How to swap radios, need ideas

[Ron Dame]

What I thought would be a simple radio change tossed me a curve. The panel below the radio that extends from the steering column to the right door panel is riveted in. Before I drill out a bunch of rivets, is there an easier way to gain access for the swap?

[brad]

No, don't do that Ron, it's part of the dash, and drilling out those rivets won't gain you anything.  If your car is new enough to have the "cubby hole" in the top of the dash where the speaker usually was, then it's simple to remove that, and acccess the radio from that opening. Other wise the side panel on the console will have to be removed. Also, the stainless trim removed first. To do that, you have to remove the upright AC center duct outlet plate. (4 Phillips screws). Then you will see the nut holding the trim in place. Once the trim is off, then you can unscrew the console end cap. then the radio is held in with nuts behind its knobs. which pull off.  There might be another bolt into the bottom of the radio chassis on the passenger side. There will be a small access hole for that bolt if there is one there. Then reach up and unplug the antennae and power wires, and the radio should wrangle out the back of the dash. You may have to remove the fiberglass heater duct to gain enough room to tilt the radio out. I think you can rotate it and tilt it enough to remove. Cars with AC are almost inpossible to access it easy. But I've done it when I was more limber. Anymore, I remove the whole dash instruments and all. 

[WayneC]

Also be aware that the front face of modern car radios are uniform in size, in so-called "DIN" modular size (1 Din or 2 Din height), all are same width & DIN heights, and all are too large for an Avanti dashboard. What does fit nicely is a Blaupunkt radio as used in many "sporty" cars of the 1970's, particularly Porsche, but if you can find a good one (with a tuner for American AM/FM bandwidths), they are pricey.

[pantera928]

I have a Retrosound radio in mine and it fits right where the original one was. I installed it through the place where the original single speaker was.

It has bluetooth, USB and connects to my cell phone

Even used the original faceplate

[Ron Dame]

The Blaupunkt that is in there has noisy volume and balance controls and I wanted bluetooth, so like Pantera, I bought a Retrosound unit. In the middle of the  night, it occurred to me that removing the top speaker grille might work. I don't think there is actually a speaker there since I have 2 in the kick panels and 2 on the rear shelf. Thanks for the confirmation Bez!

[pantera928]

No speaker there and on some models, they actually changed the speaker grille to a place to put things.

[John D]

my 79 had what looks like a canister to adapt a CB radio antenna combo jack hung from the grille location (the antenna has a CB coil on it). The CB is long gone of course...