Accessing Radio Connection In a 1969 Valiant
I need to remove my dash panel so I can access the power and speaker wires of the radio in my '69 Valiant.
Not really. It will come out from underneath.
Are there any tricks I should know of---clips, hidden screws, etc...or is it fairly straight forward with a few exposed screws? Does one end need to come out first or anything like that?
It comes out butt first. Redfish has it pretty well. I have trouble getting up in the dash, so I remove the A/C vent assembly and the ash tray assembly. If you have an illuminated ashtray, it is important that the battery is disconnected first.
If you decide to remove the front speaker, lights in the dash may be visible through the abandoned grille. I took mine out, for now, and put a black painted piece of a tissue box in its place. The front speaker is mounted in a frame and held on to the dash by two stamped nuts. They are very much like the nuts that hold on the defroster vents and in the same general location. As in life, make sure which nuts you have in your grip before you go twisting on them.
Also, is the original AM radio power cable in the dash compatible with new radios or is it some strange old-school connection? Any replies are appreciated. Thanks a lot.
The power connection to the radio is a proprietary connector. I crimped a female "blade" type connector to the power lead wire on my newer radio, put a little electrical tape around it, and jammed it onto the blade connected to the red wire of the OEM radio lead. It has been working without a hiccup.
I've had a problem with alternator noise in the radio (high pitched whine). I cured it by using a big-***, old-school choke coil (from the 8-track days) on the antenna lead.
For dash pad removal, must remove instrument cluster and glove box liner to get access to screws. Don't need to pull windshield.