2000 Lesabre radio replace

[Ralph50]

Just finished installing an aftermarket radio. The Metra 99-2003 kit was not in anyway a professional kit as it claimed. It would not just fit right in. I measured the location of the original radio, up from the heater head and out from the radio mounting surface. The Metra face plate had to have 2 spacers, 7mm on the right to keep it 20mm from the mounting face. I had to drill 2 holes at the right mounting to keep the radio 16mm up. What a pain. The depth of the JVC SX-980 bearly fit in the opening, it actually is 4mm further out than I planned but oh well. The chime box Axxess GMRC-04 is still not located. It is kind of large. I will probablly locate it just on the right of the knee kick panel. I tried the system. Chime is loud and certainly noticable, better loud than too soft. Dont forget the special ant adapter. The orig radio elec plug had to be removed from its in car position an pushed back into a hole that also retains this plug. I used tie wraps to hold the Metra chime plug to vehicle plug. I removed the wood sim trim piece, the lower knee trim, and the trim around the cluster which is also the radio trim. I lost some of the spring steel clips which hold the trim piece on so off to the dealer next week. Be carefull they snap and bing and gone, use a small vice grip to lock onto the piece when removing.
How does it look? well the orig radio just sits behind the trim piece. The replacement radio did not have a set up like this. I may have to carefully sand the trim pc from the radio, I dont like this but as of now it does not trim out very well. The other option is to make a thin steel piece to trim the radio then paint it flat black. This might be better but its difficult to make that piece look professional. I am also putting in a outside temperature gauge and if I fabricate this steel trim piece maybe I will cover the small stowage bax under the radio and install the temp gauge on this face. Anyways I am pretty handy and this job was not easy. I just wonder what a car radio place would make it look like. They might use another kit.