Hi, Any tips on best way to replace the radio in my 73 Delta. Just need to know if it can it be removed from front by removing the dash panel it's installed in or must it come out from the back/bottom, thanks.

 

If you can get your hand up behind the dash at the bottom and take the support bracket loose, you can do it by pulling out the RH dash pod and removing from the top.

If you can't get back there, well- you have to take the lower dash apart to get it out and remove from the bottom. 1973 Chassis Service Manual will come in handy.

I can take a 74-76 apart in my sleep, but been a while since I fooled with a 71-73.

 

I have a '73 Custom Cruiser, and the dash arrangement is identical. You need to remove the lower trim panel below that part of the dash. Then you can easily reach up behind the radio and loosen the nut on the bolt that is attached to the back of it. You'll need to remove the ***** and nuts from the front and pull the radio back and down. It's quite easy to get at once the trim panel is removed. You cannot remove the radio by removing the dash panel that surrounds it because that doesn't give you access to the rear of the radio to loosen the bolt that attaches it to the support bracket. The radio is not held in place just by the nuts around the on/off and tuning *****.

Take the lower trim panel off, which is not hard, and all will become obvious. You also need access to the rear of the radio in order to disconnect the wiring.


P.S. While you've got the radio out, this is an ideal time to check the bulbs in your instrument cluster as this is the only way to get at those bulbs. With the radio out of the way, you can reach pretty easily up behind the speedometer housing, which is where all the warning lights and speedometer illumination lights are, and remove them one by one and test them. In my case, several of the illuminating lights were burned out, and I replaced them.

 

A digression, but, Jaunty, do you know whether there are supposed to be any lights to illuminate the PRNDSL scale beneath the speedometer? I've had my dash apart, and I never did see any, but that area is dark, and it looks like it should have some light.

- Eric

 

I need to clarify my comments about removing the lower trim panel, but to answer MDchanic's question first, yes, there should be illumination of the gear selector quadrant. There are actually only three lamps that provide instrument cluster illumination. Two are about half-way up the cluster on either side, and I would say that, roughly, they are right behind the 25 mph and 95 mph tick marks on the speedometer. The other one is right smack dab in the middle of a line connecting the left and right turn signal indicator lights, which puts it basically right on top of the "N" in ParkRNDSL.

Interestingly, there is no light very near the fuel gauge.


Now, about the lower trim panel below the radio. That trim panel is actually all one piece running from the just to the right of the steering column all the way past the glove box. You have to open the passenger door to get at one of the screws that hold it in as it comes in from the right side. There are about a half-dozen hex-head screws along the bottom of the panel and several more along the top, including some that you get at by opening the glovebox and the ashtrays. Some along the top are hex-head, and others are Phillips head. You will have to remove the trim piece covering the lower steering column as that piece overlaps the trim panel to the right plus the smaller one to the left to give the entire lower trim a more finished look.

You will actually have to remove the glovebox latch striker. If you want to remove the trim panel away from the car, you will need to disconnect the glovebox light. Otherwise, since you just want to get at the radio end, you might be able to just turn it up and out of the way. But it is kind of a big, bulky piece, and removing it from the car completely makes for a little more ease of access.

But this is why I say that, once you've got the darn thing off, you might as well service as many thing as you can so you don't have to go through the trouble of removing it again. It's easy to remove in the sense of ease of access of all the screws, but it's still a bit of a pain removing all those screws, disconnecting the glovebox light wire, and arm-wrestling it out of the car.

 

Thanks, Jaunty. I've had the speedo out and thought I'd replaced all bulbs with new, but I may have missed one.

As for that panel, I agree - it's a bit unwieldy to get completely off, because it's big and floppy, but once it's off, you've got access to all sorts of stuff, including the light bulbs above the two ashtrays.

Thanks,

- Eric

 

Thanks guys, you've given me what I want to know.
Larry