Anyone know how I could fabricate a radio faceplate mount?

[Credzba]

Here was my idea:
I'd build a plastic adapter plate that had posts to go into the old radio mount on the backside, and on the front side had the mounts/wire connector for current radio face plates.

Then build effectively a faceplate adaptor for the radio to replace what came with the radio.

Wire the two together and you have effectively a remote faceplate mount.

With this we could mount a new style radio anywhere, then use the adapted to run wiring up to the old style mount point. The face plate that came with the radio would go there. Viola .. remote radio, without cutting up the dash.

Seems once I made the first one of these I could make them for lesser cars (Camaro's etc.) pretty cheap.

I don't know where to go to get something like this fabricated though, so I thought I'd ask here.

If its only for my own radio I can do something much cheaper, but I would feel really good if I could solve the problem once and for all for all classic car owners.

 

[Pakrat]

Here was my idea:
I'd build a plastic adapter plate that had posts to go into the old radio mount on the backside, and on the front side had the mounts/wire connector for current radio face plates.

Then build effectively a faceplate adaptor for the radio to replace what came with the radio.

Wire the two together and you have effectively a remote faceplate mount.

With this we could mount a new style radio anywhere, then use the adapted to run wiring up to the old style mount point. The face plate that came with the radio would go there. Viola .. remote radio, without cutting up the dash.

Seems once I made the first one of these I could make them for lesser cars (Camaro's etc.) pretty cheap.

I don't know where to go to get something like this fabricated though, so I thought I'd ask here.

If its only for my own radio I can do something much cheaper, but I would feel really good if I could solve the problem once and for all for all classic car owners.

Hmmm, that's quite a few things that have to go effectively.

Since all the years are a little different can you advise which model year you are working on first so we can draw a mental picture? Also some type of sketch as to how you envision the finished unit looking would go a long way in suggestions as to how and what it should be made from.

 

[TOM B]

Good idea but why not just make a good radio that fits the hole and Im not talking about Custom auto sound junk. Yes it can be done, HMMM a good radio for classics, what an idea!!!!!

 

[limey66]

Great idea, but you need to make sure you get good reliable contacts from the front plate to the adapter. To be done properly, you'll have to make some plastic mouldings, and that's going to cost thousands of dollars. You might be able to machine something, but it'll look like it fell off a battleship.

Good luck, do some drawings, and take it from there.

Just thought of another problem - you invest thousands of dollars and six months of your life into the project, then Sony (or whichever manufacturer you base your conversion on) pulls the unit from sale and offers something else, that doesn't quite fit...

 

[DukeGnarley]

my plan was a bit more pathetic. i was going to get the radio delete plate for my '65, then drill a hole in it, run the wire through the hole, and attach my faceplate to the dash with some of that really strong double sided foam sticky tape.

 

[Pakrat]

To be done properly, you'll have to make some plastic mouldings, and that's going to cost thousands of dollars.

I'm not following that, why would it cost thousands exactly? I mean for an initial prototype at least I would think it should be sufficient to use the same methods as the custom action figure guys do. I used to make parts all the time when I was kid. You startout with some air dry sculpty and sculpt the part to scale, let it dry, make a two part plaster mold off of it and then fill the mold with plastic resin. That's the simple rundown but everything needed can be found in any craft store and the cost is pretty nominal.

 

[Credzba]

I was thinking along the lines of what pakrat said

I'll go buy a 200$ radio that I like.

I'll use the faceplate from the radio to make the mold for one side, and the radio face itself to make the other mold. Then I know they will match exactly.

If I can buy the plastic resin at a craft store, I think I could do it this weekend. Pakrat .. what do I ask for?

 

[Pakrat]

Well you are in luck, I am amazed that I still had these links on my computer. Guess they don't call me the pakrat for nothing. If you are working from known pieces instead of fabricating them yourself then it's even easier, letting the plaster/silicone dry is the hardest part. I would suggest you take the time to review the info in these links carefully, if you do not follow the prep instructions you will ruin the original piece and not be able to copy it. Take your time though and it's a piece of cake. Good luck. BTW, just ask for casting resin, they'll have it.

http://www.toymania.com/customcorner/moldp1.shtml

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/picard/46/moldingcasting.htm

http://www.interlog.com/~ask/scale/tips/mold.htm

http://www.reuels.com/reuels/page312.html

http://www.garlic.com/~blufrogg/dolls/mold.htm

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~rapidproto/manufacturing/molds/silicone.html

Another thing worth mentioning, when I first attempted this I used nothing but air dry clay to make sure I could do what I wanted to do (I think it was a Stormtrooper head ). I made the first part of the mold in clay and let it dry, then I made the second part and let it dry then I filled both sides with clay, pressed them together and imediatly pulled them apart then let the piece dry as well. It is sandable and paintable and fairly hard but not really usable as is and way more heavy than plastic. It does serve as a good and cheap test though FWIW.

I have to say I never thought this would come in handy on Mustang Forum.

 

[limey66]

OK, I've seen this done before and it can be quite effective, but I imagine that there'd be some thin wall sections and fiddly clippy bits (at least that's what the faceplate on my daily driver is like), and in resin they'd be a bit brittle, not like a large chunk of something like, oh I don't know, maybe a stormtrooper head or something .

Proper tooling, even prototype tooling costs big bucks.

That said, I was thinking you still wanted this to be removable - but if you're just fitting it and leaving it - like we all do with our removable faceplates anyway, why not just solder a ribbon cable or something onto the contacts of the faceplate and do the same on the head unit. Poke 'em through the hole like you said.

Sometimes I think too much.


In the US, is a 'stormtrooper head' another way of referring to your Johnson...?

 

[geostang351]

I think "stormtrooper" is refering to a character in the movie Star Wars*, Right?

 

[limey66]

Star Wars you say? Not sure I've heard of that one...

I think Pak's been taking mouldings of his dong.