mcbrucey

How difficult is it to go back to factory Bose radio after doing a Double Din install?

MazdaCorvette

Probably not very easy as you have to cut out a bracket integrated in the frame of the dash to fit the double din in place of the original mounting location. Mine is absolutely hacked up in there so no chance of getting a bracket to fit nice. Only thing I can think of IF it was cleanly cut would be to fab your own bracket and spot weld it. But it would have to be perfect or else the radio and AC controls wont fit or line up with the original center console trim. As far as wiring goes, most of those double din kits are just plug and play and all splicing is done in the aftermarket radio harness so there shouldn't be any concerns with making things work again.

hyperv6

This is why I avoided the aftermarket radio when I bought mine. I wanted the choice of what I did and with the stock radio it is a lot easier.

I am just going to put in Bluetooth and leave the stock radio. It is all I need.

JMG2

why are you going back?
the stock head unit .. is .. really .. *horrible*
Also, keep in mind that if the speakers were changed in your setup, you'll have to deal with that -- either by adding the Blows(tm) dsp back in, or adding in a (very cheap) interface, PAC I think still sells them.

BRKLYN

I’d like a modern radio, not old school days you can remove and back to stock easily on other cars. The Bose sound good to me and I have a /T plugged into cig lighter, not the best I run windows up, if targa is off I call them back. It’s not like lm looking for work or anything, retired 😆

Vox Machina

It shouldn't be difficult, assuming the stock bose amplifiers and speakers are still in place. Even with the support bracket removed, the factory radio will bolt right back in place and unless you start off-roading the car (or live where there are potholes the size of small lakes) there shouldn't be so much bouncing around that the mounts for the radio break. If that were to happen, it shouldn't be that hard to fab up some kind of support for the radio.

If the stock speakers/amplifiers are missing, that's a whole different ballgame.

mcbrucey

Stock speakers and amps. I just had the radio changes out. It is nice to have an updated look, but sometimes I wonder if I should of just left the Bose H/U since I will not change out the speakers/amps.

Vox Machina

IMO the better functionality (and overall sound quality) from an aftermarket radio makes it worth it. These factory radios are 20+ years old now, and frankly we're barely "modern" by standards back then.

mcbrucey

The sound is for sure better if you do the HU, speakers and amps. Right now it is a good look to have double din, but sometimes I wonder why I did it because the sound quality is not better at all.

Vox Machina

Well you only replaced on part of a whole system. The aftermarket radio (assuming it's a quality unit) is for sure sending out better signal, but now the amplifiers and speakers are the limiting factor. It's like replacing the heads on your motor without doing an intake or camshaft and wondering why the motor isn't making more power.

Again, the main benefit for upgrading the head unit is increased functionality. Bluetooth, Android auto/Apple carplay, backup cameras, etc.

Stingroo

You're about $300-500 away from better sound quality. A cheap 4 channel amp and wiring kit and some halfway decent speakers will blow what the car came with out of the water. Spending more on better components will make it a landslide victory. It's not hard to do. Why go backwards?

Vetteman Jack

Just spend the extra and finish the upgrade and then enjoy rocking down the road.

JMG2

you're not going to get better sound from just dropping in a new head unit... which makes sense. The stock speakers are beyond horrible. the "subs" weigh a few ounces, are essentially paper plates. The "amps" in each door is the size of a deck of cards.. I think they are max (if I remember from the stamp on them when I ripped them out) of 25 watts. Max.

You could have the best headunit in the world and it won't improve the sound quality in a c5 in any noticable way.

But as vetteman said-- you're only a few hundred $$ away from great sounds.... get a set of 6.5" and 2.5" speakers for the doors, a metra adapter, ditch the rears, and with that alone you have a great sounding system. Down the road add in an amp and subwoofer.

killain

Wow, Am I getting old or just have lower standards, for years I just comunted and as such I really only needed the news and "Traffic Updates" and anymore i only turn on the radio for the same reason even though I don't really listen to much other sounds. In and out of NYC and the tunnels and bridges and the volumn of traffic, all the time keeping the clock in focus as the time of the afternoon dictates what and where you need to be exactly at what time. You really can't complain of heavy traffic until you've been in a 21 mile back-up. And in 2003 the city lost all power, I could see the Gorge Washington bridge, but it still took 3 hours to get there.

JMG2

I agree, if all you're using the head unit for is the radio to get news, then it's adequate for that. but for anything more demanding, such as music, it's horrible. And obivously can't stream, so severly limited in what you can listen to (unless you still carry around a bunch of CDs). It was an outaded parts bin special back in 2000 (same head unit in the ,2000 suurban and I believe the cavalier), and today it's just... ugh.

and by the way, I don't knock chevy for doing what they did... back in the 90s there was real internal debate over whether the covette would even continue, the c5 was kind of a skunk works project. They developed what they needed to develop-- the innovative chassis, tranny mated to the rear diff, handling, the ls1, etc., and pulled from the parts bin anything elese they didn't need to develop.

killain

I'm not slighting anyone, I've just become used to the sound of the Flowmaster exhaust and I check in for traffic reports, I think in 3 years I've only listen to 1-2 songs on 1 or 2 CD. The Corvette has a 12 CD changer in the boot, but I've gone sound blind ?

91LSMAN

When I had my double din installed I did it for the updated look and functionality. Having apple car play in a 20+ year old car is great. I told the installer when I left-"see you when the speakers blow"