chopping the dash to install modern cd player

[grs]

I don't have a template, but I cut mine.

[Shane]

cut it. it's just metal. it can be fixed.

[mmmBoost]

I cut mine years back. But mine also had a blank plate over the original holes for a stereo. If your going for the stock look then I'd say don't, but if your going for your own personalized look then put it where ever you want to put it. Thats the greatest part about building your own truck, you don't have to live with anything that some over paid designer decided would be a good idea if you don't want to. If you don't like something cut, weld, grind, torch, removed, install, fabricate whatever you want. Just like swapping motors, transmissions, and rearends. You are the manufacturer/engineer/designer/ and assembly worker in an essence, you get to make your own decisions about what you like and hate about your truck and change them if you please. Thats what makes your truck special to you. Just like we're all different in our own way so are our trucks. Who wants to have something thats identical to everyone else's. This is what we all have in common, the drive to have something that we have created and we get to say, "Yes I did design this, I put the long nights and hard work into building my own truck. I didn't just go out and buy another throw away car thats going to be rusted out or crushed in ten yrs. Our trucks can be rebuilt from damn near any accident and have actual heavy gauge steel body panels that dont dent in when you lean or sit on them.

Sorry for rambling on but thats my 2 cents. I love my truck I wouldn't sell it for anything. It was my first truck and I have to many memories in it.

[Gene]

Just cut it!!!

[dmack91]

I am doing mine right now. I have an original AM in the stock location and am going to leave it there. I am making a plate to mount a CD player under the dash. I was going to mount it under the seat, but am not sure. I will see how the under dash unit come out first.

Otherwise, while I like the look of an uncut dash, it is your truck and you should make it the way you want. You live with it every day.

[79gmcc15]

YouTube - Do it! Do it! Do it!

[MalibuSSwagon]

The guy I got my truck from hacked the hole in the dash for his DIN cassette player. It looks like he just took tinsnips to it and bent back the metal to make the space, then hacksawed a hole in the plastic gauge trim. At least he covered it up with a nice stereo conversion plate.

If that wasn't the case, I would have installed a $30 Autozone shaft radio, it has an input on the front. My truck appears to be an original radio delete, there was no stereo wiring or factory speakers anywhere. I got speaker brackets from a junked Sub and used some F@%&d speakers I had lying around.

[rainydayforme]

Stop telling these guys "Don't Cut". I say cut away! The more guys we can talk into hacking up their trucks, the more value is added to mine!! I VOTE CUT!

[Lemield]

PM board member 71Rustpile. He has a nice aluminum piece that makes cutting the dash a piece of cake and it looks nice too.

I am all for original restorations and all for custom work too. It's your truck.
Do what you want to do. I cut both my trucks and I'm glad I did.

[jimmydean]

I only cut mine a little.

[grs]

Throw the whole dash away. LOL

[1986swb]

Originally Posted by darkone

does anyone have a guide for this? it could be the large style reciever for gps etc, or the standard cd player size. i guess i really just need to know if i need to install some kind of case behind the firewall to house the deck. any help appreciate. thanks!

Check out my thread at the bottom of page 4 (1986swb) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=236176&page=4

I decided to save my dash and use and under dash mounting system.

[1986swb]

I used a marine stereo mount and bracket for my square.