Bill and list:
Piece o'cake, but just.
Remove the factory blanking plate, whether it has a radio installed or not.
Lay up the DIN template (75mm x whatever, measure your radio for a "precise"
fitting) to the centre of the inset part of the plate. Try to centre the
template in both axes - be careful of this as any modern radio will
literally "sit" on the tranny tunnel, and if you cut the hole too low the
radio will never sit square.
Cut hole, with room for finish filing and offer up the sleeve to the plate.
It should slide in without binding or the radio will be difficult to slide
in as you will see soon...
Offer the assembly to the centre support archway. Problems at this stage
will include lining up the 2 holes at the top but under the dash trim. It
is very easy to nick the trim at this point. Verify that the radio will
clear the tranny tunnel.
Wire the radio harness in place and test EVERYTHING before the final
installation. When you are ready to fit the radio you need to do things in
2 stages:
First, offer the plate to the archway at about a 30 degree angle - fit
bolts one size smaller (1/4, not 5/16 for e.g.) and longer so that the plate
may move about. Introduce the radio chassis on a 45 degree angle - or some
angle sympathetic with the shifter in 4th gear (life would be much easier if
you removed the shifter!!).
Um, @#$% with it for a bit, being careful not to tear the shift gaiter -
this is also easy to do. Once the radio is 1/2 home, so are you. Plug in
the harness and radio test again. Fit the proper plate bolts however you
need to. This is the most awkward bit - but not nearly as awkward as
removing them hours later when you find the radio is inoperative because you
failed to test it !! Just ask me how I know, and why I shy away from used
equipment now ;)
Happy tuneage everyone.
Dave Terrick
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