I finally sorted out my wiring enough to get my CD/MP3 head unit fitted in the GT, so I then had a spare old Blaupunkt tape deck which was just sitting in the garage. Until a cunning plan popped into my head... the mk3 is probably quite easy to break into, and I don't have an alarm or anything like that, and even if I take the faceplate off my shiny stereo (which I always do), it's still obvious that there's some kind of uprated head unit in there. And the faceplate is quite likely to be stored in the glovebox so to an opportunistic chav it's probably worth having a go anyway...

So... I took the Blaupunkt apart and removed the fascia, rounded off the corners with a file, cut and filed down the protusions on the back, and glued on the LCD and any controls that weren't actually attached to the fascia. The plastic underneath is clear but with a black coating, so the filed down bits were now a different colour. I coloured them in with a black marker pen :)

From this...

Via this...

To this!

It's only held in by friction where the edges of the plastic squeeze over the two hooks for the proper faceplate, but that's good enough. To any casual observer it looks just like an old tape deck and it saves me having to run the proper head unit in a remote location (glove box, under the dash, etc). I'm quite tempted to hack up an old cassette and glue it into the slot just to complete the illusion.

Edited 19 May, 200818 yr by steveeeee

Very good idea mate. If only you did this thread a bit earlier to give me the idea too. My car got broken into on Friday, took my CD player luckily nothing else. It looks like they didnt even have to struggle to get in!

looks kool man - i just run an old tape deck any way haha

very good idea!

i'm loving this idea

sorry but thats a crap idea in me eyes prats will still break in to a car for a tape deck the best thing to do will be to take the cd faceplate out take it in the house, Don't leave it in the car and then leave the glove box open so people can see that it is empty.

Very good idea mate. If only you did this thread a bit earlier to give me the idea too. My car got broken into on Friday, took my CD player luckily nothing else. It looks like they didnt even have to struggle to get in!

Sorry to hear that, mate :( Bastards, aren't they! Is it worth claiming on insurance? Out of curiousity, how did they get in?

Edited 18 May, 200818 yr by steveeeee

sorry but thats a crap idea in me eyes prats will still break in to a car for a tape deck the best thing to do will be to take the cd faceplate out take it in the house, Don't leave it in the car and then leave the glove box open so people can see that it is empty.

You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to disagree, at least partly! I can't see why anyone would bother breaking in for a 15-year-old tape deck that's worth nowt when the next car along might have a CD player worth £50. Unless it's just vandalism, and there's not much you can do to prevent/discourage that.

Edited 30 May, 200818 yr by steveeeee

Never underestimate the stupidity of people, once had a car of mine broken into, the headunit was quite a flashy looking one but some obsure unheard of make, it wasnt particularly fixed in well either... they took the faceplate, nothing else, just that... which would have been completly useless to them! Unfortunatly rendered my headunit useless too, ba###ds lol

Never underestimate the stupidity of people, once had a car of mine broken into, the headunit was quite a flashy looking one but some obsure unheard of make, it wasnt particularly fixed in well either... they took the faceplate, nothing else, just that... which would have been completly useless to them! Unfortunatly rendered my headunit useless too, ba###ds lol

Thats what a trying to point out people are stupid and will take anything i never leave mine in the car, As people know the ticks i.e Under the seat, Glove box ect ect.

Very good idea mate. If only you did this thread a bit earlier to give me the idea too. My car got broken into on Friday, took my CD player luckily nothing else. It looks like they didnt even have to struggle to get in!

Sorry to hear that, mate :( Bastards, aren't they! Is it worth claiming on insurance? Out of curiousity, how did they get in?

They simply prised the handle and lock loose with a screw driver or something, and opened the door. Hardly any damage just some paint flaked off where the screw driver went. Then used the same tool to get my stereo out leaving lots of scratches on the panel Also took my HU from the glove compartment . They even had time to close my door as if nothing had happened!

Need to get an amour plate for my lock now! If only I knew sooner about these things...

I actually did this about 2 years ago :p, didn't do as good a job as you though, but had no problems to date.

I did something like this yesterday where i left the standard radio in and located the new one in the centre console with the face off it doesnt draw attetion!

looks good, if you dont have an alarm why not add a flashing led to the dash , might help deter a few more idiots