ilko

...iPod!

I've been toying with the idea of actually using the stereo in the car (Montreal trip coming up in a few weeks) and I figured that adding an iPod would not be a bad idea.

Unfortunately short of getting a Parrot rki8400 for $350, nothing else will work with my iPhone. And knowing that the stereo will be rarely used I figured I'd get something cheap that will hold enough music for a road trip. A quick look at Ebay + $26 later and I was the proud new owner of a lime green 4GB iPod mini. Good thing I have some left over Polar Silver paint that I used to repair my Turbo S lip over the winter. Now I have the first Polar Silver iPod in the world

But the war on aesthetics did not end there. I've never been a fan of the way aftermarket head units look in the car (with a couple of exceptions). The previous owner did some quality stereo upgrades - Alpine amp, MB Quart speakers all around and an Alpine head unit. That last one was a bit of an eye sore. It just didn't flow with the rest of the interior.

So, another quick look on Ebay and $30 later I had a CR-220. Then off to Becker Auto Sound for an AUX connector ($20) and Ebay again for an iPod/AUX connector + power ($5.49) and I was all set! I could've gotten the $60 part that does the same thing from Becker, but I saved $35 by going the generic route.

So when all was said and done I spent $81.49 and had an OEM stereo and and an iPod that now has 949 songs. Wanted to stuff 993 in it but ran out of space

Verdict: The sound is pretty good with the upgraded amp and speakers but the RSRs are still much better. I started the car, turned on the radio and drove that way until the end of my street. Then I turned it off. I'm just so not used to listening to music in this car.

I see what people are saying about modifying the face plate on the CR/CDR-220 to see the LCD - you can't see anything during daylight. In my case it's not a big deal as the only buttons needed are the on/off and volume. However, if I listened to the AM/FM radio I'd definitely want to have that taken care of.

Question: How do I turn off that annoying blinking light from the center of the head unit? Is there a way other than disassembling the radio and taking it out?

Reddy Kilowatt

Cool. Do they make Speed Yellow iPods?

bart1

You can get a much cheaper stereo to work with the iPhone, unless yours is a new version and different. I have a 3G and my Alpine (the one in my 993 and the older one in my 968) controls it beautifully, but no charging.

ilko

Sorry but if it doesn't charge it that kills the whole point. The iPhone's great but battery life isn't its strongest point. By the time you get to your destination you'll have a dead phone. Unless you hook it up to the cig lighter to charge which is extra wires and clutter - stuff I wanted to avoid. $80 for a factory stereo and 60 hours worth of music ain't so bad in my book

FisterD

Hmmm. I have a very old ipod (my kids hand-me-downs) and my Alpine charges it while the stereo is on. Once I shut the car off, the ipod goes dead (original battery, 5 years old). As soon as I fire up the stereo again, ipod starts. It never leaves my glove box, so it works for me.

bart1

I also have a very old iPod mini that stays in the 968. It works fins and charges in either car. IPhone is different.

Yeah, you got a great deal, illy. No doubt about that! Also the exclusive polar iPod. There used to be at least one company that custom painted iPods, so someone may have beat you to it, but none that I know of.