C3 Radio Install

by Matt
(Cary, NC)

This is the first project for me on my 1981, so please accept my apologies for my inexperience...

I have purchased a radio - a Sony DSX-S300BTX. Kind of a unique unit - no CD player and it has an internal tray for your ipod device. It was $280 at Crutchfield, but J&R had it for $200, so I snatched one up.

I also picked up a GM wiring harness GWH-342 to connect into the existing wiring.

The Crutchfield guys said that the wiring harness only has front/rear speaker and power and that it did NOT have ground, accessory, and lighting. Actually I can't remember if he was talking about the stereo harness or the one I bought to connect into the existing car wiring. He also mentioned I would have to connect something into the fusebox -at which point I was getting a little confused.

Some questions...

1) Does anyone have detailed, explicit instructions on how to wire in their new radio?

2) I have a GM wiring harness to connect to the car wiring with bare wires at the other end. I have the radio wiring harness with bare wires at the other end. Is the connection as simple as connecting the matching bare sets of wires? Any gotchas here? How do I connect the bare wires? Electrical tape?

3) Some of these pictures look like there is an extra piece of plastic or some other material between the radio unit and the bezel. Did you guys get an aftermarket piece to neaten up the radio-bezel interface, or is that just the radio? In other words, did you just cut the bezel and slip in the radio, or was there another piece inserted in there?

4) Kind of a tangential topic, but somewhat related - I hate that the cigarette lighter stays powered even when the car is off - does anyone have some specific instructions how to wire that up to shut off when the car is turned off?

Once again, thanks for all of the replies - I'm looking forward to breaking out the dremmel tool shortly....

Chris Trautman @ Corvette Assembly Plant 2019

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