GM factory radio upgrades

[-stew-]

My truck was factory equipped with a din and a half radio, and it's pretty shot. I'm thinking of upgrading to a newer style GM radio with more power than the 80's era delco my truck came with and possibly something I can plug an iPod controller into. Wondering if anyone has any input. Thanks.

[-stew-]

Factory one looks like this...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GMC-Safarri-Original-Factory-Radio-16161615-AM-FM-Cassette-90-91-92-93-94-Delco-/221008931969?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item337528ac81&vxp=mtr

I like these, they seam to be cheap and plentiful...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Delco-AM-FM-CD-Player-Radio-Tahoe-Suburban-1500-2500-3500-Van-Pickup-Truck-/150791155389?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item231bda6ebd&vxp=mtr

But i'd like one of these if they don't use an external amp...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/00-01-02-Camaro-Delco-Radio-CD-player-10306067-/170822012857?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item27c5c90fb9&vxp=mtr

[03Seville]

I like these, they seam to be cheap and plentiful...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Delco-AM-FM-CD-Player-Radio-Tahoe-Suburban-1500-2500-3500-Van-Pickup-Truck-/150791155389?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item231bda6ebd&vxp=mtr

I don't really know if it's even possible to make one of these work in your truck (honestly I think it would be easier and faster to just get an aftermarket)

But if you want to try one out I think I have one in the garage still that I may not have thrown away yet lol

[Yooformula]

Both of those decks need the factory amp to work. it would be cheaper to buy an aftermarket cheap deck from walmart that play mp3s and have an aux input jack.

[lordairgtar]

Find a direct replacement stock radio and an external amp, then buy this...
http://www.rediscoveradio.com/

[-stew-]

Did some research late into the night. The monsoon radio I linked to requires an external amp, so its out of the question, the other CD player is pretty much a bolt in Deal and plug and play with maybe having to buy an adapter plug. May have some depth issues, but I doubt it. I don't want some shitty Wally world radio. That shit always looks like ass sticking out of the dash in some shit mounting kit that stocked it out two inches, plus in my truck the radio is down by your knee, so I want a simple, easy to use radio with no frills that has big buttons I can Braille my way around on and not spend 30seconds driving down the road looking at the radio to switch to AM.

[outlawgibbs]

I could probably grab you one from work if you tell me what will work for you

[theavenger333]

as long as the plugs all match up, and you don't get one requiring an external amp, you're good to go. might need to modify or alter the mounting though. i swapped quite a few of 90s GM cassette decks like yours for the CD players in misc vehicles, as long as all the hardware and harnesses matched up, they looked like they were there all along

[brotherbenn83]

I want a simple, easy to use radio with no frills that has big buttons

I think Jitterbug is making radios now...

[-stew-]

I think Jitterbug is making radios now...


LOL! I was thinking about the Jitterbug as I typed that! But with these trucks having the radio mounted directly in front of the drivers right knee, a modern aftermarket radio is just a PITA.

[michelle]

Just ask your girlfriend to change the station while she's down there.

[-stew-]

http://replacementradios.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_260_261&products_id=166

Boom. Ordered one of these and stole a radio from my friend. Gonna put it in next week when I rip my dash apart for some other repairs.

[BlackLightning]

probably too late but I have one of these I would sell unless you are only looking for a factory type radio.

http://www.autotoys.com/x/product.php?productid=706

it's a pioneer 1.5 din for GM's.

[-stew-]

^^ Um, thanks but no thanks.

Got this handled today. Picked up an adapter plug and antenna adapter from replacementradios.com $25 well spent. Plug it into the back of the new radio, plug the factory wiring into the other end and your done. Stole the old radio my buddy took out of his '99 Silverado, AM/FM/Cassette with the aux in for a remote CD.

I don't know how the bracketry attaches to these newer style radios and couldn't see a whole lot of spots where the factory would attach it. Anywho... Pulled my factory radio out, it is held in by one L-bracket on the right, one on the bottom, and a long brace that goes from the the back of the radio to the bottom of the dash. Kinda took the new radio apart to gain access to drill some holes. Took the clip in studs out of the original radio and took the clips off the studs and put them onto the newer radio. The whole right side of the newer radio is a heat sink so I took part of the old radio chassis and made a bracket to affix a stud to the right side. These pictures show what I did to make the new radio sit right at home like it was born there.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/stewsquarenuts/2012-05-17181229.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/stewsquarenuts/2012-05-17181244.jpg

Upon putting it in the hole I had to do some grinding on the right side stud to get it through the notch in the dash. It's a snug fit, but it goes in the factory hole. Had to adjust the rear brace and drill a new hole to attach that to the bottom of the dash (I actually enlarged one of the 37 random screw holes in my dash.)

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/stewsquarenuts/2012-05-17182620.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/stewsquarenuts/2012-05-17200353.jpg

It fits behind the trim just like the original one and looks great. This radio makes a lot more power the the original the truck cranks pretty good with some 6x9's in the cab corners. There is a guy on a Chevy truck forum that makes corner brackets to mount 6x9's in, a great improvement over the stock 4x10's and more money well spent. Gonna paint them next week and stuff some insulation behind them.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/stewsquarenuts/2012-05-17195955.jpg