70mph@2200rpm

I just installed my new radio in my 65 coupe. It works fine, now, but I had to make some modifications to it. Since I started this project on Sat. and it's now late Sun., I haven't spoken with AAR yet.
The problem is with the inside face of the unit. The upper portion of the sheet metal unit (very light weight) has a seperate sheet metal face that houses the two threaded **** shafts. The face of that sheet metal must be installed (at the factory) to the main box so that it sits at least 1/8" back from the stop tabs on the radio's dial face. The stop tabs are designed to press against the inside of the console face, where the radio fits into the existing chrome trim ring on the console dash.
If the upper sheet metal face is also pressing against the inside of the console, then the two dash bezels, that read VOL, and TUNE, will NOT seat flush to the console dash. The bezels have a curved hood that extend through the console, at least an 1/8" beyond the inside console face, and that lets the light from the single light buld illuminate the bezel faces.
I tried to remedy this by adding spacers, onto the shafts, on the inside of the console. Although it gave the desired result, enough space for the bezel hood, it unfortunately also pulled the radio face in a little too much from the chrome trim ring.
As a second option, I tried to fir out 1/8" the radio face plate that has the tabs attached to it , but then an unsightly space appears around the push buttons.
The only option left was to modify the upper sheet metal face, as it should have been done at the factory. I won't go into detail about that procedure, unless someone requests an explanation, but it was a successful modification.
I'm going to call AAR tomorrow and I'll post their reply here.

JohnZ

Make sure you keep the black wire that comes out of the center cavity in the original radio connector - it has a ring terminal on it that screws to the bottom of the Z-bar just to the left of the radio, and that wire is the single ground for everything in the car from the firewall back.

C2Dan

Please let us know what they say. I was thinking of buying the same unit for my '65, but I don't have your mechanical aptitude (or patience).

70mph@2200rpm

JohnZ...
good thing I didn't jetison it, haha. Yes, I saw that the ground strap to the connector also had another wire junctioned to that ground pin connector. I found these nifty connectors at Radio Shack that clamp onto the wire so that I didn't have to modify or cut the original radio harness connector; one for the hot lead, and one for the radio light.

C2Dan...
I just returned home and it's past 5pm EDT. I'll have to try tomorrow, but I will post their response.

JBrooke825

I hade the same problem. I just ground down the domes on the back of the bezels 1/8 " seem to work fine. the radio seems hard to keep in tune but it does work ok.

70mph@2200rpm

That did occur to me, but I was afraid of losing the illumination from the bulb, as that space provides the pathway for the light.
Do you have ample illumination on those two bezels? Also, did you discuss this problem with AAR?

70mph@2200rpm

I just spoke to one of their techs...he claims that they didn't know about this. He asked me if I could send him pics of my modification.
The radio is already installed, so I assume that they can figure it out since I explained the modification to him.
He did say that someone with a 65 recently called to say that the fan switch was somehow in his way of installing the radio. That wasn't an issue for me so I had no comment on that.

VetteJohn

I have to call a BS on this one. I had the same problem, called them and they acted like they never heard of this issue. All in all if I had it to do over again I'd pass on this radio. Besides having to do the above mod I had to send ithe unit back to be worked on because turning the fader **** changed the station. Once I got it installed I noticed that making front to back & side to side adjustments was a pain, station button have way too much side to side movement and worst of all the radio sounds like an AM radio from the '60s.

Too bad, it really looked like this was the answer that many of us were looking for to put some tunes in our ride without changing the interior looks.

narlee

Does yours make an odd scraping noise when the tuner moves? I just got mine in my 61 and when I use my mp3 the volume seems too touchy. I also need to call and hopefully it gets squared away as it seems to have better sound than my other aftermarket radio.

jlagarde

This is one of the upgrades I want to make as well. Doesn't seem like I want to follow this path. Does anyone have experience with other shops that do similar work?

Thanks
Joe

70mph@2200rpm

VetteJohn..
I have to agree with the BS comment...I haven't had any time to really use it yet, but I'm hoping now that the fader/balance is set, I won't have to worry about it, but yes, the fader/bal **** seem to move tuning **** at the same time. Yep, the push buttons are not laterally rigid, either. I don't have any problem with the sound quality, although I do feel that it needs an amplifier, as any car stereo does for good quality sound.
But for $600, AAR needs to get their **** together. It does look good, and I love the fact that it's so damn small and light, but if I find it annoying in other ways, I will send my original radio to one of the conversion shops touted here on the forum, and have the electronics upgraded. By the way, I believe all of the conversion shops purchase the new electronics from AAR. Life is too short to be in breakdown over inferior quality.

70mph@2200rpm

One question that I have...do all C-2's have the same radio bezel design with that curved hood that extends 1/8", or more, beyond the backside of the console face?

JBrooke825

all of the above is true, mine fits fine but has no lite behind the *****, are you saying if I grind off more than an 1/8" the light would show through? I thought they're was no light. I even went to the home of the man selling them. nice guy, but it never worked much better . But it does sort of work fine ,sort of.

C2Dan

With that endorsement, I'll run out and get one right away!

70mph@2200rpm

No, there's no grinding! I assume all C-2's have the same **** bezels. It's the AAR radio design that pushes against the bezel, not letting the bezel seat properly, which also limits, or completely prohibits, the light from illuminating the bezels. A single light bulb is located center between the two bezels, and above the radio; the bulb has a metal cover with two slits, one slit facing each bezel, directing the light to the bezel. If the upper body of the radio is up against the inside of the console, then there is no space for the light to shine down onto the bezels. Pretty basic rocket scientry here.

VetteJohn

70mpg@2200rpm,

Your statement that AAR needs to get their stuff together is right on! It's really too bad, AAR has invested a ton in tooling up the faceplate & buttons and now they just need to pay attention to the DETAILS. It's always the details that make or break a product.

Vet65te

70mph - About 8 or 10 years ago I 'thought' I'd be putting some road miles on my 65 Coupe and figured, even with side exhaust, that I'd buy one of those aftermarket cassette radios. I did pick up the radio, a relatively inexpensive converted JVC unit, but it's been on the shelf all this time due to having too many other projects getting in the way. I just took it out of the plastic bag it came wrapped in and took a few pics to show the top outline of the aluminum faceplate they used as well as a couple pics showing a dash bezel placed over the on-off shaft and it looks like everything should clear alright with no mods needed but I won't really know till I get around to installing it.
So, was your mod to either trim down the inside faceplate or cut new 'eyebrows' into it?
Mike T.

70mph@2200rpm

Vet65te...
It doesn't appear that you'll have an issue with illuminating the bezel. The design from AAR has the sheet metal face of the upper portion of the radio directly behind the bezel. Your sheet metal is actually cutout under the curved hood of the bezel, and the body of the radio is way back from the bezels, which looks like smart rocket scientry.