If you're in the middle of a classic car restoration, you already know the dilemma: everything looks period-perfect, and then you open the door and see a decades-old AM radio staring back at you. For the crew at Performance TV, the answer was simple. On this 1967 Chevy Nova, they turned to Custom Autosound, the originators and innovators of factory-fit classic car audio, to deliver a complete sound system upgrade without touching a single inch of the original dash.
The result? Bluetooth streaming, hands-free calling, and real stereo sound, all hiding behind a face that looks like it rolled off the assembly line in 1967.
40 Years of Innovation: The USA-740
Custom Autosound has been building factory-fit radios for classic vehicles since 1977, and the USA-740 represents the pinnacle of that four-decade legacy. Where earlier models required an external Bluetooth adapter, the USA-740 comes with Bluetooth built right in, no add-ons, no extra wiring, no workarounds. It arrives pre-assembled and vehicle-specific, so the shafts are already set to fit your factory dash opening straight out of the box.
From the outside, it looks exactly like a factory radio. Chrome knobs, chrome buttons, and a classic horizontal layout that nobody would look at twice, until you fire it up. Behind that analog face is a full digital tuner with an LCD display that shows station, song title, and artist information from any connected device. You can even match the display color to your dash lighting with seven selectable backlit color options and a dimmer control.
The full feature list of the USA-740 includes:
- Built-in Bluetooth with remote microphone for wireless streaming and hands-free calling
- AM/FM RDS digital tuner with 25 presets (15 FM / 10 AM)
- 300 watts peak power with 4-channel Hi-Volt RCA pre-outs and a dedicated subwoofer pre-out
- USB port for flash drive playback of MP3, WMA, FLAC, and WAV files
- Two AUX inputs: a front-facing 3.5mm mini jack and a rear RCA input for satellite radio, iPod, or any portable player
- Optional CD-1 CD player control for those who still prefer spinning discs
- 7 LCD color choices with dimmer control and clock display
- Separate bass, mid, and treble tone controls plus front/rear fader and left/right balance
Because every USA-740 is built to fit a specific year, make, and model, installation on the Nova is a direct swap. The old stereo comes out, the wiring harnesses connect plug-and-play, and the new radio slides right into the factory opening. A couple of screws, a bezel, and a few knobs later, you're done. No new holes, no cutting, no fabrication.
Kick Panel Speakers: Front Stage Sound
A great radio deserves great speakers, and the kick panel position is one of the best spots in any classic car for front-stage sound. Custom Autosound's Nova kick panel speakers are direct-fit replacements for the factory panels, molded from textured black ABS plastic that can be painted to match any interior color.
Each panel comes with a 6.5-inch, 100-watt speaker pre-installed and pre-wired, and the fresh-air vents remain fully functional after installation. They mount in the factory kick panel location with no cutting or drilling required, secured in place the same way the originals were. The result is a speaker aimed upward toward the listener, which delivers noticeably better stereo imaging and midrange clarity than a dash-mounted driver ever could.
Every speaker in the Custom Autosound lineup is quality-tested in-house at their California factory before it ships, which means you're not guessing what you're getting.
6x9 Rear Speakers: Filling Out the Sound
To round out the system, the Performance TV team also added a set of Custom Autosound 6x9-inch rear speakers, rated up to 200 watts. In a car like the Nova, rear speakers play a big role in filling the cabin with sound, and the 6x9 format is well suited to the available mounting locations in the rear deck or rear side panels.
Combined with the kick panel speakers up front and the 300-watt USA-740 driving the system, this Nova went from a single-speaker AM radio to a full stereo setup covering the entire cabin, front to back.
The Install: Easier Than You'd Expect
One of the things that makes Custom Autosound stand out is how genuinely simple the installation process is. As the Performance TV crew demonstrated, the entire head unit swap comes down to connecting the wiring harness, sliding the radio into place, securing it with a couple of screws, snapping on the bezel, and pressing the knobs on. The knobs are keyed so they can only go on one way, and the wiring connectors are labeled and matched to their mates.
The only real caution: don't overtighten the mounting nuts on older metal, just snug enough to keep the radio secure and rattle-free. The whole job is well within reach of a home builder with basic tools, and with the speakers pre-run before the radio goes in, the finish line comes up fast.
Once everything was buttoned up on this Nova, the Bluetooth paired instantly, and the cab filled with clean, powerful stereo sound. Kathy from the Performance TV team barely had time to grab her phone before Robert had already claimed the aux. That's the kind of problem every classic car owner should have.
The Finished Product
Sitting in the dash of this 1967 Nova, the USA-740 looks completely at home. The chrome face, the classic knob layout, the simple bezel, it all reads factory. There's nothing to betray the fact that this radio streams Spotify, takes phone calls hands-free, and plays music from a USB drive.
That's the Custom Autosound philosophy in a nutshell: built in the USA, engineered for your specific vehicle, and designed to give you everything modern audio has to offer without asking you to sacrifice a single thing about the classic you've worked so hard to build.
Ready to upgrade your classic ride? Shop Custom Autosound products at First Place Auto Parts and find everything you need to bring modern sound to your classic vehicle.