Glovebox Radio and Amplifier
Because the tread plate panel eliminates a spot to put a radio (not that I listen to the radio, but my brother insists I need one) I got my brother to make me a radio and amp holder under my glovebox. Next thing I know I don’t even have a glovebox anymore! Here’s what he came up with.
There’s a captive nut welded to the body just above the glovebox insert. He made this to fit that nut. on the last picture you can see a alloy elbow he bent, that has a hole in it now that bolts into place.
The amp screws onto that alloy frame from the bottom and also pushes on the bar that the glovebox lid screws to for more support. Wired it all in and then the radio didn’t seem to be able to pick up any stations… After following the wire from the radio to the fender trying to find a problem I found my aerial as very muddy. Some WD40 and a few times pulling it out and pushing it in and it works great now!
My amp, a Alpine 2ch, has the PDA/PocketPC wired into the low level RCA inputs and the radio wired into the speaker level inputs. Only problem that I encountered is when I play any sound on the PocketPC it silences the speaker level inputs (radio) on the amp and will only go loud again after turning the amp off and on or pulling the headphone jack out of the PocketPC. But I can live with that.
I needed the Amp as I needed to be able to power my 6.5″ speakers as my PocketPC can’t do that alone
Now, I also happen to own a Bluetooth GPS. So now that’s in the glove box, with the antenna I bought for it bolted to the bullbar, I am able to map, track, waypoint just about anything. Plus it gives me a good speedo. Here’s what it looks like with the GPS in place.
I give full rights for anybody to copy this idea/design.
I bought my first Subaru back in 2005, it was a 89 Brumby, flair red. I lifted it, fitted Kumho 27″ MT’s. After a while I swapped the dual carb EA81 it had with an EJ22 bolted on a custom gearbox which used EJ D/R casing, EA82 5sp low range and an RX centre locking diff. Once I sold the Brumby I got a 83 Leone. Converted it to 4WD, put the Kumho’s on it, added a 5sp and drove it like I stole it. I then upgraded to a 99 Outback. It was hail damaged so I repaired it myself. I fitted it out with some storage and a mattress. I now have a 87 Brumby that I’ve resprayed with two pack urethane in Waratah Red. I am planning to fit an EJ with PT gearbox and a little bit of lift. It’s another project in progress.
Phizinza – who has written 50 posts on Offroading Subarus.