New old radio install - whose idea was the DIY faceplate???

[LeeH]

This is what was in my car when I bought it:

Then I bought this from the German Ebay:

I figured I'd just use the faceplate that came with it. It wouldn't be concours, but it would look much better than the mid 70's cassette unit. 30 minutes to install, right?

THEN someone suggested I could make my own faceplate "easily enough." Famous last words. I should have learned by now.

Reader's Digest version of an 8.5 hour project:
Day 1 - Drive to 20th Street Automotive for a $5 strip of 33 year old vinyl (they had a single piece that matched). Stop by Lowe's for a $6 piece of 2'x3' sheet metal, then Ace Hardware for an $8 can of 3M spray adhesive. Return home to remove old radio, make a paper template, transfer to a cardboard template, three different sheet metal plates to get one that fit, carefully drill the posts, rough cut the center, file the center to the proper shape, pencil in cuts on vinyl, very, very, carefully cut the extremely rare vinyl, glue vinyl to plate, wire radio, install radio, and finally... install dash plate. Day 2 - Spend 30 minutes creating post about day 1.

It's washed out from the flash, but here's the finished product:


You guys that build race cars, tear apart engines and transmissions, do full restorations, etc. have my utmost respect.

[LeeH]

If anybody wants the old Tenna cassette unit just pay postage and it's yours.

[Scott Clarke]

Lee-
That was my advice! Sorry if I mislead you. If you saw my garage and car you'd understand why I thought of it as an easy project. Looks like you did a good job, though. Congratulations. Anything you can do in less than a month is "easy!"

-Scott

[Jays72T]

It seems your efforts paid off, it looks great

[silverc4s]

Radios that have an actual "2 knob" design are all but extinct now. If it still plays, put that sucker on fleaBay and get your install money back.
Somebody with 58 Edsel or ??? might want it..;-)

[LeeH]

Yeah, I may just have to put it on Ebay. I might recoup my $20. Here's a shot without the blinding flash:


Scott... I'm going to have to remember next time you say something like, "easily done."

[FA-18C]

Looks good to me Lee. I became obsessed and ended up with 4 radios to get all of the factory original mounting hardware. Worked out ok flipping the radios later on Ebay. Actually got two of the dead ones running again with some solder.

[LeeH]

I'm still hoping to find the Frankfurt, but this was so close for about half the price. There was a European Frankfurt on Ebay Germany that I thought I was going to get cheap, but the auction was cancelled.

Fortunately the Tenna unit was mounted in the original dash brackets. I bet those are a pain to track down. Does the chrome bezel on the Frankfurt go through the dash plate or does it mount to the radio after the dash plate is intalled?

[FA-18C]

It goes through the dashplate. I picked up a Frankfurt AM/FM/SW from Old Auto Radios...might still be a website, paid a bit more than Ebay, but it works great and was in perfect condition. Ebay is good for pciking up a cheap readio and scavenging the knowbs etc... I still have a NOS set of knobs in plastic.

[dsdw40]

i hope to find & install an oem radio one these days.
great job, perfect match on the vinyl, looks factory

[Kurt B]

Actually what you've done there looks really good. I know what you did seemed easy, but interior projects are really difficult because there's just no room for error. You get glue on stuff and ruin it, you slip with the xacto blade and have to start over. Stuff's peeling up 2 days after you did it. You're pressing on aluminum gently and make a dent and then you spend days trying to figure out how to fix it and only make it worse. Ugh. It's enough to drive you crazy.

[LeeH]

Originally posted by Kurt B
Stuff's peeling up 2 days after you did it.

If that's the case I am NOT looking forward to tomorrow!

[70SATMan]

Looks good Lee. Loads better than mine!