Re: 56 stereo
My '55 Courier had the big round factory radio delete plate made of plastic. After refinishing the dash, I cleaned and painted the delete plate the same color as the dash. I had converted my Courier to 12-volts just so I could have a modern stereo. I bought an el-cheapo $17 AM/FM/cassette car stereo with two round speakers in the kit. (That was back around 1998-2000). I installed the speakers in the wood panels right behind the doors on each side. Was planning to mount the radio under the dash, but didn't have room because I added a bunch of other controls down there for rear window defroster, power antennae, under-dash lights, power windshield washer and one blank, all using spare '55 knobs and bezels.
But there was a rectangular hole cutout (done by a previous owner) in the passenger/cargo divider metal panel right in the middle above the transmission hump. I made a metal panel with hole cutouts to match the front face of the radio and knobs and welded it into that hole. It is not easily accessible there, but I never have passengers and usually just leave the radio on the same station anyway. I could have put a remote on/off switch in that blank under the dash and just left the radio on button on all the time, but never did. It's not that great having to get out of the car and reach down behind the seat to turn the radio on and off. The cheap radio still sounds real good.
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