I've been looking into replacing my stock hu in my '02 LX. I've been hooking up hu's in my cars and my friend's for about the last 5 years (i taught my self with my first car when i was 16 in my '88 grand am). I'm running into a problem that i don't know how hard it is goint to be to get around. Crutchfield is telling me that all the Head units I want to install are too deep for the Protege and i'm going to have to settle with one that is way more than i want to spend or that i can't get one i want with 3 sets of pre-amp outputs.
I really wanted one of the new JVC digifine's
i've also looked into many Clarion cd players which Crutchfield says that no Clarion will fit. the only good news i've got is that a rep from Crutchfield e-mailed me to tell me that the digifine is too deep but JVC Arsenal KD-SX8250 CD Receiver is only 6/100ths of an inch too deep and will fit with a little of work.


I guess what i really want to know is if i get a cd player that is too deep what kind of work would it take to cram it into the dash.

i would really apprecieate the advice.

 

Never heard of too deep??? Man I would suggest you just go your local car sounds plus (or the like) and look at their HUs and ask which will fit. I would not get a clarion. Check out these other silver HUs:

Kenwood Z838W
Kenwood KDC-PSW9521
both have 3 preouts

Sony CDX-MP70
only 2 preouts

 

Like i said, i've never run across a head unit being too deep. This is my first install in a protege, but not a mazda. I've installed HU's in a millenia and a 626 before and never had to worry. Maby crutchfield just dosen't want to sell me a jvc b/c i've seen many pro's with the digifine hu in them.
Why not a clarion? i had a clarion hu for about a year and a half in my blazer and that was the one of the best hu's i've owned. And after the beating i gave it about 3 years ago it's still goin strong in a buddy of mine's MR2.
Also, how new are the 2 Kenwood HUs that you listed. I can't seem to find them on the kenwood web site. Do you have a link, all the hu's i'm looking at are not all silver but they would look sweet with the grey interior of my silver Pro. But that is not as big of a deal to me as 3 preouts

 

very little room behind the HU in a protege- there is an impressive metal bar back there that is part of the body integrity. I have used the bar for the back strap, but it is thick, and is required by the structure of the car.

 

I believe crutchfield listes the depth at 6 3/8". Some decks are 6 1/2 or even 6 3/4". If you choose one of them Crutchfield always will tell you its to deep. IT IS NOT! Several people hae been told this on one model or another and someone else had fit the exact deck they were looking at inthere Protege. This recently happened to someone that wanted an ALpine. Crutchfiled said it wouldn't fit, another board member said bullshit I already fit that model in my protege.

 

thats what i thought b/c i've seen a couple with the jvc sh99 in them. I bought the sh77from ebay for $179. i didn't think that would be a problem. Thanks for the input