• green_biri@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I might be a bit dumb here, but I never got the detachable radio idea/need?

    The radio interfaces were not exchangeable between different brands, right? Or was there an universal interface that I am unaware of?

    Wouldn’t a bad actor need to dismantle the entire radio head as well, for the interface part to be of any good use?

    • youngalfred@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      It wasn’t so much to not steal the interface, it was to not steal the whole unit from the car.

      If the front was left attached, a thief would break in and steal the whole radio.

      With the front off, it’s basically useless to steal the in car part.

    • Num10ck@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      its anti theft because the unit doesnt work without the face and they were married with a code. car radio theft was rampant in the early 90s

    • oatscoop@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      Thieves would also steal the entire stereo head unit – so many had an additional anti-theft feature.

      If you wanted to remove the head unit you had to enter a code using the front plate buttons before you uninstalled it. If you didn’t it would “brick” itself to discourage theft.