So I spent the majority of my day today doing what I thought would be a simple headunit install on my 2000 Cavalier. I bought the metra dash kit and the trailblazer harness (the one that makes me lose the door chimes, which is actually an improvement as far as I'm concerned) and get everything all wired up and working perfectly, but then I can't mount the damn thing in the dash. The radio is hitting some plastic piece in the back and the whole radio/kit assembly ends up sticking about a half inch out of the hole so that the dash trim won't go around it properly. My girlfriend has a 1999 Cavalier with an aftermarket radio and they used a mounting kit that makes it stick out of the dash, but the bulge is within the hole in the trim so it still fits properly. Is there such a kit available for a 2000+, or is my only solution to get a razor blade and hack up the back of my dash? I'd rather not cut anything.
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2000 Cavalier Coupe, 138k miles, 2.2 Auto, Silver (alive)
1999 Cavalier Sedan, 237k miles, 2.2 Auto, White (dead)
Ive got 01 cavalier, With aftermarket same mounting bracket, And wiring harness, All I did is move the extra clump of wiring down the, near the heat vents, Still tight, But it works well.
there is a piece in the back of the dash that you can snap off its a little half moon thing. ive done and so have hundreds of others.
I myself have a 98, I dremeled the hell out of the back of my dash so my new cd player would fit FLUSH. It's a little bit of a sqeeze, but it fits in there nice n flush with the dash and install kit.
Just take the dremel and carve away and basically anything you can see in the way back in there. My98 has a bracket down below that supports the radio tray and sticks up in the back, but i just shaped it flat and now my cd player sits right on top of it so it stays level as well. Worked very nicely.
You should be able to do the same, but I dunno how the 00+ dash's are back inside them.
a pair of wire cutters and a temper, that took care of my plastic on my 04, i wanted flush mount so bad.
I have the same problem with my 97 fire, but I've got soo many rca jacks back there it's crazy. I just reached behind the dash and re-routed all the cables and what not until the deck fit. I had to almost use my foot to force it in, but it finnaly worked.
Just decided screw it and drilled the crap out of the back of my dash. Radio fits
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2000 Cavalier Coupe, 138k miles, 2.2 Auto, Silver (alive)
1999 Cavalier Sedan, 237k miles, 2.2 Auto, White (dead)
i have an indash epicenter under the cd player and three sets of rcas. A relay and power remote and ground for the epicenter along with rcas to it and i didnt have any problems like that.
Apparently my radio was longer than yours. I wish they'd just get their act together and make these things all one size that doesn't vary between manufacturers.
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2000 Cavalier Coupe, 138k miles, 2.2 Auto, Silver (alive)
1999 Cavalier Sedan, 237k miles, 2.2 Auto, White (dead)