dr_starcraft
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- November 16, 2005
- Messages
- 151
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Houghton, MI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '99 XLT
If you saw my other thread you'll notice that I changed my head unit. The place that I got the orignal JVC didn't end up having the item in stock, so they refunded my money. After I got my money back I decided, what the hell, I might as well spend a few more bucks, (so much easier when 500 is already in paypal funds) and get the Kenwood unit I was looking at. So thats what happened, and I got it overnighted to my place, so I could have the entire weekend to do a decent install.
I also put a Uniden pro-538w cb in the "bottom slot." I've seen it a couple times on here before and I really thought that was a sweet idea.... So I begain my search. I quickly found out that Uniden unit was the only one that had a speaker on the front of the unit instead of the bottom. After a few days of ebaying, I ended picking one up for about 25 bucks after shipping. As far as the other stuff and details about the install kit and the wiring harness that I used, that was all in the other thread. So I'll post a link up here, just in case you wanted to check that out.
Parts Detail
On that note, I'm not real sure that I would recommend the Metra install kit. It didn't seem like it was the right size for the din sized unit, even though after minor filing (on the metra) the face of the Kenwood slid right into place. I ended up using the faceplate that is meant for a 1 peice double din installation, but I figured since I was trying to cram a cb under it, that little extra room would be handy (without the plastic peice that separates the units)
ANYway I am very, very pleased with how it came out, even though it did take most of the weekend to get everything sqaured away.
Here is the final product.
The cb ended up requiring the most amount of work to get it to fit in the space availiable. I did modify the radio bezel, by cutting off the top and bottom flange of plastic that the stock radio buts up against. The side peices were left in tact. (The metra kit actually requires that they stay because of how it installs) The face plate of the CB was removed and sanded/filed/cut until it would slide in below the kenwood unit. After it seemed like I was getting somewhere, I went to put the assembly in the dash and quickly found out that the CB housing was not going to fit in the dash with the antenna connection on the back. So I had to move the antenna connection to a pig tail style connector out the side. (The same with the PA jack) After beating on the CB so much, I decided that the unit ought to undergo some testing before I put it into the dash for good. Much to my surprise it still worked (Besides a few minor issues that very well could have been issues before I started hacking)
The final dilema was where to install the brain box for the whole operation. Ater toying around with a few places it seemed most logicalical to not do anything real creative and just put it under the passenger seat. When I finally decided on a place that the seat springs would beat the crap out of it, a couple self tapping screws made quick work of the mounting process. Pulling the passenger seat out was a must (obviously)
After everything was set and ready to go it was time to try to hide about 1000 feet of wire. The unit comes with more than enought wire to mount the brain on the back lift gate if you really wanted to. I decided not to cut anything, just in case I did decide to, later move the unit to the back of the truck. I mangaged to hide most of the wire in the center console cup holder and pocket parts. There is a ton of extra room behind the climate controls to jam a bunch of unused wire.
As for watching DVDs while driving, of course I wired it up so I could do that. A simple connection to the ground wire instead of the parking brake easily solved that problem. I'm not real sure why anyone would install these things without having the functionallity to use them while you are moving. The unit has plenty of AV inputs, so I plan on hooking up an old school system. (I'm thinking N64) so my buddies and I can make the drive up to college a little more interesting.
...This BTW makes it hella easier to work on!
I also put a Uniden pro-538w cb in the "bottom slot." I've seen it a couple times on here before and I really thought that was a sweet idea.... So I begain my search. I quickly found out that Uniden unit was the only one that had a speaker on the front of the unit instead of the bottom. After a few days of ebaying, I ended picking one up for about 25 bucks after shipping. As far as the other stuff and details about the install kit and the wiring harness that I used, that was all in the other thread. So I'll post a link up here, just in case you wanted to check that out.
Parts Detail
On that note, I'm not real sure that I would recommend the Metra install kit. It didn't seem like it was the right size for the din sized unit, even though after minor filing (on the metra) the face of the Kenwood slid right into place. I ended up using the faceplate that is meant for a 1 peice double din installation, but I figured since I was trying to cram a cb under it, that little extra room would be handy (without the plastic peice that separates the units)
ANYway I am very, very pleased with how it came out, even though it did take most of the weekend to get everything sqaured away.
Here is the final product.
The cb ended up requiring the most amount of work to get it to fit in the space availiable. I did modify the radio bezel, by cutting off the top and bottom flange of plastic that the stock radio buts up against. The side peices were left in tact. (The metra kit actually requires that they stay because of how it installs) The face plate of the CB was removed and sanded/filed/cut until it would slide in below the kenwood unit. After it seemed like I was getting somewhere, I went to put the assembly in the dash and quickly found out that the CB housing was not going to fit in the dash with the antenna connection on the back. So I had to move the antenna connection to a pig tail style connector out the side. (The same with the PA jack) After beating on the CB so much, I decided that the unit ought to undergo some testing before I put it into the dash for good. Much to my surprise it still worked (Besides a few minor issues that very well could have been issues before I started hacking)
The final dilema was where to install the brain box for the whole operation. Ater toying around with a few places it seemed most logicalical to not do anything real creative and just put it under the passenger seat. When I finally decided on a place that the seat springs would beat the crap out of it, a couple self tapping screws made quick work of the mounting process. Pulling the passenger seat out was a must (obviously)
After everything was set and ready to go it was time to try to hide about 1000 feet of wire. The unit comes with more than enought wire to mount the brain on the back lift gate if you really wanted to. I decided not to cut anything, just in case I did decide to, later move the unit to the back of the truck. I mangaged to hide most of the wire in the center console cup holder and pocket parts. There is a ton of extra room behind the climate controls to jam a bunch of unused wire.
As for watching DVDs while driving, of course I wired it up so I could do that. A simple connection to the ground wire instead of the parking brake easily solved that problem. I'm not real sure why anyone would install these things without having the functionallity to use them while you are moving. The unit has plenty of AV inputs, so I plan on hooking up an old school system. (I'm thinking N64) so my buddies and I can make the drive up to college a little more interesting.
...This BTW makes it hella easier to work on!
