What did you replace factory radio with?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

vkh

Full Access Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Posts
436
Reaction score
138
Location
Western Montana
First Name
Var
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C2500
Engine Size
454
I have the base model retrosound. I love it, perfect for my needs. Now all it has is aux and am/fm. I just use an aux cable and play music on my phone and it sounds good to me. The port is on the back of the radio but you can mount a port anywhere you like. Although with modern phones shedding their aux ports you may want Bluetooth to future proof yourself if you use a phone for music.

https://www.retromanufacturing.com/...ies-trucks-laguna-radio-1?variant=34820027854
 

vkh

Full Access Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Posts
436
Reaction score
138
Location
Western Montana
First Name
Var
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C2500
Engine Size
454
That said I'm not an audio guy so I'm not the most informed on this kind of stuff.
 

CSFJ

-----------------
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Posts
6,160
Reaction score
5,162
Location
------
First Name
-------------
Truck Year
-------
Truck Model
-------
Engine Size
-------
Mine is going to get the factory radio that came out of the '87 I parted out.
 

74 Shortbed

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Posts
6,306
Reaction score
1,410
Location
*
First Name
*
Truck Year
*
Truck Model
*
Engine Size
*
I switched to a Kenwood with USB, Aux in and bluetooth. 88-91 Have a different dash opening so no cutting was required, just a dash kit, harness, and new radio.

You must be registered for see images attach
I like your setup, what dash kit did you use??, the ones I see all make the unit stick way out, looks ugly IMO...
 

Crispy

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2017
Posts
1,454
Reaction score
1,390
Location
Carbon County, Pennsyltucky
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1989
Truck Model
Suburban V1500
Engine Size
5.7
I like your setup, what dash kit did you use??, the ones I see all make the unit stick way out, looks ugly IMO...
Thanks. I dont like the way those protruding kits look either. I used American International GMK432. Got in on ebay for like $9.00
The AI kit comes with the extensions for shallow mounting depth, but I didnt need it thankfully.
 

74 Shortbed

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Posts
6,306
Reaction score
1,410
Location
*
First Name
*
Truck Year
*
Truck Model
*
Engine Size
*
Thanks. I dont like the way those protruding kits look either. I used American International GMK432. Got in on ebay for like $9.00
The AI kit comes with the extensions for shallow mounting depth, but I didnt need it thankfully.
Thanks man, I was thinking Retro for the factory look but this looks just as good as factory, and I can have more choices on a radio..
 

Crispy

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2017
Posts
1,454
Reaction score
1,390
Location
Carbon County, Pennsyltucky
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1989
Truck Model
Suburban V1500
Engine Size
5.7
Thanks man, I was thinking Retro for the factory look but this looks just as good as factory, and I can have more choices on a radio..

I originally wanted go OEM and my Burb came with the premium radio RPO UX1. Similar to the one below, but not shiny. I looked into retro and another company which I forgot and I want to say they only offered until 1987.

You must be registered for see images attach


So I was gonna buy that radio, mod it to have aux in, maybe add a signal processor and have a sweet sounding but stock looking system. I saw how rare and expensive those radios can be and chuckled while I spent a fraction on new tech. When I saw the gaping hole I was a little worried but then realized no one had cut the dash. Thats when I found out that in 1989 they switched to din mounting. Your results may vary but my only gripe about the AI kit was that it caused my dash bezel to longer mount flush to dash itself around the radio.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

74 Shortbed

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Posts
6,306
Reaction score
1,410
Location
*
First Name
*
Truck Year
*
Truck Model
*
Engine Size
*
Yeah, this is the one I was thinking of getting but I didn't care for the price either for what you're getting, lol.. BTW, I just ordered one of them kits..

You must be registered for see images attach
 

Crispy

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2017
Posts
1,454
Reaction score
1,390
Location
Carbon County, Pennsyltucky
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1989
Truck Model
Suburban V1500
Engine Size
5.7
Or the color! I knew I was going with white LEDs in the cluster and wanted a radio that I could change the colors on.

Post up pics when you do the install, let me know how yours sits behind the bezel. I'm curious to know if its normal or if maybe the kit I got was a little off.
 

74 Shortbed

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Posts
6,306
Reaction score
1,410
Location
*
First Name
*
Truck Year
*
Truck Model
*
Engine Size
*
Sure will, haven't decided on a radio yet though, but I just looked yours up and I kinda like it so I may just get that one...
 

Crispy

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2017
Posts
1,454
Reaction score
1,390
Location
Carbon County, Pennsyltucky
First Name
Chris
Truck Year
1989
Truck Model
Suburban V1500
Engine Size
5.7
Sure will, haven't decided on a radio yet though, but I just looked yours up and I kinda like it so I may just get that one...

Its simple and its cheap since it doesnt have a CD player. I havent used CD since the early 2000s.
 

74 Shortbed

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Posts
6,306
Reaction score
1,410
Location
*
First Name
*
Truck Year
*
Truck Model
*
Engine Size
*
Its simple and its cheap since it doesnt have a CD player. I havent used CD since the early 2000s.
Ordered it last night from Crutchfield $119 shipped, and it comes with an installation kit(which I won't be using) and harness free, also ordered the AI kit off E-Gay, should have them next week sometime..
 

Honky Kong jr

Super Sarcastic Man
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Posts
14,968
Reaction score
9,789
Location
Denver,PA
First Name
J-me
Truck Year
87
Truck Model
V10
Engine Size
Lil BB 407
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
41,851
Posts
903,497
Members
33,365
Latest member
rossivey
Top