Yes it's blasphemous!! Yes it hurts resale IF it's a nice truck. There, I said it
. Of COURSE it's your truck and you can do what you wish - but you asked, and that would be my 2 cents. There weren't many options for upgrades that didn't involve cutting the dash in the 80's and 90's - but there are many options today. Highly recommend don't cut it and go with an out of sight system controlled by remote. If $ the issue - rig up an iPod with all your stuff on it and upgrade speakers. You asked - and you'll get tons of opinions - in the end, it actually sounds to me like you're hesitant to cut it. So don't. Buy one of those custom auto sound systems that fit in stock locations (if money is an issue) and call it a day. They are at least as good as the 80's Kraco!