Installing the Retrosound Model 2 in a Citroen DS

I’ve been working on getting the Retrosound Model 2 radio installed in the Citroen DS.    As this website points out, the DS does not provide a lot of options to install a decent radio.   The little ‘cubby’ in the dashboard is too small for most radios, and the original ones are expensive and not particularly good. I’ve been a fan of the Retrosound units since I installed the Model 1 in my Jaguar, and was interested in some of the new features that the model 2 had to offer such as the bluetooth handsfree and the bluetooth audio.

I didn’t want to cut the dash, or mount the radio near the roof, and I wanted to have easy access to the USB/AUX Connectors.

Luckily the Retrosound Model 2 has the ability to remotely mount the main chassis away from the display, and that you have a lot of flexibility with mounting options.   While my goal was not to make any permanent modifications to the car, I did cut up the cubby to install the radio is used units are easy to come by and it just sits in the dash.   The opening is so narrow I had to cut little indents for the rear knobs so it would all fit in.

One drawback of the Retrosound Model 2 in a limited space install as  you can’t remove the harnesses for the amps, sub etc, so you need to find room for those.   The USB cables are quite long, and they didn’t really provide a way to ‘mount’ them, so I also had to buy on ebay these extenders that allowed for them to be mounted in the ashtray slot.     I think i’ve got about 3-4 meters of USB cable behind the instrument cluster!

At this point the unit is mounted and working.  I need to adjust the knobs a bit and mount the speakers properly etc, but so far so good on the model 2.

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4 Responses

  1. Dave Wright says:

    Hi,

    I have just bought a DS and this looks good. Are the USB and Aux designed to just sit on the end of a cable?

    Thanks,
    Dave

    • admin says:

      Hi Dave,
      Pretty much – the model two provides two USB and two line in jacks that are just cables you can route where you like. I wanted to mount the sockets in the dash (and plan to later hide this behind the original ashtray cover) so I purchase additional extensions that I could better mount.

  2. Joel Siegel says:

    I just installed a Model 1 in my 71 DS21 Pallas. I have pictures of the modifications and instructions of the order of installing that works. I am willing to share this with anyone that wants it. Contact me at JSiegel1@nc.rr.com

  1. September 15, 2024

    […] Citroen DS.   I had recently purchased the car and was fixing some of the problems with the car, installing a new radio and later re-upholstering it.   At that time I never thought it would still be going 7 years […]

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