Club126UK
Fiat 126 Chat => Tuning & Customising 126 Models => Topic started by: Abiella on January 25, 2012, 11:31:29 PM
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I am planning on putting a stereo and speakers in my 126 and want it all to look quite discreet and tidy...
should I do it the cheap way and buy it all off ebay or other site's and fit it myself...
or shall I just go down to Halfords with a load of dosh and get them to do it all....?
also is there a possibility I'm going to need an extra battery to power it or will the one I have be sufficiant?
could people who have fitted stereo's and sound systems put some photo's up for me to get some idea's?
I dont want anything too over the top but I need a something that sounds good.
Thanks!
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Point one - unless your local Halfords is one of the rare good ones, I wouldn't let them touch my car personally, so I suggest do it yourself as installing a stereo isn't difficult.
I'm not sure if I have a pic but in FUT a previous owner had mounted a cassette player under the dash above your right knee, which if you don't want to use any part of the original dash worked well. They mounted parcel shelf speakers in the rear and ran the cabling under the back seats and the carpet. AFAIK the 126 has no ISO connector so you'll need to manually identify constant and switched lives and an earth, but again it's not difficult as long as you have a multimeter :)
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My '72 Fiat 500L has never had a radio fitted. Just the engine running is music to my ears :D
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unless your local Halfords is one of the rare good ones, I wouldn't let them touch my car personally
Totally agree with that. They aren't paid enough to care and it's only the rare few that take an active interest in their work.
I'll get some pictures up in the next few days. I have a 4 speaker install in my 500. The parcel shelf is definately the easiest route. As mentioned above the cabling can be easily hidden and can be joined onto the loom if you wish.
The second set I fitted involved making a set of fibreglass rear wheel arch covers and modifying the to fit the speakers and the covering in stretchy vinyl. The standard covers are too week and you really need something screwed in place or it will vibrate really bad.
I mounted my stereo under the dash. If you want something very subtle you could source a second hand stereo with a wired remote. Then you can instal a head unit under the front seat and use the remote to control the stereo. I'm not sure the wireless remotes will work. I have one and you need to lign it up in the right direction etc, as they use the same system as a tv remote.
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Forget it. You'll never be able to hear it anyway, that will be according to Tom Palmer, because everyone for miles around will be laughing so much at you for owning such a car.
Allan
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Well Tom Palmer obviously doesn't know what he is talking about... I think he has watched all 5 of 'The Fast and the Furious' film series far too many times for his own good. He doesn't want to admit that he is upset about crashing his 126, the only way to show his pain is to diss it because he doesn't know how to show human emotion.
Everyone who see's my car loves it and thinks its amazing. :P
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I have a good radio/cd player in my Bis but weirdly, I never switch it on. But on my other cars, I use the radio/cd whenever I can.
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Best music in your fiat............ Donna Summer - Love to Love you baby! 8)
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If you just want a radio (not CD etc.) then the original Fiat Voxon radio's look amazing and can be bought for a decent price...very discreet and ridiculously tiny!
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I did think about fitting a radio so I could listen to the cricket while travelling but we are so crap at it I didn't bother.
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good speakers for small cars can be sourced from 2/hand home cinema systems they usually have a metric captive nut to aid mounting and look funky. also on fleabay 12v self contained amp/pre amp units from far east small and neat can be mounted under dash easy to wire and take mp3/ipod input
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one amp example ebay no.290597718351 not expensive worth a punt
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Careful. In some cases, what is the expression, "You get what you pay for".
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The first brand new car I ever bought was a G reg Fiat 126 Bis. I had a pop up sunroof and Blaupunkt radio / casette player fitted by the dealership. They fitted the speakers into the door cards.
When I traded the car in after 3 years I removed the radio and speakers which are still in my garage should they be of interest to anybody.
I also have a number of other old radios , etc
Footnote to the Bis story was that as I was placing my order with the salesman he took a call from a guy who was buying a new Maseratti. The guy said what extras he wanted on the Mas and the salesman told him the cost. I remember it well as the cost of his extras was about £500 more than the new Bis I was just about to sign for :o
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dont bother with a stereo you need to dash fit your i pad 2 so that you can browse the latest sounds and videos whilst travelling at a hair raising 40mph...
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I fitted one in my 500,and (a) I cant hear it, (b) when I can it sounds crap, (c) I`d sooner listen to the engine,(incase it makes a weird noise all of a sudden), and the radio bit does`nt work but the cd bit does and all I can hear is Orchestral Manoevers in the Dark playing the same track again and again.
Any way Rusty is right .... The engine noise is best. ::)
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Maybe step 1 should be a full program of Dynamat (http://www.dynamat.com/products_automotive_introduction.html)... :$ Everywhere, double and triple if possible haha
The song of the twin is the best one, but sometimes it's good to have the option to here your own mind ???
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It is really easy as im no clever person and I managed in my 'X' 126.
I had 4" sony speakers in the front, set in little speaker pods from any good motorist shop or e-bay, These can be fixed to the front wheel arch inside with short self tapping screws.
I also made a MDF parcel shelf with kenwood 6X9s fitted.
The wires are easily fed under the carpets and back seat.
If its a BIS it will have a place for the head unit if not you can get another plastic holder that fixes under the dash.
I did have a sub in the back for a while but got bored taking it out to check the oil!!
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n558/markymarc2/bootinstall.jpg)
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Here are a few photos of the speakers in my 500:
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/michaelodonnell500/DSC01011.jpg)
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/michaelodonnell500/DSC01010.jpg)
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/michaelodonnell500/DSC01009.jpg)
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/michaelodonnell500/DSC01008.jpg)
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Here is a picture of my sound system , trouble is it keeps on falling off when I go round corners .
I have got a large sub in the back but I think it has gone a bit moldy, chicken & bacon I think !