Radio, location opinions please

OK the time has come for me to get some tunes in my van. For some bizarre reason I find myself singing,whistling,or humming Camptown Ladies.
Maybe it's a Blazing Saddles thing but whatever the reason it's getting old.
So here is the question.
Do I cut my dash or do I mount it under the dash ?

I think I prefer in the dash but I am getting alot of slack from my buddies about cutting the dash , What do you guys think ?

mike

PS: Watch this and see if you don't find yourself singing it all day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H2W1lK7P-I

I posted a link like this previously, but I can't find it.

http://www.crutchfield.com/app/product/search/searchresults.aspx?SearchTab=Shop&us=2&search=marine+remotes

mines mounted from the roof

I've had the same dilemma. My dash is undisturbed, and I hate to cut it up. I have bought a new stereo from Crutchfield and bought (actually it was free at the time) their plastic under dash box, so we'll see how it works out. Hope to tackle it here soon.

i dont recommend this but...in my van i have a 400watt power convertor lashed to the heater box. its plugged into the cigarette lighter socket. in the back of the van there is a 120 volt hitachi amp running two massive house speakers behind the bench seat. i have an mp3 player going to the amp and i just switch it up front as i wish. this way i can have an accident while thumbing through files on the teeny screen on the mp3 player. but thats not all...while my van is rolling sideways down the highway, i'll be bludgeoned by all that value village sound equipment in the back. but man you should hear the zeppelin on that gear!!!!

southern man wrote:I've had the same dilemma. My dash is undisturbed, and I hate to cut it up. I have bought a new stereo from Crutchfield and bought (actually it was free at the time) their plastic under dash box, so we'll see how it works out. Hope to tackle it here soon.

I thought about that dash box, but I think in the dash still might be a cleaner look.
Itruns--- that also may be a good way to go . I also thought about putting it in the glove box and using a remote.

Right now I am leaning on cutting the dash.

mike

I plan to go underdash... the only thing that could make me cut the dash is if I was mounting a video screen. Maybe fab up a custom dash skirt...

"Maybe fab up a custom dash skirt..."

I've had the same thought, though haven't really thought through how to do it. Let me know if you come up with a good idea!

There was an interesting thread on the HAMB about how to have hidden tunes.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=243821&highlight=ipod&showall=1
They hid an amp that had an Ipod input, and hid the speakers.
A simple Ipod jack that could be anywhere close connected up and played all the music and a simple box with a knob handled the volume.
I haven't jumped into that music medium yet, but it seemd like a neat way to have a plain dash and tunes.
If your interior is bare, hiding the amp and speakers will be a challenge.
itruns had an interesting thought though, a marine application should be more weatherproof, so under the floor with some shielding wouldn't be too much of a stretch.
After welding up so many holes in mine, I cringe to think of cutting back into it.
An overhead console is obviously vintage too.

radio usa makes shaft style decks with i pod plug and they control cd changers to they are on fleabay.

southern man wrote:"Maybe fab up a custom dash skirt..."

I've had the same thought, though haven't really thought through how to do it. Let me know if you come up with a good idea!

Hi. Here's how it's done in my '67:

That looks pretty good there PDX. What did you use to fab that up?

i AM IN THE PROCESS OF GOING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING BUT WITH POLISHED DIAMOND PLATE.

southern man wrote:That looks pretty good there PDX. What did you use to fab that up?

I just recently scored this van. A buddy of mine has put a LOT of blood, sweat and tears into this thing. He CnC milled the panel out of aluminum. It's beautifully done. A similar thing could be done with sheet metal, marine plywood, etc.

The panel mostly fits in with the surroundings...

I went with the overhead console.just some quarter inch plywood a few 1x1s for a frame glue on some carpet and"voila" overhead console.

Looks nice!

First thing that sticks out is a "HACKED DASH",, ouch,,,, Personally, I hate it, and have put in new dashboards just for that reason. I have several still left here.
What I do, is leave the stock radio in its location, it adds to the flavor of our trucks, adds some old skool, LOL,, detail from the beginning. I take an overhead roof support, and put it in just in front/under the visors, from side to side, and spot weld it in the upper door frame just like stock. Then I make a bracket and support for a good stereo to fit on the underside of it, supported by the roof support just installed. That way a nice stereo is up high, where its less likely to be seen from the outside, the stock radio is there and people are less likely to want to steal it, you can see the good stereo overhead, the visors work under it and the rear view mirror, no holes in the roof to support the stereo, I even put a trip meter on the underside from a Ford Escort, with two map lights and a clock. Small tapered unit, fits very nicely.
vic

Not sure what I am going to do yet but I have been checking into alot of the systems that ITRUNS posted. I like this idea.

mike

Old Skool wrote:First thing that sticks out is a "HACKED DASH",, ouch,,,, Personally, I hate it, and have put in new dashboards just for that reason. I have several still left here.
What I do, is leave the stock radio in its location, it adds to the flavor of our trucks, adds some old skool, LOL,, detail from the beginning. I take an overhead roof support, and put it in just in front/under the visors, from side to side, and spot weld it in the upper door frame just like stock. Then I make a bracket and support for a good stereo to fit on the underside of it, supported by the roof support just installed. That way a nice stereo is up high, where its less likely to be seen from the outside, the stock radio is there and people are less likely to want to steal it, you can see the good stereo overhead, the visors work under it and the rear view mirror, no holes in the roof to support the stereo, I even put a trip meter on the underside from a Ford Escort, with two map lights and a clock. Small tapered unit, fits very nicely.
vic

Pics of that set up would be great...

Like your setup PDX! Other great ideas too!