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| CD Deck Installation 63 Dart https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61620 |
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| Author: | jangell4444 [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
I bought my 63 Dart with a "newer" cassette player in it and since its not original i was considering installing a cd deck. Now... how do I widen the space to fit a cd player?? I imagine i would have to cut the frame... but how? any help would be great thanks! 
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| Author: | DusterIdiot [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
It will take a combination of methods to "hack" the dash up to make it fit... You can use an angle grinder and small cut off wheel to make the long straight cuts. You can use a sawzall with a bimetal blade for the smaller side cuts (you may need to pilot a hole to fit the blade first... sawzall doesn't leave a nice clean edge on your hole). Since I am a career Tin Bender I have used a set of offset snips to do the job (gotta have good hand strength and will cause carpal tunnel in the normal non tradesman...) If you have access to one, you can put a fire blanket behind the hole to protect the wiring and use a hand held plasma cutter and straight edge to burn a concise hole, then use a burr or file to take the sharp edges and dingleberries off the sides of the hole... You can also plate the hole off and move the player to the glove box or other location if you have an alternate. Cheers! |
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| Author: | Pierre [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Sawzall? Angle grinder? Yikes! That's way overkill. How about a pneumatic body saw? Clean cut, no sparks. Definitely yes to the pilot holes in the corners though. |
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| Author: | DusterIdiot [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Quote: How about a pneumatic body saw?
Thats the harbor freight air driven version of a variable speed cord driven sawzall, low rpm, tends to bind with non-lenox brand bi metal blades... if he had the funds a set of double cut shears would be the best route on the 20-22 gauge dash......but aren't common or cheap, and the "tooth" tends to snap if forced....even a nibbler or unishear is not the answer here... Either way, once you cut the dash it bones the car for resale value anyway....slight manipulation of the stock central hole by a burr for an aftermarket AM/FM cassette will leave the dash intact to reverse to an original radio... and you can add accessories via the pre-amp leads. |
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| Author: | Pierre [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Other brands make them, not just harbor freight. And you can use regular hack saw blades in them and cut them down to length (it will take a cutting disk or tin snips to cut blades though). I've never seen a sawzall as small as a body saw. When I think sawzall I picture something like this, not very feasible for any precision dash cutting. More like limbing a tree or other crude work. While this would be perfect for dash work. |
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| Author: | FrankRaso [ Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
I think CDs are becoming obsolescent like cassette tapes. If you're going to install a modern radio, I would go with one that has an auxiliary input (like a 3.5mm jack or USB). |
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| Author: | halfafish [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 7:57 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Before you hack up the hole in the dash, I'd suggest giving careful consideration to going down that one-way street. Once converted to a DIN hole, it's all but impossible to put it back if you ever want to. I would do an updated shaft-style unit that fits the hole, with modern inputs for an outboard CD player, which I would put in the glove box. And X2 on the observation that CD's are slowly going the way of cassettes and 8-tracks. I can put a flash drive on my stereo that holds about 5000 albums. These thoughts are offered from the perspective of a proud owner of a 51 year old survivor car, almost entirely intact except for the radio hole that got sawed out. I am going through extensive and expensive monkey business to repair the damage so it looks right. Just say no to DIN's! |
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| Author: | jangell4444 [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:28 am ] | ||
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart | ||
Hahaa you guys are too damn funny and too damn knowledgeable!! Thanks a lot Trust me, I dont want to "hack" up the car or degrade the value but I figured I might as well update it since it already had some work done to fit the 90s cassette player, Ya know? Heres a pic of the current situation Let me know what ya guys think I should do!!
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| Author: | FrankRaso [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
There are a few twin shaft options available that look more like the radio belongs in your dash. See Radio Upgrades. |
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Quote: Let me know what ya guys think I should do!!
Really, you should do what you want. If your happy with it that is all that matters. I put a Casette deck in my Valiant 35+ years ago because it suited me. Now it has a radio delete plate over the hole. Race Cars don't need radios! Plus I picked up another dash that I can put in if I really really have to have it. 
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| Author: | tophat [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 3:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
If I absolutely had to hack my dash for a modern radio, I would use a dermel tool with cut off wheels. Looks like your dash was already hacked to fit the radio that is in there. The factory dash hole is actually a isosceles trapezoid, there is no aftermarket radio that fits. When I bought my 63 Dart, I first installed a cheap shaft radio and butchered the radio face to fit, rather than my dash. When the car became my daily driver, and I wanted a better din sized radio, I built a box to attach to the tranny hump. Now that the car will be soon for sale, we will see how much having an uncut dash, and even a factory AM radio add. |
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| Author: | jangell4444 [ Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
How did you alter the size? Could I just use a hand saw?? I just don't want that damn cassette player there anymore |
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| Author: | Louise76 [ Wed Nov 29, 2017 9:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
On our 75 Darts we gave up on mounting CD players into the dashboard, and instead mounted them to the bottom of the dash. We capped the original opening with a DYI almost-stock looking plate. Hanging below, the CD unit sort-a looks like the beginning of a center console. You could also get creative and build a center console with storage, etc. Or not. 
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| Author: | slantvaliant [ Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
On long West Texas highway runs, a radio is a nice thing to have. Sometimes the selection of stations is limited to Mexican music, ag reports in German, and other programming that doesn't interest me, making omething to play "my" music useful. I put an AM/FM/USB/AUX unit in the glovebox, and left the stock radio in place. The original doesn't work, but repairing it is on my list. My only problem with it is that it's a fair reach to adjust the volume or change the station/track. I may relocate it, or replace it with one having a remote. |
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| Author: | Louise76 [ Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: CD Deck Installation 63 Dart |
Let us know what you decide? 
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