what do you guys think of this HU, and will it fit?

[tbomb]

guys, my stock HU display on my 98 took the infamous "dump" today. i cant see anything on it. ill know tomorrow if i get a free one under my extended warranty, but im shopping around now for a replacement, just in case. i was poking around on crutchfields website and i saw this one...

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/...=0&s=0&g=52600&id=essential_info&i=020ADX5655

i havent done any car audio stuff in about 5 years, but back then, clarion made pretty good HU's. also, can i fit just any double din HU in my truck, or am i gonna run into fitment probs with some of them being too deep?...etc? and, i know crutchfield has been around forever, but ive never bought anything from them before - if i buy a HU from them and get the harness from them and adapter kit (molding) from them too, is it gonna work out nicely, or is the harness not gonna fit right, etc?

thanks guys.

 

[tbomb]

dammit! i just called crutchfield and they said the stock radio isnt a real double din, so i cant fit a double din aftermarket one in there unless i wanna cut some dash out.

suggestions? anyone have pics of their double dins or single dins for that matter? how hard is it to put in a double din?

thanks

 

[expo5.0]

that should fit nicely, and crutchfield is pretty good about getting you the parts you need to do the install yourself. you should give them a call and place your order adn make sure you are getting everything you need. clarion does make good head units, but i would recommend the pioneer fh-p4000 for a double din application in an x. it looks awesome and makes a little more power. you might want to check that out, but you can't go wrong with clarion either.

 

[tbomb]

Originally posted by expo5.0
that should fit nicely, and crutchfield is pretty good about getting you the parts you need to do the install yourself. you should give them a call and place your order adn make sure you are getting everything you need. clarion does make good head units, but i would recommend the pioneer fh-p4000 for a double din application in an x. it looks awesome and makes a little more power. you might want to check that out, but you can't go wrong with clarion either.

i dont know if you saw my other post here, about the double dins not fitting...you know anything about how to make a double din fit?

 

[expo5.0]

i didn't see your other post, but i know the pioneer will fit in an x nicely. i've sold them to people before. and it says right in the pioneer catalog that it was made for import cars and some american vehicles "such as the explorer". sorry if i was wrong about the clarion, we don't carry those where i work, all i know about them is they have a very good sq reputation and many of my friends are happy with theirs.

 

[expo5.0]

one more thing, i don't do the installs, so there might be some kind of a mounting kit we are using to install those in the x, or maybe, but i doubt it, some trimming. i can get a answer on that if you want.

 

[tbomb]

well, i found out that it would most likely fit if i trim a lilte to make it a perfect fit, but would the harness they send me be the right one? how about the "molding" thing they send, would that be right, too? id be more than willing to do a little trimming to fit a double din in there, but id like to have all the info about it first.

expo5.0, thanks, youve been helpful so far

 

[expo5.0]

like i said before, i would trust what crutchfield says. they have been doing this for a long time, and i've never heard of anyone who had a real customer service problem with them, (if you they sell you the wrong thing, they will fix it) (a much different situation than where i work, heh):fire: :fire: :fire: makes it hard to be a good salesman and get return customers.
anyway, the molding thing they would send will be necessary to fill up the space on the right and left side of the unit and around the top. no head units are quite as wide as the x's opening. you will probably just have to do a little trimming at the bottom of your opening (where it starts to curl under) and it should be easy and not noticable even to someone who has an x

 

[mattadams]

here's a thought and I don't know if I'm right because I know very little about car stereos admittadly.
I know if your stereo is like the one in my f-150 its as high as a double-din but it isn't a true double-din. Reason is that it slopes down in the back to be single-height din in the back, double din height in the front. That way they could save 25 cents on material costs and of course Ford thinks "no one will ever want to replace their headunit!"
Here's a mod I did. I put in a "true" double-din stereo which is funny enough, a ford head unit. it is the in-dash 6-disk cd changer. Here's the trims I had to make to make it work (this is inside behind the head unit, you'd know what I was talking about if you yanked out the stereo). no making fun of my un-straight lines, I went bac k in after taking the pics and leveled them off and straightened them out a bit.

 

[tbomb]

matt, ive heard that...that the stock ford head unit isnt a true double din receiver. but i also heard from another source, that he put a double din in his 98 eddie bauer, and it fit perfectly. if i dont get a free one from ford (and at this point, its looking like i wont), then im gonna buy a double din unit, and if it fits, then good, but if it doesnt fit, im gonna do what you did and do some crooked trimming to make it fit. thanks for the pics though, they may just come in handy in a few weeks.

 

[mattadams]

tbomb if your like me and like the "stock" look but want a better stereo I bought a ford in-dash 6-disk cd changer on ebay for about $200. I'm waiting to get it installed ande verything to post pics, but that way you've got a 6-disk changer, it still looks stock and it puts out slightly more ampage then stock (although it does require trimming as mentioned before and is still only 80 watts output... and has no rca pre-outs, LOL)

 

[tbomb]

i do like the stock look, and i know the in dash changer is better than the one i have, but if im gonna spend any money on a new radio, i wanna get the clarion HU - its really amazing. $400 might hurt a lil though, but im sure itll be worth it in the end.