Head unit and adapter kit

[Blue Goat]

I am in the market for an aftermarket head unit to replace the factory cd player. What are the best options and who manufactures the best face plate adapter kit. I have seen some installations that look cheep. I also want an input for a digital audio player as well. Any suggests from those that have taken the plunge.

 

[Mindbndr]

Blue Goat,

I used the adapter plate, harness, and antenna adapter from Crutchfield.

It looks okay. If you want I can take a dig pic and forward it your way if you

supply me with your email address. Answer me back at -- email address removed --

With the dodge you need an antenna adapter for after market stereo's.

I have always had great luck with Clarion ProAudio units.

 

[Intense Marine]

Head unit & adapter kit

Blue Goat



I replaced all of my factory stuff. I went to Ultimate Electronics and bought my Kenwood head unit, it came with the satalite reciever. I bought a Rockford 5 channel amp, 6 1/2" coax's for the fronts and 5 1/4" for the rears, and put a 8" sub under the rear drivers side seat. I had to make mounting plates for the fronts because the holes were for 6 x 9's. I also put Fatmat in the doors and cab and polyfill in the B and C pillars. I really like the fit of my head unit, the the adapter has no gaps in it at all. I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a factory radio again. I will try to get the rest of my pictures put on today.



Brad

 

[vortex]

door insulation

How is the door insulation working out? It does seem the doors are a bit hollow sounding stock. How did you get it into the doors? what thickness is the material and did you run into any problems with the windows and hardware on the inside. Thanks Dave

 

[Intense Marine]

Fatmat on doors

Vortex



The doors were not hard. I took off all of the door pannels and pulled the plastic from the door. I put a layer on the inside of the door skin first. I then put a layer on the door. It it unbelievable how much difference there is in the sound when you tap on a fender and then a door. I think that is was 40 mills thick. I found the best price on Fatmat.com. They sold 100sq ft for $120. 00. I would have had over $1,000. 00 in material only going with Best Buy. I have had no problems with the windows or hardware. You can run the truck down the highway and 80 "I mean 65 mph" and hear someone in the back seat wisper.

 

[y-knot]

The best advice I could give anyone about up-dating their factory radio system is to first talk with the folks at Crutchfield. They are a great place to do business with, and they supply you with all the needed wiring harness's free of charge. They are also the only ones that will print you a vehicle specific instalation sheet, that covers YOUR truck and all the little things others leave out. Their prices are very competitive, but if you shop on price alnoe, others are cheaper. I just installed a new system, and decided to go with Crutchfeild, and in the end, I saved money they were lower when everything was tallied up.

For the head unit, you can go with a 1 DIN which is the standard height model you have seen everytime you go to look at car radios. It requires an addapter to fit your truck and looks aftermarket. Dodge, chevy and some fords use the 1. 5 DIN modles in their trucks. it in larger then the standard radio, which allows for more features and larger displays. If you wish to replace your factory radio, with one that is the same size and keeps the look of the factory system, then you too will have to go with the 1. 5 DIN modles like I did. The selection gets narrowed down when you go with this size radio, I choose the Pioneer brand, they have three units in the 1. 5 DIn size to choose from. I went with the P77 model, it has many features and still has the look I wanted. The fit is fantastic, it fills out the factory dash space perfectly and is a snap to install, no spacers, adapters or anything else needed, just bolt it in. Crutchfeild will supply you with all the needed wiring adapters to make the install and hook-up simple, but you will need to decide if you are going to run a seperate amp or not. This is the time to install it if that is in your plans. The front speakers are the easiest to replace, get yourself a door panel removal tool, and it's a snap. To get the best sound, insulate the door and use a speaker baffle. You can choose from the stock 6"x9" speakers or go with 5. 25 or 6. 25 speakers, you will just have to get the right adapters, which crutchfeild will supply. I think component speakers are the best choise for the doors, but thats just me.

In the rear, those speakers are a little harder to get to. They require you to remove several items on each side, but none of them are bad, just more steps. Make sure you have the correct size torx socket, my took a 50. The seat bolts are 13mm, and the screewa are #2.

Good luck on the stereo, The amount of prior planing you do, will directly affect the quality and time of the install.

 

[Intense Marine]

Blue Goat



Y-Knot is correct, you can use whom ever you want. You may find a local company that can help.



You won't need a door panel removal tool on the 2003. When you remove the two screws in the panel and the one in the handle you lift up on the panel and it comes off. You won't need a torx head for the rear seat to get to the back speakers because yours are in the rear door. Just like the fronts remove the screws a lift the panel.



Good luck, Brad

 

[JRMora]

My only 2 cents worth is that Crutchfield shows that the rear doors use 6 1/2" speakers. Mine are 5 1/4" (this has been discussed before on this forum). Check before ordering.



Anyway, i have bought three stereos (2 Blaupunkt and 1 Pioneer) from Crutchfield before and I do recommend them. Their prices are a little higher, but throw in all the free stuff and it's pretty competitive. It was also nice to be able to pull the aftermarket head units out and replace with the factory unit when the cars were sold.



Juan