Cutting bezel?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,029
Likes: 94
From: meraux LA
Cutting bezel?
I am getting ready to put in a DIN radio in my 69 and wanted to know if anyone has cut their bezel while it is still in the car. I really don't want to disconnect the oil pressure gauge. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
Just disconnect the oil line and lift it above the motor. If the motor isn't running the oil feeds by gravity, and if the line is above the motor then it's not going to drain. It's a lot easier to cut the bezel out of the car.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 531
Likes: 0
I did mine in the car. It does make a mess, but I covered everything with towels or blankets (these would be old ones that the wife doesn't want anymore) and had my son hold the shopvac next to my dremel and drill while I cut. It was a real pain, I think I even used a hacksaw blade to cut part of it. It turned out nice though and love my new cd player.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,366
Likes: 7
From: Las Vegas NV
It's not bad to cut with a dremel if you use the right cutting wheel. Use a fiber-reinorced cutting wheel instead of the standard cutting wheel. You'll need a couple of them as they will wear down, but they work pretty decent. Here's a link to a thread I posted a little while back when I installed my Sony DIN head unit (includes pictures):
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=808212
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=808212
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I just cut mine last night to mount my DIN reciever. I had the bezel out of the car when I did it though. I used a jigsaw and had at it. didn't take too long. The hard parts are around the old radio *****.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 849
Likes: 10
From: Bayfield, Ontario
2016 C2 of Year Finalist
I did my 68 a couple of months ago. It was not necessary to disconnect any of the guages. The bezel seperates from a panel that the five guages are connected to (I think there are six small screws).
As it has been said, it is a lot easier to cut it while it is out.
As it has been said, it is a lot easier to cut it while it is out.
Last edited by SAMMAN; Jul 11, 2004 at 10:39 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Originally Posted by Motor City Vette
Eddie, what kind of radio are you putting in? By the way, your new paint job looks AWESOME!
I love XM. I may even add it to the vette. Thanks for the compliments on the vette, Motor City. BTW, where did you get the faceplate that you put around your radio. That looks like something I need.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,366
Likes: 7
From: Las Vegas NV
Originally Posted by Eddie 70
It is a Pioneer 8400. It plays MP3, WMA, CDR's, I don't know what all else. It is also an XM controller. I love XM. I may even add it to the vette. Thanks for the compliments on the vette, Motor City. BTW, where did you get the faceplate that you put around your radio. That looks like something I need.
I love XM. I may even add it to the vette. Thanks for the compliments on the vette, Motor City. BTW, where did you get the faceplate that you put around your radio. That looks like something I need.I believe the part number is FP-306, but you may want to double check their website to make sure. They didn't have an on-line ordering form so you have to call the 800#...they were quite helpful. The back of the faceplate is already scored for a DIN-sized radio, so cutting it the right size was very easy. The only thing I did after cutting it was I painted it using the same paint I used on the rest of my interior (MarHydes Satin Black).
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Personally, I'd never cut that bezel; original replacements are getting very pricey. My two cents worth would be to purchase one of the aftermarket units which already fit the bezel.
