New from Germany. How to remove my parcel shelf, Coupe deVille 1971

[German Wunderkind]

Hello everybody.
I am German and I am new here. Since 16 years I drive a blue Coupe DeVille from 1971. My english language skills are reasonably well, but far from perfect. I hope you understand me anyway.

I already have a question for you:
I want to remove my parcel shelf. I just do not know how its work. I have already removed the rear seat.

I look forward to your answers and send greetings from Germany.
Olli

[79 Eldorado]

Hello Oliver,
I'm fairly new to the forum as well but Willkommen !

I think you are referring to what is commonly called the "package tray" but I think most will understand. It's the panel covering the area between the back of the rear seat back and the rear window if it is indeed the package tray.

In your car I'm not certain how it's removed. I remember removing one in my 79 E-Body for the first time and it was the first time I encountered one which was split in the middle and scissored up for removal (it was also tucked under the "sail panels" on both ends). I can say I found a diagram in the Fisher Body Service Manual which for 1979 at least was separate from the main service manual. They actually referred that panel as "Rear seat to back window panel trim assembly" and it was listed in the seat section. You may have the service manuals already if you've owned the car for 16 years but if not I would strongly suggest you get copies as well. Until then hopefully someone can answer your question.

I was able to find my 79 full service manual reprinted by someone on eBay. Being a book there is something called a book rate which allows books to ship less costly than normal mail but I don't know if it applies to items going out of the US.

Best Regards,
Scott
PS: I guess removing the package tray might be part one of a larger project. What are you planning to doing?

[German Wunderkind]

Hello Scott.
Thank you for your message. After you told me what the right expression is, I found something on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-SMQoiVrSs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUsDDVzvcFY
While not specific to my Coupe DeVille, but it might work.

I have not planned a major project. Yesterday I picked up my front seat from the upholsterer and reinstalled it. New springs were installed, new foam and all seams sewn. The electric seat adjustment I had also overtaken on the occasion. Works perfectly again.

Now I want to renew the package tray, because I want to install reasonable speakers invisibly. I would prefer to choose an original version, but have not found one yet.

Greetings from Germany.
Olli

[79 Eldorado]

Olli,
Be careful changing the speakers if your stereo is original. If you change the speakers they need to be either 10 Ohm like the factory used or 8 Ohm. Actually some claim GM simply called their speakers 10 Ohm because they wanted people to buy their speakers when looking for replacements. Another solution I read people were using was to wire speakers in series to increase the effective resistance.

There are as well companies building perfect duplicates of the original radios/stereos for some cars and some of those same companies will re-build an original to work with modern electronics (even if you have an AM only they can keep the cosmetic of AM only and make it AM/FM). Interestingly one company specifically wrote they do not do any cosmetic restorations; only upgrade of the internals. There is something to be said about the cool factor of original though. One of my friends just put an old 8 Track in his 71 Chevelle and he's been using it. He also found a place which can refurbish used 8 Tracks.

It sounds like you are working on a few things which will really improve your enjoyment of the car . I recently fixed my trip odometer and am looking forward to driving it. Too much salt due to bad weather around here so I need to wait until Spring. The trip OD sounds like a small thing but it had never worked since the day I bought the car. It turned out the gear which drives the trip OD from the main OD had broken in half. In any case it will be nice to see it functioning finally.

Good luck with the package tray !
Scott

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Another solution I read people were using was to wire speakers in series to increase the effective resistance.

Nein.

Allow the heavy metal guitar tech of 17 years to step in here, as wiring speaker cabinets was part of my job description. Wiring speakers in parallel divides resistance, (like an Ampeg SVT810) wiring in series adds (like a 4 speaker Marshall412). Parallel will always result in better sound as it takes more of the load off the amplifier. Wiring a system in series that's designed for parallel will simply blow the head/amp transformer unless you can select your amp output in ohms, not sure that's an option in 70's car stereo. Stick with the shop or body manual, which ever dictates the proper wiring and ohms necessary in speaker selection for your car's system. Here's a nice diagram of both wiring maps. Stick with the manual.

https://www.hometoys.com/article/2002/06/series--parallel-speaker-wiring/1775/

Hab' einen schönen Tag!

\m/
Laurie

[79 Eldorado]

Laurie,
The idea is you want to increase the resistance to protect the vintage stereo output transistor at least according to what I read. The idea was to wire with a single channel through two 4 Ohm speakers to get 8 Ohms on that single channel but through 2 speakers. Yes you lose the stereo sound (goes to mono) but the vintage stereo hardware isn't harmed. There was one radio tech on another forum who worked a lot on Delco units who claimed even an 8 Ohm over a long period of time was not a good idea.

I was looking into replacements at one point and it seems I can no longer find those links to share. I will be the first to admit I know very little about the old tech radios/ stereos so possibly in the context described it may make sense to you as you have more electronics experience. My thought was normally if you have a low resistance speaker you need to increase the power to them to get the same volume. If that’s the case the issue is probably not the speaker resistance but the fact that a person would naturally be turning up the head unit volume to get the same volume from the speakers with lower resistance speakers (my speculation).

In any case I don't particularly love the idea because if someone ever undoes what looks wrong then they could have an issue if the speakers are still low resistance.

Yes this much I understand:
Series: R(total) = R1 + R2
Parallel: 1/R(total) = 1/Rone + 1/Rtwo

Scott

[35-709]

Yes, you need 10 ohm speakers, try these folks --- http://www.turnswitch.com/        Then click on "Specialty Loudspeakers".

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Laurie,
The idea is you want to increase the resistance to protect the vintage stereo output transistor at least according to what I read. The idea was to wire with a single channel through two 4 Ohm speakers to get 8 Ohms on that single channel but through 2 speakers. Yes you lose the stereo sound (goes to mono) but the vintage stereo hardware isn't harmed. There was one radio tech on another forum who worked a lot on Delco units who claimed even an 8 Ohm over a long period of time was not a good idea.

I was looking into replacements at one point and it seems I can no longer find those links to share. I will be the first to admit I know very little about the old tech radios/ stereos so possibly in the context described it may make sense to you as you have more electronics experience. My thought was normally if you have a low resistance speaker you need to increase the power to them to get the same volume. If that’s the case the issue is probably not the speaker resistance but the fact that a person would naturally be turning up the head unit volume to get the same volume from the speakers with lower resistance speakers (my speculation).

In any case I don't particularly love the idea because if someone ever undoes what looks wrong then they could have an issue if the speakers are still low resistance.

Yes this much I understand:
Series: R(total) = R1 + R2
Parallel: 1/R(total) = 1/Rone + 1/Rtwo

Scott

Hi Scott,
if 10ohm speakers are factory as stated in the post below, and you wire them in series, not only is your signal mono, but you're showing an amp a 40ohm load on 1 side when its designed for 10 per side. This will overheat and damage/destroy the head. Its Ohm's Law. Again, I don't know what the manual calls for. But stereo wiring with 4 speakers will be in parallel, 2 per side. 2 -10ohm speakers wired in parallel will be a 10ohm load per side to the head.

I now have an urge to replace speakers in 4x12s....
Sidewinders, everyone was using 35wt Sidewinders in their 4x12s pushed to suicide with Marshal JCM800's since Celestions would vaporize in a matter of weeks. I stuck EV 50wt loudspeakers (8 ohms) in the A & B cabinets and my lead guitar player found Jesus, a decade before Zack Wilde made EV famous. Suddenly that guitar line sounded like a 747 landing on your face but as clean as could be. But damn those speakers were heavy...

\m/
Laurie

[German Wunderkind]

Hello everybody.
I do not have the problem with the 10 ohm speakers. My original Delco radio from 1971 is still installed, but unfortunately never worked. That has not bothered me so far. I like to hear the rich V8 sound.

But my two sons now also drive with the Cadillac. And they already like music ...

And because my Delco radio is completely irreparable, a new radio comes in. It will probably be the model San Diego (does not exist in the US).
https://www.retromanufacturing.com/pages/retrosound-long-beach-radio
And of course, new 6x9 loudspeakers come in on this occasion. The new radio and speakers both have 4 ohms.

Viele Grüsse aus Deutschland!!

PS: I was very happy that you can also write in German. Most of you US-Americans actually have German ancestors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Americans#/media/File:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.jpg

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Hello everybody.
I do not have the problem with the 10 ohm speakers. My original Delco radio from 1971 is still installed, but unfortunately never worked. That has not bothered me so far. I like to hear the rich V8 sound.

But my two sons now also drive with the Cadillac. And they already like music ...

And because my Delco radio is completely irreparable, a new radio comes in. It will probably be the model San Diego (does not exist in the US).
https://www.retromanufacturing.com/pages/retrosound-long-beach-radio
And of course, new 6x9 loudspeakers come in on this occasion. The new radio and speakers both have 4 ohms.

Viele Grüsse aus Deutschland!!

PS: I was very happy that you can also write in German. Most of you US-Americans actually have German ancestors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Americans#/media/File:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.jpg

FWIW, Sony made a KILLER 6x9 100wt triaxel for car stereo, you could even split the woofer for a sub amp, which I did in my '81CDV. Added an Alpine receiver and Alpine EQ with bass boost, it was ear splitting.

\m/
Laurie