Radio Installs

[mercman1951]

Hi All,

When I bought my '86 GMC, some asshat hacked up the dash bezel, and cut away the factory sheet metal of the dash around the original radio openings to install an aftermarket Sony CD player. It was so hacked up, it sat inboard about 2" into the dash, was crooked, missing the trim, and they used a bunch of black foam of some sort to make it look like it fit- but it didn't. To top it off, it didn't work. I tore it all out today to assess the damage. The radio works fine now, (no radio fuse was in the fusebox ) so I want to just basically un-do what was done and make it look more professional. (I've done many car stereo installs so I am familiar with the kits and adapters and such, but since this truck was never designed for this style radio:

I was wondering if anyone out there has done a clean install using a newer-style aftermarket CD player, and what parts you used to pull this off and make it look presentable. My dash bezel is a hacked nightmare (see pics.) I can probably save it by laminating a new piece of plastic over the top of the now way-too-big opening, and re-cutting a new opening...but I am looking for other alternatives...such as finding an un-cut bezel, and modifying it a little more "neatly"...any pics of what you did?

[old Rusty C10]

once the dash is cut up the only thing you can do to make it look professional is to get a new bezel. Ive seen a couple of people even cut the dash metal out of a donor truck and tack in the supports and put back an original radio and stick the CD player in the glove box

[BaddBusa2005]

there is a white truck on there that has a killer looking install.

[ElGracho]

I just put a Pioneer CD player in my 86. It killed me to cut the dash, but I couldn't live with the broken tuner in my stock digital radio any longer. I've even tried several of the originals and after about 5 of them, I never had one where every function worked.

I bought my head unit from crutchfield (with a good discount code I found online). The install kit they included had the wiring adapter and a plate with a DIN hole already cut in it. The plate was big enough to cover even the big hole in your bezel. It's texture matches the dash bezel and it looks as good as a late model radio can...

I'd try to get one of those plates. I've used one before from Sounddomain too. It was plastic and the screws went through it. The metal one from crutchfield was held on by the clamps in the DIN cage.

[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...

[pkbinplano]

I couldn't / wouldn't hack my dash, so I installed a Pioneer am/fm/cd under the front seat. Radio has a remote control. Out of sight for thieves also. Just had to buy an extension for the antenna wire

[derrickc]

I had a install shop in Calgary hack the bezel in my old truck, after that I said never again. I now have another truck and had the stereo mounted in the glovebox. Its done with MDF board, the guy at futureshop did a great job.

[moneyeater]

Since i´m not smoking and also have bucketseats i´m in the process of building a centerconsole that holds the headunit and subwoofer and functions as a storage and armrest and gives a nice customtouch!
It covers the Hole from the ashtray where i can route the cables through and only touches the floor in front and in back of the cab so i can light up the floor a bit!It will be covered with imitation leather,velours and painted accents!
The gaugebezel wont´t be holding anything in that place anymore because it´s hard to reach and see!

[knightlife]

looks hot money... you gonna fg it at all?

[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!