I started pulling mine out in the weekend, had some problems so reviewed this thread. Here's what worked for me, took around 15 minutes. Steps 1 and 2 are optional, but recommended in case you slip and do some damage! 1. Remove the cover that goes over the instrument cluster, right along to the two middle vents. This just clips out, and gives you access to the screws for (2) 2. Unscrew the surround the goes around the stereo, heater controls, ashtray etc. 3. Unscrew to heater controls and let them drop forward. Can take a bit of wiggling to bring it forward. 4. Remove the plastic face off the stereo - alot easier if you just break it. Even better - use a screwdriver to bend down the metal above the tape slot. You should see the lower half of two screws, one right in the centre and one to the right, above the back of the head unit. These are the two screws that attach the head unit L-bracket to the body. 5. Insert a long screwdriver or chisel above the heater controls, diagonally across and make contact with the screw. Give it a couple of hits with a hammer and the screw will snap in half. Do the same with the second screw, may be easier to insert the screwdriver directly above the tape slot if you bent it down. 6. When both screws are broken, through the ash tray opening use a small pry bar to lever between the back of the head unit and the plastic heater/air con unit. Go easy - it's easy to break - just gently lever it back and forth, eventually the broken screws will fall out and the head unit will come loose. 7. Muscle the head unit forward (it won't come out!) until you can get your hand up the back of the unit. You will locate, directly in the middle, a small bolt which holds the L-bracket (which the first two screws went through) to the head unit. 8. Using a small 7mm spanner, undo the bolt. This takes some time as space is restricted. 9. With the bolt out, the bracket will fall away and you can pull the head unit directly forward. Unplug the wires and you're away. 10. For my new unit, I had to modify the plastic surround with a couple of notches so it would fit in the same hole. This was a painful job to begin with but this process beats pulling the whole car to bits. This was an 87 Calais.

very well done scott you just pretty much summed it all up on how to remove the factory headunit... here is a picture of what scott is talking about with the 3 bolts....

hmmm my SL that i bought didnt have any brackets, it had 4 small screws just behind the face holding it on. still had to remove the bottom half of the dash to get it out though...

yeah some did have it some did but most of them had it... yeah well to remove it as you said have to remove the bottom half of the dash still.. still got to remove the one from the calais hehe i'm just too lazy!

hey guys, i pulled this outta one of the Vl service manuals, maybe it'll help http://pwnbox.no-ip.org/headu.jpg just thought i'd chuck it up cheers -smurf

Quote: Originally Posted by smurf hey guys, i pulled this outta one of the Vl service manuals, maybe it'll help http://pwnbox.no-ip.org/headu.jpg just thought i'd chuck it up cheers -smurf yeh that should help out some people..that preety much sums up everything and shows everyone where it is and what they have to do..well done

Quote: Originally Posted by VLstock yeh that should help out some people..that preety much sums up everything and shows everyone where it is and what they have to do..well done thx man but props goto VLRB20DET for supplyin the manuals

Why don't people get the ol' headunit removal tool made up? or at least try and make one yourselves?? It's in the manuals what it looks like.

yeh exactly why not make up some custom keys

I just removed my headunit, i had a bit of trouble gettin the top steerin column cover off, but i got it eventually by dropping the whole steering column down when it came to undoing the screws into the headunit i couldn't be bothered taking the huge top dash panel off to getat the ones at the top so i just ripped downwards after making sure the rest of the front panel was loose, and it just ripped the screws right outta the metal bracket thingo. As for the headunit removal tools, i released the left side of the headunit easily by pushing the gold button at the top just inside the facia, and pulling, the left side i got a large flathead screwdriver and shoved it into the middle gap and snapped away the plastic headunit front, then did the same procedure again on the next layer of plastic and once the second layer was broken the latch released hope this might have helped someone, altho i doubt it even makes sense -smurf Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Yeah man pics would be great....how could i see them??

Best method was to the first to 1 remove easy removeparts of the dash.(the one on top of the steering wheel then the plastic around the deck and air con etc) 2 remove the air con control unit, then force through a screw driver to break the small bolts holdint the top of the bracket to the car(there are 2). Then the deck will be able to come half way out or more befor the bracket prevents it from coming the rest of the way. 3 Now i resulted to breaking the deck into small pieces with a wrench screw driver hammer plyers tin snips etc until half its frame was gone and the contents were removed into 1000+ broken pieces. 4 once you remove enough of the deck contents you will be able to see the bolt that is welded from the bracket to the deck. drill though this F***** and u can finally remove ur deck YAY

woot woot, after 6 hours of hell my pos factory casette playa iz out! and its not in very good shape either. woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for all those who are about 2 start taking theirs out theres a lot of advice above, prob about 4 or 5 ways to do it, but heres sum advice using the instructions in all the posts above: - dont use a hack saw, would take way too long - take that bolt out with a 7mm as explained a few times above - the top and bottom of the casette r clipped around the plastic surrounding of the casette player on the front at the bottom, left and right, just bend the middle bit of it up and cut some of the plastic off, then use a lil force and rip the bugger out, 30min job all up when done right i recommend throwing the pos on the concrete followed by repeatedly kicking it into a wall as celebration! Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Ive always wondered why nobody has ever gotten the factory removal prongs, or made up their own copies. I'm sure this would make everything alot easier.

factory removal whats? havent heard a thing about these? i assumed the stock unit was put there 2 stay so there would be nothing 2 remove it hav u got a set? or a pic?

Quote: Originally Posted by BADVLSL OKAY- Absolutley simple. GET A METAL 15CM rulder. NOTE: Security bolt is dead centre of top of head unit.. Also bolt is a very weak metal. Stick the ruler into the cantre console and poke iit far enough until it hits the bolt. Get a hammer but make sure you dont hit it too hard.. just dab it a bit til you weaken the bolt. ^^ did the same, except i used a flathead screwdriver and brute force. mine had the frustrating clip thing with the bent over metal on the top. stick screwdriver in the top, wack screwdriver. 2 hits and it was done, after 3 hours of frustration!! for the people whose units are held in with the screw in the back, it seems the best way to do it WITHOUT REMOVING THE ENTIRE DASH is to undo the screw by reaching up from the drivers area (remove the plastic cover under the steering wheel & between the pedals, the one with the 3 crappy plastic screws holding it on). isnt that easier than removing the whole dash?! **sheesh stuff that!** ..if anyone ever asks me to install a headunit for them again, my answer will be "remove your stock unit yourself, then ill do it!" waay too much frustration.. glad mines done FOR GOOD

Quote: Originally Posted by JuZi factory removal whats? havent heard a thing about these? i assumed the stock unit was put there 2 stay so there would be nothing 2 remove it hav u got a set? or a pic? It's in the factory manuals, theres a diagram that I and somebody else have posted on this site, the threads that old it may have gone missing. But they are just two clips that you slide in beside the headunit, and pull out removing the entire unit except the cage.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bax It's in the factory manuals, theres a diagram that I and somebody else have posted on this site, the threads that old it may have gone missing. But they are just two clips that you slide in beside the headunit, and pull out removing the entire unit except the cage. i found my kenwood clips had the same effect. but then they only helped remove it *almost* fully.. the next 2.5hours were spent trying to smash it, before i found the culprit i mentioned above & tried the "smash clip with screwdriver" tactic.. by then it was too dark to install my new cdplayer lol

we just smashed my mates out with a few big screw driverd and hammer its a ******* we were luckely enough not to do any damage but bcause it took us so long by the time we ripped the dam thing out we smashed it into about 500 bits with a sledge hammer hahaha

i just take off the crash pad,then you can see the two screws up top holding the bracket to the dash fixing you then can slide the deck forward a few inches then you have room to reach through the ash tray undo the nut and it comes out easy as, should take 10 mins to get out.