Hacking up dashes

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I did have an under dash cassette player with an FM converter for my AM radio, but removed it for a clean look, (I still have it) I listen to music and nascar on my factory installed am radio, and when I want to listen to some music I use this, It has great reception and looks fitting for Victoria :D it is can go with me if there is a foot ball game on.. I would like to upgrade to a nice new unit, but not quite yet :coffee2:
 

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I say cut it up any way you want to.. If you paid for it and do not have a loan on it then have at it. Would I buy a car with a cut up dash vs a car that isn't? Nope.. I do not even like race cars that have removed their dash...


But it all comes down to what you want to do with YOUR car.. Just do not try and sell it to me when I can get one that is not cut up.
 
Make it how you want it. I didn't need a heater or the actual radio in mine. I had planned on just using a small receiver of sorts in the glove box to plug an MP3 player into. I cut all that out and tried to make it like the original dash with a new insert installed.

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Anyone has the "right" to do whatever they want with their own car.
Who gives a fock what the next owner thinks when you're dead anyways!
 

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I personally wouldn't hack it.
It's easy enough to mount under the dash if you want tunes.
 
mine was already cut when I got it.... would I have cut it? not sure.... my 59 Suburban was also already cut.... but I can buy a brand new piece to weld into it if I ever decided to.... my cars are not show cars though, all of mine are daily drivers.
 
I cut mine like a surgeon with an air saw!!
 

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I quess it is the person that owns the car choose. me if the original radio is still in it leave it be and put in the glove box under the dash i have even seen them under the seat, with remote control. some you can put in the trunk and just have some infrared eye and remote.
 
I thought about hacking mine when I got my car restored, but I found one of the newer radios that fits in the slot and didn't need to "hack" it. Granted, the radio was expensive and doesn't accept a CD, but it does have an auxiliary jack and reads mp3 files from a card or flash drive, so that is good enough for me.

I used to be of the opinion that no one should hack the dash, but, it is just a dash and, they don't take modern stuff, so, if it is what you want to do to get the modern radio you want, I now say go for it.
 
Jason, same sort of conversation comes up with where to put the tach.

My skill level is low (and I would hate to mess up the cut) so i bought an adapter from the local stereo installer to install it under the dash. It fits quite nicely. I have left the original (working) radio in place. I am running a cable (fused) directly from the battery to the trunk where the amps, etc will reside.

I thought about the glove compartment but the deck isn't wireless and I can see my daughter trying to do something on the deck while driving...

BTW, did you ever live in NS ?
 
I plan on mounting my stereo in the glove box, and running a patch cable under the carpet to the transmission hump where the carpet overlaps. I will just plug in my phone and listen to pandora. Commercial free sattelite radio. I plan on running a radio delete in the dash , and no antenna.
 
Jason Cunningham said:
But does a person have the right to make irreparable modifications to a car that will be around long after he / she is dead.
Click to expand...
If I want to hack up my car I will. If I want to crush it I will.
In other words, hellz yeah a person has a right to make irreparable modifications to a car.
Well, as long as they own it lol.
 
grassy said:
Jason, same sort of conversation comes up with where to put the tach.

My skill level is low (and I would hate to mess up the cut) so i bought an adapter from the local stereo installer to install it under the dash. It fits quite nicely. I have left the original (working) radio in place. I am running a cable (fused) directly from the battery to the trunk where the amps, etc will reside.

I thought about the glove compartment but the deck isn't wireless and I can see my daughter trying to do something on the deck while driving...

BTW, did you ever live in NS ?
Click to expand...

Good idea, Grass. I think I will just get the adapter, and use a black faced head unit. Buy a new package tray, and install 6 by 9's, put a small sub in the trunk, ( easy to unhook at any time ), and possibly buy the kick panels from year one, with speakers already installed in them. Fire up the 340, insert Led Zeppelin 1, put on sunglasses......BOOM !!!!!!!.....OLD GUYS RULE !!!!!!! No, I never lived in Nova Scotia, but I do enjoy fishing, and drinking..........
 
You just about described my set up :) ..yup..we have fishin' , huntin' and beer here...
is it summer yet ?
 
I have a secret to tell everyone looking for an alternative to cutting the crap out of their dash, or even changing anything in the dash at all.

You can put modern music in your car for less than $40, without touching anything, or even placing the unit in the cabin of the car, at all, with full control at your seat.

1.Go on your local craigslist, ebay, amazon... pick your poison. Search for a 12v audio equalizer or automotive audio equalizer. Look at the specs and make sure it is pre-amped, if you aren't going to put an amplifier in the car. 200 watts is plenty. 150 if you don't care. Most are 300w.

2.Put the unit under the package tray, between the 6x9 speakers. Measure the distance from the RCA output on the unit, to the desired location of an input jack for a multimedia or mp3 player. Under the dash is sneaky. Under the seat, Somewhere by the console, etc.

4.Search your favorite market website again, this time for an RCA Y Female Cable, 1 foot longer than your measurement for the cable.

5. Run power to the unit. It only uses enough juice to run LED lights when it's not running input, so if you run it from constant power and leave it on overnight or something, by accident, it won't hurt the battery. If you don't run ignition source power, like a normal stereo, put a kill switch or something to shut it off, somewhere.

No more BS in the glovebox, no more heavy equipment under the dash, no more scratched CDs skipping over bumps, no more lost or stolen CDs, no more stolen decks... Everything you use to play music, like your smart phone or anything else you want to plug into the typical input jack, comes out of the car with you.

Dirt cheap, hidden, easy install = no brainer.

Andrew... Your interior is amazing. The night vision is insanity.

You sure know how to put a smile on my face. I love your car.

Also, just so everyone knows, there are several companies that reproduce just about every type of dash bezel for our Mopars.

If you want to fix it down the line, even if you don't want to buy new stuff, parts cars are around. Nothing is irreversible. I've taken roll cages and tubs out of cars to restore them.
 
A previous owner of my Dart hacked a big hole in the rally dash. They also put the flywheel through the floor. I put a block off plate in the hole and listen to the motor.
 
95teetee said:
If I want to hack up my car I will. If I want to crush it I will.
Click to expand...

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. What do I care what the next owner wants to do?

"But what if he wants to do a concourse restoration on my /6 1967 Dart?!?" Then I guess he'll have a little more work to do. Besides, they're either going to bury me in the car or my kids will keep it exactly like it was when I passed. I'm going to enjoy my tunes now.
 
When I bought my 72 Duster it came from Az. via Ebay auction When the car arrived the dash was hacked to death and bondoed into a race car type dash...The radio, cluster,switches, complete wiring harness and heater controls were gone and there was a huge hole under the bondo and cardboard..The car was listed as a complete vehicle..Live and learn...So know I resurfaced the face of the dash with stainless steel Installed white faced gauges speedometer and tach.. Lighted Toggle switches For a NASCAR look...And wired the whole car..It looks good but is not a show car..Why it was hacked up I have no idea but at 41 year old as a driver I dont really care... It is all a matter of what you are looking for.. Its your car if its done right I'm sure it will look good and make for a better ride...Bill
 
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