Looking For No-Cut Radio Ideas

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Our truck is pretty much unmolested so far, and we'd like to keep it that way, at least as much as possible...I'm looking for ideas or pictures of no-cut (sheet metal, that is...kick and door panels are fair game) radio and speaker installations, although I'm not ruling out the possibility of enlarging the dashboard cutout altogether...I'd just prefer not doing it.

Is there a clean way to do this?

[Bamm]

There have been numerous threads on this. Go to search and try "cut dash" or something like that. Do you have a bench seat or buckets? This makes a difference. With buckets you can always hide it in the console........later & welcome to the board from Va.................Jerry

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Thanks, Jerry! Shoulda done my homework first, but my daughter brought it up (I'm more concerned with the engine/tranny swap).

Are there any pics of your truck online?

--Ed

[Classic Heartbeat]

We cary several sterios that are desighned to fit our trucks withour cutting the dash. You can find them in our "Sterios & Related" section of our website. Here is a link: http://www.classicheartbeat.com/stereos.htm
Here is a couple of pictures of the sterios:


Let me know if I can help you. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

[truck69]

Wes: Does Classicheartbeat.com have catalogs you can send out?

Truck69

[Alexis]

Here's a proven idea I've seen. You take an aftermarket radio with the detachable face on it. Instead of cutting your dash you make a pod for the face plate to sit in, you make a wiring harness so the pins on the back of the face plate can connect to the main head unit pins. It's been done and you can mount the player anyhere you want. With the face plate sitting in it's pod you can attach it to the uncut part of the dash where you can easly created a mounting bracket. it's not hard but would take some time.

If you want the detahcbale face option then just take of the whole front section of the radio where the face mounts off the radio, gets some ABS plastic and make a template so you can cover up the extra place on the head unit, but make sure to cut a slot for the CD.

[FuelCellGuy]

and aftermarket a/c and heat combo, you can do what I did. Oh, the knobs on either side of the hvac controls is the headlight and wiper switch. I got those out and away from the already clustered gauge cluster.

[pbmcauliffe]

http://customautosound.com/
Custom Autosound (what wes is showing) makes the decks and kickpanels that prevent cutting. I have used numerous head units from them and they work good. Here is one in a 67 Suburban I did recently

[70c10]

Heres mine like the one above

[70c10]

My CD player mounted in glovebox

[68 Suburban]

Mounted on the front of the bench seat with custom "Z" brackets. I was going to go with the glove box, but what a pain to change a station. This has worked out good and I sill have the stock radio in the dash.

[MU72]

I used a CB radio bracket to mount mine under the dash. Used the two screws under there, so no drilling. I have never had any problems with skipping or getting dirt inside the radio. It has been like that for over four years now.

[gonebad2]

Here is another option. It's made by Roddoors. It's sent to you larger than it needs to be because you cut it down and shape it to fit the contours of the ceiling in your truck. It comes complete with all of the necessary mounting hardware. The front of the console can be cutout to accomodate a DIN (square) faced radio. The idea is to shape it to your taste, then it can be covered with fabric or painted to match the interior. I think there is a picture of a completed console at www.roddoors.com After I finish shaping it, my upholsterer said he can cover it with 1/8" closed cell foam and cover it with leather to match the rest of the interior. I ended up cutting the dash to install a CD player. This will work well for extra storage after I cut the front panel out.

This should be a direct link to the page with the console. There are some other radio mounting alternatives on this page too. The overhead console looks awesome finished. These are made of ABS plastic so they can easily be glued with ABS glue from the hardware store.http://www.roddoors.com/mapconetc.html

[billogna]

Front speakers up under dash out of sight, rear boxes and amp under seat, radio in homemade console, which can be closed so only AM radio/ speaker is visible- used when parking in the ghetto.

[billogna]

closed

[68plus4sub]

gonebad2, thanks for the link, show us what it looks like when finished! billogna, that's also a great idea, looks nice and discreet when closed too. What material did you make the console out of?

[gonebad2]

Billogna, I like your floor console. It has a nice clean look. More info on how you made it would be great....Stay out of the ghettos, I would hate to see some scumbags get ahold of your nice ride.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Please, more details on the console!

What I would like to do is install one of the stock-looking AM/FM radios, but I would like to have one that has a CD-In jack (I have a radio that has this feature in our motorhome), or, alternatively, perhaps an amp under the seat or even a modulator that attaches to the antenna-in connection...anything that can be jacked into...anyway, if I can do that part of it cleanly, then I would use an iPod or similar 20 or 40GB MP3 player and use that as my input...no storage problem with disks or tapes, fewer worries about some worm breaking into your ride to steal a fancy radio, take your tunes with you when you park your ride, more music than can be listened to in a lifetime, etc.

Those are my thoughts...

[PureChevy]

i love this. Plus it has outs for a cd changer later on.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

What is that blockout plate immediately above the heater/A/C controls for? I don't recall seeing that in the stepside we just bought...

[Alexis]

Originally posted by Stepsides 4Ever
What is that blockout plate immediately above the heater/A/C controls for? I don't recall seeing that in the stepside we just bought...

it's a ash tray.

[Stepsides 4Ever]

Do all the models have those? Again, I don't emember seeing that in our truck, but then the older I get the more I forget...

What were we talking about?

[71402BB]

Billogna- Thats a sweet looking cnsole you've got there! I agree with the other, more info on how you made it or where you bought it would be real cool! Printed them up so I could make my own! Thanks for the idea!

[billogna]

Stepsides4Ever and others: I made cardboard templates for the sides first to get an idea of the shape of the floor, then used 3/4" particle board, glued and screwed together with wood screws, seams and screws covered with wood filler, covered in drywall texture from a spray can, then spray painted with semi-gloss black. The thin black carpet is from Autozone ($10 a roll), and the oversized cupholders are from a marine parts store ($6 ea). I used wood screws through tubing to make the pins for the door, and it follows a routed groove on each side down behind the radio. I have clips holding it to the underside of the dash, (no holes drilled in the truck), to keep it secure when having too much fun in the turns. Hope this helps.

[billogna]

Sounds like you won't even need a console- if you install the original looking radio in the dash, (with an aux input) just put the ipod, or whatever in the glovebox. All of your controls, except to switch songs, will be right on the radio.