Car Audio Car audio related questions and helpful hints for building the best sound system for your car or getting the most out of what you have.

Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 5, 2024 | 08:37 AM
  #1  
drabina's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
10 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 105
Likes: 18
From: NJ
Car: 92 Camaro RS
Engine: V6 3.1
Transmission: 5 speed
Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

I know that single DIN will fit but I am concerned about the depth of the radio. It has been a while since I installed cassette or CD radio in any of my cars but I have a weird feeling that those aftermarket radios are deeper than the stock Delco radio. I am looking at some NOS radios that are tape only or tape/CD and just want to make sure they will fit.
Reply
Old Apr 5, 2024 | 10:24 AM
  #2  
ACebell's Avatar
Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 269
Likes: 95
From: The Villages, FL
Car: 1983 Camaro Z28
Engine: Originally LU5, but now Carb'd
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: 323
Re: Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

Back in the day, we stuffed all sorts of Single DIN (with *****) in these cars. My favorite was the Realistic (from Radio Shack). My brother was working part-time at the local store. He would set aside the last year models that were about to be discontinued and marked down. Did they fit? Sure! Did they look good? In my youth, the new shiny radio was way better than the factory radio. I remember that most of the installations looked like this:

Reply
Old Apr 5, 2024 | 10:38 AM
  #3  
drabina's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
10 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 105
Likes: 18
From: NJ
Car: 92 Camaro RS
Engine: V6 3.1
Transmission: 5 speed
Re: Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

I remember those aftermarket radios. Put few of them in the cars I owned back in the days. Now it is all about a double din touch screens or a factory LCD radios without which the car can't control heat, ac and other things. I think the rotary volume control is what I miss most in the new car's tech.

The more and more I think about the replacement for the stock Delco radio, I think I am just going to buy a radio from Crutchfield that will have Bluetooth, ability to play mp3s, etc. The digital media receivers are pretty shallow so they will most likely fit without any issues. The cassette radio is definitely cool but would probably get boring pretty fast with only 4 cassettes that I own. :-) Maybe someday I will fix the stock Delco.
Reply
Old Apr 5, 2024 | 07:05 PM
  #4  
8t2 z-chev's Avatar
Supreme Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,313
Likes: 115
From: belle fourche,s.d.
Car: '82 z28
Engine: L83 5.7
Transmission: 700r4-1985
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

Yes* but the air ducts for the little vents in the console sides get in the way.-was common to find these ducts trimmed or broken so an aftermarket cassette would fit flush.When i bought my car in 1990,it had a 1985 vintage "JetSound" cassette istalled several different Alpine and Blaupunkt radios were in the car until a 1984 Delco/Bose was installed about '94-hooked to standard aftermarket amps and speakers.
Reply
Old Apr 6, 2024 | 08:06 PM
  #5  
GETGONE's Avatar
Junior Member
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 13
From: Michigan
Re: Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

If you get just a media head unit without a cassette or CD player they are VERY shallow and can be flush mounted in the mounting kit. I found a cheap $16 radio on ebay and put it in my 85 IROC because the stock radio and a replacement GM radio I got both didn't work right and I wanted some kind of music to listen to.



Reply
Old Apr 6, 2024 | 10:16 PM
  #6  
tom3's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,322
Likes: 100
From: So. Ohio
Car: 88 Camaro
Engine: L98 350
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Does an old school cassette radio fits as a replacement for the stock radio?

I put a later model Delco CD player in my 88 with just a little trimming of the dash opening. It was right against the duct at the back. If it had the small cooling fan on the back it would not have fit. Gives a good stock look, works fine, but sure not the utility of the new radios available today.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TransamGuy305
Car Audio
21
Apr 30, 2024 10:03 AM
steves
Car Audio
2
Mar 18, 2019 11:20 PM
*84TA
Interior Parts for Sale
0
Nov 18, 2016 06:30 AM
aaron7
History / Originality
24
Sep 1, 2003 05:41 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:47 AM.