Decision time....stereo install cut dash ?
 

My choices are to cut the dash for a modern stereo or mount it in the glove box. How bad of an idea is it to cut the dash on my 67. It is by no means an original ride. Anyone out there with pics of a glove box mounted cd player ?

Don't talk about getting one of the retro gigs that fit in the old dash slot. That's not an option.

we mounted my freinds on a peice of aluminum plate in the glove box and the cd player went in the trunk , and put a dummy in the factory hole .

I recommend option #3...

http://www.autotoys.com/pics/SISUDEB.jpg

Mount the radio in an underdash mount installed below the dash.

I'll take a picture of the Alpine AM/FM/CD unit installed in my '64 tonight when I get home and post it for you.

The install will be easier without cutting the dash, and functionally much superior to mounting in the glove box where the driver can't control it.

I like that Champ.

Where do you find that?

Charles

i like that option as well. i am really looking for install pics for ideas...post em if ya got em please. i have never had a radio of any kind in the firebird. i am getting kinda stoked. of course the next question is if i should just mount the speakers in the rear package tray in the classic spot ?

Any good stereo shop will have them. Years ago, I used to work in consumer electronics and was aware of these - before I ever got any old cars.

Google "underdash radio mounts" and you can find several.

I found that pic at: http://www.autotoys.com/x/product.php?productid=8855

Crutchfield also has them: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-B45KavJ...tml?tab=review

I will take a photo later today and post to show how it looks installed in a GTO.

6x9's in the rear package shelf are a no-brainer. That's what we have in our Camaro.

For the front (and you really need something up front), you can fab a mounting plate for a pair of 4" speakers to replace the factory front dash single speaker. These are also available as a kit already assembled - right from our board sponsor - PY.

Subscribing... I am in the same boat as steve. except, my dash was already cut by a previous owner, so I may just shove one in there. don't have any speakers in the car either.

I would also like to see pictures of others AFTERMARKET radio/headunits installed. (whether in cut dash or glove box or where-ever)

diferent cars but here is my 79 6x9 in rear 2 4" in dash also have 51/4 componet speakers woofers under front seat tweeters top of window pillars I used a pioneir head unit with auto eq ( uses a microphone to balance the speekers to the car) it realy compensates for less than ideal speaker placement and sounds great

Here is my Sony X-Plod in my '68 GTO. I don't like the Sony, but it is an example.

Eclipse
 

Here's mine, not pretty, but functional........
I have the (large) tweeter crossovers mounted under the plate.
There is a bracket that I made in the back that securely firms up the plate.

I used that underdash unit last year, until I decided to just cut the dash. Here are some pics.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Hbcov-4C0M0/Sh...0/IMG_0598.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Hbcov-4C0M0/Sh...0/IMG_0599.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Hbcov-4C0M0/Sh...0/IMG_0600.JPG

Quickie pic from my phone...

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...0/IMAG0069.jpg

Back when I showed my car at judged/bigger shows - I would take this out for shows. Took about 3 minutes and very basic tools - and then stuff the wires up under the dash.

thanks for all the pics ! it seems like many have the gauges under the center dash area like i do. thats why i was wondering how it would work. i cant think of a way to make the glove box idea look smooth yet either...

google hidden radio. They make a remote control radio that can fit anywhere in the car. I have one in my 62 tempest. It has a power antena output that I have driving a relay to switch the speakers between the factory am that is still in the dash and the hidden radio. One small pannel about the size of a cell phone is all you can see. And you must get on your knees outside of the passenger door with the door open to see it. I have seen adds for a newer one that can play an I-pod. That plug fits just inside the glove box.
I forgot to say where I mounted the hidden radio. It is above the glove box, under the dash. There was plenty of room to mount it there, then put the glove box back in.

I have been a fan of running an MP3 player into an amplifier. This way, there is minimal wiring, the MP3 player drives an amplifier very well and you aren't lugging around tons of Cd's with you and the amp hides well in the trunk, under the seat, etc, etc. In a very short time, CD's will become thing of the past. I have been running my zune into a 2 channel Alpine amp and love it.

x2. the best radio head is no head at all. put your amp in the trunk and run a cable to the front and hide a single 1/8" stereo jack and a power trigger wire from the ign hot on the fuse box. plug in your ipod/mp3/portable radio and you're good to go. nothing to steal and looks great (because it can't be seen). i run a 4 channel jvc amp (left, right, and bridged for the mono 12" sub) with a pair of infinity reference series 6x9's. love it.

I put the head unit in the glovebox on my 62 Bonne'. I prefer this over just the cord from mp3 player to amp. I like the audio control offered by the head unit: EQ, fader, sub control, high pass, low pass filters etc, The head unit I bought has AUX 1/8" and USB input too. I will run a 1/8" cable that will come up from under the seat so I can use my mp3 player or Droid. One of the new nano USB thumbdrives will fit in the radio and be able to close glovebox door without removing it. If I leave the glove box door open while driving I can use the remote so I don't have to reach across to make adjustments while driving.

Steve, is there a reason that using a stock-looking radio that fits the cutout is not an option?

I went around on this myself on my '69 Lemans. I didn't really like the look of the C-A radio and it doesn't fit a 69 without cutting anyway. After a bunch of searching around I found a radio that Ausley's Chevelle was selling pretty cheap that fit the stock opening. The tuner is not that great but I mostly use my IPOD through the Aux-in anyway. Forget about CD's- they are already becoming old tech.

The 67 FB uses the same cutout as the Camaros, right? It seems to me there should be some good alternatives out there.

Walt

Exactly. Thats what I did, and ran the mp3/aux jack into my console. I just plug my phone in since thats the only mp3 player I mess with and I'm good. The radio works fine as well and doubles as a clock. Not perfect but way better than cutting up an uncut dash, and less work.

I run cut dashes in car car because I really enjoy having stereo in the stock location and i do not care about resale value because i am not going to flip it. After I pass on, whoever owns it can do what they want with it. Still, if your dash is virgin/original, try to find a bezel that is already cut out and save your original one.
I can see the plus side of the hand down stereo set up shown but, it also looks like it would be east to steal. People here are already not driving their vintage Pontiacs enough, we do not need anyother reason to leave it in the garage because of worrying about something.

I have the head unit already and I like the plug in features for iPod/ect as well as having controls at the ready. I may just cut the dash. I'll goof around with glove box mounts and if I cAnt come up with something then out comes the dremel....

That interior shot is beautiful in your 69'! I love the red on red color combination. Nice clean radio instalation as well.

Good use of a factory location for CB's I used to see factory installed in these cars.:)

I'm going to do what old66tiger & guccieng are talking about.

Just loose the dash unit completely and run an MP3 player into the pre-amp ins.

I already got the basic fab work done on my radio delete plate for my 'bird.

I'll probably put a small EQ unit in the glove box to give me some adjustability of the pre-amp levels,and I'll just run the main amp inputs outta that,and run the MP3 player to the pre-amp ins of the EQ itself.

My MP3 player also has an FM stereo reciever in it as well,so the head unit is pretty much un-needed with that set-up.

I really like that deal,really stealthy,it'll look like the car does'nt have any stereo @ all.

I'm totally hooked on my MP3 stuff,absolutely love the shuffle feature on it.

FWIW

Bret P.

Goatwgn, thanks for the compliment especially since I just completed the dash and console restore last summer. Funny you mention the red-on-red because replacing the worn out interior vinyl is on my hot list. Its the only 2-tone Lemans/GTO interior I've ever seen (or even heard of) and I am just now working out a deal with Legendary to duplicate it for me.

Speaker placement in a 'vert is a whole topic in itself. I have two small speakers in the dash and a pair in the kicks both driven by the radio, and an amp in the trunk that drives speakers that I currently have in boxes on the rear seat. Still looking for the magic solution to getting speakers permanently mounted in the back somewhere that looks right and sounds good.

Walt

Mine was cut as well when I bought the car. The guy before me REALLY hacked it up. I actually had to weld material back into the dash to make a modern radio benze box stay in place.

If you are going to put a modern radio in I strongly reccomend 2 things.

1. Make sure that it has a USB port. Nothing like having 32GB of music in the car and NO SKIPPING!!!!

2. If you are going to cut the rear panel or if it is already cut, make sure that you make/find speaker boxes for the trunk side. They will sound like crap if the backs are open to that MASSIVE trunk.

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...done0010-1.jpg


Radio pics.

http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/v...h/DSCF2257.jpg

If you don't have to cut I wouldn't. Whoever owned my 67 before me cut mine and I had to put in a center panel with the radio delete option. I like Champs idea if you don't have gauges there. I installed my dad's stereo in the glove box of his 71 lemans, so his am radio is still in the dash.

here's another under dash mount.....

Looks nice! For my '72, built a box that fits under the package tray and fires forward with a pair of 12" CV subs. Did this around 1998 and still works great. Nothing like a subwoofer system in a great car to enjoy it even more.

Great Thread!

:thumbup:

i made a "prototype" ans it looked good enough to use for now. if i could wels or bend sheet metal i would not have needed the stainless hardware but maybe the next "model" will be welded ! ?

year one is now carrying "direct fit" radios for your car, and they claim no dash mods, as it appears to be an original unit that's been gone over with new guts.

but man alive, they arent cheap! 600 bones....

i did a quick google search and these appear to be handled by some custom company, and YO re-sells. pricing is no different from what i could glean - YO, direct, or on the web.

http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/f...ain2.asp?cat=4

The best part about running an MP3 into an amp is that you don't have to mess with CD's, you can always update it without a lot of messing with wiring and you always have the best of your music library with you wherever you go. IMO, it is the best option for old muscle.

X2!!!

Think of it this way..... Lets say you burn a CD for your "test runs". :drive: And all of a sudden you realize that Jailbreak from Thin Lizzy is not on there. You would have to burn a new CD, and throw the other one away.:clap3:

MP3, remove the USB stick, while the car is idleing and warming up, run in the house add the song, insert it back into the radio, back out of the driveway. no messing with that CD.

AGAIN, NO SKIPPING!!!!:huh:

mine has the connections on the front so i can plug devices in. my trunk is full of battery and fuel cell and wires. if i had to do it all over i might go with just a radio and an ipod hook up though.