Thread: Need tunes in my Chevy

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Don't know if this is the right forum - redirect if necessary.

I have a 66 Caprice, and I'm looking to upgrade to a CD/Stereo AM/FM system, complete with a small sub.

My biggest problem is how to mount the receiver/deck - under the dash? floor mount? I plan to leave the original AM unit in the dash for aesthetics (it's toast), and I don't think I want to mount the unit in the glove box or use an in-trunk or under-seat changer.

Has anyone out there had experience or seen good/classy ways of doing this?

Thanks for any input.

TA

does that car have a bench seat in the front? If so, you could build a nice center console on the floor in the front and mount one in there.

i think if you are going for the origianal look b leaving radio in dash id hide the new one at that point you are defieting the purpose , or... take the origianal one out and store it and put a direct fit classic autosound radio in you wont have to cut the dash and they look old school too , i had one in my 57 chevy and it worked great

Have you considered an overhead console, either in the center or to one side. I have seen both done very nicely. An aluminum overhead console is available and a friend has one in his 34 Chevy. Another friend has a custom fiberglas console mounted on the front passenger side of the headliner in his 37 Chevy. The one in the 34 is covered with fabric to match the interior, the one in the 37 is painted to match the car color.

I removed the original Wonderbar radio in my 57 Olds and replaced it with an original stainless cover. Then I had a custom plywood console built to include a radio, 4 S-W guages, a/c vents, electric window switches, and a storage compartment. Then I had the whole thing covered with the same fabric used in the interior. I replaced by front bench with buckets and extended the console all the way back to the rear seat (with another storage unit in the rear). If you have a bench seat you can still do something very nice although a little smaller.

Thanks for all the ideas. I've seen some of the 'retro' replacement units. They look good, but I haven't seen one that does everything (CD/MP3/WMA). I'm not turning this into a window-rattling buggy, but I am hoping for good, clean sound, and a lot of it when the spirit moves.

I've considered both console mount and under-dash. There's room for both, but I worry about temperature extremes in the winter. This thing has a great heater! and really pumps out the BTUs. The headliner console is something that I've not considered.

I plan (at this juncture) to keep the bench seat, although I'm not sure if I'm going to try to match up the original when I recover it or go with a whole new interior theme. I guess for now, I'll try to find a mounting that will work either under the dash, or on the console, and then work to make it look really pretty in time, when I get the $$$ for a real face lift.