Radio support cradel 1974 W116 280SE.

[Jimb]

Radio support cradle. W116. 1974.
Hi from Jimb (Jim) Not sure how to express what I am trying to say here, please bear with me. This Mercedes W116 1974 ,280SE is a bit of a mixed bag, I am making good headway with it. Windscreen and rubber replaced rust in rear left back door and sill sorted, auto transmission sorted, oil and filter done, now running very well. I am now looking at some of the more minor issues that don't really matter all that much. The Becker radio cassette is out of a newer model and is not connected. I will in time replace it with an elcheapo Chinese job I am retired on a pension and I can't justify anything else especially after forking out a fair bit on getting it running well. My question relates to this, it just sits in there with no cradel it seems happy it just tucks under the fan control panel. There seems to be a metal piece with an elongated hole in it back on the fire wall I am thinking the back of the radio must locate in this. With the radio removed it is an open cavity, no cradel no side support bits or tray underneath. Is this normal? The car has been picked around with and the timber trim from a latter model has been installed. I am still sorting out the speaker wiring. The front and rear speakers are connected in series with each other. I have sorted the passenger side, the front speaker had a connection pulled off this must have happened when the wood trim was replaced, I think the drivers side also has the same problem yet to be sorted. The rear speaker's need replacing also, the cones have disintegrated with sun damage. So after this long winded explanation, I really need to know what sort of cradel should be there for the radio if any. If there was none I will need to make up something because these new units are shorter in depth. Kind regards Jim.

[Jimb]

Ok speaker wiring now sorted right hand front speaker also had a wire off. I am including some pictures that clearly show no cradle, is there a cradle or not, comments please.

[Michel]

I just refitted my old (original) radio back in my 6.9 and I don’t recall having any cradle there.

Probably the fact you have a later radio (maybe slimmer design) makes it floppy in there.

[Jimb]

Thanks Michel.
That radio fits in there well, however I want to put in a later radio and these are usually smaller especially in depth and I was surprised there was not a cradel. I will make something up. I am a bit surprised you are going back to old technology..
Kind regards Jim.

[Michel]

Originally Posted by Jimb

Thanks Michel.
That radio fits in there well, however I want to put in a later radio and these are usually smaller especially in depth and I was surprised there was not a cradel. I will make something up. I am a bit surprised you are going back to old technology..
Kind regards Jim.

When you buy a late model radio, they usually come with their own cradle.

[Jimb]

Thanks Michel.
Not so worried about the cradel it's finding something to bolt it to in a large empty cavity. I am sure I will come up with a suitable solution. When I buy the radio.
Kind regards Jim.