Just finished installing my new headunit. It sounds awesome. I wanted a double DIN unit, but didn't want to spend the money on a nav unit. Got it for $300 shipped from Crutchfield with the dash kit, wiring harness, and antenna adapter. I personally like the look of the metra kit. It fits pretty well, there is a little gap on the left side, but it isn't that noticeable.

The color matches better in the daylight, the flash makes it look a little off.

The bluetooth is really cool. the quality is really clear on both sides of the conversation.

these are just initial pics, I'll take more when the light is better. So far, I really like the quality of the unit.

 

I got the FH-7000BT, all the same features just single DIN. I also got the Pioneer HD unit because crutchfield was having a sale for $70 with the HU. I almost got the Double DIN but have plans for the second DIN slot. Most likely a Scan Gage II.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.

 

nice. your's looks like it fit really cleanly. I notice you put your mic down next to the temp knob. I wasn't sure where to put it, so I put it up on the headliner in between the visor and the mirror.

 

I moved it after I used a few times. I put it on the Sun visor on the driver side. After I had it there for a while everyone was complaining about engine and road noise. It is much better to have it on cloth to absorb the vibrations. No one complains now.

It looks very clean to. I ran the wire under the driver side foot guard and up the driver’s side of the car under the weather stripping. I would post pics but either my camera’s card reader died or my memory card.

 

Where is the microphone for the bluetooth?

 

it's to the left of the temperature knob on comptrekkie's pic. The black thing with the clip.

 

nice.. as if its was already there when you bought it new.. good job..

 

After quite a bit of research, I just ordered the exact same model . . .

For a while I was hung up on dvd playback - not for watching movies, but for burning larger capacity mp3 discs. But any model that combined bluetooth w/ dvd all included expensive other options that I don't care about (nav, touchscreen, etc.). But then I realized that with big flash drives being so affordable, I can use the USB input for that purpose. Just need to find a creative way to pigtail the input out to a good spot on the dash.

Anyway, stereo & dashkit arrive soon - can't wait to get them installed.

 

I just ran the usb extension into the glovebox, along with an aux cable. my usb drive or ipod are tucked neatly out of sight.

 

Installed mine:




Drilled a hole in the dash for the microphone, you can see it between the gauges & hazard button. I also routed the USB & aux in cables to the glove box.

And since I don't want an antenna on the roof, I'll be experimenting with in-car antenna placement for the XM radio. Here's where I've got it now, up on the dash:



This spot seems to work well, it doesn't cut out on me . . . I tried it taped in the center of the dash, between the 2 defrost vents. There's a flat spot there that would be ideal aesthetically - but unfortunately it would occasionally lose signal when there. Where it is now it's happy, but I'm probably going to wait until there are leaves back on the trees before I mount it permanently.

 

subscribed for reference

 

are there any other dash kits that you can install for radio, cd and aux that cost less than 200?

 

as far as i know, the only dash kits for the gd3 are by Metra or Scosche. I have the metra, daemione has the scosche. My dashkit was $25 plus the headunit from crutchfield. I think it was $50 normally. I don't know how much the scosche is, im guessing aorund $60?

for the ge8, you can use the oem navi panel.

 

Ok thanks. But im talking about the removable face plates... That u install for radio or cd player. And thanks for the other info.

 

Lots of different head units have removable face plates, you just have to find one you like with that feature. You can look up different head units by features & price on Crutchfield's website, that should get you started.

Then you use either a Scosche or Metra adapter kit to install the new stereo in your dash.

 

Can one of you guys tell me how to remove the original radio and that fascia around it? I just ordered my new HU from Crutchfield but have no idea how to actually remove the stock HU...

EDIT: Never mind, I found the link to the manual in another thread. Hope hubby can make sense of this, 'cause I can't

 

when it says to "slide" the headunit out, they're joking. it really means pull hopelessly for 30 minutes, give up, come back, and repeat.

just make sure that after everything (i.e. the purple, blue, orange cables, and the 2 bolts, maybe more?) is disconnected, remove the plug that goes into the fan speed selector. that has a tendency to break upon removal.

 

Thanks Interstate, sounds like it's gonna be a hard piece of work I'll prepare for some pulling and cursing

 

no problem. and i wouldn't recommend wedging anything in between the dash and the hu fascia. the material is pretty soft and scuffs easily.