For those of you dash-hackers- - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

greasemonkey · 11-14-2002, 10:54 PM

I have decided to cut the dash. I had the Custom Autosound cassette player but it didn't work well at all, cassette controls were weird and there was lots of static. Anyway, when I got my floor sandblasted, the radio died. I was researching the Kenwood from Chevy Duty, GMC Pauls etc with CD controller, but I would fork out $300 for the radio and then another $300 for the CD player when I can spend a few hours cutting the dash and installing a high-quality Pioneer or JVC with the CD player built in for $200-$300. My question- what setup do you hackers use, brand etc. Pics would be greatly appreciated. At my local truck shop, they have flip face JVC and Pioneer both.
P.S. I know there are a lot of threads on this subject, I did a search on it, but all the pictures were expired.
Thanks, John

mikep · 11-14-2002, 11:02 PM

I am a certified dash hacker who runs a Kenwood KDC-MP 8017. I can play conventional CD'd and CD's in an MP3 format that I record on my computer. Its nice being able to fit 180 or so songs on a single CD especially when I am going on long trips over the mountain passes or I just get tired of the same 12 songs getting repeated on the radio all the time. Its a 47 watt per channel and has Kenwoods typical clarity and lack of distortion at higher volumes.

chevyforever · 11-14-2002, 11:12 PM

i have done alot of car stereo in my days, and i would greatly recommend buying Alpine brand equipment. Alpine is by far higher quality than anything else out there. Even the cheapest Alpine cd player would sound better, perform better, and last longer than the most expensive pioneer etc... they are really easy to install in any vehicle, the best way to hack at the metal dash is to use a jigsaw with a blade made for cutting thin metal. sorry but right now i don't have any pics on it, but if i remember right, i found a website with some good pics on it. if i find it i will let u know!

forever

Ackattack · 11-14-2002, 11:18 PM

I've got a sony head unit, pioneer speakers, and a JBL 10" sub in the custom center console with a 160 W amp.

When I started to cut the dash, I was like "here goes nothing". I used a mini hack saw to do it.

1968GMC · 11-14-2002, 11:22 PM

I just instaled a JVC CD #KD-SX780 $260 tax in cd. I cut my dash with a air grinder, went verry well. I got the JVC cause of the rotery nob for the volume( I hate push-button) and the price is write.

orange72 · 11-14-2002, 11:38 PM

heres my dash..its a sorry pic but you get the idea..all i did was take a jig saw with metal blade and cut the dash the same size as the metal box that goes around the cd player..then slip that in the hole bend the tabs to keep it from coming back out and your set..also i put some maskin tap around the hole to protect my paint from the jig saw..

Longhorn Man · 11-14-2002, 11:47 PM

Measure twice...cut once.
Heck, better to need to remove more a second time. You don't wanna mess this up!
I did it on mine, and I gotta say, don't get a pioneer. They suck.
I used a hack saw blade to trim mine. There will be a little bit of original hole left after you trim for the DIN hole, I started by cutting along the top of the opening, that way the slight gap would be on the bottom, and therefor unnoticable.

Project1970 · 11-15-2002, 04:55 AM

Mine is cut out just like longhornmail's but I fabbed a piece of aluminum to cover up the gaps, spray-painted it black, looks nice...I'll snag a pic of it but it won't be up until Sunday night at the earliest.

I've got an Aiwa CDC-MP3 in mine. Replaced my CDC-X136 with it...it's absolutely awesome. Sounds great with my 2 Infinity 652i 6.5" speakers, and getting 140-180 songs on an MP3 disc is awesome.

My brother has their newer CDC-MP32, which looks even cooler (sounds about the same though) but also has a motorized, unremovable faceplate. He's had one stolen and I don't like the risk (which is VERY high, Aiwas tend to have gimpy motors) of a broken motor disabling the unit.

dubie · 11-15-2002, 09:04 AM

Pioneer is a great brand if it's the premier line. I run a cheapo Kenwood on mine right noe because i Never drive it, but I would love to get an Alpine. They are the highest quality deck on the market and have come down considerably in price.

Huck · 11-15-2002, 09:11 AM

Longhornmail, what is that behind the opening for radio? Looks like a vegatable garden or maybe that dope smoking old man left a few seeds laying around and they started to grow!!

Woody · 11-15-2002, 09:19 AM

Well I got a 68 with a cut dash. Someone really butchered it. They had put an AM FORD Radio in the dash. Crap for brains for sure! I pulled it out of threw it in the trash!!!!!!!!

Anyway I needed a radio quickly for my hunting trip, 110 miles and no tunes sucks, so theres what I did. Sorry no pics but I had a bunch of kitchen cabnet drawer fronts. It was about 4" x 16" x 3/4" thick. I cut out a square hole by drilling the corners with a 1/2" drill then used a jig saw (Hack saw will work) to cut the 4 sides hole to hole. Then after shaping with a rasp/file a little Slid the metal box for a cd player right into the hole folded the tabs and slid in the cd player.

Next I got a pair of 'L' brackets and longer screws for the Heater controls and mounted the L brackets to the heater control screws onthe bottom of the dash. Then mounted the drawer front to the L brackets. Clears the heater box and everything nicely.

Next (I don't recommend this part), I mounted a short black antenna in the right radio knob hole in the dash. It doesn't pick up as good as it should but I was in a hurry and this was a quick fix without having to remove the cowl to run an antenna coax.

Anyway the Oak lower dash with the cd player really looks good. If I finish the wood it would look Great. I'll see if I can get a pic sometime next week..

Longhorn Man · 11-15-2002, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Huck
Longhornmail, what is that behind the opening for radio? Looks like a vegatable garden or maybe that dope smoking old man left a few seeds laying around and they started to grow!!

LOL! I'm so used to seeing it I don't even notice it.
That is the remains of some fiberglass insulation after a small fire the truck has lived through. I dunno who nor when, but they sure as heck didn't repair everything they way they should have.

XXL · 11-15-2002, 11:18 AM

Hack away...

As for equipment choices, that boils down to needs, personal preference, and budget here's what I'm using...

Kenneth

Long Knight · 11-15-2002, 12:50 PM

Starting from scratch, good idea! Did you de-profile the front yourself or did you buy the blank from somewhere?

XXL · 11-15-2002, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Long Knight
Starting from scratch, good idea! Did you de-profile the front yourself or did you buy the blank from somewhere?

Most of the original steel is still under there. Follow the link under my sig for more progress pics on the dash. Unfortunately, the one I posted above is the "latest" progress pic

Kenneth

Paul Clark · 11-15-2002, 09:18 PM

I got a Sanyo. It's a single din (the only one I could find) size unit that has both a CD and a cassette.
The install guys at Best Buy sold me a plastic/rubber piece that fits around the opening that I cut. It covers up the round indentations you still have on each side after you cut the opening for the single din head unit.
I used a jig (saber?) saw to cut out the longest sections of the opening. I put duct tape on the bottom runners of the saw.
I also used a broken off hack saw blade held with a pair of vise grips for the corners.
Be careful if you use the saber saw. If you pull it out too far from where you are cutting, the blade will kick out and snarf up the dash.

ChevLoRay · 11-16-2002, 09:27 AM

My son wanted a CD unit in his '69. I agonized about cutting the dash for him, but used a Dremel tool. I recommend using one, over any other tool mentioned in this thread.

I used the mouning sleeve from his JVC for a template and cut the opening to match it. The sleeve slid in perfectly (much tighter than putting a golf ball in a cup). The radio unit mounted in it and the face plate covered the edges very nicely.

I am now considering the same with my '69. Besides, if I ever sell it, it will be to someone else who shares my feelings. If it ain't butchered, it will be okay. All that really has to be cut is the corners. The height of the opening is fine for the DIN mountings.

MellowYellow70 · 11-16-2002, 06:26 PM

Quote:

I like the looks of that smooth dash, Have any of you ever tried the glovebox install, I used to do those all the time in our trucks and early fords, it adds security and keeps the factory dash intact, other wise you end up with something like this, the previous owner was a little bit of an eager beaver.

WORNBRAKES · 11-16-2002, 07:43 PM

The dash in my 68 was cut when I bought it so i filled it with a Pioneer. He cut a bit much out so I made a backing plate out of pine and stained it to match my console.

Project1970 · 11-16-2002, 08:42 PM

Wornbrakes - that looks JUST like mine, with the exception that mine is held on by two allen-head bolts, one on either side of the radio.

One good thing for additional security - hook up the metal strap to the back of the radio to somewhere under the dash. Someone tried to steal my old headunit once...they bent that strap, dinged up the case, and scratched the filler plate, but they didn't get the stereo...

oldcarbuff · 11-19-2002, 10:46 AM

I currently have a radio delete in my truck, but plan to cut it to add a head unit later. If I can figure out how, I am going to hinge the radio delete plate and mount the stereo deep enough that it will still look like there is not radio. Then I can flip down the plate and turn it on.

OCB

Long Knight · 11-19-2002, 10:50 AM

Radio cover blanks are great.

chevy2racr · 11-19-2002, 03:22 PM

old car buff I've thought that same thing up, I have a couple radio deletes and I think to hold teh radio in behind the dash a bit I will use my faceplate adapter for my 93 cutlass supreme, i sticks out from the dash some so I figur, mount t backwards and there I go!

XXL · 11-19-2002, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oldcarbuff
I currently have a radio delete in my truck, but plan to cut it to add a head unit later. If I can figure out how, I am going to hinge the radio delete plate and mount the stereo deep enough that it will still look like there is not radio. Then I can flip down the plate and turn it on.

OCB

There is a company called Blitz-Safe that used to make a motorized sleeve that pulled your radio forward and back and flipped a door up over it. The standard install was to attach the sawed-off face of a cheapo or stock radio or a block-off plate to the door so it would look stock when closed. I'm not sure if they still make the item though. I actually ran across a motor for one of these the other day in my parts bin but I don't have the sleeves for it. They have a web site if you want to see if they're still available.

Kenneth

**Palf70Step** · 11-19-2002, 10:36 PM

WornBrakes. Love the look on your dash. Love the look of your glove box door. What did you do to the glove box door to get that effect?

11-14-2002, 10:54 PM	#1
greasemonkey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pace, FL Posts: 2,155	For those of you dash-hackers- I have decided to cut the dash. I had the Custom Autosound cassette player but it didn't work well at all, cassette controls were weird and there was lots of static. Anyway, when I got my floor sandblasted, the radio died. I was researching the Kenwood from Chevy Duty, GMC Pauls etc with CD controller, but I would fork out $300 for the radio and then another $300 for the CD player when I can spend a few hours cutting the dash and installing a high-quality Pioneer or JVC with the CD player built in for $200-$300. My question- what setup do you hackers use, brand etc. Pics would be greatly appreciated. At my local truck shop, they have flip face JVC and Pioneer both. P.S. I know there are a lot of threads on this subject, I did a search on it, but all the pictures were expired. Thanks, John __________________ 1942 Master Deluxe 1969 C/10 1985 Blazer CUCV 1987 Jimmy 2004 Tahoe 2005 Silverado 1500 2005 Silverado 3500

11-14-2002, 11:02 PM	#2
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	I am a certified dash hacker who runs a Kenwood KDC-MP 8017. I can play conventional CD'd and CD's in an MP3 format that I record on my computer. Its nice being able to fit 180 or so songs on a single CD especially when I am going on long trips over the mountain passes or I just get tired of the same 12 songs getting repeated on the radio all the time. Its a 47 watt per channel and has Kenwoods typical clarity and lack of distortion at higher volumes. __________________ No truck :-(

11-14-2002, 11:12 PM	#3
chevyforever Some like em' long! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Grace, Idaho Posts: 69	i have done alot of car stereo in my days, and i would greatly recommend buying Alpine brand equipment. Alpine is by far higher quality than anything else out there. Even the cheapest Alpine cd player would sound better, perform better, and last longer than the most expensive pioneer etc... they are really easy to install in any vehicle, the best way to hack at the metal dash is to use a jigsaw with a blade made for cutting thin metal. sorry but right now i don't have any pics on it, but if i remember right, i found a website with some good pics on it. if i find it i will let u know! forever __________________ 1971 chevy c10 lwb- 300 hp 350 crate motor, soon to be more with ported and polished 62cc chamber 461 double humps, TH400, 3.73 posi, used to be my uncle's truck 1972 chevy k10 lwb- 350,4 spd, old and tired, dad bought brand new and is now mine 1968 chevy c20 lwb- 327, 4 spd, was originally a 50th anniversary truck 1990 GMC K1500-just my runaround truck 1982 Chevy K10 shortbed, new motor and new paint, another project in the mix of the others. IMPORTS SUCK!

11-14-2002, 11:18 PM	#4
Ackattack Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Valley Center KS Posts: 3,524	I've got a sony head unit, pioneer speakers, and a JBL 10" sub in the custom center console with a 160 W amp. When I started to cut the dash, I was like "here goes nothing". I used a mini hack saw to do it. __________________ Project Bruiser: 68 Pro-Touring C-10 5.3L / 4L60E Project Ironhide: 97 GMC Crew Cab 4x4 Cummins SOLD: '69 GMC 1/2T SWB TBI'd: Project No Buck Assembly Manual Index Sign up Thread!!! Factory Service Manual Index

11-14-2002, 11:38 PM	#6
orange72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: huntington,texas,united states Posts: 399	heres my dash..its a sorry pic but you get the idea..all i did was take a jig saw with metal blade and cut the dash the same size as the metal box that goes around the cd player..then slip that in the hole bend the tabs to keep it from coming back out and your set..also i put some maskin tap around the hole to protect my paint from the jig saw.. __________________ 1972 chevy long bed. Currently under construction!! Bagged, 383/700r4.

11-14-2002, 11:22 PM	#5
1968GMC love my truck Join Date: May 2001 Location: aylmer QC Posts: 648	I just instaled a JVC CD #KD-SX780 $260 tax in cd. I cut my dash with a air grinder, went verry well. I got the JVC cause of the rotery nob for the volume( I hate push-button) and the price is write.

11-14-2002, 11:47 PM	#7
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Measure twice...cut once. Heck, better to need to remove more a second time. You don't wanna mess this up! I did it on mine, and I gotta say, don't get a pioneer. They suck. I used a hack saw blade to trim mine. There will be a little bit of original hole left after you trim for the DIN hole, I started by cutting along the top of the opening, that way the slight gap would be on the bottom, and therefor unnoticable. Attached Images

11-15-2002, 04:55 AM	#8
Project1970 14.1 @ 96MPH Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,811	Mine is cut out just like longhornmail's but I fabbed a piece of aluminum to cover up the gaps, spray-painted it black, looks nice...I'll snag a pic of it but it won't be up until Sunday night at the earliest. I've got an Aiwa CDC-MP3 in mine. Replaced my CDC-X136 with it...it's absolutely awesome. Sounds great with my 2 Infinity 652i 6.5" speakers, and getting 140-180 songs on an MP3 disc is awesome. My brother has their newer CDC-MP32, which looks even cooler (sounds about the same though) but also has a motorized, unremovable faceplate. He's had one stolen and I don't like the risk (which is VERY high, Aiwas tend to have gimpy motors) of a broken motor disabling the unit. __________________ Project1970 - LS1 Swap Complete!

11-15-2002, 09:04 AM	#9
dubie Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 8,853	Pioneer is a great brand if it's the premier line. I run a cheapo Kenwood on mine right noe because i Never drive it, but I would love to get an Alpine. They are the highest quality deck on the market and have come down considerably in price. __________________ My name's Tim and I'm a truckaholic My 56 Chevy shop truck build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=562795

11-15-2002, 09:11 AM	#10
Huck Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Shelbyville, KY Posts: 3,261	Longhornmail, what is that behind the opening for radio? Looks like a vegatable garden or maybe that dope smoking old man left a few seeds laying around and they started to grow!!

11-15-2002, 09:19 AM	#11
Woody Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Georgetown, KY, USA Posts: 631	different approch Well I got a 68 with a cut dash. Someone really butchered it. They had put an AM FORD Radio in the dash. Crap for brains for sure! I pulled it out of threw it in the trash!!!!!!!! Anyway I needed a radio quickly for my hunting trip, 110 miles and no tunes sucks, so theres what I did. Sorry no pics but I had a bunch of kitchen cabnet drawer fronts. It was about 4" x 16" x 3/4" thick. I cut out a square hole by drilling the corners with a 1/2" drill then used a jig saw (Hack saw will work) to cut the 4 sides hole to hole. Then after shaping with a rasp/file a little Slid the metal box for a cd player right into the hole folded the tabs and slid in the cd player. Next I got a pair of 'L' brackets and longer screws for the Heater controls and mounted the L brackets to the heater control screws onthe bottom of the dash. Then mounted the drawer front to the L brackets. Clears the heater box and everything nicely. Next (I don't recommend this part), I mounted a short black antenna in the right radio knob hole in the dash. It doesn't pick up as good as it should but I was in a hurry and this was a quick fix without having to remove the cowl to run an antenna coax. Anyway the Oak lower dash with the cd player really looks good. If I finish the wood it would look Great. I'll see if I can get a pic sometime next week..

11-15-2002, 11:18 AM	#13
XXL Señor Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Edge of the world Posts: 5,367	Hack away... As for equipment choices, that boils down to needs, personal preference, and budget here's what I'm using... Kenneth __________________ Craigslist \| ebay \| Engrishtees \| www.myattitudesucks.com \| Follow me on Twitter

11-15-2002, 12:50 PM	#14
Long Knight Spank 'em if you got 'em! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Kansas City Posts: 628	Starting from scratch, good idea! Did you de-profile the front yourself or did you buy the blank from somewhere? __________________ Long Knight '71 C-20, 350ci, TH350, Edl. 1406 Carb w/elec.choke, Ignitor ignition, Viper Tires, Orange Dipstick

11-15-2002, 09:18 PM	#16
Paul Clark Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Center Point, IA Posts: 502	I got a Sanyo. It's a single din (the only one I could find) size unit that has both a CD and a cassette. The install guys at Best Buy sold me a plastic/rubber piece that fits around the opening that I cut. It covers up the round indentations you still have on each side after you cut the opening for the single din head unit. I used a jig (saber?) saw to cut out the longest sections of the opening. I put duct tape on the bottom runners of the saw. I also used a broken off hack saw blade held with a pair of vise grips for the corners. Be careful if you use the saber saw. If you pull it out too far from where you are cutting, the blade will kick out and snarf up the dash.

11-16-2002, 09:27 AM	#17
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	My son wanted a CD unit in his '69. I agonized about cutting the dash for him, but used a Dremel tool. I recommend using one, over any other tool mentioned in this thread. I used the mouning sleeve from his JVC for a template and cut the opening to match it. The sleeve slid in perfectly (much tighter than putting a golf ball in a cup). The radio unit mounted in it and the face plate covered the edges very nicely. I am now considering the same with my '69. Besides, if I ever sell it, it will be to someone else who shares my feelings. If it ain't butchered, it will be okay. All that really has to be cut is the corners. The height of the opening is fine for the DIN mountings. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.



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11-16-2002, 07:43 PM	#19
WORNBRAKES Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hughesville, MD Posts: 1,350	The dash in my 68 was cut when I bought it so i filled it with a Pioneer. He cut a bit much out so I made a backing plate out of pine and stained it to match my console. Attached Images __________________ Mario and Mandy Hughesville, MD 20637 69 C10 305/350 71 K5 Basket case 75 K10 Rescue Parting out 77 MG Midget Parting out 15 6.7L Cummins

11-16-2002, 08:42 PM	#20
Project1970 14.1 @ 96MPH Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,811	Wornbrakes - that looks JUST like mine, with the exception that mine is held on by two allen-head bolts, one on either side of the radio. One good thing for additional security - hook up the metal strap to the back of the radio to somewhere under the dash. Someone tried to steal my old headunit once...they bent that strap, dinged up the case, and scratched the filler plate, but they didn't get the stereo... __________________ Project1970 - LS1 Swap Complete!

11-19-2002, 10:46 AM	#21
oldcarbuff Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Muncie, IN U.S.A. Posts: 60	I currently have a radio delete in my truck, but plan to cut it to add a head unit later. If I can figure out how, I am going to hinge the radio delete plate and mount the stereo deep enough that it will still look like there is not radio. Then I can flip down the plate and turn it on. OCB

11-19-2002, 10:50 AM	#22
Long Knight Spank 'em if you got 'em! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Kansas City Posts: 628	Radio cover blanks are great. __________________ Long Knight '71 C-20, 350ci, TH350, Edl. 1406 Carb w/elec.choke, Ignitor ignition, Viper Tires, Orange Dipstick Last edited by Long Knight; 11-19-2002 at 12:43 PM.

11-19-2002, 03:22 PM	#23
chevy2racr So Many Ideas, So Little Money Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Marshalltown, IA Posts: 1,610	old car buff I've thought that same thing up, I have a couple radio deletes and I think to hold teh radio in behind the dash a bit I will use my faceplate adapter for my 93 cutlass supreme, i sticks out from the dash some so I figur, mount t backwards and there I go! __________________ 72 Blazer 3/4 ton running gear 4.10s NP205/TH350 350 4in lift half doors 71 C10 with 454 99 S-10 5.1L SBC 700R4 09 Malibu Marshalltown, Iowa

11-19-2002, 10:36 PM	#25
Palf70Step State of Confusion! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Gulfport, MS USA Posts: 47,251	WornBrakes. Love the look on your dash. Love the look of your glove box door. What did you do to the glove box door to get that effect? __________________ Bill 1970 Chevy Custom/10 LWB Fleetside 2010 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner SR5 Double Cab - DD Member of Louisiana Classic Truck Club (LCTC) Bill's Gallery Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God!

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