Remove the console to replace the radio?

[al76slc]

Pardon the dumb question.

Right now I've got an aftermarket Alpine cassette and will be replacing with a low end Pioneer with CD.

1) Do we need to pull the console to get at the innards?

2) Best Buy will do the installation for free (except parts). Should I trust them? I don't have a lot of spare time right now so it's tempting, and I've never installed a radio before.

3) My antenna electric up-down has never worked while I owned the car (but I believe the motor does work). Should we bypass the dash switch (which controls the antenna for city/country) and wire from the radio right to the antenna motor.

Thanks

It's a 76 450SLC, in case you couldn't guess.

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by al76slc

Pardon the dumb question.

Right now I've got an aftermarket Alpine cassette and will be replacing with a low end Pioneer with CD.

1) Do we need to pull the console to get at the innards?

2) Best Buy will do the installation for free (except parts). Should I trust them? I don't have a lot of spare time right now so it's tempting, and I've never installed a radio before.

3) My antenna electric up-down has never worked while I owned the car (but I believe the motor does work). Should we bypass the dash switch (which controls the antenna for city/country) and wire from the radio right to the antenna motor.

Thanks

It's a 76 450SLC, in case you couldn't guess.

1) No. After you remove the plastic trim around the edge which just pops off, the radio comes straight out with two special tools that are usualy supplied with the radio, but you can probably just slip two fealear blades in along each side to unlock it.

2) If you want to take the time to solder your harness and shrink tube it, dont go to any place that will install it for free.

3) You should be able to make your antena work just like it did from the factory with the aftermarket radio. The more likely problem is your antena just does not work. Even though you here the motor, other things inside are not working.

John Roncallo

[al76slc]

Originally Posted by Roncallo

2) If you want to take the time to solder your harness and shrink tube it, dont go to any place that will install it for free.

John - Thanks.

I'd really prefer to do it myself and maybe I will.

It's just that baseball season started and I'd rather hit grounders to a bunch of 11 year olds (my son included). I've got a bunch of projects on tap for this summer, including swapping out the blue interior for a black one, and I'll clean up the radio install at that time. Right now, I just want tunes quickly. I'm just wondering if the Best Buy guys will screw it up.

[ellipse]

Just had a new radio put in my '75 SL 450 bu best Buy, a relatively cheap Sony but loads better than the broken buttoned Becker

Antenna works fine

[al76slc]

Originally Posted by ellipse

Just had a new radio put in my '75 SL 450 bu best Buy, a relatively cheap Sony but loads better than the broken buttoned Becker

Antenna works fine

I'm having mine done today (Pioneer). If I may ask, did you tip the installer? If yes, how much, and was it before the install? I want a good job.