Xanthophyll

Is there any particular reason why a center dash bezel for a new-style single-DIN radio is 3 times the price of that for a dual-shaft radio (old style)?

Is it a supply & demand thing, or is there something special about the bezels? I can't seem to figure out what they have that makes them three-times the price?

(PS: I know you can modify an older dual-shaft bezel -- would rather not...)

mds3013

No reason for extra price that I have found. I used a non GM aftermarket and cut it as you stated. I got it for $40. About an hour to cut it out, looks, works great. mike...

rydoc

Didn`t want to cut up my original bezel...so bought a used one for $25
(not pretty)


A little clean up, paint and adapter...




Rod

Nuka

Because the word "Corvette" is involved.

Jason Staley

The factory style has been around a long time and the casting cost has been long paid for.

Then DIN version is only a few years old, and a new casting/molding tool would be required. It's pretty simple ... new design ... new tooling .... companies are going to charge more to account for increased manufacturing cost. It's not like they are going to sell a milion of these things, so cost is going to go up.

larryg3

that maybe true, but with the price so high i cannot see myself buying one it is just too much.

terry82

a used dash and a dremal.they are so easy to cut .cut the dash in your car .

baxsom

They are for people like me that are willing to pay for convenience cause they know as soon as they touch the dremel to the oem piece it is going to go crazy and cut the thing into 4 separate pieces and probably take a finger with it. Beside when you consider the cost of the radio that comes with them, they arent that much more expensive than a brand new oem design.

thnk2mch

I bought one of the "high dollar" single din bezels ,thinking I was getting something special, ie. a newly tooled casting to accept a DIN radio.

It was nothing more than what rydoc said he did, above. It was a typical repro bezel cut to accept the plastic adapter for a single DIN radio. (although the plastic adapter came with it and was attached)

C3smallblock

I just had a die made to get some cast alloy components from China (nothing to do with Vettes) and even in China it cost US$4500 just to get the die made (which was a simple shape), so I doubt that whoever makes these bezels is going to retire on the returns in the near future.

I bought one of them recently too, even though it is more expensive, I figured that it would look good and I am only going to do it once (I hope)

Cheers
Kev

thnk2mch

Kev, was the one you bought with a plastic adapter attached to it, or one solid casting?

C3smallblock

I will have a look when I get home and post some details, it is still packaged up because my car is in being painted, so I have not yet installed any of my interior. I got it from Willcox but I have not had a look at it yet. Now you have me worried

http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...ducts_id=24212

It does say that it is die-cast.

dugcyn

yep you dont just poop these parts out. am thinking of making one me self but will prob cost me $500+. hey what can you say im an idiot for cool **** in cool cars.

Doug

gbvette62

I can understand the cost of the diecast 68-76 bezel being as high as it is. The company doing them designed and produced the grained insert to hold the radio. They buy the repro stock bezel, cut out the area for the stock radio and then install their adapter into the stock bezel. This entails a fair amount of labor, plus the cost of the bezel and adapter. The stock 72-76 bezels retail for about $100, and a little more for 69-71s, so $200 -$225 for the converted ones doesn't seem extreme.

The price of the 77-82 DIN radio bezel is a little harder to understand. I think all they are doing to convert those is cutting out the stock radio section of the repro plastic bezels.

onaqwst

buy a used stock one.... cut/clean/paint....not that difficult

C3smallblock

Well I'll be! It is a standard die-cast aluminum bezel that has been ground out and fitted with a plastic adapter and a plastic plate in the bottom where the two bolts stick out. Cheeky buggers, selling it as a die-cast when it is not really. I am not too fussed though because they did a better job than I could and it looks very very nice.

Kev

7T1vette

The price on those is so high because you are [obviously] going to spend some big buck$ on the stereo equipment upgrade in your car....

...and the bezel maker wants more of the money that you are 'dying to spend' for better sounds!

bobbarry

Does anyone have a picture of how they did this?

I was going to install the original radio in my '71, until I removed the faceplate of the current aftermarket 2-**** and discovered they cut the rectangle opening of the faceplate to fit this thing...

So instead of spending a few hundred dollars that I don't have on refurbishing the original to add an IPod adapter, I'm going with a regular aftermarket unit and some modern speakers.

My concern is the contours of the faceplate, and the gaps around the outside of the ***** that would seem to remain if I just cut the rectangle for a standard DIN opening.

Xanthophyll

Kind of what I was thinking...since I have an 81. It's obviously not that big of a conversion for these years.

MY74VT

where did you get this adaptor plate for the single din radio?
I cannot find one this nice