I have a 71 cutlass with floor **** and I want to add an after market stero, but I dont want to ruin the integrity of the car buy removing the original and cutting. Is there a way to mount the stereo just below the old one. I saw a cutlass that had it monted under the dash and it had a plastic housing that held the stereo. Is there something like this that can be bought after market to install the stereo? I have attached a photo of where I would like to install.

 

how about inside the glove box?

 

I HATE it when that happens...

Actually, there is. I've seen repros of the factory 8-track housing that are designed to hold an aftermarket stereo. Unfortunately, I don't have a link.

Alternately, there are vendors who will install late model stereo guts in the factory radio. Looks completely original and works great. You can even get aux inputs. It's not cheap, however.

 

There is a guy on e-Bay that sells the repro housing that mounts under the dash.

I went with the conversion route. Found a cosmetically nice radio, and had it converted to modern stereo. Updated the speakers, and had the 8 track redone as well.

Looks 100% stock, and sounds great.

Vendors:

Radio - www.retroradio.biz

Speakers - www.turnswitch.com

Both are great.

Expect to shell out about $400 for the radio conversion and speakers.

 

Here is a pic of the mounting brace under the dash. I saw this in someone elses cutlass. This is what I would like to do. Does anyone know where I can get this.

 

Hi Parrish - good to see you here...
That last picture looks to be the aftermarket 8-track player housing that some people use to mount other stuff in.
The parts place sells the repro housing and bracket, but some people here had some issues with fit and looks issues with it. Do a search here on 8-track housing. I think OPG sells a housing also.
If you go this route, the lower plastic dash valience (with the "crotch-cooler" vents) will need to be removed and cut to fit around the housing.

 

Only if you have A/C. There is no lower valance without A/C.

 

He has A/C but his valiance is removed in the above picture...

 

Good eyes. I didn't catch that.

 

I bet you also missed that his valiance was brown and not black...










(OK, I know only because I saw his car in pics about a month ago... )

 

Heck, I have that problem with my socks...

 

Do you mean the basic everyday aftermarket underdash stereo housing?
With the Olds 8-Track housing you would need the housing and the pad for the face, over 200 bucks. There's also the woodgrain metal faceplate that's another 40 bucks and won't work with a radio anyway, a lot of housing face modifications would have to be done and a faceplate fabricated. A lot of guys use the 8-Track housings for gauges too, usually gut stock ones, around 250 dollars just for an original uncracked housing.
By the time you got done buying that stuff and the stereo it would be a lot cheaper to have your unit reworked and an MP3 jack added for recorded tunes or mount a unit in the glove box.

It would be tough to mount an underdash aftermarket housing to the lower a/c valance in place, it's rounded and not real strong, plus you would have to make mounting holes in it.
I used an underdash housing and mounted it to the top of my glove compartment. I added a boat remote in the ash tray so I wouldn't have to leave the door open all the time. This is in my GTO, the Vista Cruiser has a stock am-fm stereo and an underdash 8-Track stereo. The car is all original, including the sound.

3081953752_fbf6fa4b84.jpg3081953770_3ba26a55fb_m.jpg

 

What's a "boat remote"?

C.J.

 

a "Boat Remote" is typically a wired remote. IE you dont have to point it at the radio and can put the radio in a more remote location.

 

Hey guys,

Look at this thread and I ordered one of these and the guy is now a menber of the forum. Great look and I will post pics of mine after the install. You can buy them off ebay from him

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...onsole-cd.html

 

I've epoxied radios there ...

...

 

If interested, I have a post in the 442 forum section called (am radio conversion) that shows my stock am radio upgraded with new Kenwood internals along with a MP3 jack. Also is the website of the gentleman that does them. I don't think it cost more than $300.00

Dave