !
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Joined: Aug 2013
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From: Chicago
Car: 85-6 TA 85 IROC 82-86 MSE 83 Pace
Engine: Slow ones
Transmission: Noisy ones
Axle/Gears: Weak ones
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
I am really happy that I seen this thread. I am adding the Bose system to my 86 Trans am. I was able to acquire the full set up. I have the harness/amps, kick panel speakers, and rear hatch speakers. What I am trying to do is add this set up to my Trans am's current UQ7 system. How would I go about doing this? What I was initially planning on doing was modifying the Bose harness so that speakers would get connected to the closest existing speaker (Driver dash to driver kick panel, Driver sail panel 4x6 to driver hatch cover speaker). Then run a wire to a non-constant 12v source on the fuse box, or add a new sourse in one of the few unused fuse box slots, to power the amps. But it seems like this initial plan wont work without modification due to all this talk of signal converters etc. Any help is appreciated.
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Imperial, Missouri
Car: 89 IROC/89 Vert/87 Vert/89 GTA Vert
Engine: 5.7/5.0/5.0/5.7
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 9" 2.77/9" 3:23/9" 3:42
Re: Looking to retrofit Bose speakers into an 84 Z28
I have three OEM Bose Head Units. Keeping my '89 with small plugs but have an 87 & 88. Most people don't know the difference but when you see all three together they are different.
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