'74 Cactus Green

[FrankRizzo]

Started running the wires for the gauges this weekend. I really did not like the existing battery wiring from the PO so in the theme of "while you're at it"...I got a new Ford style battery with the terminals reversed, fabbed a new lower hold down clamp to the battery tray. Ran new leads to the starter and ECU/Relay pak. installed a new firewall grommet, then ran a #8 into the cab for a soon to be installed then ran the speedhut gauge wire looms from the new senders into the cab.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

The temp sender was a lot of fun. The KA uses a M12x1.25 factory sender thread pitch. I did not want to use an upper radiator hose temp adaptor and was determined to find a way to match the ultra rare thread pitch to accept 1/8MPT temp sender. If anyone s reading this after an hour of internet searching looking for the adaptor, discounthyrolichose.com is your friend. They make a M12x1.25 to 1/4npt adaptor which you can downshift to 1/8".

 

The elusive one (installed):

Not the prettiest, but way better than a rad hose adaptor IMHO

 

Also installed the factory door pins. They were blanked off but I found the wires when I was checking speaker sizes. Works like a champ and installed a LED in the dome.

 

 

....

[FrankRizzo]

Got the gauges installed and working! Everything works great. Nice to have a little accuracy...and a working speedo LOL. Gas gauge works as well thanks to a 4 year old Datzenmike post, I was able to set the range to 90-0ohm and bingo, it was right on. Speedo is GPS, so I have to figure out what im going to do with the old cable - maybe just cut it off and braze up the end.

 

 

Nite shot:

 

The new speedhut inverter dimmer knob fits pretty good in the factory location:

[FrankRizzo]

While the dash was apart I took the opportunity to install my new radio, a Retrosound Hermosa. It looks old school with twin shafts and push buttons, but it has bluetooth, USB, RCA's and a lot of adjustments. I modified the factory radio plate and it fits pretty good.

 

 

 

 

 

It comes with screen protectors that give it the vintage AM radio look. The first set I tried look too Chevy, so I'll swap them out for one of the others.

 

 

 

-

-

-

 

Next up is the Amp and speakers. I saw this in an older post, it is an 8" sub with a built in 75w x 2ch amp....it was discontinued, but a found a new one on Ebay. fits nicely behind the seat and while I had everything apart I made provisions for the power and RCA cables. So in the theme of "while you are at it"... I'll be pulling the seats to run everything, so might as well add the deadening and carpet kit. 

 

 

 

 

 

[mcordero8]

Nice work! You got a lot of shit done.

[hobospyder]

I like the way those gauges look. And would like to hear your thoughts on the retrosound deck when you get everything running, I picked up a model 2 myself and only have it installed into a center console so far, haven't gotten it into the truck yet

[flatcat19]

I've been looking at that sub/amp for a couple years.

 

You like it?

[Draker]

I've been looking at that sub/amp for a couple years.

 

You like it?

 

First time Ive seen it.. but looks interesting!!

[flatcat19]

I posted links to that in my thread over at NWD trying to get input from Jacob about it. 

 

Really cool idea. Solves issues truck owners have. 

I never planned to hook it up to a head unit. Was going to use a bluetooth receiver to be the remote to turn on amp. 

 

I'm interested to here owner's opinion about it. 

[FrankRizzo]

It will (probably) be at least a month before I get the amp up and running and give any opinions. I can really only wrench on the weekends, and I have to pull the seats, do the sound deadening, padding and carpet kit so I can hide the wires under. I was also going to carpet the back wall of the cab while I was at it...so it might take a while. The amp seems good on paper, it has a crossover to keep the extra lows out of the fronts.

 

I'm using a set of Pyle 5 1/2's. Im not a big Pyle fan...but these were the only speakers that I found that fit in the factory openings with no cutting. I think the whole shebang was about $30 on Amazon. The yellow color is less than optimum, maybe I can dust them with some black paint before install...

 

Im using some air motion tweeters from Parts Express with outboard passive crossovers...wont be using the Pyle tweets or x-overs. Im modifying them to fit in some furniture grade 1 1/4 caps that will sit on top of the dash in the corners.

 

 

 

 

I got the rest of the dash reassembled and mounted the bluetooth microphone for the phone mounted today.

 

 

 

.

[FrankRizzo]

Cadence Amp pic:

 

If the Pyles grenade or sound like junk, I'll look at other options for woofers. I just want decent sound while steaming via bluetooth. They seemed like a decent gamble for $30

 

............

By the way, after extensive test driving today (to test the gauges), I've come to the conclusion that the truck rides like cr@p. Im going to "unlower" it a bit...at least an inch. Looks like 3" blocks in the rear. Maybe I'll go for a 2" drop instead and 60 series tires on 15" wheels.

 

 

.

[FrankRizzo]

I posted links to that in my thread over at NWD trying to get input from Jacob about it. 

 

Really cool idea. Solves issues truck owners have. 

I never planned to hook it up to a head unit. Was going to use a bluetooth receiver to be the remote to turn on amp. 

 

I'm interested to here owner's opinion about it. 

 

Can you link to that link ? 

thanks!

 

Edit: (w00t!!!!, post 50...no longer a "newbie")

.

[flatcat19]

Can you link to that link ? 

thanks!

 

Edit: (w00t!!!!, post 50...no longer a "newbie")

.

 

 

I've made mention of that sub here too. 

 

Any post about speakers in a truck I have mentioned that sub. 

 

 

I really like the concept of it...just have yet to pull the trigger on getting one for myself. Soon. 

[FrankRizzo]

I've made mention of that sub here too. 

 

Any post about speakers in a truck I have mentioned that sub. 

 

 

I really like the concept of it...just have yet to pull the trigger on getting one for myself. Soon. 

 

 

Yep. It was you that gave me the idea  :thumbup:

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/70689-stereo/?p=1428856

 

thanks!

 

Better hurry. They are discontinued and like I said, I had to get mine on Ebay. Was able to snag a brand new one, but there were a lot of "refurb" ones out there... I could not find anything else like it. Nothing I found had the 2 channel output

.

[flatcat19]

Ah. I'm gonna have to hurry then. 

[ErickwithnoK]

It will (probably) be at least a month before I get the amp up and running and give any opinions. I can really only wrench on the weekends, and I have to pull the seats, do the sound deadening, padding and carpet kit so I can hide the wires under. I was also going to carpet the back wall of the cab while I was at it...so it might take a while. The amp seems good on paper, it has a crossover to keep the extra lows out of the fronts.

 

I'm using a set of Pyle 5 1/2's. Im not a big Pyle fan...but these were the only speakers that I found that fit in the factory openings with no cutting. I think the whole shebang was about $30 on Amazon. The yellow color is less than optimum, maybe I can dust them with some black paint before install...

 

Im using some air motion tweeters from Parts Express with outboard passive crossovers...wont be using the Pyle tweets or x-overs. Im modifying them to fit in some furniture grade 1 1/4 caps that will sit on top of the dash in the corners.

 

 

 

 

I got the rest of the dash reassembled and mounted the bluetooth microphone for the phone mounted today.

 

 

 

.

Seems like a good setup. Audio seems like a big problem for most 620 owners, myself included. Is the carpet on the back for sound deadening purposes? I'm gonna be carpeting soon hopefully, haven't considered taking it up that high towards the back.

[FrankRizzo]

Seems like a good setup. Audio seems like a big problem for most 620 owners, myself included. Is the carpet on the back for sound deadening purposes? I'm gonna be carpeting soon hopefully, haven't considered taking it up that high towards the back.

 

I think it will help with sound and it looks better. I saw someone that had made an oversized door card to cover the back wall, but Im going to try and Dynamat and cover it directly with carpet. I found a console to go in between the seats but its about one inch too long, so im going to have to flatten out a couple of pieces that stick out of the rear cab wall and it will help cover it up... :w00t:

 

I ordered the 720 carpet kit and padding and ordered some extra matching carpet on a roll So, I'll see how it goes.

 

.

[GERMS]

Never figured out what radiator is that you have did yah?

[FrankRizzo]

more progress...

 

Pulled the seats and added sound deadening mat to the floor. I added jute padding over the back half of the cab because the carpet kit for the front half comes with the jute already attached.  I also added sound deadening to the back wall and covered it with matched roll carpet. I ran all the wires for the amp while I was at it...

 

 

[FrankRizzo]

I bought a custom center console online, but it was a little too long, so rather than hammering down the factory gussets in the back wall of the cab - I started modifying it.

 

 

Test fitting here... but I still need to clean up some seams.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Never figured out what radiator is that you have did yah?

 

I'll look some more...but there is nothing I can see anywhere.

 

.

[mcordero8]

That looks good!Do you have a link to the center console? I just want to get an idea on the dimensions.

[flatcat19]

How did you attach the back carpet?

 

What did you do to the console to shorten it?

 

 

 

Looking great. Good work.

[FrankRizzo]

That looks good!Do you have a link to the center console? I just want to get an idea on the dimensions.

 

It's a "Narrow Slim Humphugger"

http://www.cupholdersplus.com/narrow-slim-humphugger-console.html

 

They have other types, have a good look around. Many different colors.

 

21"x5hx9w. I thought it would fit, but when I shift into 2 or 4 it hits. I did not take into account the gussets on the back wall.

[FrankRizzo]

How did you attach the back carpet?

 

What did you do to the console to shorten it?

 

 

 

Looking great. Good work.

 

Thanks!

 

I applied the sound deadening and used spray adhesive to hold it in place and rolled it out over the ribs in the wall. Ive trimmed the top edge with some PVC trim edge: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NL3YSGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Next weekend I'll adhere the trim edge to the top edge of the wall with some 3M weatherstrip adhesive...i ran out of time.

 

Before I threw it away because it did not fit I decided to carefully disassemble and found The console is made out of OSB with thick cardboard sides and covered with padding. So I used the 'ol jigsaw and utility knife to cut it down and glued and stapled it back together. I have to figure out how to hide the seam now...I might cover it with a piece of carpet I dunno yet.

 

[ErickwithnoK]

Looks slick