Let's talk about stereos
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Let's talk about stereos
Hi folks-
It's my first post here. I picked up a 1987 C4 last weekend, and I'm quite smitten with it.
The stereo in my car "works" in the clinical sense of turning the **** and noise comes out of the speakers, but the fidelity is simply awful. I'm planning to scrap the Delco-Bose system entirely, and start from scratch. As you are probably all aware, the head unit is a non-standard 1.5 din size. There are very few options available in 1.5 din, they are expensive relative to the features, and the features are pretty limited. I *HATE* the look of the single din units with the adapter plate-- the aesthetics are simply atrocious (my apologies to those of you who have gone that route!).
That leads me to double din. Some folks say it will fit, some say it won't. This company sells a dash kit that they suggest will allow the use of a double din unit in a C4 (http://www.carid.com/1987-chevy-corv...-25739728.html). There's another company that sells a replacement bezel (or modifies your original to double din) (http://shop.doubledmods.com/C4-Corve...kages_c607.htm). If any of you have used either of these companies, please chime in! I'm particularly interested in what the doubledmods guys do to modify an original bezel... is it simply a matter of opening up the hole in the bezel to accommodate the slightly larger double din radio?
As far as the features I'm looking for in a stereo, if there's a 1.5 din that offers all of the following, I can't find it!:
Touchscreen
AM/FM/CD
Jack for IPod
Bluetooth
GPS
Back up camera (optional, but preferred).
It seems that the GPS is the killer... there simply aren't very many single din units and no 1.5 din units that I can find that offer GPS. Not sure why that is...
So, who has successfully completed a double din installation in a c4 and is willing to post pictures?
It's my first post here. I picked up a 1987 C4 last weekend, and I'm quite smitten with it.
The stereo in my car "works" in the clinical sense of turning the **** and noise comes out of the speakers, but the fidelity is simply awful. I'm planning to scrap the Delco-Bose system entirely, and start from scratch. As you are probably all aware, the head unit is a non-standard 1.5 din size. There are very few options available in 1.5 din, they are expensive relative to the features, and the features are pretty limited. I *HATE* the look of the single din units with the adapter plate-- the aesthetics are simply atrocious (my apologies to those of you who have gone that route!).
That leads me to double din. Some folks say it will fit, some say it won't. This company sells a dash kit that they suggest will allow the use of a double din unit in a C4 (http://www.carid.com/1987-chevy-corv...-25739728.html). There's another company that sells a replacement bezel (or modifies your original to double din) (http://shop.doubledmods.com/C4-Corve...kages_c607.htm). If any of you have used either of these companies, please chime in! I'm particularly interested in what the doubledmods guys do to modify an original bezel... is it simply a matter of opening up the hole in the bezel to accommodate the slightly larger double din radio?
As far as the features I'm looking for in a stereo, if there's a 1.5 din that offers all of the following, I can't find it!:
Touchscreen
AM/FM/CD
Jack for IPod
Bluetooth
GPS
Back up camera (optional, but preferred).
It seems that the GPS is the killer... there simply aren't very many single din units and no 1.5 din units that I can find that offer GPS. Not sure why that is...
So, who has successfully completed a double din installation in a c4 and is willing to post pictures?
#2
Safety Car
Member Since: Jan 2004
Location: Northern California
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There's an Audio Forum here too.
Kind of outdated by now but, here's an old sticky from the Audio section. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ur-system.html
.
Kind of outdated by now but, here's an old sticky from the Audio section. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ur-system.html
.
Last edited by GKK; 11-10-2014 at 10:04 AM.
#4
just bought an '88 and the rear speakers were blown and cassette not working. I had a stereo shop install a Pioneer DEHX6700BS, (2) Jl audio 6x9 speakers, (2) JL audio 4" coaxials, and an Alpine MRV-F300 amp that fit right into one of the rear storage compartments. cost was $1,035 tax included and the sound is soooo awesome!
#5
Instructor
Thread Starter
just bought an '88 and the rear speakers were blown and cassette not working. I had a stereo shop install a Pioneer DEHX6700BS, (2) Jl audio 6x9 speakers, (2) JL audio 4" coaxials, and an Alpine MRV-F300 amp that fit right into one of the rear storage compartments. cost was $1,035 tax included and the sound is soooo awesome!
#6
Safety Car
Member Since: Jan 2004
Location: Northern California
Posts: 3,783
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Crutchfield has a lot of double DIN receivers with GPS to choose from. They're not inexpensive though!...
Also, your 87 Vette, will still require minor modifications to fit any double DIN receivers.
.
Also, your 87 Vette, will still require minor modifications to fit any double DIN receivers.
.
Last edited by GKK; 11-10-2014 at 12:39 PM.
#7
Instructor
Thread Starter
What I can't seem to find anywhere is what modifications need to be done to allow a double DIN to fit. Is it simply a matter of enlarging the hole in the bezel? If so, I can simply buy a radio with its own bezel, and take a dremel to the opening in the factory bezel to make it fit.
If the install is more sophisticated than that, I need a sense of exactly what I'm getting myself into.
#8
Burning Brakes
The modifications are mostly to the bezel and mounting bracket. It's not terribly difficult. I just had it done to mine. The installer had to fabricate a bracket for the head unit, and modify the existing bracket adapter to accept the new bracket, and screwing it all in. Here's my final product, which I'm extremely happy with:
#9
Instructor
Thread Starter
The modifications are mostly to the bezel and mounting bracket. It's not terribly difficult. I just had it done to mine. The installer had to fabricate a bracket for the head unit, and modify the existing bracket adapter to accept the new bracket, and screwing it all in. Here's my final product, which I'm extremely happy with:
#10
#11
Safety Car
Member Since: Jan 2004
Location: Northern California
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Behind the Bezel, there is a large plastic piece that prevents the new receiver from fitting flush in the dash.
This plastic piece must be trimmed off before any aftermarket receiver is installed.
This plastic piece must be trimmed off before any aftermarket receiver is installed.
#12
i recently started a thread where people put picures of thier single and double dins.
and double dins.
no 1.5 dins. this is rediculously annoying.
as for gps, my iphone kicks the pants off any gps ive ever seen.
no 1.5 dins. this is rediculously annoying.
as for gps, my iphone kicks the pants off any gps ive ever seen.
#14
your single din touchscreen is awesome.
saw u posted that in the other thread too. only snag with it is that its unavailable and used its a grand!!
u have a great deck there. you can even put a corvette logo as the background on that puppy bid buy one if price was reasonable and available
u have a great deck there. you can even put a corvette logo as the background on that puppy bid buy one if price was reasonable and available
#16
Safety Car
Yes you can add a double din to early C4's. Pre-cut bezels are available to purchase but I cut my own. As previously mentioned you have to do some trimming inside the dash and then fabricate a bracket. Definitely do-able as you can see, but its not a simple one hour job either.
#18
Melting Slicks
A HU that I plan on purchasing (at least keeping an eye on ebay) is a Kenwood DNX690HD.
Double din, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. with back up camera hookups.
Double din, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. with back up camera hookups.
#19
Instructor
Thread Starter
Yes you can add a double din to early C4's. Pre-cut bezels are available to purchase but I cut my own. As previously mentioned you have to do some trimming inside the dash and then fabricate a bracket. Definitely do-able as you can see, but its not a simple one hour job either.
Any experience with them? They have great prices, but I've never heard of them before.
That's one of the ones on my list. It's been discontinued, but Crutchfield has refurbs available for $550 or so.
I spent some time today visiting the local car stereo places. The "best" one in town was closed today so I'll need to pay them a visit later this week... but all of the others turned me down, so I may be on my own with this one. I'm totally comfortable with the wiring aspects of this... it's only the clearances and the bezel that have me intimidated.
Let's talk about speakers for a moment... From what I'm reading, there's pretty good consensus that if you remove the plastic enclosures for the original Bose speakers, 6X9 speakers will drop right into the holes. I'm less clear on what will fit into the door... I see threads where people have used everything from 4 inch round, to 5 1/4 inch round, to 4x6's. It also appears that removing the plastic speaker boxes from the door is a total PITA, so I may very well just try to snake new speaker wires through and put new 4 inch speakers into the existing enclosures. Not ideal, but I'll make it work if I have to.
#20
Instructor
Thread Starter
Those of you who have done this mod-- what, if any, installation kit did you use? Neither Metra nor Scoche make a kit specifically for this application.