Z/28 Radio -- None or single speaker?

[Tyler360]

Originally Posted by fastball

If I bought this car, I would remove the speaker and radio, and just fabricate a lightweight plastic or fiberglass filler panel, remove the radio, and install the panel as filler over it (painted either black or dark grey).

This car is for track purposes. So you don't need to hear the seatbelt chime, headlight reminder chime, door ajar chime, or turn signal click. You don't need music since the sound of the engine is all you want to hear anyway. Sure the feds mandate that it be there at production, but once you take possession there's nothing that says you can't take that stuff out. And it's not like you're taking this car on any long vacation trips, so you really don't need any of the modern conveniences. If you do aspire to take this car on a long drive, you're missing the point of it's existence, and I can name at least 4 cars in what will probably be the Z/28 price range that are fantastic, upscale cars that you can enjoy long distance drives in.

Unless its a Camaro, not interested...

[ALLTRBO]

The ZL1 comes to mind... only it's less expensive.

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by fastball

If I bought this car, I would remove the speaker and radio, and just fabricate a lightweight plastic or fiberglass filler panel, remove the radio, and install the panel as filler over it (painted either black or dark grey).

This car is for track purposes. So you don't need to hear the seatbelt chime, headlight reminder chime, door ajar chime, or turn signal click.

Instead of the filler panel how about an AiM Solo lap timer? I need that way more than I'll ever need a radio in this car. And radios chassis are heavy 5-8 lbs. How do we separate the radio from the climate controls though? Looks integrated on the panel? Seeing as how I am spec'ing A/C delete all I need is a heater control

A great project for an aftermarket supplier to engineer a solution for this.

[fastball]

Originally Posted by Zfatuated

Instead of the filler panel how about an AiM Solo lap timer? I need that way more than I'll ever need a radio in this car. And radios chassis are heavy 5-8 lbs. How do we separate the radio from the climate controls though? Looks integrated on the panel? Seeing as how I am spec'ing A/C delete all I need is a heater control

A great project for an aftermarket supplier to engineer a solution for this.

The outside panel of the HVAC and radio are integrated, but the internal components are separate units. When you take them out, just cut the front panel in half to separate everything.

[fastball]

Originally Posted by Tyler360

Unless its a Camaro, not interested...

Then buy an SS, 1LE, or ZL1 and save a few bucks.

You want creature comforts, I get that. If you're going to spend Z/28 money, either you don't want creature comforts at all, or you want another completely different car.

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by fastball

The outside panel of the HVAC and radio are integrated, but the internal components are separate units. When you take them out, just cut the front panel in half to separate everything.

Awesome, thanks for the info

[fastball]

Originally Posted by Zfatuated

Awesome, thanks for the info

After thinking about it, you really can't cut the front bezel in half because the illumination of all the lights on the radio and HVAC are all interconnected, and the HVAC dials are too darn close to the radio controls to have a clean line to cut through......

BUT....

You can still remove the CD player and tuner module. The plastic bezel is just a keypad and the climate controls are all electronic, no mechanism or box inside. The bezel less than a quarter inch thick, and it weighs very little. The HVAC controls are part of the whole bezel, but the radio and CD player are not. Therefore, you can remove the bezel, take out the tuner module and CD player, and replace the front bezel.

Just make sure you don't try to accidentally put a CD through the slot, it will get stuck behind your dashboard now!

You could just tape off the CD slot from the inside while you have the bezel off.

But I definitely like your idea, that someone like Scotshe or DEI should come up with an aftermarket bezel that gives you the HVAC while just a black filler panel for the radio. They make custom trim bezels for all aftermarket head units right now anyway.

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by fastball

But I definitely like your idea, that someone like Scotshe or DEI should come up with an aftermarket bezel that gives you the HVAC while just a black filler panel for the radio. They make custom trim bezels for all aftermarket head units right now anyway.

Or a trim bezel with compartment to fit in a Video VBox Lite box

[davidcroft]

I'd order this radio

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by fastball

If I bought this car, I would remove the speaker and radio, and just fabricate a lightweight plastic or fiberglass filler panel, remove the radio, and install the panel as filler over it (painted either black or dark grey).

This car is for track purposes. So you don't need to hear the seatbelt chime, headlight reminder chime, door ajar chime, or turn signal click. You don't need music since the sound of the engine is all you want to hear anyway. Sure the feds mandate that it be there at production, but once you take possession there's nothing that says you can't take that stuff out. And it's not like you're taking this car on any long vacation trips, so you really don't need any of the modern conveniences. If you do aspire to take this car on a long drive, you're missing the point of it's existence, and I can name at least 4 cars in what will probably be the Z/28 price range that are fantastic, upscale cars that you can enjoy long distance drives in.

It likely won't function. Because so many functions are electronically controlled through the radio...you can't just ditch the radio without adjusting the ECM so it won't freak out when it doesn't see the BCM is connected anymore...at least, not easily...

[v6sonoma]

Originally Posted by fastball

After thinking about it, you really can't cut the front bezel in half because the illumination of all the lights on the radio and HVAC are all interconnected, and the HVAC dials are too darn close to the radio controls to have a clean line to cut through......

BUT....

You can still remove the CD player and tuner module. The plastic bezel is just a keypad and the climate controls are all electronic, no mechanism or box inside. The bezel less than a quarter inch thick, and it weighs very little. The HVAC controls are part of the whole bezel, but the radio and CD player are not. Therefore, you can remove the bezel, take out the tuner module and CD player, and replace the front bezel.

Just make sure you don't try to accidentally put a CD through the slot, it will get stuck behind your dashboard now!

You could just tape off the CD slot from the inside while you have the bezel off.

But I definitely like your idea, that someone like Scotshe or DEI should come up with an aftermarket bezel that gives you the HVAC while just a black filler panel for the radio. They make custom trim bezels for all aftermarket head units right now anyway.

You could also install the Metra kit and just not install a stereo. You could fab a plate to insert in the double din and fill it with the gauges of your choice.

[Rocky1974]

GM already offers a radio filler panel with switches for the COPO.
PN 22950650


And a gauge panel to replace the center AC vent.
PN 22950679