radio or not to radio

[babyhummer]

"Hey", to all thinger's out there. I would like to get some opinions on the radio question. I am debating about putting one in. #1 is it worth cutting the dash for? #2 will you ever be able to hear the darn radio going down the road ? #3 and is it worth for some stranger coming by , seeing it and then taking off with it. I can live with the great sound of the vw engine alone, just wanted to know what others have done. thanks.

[TimGud]

I have chosen the no radio route for the reasons you came up with as well as not wanting to damage it or the speakers if out without the side curtains and it rains.

[edgy]

My son has a cd player/radio mounted under the dash. It is in a box made just for that. He has speakers mounted in the holes near your feet and in the holes on the sides behind the rear seats. The radio can be heard although the car is noisy when above 60 mph.

[fretless]

Yea, I am going to instale CD/Radio soon. the speakers up front will go where edgy's are. the back one's will be some kind of indoor outdoor speakers. edgy were did your son find that box for the radio?

[g1142y]

Hi All,

Yes, I am a FNG (that's military for Fine New Guy...I cleaned it up.)

I bought my Thing last fall and have been reading the forum for a couple of months...just had to reply about the radio issue. Being an old farm boy at heart, I found a tractor cab radio in a slim plastic case that attached perfectly under the glove box. The speakers are also in the case so it was an easy installation. The case is the length of the glove box and about 2 1/2 inches wide. It's not the best of sounds but plenty good for me. The radio has a casette but probably a number of different radios would fit in the case. Also, I used a short, flexible rubber antenna mounted just outside of the hood cable handle. I sent a picture to Mike Basso who said he was looking into providing these cases. If you check farm stores you will find a variety of options.

Glad to be on board, Gary
_________________
Gary

[edgy]

Underdash box for radio was from Best Buy. I thing it was about $15 and included the hardware to mount the radio in tte box. We removed the ash tray and monted it just to the right of center. That way it did not interfere with the defroster duct.

[g1142y]

Edgy,
I think your arrangement would be the best for sound quality. There are speakers & panels made just for those spaces and the spaces themselves should add to the quality just like any speaker in a box. Mine has the advantage of being cheaper and easier overall...but you need to know I generally listen to talk shows rather than music. After all I'm a grandpa from an earlier generation.
_________________
Gary

[edgy]

We made our own speaker panels. Speakers came from Radio Shack. Used 1/4" plywood and covered them with black vinyl. Looks great and sounds fine too.

I suspect you will be able to hear as well as Rush can.

[chinarider]

I took my radio out pending a little body work and complete repainting, but the setup that was in there previously was a good workaround for the above mentioned problems.

The stereo was mounted inside the glove box, using velcro to hold it in place, rather than screws through the metal (the bottom of the glovebox has a snug-fitting piece of carpet material, so the velcro does not need to attach directly to the painted metal surface). It stays put, and there's plenty of room to store other things in there, too. The stereo itself has a removable faceplate, but additionally, all of the wire connections are male/female plugs, so you can either take the face off (for quick stops, etc., or take the whole radio out in less than a minute if you plan on parking it long-term).

Honestly though, I find that while I'm driving down the road I tend to listen more closely to the sounds coming from my engine than to those coming from my speakers!

[emersonbiggins]

When I put a radio in my Thing I converted a lighter/emergency panel into a radio panel. Then I just got a cheap junkyard radio.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=49394&cat_id=41

[Stapler123]

I've got my radio mouted in the glovbox , but so it looks like a continuation of the dash, except its made out of Stainless steel. It worked out pretty good in the end. I have two 6 inch speakers mounted in the little area under the dash next to your feet.. on the side. When im going really fast "bikini top" I can still hear it, though I wouldn't say its a hi fidelety experience. I'll take a pic tomarrow and link it for yall.

[Stapler123]

http://home.earthlink.net/~miltonisking/images/vwdash.JPG

[nthang]

Here is what I did: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=34335 .

Sound is purely personal. Do you like listening to talk or music while driving?

I like music blaring sometimes, so I installed a cd/radio. You do not have to cut into the dash, though. The opening for the glove box is big enough to install a panel (spot weld) in the opeing and still have room to work the light and trunk release and some storage. You can install the radio and "theft proof" the connections, then, weld the panel with radio in it. That will foil all but the determined theif.

I also installed good (infinity) speakers front and back for quad sound. The front are in the boxy pocket below the dash, adjacent to the plastic foot rest thingys. I made a cover that snugs and screws into that pocket for the 4" speakers. You can do the same in the rear adjacent to the gun mount bracket, in those pockets. Mine are farther back in custom boxes installed in the corners of the back shelf above the motor. A lot of water will ruin speakers. I recommend that you stop and close the lid on the Thing, every time you find yourself driving in a rain storm!
_________________
NTHANG, LLC

[74ThingMike]

i would put it in the glove box, then you can have tunes and still have the simpicity and sexy apperence it should have

[babyhummer]

hey ya'll, well i have read all the comments and have decided to put a radio in the glove box since that seems to be a safe area. thanks a bunch to all of you who have shared their thoughts. thanks again.