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  • #31
    Originally posted by TB2 View Post
    Instead of investing in a radio, invest in better mufflers to really make that motor sound sweet. Then you won't need the radio!

    Darn good point ,there !!!

    **** FEAR THIS ! ***

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    • #32
      Originally posted by skar View Post

      I ordered this one. USA 6 concours the old ones have a lot of BAD press
      They the manufacturer claims all new design and if I don't like it they will take it back. So if it does not work out I will look at vintage auto.
      http://www.casmfg.com/radios.htm
      Can I ask how the USA-6 worked for you all these years later? I just bought the Custom Autosound USA-740 and am keeping my fingers crossed its a good radio.
      Vintage Car Radio - Modern radios, stereos and accessories to fit classic cars. Get cd players, bluetooth stereos, consoles and more for vintage autos.

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      • #33
        I went with the vintage auto radio from http://www.vintageautoradio.com/index.php and have been very pleased.

        Nice clean install and very good sound.

        13th!!! Annual Michigan FBody Meet & Greet Car Show 2017
        June 10th, 2017 - 9am to 3pm!!!
        Bakers of Milford, Milford, MI



        Classics only cost alot if you add up what you spend!

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        "The winner ain't the one with the fastest car, it's the one who refuses to lose."
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        • #34
          Originally posted by skar View Post
          ? what after market radio are you using in you 1st gen.
          I am looking into a classic autosound USA-6
          240 watts (60 x 4) with MP3 / Ipod CD player jacks.
          I worked in the aftermarket electronics industry for some time during college so hopefully I can shine some light on your options. It all comes down if you want to cut your dash from a shaft style radio to accommodate a single DIN sized radio. Here's the issue - the custom autosound radios are GARBAGE. I'd install them, and then uninstall them the next season. You'd be better off with a 50 dollar DUAL radio. Stick with reputable brands that are CEA 2006 compliant. Never measure peak power, always RMS. This means that with a stock deck, you're only getting 4-5 watts of TRUE power to each speaker at all times.

          If you want to cut the dash, go with a nice sony, pioneer, kenwood, etc. by nice, i mean NOT the 99.99 best buy special. Expect to spend 2-350 for your deck. From here, your options are endless. Hell, even double dins are affordable these days. You can land one for 300 bucks from a good company.

          If you don't want to cut the dash, you still have options. You could always go with the custom autosound and live with its clipped signal with minimal control, or you could go with this approach.

          This is what I would do if I were in your shoes. I'd keep the stock radio in place and mount an IR repeater somewhere inconspicuous. Leave the stocker in the dash for asthetics. You could then mount an aftermarket deck behind the dash or in the trunk that can all be controlled by remote.

          If you want a better approach, you could wire in a JL audio clean sweep or audiocontrol LC4 unit and use that to send signal to an Alpine KTP445U power amp that makes 50x4 RMS. Form there, you could control your whole audio system through your phone or ipad. That's what I was primarily doing before I left the industry in 2011. I'll be happy to elaborate if you wish.

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          • #35
            sorry, just noticed this thread is UBER DEAD. anyway, the info i provided is still valid and worked in many vintage applications.

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            • #36
              Originally posted by ruckusz28 View Post
              sorry, just noticed this thread is UBER DEAD. anyway, the info i provided is still valid and worked in many vintage applications.
              Certainly valid - and important. Gotta keep people away from spending, frankly, a lot of money on something that is ultimately garbage.

              My '81 has a super-80's Kenwood tape deck, which I bet was really high end when my uncle had it installed (damn thing has ribbon tweeters in the doors and a full custom rear deck setup), but unless I can find Journey tapes to put in there on repeat (well, figuratively - it has to rewind), it might be worthwhile to change it out to something newer that allows Aux in, or USB. But also isn't a colossal piece of shit. This one keeps that '80s vibe alive, though, so it might be worth leaving it to maintain that.

              Even has a false-insert that makes it look like a regular AM/FM radio. Both that and the radio's metal faceplate shoot backwards upon my first 1-2 WOT shift.
              Gone but not forgotten: 1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

              "You shall ride eternal. Shiny and chrome."

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              • #37
                Good info to have Mike.

                I'm crushed by the absolute and total lack of a good option in the 1.5 DIN world. GM and Chrysler used these for decades....millions of applications, and I can't find one decent (or even not-so-decent) 1.5 on the market. It's like they never existed.

                If anyone knows of a good option in that space, I'd love to hear about it.
                DynoDave
                POCI # 72200



                1988 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by DynoDave View Post
                  Good info to have Mike.

                  I'm crushed by the absolute and total lack of a good option in the 1.5 DIN world. GM and Chrysler used these for decades....millions of applications, and I can't find one decent (or even not-so-decent) 1.5 on the market. It's like they never existed.

                  If anyone knows of a good option in that space, I'd love to hear about it.
                  Most people just use the mounting bracket (Scosche or Metra) for the application which converts it down to a 1-DIN. Most of those have a small pocket under/above the head unit. That's what my IROC had (though it just centered the head unit, rather than adding a pocket). My brother's '00 Century has the pocket.
                  Last edited by MP81; April 26th, 2017, 10:38 AM.
                  Gone but not forgotten: 1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

                  "You shall ride eternal. Shiny and chrome."

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                  • #39
                    Yes, that is the most popular way to go. I just don't care for it visually. When all of the trim around it is designed for a 1.5, and the HVAC controls are of similar size (for symmetry), I just don't care for the look. It can be done nicely, and looks just fine, but I'd prefer not to. Just personal taste.

                    And again, a personal thing, I'm not a fan of most of the single DIN radios out there. They all look largely alike: single large multi-function knob on the left, and some sort of light show display in the rest of it. They look neat, but just not to my taste.

                    However, with no other viable choices, I may have to go that way.

                    I'm just a grumpy old man, Kyle!
                    DynoDave
                    POCI # 72200



                    1988 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

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                    • #40
                      Oh, I won't argue they're not that appealing to look at. Especially the ones with the single DIN in the middle - they stick out farther than stock and look out of place, like a giant wide mutant nipple.

                      I don't mind the head units themselves so much - you may have liked the radio I had in my IROC when I got it first - it didn't even have a volume knob. I sold it a good few years ago, and it didn't have aux, bluetooth or a working CD player anyways since it was old.

                      But yep, you may be stuck - just look through all the available head units around and maybe you'll find one that you can live with.
                      Gone but not forgotten: 1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

                      "You shall ride eternal. Shiny and chrome."

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by DynoDave View Post
                        Good info to have Mike.

                        I'm crushed by the absolute and total lack of a good option in the 1.5 DIN world. GM and Chrysler used these for decades....millions of applications, and I can't find one decent (or even not-so-decent) 1.5 on the market. It's like they never existed.

                        If anyone knows of a good option in that space, I'd love to hear about it.
                        What are you looking for in a new head unit, and what are your overall sound system goals?
                        MP81 likes this.

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                        • #42
                          Just bought a box to allow me to run my iPhone through my factory Monsoon system. Wasn't too optimistic it would work, but I got it today, installed it, and was pleasantly surprised. Bought it from a guy on LS1tech. He got it from the WS6store.
                          When in doubt, Whip it out !

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                          • #43
                            Originally posted by MP81 View Post
                            Oh, I won't argue they're not that appealing to look at. Especially the ones with the single DIN in the middle - they stick out farther than stock and look out of place, like a giant wide mutant nipple.

                            I don't mind the head units themselves so much - you may have liked the radio I had in my IROC when I got it first - it didn't even have a volume knob. I sold it a good few years ago, and it didn't have aux, bluetooth or a working CD player anyways since it was old.

                            But yep, you may be stuck - just look through all the available head units around and maybe you'll find one that you can live with.
                            Mutant third nipple. Yes, I can see that.

                            I have found an audio store that has some old stock of marine stereos that are 1.5 DIN. I'm just not sure if there a sacrifice in quality in making them waterproof, or if they are any better than stock anyhow.
                            DynoDave
                            POCI # 72200



                            1988 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

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                            • #44
                              Originally posted by birdie2000 View Post

                              What are you looking for in a new head unit, and what are your overall sound system goals?
                              What am I looking for? That's a tough one. I guess units that haven't been around for a decade or so, it would appear. I'd like to stay 1.5, I don't mind a modern appearance, though something a little more 90s would be fine (as in knobs for functions, rather than menus) probably black in color. Sort of like my factory 90s truck DELCO unit is, I guess.


                              The look of this JVC (link below) is good, but it's a double.

                              So I may just keep the DELCO, add an MP3 jack somehow, and a nice amp and call it a day. That's what I did in my T/A. And while I'm not entirely pleased with how that worked out, it's better than it was, looks "right" and I have a few more changes in mind that might improve it further. (The current shopping is for a '97 Express van, btw).

                              Oh, goals. MP3 for sure. Would like a CD player if I can. Need more power. Filling the inside of a conversion van with sound. Not trying to win competitions, but when a little Slammin' Sammy Hagar comes on, I'd like to be able to not hear anything else. LOL Right now it's all stock (DELCO AM/FM/Cassette 1.5, remote CD (ala GMT400 pickups and utes), stock round speaker in the doors (6.5"?), with perhaps an extra tweeter in each door (grilled for it anyway, and my suburban with a sister system has them too), and a pair of mystery 4x6s in the conversion trim panels mid-ship. Nothing in the back that I am aware of.

                              So if I keep the Dayton Engineering Laboratory Co head and remote CD, I'll need a way to add an MP3. In my Venture, there was a Scosche adapter that worked with that double DIN (nice plug and play), and for my Suburban I bought a radio off of EBAY that had the MP3 port added to the trim plate. Either would be fine.

                              An amp...I put one of these small Clarion units in the T/A, and it does a nice job.

                              https://www.crutchfield.com/p_020XC1...on-XC1410.html

                              I have other options at home in my stereo "stuff" pile, and as space is not as critical in the van, one of those old bricks may get the nod.

                              Better speakers all around. I have Infinity speakers throughout the T/A. But I'm open to suggestions. I also have an OLD Alpine subwoofer (shoebox size/style) that I will probably mount in the back.

                              Nothing has been purchased for the van stereo yet, so I'm very open to suggestions.
                              Tall, bright, and handsome JVC's KW-R920BTS CD receiver covers just about all audio bases, including digital music, streaming Internet radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, and old-school music
                              DynoDave
                              POCI # 72200



                              1988 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

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                              • #45
                                I would stick with the stock unit and add the capabilities you need. They're not as cheap as I would like, but there are guys out there on eBay and such who add a proper Aux In as well as real pre-amp outputs so that you can add an amp and the quality will be good. Or, keep what you have now and add a JL cleansweep, Rockford Fostgate 3sixty.2 or 3sixty.3, or the equivalent which will also give you extensive processing capabilities in addition to aux in/preout. JBL MS-8 is also a good option if you want the system to tune itself and be a true plug-and-play (even has a decent built in amp) although not everyone likes giving up that control.

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