how to fit a radio

[JPB]

......replaced it with a universal one from Halfords that looks almost identical

Now that's not a bad plan at all.

[lancsamb]

.....you can adjust the height of the parcel shelf with the little brackets on the gearbox housing

Well I'll be an Uncle's monkey! I wonder why they made them adjustable? I mean, on my auto, the shelf (definitely not adjustable and I just popped out for a close look) is formed of the same piece of thin fibreboard that forms the heater cover, so to move the shelf downwards by the quarter inch or so by which it currently clears the oddments tray on the tunnel, it would take a whole load of work and all for a radio enclosure with a lid you couldn't use as a shelf anyway. Other than for keeping stamps and things you wanted to hide, perhaps......

@Lancsamb: The radio enclosure doesn't go under the shelf, it goes above it, here's a picture of the type that fits a Dolomite:

image

can you re send the picture as it has not appeared thanks

[lancsamb]

Well the car is one of the last built (registered November 1980, production ceased in August), so theresca very good chance someone simply found it in a corner somewhere and chucked it on

It's broken though and had been hacked badly to fit a DIN radio, so I replaced it with a universal one from Halfords that looks almost identical

i will pop out to my local halfords today and have a butchers thanks

[lancsamb]

now thats the radio sorted where does the speaker and aerial go i would like to put them where they should be not where my son says, something about a boom box in the boot !!!!!!

[Edin Dundee]

Under Dash Fitting.




Ian, I'm away from home until the 13th October, but will send the fitting when I get back. Just PM me your address.

[Davo]

now thats the radio sorted where does the speaker and aerial go i would like to put them where they should be not where my son says, something about a boom box in the boot !!!!!!

I've got shelf speakers on the rear parcel shelf. You can wire them under the carpets and through to the boot (requires taking rear seats out), then up through the shelf. You can then either use double-sided or velcro to stick the speakers to the shelf

[Reg]

Such a lovely original car..be a shame to cut any of that interior.

[lancsamb]

Such a lovely original car..be a shame to cut any of that interior.

I wont do it, I think the best way would be to fit an under shelf box from halfords so I dont cut anything ??

[JPB]

.....you can adjust the height of the parcel shelf with the little brackets on the gearbox housing

Well I'll be an Uncle's monkey! I wonder why they made them adjustable? I mean, on my auto, the shelf (definitely not adjustable and I just popped out for a close look) is formed of the same piece of thin fibreboard that forms the heater cover, so to move the shelf downwards by the quarter inch or so by which it currently clears the oddments tray on the tunnel, it would take a whole load of work and all for a radio enclosure with a lid you couldn't use as a shelf anyway. Other than for keeping stamps and things you wanted to hide, perhaps......

@Lancsamb: The radio enclosure doesn't go under the shelf, it goes above it, here's a picture of the type that fits a Dolomite:

image

can you re send the picture as it has not appeared thanks

Enable "View images" in your user CP, just in case that's not the problem, two more, this time added directly:



Shallow enough to fit the original location, and if you use one of those Philips sets that I mentioned, you don't need to cut the heater cover.

[Lewis]

Several of mine had one like this, very similar (if not the same) to the one JPB posted up:











I found one in another Dolomite being broken up, too. Fitted very nicely and looked the part.

[JPB]

It looks the part because it's designed to do the job and was the original as fitted by dealers when their customer wanted a wireless in the car, it fits exactly between the under side of the air vents and the top of the parcel shelf which, as Lewis' picture of the thing in another auto shows beautifully, would have to be cut away to drop down enough to fit the Toledo one into that space. Not worth buying a late car to find out how they did it then, and the phone tray is actually hard against the underside of the shelf in an auto.

I like Bill's idea with the generic pod, but that could be fitted under the glove hole as there is a strong bit of steel across the dash there, that would keep it out the way of passengers' big feet too!

[lancsamb]

Has any one got one of those brackets for sale that JPB has shown above please thanks Graham

[JPB]

You could, alternatively, create one from some nice bits of wood to match the door trims, originals don't travel well alas, and although well packed, the last one I sold was destroyed in transit, or whatever kind of truck they were using that day.
They come up on eBay from time to time, but make sure the seller can provide pictures that show there are no cracks from the spindles toward the outer edges and also make sure that the mounting bracket, complete with screws and spire clips, comes with as that would need to be made otherwise. Not too bad to do as it's a strip of steel with each end bent back acutely to fit the angles of the side pieces, but the original clips into place in the cage as well as being screwed in and bolted through the shelf beneath it.
What I can supply is one of those GM/Philips AM radios to go in there without the need to cut the heater cover, it sounds neither better nor worse than any other solid-state device of the period.

Regarding the speaker, I have a suitable (4Ὠ) one taken from a scrapped Hacker Sovereign 3 which fits the original location in the dashboard. It was causing erroneous instrument readings, but a strip of lead wrapped around the magnet solved that. Proper car speakers are usually screened for that very reason.
There's plenty air behind there so bass response from my period Lucas "Radiomobile" set (currently using the same model as shown in Nick's Toledo) is good and those radios have a flying lead exit point at the rear which, with a little modification, will take an FM or mp3 input from your music player of choice, in my case an Android phone that sits under the set or in its screen holder. Usefully, this allows the radio to be used to amplify the voice for the Google map navigation too.

[baz]

Another option if you want to keep the stock look/not cut dash you could buy a remote control stereo and fit it in the glove box? This option also stops the risk of theft. If you get one that accepts a USB stick with all your favorite music on no need to change discs etc either. OR a multi disc boot stacker. Just a thought.

[scotchydoodle]

I just fitted a "retrosound" radio from moss. Was £200 but looks perfect in a dolomite. Modern radio with digital fm/am, usb connection in the back and an auxiliary input on the front for plugging in mp3 player etc. you can get chrome or black knobs and chrome or black facia plate and it comes with a remote control?. It's very shallow as there's no cd player or tape so no nead to cut the dash at all. Mine is fitted in a radio tray from halfrauds, turned upside down and mounted in the middle above the shelf. I've got the chrome knobs and black facia and it looks just right (in my opinion), I'll try and get a picture on tommorow.
With regards aerial, I used to have a TR6 with a plastic aerial fitted inside the engine bay on the front of the chassis leg. It got a suprisingly good reception and no holes in the body panels.