Junkyard Audiosports!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/95-99-Nissan-Maxima-Infiniti-I30-Radio-Cd-Cassette-Bose-PN-2121D-/260969699725?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%252BFICS%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D160637519996%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6753021000612488800

There's one of these in my local junkyard right now. Could be mine for $20. Looks to be in perfect shape.

1) Anyone know if this is internally or externally amped?

2) Would adapting this to work in a 1990 Mx6 GT be an exercise in futility? I'd like to have a stereo worth listening to, and while i normally HATE Blose, this LOOKS decent, and that's one of my requirements.

Also: Does Audio stuff count in challenge budget? I've been daily driving this thing for 2 years, fwiw.

IIRC most Bose stuff is externally amped. Also, you'd want the harness & plug from an I30 to cut up in order to make it work...provided you figure out all the pin-outs. I've tried making one OEM stereo work in another before. It's a huge pain in the ass.

Also, just wondering, why so picky about the head unit looks?

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Also: Does Audio stuff count in challenge budget? I've been daily driving this thing for 2 years, fwiw.

Just pop it out before the event and hook it back up for the drive home.

SlickDizzy wrote: IIRC most Bose stuff is externally amped. Also, you'd want the harness & plug from an I30 to cut up in order to make it work...provided you figure out all the pin-outs. I've tried making one OEM stereo work in another before. It's a huge pain in the ass. Also, just wondering, why so picky about the head unit looks?

I drive a 23 year old car and the idea of something that DOESN'T look like the Borg or various other alien life forms crawling out of my center console appeals to me.

Yeah... i remembered that on the Bose stuff shortly after i posted. That's not gonna work too well. I suppose if i really wanted to experiment i have the Bose out of my MSM.

EvanB wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Also: Does Audio stuff count in challenge budget? I've been daily driving this thing for 2 years, fwiw.

Just pop it out before the event and hook it back up for the drive home.

Good point. Though i suppose i could just swap out my current Pioneer for something else and call it even. (Nothing wrong with it, it's the speakers that are blown, and i tend to hate Pioneers)

Always worth a scout through the pull and pay lots. I got an Alpine out of a Mercedes once. Couple other decent after market head units too.

This place tends to pull all the aftermarket head units worth a damn and sell them separately at higher prices.

I DID find a Pioneer DEH-6000 today missing a faceplate, but meh.

Most of my "good" speakers have come out of junkyards. I tend to look for clean, wrecked cars that college kids would drive. They almost always have some sort of upgrades on them, and a bunch of people will leave speakers that are buried behind panels when the wrecker comes. Integras and Civics seem to be the best bets for real quality. That's where I managed one set of Boston Acoustics speakers for $3 and another for free.

I have scored a few decent decks and some nice speakers out of cars at the yard. Best deals so far was a perfect shape /////|LPINE touch screen double DIN for $75 and a nice Pioneer Premier for $20. Got a few nice sets of Eclipse speakers and a set of JBL components for pennies on the dollar as well. Also miles and miles of premium wire, from speaker wires to RCAs to 8, 4, and 0 ga. power wire.

Back on topic, retrofitting a "high end" factory deck is an exercise in futility. A $99 Sony from Wal-Mart will ghetto stomp those decks in every category and offer more features to boot. Downside, as previously stated, is most current decks aside from double DIN touch screens are terribly ugly and even worse when the lights are turned on.

Good luck with this, I have the same issues as you with the gaudiness. I think that if I ever get an aftermarket stereo, I'll have to bite the bullet and it will have to be one of the following:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Subaru-McIntosh-Radio-Tuner-CD-cassette-AM-FM-WB-/170793864201?pt=Car_Audio_Video&vxp=mtr&hash=item27c41b8c09#ht_500wt_1287

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-CQ-TX5500D-Vacuum-tube-CD-player-MP3-/120868208011?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item1c244e7d8b#ht_935wt_1270

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DCT-A100-cd-player-CopperChassis-/180813811926?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item2a1957d0d6#ht_1364wt_1270

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DCT-2000-cd-player-ALPHA-processing-CopperChassis-/180829513174?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item2a1a4765d6#ht_1679wt_1270

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PANASONIC-CQ-VX5500D-CAR-DOUBLE-DIN-CD-MD-DSP-STEREO-/230742638984?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item35b9554188#ht_1992wt_1270

93gsxturbo wrote: I have scored a few decent decks and some nice speakers out of cars at the yard. Best deals so far was a perfect shape /////|LPINE touch screen double DIN for $75 and a nice Pioneer Premier for $20. Got a few nice sets of Eclipse speakers and a set of JBL components for pennies on the dollar as well. Also miles and miles of premium wire, from speaker wires to RCAs to 8, 4, and 0 ga. power wire. Back on topic, retrofitting a "high end" factory deck is an exercise in futility. A $99 Sony from Wal-Mart will ghetto stomp those decks in every category and offer more features to boot. Downside, as previously stated, is most current decks aside from double DIN touch screens are terribly ugly and even worse when the lights are turned on.

Yeah, i hear ya...

Currently i have one speaker halfway working in the car, and i hate the current Pioneer headunit with a passion. The car will never be a good platform to even bother getting "good" audio out of, my exhaust is 2 feet long and dumps out my front bumper. I'm just looking for 4 working speakers in factory location, and a headunit that doesn't look horrible.

Wish your yard was near me.

mtn wrote: Good luck with this, I have the same issues as you with the gaudiness. I think that if I ever get an aftermarket stereo, I'll have to bite the bullet and it will have to be one of the following: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Subaru-McIntosh-Radio-Tuner-CD-cassette-AM-FM-WB-/170793864201?pt=Car_Audio_Video&vxp=mtr&hash=item27c41b8c09#ht_500wt_1287 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-CQ-TX5500D-Vacuum-tube-CD-player-MP3-/120868208011?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item1c244e7d8b#ht_935wt_1270 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DCT-A100-cd-player-CopperChassis-/180813811926?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item2a1957d0d6#ht_1364wt_1270 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-DCT-2000-cd-player-ALPHA-processing-CopperChassis-/180829513174?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item2a1a4765d6#ht_1679wt_1270 http://www.ebay.com/itm/PANASONIC-CQ-VX5500D-CAR-DOUBLE-DIN-CD-MD-DSP-STEREO-/230742638984?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item35b9554188#ht_1992wt_1270

Amusingly... i'm familiar with all those decks and more.

I actually think i have a Mazda MSSS1 deck in my garage somewhere, wonder how hard that would be to get working.

I have been a big fan of the JVC KD-HDR70 lately. You can adjust both the display and the control backlighting to match your car's OEM lighting, and even run different day/night settings. Also, as far as aftermarket decks go, they're more understated than most.

Built-in HD radio is also really cool, and it has one of the better built-in amps out there, all for a whopping $100.