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shaft style stereo mounts

ramack

ramack

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My 16 yr old son will be driving my '77 and he's looking at upgrading the radio to something much newer, bluetooth, mp3 etc. Just about all the new mounting requires cutting out the shaft style mounting in the dash. Any reason not to cut out the dash? Just hate to hack out the dash, maybe I'm just being to anal...

Retro sells shaft style radio, but kinda pricey.

A quick search here shows the new radios installed which I'm guessing was done by cutting out the original mounting holes.
 
I hate butchering a unmolested dash up just to put in a newer radio..

On one of my square bodies I put the newer radio in the spot where an A/C duct would have been if it had A/C,above the ash tray,to the right..left the factory radio right where it was..(didn't work,I just left it to look "normal"..

I had to modify the factory opening,but it fit nicely and if I wanted to go back to stock,all I had to do was get the plastic trim piece off a junkyard donor...
 
I, unfortunately, cut the dash on mine when I was in high school. Many moons ago, and before I knew better.

There are several options rather than cutting today.

I have an adapter in one of my trucks that plugs into the cigarette lighter. You Bluetooth your phone to it, it transmits to whatever frequency you set it at, then tune your truck radio to listen to that frequency. Kinda like your own little radio tower/station.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tagital-...MI3tbniPbr6gIVgv3jBx3G_gVcEAkYASABEgKLvPD_BwE

The company that makes the factory look radio with the updates also makes a hidden version. I got one of these yeas ago to install in my elcamino. Was going to either mount the display in the glove box or rig up a bracket to mount it under the dash and be able to swing it up out of sight. Never got it installed.

https://customautosoundmfg.com/product/universal-radios/hideaway-radio

There's also the option of relocation. Under the dash, in a center console, or the overhead mount.

https://www.lmctruck.com/1973-91-chevy-gmc/headliners/csb-1976-91-highliner-with-built-in-speakers

I always thought the headliner mount was cool.
 
eric67camino said:
I, unfortunately, cut the dash on mine when I was in high school. Many moons ago, and before I knew better.

There are several options rather than cutting today.

I have an adapter in one of my trucks that plugs into the cigarette lighter. You Bluetooth your phone to it, it transmits to whatever frequency you set it at, then tune your truck radio to listen to that frequency. Kinda like your own little radio tower/station.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tagital-...MI3tbniPbr6gIVgv3jBx3G_gVcEAkYASABEgKLvPD_BwE

The company that makes the factory look radio with the updates also makes a hidden version. I got one of these yeas ago to install in my elcamino. Was going to either mount the display in the glove box or rig up a bracket to mount it under the dash and be able to swing it up out of sight. Never got it installed.

https://customautosoundmfg.com/product/universal-radios/hideaway-radio

There's also the option of relocation. Under the dash, in a center console, or the overhead mount.

https://www.lmctruck.com/1973-91-chevy-gmc/headliners/csb-1976-91-highliner-with-built-in-speakers

I always thought the headliner mount was cool.
Click to expand...

I tried one of those wireless transmitters when they first came out and could never get it to work. Guess there were too many stations in the Bay Area that always interferes with it or it was a bad design. Maybe they’ve improved since then. So what I did was open up both the transmitter and factory radio and figured out where the audio outputs were on the transmitter and the audio inputs on the amplifier in the factory radio. Soldered them together through a switch so I could still listen to the radio or my new auxiliary input. Did that to a Ford pickup I use to have too. :D
Probably a little more involved than what you’re looking for though.
 
rampage said:
I tried one of those wireless transmitters when they first came out and could never get it to work. Guess there were too many stations in the Bay Area that always interferes with it or it was a bad design. Maybe they’ve improved since then. So what I did was open up both the transmitter and factory radio and figured out where the audio outputs were on the transmitter and the audio inputs on the amplifier in the factory radio. Soldered them together through a switch so I could still listen to the radio or my new auxiliary input. Did that to a Ford pickup I use to have too. :D
Probably a little more involved than what you’re looking for though.
Click to expand...

I'd call my luck with the little transmitter about 50/50. I had one that didn't work worth a darn. The one I have now works well. Only issue with it is the occasional bump will knock it loose in the lighter socket and lose power. I've considered disassembling it and hardwiring, but it's not been enough of an issue to be a problem.
 
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I hate hacked dashes. I will never do it.

How about something along these lines? https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/d...-connectivity-your-factory-fm-radio-about-50/

Older article, probably can be done for $5 via ebay now lol. But I'm pretty sure everything is bluetooth/phone oriented now, so I dont see how you can go wrong with a bluetooth setup. Especially for kids. My newer car has bluetooth integrated and it is so much nicer than running cables or the FM modulators.

RCAs have no place on a vehicle either IMO (only locking connectors, yes I'm anal) but for something that wont leave you stranded, probably fine for a very long time.
 
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If you want Bluetooth i would get custom Autosound usa-740 I got the 630 and added the Bluetooth module which was another $80 and radio was 230 something. works out the same really, plus 630 is only 100 watts 740 is 300.
 
If your not gonna sell it for $30k at the Barret Jackson, just cut the dash.
If you cut it with a diamond cutter in a Dremel you can keep the plate and weld it back in if you ever care in the future.
But really every time the radio goes bad it's going to be harder to find a shaft style replacement.

Cut it, make it look good, don't look back.
 
I welded mine back in recently in my 77 but I wasn’t looking for a modern radio.

These days everyone wants bluetooth and whatnot and I don’t blame them.
Depends on what you want and how much your willing to modify the factory spot. Do a nice job like Rick said and don’t look back. Mine was hacked and I wanted to make it stock. Up to you!?
 
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Radios from this outfit are usually good quality, but you can often find them cheaper elsewhere. For most relatively modern systems, the extra price is worth it, because they have the faceplates, adapters, wiring harnesses and instructions.
These don't have all that, but they should fit, and look decent.
Still pricey though.

https://www.crutchfield.com/g_370850/Custom-Car-Stereos.html
 
I cut mine to update the radio....but I have to wonder how many guys have cut their fenders but won’t cut their dash? I’m resistant to cut my fenders, but had no problem cutting the dash, didn’t even think twice about it. To me, you can’t really tell the dash is cut once the radio trim is on:waytogo:, but everyone sees the fenders :doah:.
 
One thing he can do is just buy a blue tooth module and wire it straight to an amp, then the amp to the speakers. There will be no head unit. Volume control will come directly from his phone as will skipping songs. Downside is there is no AM/FM but who listens to that anymore anyway. This is what I did in my square body, and is pretty common in boats.

I used this one with good results

If he wants all the features of a head unit, Get a marine one like this
 
You can get am/FM through an app. It requires it to be plugged in charging or something so that it can use the cord as an antenna.

Both of my blue tooth adapters that hook to an amp won't allow the phone to control volume. :dunno:
But an AUX-RCA style adapter will.
 
TreeFarm said:
One thing he can do is just buy a blue tooth module and wire it straight to an amp, then the amp to the speakers.
Click to expand...

That seems a good way to do it. I think that this being for a youngster, you have to look at how they live...everything is wireless (or getting there) and revolves around the phone. It's far easier and cleaner to bluetooth something than any sort of cable/head unit.
 
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