Anyone ever do a hidden radio in their car? I just bought an Alpine 9827 CD/MP3 player for my 'vert, and would like to do something stealthy and hidden to help prevent it from being stolen. I thought about recessing it into the existing hole and putting something over the front of it when its not in use. Also thought about putting it in the center console. Anybody got any suggestions or pictures of something like what I'm talking about?

 

I seen a guy on this site who stealthed the CD Player in the center console armrest thingy. He left his Delco factory deck in the factory harnest but had hid his CD Player in the armrest console. Looked pretty cool and definately a bonus to deter theft. Like he said "who would want to steal a delco?"

I just can't remember who it was. I will see if I can find that post for ya.

 

that was me in my old thunderbird

 

you could mod the vents behind the stereo for more room, then set the head unit in the stock location, but set farther back then stock...

then remove the faceplate from the factory radio (it comes off in one piece) and put velcro on the back (just a lil velco so you can still pull it off). put the other half of the velcro on you DIN adapter.

then when you remove the faceplate to the alpine, you can place the factory dummy over it.

 

Hey thats a cool idea. It would be even cooler if you could have the faux faceplate fold down to reveal the real deal. Man I wish I would have thought of that. That would have been a totaly whicked.

 

I'm seriously considering the center console/armrest idea. The only concern I have then is the fact that Alpine says the maximum mounting angle from horizontal is 30 degrees. You run into any issues having it straight up?

 

a tiny hinge from a hobby shop mounted on the bottom of it would allow it to fold down.. and one of thoes push to release spring loaded latches will work up top.


but, that will only work if you have a auto. the faceplate would hit on 1st,3rd,5th and reverse with a manual.... (well reverse only with a T56....)

it MIGHT be in the way when in park, but that could be a good reminder to flip it up when you goto park.

 

ya i read that aswell about the mounting angle...the deck ran just aswell at 90 degrees as when it was mounted regularly and didnt seem to get any hotter. Mind you that was the 7893 so other HUs might respond differently.

 

Just an idea but in an old car of mine I actually took the face plate off of a factory radio and glued the ***** and switches back on to it, receesed the new radio back into the dash a little bit and used the factory faceplate as a mask. alot of work but it was effective.