Radio Installation - Part 2 - 06/02/2006

More installation fun. Speaker is in, but the hidden unit has to go somewhere. Preferrably out of the way and hidden. And the CD changer needs to be installed. I plan on the bucket\console conversion at one point, so I will need to take that into account. My plans right now are for the CD changer and control panel to go under the passenger seat. Gotta run the wires though!



Broken tab on the duct. I am going to fix this rather than ignore it.



Gotta get the sill plates up to get the 4 bolts per side (obviously back before cost reduction). I see no way how this was EASILY built on a line. It took me almost 45 minutes just to get all of the bolts out.



Seat is moved back. Quite dirty under there. Mostly junk, no bugs.



An inspection tag for the carpet dated April 17th AM. I assume this was April 17th 1967 on the AM shift.



An XVIII coin for Dr. Bob and Bill. I researched and this is an AA coin for 18 years of sobriety. Considering the lack of dents and hack-jobs on this car, I believe it. If this was a Trans Am, there would have been a ton of 30 day coins (if anything at all).

All in all this car had useful stuff underneath the seat. It sure beat the usual junk and naked men pens...
1 Melted Scredriver
1 Alan Wrench for a drill (no idea on the size)
1 Receipt for training wheels ($8.88) from KMart ca 2001
3 External filters for cigarettes (think from a Philly or Swisher Sweet)
1 Raleigh cigarette
1 tightly wrapped questionable "tobacco" product
10 Gum wrappers
1 AA coin
1 Plumber's Sealant
1 Water bottle top
4 Different kind of screws (all wood and sheet rock variety)
3 Different wires of various length, single conductor like used in domestic wiring
1 Dime (cash out!)

You really get a classier breed when dealing with a family man's car rather than the local idiot's hot rod. Lots of work related items which indicate that our history was filled with people who actually had jobs and did real work, or at least drove others who did. Or did work in the front seat and let it fall under the seat (all under the driver's side, virtually nothing under the passenger side).



More inspection tags. April 10th AM.



The CD changer and control panel wires run through the transmission tunnel carpeting. LOTS of sound deadener and insulation under here. The carpet is actually in pretty good shape, albeit quite dirty. The carpet appears to have been quality stuff when new rather than the fading\ripping garbage they were putting in cars by the 1970's. Very tightly packed down from the factory too.



Wires come out near the AC\heater box.



The stereo is going to be on top of the box. This is the fresh air draw area, so it shouldn't get too hot (like when the heater core is turned on). It is the ONLY spot where there is room and something isn't going to be under the dash. It's also right near the antenna wire too so it's convenient. I did a movement test on the temperature cable and it doesn't interfere. It's quite jammed in there, so I don't anticipate it going anywhere save in a catastrophic wreck. I did make sure nothing is going to be near the heatsink on the back. Of course I don't play the radio loud, so it shouldn't get very hot anyway. This thing has the potential for 2(!) amps to be installed, which obviously means they intend this radio for serious work. Good thing my musical needs are so 1980 it hurts.

Yet another 2.5 hours gone just to get to this point. I need to pick up JB Weld tomorrow to fix that AC piece so I can begin to put the car back together. I powered up the stereo this evening and it works quite well. Nice and decent sound and good reception from the antenna (impressive for being in the garage, those in-dash antennas stink in my experience). Tomorrow I mount the CD changer and start to put everything back together. Then maybe I can install disc brakes and drive the car around more often...

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Last updated June 2nd, 2006