Stereo/radio question

[lostscotiaguy]

Ok folks, please weigh in:
To anyone who doesn't know me I have an 81 (I think it's an "SE"?) There's no badging but I see some little differences between it and the other models: Velour seating, power steering, and AC, plus all the extra? side trim. I have no idea what the original radio/stereo set up was, when I got it someone had hacked at the door panels, and there was no original stereo, or dash speaker. Anyhow the mounting area where my stereo fits juts out and allows for a full size (DIN) stereo, as opposed to the "short DIN" ones that seem to be the norm. At first I thought it was just a plastic converter kit or something and figured I could take it out in order to put in a factory stereo (I've got 2 to choose from!) but in order to do that I'd have to use a flat aftermarket faceplate on the factory stereo...I know it's silly but I WANT that factory faceplate, with the HONDA labelling on it! The problem is the factory faceplate overlaps the front and would get in the way if I tried to install it into the stereo slot. Are 81's the ONLY ones with the stereo slot that juts out? Mine seems to be the only one I've seen that does it.

[2ndGenGuy]

The 81 doesn't take a DIN sized radio, it's designed to fit a Post type radio. The only way to fit a DIN radio in there would be to cut the front out of the factory plastic housing that sticks out. I'm pretty sure the optional tape decks in some of the earlier ones stuck out too. Pretty much anything that wasn't the AM/FM radio stuck out of the dash. I don't think there's room for all the parts to work a mechanical tape deck and still fit in the dash. Or are you looking to fit a short, post-type radio in the dash? I guess the question is, you say you want the factory faceplate, but which one? The shallow one or the deep one?

You could probably fit one of these Parrot radios in the dash, they are super shallow, but not exactly stock looking.
http://www.parrot.com/fr/produits/ki...arrot-asteroid

This is the diagram for '81. I rarely see the flush-mounted AM/FM radios. I've got one in mine, but I looked for it forever. Always see the tape decks that stick out.

[lostscotiaguy]

I'm thinking someone cut out the plastic because the deck I have in it now is a bottom of the barrel el-cheapo din sized am/fm
tapedeck that slides right in.
Instead of the mounting space that is flush with the dash, the one in my car sticks out.
You can sort of see it around 1:30 in this vid:

http://youtu.be/DSI0O1TC2Hc

The faceplate on the stereo is flat, and the black plastic you see on the sides is built right into the dashboard.
So, the only way i can put one of these in is to take off the faceplate like this:



and put a flat "ACME" faceplate on.
I might just grab a pic tomorrow...I'm just puzzled whether I'm wrong about the whole mounting is an aftermarket "extender" or whether it's factory, cause it looks like the whole assembly (Extended/jutting mounting hole, and ashtray) is one piece of plastic.

[79cord]

LX was the USA upper spec. Accord & came with Radio/cassette players instead of the 'basic' AM/FM so assuming this was bigger may explain the different radio surround, & its scarcity, especially if redesigned for '81... which I certainly wouldn't put beyond Honda.
I've only ever seen the small additional faceplate used to cover the protruding portion of a larger radio, & of course the standard flat faceplate I have on mine.
(SE were the limited edition silver grey with alloy wheels & leather weren't they?)

[PDXAccord79]

You can see in the pictures that 2ndGenGuy posted that the tape deck section of the first deck stick out but the sections for the knobs are still flat like the AM/FM.

My dash has a big hole where the stereo used to be so I can't say how the mount originally looked for this car. However I did own a bug for a long time that had a $10 special old school post deck in it so I have experience with these. With the bug there was a hole for the face and 2 smaller holes for the posts to go through. The stereo was installed through the back and pushed through those holes. You then put the face plate over it and hold it down with the nuts over the posts.

DIN and post decks and face plates are usually around the same size but since they have very different methods of install most guys (including me on the bug) cut the post style mount out and replace it with an aftermarket mounting solution. I've done no stereo on my car so I have no idea how stuff mounts in there.

If I were to go by the face plate on the top deck (looks like the stock one) then it is supposed to stick out. You can see on the sides of the plate that there are "wings" that will fill the gaps on the sides of the deck. I have a dash pad from a 79 sitting around and those wings would fit perfectly flush with the radio cut out. Since that cheapo tape deck doesn't look like OEM at all I'm guessing the top face plate is an aftermarket solution to allow DIN decks into the OEM hole without gaps around the dash. The face plate on the bottom one looks like poorly fitting aftermarket stuff.

If the AM/FM deck fits in the hole flush when using the correct mounting holes then there has to be a flat OEM plate out there somewhere. Put the cheapo on for now to fill the hole and start looking. If I remember I'll keep an eye out next time I go to the yard.

As for your speakers if the holes in the doors look hacked and there's no stock wires going through the doors you probably have the model with the mono speaker and AM/FM and someone later hacked it up for stereo. Unless someone took your special package badges off you're base which I believe had mono AM/FM. Are there holes cut in the door metal itself? On my 79 base the area where a speaker would is solid but I've seen 81 4-door DX's(?) in the yard with velour seats, plush carpets, power windows and stereo speakers with Honda grills. I've never seen a hatch with speakers in the doors or power windows.

[Hazwan]

Be jelly of my non sticking out aftermarket single din



Mine was hacked too so I can't say anything on this (N)

[2ndGenGuy]

How the...? Did you have to cut into the heater to make that fit?

[lostscotiaguy]

The face plate on the bottom one looks like poorly fitting aftermarket stuff.

Oddly enough they're actually BOTH Factory Honda decks...



"SE were the limited edition silver grey with alloy wheels & leather weren't they?"

I guess I was wrong! LOL I need to actually take the time to figure it out sometime, I know they changed a lot of stuff for the 81's. That SE does sound really cool though...Leather, Enkei? rims, and that gunmetal-ish shade of grey? YES PLEASE!

Re: The hack job on the doors...They DO look like they were hacked at HOWEVER they look like someone just expanded the factory openings...I don't know how to explain it. It looks like there were factory spaces for speakers in the door but someone enlarged them. Can anyone tell me the diameter of the factory door speakers? The one's in mine are 4" I think....
Plus the wiring for the speakers looked like they were factory wires.
Anyhow, I'm gonna go grab a pic of my stereo slot.... I'm starting to think that maybe mine WAS a "post type" and someone just hacked out the front so they could slide a din sized deck in there. If they did, they did a great job cause the edges they cut into the plastic are pretty damn straight.

[2ndGenGuy]

Yeah I still have the stock speakers. They are 4 inch speakers, behind a rectangular grille. Mine might have been put in by the dealer though. I've seen people put in like 5 1/2 or 6 inch speakers. Mine were just drilled into the door panels basically. There's a very similar set of 2-way speakers in the rear in the cargo area too. I have a set of speakers that also are the same size and shape, but they actually say "HONDA" on them. They are not in the car though, found em at a wrecking yard.

[lostscotiaguy]

Said I'd post a better pic:
It looks like there's a seam along the top edge of the stereo but the whole "sleeve" is integrated into the plastic face of the heater controls,etc....It's all one piece.

[lostscotiaguy]

Well I feel like a dumbass now....
The faceplate I have that matches the "stereo sleeve" wont fit on either of the factory stereos I have (I thought I could just swap the aftermarket faceplate onto a factory stereo), plus they aren't wide enough to sit properly in the sleeve. Looks like I need to just give up and try and find one from an 81 at Pick and Pull. I might have to just sell the ones I have right now, after I test them (Of course).

[2ndGenGuy]

I was thinking about this thread while I was at the yard today. Guess I could have pulled a stock deck instead of just the face plate.



Also found a flush-mount AM/FM radio. It was missing the volume knob though. This one is actually nicer than mine, so I'll probably keep it if it works, and then sell my other one.



I see you also have the proper stock speakers in the doors!

[Dr_Snooz]

Said I'd post a better pic:
It looks like there's a seam along the top edge of the stereo but the whole "sleeve" is integrated into the plastic face of the heater controls,etc....It's all one piece.

That's less than attractive, isn't it? I can see why you want a change.

[lostscotiaguy]

"I see you also have the proper stock speakers in the doors!"

Yeah I put in some El- Cheapo aftermarket speakers in the door, and I found some cool Honda speaker grills from a 3rd gen? I think? Can't remember. Those other ones with the big holes in them just don't appeal to me, although they certainly stand out as being "different".

"That's less than attractive, isn't it? I can see why you want a change."

Yeah, I realize I'd probably have to rip apart the whole dash to change the "mounting situation" so I'm OK with the fact that it juts out. I guess I'm just gonna have to find an 81 with a suitable stereo though. I'd love a fancier aftermarket one with some "big sound" to crank up once in a while (Although I HATE people who drive around with 18" subs, rattling the s**t out of their car and annoying others) but around here it'd just get stolen, plus I dig the idea of having the old school radio, not just for looks but...I miss having those push-button presets, it takes me back! As long as I've got some old school cool and a stereo I can hear, I'm happy!

[lostscotiaguy]

Oh, and I'd be curious to see what kind of interest and what kind of cash you get for that stereo... I now have 2 (Untested) with knobs and faceplates that I can't use. One has cigarette burns on the buttons but the other one (a tape deck) is perfect.

[1GCustomAccord]

How the...? Did you have to cut into the heater to make that fit?

My stereo fits perfect too, i had to cut a rectangular hole in the A/C system (steel and plastic housing) to make it fit.