radio install question

[sharpmotors]

how are you guys installing your stereo's.right now my truck has a old 2 nob style pioneer and i want to install new style radio.my dash is in perfect shape and not cut up do they make a dask kit or do i just cut the factory opening bigger.

[Jonboy]

You will have to cut the opening bigger.

[britnjc]

dont cut the dash. go to retrosound.com and look at there modern units that will fit our dash. They are quality peices and look great

[britnjc]

www.retrosoundusa.com that is

[3r!c84]

yeah please dont cut it up

[lvschevytrucks]

I agree, dont cut the dash get the new radio

[sharpmotors]

i really dont want to cut it,how are the radios that lmc truck sells i think they are made by custom auto sound and is the quality of retro sound radios good.

[3r!c84]

ive only hurd good things about both

[Jonboy]

It depends on how you look at it. My truck has been pretty well cut up already, so I figure cutting the dash is the least of my worries.

[78 Chevyrado]

I'd just cut the dash. Done it to all mine. It's not like these trucks are highly sought-after collectables like a split window vette or a 2 door bel-air. besides why do you want your radio in the glove-box where you can't reach it or have a knob radio that requires a cd-changer to use cd's

If you really want to have a stock GM faceplate in the dash, you can send off the OE GM radio to have new guts put in it. Then it will look perfectly factory, but have a digital tuner, etc inside and they can even add inputs (Ipod) and outputs for amps, etc.

[Jim85IROC]

Agreed. Even if you do cut the dash, it's nothing that a welder and a scrap piece of steel can't fix down the road.

The problem is that every time somebody puts a 1 DIN head unit into one of these trucks, they surface mount it or build some silly trim plate that looks like hell. If you take a few minutes to set the radio back in the opening and build a trim plate that fits snug to the radio faceplate, it'll look like it was meant to be there.

Exibit A: The radio in the truck when I bought it:


And exibit b: The radio I installed:


To do this properly, you need to build a mounting plate and attach it to the backside of the dash so that the radio sits back a little bit. Since the previous owner hacked my dash up good, this was pretty much my only option anyway. Depending on your specific radio and how "flush" you want it, you can use washers to set the mounting plate back deeper.

Mounting plate:


mounting plate installed in my hacked up dash:

[rddiaz]

You won't have to cut your dash if you get one of these ol'skool tape deck from alpine, you just buy the tape adapter at wal-mart (10 bucks) and plug in your zune or ipod, and your good to go...

[79gmcc15]

It really depends on what you demand out of your audio experience, if your happy with just radio. Then the Retro sound is for you. If you demand anything much more then that, then get a newer radio.

[britnjc]

Retro sound vs Custom Autosound is a topic thats been discussed a lot. I have heard quite a bit of negative feedback from Custom Autosound but none from retro and I have retro in my 1950 gmc. Retro does not have a tape deck or cd player but it does have hookups for a changer or usb port and also have a jack on the front to easily plug in your Ipod or MP3 player. I personally dont listen to cds that much and if I want mor that just a radio I plug in my Ipod. Sound is great also. I think mine was just over 200 with the trim plate and custom knobs. It offers a cleaner install and dont have to worry about cutting the dash.

[Chlsnk]

I tried to put a modern stearo in my truck and to say the least it really looks like hell .I'm really ashamed of how it turned out.

[Oilbrnr]

If you just want to go with front aux in and pre-out, Dual makes a shaft head unit that ain't too bad. $40 from Amazon or Crutchfield. That combined with my iPhone (mp3's, Pandora, Pocket Tunes = Howard Stern) an active crossover and a couple of amps, I'm a happy camper and there was no hacking involved.

Here is a pic when I was installing and doing other dash related things about a year ago.

[79gmcc15]

that looks cool. but isn't that a DBL Din radio? did you have to cut your bezel?

[ToughBowtieTruck]

just take and cut horizontal lines above and below the original radio holes. The plastic dash itself will need to be cut, but boo hoo. As for the truck dash just just lines like I said and bend the original holes in.

Then, if ever needed, bend the tabs back out and spot weld the cuts shut.

That is how I install my CD players.

[Tex_50613]

you can always get a din and 1/2 dash bezel and chunk of dash out of a 88-91 K5 or Suburban and aftermarket mounting kit and make it look real clean too, or even just mount a larger deck. (I plan on eventually mounting a retractable touch screan dvd-deck in my factory sterio location and using the spair bezel out of my 89 K5 to do so

[54Caddy]

i just cut out my dash and my carriage for the deck is mounted on the plastic, they do sell an install kit for these trucks i have one but got it after i cut the hole, with the install kit it you still have to cut out the metal on the dash, and trim the piece a little to get it to fit rite go to sonicelectronix.com and they have the install kit on there and all orders over $10 have free shipping.

[95 S_Trucker]

my bosses truck had an after market din sized radio in it when he bought it, he wanted an original looking radio from custom auto sound. i had to make a mounting plate that covered up where the last owner hacked the dash up. ill have some pics of it the next time i can. but we are both happy with the quality of the radio.

and this is what my truck is like now:

the last owner put this in, doesnt bother me tooo much yet, but i only drive the truck about once a week

[us111]

hello,just wanted to say if u cut it there is no return,depends on what you are doing with truck

[Ceeten]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

Agreed. Even if you do cut the dash, it's nothing that a welder and a scrap piece of steel can't fix down the road.

The problem is that every time somebody puts a 1 DIN head unit into one of these trucks, they surface mount it or build some silly trim plate that looks like hell. If you take a few minutes to set the radio back in the opening and build a trim plate that fits snug to the radio faceplate, it'll look like it was meant to be there.

Exibit A: The radio in the truck when I bought it:


And exibit b: The radio I installed:


To do this properly, you need to build a mounting plate and attach it to the backside of the dash so that the radio sits back a little bit. Since the previous owner hacked my dash up good, this was pretty much my only option anyway. Depending on your specific radio and how "flush" you want it, you can use washers to set the mounting plate back deeper.

Mounting plate:


mounting plate installed in my hacked up dash:

That looks great!! Looks like I have another project...

[andrewmp6]

There is two special radios that will fit the factory hole but no cd player.Its better to cut the dash and mount a din size its cheaper you get a cd player and sounds better.crutchfield has a plate for 20 bucks it covers the hole and helps you know where to cut.

[BLE 'BURBAN]

I moved my switches for the rear window/aux heater/rear defroster to where my stereo was and also installed a 1/2 DIN DVD player under them and moved my stereo into an overhead console