Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio Drivers Side Front Speaker is Shot

I have a 2000 SVT and I need to replace at least the front speakers. From doing a search is looks like the all the speakers in my car are 6x8. I did check the FAQ put did not find anything on Audio. It sounds like the least expensive but better than the stock speakers are the Pioneer 6x8s at Wal-Mart. At the Crutchfield web site there was only one speaker that fix exactly for like $160. Does this mean that all the rest of the 6x8s I will just have to drill holes to make them fit or is there something else I have to do? Are there any 6x8 speakers that I should stay away from since they are difficult to fit?

I was thinking about upgrading the entire system and replacing the stock head unit and adding an amp and maybe a sub. My original sticker stated that I have premium sound. It is not stated anywhere on the car and it does not sound premium. My stock sound system sounds just okay. But if I do have premium its sound like there is an amp behind the glove box and if I add an amp I will need to by pass or remove the stock amp. If this were true, if I added an amp I would like to remove the stock amp. Has anyone done this? How hard is it to remove the old amp?

If I don't have premium sound, it seems that the amp is inside the head unit where my CD player and tuner are. It sounds like adding an amp to this system is easier than a premium sound system. Since my sound system sounds average, I hope it's not premium sound.

Also my antenna is automatic meaning that when I turn the radio on, the antenna goes up and when I turn my radio off, the antenna goes down. If I added a new head unit, would the new unit be able to control the antenna like my stock head unit?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hate to break it to ya, but you have Premium Sound. AFAIK, Premium Sound, according to Ford, was adding the amplifier behind the glovebox and a CD player in the dash, but the same speakers are used as those on your regular garden-variety stereo. The easiest way to confirm Premium Sound is to look on the speaker grilles. It should have an imprint on it of some sort.

As for the rest of your questions, I'll leave that to somebody better skilled in this area.

When choosing a new head unit, be sure to listen to them. Not all head units are created equal! I had a Kenwood cd player prior to the Alpine and it really didn't have any guts. There was a lot of distortion even at low volumes, worse than the factor amp. When I got the alpine it just brought new life to the sound system. I listened to a bunch of headunits at circuit city before buying the Alpine. I listened to a bunch of different brands and in my opinion the alpine sounded best.

I have Kenwood speakers in the front and they're ok. Bass is a little weak, about the same as stock. Treble is much better though.


And yes, most new head units will allow you to use a power antenna.

i have blank speaker grills (dont say premium sound) and i got a cd player....dunno about amp though

Speaker size may not be the problem, but the depth and/or the amount it sticks out of the front (protrusion) when installed in the door, thus hitting the back of the door panel. You should find this out first. Crutchfield used to have all these tolerances per vehicle. I have a 95 SE, but for the most part the same system. Check behind the glove box for the amp, to see if you have premium or not. If it was on your sticker, I bet you have Premium.

I replaced all (4) of my speakers first, and there was a big difference, much more bass. I would have stopped at this point, but the new head unit and changer were already being shipped to me and I already had an aftermarket amp. This is what I would recommend first, if it is adequate enough for you then stop. If you decide to change the head unit only, you probably will not see a big difference with just using the head units amp. If you add a four channel amp with the new head unit and speakers, you'll see a big difference. Obviously, the more you add, the more money you spend.

P.S. I bought an older version of the Pioneers that fit in all doors. There was a change in design in the Pioneer speakers, that I believe limits Contour installation, but not sure.

Hope this helps.

For right now I will just replace the front speakers. I am going to buy the Pioneer TS-A6870R 6x8 from Walmart for like $58 and try to install them. If they don't fit, I will return them. From doing some research on this site it looks like the Pioneer TS-A6870R 6x8 will fit. During the installation I am going to remove the glove box and check to see if there is an amp.

The stock sound system is okay and if I get bored one day I will replace the rear speakers, head unit and add an amp but for now I just can't stand the front driver side speaker vibrating even at low volume.

I replaced my front speakers with Pioneer TS-A6870R 6x8s from Walmart for $56. The Pioneer TS-A6870R 6x8 almost fit perfectly. The speaker problem is fixed. They work better than the stock ones but only a little. I think that is because of the amp behind the glove box. I did removed my glove box and yes there is an amp behind the glove box. So my car front speakers grills do not have premium sound written on them but I do have premium sound. All what is written on my front speaker grills is STEREO. I was pretty sure since my original sticker stated that I had premium sound and all SVTs do have premium unless there was a mistake at the factory. So my 2000 SVT just does not have premium sound written on the speaker grills. It does look like the amp would be easy to remove however. Why buy a bypass cable if you can remove the amp? Hell, maybe you could even put a small amp where the stock is now.

You need the amp because the factory HU doesn't have an onboard amp of its own - you wouldn't have any power if you bypassed it.