Here are the parts I ordered from LMC to refurbish my dash. I really needed the bezel and the glovebox frame. The face of my ashtray was missing a corner-it still worked, but it looked like ass-so I got one of those as well. All of these cost me $116.85 and came painted with the right gray color.
The radio bezel was pretty busted up, but the biggest problem was that one of the mounting points was completely snapped and stayed on the dash when I removed the piece. The glovebox hinge broke at some point and was MacGyver'd back together with a small piece of aluminum.
To make all of my new audio components work that much better, I decided to drop $79.95 for a box of Scosche's Accumat. This 0.060-inch-thick, foil-backed, sound-deadening material damps vibrations and absorbs noises. This is one of those products that I have found instrumental in building a nice truck. Even a few pieces dispersed around the cab will quiet road noise and get rid of that tinniness in the sheetmetal.
1.Before sticking the product...
1.Before sticking the product to the truck, I made sure there was nothing that was going to get in the way like these little scraps left from the factory piece. I also wiped down the area with thinner to really make sure the Accumat stuck.
2.I peeled off the backing...
2.I peeled off the backing and stuck one side to the roof. Then with a roller, I stuck down the rest making sure not to trap any air bubbles under the material. If you don't have a roller, just use your hands and a rag, the rag will help your hand slide around more easily.
3.For now, all I did was put...
3.For now, all I did was put a piece on the roof and two pieces on the back wall of the cab. When I get some more money I'll buy another box and add it to what I have.
The Final Word
With all of the electronics in place, I can now listen to CDs chockfull of MP3s, or I can just plug in the iPod for another 200-plus songs. The Pioneer factory-size replacement speakers sound much, much better than the stock units. They produce plenty of high and midrange frequencies, but they are a little light when it comes to the bass notes. That's why I picked a head unit with pre-outs that will make expanding the system to include some subwoofers a heck of a lot easier.