BadBrad
10-14-2002, 02:15 PM
I've been meaning to post this here for some time. It was once posted on the "other" website.
Here are the steps necessary to place a DIN style stereo head unit in your 70 through 72 GS or Skylark. I bet it works for the 68 -69 cars too.
1. Get a 70 through 72 faceplate (AKA Bezel) from a junk car (It needn't be in optimum condition).
2. Using the DIN sleeve from your new CD player as a sizing template, center and cut an opening in the junk car faceplate. A Dremel tool with a cutting disk works well. Clean up the new hole making sure the DIN sleeve fits cleanly.
3. From cardstock or thick paper, make a template of the flat faceplate section where you cut the hole. The template must cover the entire surface from top to bottom and side to side.
4. Take the template to a plastic supply shop (see your local phone book) and have them cut a piece of plastic to match your template. I used a piece of black textured 3/16 in thick plastic sold at the shop. Have the shop cut out a hole the size of your CD player DIN sleeve. The shop thought it couldn't be done because the section of plastic at the top and bottom of the template would be too narrow. They were wrong. Their sharp router bit did a great job and did not shatter the narrow section. The round inside corners will need to be squared up with a razor blade for the DIN sleeve to fit.
5. Epoxy your new fabricated faceplate over the front of the junk car faceplate. Paint the entire faceplate in your favorite hue (I used satin black to match the stereo). Once the epoxy and paint has dried, slip the DIN sleeve through the front opening of the faceplate.
6. The opening of the dash for the factory radio is big enough for a refrigerator, so the whole assembly will easily slip through and the factory screw holes in the top of the faceplate will still match. The secret to the entire installation though is to bend down the steel tabs at the bottom of the factory dash opening. These are the tabs with screw holes in them for mounting the factory radio. Bend them down enough to provide a sturdy surface for the bottom of the DIN sleeve. To keep rattles to a minimum I also put some rubber isolator (split fuel hose) on the tabs. The combination of those steel tabs and the factory faceplate screws easily keeps the entire unit securely mounted.
7. The last step is to wire your CD player and slip the player through the DIN sleeve. The player's trim plate covers the remaining opening.
This installation technique is so good that your friends and family will be amazed that Buick was putting in-dash CD players in its cars way back in 1970!
:beer
Here are the steps necessary to place a DIN style stereo head unit in your 70 through 72 GS or Skylark. I bet it works for the 68 -69 cars too.
1. Get a 70 through 72 faceplate (AKA Bezel) from a junk car (It needn't be in optimum condition).
2. Using the DIN sleeve from your new CD player as a sizing template, center and cut an opening in the junk car faceplate. A Dremel tool with a cutting disk works well. Clean up the new hole making sure the DIN sleeve fits cleanly.
3. From cardstock or thick paper, make a template of the flat faceplate section where you cut the hole. The template must cover the entire surface from top to bottom and side to side.
4. Take the template to a plastic supply shop (see your local phone book) and have them cut a piece of plastic to match your template. I used a piece of black textured 3/16 in thick plastic sold at the shop. Have the shop cut out a hole the size of your CD player DIN sleeve. The shop thought it couldn't be done because the section of plastic at the top and bottom of the template would be too narrow. They were wrong. Their sharp router bit did a great job and did not shatter the narrow section. The round inside corners will need to be squared up with a razor blade for the DIN sleeve to fit.
5. Epoxy your new fabricated faceplate over the front of the junk car faceplate. Paint the entire faceplate in your favorite hue (I used satin black to match the stereo). Once the epoxy and paint has dried, slip the DIN sleeve through the front opening of the faceplate.
6. The opening of the dash for the factory radio is big enough for a refrigerator, so the whole assembly will easily slip through and the factory screw holes in the top of the faceplate will still match. The secret to the entire installation though is to bend down the steel tabs at the bottom of the factory dash opening. These are the tabs with screw holes in them for mounting the factory radio. Bend them down enough to provide a sturdy surface for the bottom of the DIN sleeve. To keep rattles to a minimum I also put some rubber isolator (split fuel hose) on the tabs. The combination of those steel tabs and the factory faceplate screws easily keeps the entire unit securely mounted.
7. The last step is to wire your CD player and slip the player through the DIN sleeve. The player's trim plate covers the remaining opening.
This installation technique is so good that your friends and family will be amazed that Buick was putting in-dash CD players in its cars way back in 1970!
:beer