Lion tuner
Charlie goes looking for a radio that offers modern convenience without spoiling the 205’s ’80s vibe
1991 PEUGEOT 205 GT
The problem of radios in old cars is a classic conundrum. You want something that sounds good, has multiple inputs and, well, works – but you don’t want something that looks like a teenager in a bingo hall.
I’d say modern classics actually face the biggest difficulty here, because older classics have been well-served in this regard for at least a decade now, with head units designed to mimic the chrome laden Radiomobiles of the Sixties readily available.
Eventually, a tip from a BMW E28 5 Series forum saw me looking at Continental head units designed for HGVs. It seems that with this industry purpose in mind, the head unit has been stripped of modern style, with just the functionality remaining – exactly what I was looking for.
You have to delve into the fairly well-hidden online catalogues of sister brand, VDO, to get the unit in the UK, but I’ve opted for the full-fat version with DAB, plus Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity.
Pulling out the old Clarion brick was simple enough – I used two pieces of bent coat hanger and it slid straight out. Then it was just a case of plugging in the wiring (with the assistance of an ISO adapter) and sliding the new unit in.
The DAB antenna is undoubtedly the most difficult part of the installation, because it needs to be stuck to the top of the passenger-side of the windscreen. It’s barely visible once installed – just a hairline black strip about 45cm long – but routing the wire under the dashbaord and behind the A-pillar trim was tiresome.
I’m very pleased with how it looks and I’m particularly chuffed with the orange backlighting, which mirrors the nearby clock. I now have a working radio that will play music straight off my phone without any wires and access the three radio stations I like, all of which are DAB-only.
The only remaining issue is that the head unit doesn’t turn on automatically with the ignition – I have to switch it on every time I start the car. Fortunately, I’ll soon be taking the steering column shrouding apart to attend to another job, so I’ll get to have a look at what is going on there. Perhaps I’ll find more electrical tape and power bricks left behind by the amateur electrician who destroyed the wiring of the rear lights!