Retro Stereo
When I got the car it had an old detachable face deck, so 1997. Not only was it an eyesore, but it was also responsible for tripping the dash and tail lights, either way it had to go. I immediately removed it, and drove around for weeks with a giant hole in the dash. If I'm being honest, I really wanted a stock deck, but most of the ones I found were beat up, un-tested, or prohibitively expensive. I decided to scrap that idea for time and convenience reasons.
Turns out you can have your cake and eat it. A company called Retro Manufacturing makes a variety of stereos for many vintage applications. They keep the basic aesthetic and fit in your factory set up, but they're not exactly cheap, and some require an amp. Check them out here
First thing's first, you have to make a plan. It would be fun to just start chopping, but it's best to gather your harnesses, and review your diagrams. In my case I'm using the Chilton diagram here, and the paperwork that came with the radio. Thankfully, I was able to restore all clips in the car so no more butcher job.
Once you've had a look at all your wires and diagrams, and you've formulated a plan, it's time to do some work. Some people will solder, and some people will tell you not to. I prefer making my own clips, it's neater, easier, and if I have to take all this stuff out it's a simple matter of unplugging it. It may seem excessive, but I was doing everything in my power to keep from messing with the factory wiring.
Now that that's done, let's see if it fits in the car... Success, like there was ever any doubt. It was a tight fit, the wires and the signal converter ate up a lot of real estate, but thankfully the body of the radio is smaller than usual. That's very likely due to the lack of amplification. As such, I was required to install an amp as well, so I got an entry-level Kenwood and I stuck it in the glove box. Why the glove box?
Installing the amp in the glove box required the least amount of fumbling around. It also required the least amount of interior disassembly, the least amount of wire, and the least amount of aggravation, so I said, "what the hell".
