Head unit to match the body of an oldy

[Name'sDEEZ]

As title says. Im wondering if anyone has any info on head units that look old school. Im upgrading the stereo on a 94 f150 and would like to keep it looking classic with modern features. A buddy of mine handed me one but back then he got his hands on an old firebird so we installed it there and i loved the way it fit with the car. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Kickstand]

https://www.vintagecarradio.com/din...-usa-4-in-dash-am-fm-cd-mp3-2-with-bluetooth/

 

[metalheadjoe]

As title says. Im wondering if anyone has any info on head units that look old school. Im upgrading the stereo on a 94 f150 and would like to keep it looking classic with modern features. A buddy of mine handed me one but back then he got his hands on an old firebird so we installed it there and i loved the way it fit with the car. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

I think anything you install will look out of place just because factory radios back then weren't reflective. I have a 1993 F250 with an older Kenwood deck, and that's what stands out to me. Nothing in the interior is reflective from the factory. Even the link @Kickstand shared would look out of place in our pickups.

What are your plans for the pickup that warrant a retro look? Full restore? What are your plans for the stereo? Amps and subs?

Would an fm modulator be enough to meet your goals?

What if you kept your factory radio for appearance and added a bluetooth amp to drive your speakers?

Please post some pictures of your pickup for the Ford guys here.

 

[metalheadjoe]

Here's a picture of my dash to show you what I mean about reflectiveness.

 

[Kickstand]

Even the stock radio's stuck out

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

Even the stock radio's stuck out
View attachment 29930

Ive seen on amazon some cheap ones that look pretty old school aswell as some better looking ones vehicle specific for a pretty penny.

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

Here's a picture of my dash to show you what I mean about reflectiveness.
View attachment 29929

You are right they will stand out but i wanted something that doesnt show high futuristic square on something 27 yr old you know. As for plans hell i need a plan lol because my 15s and box obviously dont fit here so im open for ideas on a build. Ill post a pic as soon as i get home. If the picture of the interior is from the truck on your profile then awesome truck man

 

[hispls]

As title says. Im wondering if anyone has any info on head units that look old school. Im upgrading the stereo on a 94 f150 and would like to keep it looking classic with modern features. A buddy of mine handed me one but back then he got his hands on an old firebird so we installed it there and i loved the way it fit with the car. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Even the aftermarket head units of that time sort of jumped out at you, mostly from bright glowing buttons.

As far as unobtrusive, consider this:

Amazon.com: PIONEER SPH10BT Single-DIN in-Dash Mechless Smart Sync Receiver with Bluetooth: Electronics

Amazon.com: PIONEER SPH10BT Single-DIN in-Dash Mechless Smart Sync Receiver with Bluetooth: Electronics

www.amazon.com

No CD option but you can mount your phone onto it and bluetooth everything from that or use USB sticks. I used one for a little while and it was a pretty decent unit. If you have an uncommon or old phone it may take some doing to get it to shake hands with the head unit. Mine worked easy, my dad had to call Crutchfield to walk him through a fix.

That said, if Crutchfield still has them I'd order from them. Hell, you may even call Crutchfield and just tell them what you're looking for and they might could offer you some ideas to check on their website. They are very good at giving you ideas when you know what you want but don't know what's on the market that'll do the job.

 

[metalheadjoe]

You are right they will stand out but i wanted something that doesnt show high futuristic square on something 27 yr old you know. As for plans hell i need a plan lol because my 15s and box obviously dont fit here so im open for ideas on a build. Ill post a pic as soon as i get home. If the picture of the interior is from the truck on your profile then awesome truck man

Thank you. Two different vehicles. Profile picture is my 1987 Bronco II offroad toy. The dash i posted is my 1993 F250. I like my old Fords.

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

Even the aftermarket head units of that time sort of jumped out at you, mostly from bright glowing buttons.

As far as unobtrusive, consider this:

http://[URL]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NJCKJNQ/?tag=caraudiocom-20

[/URL]
No CD option but you can mount your phone onto it and bluetooth everything from that or use USB sticks. I used one for a little while and it was a pretty decent unit. If you have an uncommon or old phone it may take some doing to get it to shake hands with the head unit. Mine worked easy, my dad had to call Crutchfield to walk him through a fix.

That said, if Crutchfield still has them I'd order from them. Hell, you may even call Crutchfield and just tell them what you're looking for and they might could offer you some ideas to check on their website. They are very good at giving you ideas when you know what you want but don't know what's on the market that'll do the job.

Awesome man thank you ill check it out.

I found this type and other similar styles without the light up knobs that i liked a but more and its cheap which is what scares me.

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

Id love a bronco so thats dope man. And yea that all metal body are my favorites my old man had a 79 f100 or 150 that i loved and missed to this day that yellow with white stock rims was the first truck i learned to drive the hard way (dad was drunk so i had to drive us home at 13-14 yrs old) poor 2 neighbors never figured out who smashed their cars that night because again all metal body didnt have a scratch in it. Haha

Ill post pics of my 94 tonight man just been cleaning her up for the first picture

 

[Kickstand]

My first car was a 1991 Bronco ll Eddie Bauer
Navy Blue and tan trim.
Had some good times in that truck
It got hit by a snow plow and as you guys already know it was a little top heavy
I think it rolled about 3 times before it came to a stop
Worst part was I had just bought a Large coffee and it was in the cup holder

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

My first car was a 1991 Bronco ll Eddie Bauer
Navy Blue and tan trim.
Had some good times in that truck
It got hit by a snow plow and as you guys already know it was a little top heavy
I think it rolled about 3 times before it came to a stop
Worst part was I had just bought a Large coffee and it was in the cup holder

Lol currently i drive a 01 explorer and that rolling over feature sometimes wants to show up lol

 

[hispls]

its cheap which is what scares me.

Probably a good first reaction. There's plenty of no-name brand head units out there that may look the part, but I'd strongly suggest sticking to reputable brands: Pioneer, Kenwood/JVC, Alpine, Sony. I've had good luck with Jensen in the past but haven't tried one of theirs in about a decade so I can't vouch for their current lineup.

Garbage in/garbage out. You really don't want to be in a position where you're not sure if the SOURCE is the weak link if you're going to budget buy elsewhere and you definitely don't want to cheap out on a shitty source if you plan on using anything nice downstream. Apart from just filling a hole to sell a car there's zero reason to buy off brand or flea market brand head units IMO as the good ones are really pretty inexpensive for what they are.

 

[Name'sDEEZ]

Probably a good first reaction. There's plenty of no-name brand head units out there that may look the part, but I'd strongly suggest sticking to reputable brands: Pioneer, Kenwood/JVC, Alpine, Sony. I've had good luck with Jensen in the past but haven't tried one of theirs in about a decade so I can't vouch for their current lineup.

Garbage in/garbage out. You really don't want to be in a position where you're not sure if the SOURCE is the weak link if you're going to budget buy elsewhere and you definitely don't want to cheap out on a shitty source if you plan on using anything nice downstream. Apart from just filling a hole to sell a car there's zero reason to buy off brand or flea market brand head units IMO as the good ones are really pretty inexpensive for what they are.

Totally agree i just thought that with today's tech that some even no name brand could possibly pull it off ive seen how some of the cheap amazon android units have worked and not bad but also not great user experience but yea ive always went for pioneer in all my cars.