Cutting for a deck?

[dash13]

I will be driving my 67 C10 LWB as a daily driver and will need some tunes. What can you guy's tell me about cutting the dash and installing an after market deck? Any help would be nice.
Thanks in advance!

[snj8198]

in case you decide against cutting

http://www.casmfg.com/radios.htm

[swamp rat]

There is plenty of options for not cutting the dash, there was just a thread here about 4-5 days ago with a bunch of links to sources for radios (and i mean quality stuff) that look and maintain the stock appearance, but if thats not important to you them cut it up. use the search feature and look for radios, sterio options, and anything else you can think of related to it.

There are at least a 50/50mix of people here that hate the cutting idea and tho's that don't care.

[70cst]

http://www.jegs.com/p/Retro-Sound/Re...12488/10002/-1

http://http://www.crutchfield.com/S-...rch=retrosound

http://www.vintageautoradio.com/index.php

http://www.customautosound.com/

http://www.manestruckparts.com/store...Category_ID=20

Check out the above LINKs...

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by 70cst

http://www.jegs.com/p/Retro-Sound/Re...12488/10002/-1

http://http://www.crutchfield.com/S-...rch=retrosound

http://www.vintageautoradio.com/index.php

http://www.customautosound.com/

http://www.manestruckparts.com/store...Category_ID=20

Check out the above LINKs...

LOL! Your fast!

[raycow]

People who buy used trucks at anything above the beater level just HATE it when a PO has cut the dash. We have a lot of threads here dedicated to how to repair the damage - and it's not easy.

So cut the dash if you plan to be buried in the truck. Or be prepared to pay when you sell it.

Ray

[Shane]

i've never seen a truck lose a nickel's worth of value over a cut dash ... cut it. enjoy it.

[LandonL]

Shove it in the glove box, save the dash

[72lb4x4]

Having a nice, expensive, visible, easily stolen thing in the truck invites getting a broken window and a big hole in the dash.

I'd put it somewhere it can't be seen.

[19seventeeCustom]

noooo..please dont cut up the dash, unless it a beater!!!

Instead of cutting mine up since it has dodged the bullet for over 40years, I installed a factory am radio in the dash and rerouted all wiring under the carpet and under the seat. Thats where I stuck my cd player and its controlled with a remote so you dont have to physical change the volume or the station just use the remote.

works very well and the original radio looks amazing in the dash instead of some new age cd player that doesnt belong.....just my opinion

[MVHandy]

With a little fabricating skill you can get a surface mount box (google it) which you can set up under the dash just to left of center. Plenty of clearance if you have a middle seat passenger and you'll just put a few screws in the bottom lip of the dash and the front of the heater box.
My wife has a fit when I suggested I would cut the dash and said it would ruin the integrity of the truck, anyway this worked out well and kept the peace.

[specialtyretail]

dash13, enjoy your truck,, the key word is ""your"". There are several ways of doing any job on these classics, that is why they are so popular. The main thing is to always be improving the vehicle, not just changing something for the sake of changing it. We all have different styles, tastes and BUDGETS. Do what fits you. Thanks, Fred.

[haminator]

I have five of these trucks and none of them are cut. Kinds of ruins the whole truck somehow, in my opinion. It could be the nicest truck around then I'll say "yea but they cut the dash" Guess I'm anal. DON'T CUT IT. Would you cut a 57 Belair dash?

[ChevLoRay]

Do a member search for Mahanian. Unless something has changed in the past few weeks, there is a thread where his billet piece is taking on some interest in sales. I don't remember who is helping gather the numbers, but his part goes into a cut dash to offer the user a way to install a standard DIN radio. It's a billet piece, that goes into a hole and attaches from the rear, leaving no screws showing on the face. It's a trick part.

I've cut one dash, and left the other alone. Check out the truck rags and see how many of them have been cut and how many have not. If it is your truck, you should have control over what you do with it. As to the value that may or may not be there when you sell it, I'm sure some high-dollar trucks have been modified with non-stock radios. Some of the less-than high dollar trucks on this site have some high-dollar flip-screen video players in them, but they're nice drivers, for sure.

This on-going debate is part of the automotive scene, that allows us to do what we want with our vehicles. I've seen some automotive attrocities in the past that defied all logic, but it was done by the owner and it was his vehicle. Doesn't mean we had to like it, but it wasn't ours and we didn't have to like it.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by haminator

I have five of these trucks and none of them are cut. Kinds of ruins the whole truck somehow, in my opinion. It could be the nicest truck around then I'll say "yea but they cut the dash" Guess I'm anal. DON'T CUT IT. Would you cut a 57 Belair dash?

It depends what I want to do to the car. But if it involved cutting the dash, Heck yeah I'd cut it and not look back. Just like I'd tub it or what ever. Who cares? Most of the time any of these old vehicles have so much money jammed in them they exceed what they really are worth anyway. Plus, chances are, a potential buyer will find more with the truck that he doesn't like besides a cut dash. And it is so hard to repair this. Um, no it's not. Dash13, if I were you I'd do it and not look back. Me personally, I don't want my radio clear in the glove box where I can't reach it. But it doesn't matter to me because I'm saving old rotted vehicles anyway.

[haminator]

I was just giving my opinion, it is his truck to do with what he pleases. Hell my son chopped his 54 Belair 4-door 31/2 inches against my better judgement. Also I like to crash perfectly good 71-76 Impalas for fun so how screwed up am I?

[timjt]

Maybe I'm crazy but I like keeping the trucks at close to original height along with not cutting or choptops. All these slammed trucks just look wrong. If you like hugging the ground and like chevy go buy a camaro, same engine, same transmission and you can't see over the guy infront of you.

[Cole Trickle]

Originally Posted by timjt

Maybe I'm crazy but I like keeping the trucks at close to original height along with not cutting or choptops. All these slammed trucks just look wrong. If you like hugging the ground and like chevy go buy a camaro, same engine, same transmission and you can't see over the guy infront of you.

Theres an ass for every seat.....

I dislike stock (boring imho) and have always loved lowered trucks

On the flip side I don't like over done trucks at all...

[panhandler62]

Let's try to keep things constructive and courteous here. We all have differing opinions of what is best or not best for our creations and everything from meticulous original restorations to wild customs have a valid place in the hobby.

Sniping at each other because our opinions differ does not.

[Shane]

we can weld in rockers, cab corners, inner and outer kick panels but we can't patch a dash?

good lord.

[rbagley]

So, we've established that there are differing opinions that are equally valid?

[LONGHAIR]

Either way, the name-calling, childish, and political stuff needs to stop.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by panhandler62

Let's try to keep things constructive and courteous here.

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

Either way, the name-calling, childish, and political stuff needs to stop.

Two staff members have requested everyone post in a civil a manner and they have been ignored. Thats not cool!

Anyone thats posts from this point forward be warned, negative comments will result in account suspension

[N2TRUX]

Now back to the OP's question. Personally I could care less what you do since its your truck. If it were me I would consider one of the many options for hooking an MP3 player up to what you have. I don't care if you cut it or not, but I do think a stock radio is less prone to be stolen, and we all know how bad that sucks.

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Now back to the OP's question. Personally I could care less what you do since its your truck. If it were me I would consider one of the many options for hooking an MP3 player up to what you have. I don't care if you cut it or not, but I do think a stock radio is less prone to be stolen, and we all know how bad that sucks.

i agree, i thought about it in mine but with the technology now i don't need to i'm just gonna buy a radio that fits the stock dash that uses a mp3 or aux. input. there is no need to use CD's anymore for me, when i can carry a 3in long piece that will hold hundreds of songs and not have a bunch of cds in my truck