Cut Dash For CD Player?

[Hotrod624]

Ok I have a 77 C20 and I want to get a new radio for it, but do I need to cut the dash or is there a kit or something I can buy?

[gchemist]

You can buy a radio with dial knobs from www.lmctruc.com. The units have options for MP3 and cd players.

[silvereagle07]

If you are thinking of installing a single din radio, I suggest taking it to a audio installer to get the hole cut out. They don't charge much. It's easy to screw it up if you don't know what you are doing. But ,if you want to do it yourself, you will need a scribe and something to cut out the basic sleeve shape. Like a cut off wheel or a dremel tool. You keep the same shape in the instrument bezel and the metal dash panel.

[Hotrod624]

I looked at them and it would cheaper to get it cut out and then buy a cd player. And when you say cheap how much do you think it would cost?

[79 silverado]

Two other options:

1) get the 6 or higher disc changer and mount it behind the seat, then run the modulator attachment to the existing radio. It plugs in where the antenna goes in and then the antenna plugs into it.

2) get a radio delete plate to cover up the existing holes in the instrument bezel and mount your radio elsewhere, such as a unit with a remote that you could mount to the dash inside the glovebox by trimming/removing the liner and just let the door hang down while you drive...


both also interesting anti-theft options...

[Hotrod624]

You see the radio I have dosen't work so I need a new either way. But both good options.

[dan76]

Check with Crutchfield......they'll have several AM/FM with a CD player capable of fitting your dash.

However I like the radio delete plate idea and mounting the radio elsewhere. Having three radios stolen from different vehicles makes me cautious as to what is easily visible by the low-life community.

[Hotrod624]

Can someone show me what a delete plate looks like? I'm trying to be cost effective I'm 16 and make 9.00 dollars an hour.

[raiders3581]

I know I have seen the shaft style radios that have the aux input you could run an mp3 player to. Less hassle then cds. What I did is went to the boneyard found a shaft style 80s alpine stereo. Then I bout a audiovox fm transmitter that wires directly to the fm antenna for better reception. The good thing about some of the better head units from that era is they had rca outs. I had a smaller kenwood equalizer that I hollowed out the ashtray for and mounted it there. I ran the aux cable under my seat and play my zune there. Oh yeah the equalizer has two inputs but six outputs. Four to my four channel for the dash speakers and the kick ass 6x9 brackets a board member sells. And the other two run to my kicker shallow 12" behind the seat. A added benefit is the the casual thief all I have is a cassette player.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! My '76 Camaro has a nice Belkin device that allows input from an 1/8" plug to the cars' stereo, thru the antennae. FRANKENTRUCK is about to get cut for a Kenwood Excelon KDC-X493,...22 watts RMS x 4. "Sleeve-fit" is here to stay (for now) and twin shaft design is gone (or so, I've planned!),...
I'll post a "tech thread" of my build, of course. I'll stack two 6.5" three-way Kenwoods in each cab corner.
Cutting speaker panels now.
Todd.

[79 silverado]

That is a factory radio delete plate. Many trucks were built without radios at all and GM uses the same gauge cluster bezels in them, just bolted these little plastic plates on to cover the empty holes for the 2 knobs and the face.

Usually they cost around $5-10 +shipping, or you can buy a whole bezel assembly with one on it for usually about $30-40 +shipping either through a board or someplace like ebay if yours isn't in the best shape.

Hit up the local pick and pull yards and you can walk out with a complete dash bezel for $10 though...

[S10Fan]

Mine had been cut and I recently re-worked the dash for a better radio fit. The radio is a Ken Harrison AM-FM-Cassette with an Auxillary Input. I use my Aux input for XM radio, you can see the XM controller in the ashtray. If the mood strikes me I can unplug the XM and plug in my Ipod. The Ipod holds a copy of every CD I own.

Forgot to add, yes I did have to chop up the ashtray to mount the XM unit.

[heavychevy79]

Once I got my MP3 player I could care less about CD players, but the CD players usally have more power than any tape deck.

If your tape deck still works you can use a Walkman casette adapter with your Mp3 and it will work great.

[Hotrod624]

I have a iPod, I just need something but I dont want to spend 300 on a radio, so i might go with a delete plate.

[ShowSS12]

I would just cut the dash it will look okay.

I'll take a few pics of mine when I put the radio back in.

[Hotrod624]

Ok post some pics, but I might just take it in and have it done,I dont trust myself.

[dropd80s]

I agree, cut the dash. If you take it to car stereo place they should have a kit that shows you exactly where to cut and come with a steel piece to help reinforce the area where the radio will mount. It looks and works great. All the shaft style radios I have seen from LMC or simillar are horrible quality, and the changers are just as bad. Spend the little bit of money and get the dash kit and do it correctly with a modern DIN style radio. The dash kit I like is from "Metra". Im not sure of the part number but should end with HM for the "heavy metal" reinforcement included.

[Hotrod624]

Yeah i^m going to cut it but I can not find a dash kit online, see if you can find it, and I have no idea how to hook up a stero system, like if this works with that and so on, so if anybody can help me i^ll be gratefull.

[79gmcc15]

I did mine when I was 18 and had no experience. nor help with templates. it kinda looks like crap but it was my first time and it works! if I could do it, you can do it. I used a dermal tool. took me about 3-4 hours from start to end. you can "kinda" hack up the dash but you want to take your time and do your best cutting on the bezel. you will probably have to run a constant hot wire to your new radio. I have mine hooked up to the power block on the fire wall behind the air cleaner. but you can hook it up to the cig lighter. I just used the manual for the radio for a wiring guide. I also installed a inline fuse on the content hot wire, just for safety sakes. also, use good connectors! for a while I just used some kind of tape. but now I have it hooked up with couplers. I have everything apart at the moment if you need pics of anything.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_176GM16...t.html?tp=3121
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1207016...s.html?tp=2977

[AceX]

I'll be doing a write-up on this shortly, but in the mean time, if you REALLY don't want to cut the dash, don't.

If you don't care about it as much (like me) then cut it. Too many guys here see nothing wrong with notching a frame, but as soon as some sheet metal might see the business end of a dremel, all hell breaks loose.

If you take your time, think it out, and do it right, it will turn out steller.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Mine gets cut this weekend or next, if I can manage it! I'll post the first part of the Kenwood installation ASAP. Already have the speaker front panels ready to cut and fit.
This is not a difficult project, ya just have to take your time and do it properly. Remove the dash bezel,...use, or make, a template for tracing,...cut with the proper tool and protect the surrounding area while cutting. Wiring is EASY, installation is the HARD part!
Todd.

[Hotrod624]

Is the dash all you cut?

[asphaltburner]

And the dash bezel, but it's plastic and quite easy to cut cleanly.
I buy from crutchfield.com, and they provide all of their customers with "installation kits" (which includes a trim plate to cover the cut in the bezel), but the cut can be done nicely using care.
Todd.

[Hotrod624]

The wiring is what scares me, And if I install speakers into the Kick panel how will I get the wiring over there for it?

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Hotrod624! Simple speaker wire runs under the dash to either kick panel does it.
All stereos require a large, switched, + lead (red, usually attached to power through the ignition switch), a low amperage constant + lead (for memory, yellow, attached to any constant positive source), and a lead (black) that should be connected to chassis ground close to the stereo unit. The other three or four wires are speaker outputs.
Todd.

P.S. Are you just unsure of where to find the trucks' wires to attach to, or is it "all those wires!!"? Or pehaps how to attach the new wires to the truck,...?