Introduction: Cheap Anti Theft Device for Your Automobile's Cd Player

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About: UW Milwaukee inter arts grad

Has somebody stolen your expensive (or cheap) cd player in your car? Tired of removing and hiding your radio's faceplate everytime you park your car? Well here is a simple solution. Make a fake cassette face plate for your expensive radio! Fool those conniving thieves. It should cost you $free - $5 the most.

Things you need:

Old OEM (original manufacture equipment) radio that came with your car or from a pick n pull junkyard.
Glue or glue gun
Cutting device ( dremel like tool or other sharp object)
ductape
card board
black marker

Step 1: Remove Cassette Face Plate

Most oem radios has a plastic face that are held by snap on tabs. Just pry these tabs to get the plate off the radio's mainbody. Keep all plastic knobs ,buttons, cassette flap and anything that is visible from the face plate. If there are wires just cut them. You can toss the main body, what we need is the face plate and its buddies.

  • remember to dispose old electronics properly

Step 2: Clean Up the Inside of the Face Plate

What we need to do is remove extra plastic that is sticking out inside the face plate. Use a dremel to clear things out or some really sharp knife.

*careful with the sharp tools

Step 3: Place Some Backing Materials

After gutting the face plate we need something to glue the buttons, knobs, lcd etc. I used some card board. Keep in mind we need the inside of the face plate as recessed as possible cause this is where your cd player's faceflate will "hide".

Glue the buttons and knobs. I also glued the lcd screen to the face plate to convey a more authentic radio. If there are card board showing just use a black marker to hide it,

Step 4: Finish Product!

In order to keep the face plate from falling from your cd player you can glue some extra plastic, velcro, small magnets, paper clips or what ever you think will keep it from falling. Be creative! I used a 1inch by 1/2 inch pice of metal that I glue to the face plate which slides in to a gap on top of my cd player.