Putting a better stereo in '87 560SL

[mybaby]

I still have the stock stereo that functions fine but not up to speed with the quality of car stereos of today. And great sound on a afternoon drive would be awesome! That said, a friend suggested I keep the stereo as is to maintain the car in its original form but to get a remote control mounted stereo that mounts inside the glove box, and to change out the speaker system. Any advice here????

[SunGuy]

Originally Posted by mybaby

I still have the stock stereo that functions fine but not up to speed with the quality of car stereos of today. And great sound on a afternoon drive would be awesome! That said, a friend suggested I keep the stereo as is to maintain the car in its original form but to get a remote control mounted stereo that mounts inside the glove box, and to change out the speaker system. Any advice here????

What you want from a sound system is really such a personal thing, I hesitate to comment as virtually everyone will have a different opinion. That said, the advice you got about holding onto the original radio is good. When you sell the car, the next buyer may/may not like the changes you end up making to your car, and you can always put it back to 'original'.

On my 560SL, I got an AIWA 1100 single DIN(the same height as the space in the dash, so no cutting necessary) that contains a 180W, AM/FM Stereo, cassette player and single play CD. That was several years ago, and if I was doing it today I'd find a unit that supports MP3's, but again, this is a personal choice thing.

For speakers, I ripped out the 2 tiny front ones in favor of Sony Xplodrs for no other reason than they fit the odd opening in the housing with minimal cutting/fitting. I installed 2-6" speakers in the shelf behind the seats. If you lift up the shelf you'll see the cutouts should already be in place.

Bottom line is the sound will now blow you out of the car.

Personally, since I use the glove box to store CD's/Tapes, I would be reluctant to pack this space with electronics. I'm also not a fan of automatic CD changers as they take up space in the trunk that I'm not willing to part with. That said, best around is Alpine if you want to go that way.

Have fun!

Bob

[sublettm]

You should be able to install any new stereo in your car without having to cut anything which would alter the original appearance. I installed one in my father's 500sl several years ago and didn't have to modify anything.

[cbdo]

Standard headunits will fit. Search the archives--there's been a lot posted on this over the years.