[Steve Barcak]

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.

[steve]

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....

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by PontGuy

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

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

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by t/a 79

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

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

[screamingchief]

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.

[PontGuy]

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

[1967Tempest]

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.




Radio pics.

[tjdjr]

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.

[mchell]

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

[Steve Barcak]

Originally Posted by 1967Tempest

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.




Radio pics.

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.

[PontiacMatt72]

Great Thread!

[steve]

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 ! ?

[rolling money pits]

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

[old66tiger]

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.

[1967Tempest]

Originally Posted by old66tiger

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". 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.

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!!!!

[steve]

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.