Moonroof Over Audio - Advice
 

Guys, I'm about to get a P5, and I have about CDN$800 available to spend on extras. Now, I'm really debating on whether I should use the money on a moonroof, which is a one-tome thing, and can't be added later on, or get a new sound system for the car.

Thing is, I've never had a car with moonroof before, so I don't know if it's really worth it or not.

I mean, if it's really worth it, and it doesnt just "sit" there after the first couple days, then I'll consider getting it, since the sound can wait a bit, till I get more cash.

So, anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Well whats the weather like in Toronto. How often are you going to be using a moon roof?

Well, yeah, the wheather is normal here.. I'd say it's a place where you'd probably be able to use the moonroof most of the time in the summer...
But... I was wondering.. does it become more of a hasle/does it just sit there, after some time?
Lol, that's how it was with my first bike. I bugged the heck out of my parents to get it, but in the end I enjoyed only for a week, then it it just sat there.. =P

Thanks for the reply =)

Well Im happy driving in the summer and being able to have the sun shine down into the car. The air coming in blows into the back seat so its not great for cooling off. Plus the noise is annoying. and the howl from roof rack... I forgot once that I left it cracked open and it rained and the seats got soaked. I don't regret getting one. But also think about this, the dealer is going to charge you between $4-600 for the CD player ( if you get the indash changer [which sucks]). try and just get AM/FM and take that money to use for better system.

Hmm.. But mine comes standard with a CD player, with no in-dash changer. I'm not sure as to whether I can remove a standard option or not.. But I'll ask

Thanks for the advice though, very helpful! =)

But hey, you CAN add a moonroof later on!

My dealer had one installed for me before I ever took delivery, because they couldn't find a P5 with the factory roof. It made by "SolAire" and I swear, mine is BETTER (read on)

It's one touch open or close (factory: you have to hold the button). The switch is a tiny little thing in the dead space next to the change holder/fog light switch, and it blends perfectly with the interior (factory: on the headliner). And mine AUTO-CLOSES when you shut the car off. (factory: forget to close it, and you get rained on). That last one is a BIG feature to me.

Works the same as the factory roof - slides back INSIDE the headliner (not outside like a spoiler - uggh), does the tilt thing, looks perfect and functions fine. The warranty is LIFETIME also - not just the Mazda warranty.

So - if you decide to add it on later, you can!

I love mine - I pop it open even when it's 20 degrees outside. The fresh air is great, and there is almost no breeze when it's open.

~HH

After that post I feel like getting a roof installed on my 2nd Gen :(

I would say go ahead and get the moon roof
the system can wait, and the stereo in the p5 is already
good, i Know 'cause i have a friend who drives it
It would cost almost $1000 to install after market
which in my opinion is nonsense if you could get it for $400
with the car
then, you also run the risk of the dealer screwing something up
and i agree with hihoslva that, yeah i've seen moonroofs installed afterwards, but it somewhat a hassale
Yeah, i have seen it installed in a 626 before
think about it:D

Not even a question - MOONROOF!!! I was in the same situation as yourself... never had a moonroof before - got one and I'll never have a car without from now on!

Makes the interior all that brighter. In the nice days of Spring and Summer, I slide it all the way open, breeze in and music up. It completely transforms the interiors, feels more Miata like, from the open air treatment.

I had a sunroof on my old 626 that was cool when i first got it but after awhile i hardly used it......when ever anyone else came into my car they always wanted to touch it......when i got my new car I ended up getting a moonroof not because i actually wanted one but the fully loaded ES comes with it......I have to admit that the moonroof is much nicer then the sunroof I had my tinted so that it's not too bright but still adds some light into my car it's a nice touch but i could just as easily live without it. I'd get it 800$ in the long hault isn't alot of money and chances are you will recoup some of it when you sell your car. If money is tight then you can live without it.

moonroof all the way!
 

I had a 626 Cronos with a moonroof before my Pro and ever since then I vowed to always get a car with a moonroof. Its great in the summer and spring and also in the winter since it lets the sun shine in and helps warm things up. Now, I feel all closed in or claustrophobic when I get in to a car without a moonroof!

Get the factory moonroof.....do the other upgrades leater.....

Sweet.. Thanks guys.. I officially made up my mind: moonroof over sound..

Apparently the new ones come with tweeters and all, so that's not too bad.. Though the HU can't send around too many watts per speaker...
When I test drove the p5 I tested out the stereo with some of my own music, and it kinda seemed crappy on the bass.. My '98 Grand Cherorkee's stock speakers seemed to pump more bass than them =(
Though I didn't try messing around with the settings when I test drove it, so that might be the reason, hehe.

Anyways.. Thanks for the replies guys.. really helpful! =)

hello Dex and Welcome to our happy little corner of the net, and to our Club. There are TWO BIG fridge's in the corner with anything you can think of in them...help yourself...of course only take what you can LEGALLY have.

make yourself at home on one of the big fluffy couches, kick your shoes off, put your feet up on one of the tables, yes we are allowed to do that, mom don't care....and take it easy.

oh...btw....every once in a while a food fight breaks out...so you may not want to wear nice clothes here.

Welcome!!

I thought the same thing....then met a guy from the board that is seriously into car audio and talked over what I really wanted from a system.....and how to upgrade it.....I actually got to meet him in person, even though he lives half way across the US from me....just so happened he lives in the same town as my sister in law and we were going there on vacation this last summer...ANYWAY.....right after I got home from vacation another member posted a thread asking how to go about keeping the stock head unit and still having a decent system.....which is what I wanted to do too since I have the 6 disc changer in the dash....if this is what you want to do too....check out THIS THREAD EVERYTHING you should need to know about the upgrade is there....if you have any other questions about it....just ask. :{D

Ok, thats really cool man.. thanks a lot.. I'll be needing help ina few months once I get enough cash flowing again to get an audio system..
I didn't read every single post in that thread as it is pretty long, but, does it give specifics as to wiring and stuff like that? I'm a total n00b in the subject, especially the installation of amps.. which is most likely what I will be needing the most help on.

If not, is there any sites that provide a step-by-step amp installation tutorial?

(Don't worry too much about it, as the audio upgrade will only be coming in several months...)

Thanks!

once you get there the members here can hook you up....the important thing is to do the reasearch and get components that will compliment one another.....the wiring part is really not hard at all....."piece of cake" :{D I as well as others will help you out, no problem.

Most modest audio upgrades can be installed by anyone with a little bit of: Patience, knowledge, and common sense. It's not brain surgery by any means.

When it comes time for you start investigating equipment, do some searches here, and you'll come up with more info than you ever wanted to know ;). Choosing and Installing amps, speakers, and subs is really all about good research and planning. That will save you LOTS of $$ in the long run, because if you're not happy the first time, you'll buy more/different stuff - and the second time is not always perfect either (trust me!).

First step will be to decide what you want from a system, then set a budget for it. You don't have to do it all at once - you may choose to start with a new deck, speakers, and maybe an amp for them. Then maybe add a sub later on.

Second step is getting the right equipment for your taste within your budget - and that depends on what performance level you're looking for.

Got any ideas yet? Shout 'em out - I'm sure we'll come up with LOTS of suggestions and advice.

And BTW - the stock system is WORSE that you think. I thought it was sufficient when I bought the car. But once you hit a few sunny days, crank the windows down and the moonroof open, and hit the road, you'll realize that the stock system just doesn't cut it - it's barely audible with all that noise.

Hehe - getting the moonroof is like a stepping stone to a new audio system - you're gonna need it!

Get some ideas together, and you'll get lots of advice.

~HH

Thanks for the quick replies guys, with this kind of help I'm sure I'll end up getting that audio system set up and running for cheaper and *better* than I would have previously hoped to! =P

Anyways.. Well, before I decided to get the moonrof over the audio, I was looking into buying the following components off ebay, for the folowing prices:


INFINITY Kappa 5x7" 6x8" Car SPEAKERS 572.5cf - $75
INFINITY Kappa 63.5I 225W 6 1/2" 3-way - $101
800W SONY XPLOD XM-475GSX 2/3/4CH AMP - $147 (75 x 4 Watts RMS at 4 ohm)


I'm not quite sure whether these components are in fact the best bang for the buck, since they were picked based on my 30-minute internet "research" hehe..

If you guys have any suggestions as to what I should get instead, please post away..

PS- I don't plan on getting a sub.. or at least not anytime soon.. I'd say the speakers would do a good enough job on pumping bass for my type of music (rock, alternative, nothing that requires a lot of car-shaking =)

Oh, and as for the tweeters.. I'm not quite sure about whether those need to be replaced separately, or if they built-in to the stock speakers.. I forgot to check that on the p5 I test drove =(


Thanks!

one thing to remember....once you pass 40 watts/channel RMS, you should replace the speaker wires in your doors. its NOT easy....but its doable.

I gotta disagree here, Nuke - 40 watts is not that much power, and the stock wires can handle it just fine.

You really don't NEED to put in new wiring until you get up in the 150-200 watt range. I'm throwing 90-100 watts per side to the front doors, and the stock wires are fine. Popular opinion (on a few other boards also) is that I would get ZERO audible difference from changing the wires at my wattage. I know the stockies are floss-thin, but they can handle it without any problems. Plus - I don't think this guy is looking to set up a competition car or anything. He'll be fine on the stock floss, IMHO.

Dex - those components you have chosen are pretty good for the money. Infinity makes a nice sounding speaker, at a pretty good value. You might want to reconsider the Sony amp - but that's - again - a matter of opinion. I've heard lots of complaints about Sony equipment across the product line, and have witnessed some Sony stuff fail on friends' rides (mostly CD players though - not amps). But - it is a good value, and as long as it actually pushes those 75 watts, I'm sure you will be very happy.

The suggestion that I'll make to you is that when wiring up the amp, consider you might want a sub down the road. It doesn't cost very much to use nice 4 gauge wire for power and ground - and then you can add a sub amp later without having to re-wire. Check www.knukonceptz.com for wire - great products at great prices.

BTW - the prices you listed are EXCELLENT! Where are you shopping??

~HH

Yeah, I was thinking about getting the wiring for the sub ready too.. Lol, but I'm such a n00b in the subject that before I start on that, I'll need a LOT of help with the amp instalation wiring first, hehe.. Well.. good thing I won't doing that for a WHILE.. money is kinda tight.. especially since I live in Canada, and gotta come up with virtually double those prices I listed, cause of shipping, taxes, and our crappy dollar...

But anyways... Thanks for the heads up on the Sony amp.. I'll look into that =)

BTW those prices are off ebay... They're brand new equipment =)

Ok guys, one thing that I'm worried about though, is the instalation of my CD changer.
I have it instaled on my Jeep right now, and since I'm switching the Jeep for the P5, I'll have to remove the changer from the Jeep and put it on the P5...

HowEVER, I do kind of find it very scary connecting up the changer to the battery of the car.. I have never done that before, and frankly I have no clue as to how to do that and which wire is which, lol. And I'll be having to do it all myself, since I won't have the cash to pay for somoene to install it for me =(

If anyone knows of any site that teaches how to install a changer, I'd be greatful =)

Thanks!

well maybe so.....not sure.....its the information I got from doing my homework and getting the opinions of the experts .....guess its really just opinions for the most part....I was just glad NOT to even consider having to replace it all, knowing what a pain in the ass it is! lol

Give some more info about the changer - is it a Jeep item, or aftermarket? Hooked up to a stock stereo, or an aftermarket deck (i.e. do you listen to it thru a "dead" radio station, or control it directly)? What brand is it?

There may be other alternatives rather than hooking up to the battery - give us some more info.

~HH

My bad, forgot to mention that.

It's an Alpine 6-CD changer.. Hooked up to the stock stereo in the jeep. Teh changer's in the Jeep's trunk
What I wanna do is remove it from the Jeep and hook it up to the stock stereo on the P5.

Hope that's enough info =)

Thanks!

I think they also need to know if the changer is directly plugged into the radio or is it set up in a way that you have to put the radio on a certain frequency to be able to hear it. And do you control the changer with the Jeep's radio or with a small screen with a few buttons that is attached some place in the car.

Oh gosh *blushes*
My bad guys... I'm getting there, lol

Ok.. To work the changer I have to put my stereo (stock) on a certain frequency, I think 88.5
And yes, I have a small screen that controls the changer, separate from the car stereo.

Sorry for being so ignorant =(

Thanks!

No apologies necessary.

What I would do is simply inspect the wiring in the Jeep, and do the same exact thing in the P5.

OR - I would expect that the changer does not need to be direct to the battery like an amp, but rather should be hooked up to a 12V switched source - the power wire of the radio should be perfect. It only receives power when the car is on. If the changer needs to have a ground also, you should be able to determine how that was accomplished by looking at the current install in the Jeep.

Another way is go to Alpine's website, and see if they have online manuals for your changer, or a similar model. That oughtta give you all the details you need to hook it up.

~HH

Lol.. ok..
I would be clueless as to how and where to find a 12V power source amidst all the wiring behind the dash..I've never been there before =(
But, hopefully I will be able to figure out how to install it by looking at the way it's installed in the Jeep.
Oh, and the changer receives power even when the car is off, since I can eject the CD's when the car is not on (it has a battery-operated eject mechanism, judgung by the sound it makes).


Thanks!

PS - And on other news, I'm getting the moonroof for free!!!!
Meaning, I'll have money to upgrade my audio sooner than I previously thought =)))))))