Speakers

Installing decent speakers in an MG without resorting to punching holes in the rear bulkhead always sounds like a challenge.  It is.

A big problem presents itself in the door:  the window and associated mechanisms don't leave much depth for a good sized speaker - unless you let the speaker hang outside the door using spacers.  Not an option I like.

The original radios used a 4" speaker.  Similar speakers are available today but I've yet to find ones that offer the range of sound and volume suitable for a convertible.

A little research revealed a couple of options:  First - the range of sound can be improved by using matched sets of woofers and tweeters, mounting the tweeters up high and the small woofers in the door.  Sounds like a good option, but I didn't want to have more speakers than necessary for my installation.  JBL made speaker sets that fit well in the MG.

The second option was obvious; find the biggest set of speakers that fit in the doors but also offer the best sound range.  At the time (2001) Alpine made a perfect speaker for the MG.  The Alpine SPS1329S are 5.25" speakers but are very shallow for a 5.25" speaker, they also just about fit a 4" speaker hole.  The Alpine design specs showed 80watt peak power output with 91db efficiency, and a range from 55hz to 25,000hz.

The final speaker installation looks great.  The speakers are flush, produce great sound, and all without modifying the car.

Arrow points to the area where the speaker will sit

Radio and Wiring

Just about any normal "DIN" size stereo is supposed to fit in an MGB.  To keep the car looking neat without modern electronics sticking out of the dash I chose a Kenwood MP3/CD deck-unit with a folding face.  For security the faceplate detaches, but normally just folds in to create what looks like a piece of plastic covering the radio hole. 

I planned my wiring harness so I could add a small amplifier to the system later.   I isolated the radio power source from the rest of the wiring by installing a dedicated and fused power cable to handle the new Kenwood and a small amp later.  The power cable is switched through a 30-amp relay, actuated by one of the rocker switches on the console.

To clean up the final installation and to camouflage the radio I put a metal MG logo-plate on the blank-side of the radio.  When it's folded it isn't really visible.

Does it work?

Sure it does!   With the top up the sound is as loud as I'll ever need.  This isn't a set-up that will blast bass into the next guy's gut at a stop-light, but that wasn't my goal.   Beethoven's Choral Symphony and the Virginia Cut-Ups sound good, but your stuff might not.  As they say: your mileage may vary !