Hi All,
I've just finished re-furbishing my 71 Elky. The problem is I need some tunes but I am having trouble deciding on what to do. I would really like to have a FM/CDPlayer unit but the new ones would require me to cut a big hole in the dash. The ones i've seen from OPG will fit the stock hole with a cassett deck and have the external CDPlayer for BIG money! Any advice?
Chuck

Put a conventional indash cd player in your glove compartment. Thats what I did in my 65, of course I cheeseballed the installation and have it held in tight with a classy piece of styrofoam, but u can strap it down, use velcro or build a custom front plate from something to hold the stereo. To avoid having to lean across the car you could also get a headunit with a remote control and that way easily be able to change stations and or tracks while driving.
good luck!

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Steve
64SS-327-4spd-sold to Original owner! (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/64old1.jpg)
65 Malibu 283/PG (Homepage) (http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/chevelle/)
Team Chevelle Member #71

Take a look at this site, then find your local distributor from there list. I plan on the Secret version for my 65 and leave the radio delete in the dash. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif http://www.custom-autosound.com/


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1965 Chevelle
Maroond


Maroon 65 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/marooned65.jpg)

Chuck;

Go to the technical reference section of this site and check out how I installed a stereo in the glove box (in my 64).

One of the things that should be of interest is the "infared" link for the remote control (so that it can be worked with the door closed).

None of it was easy, but should give ideas.

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Wes. Vann
Technical Reference section
Gold Member #5

Chuck -

Another option is to mount the aftermarket player under the dash, while keeping a stock radio in the original location. Check out the pic of the setup in one of my cars:
http://www.geocities.com/rseitzx/underdashcd.jpg

It only required three small holes in the edge of the dash underside (through the metal support at the bottom). The back of the unit is suspended by a metal rod, and the installation is nice and rigid. If the unit is ever removed, the small holes in the dash underside would only be visible by someone on their back, and even then they would be tough to distinguish from the existing factory holes along the edge. One drawback is that you do have to lean forward to reach the controls, but its closer than the glovebox. Good luck!

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Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50
ACES #3784

'68 SS396
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
rseitz@chevelles.com

I replaced the CAS in-dash unit with a Pioneer radio/casette player and installed a 6 CD changer on the rear bulkhead behind the seats. This unit has a small wireless remote which controls the whole setup pretty conveniently. I also covered the doors and rear panels with Dynamat sound deadener and added acoustical padding beneath the carpeting. It all makes for excellent sound when I'm not just listening to the music the motor makes. Dual Flowmaster Series 50 Delta Flows and an "X" pipe sound pretty good too!

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Mike Ahlmann
'69 Elky SS-396
Sunnyvale, CA
There are no athiests at 150 MPH!

Chuck
If you decide to but a player from custom auto sound they sell through JC Whitney and their latest catalog had a 15% off coupon for orders over $150.I just bought mine this way.
Tony

Here's what I did and am real happy with it. But you have to do it the way you want to. I mounted the cd player under the dash below the heater controls. I originally had a good set of guages there, so I took them out mounted the cd player and then mounted the guages to the underside of the cd player. Looks pretty cool! And the of course the amp is in the trunk. Just an idea.


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Steve

Here's what I did and am real happy with it. But you have to do it the way you want to. I mounted the cd player under the dash below the heater controls. I originally had a good set of guages there, so I took them out mounted the cd player and then mounted the guages to the underside of the cd player. Looks pretty cool! And the of course the amp is in the trunk. Just an idea. Oh ya that way the original radio can go where it belongs.


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Steve

I'm with Wes- Custom fit something for your glove box.

I'm a audio buff & have good stuff installed in my elky- but also didn't want to cut up the dash and be obvious with the stuff. In my opinion- the radios from custom autosound fit the dashboard holes and play music, but they can't hold a candle to a top end head unit from clarion or pioneer (insert your fav vendor here)

I'm currently fabricating a mount that will sit directly behind the glox box door on my '69.

I know a few guys who had a custom stero shop design simlar setups for them for a couple hundred bucks.

If you just want music & don't care the quality, look at someof the custom autosound or underdash things. If you want top end- and hidden- do the glovebox thing.

I purchased a knob version of a good brand cassette radio with the controls for a remote 6 disc cd changer. this radio mounted in the original spot with the CD changer behind the seat. (72 elcamino).

I figured this would be the best of both worlds. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Good luck. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif
Tim

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Mr. D
72 454 El Camino
68 RS/SS Camaro
73 RS/LT/Z28 Camaro
99 Firebird TA WS-6 A4 Color: Pewter
1995 LT-1 Caprice
1976 Jaguar XJ12L Chevy 350 converted . . for sale.

don't beat me up for this BUT if done correctly, a cut dash looks fine. http://members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/dash.jpg

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1970 SS396 AKA 454/4spd
My Chev-Hell Page (http://hometown.aol.com/jnkb2cool/home.html)
Member #783
Ft.Worth, Tx
Big Block Chevy.net (http://www.bigblockchevy.net)
proud owner of this site

I'm with chev-hell

It's your car, if you wanna cut the dash then go ahead and do it. I cut the dash on my '71 and it looks great. I'm never going to put a knob style radio in it again anyway so what difference does it make? I have another dash to put in my car because the one I have is melted above the cigarette lighter, and I plan to cut that one too. Bottom line is, it's your car, unless your trying to go for originality to make it worth more it doesn't make a difference.


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Chris Dagenais
Saskatchewan
'71 Malibu with a home built 454!
"Hard work MAY pay of in the long run, but laziness pays off NOW"
My Page (http://www.ycworld.net)

Chuck,
I know this is the wrong forum, but I just wanted to know why you feel you would go with 265/50/15 on the front of your El Camino. Did the 275/50/15 hit ?
Thanks

Well...I decided to elongate one of the holes inboard about 1/2 inch and installed a Kenwood KRC-2007 Stereo/Casset deck ($99).
Mounted a Kenwood 6 disk (FM Modulated) remote CD player ($199) behind the seat and mounted a 1" piece of angle just below the dash to hold the remote control head there with velcro. I can remove the control and slide it up under the dash when im gone and you cant tell theres a CD player in the car. Connected it all up to a Crunch 300W amp ($99) mounted on the back wall and feed them into a pair of MTX-80 Truck box speakers behind the seat ($99). Next is to mount some small box speakers up under the front. Put 4x6's in the kick panels and they sucked.

Good luck. http://home1.gte.net/res096qi/71Elky.htm

p.s. im running the 275/50/15 on my 71 Elky. Have slight rub on hard bumps since I put shorter springs and B-body spindles. The 265/50/15 are 1" smaller in diameter.
Works for me...

WOW WOW WOW .....:eek :eek :eek

I didnt even realize it! This was a post I put up over a year ago!

Whats it doing back?? Cant believe I replyed to it before noticing what it was...