73 Radio Bracket Box? Previous owner did a right one to my car.

[tocruise]

TLDR: Can I buy just the highlighted part in "4.png" below, which is just a box for the radio, or do I need to buy another dash panel? Alternative solutions welcome.

I'm still in the process of putting together my 1973 Mach 1. It's a job and half with some of the "innovations", we'll call them, that the previous owner did to this car.

In todays episode "what the meth is going on here", I've found that the dashboard metal panel (that usually looks like this) has a huge cut-out in the center, which you can see from the attached photos below. I genuinely think that this absolute nut-case was trying to put a tesla screen or something in the dash. My question is; can you buy the radio bracket insert (essentially, whatever the box part is that normally houses the radio in the middle - '4.png' below highlighted in red), or is it welded to the actual panel from factory?

My understanding is that for the center dash trim (this bit) to attach to the dash panel, the 6 screws have to go in (2 above heater controls, 2 above radio, and 2 at the top that screw into the dashpad), and right now only 2 of the screw holes exist with the other 4 (normally being on the bracket) being cut out.

If the answer is no, what would be your recommendations for fixing this disaster? I'm thinking I either buy a new panel (which is hell of a lot of work and money for little reward) or I just manufacture my own radio box so that I can add the 4 screw holes back, and have something to hold the radio.

(and presumably that piece to the right with the 2 mounting clips on it and a nail sticking out isn't supposed to be there, so please ignore it, it's coming off too)

Cheers as always

 

[Steve McMahan]

I think you’ll need to buy a replacement. Here is the first one I found on EBay; I think it’s for an AC car:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-1973-Mustang-Lower-Dash-Panel-Frame-with-A-C-Metal-/143411445182

 

[Don C]

Definitely be easier to get the whole dash than to cut out what you need and have to weld it in. I don't believe it makes any difference on the a.c. part. They have the cut-outs for the vents with or without a.c.

 

[tocruise]

Definitely be easier to get the whole dash than to cut out what you need and have to weld it in. I don't believe it makes any difference on the a.c. part. They have the cut-outs for the vents with or without a.c.

That's good to know at least. I don't think I'd buy a dash and then cut it and weld it in, I meant just fabricate a metal box to put in instead of buying a new panel at all. I think that'll be a lot cheaper and a lot less time consuming than ripping out the entire dash, and the dash panel, spending $300+ on a new one, and then putting it all back together.

I think you’ll need to buy a replacement. Here is the first one I found on EBay; I think it’s for an AC car:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-1973-Mustang-Lower-Dash-Panel-Frame-with-A-C-Metal-/143411445182

Hey that's the same one I linked in my post!

There was also one on ebay that was $60 and the guy was only a couple of hours away from me but it looks like it's sold now unfortunately...

I don't think I can stomach spending $300 on, what will essentially be, a metal box smaller than my shoe just to hold the radio. It's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things I suppose but it just seems like a waste when I have the other 90% of the panel.

 

[Don C]

You might contact Mike at Motor City Mustangs and see if he can just cut out the radio box from one of his. His ad is in the Market Place

 

[tocruise]

You might contact Mike at Motor City Mustangs and see if he can just cut out the radio box from one of his. His ad is in the Market Place

Not a bad idea! I'll give him a shout. Cheers.