Head Units
 

I've got about $200 to spend on a new HU for my Gen 1. Anyone know of any good deals out there?

I know Wil likes the JVC SH99, but thats a lil more than id like to spend, and i dont really see why you would want an MP3 player. Whats the point of being able to fit so many songs on one CD? Youd never be able to find the one u want...

Also, i've never installed any stereo equipment before. Would an able minded person like myself be able to figure it out? or should i have it installed?

thanks

I did my own install. It was not that hard at all. Of course I had a honda at the time which had all the aftermarket stuff that I needed. You would preferably want a harness to hook up to the stock one and if you have a double din going to a single din then you will need a piece of plastic(No idea what it is called) that fits the new single din and adds a pocket or something to cover the other din part. You can go down to a local radio shop and see if they sell this piece. Also see if they sell the wiring harness for your car. Also go to your local Mazda Dealer and get them to print you out a copy of how to remove all the moldings and stuff around the stero if need be. If you can find these then it will be much easier to do.:bt:
BTW...Have you seen my Head Unit for Sale? My Radio:bt:
And if you look at my picture of the radio you can see my old wiring harness for my old 93 honda accord. If you wanted to I could leave it on there and then you could go down to a salvage yard and pick up the male part of the harness. That way if they dont make a harness for your car you could use this one.It would be better than hard wiring it.:dunno:

It's called ABS plastic :D

All good info, but there is infact a kit for the G1 that is a perfect fit....i have yet to order this bad boy, but i have tried all the others but this last one, and by the pics i saw, it looks like the right one. Metra model #DW-7501 (about $15) Metra model #70-7901 for the wiring Harness (about $8)

You may also want to look into DIN and 1/2 units. I think Jensen makes one in your price range, possibly Aiwa too. Then i think the Metra dash kit #99-7501 can be used....not sure though???

Disassembly is very simple, pry the radio trim off, from the top lip, just below the air/heat controls...it's held in place by snaps on either side. A fair tug will pop it off. Then you will see the screws holding the stock radio bracket in place, unscrew those and pull the radio out. (tip: re-use those brackets to mount the new radio)

Connect up the wire harness to the new radio harness, plug it into the car harness, Install the new dash kit, Install the new radio cage/mounting sleeve, plug in antenna, RCAs, etc...slide it in, but don't lock it yet....test it all. Once it's all good, lock the radio in place and replace the plastic radio trim piece.

Rock On!

For $200 I would seriously take a look at the new Panasonic HU's
I just bought the CQ-DF401U for $260 canadian and I couldn't be happier. There are 3 sets of preouts, great sound quality and absolutely AMAZING cosmetics. I give it a big :bt:
Also check out JVC, they have nice features at a bargain price. I would recommend Pioneer, but you're paying a lot more for features you don't need. Clarion recievers sound nice, but I would not recommend them, I have heard from friends and dealers that the lower-end decks are not reliable.

The Metra install kit looks nice, but you will need to whittle down the stock trim plate to make it fit right. Even then, my head unit still doesn't go in all the way, and Panasonic head units have a very small depth (6 3/8")

And whatever you do, DO NOT cut off your factory wiring harness. Get an adapter, it's a cheap and easy way of hooking up the head unit!

If you need any more help on this, feel free to email me at robmwatt@yahoo.com

I'll agree Panasonic units are great, as i have one too :D the DF800U. Even has a 5watt center channel output!! i think the MRSP was $460 USD, but i got mine at dealer cost :the finge

Good point, i forgot to mention that, you will have to play with the bracket to get the mounting depth correct for the radio face trim to fit on, as the dash trim is that much too small. i had no intention of trimming the stock dash trim. Although, the DW-7501 repalces the stock dash trim.

I've had thoughts of making my own ABS dash kit, so i could flush the faceplate with the dash trim....but never did get around to it :dunno:

<Cough>Kenwood eXcelon Z828</Cough>

:the finge Yup sure would!

i don't have a kit either....i used the stock brackets, stock rear stabilizer mount and a small piece of ABS to cover the 1/2" gap just under the radio.

Thanks guys

What is this dash kit thing? Do i really need it? Is it just that cubby thing to take up the space the HU doesnt fill, or is there more to it?

that's all it is in this case... something to fill in the hole:)

Has anyone had any experience or heard anything about the Rockford Fosgate 9300?
I'm wanting a dial and amber lights if at all possible...which this unit has.

I was never a big fan of Fosgate decks, at least the older ones. I dunno, maybe they relized that they sucked and fixed them.. post the specs.

i've always liked Alpine decks..mainly for the way they look. however people say that they're not as good now as they used to be ..any people outhere in the know..with an opinion on this?

Alpine has decent HU's (lot better than kenwood IMO). Not the greatest but by no means are they bad. For your average listener they should do just fine.

I installed the jvc kd-sh99 this weekend and used that kit, but i didnt see anything in there to replace the dash trim??

Which kit did you get? And where? Do you recommend it?

I'm going to order that JVC deck after x-mas, if you have pics of it installed send em to me man, I've been wondering what it looks like in ours! :-)