This discussion applies to speakers that are compatible with our original radios. I'm seeing speakers for sale that have part number 1222661, which the Buick parts books (from both 1969 and 1972) say works for Buick 1968-72 A bodies, and yet on some of them the magnet is not oriented for our Buick speaker retainers! I've attached a photo of an original Buick A body dash speaker, out of a 1972 Skylark. Note its magnet is rotated 90 degrees from some others that are labeled 1222661. This is the orientation that we want for our 68-72 A body Buicks. I just pulled a dash speaker from a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans, and its magnet is oriented 90 degrees from how our Buicks are oriented. I have the Le Mans retainer but haven't checked to see if it would work in our Buicks.
All Years Chevrolet Truck Parts | 1224267 | 1962-77 GM Car, Truck; Front Dash Speaker; 4" x 10"; 8 - 10 OHMS; Authentic Reproduction | Classic Industries
Thank you Dave! That repro looks like it would work, with the magnet oriented correctly for our Buick A-body retainers and the plug is on the right/passenger's side as were the originals. Have you installed and tested it? What has sent me down this road has been a conversation with Joe at JV Restorations who mentioned how much better the originals sound than others that are available. I'm having originals (dash and rear speakers) rebuilt and will compare them with new ones that I purchased recently (well, in 2018!) from S&M Electro-Tech: Dash (8-10 Ohm) https://www.smelectrotech.com/produ...rue&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10 Rear (8-10 Ohm) https://www.smelectrotech.com/produ...true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=9 Please note that S&M's photo is misleading, as what appears to be a magnet is really a cover that fits over the actual magnet. This cover can be oriented to accommodate the retainer, which is exactly the issue I mention in my original post.
I just pulled another original dash speaker, from my Fremont built 1969 Skylark. It too has the (triangle)7302654(triangle) number on the magnet like the Flint built 1972 Skylark, but the other number 466917 is different than the 466148 that's on that speaker.
I can't see where the original sounds "good" other than it is the correct impedance for the original radio. Modern speaker technology has come a LONG way. Something like this: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_068D412UK/RetroSound-D-412UK-Dash-Speaker.html Has got to be better. also enables stereo if you can support that through a replaced radio or upgraded original.
Perhaps I should have mentioned in the title that this discussion applies to speakers that are compatible with our original radios. Every speaker I've checked from Crutchfield is 4 Ohm. Our original radios need 8 or 10 Ohm speakers.
I've used the S&M speakers in a few of my cars. The GSX has one installed in the dash currently. No issues whatsoever and they fit well. Yes, the "magnet" is made of wood, but no one can see it. At least they paint it silver!
Unfortunately, it's not made to fit a Buick despite how they advertise it. Buicks use a 4x10 "special rectangle" speaker for the dash.
Good catch Chuck! Back in 1991, I asked a coworker who repaired radios if I could simply add a 4 Ohm resister to a 4 Ohm speaker to satisfy our stock radio's requirement "Do Not Operate Without 8 or 10 Ohm Speaker". All I remember from that conversation was him saying was that it wasn't that simple. Perhaps he was wrong, or perhaps their "8 Ohm wiring kit" is more involved and more in-line with what he was talking about? If there's general interest, I could start a thread "How to Use Modern 4 Ohm Speakers with Our Original Buick Radios"? That way the Physicists and Electrical Engineers among us can chime in. The folks that I've spoken to that repair our original radios all say DON'T ! I really started this thread being confused that the part number for our original speakers seems to be wrong. Or maybe that's why the remaining NOS speakers that carry this part number are still available after 50 years- they were made incorrectly for our Buick applications?
I have this RetroSound speaker along with the RetroSound radio in my 1970 Skylark. I did not install it, had it done by a professional so I have no idea what was involved. It sounds great.
