Radio Installs

[AceX]

Mine:

Pioneer DEH-880PRS



I used a steel mounting sleeve, which is standard with any aftermarket radio install, and I also used a sheet of ABS plastic to help get better results. This may be the way to go if you don't want to get a new bezel for some reason.

My concern would have more to do with the wiring. Seeing how bad the rest of the job was hacked, I can't imagine much more care was taken with the wiring...

[mercman1951]

Originally Posted by AceX

Mine:
My concern would have more to do with the wiring. Seeing how bad the rest of the job was hacked, I can't imagine much more care was taken with the wiring...

Actually, the wiring was done quite nice, but I have no idea what they were thinking when they installed it.

Yours is a very clean install. Exactly what I was looking for. I have some ABS I was going to use, but it's not textured. There's really nothing wrong with the rest of the bezel if I can get away with covering up the giant hole. Looks like I'll need to lengthen the antenna as well, that may have been why they didn't do such a hot job because there isn't enough slack to allow the radio to sit flush.

Picked this up today:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-XcaPrm4...M16&c=3&tp=861

Thanks to all who posted!

[mercman1951]

UPDATE: 10/18/07:

They delivered this the other day:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-XcaPrm4...M16&c=3&tp=861


So, here's what I wound up doing to solve my "hacked up dash bezel" problem...maybe other forumers can use this info:

I got the trim plate from Crutchfield...fast shipping and good instructions as per the usual. Since my bezel was hacked up, I couldn't secure the DIN-style chassis (metal basket) in the normal way to hold it all in place, so I epoxied (is that a word?), the new metal trim bezel over the old plastic dash bezel that was hacked up. The metal DIN-style "cage" will slide into this, and I will slide the radio in place after I bend the cage tabs out against the backsides of the stock dash bezel/new plate. Does that make sense? There is also a metal strap that came with the kit to support the backside of the radio to a good place on the factory dash, so it will be supported in both the front and rear.

I did have to buy an antenna extension wire, (a 12 inch one...5 bucks from the local car audio install place); because the stock windshield antenna lead in this truck is too short to allow the radio to seat where it needs to be in the revised opening. I will button this all up soon in the truck, but here are the pics that show the basic process...they are out of order I know, but you get the idea of the process...

[derrickc]

thats a good cover up mercman1951, nice job

[mercman1951]

Originally Posted by derrickc

thats a good cover up mercman1951, nice job

Thanks, and a big thanks to ElGracho for tipping me off to the Crutchfield plate...I would have never thought they had something like this to go back that far in age. And also thanks to AceX, for the finished install pic that let me see what I needed to see.

Here's the final install as of tonight. Exactly how I'd hoped it would turn out, based on what I had to work with. As a bonus...the once non-working crapilly installed radio works fine...even the CD player part...now I need to upgrade those crappy 21 year old crackling factory paper speakers!