Radio Bezel
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 474
Likes: 64
From: Portage La Prairie Manitoba
Radio Bezel
For those of you that installed a din radio in a 78-82 I would like to know if you cut the plastic bezel on the car or remove it to cut it?
Any pointers or tricks on the install?
Thanks... Barry
Any pointers or tricks on the install?
Thanks... Barry
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,483
Likes: 1
From: The Only Corvette in Gila Bend, Az.
St. Jude Donor '09
Remove it and just line up the din bezel with the opening and scribe it, I used a dremel to cut it out.
Be careful to cut smaller than the new faceplate. Just take your time and no one will ever know you cut it...
Be careful to cut smaller than the new faceplate. Just take your time and no one will ever know you cut it...
Friend Request Magnet
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 50,242
Likes: 149
From: ♫ ♪ ♫♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♪ ♫
My original was butchered by Bubba's brother "Benda-butcher" and was cracked in a couple of places with no bezel trim.
I bought a new gauge bezel, went to a car audio place and bought a $3.00 bezel trim, I cut it to fit the radio, (I accidently made one "nick" I didnt like...but I had the radio trim anyway...so it didnt matter).
This pic is the test fitting....its easy to see when in the car...but a couple of feet away it looks factory installed (even though the car came with an 8-track/CB)
I used a 4" grinder cut-off wheel to make fast, long, straight cuts, and a cordless jig-saw for the corners...the nick actually came from the guard on the jig-saw.
I purposely did NOT use a Dremel because the small cut-off wheels either break, cut crooked because the small size allows the blade to "walk", or heat so much when going slow to cut a perfectly straight line; it melts the plastic instead of cutting (then you have to trim, sand, and file)...the Dremel can create more work than necessary IMO.
4 quick, straight "drops-cuts" with the grinder wheel, and 8 small cuts with the jigsaw.
After taping the FRONT FACE of the gauge bezel(doing the rear is tough), I used the radio trim bezel/plate as the template....worked perfect as it was the exact size of the radio to fit
I used a sharpie to mark it, and the tape helped stop burrs, and cracks.
I dont have it permanently installed yet as I am waiting on parts for the tach...then I will button everything up solid.
Jim
I bought a new gauge bezel, went to a car audio place and bought a $3.00 bezel trim, I cut it to fit the radio, (I accidently made one "nick" I didnt like...but I had the radio trim anyway...so it didnt matter).
This pic is the test fitting....its easy to see when in the car...but a couple of feet away it looks factory installed (even though the car came with an 8-track/CB)
I used a 4" grinder cut-off wheel to make fast, long, straight cuts, and a cordless jig-saw for the corners...the nick actually came from the guard on the jig-saw.
I purposely did NOT use a Dremel because the small cut-off wheels either break, cut crooked because the small size allows the blade to "walk", or heat so much when going slow to cut a perfectly straight line; it melts the plastic instead of cutting (then you have to trim, sand, and file)...the Dremel can create more work than necessary IMO.
4 quick, straight "drops-cuts" with the grinder wheel, and 8 small cuts with the jigsaw.
After taping the FRONT FACE of the gauge bezel(doing the rear is tough), I used the radio trim bezel/plate as the template....worked perfect as it was the exact size of the radio to fit
I used a sharpie to mark it, and the tape helped stop burrs, and cracks.
I dont have it permanently installed yet as I am waiting on parts for the tach...then I will button everything up solid.
Jim
