I want to maintain the OEM look. My 2007 Chevy Silverado 'classic' truck radio is not much to look at. The 'new body' style radio has more eye appeal but has a different wire harness. If i have the speaker/radio schematics and radio harnesses to both these style radios can i succesfuly swap the nicer looking 2007 and up new style radio for my boring classic radio? I don't care if the warnings from the left speaker don't sound off. Can I wire the power to the ignition hot thus bypassing the computers 'radio error prompt' on the lcd display?
There is not an ignition wire on either of those radios. They are data controlled. I am not sure if they use the same protocol. I doubt they do. You will have to talk to a well trained GM technician to see if it will be possible. The radio has to be reprogrammed to work with the BCM of the vehicle it is installed in. If the protocol is different, this will be impossible or very expensive to pull off.
i know that the old style radios like yours had some sort of demo mode that allowed them to be powered from a 12v source instead of with data. i have no idea if the new radios allow this or how to do it if it does.
if you could explore that al little and find out if the new radios have a 12v demo mode and how to turn it on then in theory you could swap the radios.
the new radio is shaped differently and mounts totally differently so you will have to customize the dash to mold and form to the new radio, or maybe it will just fit through the hole in the trim but it still wont look like it belongs in that truck.
you will need some sort of antenna adapter.
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Did'nt know about the 'no hot wire' . If i could pick the techs brain i would'nt be asking here. They all dumbed up at the dealers.....
I had a estimate of $380.00 and $420.00 from 2 installers . Both would install a modest Kenwood or Pioneer, my choice, all the interface electronics to keep my warning sytem and steering wheel controlls, plus 2 front 6.5 2 way speakers. My truck has nothing but a cd player am fm radio.