Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all.

I titled this thread "Radio won't ft all the way into the slot" so as to make it "searchable" for future, err, "searchers"

As some of us will know, many modern "head units" (car radios they used to be called ) won't push back far enough to fit neatly flush with the front of the dash cut-out.

I used a length of D shaped rubber trim, glued to the radio case, to cover the sticky out bit, but it still looks a bit naff.

Does anyone have any simple tricks to :-

A) Make it fit all the way in.

or

B) Make it look neat even though it is sticking out 1/2 an inch.

One of these, or similar does the job nicely

Don't like either solution to be honest. I think the answer is to make a kind of long console and perhaps fit the voltage meter, a digital clock and so forth as they're relatively thin. Would look more like part of the dash then.

There are head units now which dont have CD players that just play mp3s and have a radio you can get a much smaller unit.

if your very carefull with the ash tray out you can align all the wires ect so the radio DOES go all the way in .

i have done several.

andisnewsyncro wrote:One of these, or similar does the job nicely

I have had the same problem, so just bough one of those spacers. Better than Black Electrical tape. Great idea thanks.

Hacksawbob wrote:There are head units now which dont have CD players that just play mp3s and have a radio you can get a much smaller unit.

Exactly what I have found too. Here's a couple of photos to show depth, which is only 5 inches.

billy739 wrote:if your very carefull with the ash tray out you can align all the wires ect so the radio DOES go all the way in. i have done several.

I am going to try that again then

Yeah I would. It should fit fella - with a wriggle and a shove. I had same issue but got it in. Just move some of the ducting out the way a little.

The joys of not knowing that this would be a problem - when we first bought our van, I fitted my old full length CD player straight in. It took a bit of realigning a couple of things behind the slot, easy enough through the ashtray, but it went fully home. No spacer needed.

mine fitted in all the way,I just made sure that I gently lifted the two heater cables up slightly over the top of the unit on the right hand side and bought a right angle fitting for the ariel

If that fails......DIRTY GREAT BIG LUMP HAMMER!!!

I've had a similar issue...the fact that even the cheapest of CD/radio's offer 4 X 25watt built in means they tend to have an aluminium heatsink arrangement on the rear of the unit to keep them cool.
Most VW's circa Transporter age have a 'support' bracket for locating a stud and mounting rubber (to hold the rear of the unit) This can usually be broken off and removed to give an extra 10mm of depth...remove the 6mm stud as well.
Martin

Aye, no go with mine Even with the bracket removed, the stud off the back of the head unit and the heater control cables out of the way, the rear of the radio butts up against the plastic (that is the top of the heater matrix box).

So, black tape it is for now, and one of those trim pieces from Brickwerks next time I order summat from them

Fortunately my gear lever is set so it does not get too close to the radio