Hi Mark,
I had a web document up but it got wiped out accidentally by my isp and I
haven't got around to putting it back. Here's a picture of
my CD stereo radio in my '66:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292164555
click on the 3rd car picture of my red '66 to see an enlarged picture of the
radio.
You'll need to make a new metal mask for the front of the console. The
uppermost position will be wide enough for
standard modern radios. I'm not the only one who has done this. Ron
Hamilton's rocketship is a beautiful example of trick mods.
I took the faceplate from the console. For sheetmetal I used a discarded
cookie-sheet; it's flimsier than the original. Good thing - easy to bend to
shape. Bad thing - might be too weak if one pressed too hard on the
cigarette lighter. Since then, I've found other sources of sheet metal - a
hobby store that sells sheet metal easels for magnetic stickers.
My new stereo came with a thin-metal box frame that's mounted in a car dash,
and the stereo slides into it. I used the thin-metal box frame as a template
and traced the necessary outline on the upper portion of the new
cookie-sheet faceplate. Allow extra metal for the curved parts and be
careful to allow for the air-vent slider controls and aluminum trim at the
top.
Where the old radio position was, I traced holes for four cutouts rather
than the stock three. Two are where the old radio knobs went, and two would
be in the position where the rectangular hole for the old radio was located.
This way, I have two power outlets instead of one.
I used a jigsaw with a ferrous-metal cutting blade, and a dremel tool with
metal-cutting wheels to cut out the holes and the new template. This took a
long time to do. Since then, I purchased a Rebel Rotozip cutting tool - this
would make the cutout work a piece of cake.
After cutting the new faceplate, put in the necessary bends. To get the
bottom curved bend, roll it over a large pipe. To get the necessary bevels
for the controls, place the area over a wood block and tap the edges with a
small hammer.
Then place the new faceplate over the existing console box and trace cutouts
for the necessary holes, and cut them. This won't harm the stock condition
of the car, as you can always put back a stock faceplate and radio and no
one will know the difference. After that, I painted the new faceplate with
Hammerite dark gray spray anti-rust paint.
Have fun doing it (it was a fun project), Fred Katz
1966 Loosie
P.S. Solvang is one month away - http://www.badroc.com for the registration
form.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Sedlack" <msedlack@neo.rr.com>
To: "Datsun Roadster Mailing List (E-mail)"
<datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 10:25 AM
Subject: Modern radio
> I recall seeing a couple of web sites documenting swapping position of
radio
> and controls on a flat dash car to have enough room for a modern radio,
but
> like an id-jut, I forgot to save the links. Anyone?
>
> Mark Sedlack
> OROC
> Cuyahoga Falls OH
> 66 1600 http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/images/datsun1600/
> 77 280Z http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/images/datsun1600/Z/Z.htm
/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
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