Yes, I had a hard time bringing myself to chopping up my factory radio unit too - I justified it like so:

• When I sell the truck in a few years, will I 'really' want the Alpine HU then, or will I be ready to upgrade to something else?
• Will the purchaser of my truck prefer a decent head unit, all wired up, with new speakers, etc - amp ready, or a POS factory head, that sounds like death?
• Factory head - worth a lot of $$$, yes.. My Rio - priceless...
  

I grabbed the screwdriver and exacto blade, and went to work, baby!

Saying that - I did 'try' to get a used one, but the wreckers that I called (ok, only two of them - I was kinda all worked up about starting the project!) didn't have anything available...