crf311

I am getting ready to put in a DIN radio in my 69 and wanted to know if anyone has cut their bezel while it is still in the car. I really don't want to disconnect the oil pressure gauge.

A C

Just disconnect the oil line and lift it above the motor. If the motor isn't running the oil feeds by gravity, and if the line is above the motor then it's not going to drain. It's a lot easier to cut the bezel out of the car.

Todbo

it's pretty tuff to cut , I used a dremel , and various hand files. it's going to make a helluva mess on the inside of your car!

Racer16k

I did mine in the car. It does make a mess, but I covered everything with towels or blankets (these would be old ones that the wife doesn't want anymore) and had my son hold the shopvac next to my dremel and drill while I cut. It was a real pain, I think I even used a hacksaw blade to cut part of it. It turned out nice though and love my new cd player.

Motor City Vette

It's not bad to cut with a dremel if you use the right cutting wheel. Use a fiber-reinorced cutting wheel instead of the standard cutting wheel. You'll need a couple of them as they will wear down, but they work pretty decent. Here's a link to a thread I posted a little while back when I installed my Sony DIN head unit (includes pictures):
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=808212

Eddie 70

I just cut mine last night to mount my DIN reciever. I had the bezel out of the car when I did it though. I used a jigsaw and had at it. didn't take too long. The hard parts are around the old radio *****.

Motor City Vette

Eddie, what kind of radio are you putting in? By the way, your new paint job looks AWESOME!

SAMMAN

I did my 68 a couple of months ago. It was not necessary to disconnect any of the guages. The bezel seperates from a panel that the five guages are connected to (I think there are six small screws).

As it has been said, it is a lot easier to cut it while it is out.

Eddie 70

It is a Pioneer 8400. It plays MP3, WMA, CDR's, I don't know what all else. It is also an XM controller. I love XM. I may even add it to the vette. Thanks for the compliments on the vette, Motor City. BTW, where did you get the faceplate that you put around your radio. That looks like something I need.

Motor City Vette

I ordered the faceplate from American International - http://www.aius.net/

I believe the part number is FP-306, but you may want to double check their website to make sure. They didn't have an on-line ordering form so you have to call the 800#...they were quite helpful. The back of the faceplate is already scored for a DIN-sized radio, so cutting it the right size was very easy. The only thing I did after cutting it was I painted it using the same paint I used on the rest of my interior (MarHydes Satin Black).

Easy Mike

Personally, I'd never cut that bezel; original replacements are getting very pricey. My two cents worth would be to purchase one of the aftermarket units which already fit the bezel.

Eddie 70

Thanks for the link. I will probably give them a call in the morning.