Radio Installation -- Help!

Okay, so I was on here months ago and asked the same question I am asking now. I bought my '78 B in October and had to put it in storage (450 miles away from me) for the winter immediately. Finally, I get to see it again this coming weekend.

The car needs a radio (even though the sound of the MG engine is more beautiful than anything put on CD - yah yah, I know, but sometimes you just need a song). I have a stereo, and plan to install it. I tried to do it the night I bought the car, but couldn't get to it without the fear of breaking something. If I remember right, someone suggested I have to remove the heater knobs to remove the panel in front of the radio. Is this true? How do I do that? Any other helpful comments for radio installation would be really appreciated! Thanks.

It ain't easy, but it can be done. You have to start at the armrest console and remove it, then the gearshift knob and boot, then when you get all the screws out, you can slide the console back get to the back. The heater control is solidly mounted to the console, so just removing the knob won't help. I disconnected the heater control cable when I did mine and left the knob and control mechanism mounted. If I remember right, there's a wire for the lighter, reading light, and probably a few more. Biggest problem I had was with the shift knob. Ended up hacksawing it off because I got a wood one with an MG logo and a new boot to replace it anyway. I caught a lot of flak from a few folks on this site for adding rear speakers to get some awesome bass, but, hey, to each his own. It sure sounds nice.

Jeff--
I replaced the radio in my '77 last summer & didn't find it necessary to remove any of the heater knobs or console. Most newer radios are pretty short chassis & you may be able to slip it in without doing a bunch of dismantling. Worth a try anyway...good luck

Taking the knobs off is easy. There is a hole in the side of the knob. Just take a drift punch or rod,a piece of coat hanger may work, and push the plunger in. the knob just slides off. Then with a 5/8" deep socket take the nut off that fastens the control mecanisum to the console. Now 4 screws on the side of the console and your in buisness. I think you will find this a lot easier than trying to remove and replace the cables to the console heater controls. That would be a pain to do in such a confined space.

Thanks guys for the tips. You will be making my weekend much nicer! Sounds like everything I need to know, but if there is any other advice floating aound out there, I'd love to hear it.

I think you are pretty well covered for info, but there is one other thing. There is a do-dad, I think is called a Euro mount. It snaps into the radio opening, then the radio slides in and snaps into it. You do all your wiring, then slide the radio in and it locks in place. I don't know if these things work on MGs or not, you know, fit the hole. Easy going in, but a pure bitch to get out again.

When I got my '79 it had a hole and no radio. Crutchfield has a catalog with fitting guide for cars and MG is included. They also have a quick mounting kit that makes the mounting fairly simple. I didn't even remove the control knobs or cables. I did remove the center console (didn''t have to saw off the shift knob, thank goodness) and the four screws that Tom B. mentioned and just turned the center piece slightly to find the power wire for the new radio. I put a CD player in and it works fine. If you need to buy speakers, they also have those BUT BE CAREFUL. Their directions for cutting the side panels are incorrect. Do not follow them. Remove the door panels and there is probably an outline for the cutouts on the inside of the panel.
Ed

Thanks for your help, everyone. Tonight I begin my travels to the garage in which my B has been residing since October. Tomorrow I will be there, working on my car, all of your advice in hand. I'll let you know how it turned out. By the way, I luckily don't need to install any speakers in the door.

Go figure. The first time I get to see my car in 3 1/2 months and there is such a snowstorm (near Minneapolis), that I couldn't make the journey. With your printed advice sitting on my desk, I must now wait until March.